GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD FOR FREEDOM
Jeremiah 20:7-13 - July 4, 2004
Pentecost 5 / Independence Day
JEREMIAH 20:7-13
7O LORD, you persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
8Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.
9But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
10I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let’s report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."
11But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten.
12O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
13Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
Freedom! It is a wonderful word. As we have learned over the years and have especially seen in the past year, freedom is also an awesome word. We live in a country that the rest of the world envies. Every citizen in the United States enjoys freedoms that are unparalleled in any other nation in this world. The Lord reminds us today as believers with that word "freedom," there also comes a responsibility --- a responsibility to use that freedom to God’s glory. We are going to talk about our divine freedom responsibility this morning. Jeremiah points to us the fact that we can give praise to the Lord for our freedom. We are reminded of what Paul says in Galatians: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (GALATIANS 5:1). Of course, Jeremiah is talking about spiritual freedom. This is our greatest freedom that we enjoy in this nation, a spiritual freedom that God gives us first of all and the government freedom to worship where and when and whatever God we want. Today we worship the only true God, the triune God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD FOR FREEDOM
I. reminded that wickedness loses.
II. knowing that God is victorious.
I. WICKEDNESS LOSES
We need to refresh our memory about Jeremiah the Prophet. The Old Testament prophets were often sent by God to proclaim God’s judgment. Jeremiah was another such prophet. In fact he was a prophet during the reign of six kings during the history of Israel. Now if you may remember about the kings of Israel, not all of them were good kings. In fact if you look at the kings side by side, you will find very often that there were more bad kings than good kings. These kings did not care about giving glory to God, but they cared about giving glory to themselves. They did not care about God’s Word, as some of them even introduced idol worship. Doing that as a king or a ruler of a nation of God was not a good king. Jeremiah faced these bad kings. Jehoiakim, one of the kings who ruled when Jeremiah was prophet, despised Jeremiah and also the word of God that Jeremiah brought to him. We are told that at one time Jeremiah sent the word of God on the scroll to Jehoiakim. As God’s Word was read to him, Jehoiakim took a knife and cut it into small pieces and burned it in his own personal firepot in order that he might keep warm. So the king thought he would put an end to Jeremiah, God’s prophet, and God’s Word. Later God also inspired Jeremiah to write the same words down – God’s word cannot be stopped.
That is why in our text it starts with almost a lament by Jeremiah: 7O LORD, you persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you overpowered me and prevailed. If Jeremiah had his choice, he would not be the one to stand in front of kings and proclaim God’s judgment. Jeremiah states this: 8Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. His message was a message of God’s Law. It was a message of God’s Law, because God’s people had simply turned away from God over and over. They turned away so much that when it came to the king who should set an example, Jehoiakim took the word of God and burned it. The king tried to destroy it.
So it was that Jeremiah felt lonely. Jeremiah was wondering whether it was worth it. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Then he adds: So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. All around him people made fun of him, because they made fun of the Word of God. God had given them freedom to set up kings that they wanted. The Lord warned them, "If you want kings, you can have them. But remember, these kings are not going to rule like I rule. These kings are going to tax you. These kings are going to take your children and send them to war. These kings are going to have enemies". Still, God let them have their kings. When the Lord sent them prophets, they would rather listen to a bad king than a good prophet.
Jeremiah says in verse 10: 10I hear many whispering, "Terror on every side! Report him! Let’s report him!" All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him." His friends opposed Jeremiah. He was opposed by the common man in the street. He was even opposed by the king. Yet, he is going to give thanks for the freedom that God had given him and this nation, because wickedness would not win. It would lose. He says, they will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. Even though they might oppose God and might oppose God for generations, yet wickedness would lose. Even though they didn’t want to hear what God had to say, wickedness would lose.
Not much has changed in the centuries since the time of Jeremiah the Prophet. To proclaim God’s Word in all of its truth and purity, sometimes in our nation is seen as not the right thing, not the politically correct thing. Christians holding to the truth of God’s word are sometimes considered right wing extremists in this nation. You and I know that like the people of Jeremiah’s time, we don’t like to hear about our sin; but the Law tells us that we are sinners from our birth. We are born into this world as enemies of God. We are not neutral, but we are opposed to God and his gracious will. In our country and sometimes in churches no one hears that word "sin" anymore or God’s law. Yet, we cannot dismiss it. We cannot deny it, because sin is still sin and is still here. The result of sin is obvious. Paul writes to the Romans: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (ROMANS 5:12). God says very simply that people are still dying today which means that sin is still here as the result of sin is death. So even though it might be hidden or covered up, sin is still here.
Today, we are reminded to give thanks that God gives us the power to fight against our enemies. As we gather together, we realize our nation faces enemies, in different generations, different times. More importantly you and I also face the enemy. We face Satan every day of our life. Satan doesn’t like to see us gathered here and listening to God’s Word. Satan would rather see us away from God and His Word. Satan would rather see us suffering the torments of hell with him. So he makes many things in this world appear more attractive than listening to God’s Word. Satan and his minions are alive and well. That is the enemy that we face. Paul reminds us in Ephesians: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (EPHESIANS 6:12). Sounds ominous and foreboding, doesn’t it? He says, "The authorities, the powers of the dark world." Yes, Satan is the prince of darkness.
Even though we face such an imposing enemy that we can’t see and who is constantly trying to take away our soul, we are reminded today that wickedness and Satan loses. We think back to the creation of the world and how we are in the situation that we are in today. We realize how God had created the heavens and the earth and everything was good. He put mankind in it, and God said, "Don’t eat from the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." This was one prohibition--one thing not to do. Of course we know what happens. Satan came and tempted Adam and Eve, and they sinned. So we now live in an imperfect world. What else happened? Sometimes we forget that before Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the Lord made a promise. The Lord made the promise that even though Satan had gotten that small victory, wickedness would always lose. God gave to Adam and Eve and he gives to mankind the very first promise of salvation way back in the book of Genesis: "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (GENESIS 3:15). The Lord God said to Satan, "There is going to be hatred between you and the woman, between you and mankind. There is not going to be that cozy relationship that you once enjoyed. There is going to be hatred. In the end you may strike the heel of Jesus, but He is going to crush your head." Satan did strike the heel of Jesus. We know of the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and feet. In those nail prints of Jesus we also understand Satan was crushed and wickedness loses.
Jeremiah says, "We give praise to the Lord for this freedom, freedom from the power of sin, freedom from the power of death, and freedom from Satan himself." Very simply wickedness loses. Today we are also reminded that God is victorious.
II. GOD IS VICTORIOUS
We have to put ourselves back into the situation of Jeremiah the prophet. Here was a called-servant of God. The people on the street did not like him. The ruler didn’t like him, so he was alone. Yet, he realized that God was still on his side. Even though wickedness was around him and none wanted to hear the truth, yet the truth was going to win. Jeremiah says that you can’t keep the truth within you: 9But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. Jeremiah feels that he would rather be quiet according to his sinful nature but he cannot -- God’s truth has to be told. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. This reminds us of the early apostles when the Word of God was beginning to spread and the new message that Christ had lived, died and rose again. Early apostles were thrown into prison. One time they were let out and the authorities said, "Just be quiet and all will be okay." But the apostles said that they could not help but speak of the things that they had seen and heard. Just like Jeremiah said, "I cannot help myself. I have to tell what God wants me to tell."
God wanted Jeremiah to say that they were sinners, but also God was still the victorious one. Verse 11 says: 11But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. When Jeremiah says "a mighty warrior," he doesn’t just mean a fighter. He means a warrior that wins, not sometimes but all of the time. Jeremiah states, "This is the Lord. He is with me like a mighty warrior. The people may want my death. The king may want me to disappear, but the Lord is on my side and they will not prevail." Jeremiah then does the only thing that only a believer can and would do. In the midst of adversity and trouble Jeremiah commits his cause to the Lord: 12O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause. Jeremiah looks at the Lord as his mighty warrior. He looks at the Lord and knows who knows his heart and his mind; and he says, "To you I commit my cause. I commit my life." Jeremiah adds, "If possible, let me see your vengeance." Jeremiah preached words of judgment, and he was just saying that he would like to see divine judgment carried out if it is God’s will.
Then Jeremiah is at peace. He understands this freedom, this freedom from the troubles of this world that God has given him. So at the very end of our text it changes from the beginning of this section which begins like a lament but then goes to praise in verse 13: 13Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked. Jeremiah is thankful; thankful for the freedom the Lord has given him. It is the freedom to proclaim God’s message. It is the freedom to know that this life and its troubles are short in comparison to glory.
We rejoice in many of the freedoms that we have today, freedom of speech, freedom of worship; and we can’t even keep track of that list. One of our most important freedoms is the freedom that God is our mighty warrior. God is victorious, and God’s victory is our victory. Remember the enemy that we face. Paul explained in Ephesians, against the powers, the principalities, the authorities of this dark world, God is victorious. In Colossians Paul adds: "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (COLOSSIANS 2:15). This is Jesus our mighty warrior who beat up Satan. Jesus is our mighty warrior who beat up death and has destroyed sin by the cross, in a public spectacle. We remember all the people that paraded by and made fun of Jesus on the cross, even the thief on the cross. And yet, it is our freedom. Jesus red blood makes our sins, which were like scarlet as white as snow. That is the true freedom of red, white and blue.
God is victorious. We are victorious. 1 John says: "For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 JOHN 5:4,5). Simple as that! It is a simple saving faith that Jesus is the Son of God, and by grace God has given us that ability to believe. God has given us the courage to confess our Christian faith. God has given conviction to hold fast to the truth—God’s truth which sets us free. God has given us the encouragement to know that heaven is our home.
Yes, daily our sins stand before us and condemn us. Daily God in his grace offers us his forgiveness. We hear it in His Word. We experience it in the Lord’s Supper with Jesus’ very own body and blood; and we realize that as God is victorious, and believers are also victorious. In Timothy: "It (God’s grace) has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 TIMOTHY 1:10). Sometimes we may not feel very inspired to live this life, but the Lord says he has given us eternal life through the Gospel. Our loving Lord has given us the ability to enjoy eternal freedom.
Today, we are reminded of the freedoms we do enjoy. We look at the news and realize how blessed we are. We heard in our readings (ROMANS 13:1-17 & MATTHEW 22:15-22) and realize that God establishes the government that is established. We realize what a blessed government we have. We can pay taxes and enjoy freedom. We also pay revenue, honor and respect and enjoy freedom. We don’t have to worry about people coming into our houses and taking us and throwing us into prison for no reason or beheading us or treating us unfairly. We give praise to the Lord for our freedom here in this nation at this time.
Every day we also give praise to the Lord for our freedom in our life, for our souls. God has defeated every enemy. He has defeated the authorities, the powers of darkness so that we might live in freedom. From John 16 we may remember the Sundays after Easter when Jesus visited His disciples in the Upper Room and they were afraid, locked away. What does Jesus tell them? Jesus tells them as he also tells us: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (JOHN 16:33). Christ has overcome the world so that we overcome the world. We give to the Lord praise for our freedom to overcome; knowing full well that wickedness loses from the very first time sin entered the world, and knowing full well that our God, the triune God, is victorious. God’s victory is our victory! It is our freedom! Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
