Lessons From Jeremiah – Part 26 – Proclaim God’s Message - Move Away From Deception And Amend Your Ways Series

LESSONS FROM JEREMIAH – PART 26 – PROCLAIM GOD’S MESSAGE - MOVE AWAY FROM DECEPTION AND AMEND YOUR WAYS

PART 26 - Jeremiah 7:1-4

CHAPTER 7

{{Jeremiah 7:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Jeremiah 7:2 “Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD.”}}

[A]. THE WORD OF GOD WILL NOT BE SILENCED AND MUST BE PROCLAIMED

No word is truly useful unless it comes from the Lord; unless it comes with the LORD’s direction. The prophets who were faithful to God knew the confirmation of the word that came to them. As they waited on God and served Him, then at the appropriate times, the word of the Lord came to them in thought, or vision or dream.

When a man knows the word of God, it rings with a resonance with him. It is the clear clarion call to a man of God/preacher to expound the message of God. That of course may land him in trouble with the authorities and even endanger his life. The living word of the living God abides in the heart of the preacher and he must proclaim that word or the inner fire will eat him up. It may even mean his death as it did in Isaiah’s case where he was sawn in two by Satan’s men. The lazy or uncommitted preacher does not know that fire of the Lord’s Spirit.

The word of God is pure and powerful, and a man engrossed in God’s word can testify of the energy of the word. It is little wonder why the New Testament writers were so careful to set forth the word of God as essential in knowing God and growing strong in the faith. Doctrine, correction and instruction are all vital components necessary for a balanced and strong growth of any Christian life. Jeremiah lived by God’s word as did David, and in the Psalms, David spoke of the majesty of God’s word such as in Psalm 119.

We seem to see the pattern in the prophets where the word of the Lord came to them for a specific purpose, usually to declare the counsels of God, or to set out the restoration future for the nation over many centuries, even millennia, or to chastise, challenge, and reprimand the nation, or to warn of impending judgement unless repentance was forthcoming. Usually the prophet’s ministry was balanced and all elements of the above were present in the entire ministry.

What must not be overlooked is the correlation between the prophet’s ministry and the prophet’s personal life. God will not use an unclean vessel to issue forth His word. The brackish fountain or well cannot handle the unadulterated word of God. The godly and obedient man is the one who will hear God’s word, but the self-willed man only thinks he heard the word of God. The false prophets have no idea of the word of God/scriptures and are demonically deluded in thinking they even proclaim God’s truth.

There is another element of hearing God’s word in the prophet’s ears. It gives boldness so that the messenger can face his enemies without fear, knowing in faith that he is proclaiming the truth. God’s word will always be a sword to divide, and a hammer to strike, and a lamp and light to guide, and milk and meat to nourish and grow. Woe unto the prophet who does not do the bidding of the Lord when He has spoken. Finishing up in the belly of an appointed fish may not be the only chastisement from God for a disobedient prophet who hears God speaking and chooses to disobey. The true man of God knows his mission and his message and can boldly exclaim, “Thus says the Lord!” He must speak out without compromise and in all aspects, honour the true word.

The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible when holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit breathed the word into the prophets and the Holy Spirit interprets the word for us today, and convicts us through the word, and prompts us by the word. He feeds us and guides us, and reproves us and builds us up into spiritual men and women. The word of the Lord comes to us through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

God’s word always comes with directions. It is never an abstract word or a confusing word. If a Christian finds the word confusing or seemingly irrelevant, then I’d suggest there is a blockage where the channels are clogged by the world, or by sin, or by aspects of the old nature. As Paul instructed the Corinthians, {{1Corinthians 5:7 “Clean out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened, for Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”}}. If God tells us to desire the unadulterated (pure) milk of the word (1Peter 2:2) then He will not make it difficult or confusing. A baby is not confused about the milk from the breast. In fact it is natural, and it should be natural for us to be instructed by the Spirit in the word. Even before that, in the first instant, it should be the absolute longing for the knowledge of God that impels us to the bible.