Sermon: Three Questions That Deserve Consideration

Sermon: Three Questions that Deserve Consideration

Scripture Lesson: Jeremiah 5:25-31 “Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people. Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich. They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land, the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?”

Introduction: Three Questions that Require an Answer, “Should I not punish them for this?” “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation.” But what will you do when the end comes?” Jeremiah 5:25-31 is a summary of the sins of Judah, which include systemic injustice, corrupt leadership, and a deafening spiritual blindness to their actions. The passage states that the people's sin and disobedience are the reason for withheld blessings. Abuse and oppression were the order of the day. The powerful oppress the weak. Jeremiah describes this horrifying scenario where God’s prophets and priests spread lies and God’s people readily accepted lies over truth. Jeremiah concludes with God's warning of impending judgment for their failure to repent.

God tells the people that their own "iniquities" (sins) are the reason for the withholding of good things, such as the necessary rains and fruitful seasons. Brotherly love had been forgotten and the wicked men who act like hunters, using their power and wealth to oppress the poor and fatherless. God asks if He should not punish such a nation. Then this text describes a "horrible and shocking thing" happening in the land: prophets lie, priests rule by their own power, and the people, who should hold them accountable, "love it this way". Jeremiah questions what they will do when the final judgment arrives. God’s judgment will surely come because they have embraced a corrupt and unrighteous system that cannot stand.

Believers are encouraged to embrace the truth and speak the truth to one another in love. Truth is important because it builds trust and is fundamental to strong relationships and functional societies. It enables personal growth and self-awareness by allowing individuals to see reality clearly, learn from mistakes, and make informed decisions. On a societal level, truth is the basis for cooperation, justice, and progress, while a lack of it can lead to conflict and division.

There are several scriptures that describe God's people preferring falsehood over truth, often as a result of a hardened heart or a rejection of God's way. Jeremiah 9:3: "They bend their tongues like bows; lies and not truth have grown strong in the land, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD."

Hosea seems to agree with Jeremiah when he said, Hosea 4:1-2: "Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the land: 'There is no truth or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land! Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery have broken out; blood touches blood." This departure from the truth can be found in every generation. Paul said in Romans: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator..." Then 2Thessalonians 2:11-12: "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."

John 8:44: Jesus tells his opponents, "He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." This is often used to describe people who follow him.

When God's people prefer falsehood over truth, it can be because they reject sound teaching for what they want to hear, have a pleasure in unrighteousness, or are influenced by a "strong delusion" to believe a lie. This happens when they choose to "chase after myths" and are unwilling to accept what is true and wholesome. This choice is described in scripture as a willful preference for evil and deceit. People may reject sound teaching and instead seek out teachers who will tell them whatever their desires want to hear. This is often a choice to follow personal desires over objective truth.