WHEN GOD DECLARES WAR
JEREMIAH 4:5-6:30
INTRODUCTION: This is the third sermon in a series on “A Journey through Jeremiah”. Here is Jeremiah. He has been created by God; conditioned by God; called by God; and commissioned by God. He is sent into a society, not unlike the one in which we live. Now, this is a large section of scripture, but let us examine, explode and see what we can extract from it. Let’s take note of “When God Declares War.”
I. THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR (Ch. 4)
The war is announced. It is declared. See I Cor. 14:8.
Please note:
A. The Alarm(v.5, 19, 21) Observe “the sound of the trumpet.” This is the “shofar”. It was the horn used to gather the people for worship (remember the Sunday school bell in the steeple?). It was also used to warn the people to flee for safety. This alarm was for the latter since they had constantly abused the former. We would compare this to an emergency siren, a tornado alert or any number of warnings. This alarm is sounded with a sense of urgency. Here is an urgency in a state of emergency. “Sound the trumpet.” Study up on the trumpet call of God in I Thess.4:16.
B. The Attack (v.6, 16) God never attacks without prior warning. Look at how this enemy is described. “Seeking lion” (v.7). “Prowling predator” (v.11). “Scorching wind” (v.13). “Swift horse” (v.13). The picture here is that of a devastating, catastrophic, cataclysmic event.
C. The Affliction (v. 20, 23-27) This describes chaos, instability, and desolation. This has been described as “the most graphic and powerful descriptions of God’s avenging hand in the Bible.”
D. The Anguish Look at Jeremiah’s anguish (v.19). In those days the “bowels” were considered the seat of human emotions. We might use the terms today as “a gut feeling” or being stirred down to the “pit of my stomach.” Note that this is not just the overreaction of a youthful preacher but a passionate pleading and a dire warning from a prophet of God. This is the panic of a young man who senses the coming devastation of his nation. Jeremiah is both prophetic and patriotic. Look at Jehovah’s anguish (v.22, 28). Here God is like a broken hearted parent warning a child/children about the disastrous results of the bad choice of a wrong lifestyle. The word “relent” here is a “non-negotiable.” It is not that God was unwilling to forgive but He knew they were unwilling to repent. They had grown so adept at evil and their conscience was so seared that they had become incapable of practicing moral and ethical deeds. God is good, patient, kind and forgiving but He is also just, holy, righteous and punishing.
Now some may say, “Preacher, why be so full of pessimism, doom and gloom? Nothing like that will ever happen to us.” Take a close look at Jer. 5:12 and listen to what the people were saying back then. Nobody will ever attack us. Nobody will ever invade us. Could I remind you to take a look around. Look to the West – illegal immigrants are coming. Look to the East – the terrorists are coming. Look to the South – the drug lords are invading. Look to the North – might I say government is growing!
We are living in a land where morality is shot. Our philosophy is, to a large degree, evil. So much of our theology is corrupt. Politics has become laughable and many of our pulpits have become disgraceful. All the while we are like people in Jeremiah’s day trying to solve problems in our own cleverness (see 4:30).
II. THE CAUSE OF THE WAR (Ch. 5)
Now before you become to enraged let me remind you that God is not “trigger happy.” He never declares war without a “just cause.” He never goes to war without wise counsel. What would cause God to commence a war against the people He created? Chapter 4:18 gives the explanation.
In Chapter 5 you see what is called an “enacted parable”. It was used as an “attention grabber”. In 5:1 see what God told Jeremiah to do. But the question is still before us. What prompted God to declare war?
A. Indifference (5:1-2) In Genesis 18, if Abraham could only find “ten” righteous people. Here the number is “one”. Seems as if this place was ten times worst. Note in v.4, he looks among the “poor”. In v.5, he looks among the “plenty”. Neither group was looking for the truth. In v.2, the words “as surely as the Lord lives” were a sacred vow, a binding oath. They were using all the right religious language and lingo. They acknowledged God with their lips but denied His word by their lifestyle. Theirs was a superficial piety. It has prompted many scholars to refer to these people as “practical atheists”. Not much seems to have changed down through the years has it?
B. Idolatry (5:18, 23) They had turned their backs on God. If they would only repent and return. If only they would confess wrong and admit failure. But that is exactly what prisoners of pride refuse to do. Why should God bless those who ignore and abandon Him? God, Himself, would have to abandon His character, denounce His holiness and ignore His standard to allow this to happen without divine intervention.
C. Immorality (5:7-9) Idolatry leads to immorality. In the absence of repentance God had no recourse but to punish.
D. Injustice (5:26-29) Also see 6:13-15. The overall idea here is that people are “slick”. The whole race was consumed with greed, corruption and depravity.
Could anything be any more relevant to today’s society than these verses? It was to these “practical atheists” that God called Jeremiah to be a “moral analyst”. Take a look at 5:30. The word “horrible” implies astonishing, desolate, laid to waste. The word “shocking” means to shudder. It carries with it the meaning of “rotten figs”. The whole scene was disgusting. The most shocking thing is found in 5:31. All this had become so normal, so routine that nothing embarrassed these people. They had grown so accustomed to things that they had become content to have conditions as they were. Look at our own society and many people don’t know any other world. Such are the results of the last 50 years of socialistic education and the eradication of God from the public arena. But in v. 31 is one of the many pertinent questions asked in the book of Jeremiah – “But what will you do in the end?”
III. THE CURE FOR THE WAR (Ch. 6)
Look back at 4:27; 5:10; 5:18. The devastation will be terrible but not total. Perhaps, we haven’t gone as far as these people had gone. Is there any way to avert this war?
A. Learn of God’s Wrath (6:11) See also Rom. 1:8; 5:9; I Thess. 5:9. Look back at Jer. 5:22. The word “tremble” means to turn about, twist, whirl, writhe.
B. Listen to God’s Word (6:10) This is a most shocking verse. We’re offended by it! See 6:19. They found no pleasure in His word. They had no intent of obeying it.
C. Look at God’s Ways (6:16) Look for the old ways of morality, holiness and compassion. Preachers, there is a great sermon in this one verse. Note – stand, look, ask, walk. Look for the way that God approves.
What will be the result? “Rest” (v.16). The word means calmness, quietness, tranquility and peace of mind. Here is the answer to all the turmoil in the world, Washington and all other sectors.
CONCLUSION: Listen to me. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” He wants to be quick to bless and slow to wrath. He doesn’t want to go to war with you!
It has been said that the average person in the world today is without faith, without God and without hope. They are in a desperate search for the meaning and purpose of life. The sad commentary is that they are living on borrowed time, borrowed money and borrowed strength and they already know that in the end they will surely die.
You can turn against Him and fight or you can turn to Him and be forgiven! Don’t go to war with God. You’re sure to lose.
