Praise in the Midst of Judgment
"'they proceed from evil to evil,
and they do not know me,'
declares the Lord.
'... they refuse to know me,'
declares the Lord."
(Jeremiah 9:3b, 6b)
God continues to show Jeremiah just how far His people have fallen. He even tells His prophet not to pray for this people and not even to intercede with God for them (7:16) because His warnings have been ignored, His commands have been ignored, His pleas to truly return to Him in heartfelt repentance have been ignored again and again.
As Jeremiah grasps the severity of his nation's sin, of God's wrath toward his people, of God's determination to judge them harshly, Jeremiah cries,
"My joy is gone;
grief is upon me;
my heart is sick within me."
(Jeremiah 8:18)
Yet he sees God as righteous even as he complains to Him asking "why" (12:1). Can't you identify with him? How often to we ask God "why"? But do we still see God as righteous when questioning Him? Jeremiah did. In fact, although sorrowful, Jeremiah still proclaimed:
"There is none like you, O Lord;
You are great, and your name is great in might.
Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due. ...
But the Lord is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King."
(Jeremiah 10:6,7,10)
Expanding on the fact that there is none like God, he picks up the refrain of so many psalmists, a refrain of praise for God's power and wisdom demonstrated in Creation:
"It is he who made the earth by his power,
who established the world by his wisdom,
and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.
When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain,
and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses."
(Jeremiah 10:12-13)
Over and over again, I have seen how focusing on God, on Who He is, on His power, wisdom, and eternal existence, changes my perspective. Problems diminish. Trials become bearable. Self diminishes. God's glory becomes foremost and my desire to please Him is more important than ever.
God is open and honest in His expectations of His people, then and now. God has not changed since the days of Jeremiah. Note the similarity between these words of Jeremiah and the following words of James:
"...if you truly execute justice with another,
if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow,
or shed innocent blood
and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm..."
(Jeremiah 7: 5-6)
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this:
to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,
and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
(James 1:27)
We see in these verses the importance of caring for each other, especially those who are in need, such as the orphans and the widows. Of course, we don't think we pursue other gods today, but anything that separates us from God's will is idolatry. I believe that's what James means when he says we should keep ourselves unstained from the world. Think about it: the world emphasizes beauty, riches, power and pleasure. It is so easy for us to begin to adopt that philosophy, leaving God out of our daily lives and aspirations. Granted, God expects us to appreciate beauty, to emulate Him in our creativity. But to whom are we giving the glory when we pursue beauty? Do we recognize true riches as our eternal inheritance? Do we seek God's power to enhance our spiritual lives? And our spiritual influence on others? Is our foremost pleasure in God Himself?
The verse that really nails it, that speaks to us today, is found beautifully expressed in Jeremiah 9:23-24:
"Thus says the Lord:
'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,
let not the mighty man boast in his might,,
let not the rich man boast in his riches,
but let him who boasts boast in this,
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteous in the earth.
For in these things I delight,' declares the Lord."
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