Therefore, thus says the Lord, …Before Me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. (Jeremiah 15:19)
Have you ever noticed where God put the greatest riches of this world - diamonds, gold, oil, pearls! Not one of them is easily obtained! Only through searching, digging, and refining can their wealth be uncovered. Recently we went with some dear friends to the largest copper mine in the world. It’s interesting to me that Jeremiah goes on to say:
“Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you and deliver you,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 15:20)
Bronze is a copper-based alloy. It’s hardness makes it virtually indestructible. It has the ability to withstand amazing temperatures, which is why it is used as gratings in furnaces and braziers. It is no wonder that God has promised to make those who walk with Him, obeying His Word and shunning the world and its ways, like a wall of bronze. As we continue to walk with Jeremiah and the other prophets who warned Judah of their sins, we are constantly reminded that a fire is coming. God is an all-consuming fire and will destroy anything that can’t take the heat of His judgment. In His compassion and patience, God has been so kind to give His people time to judge themselves. Clearly and concisely, God spells out the actions that cause His anger to be stirred. If they listen and take heed, they will be able to withstand the time of judgment that is coming, just as bronze is able to withstand natural fire. But if there has been no refining process and their substance is mostly “earth,” they will be destroyed.
One of the most difficult things in walking with the prophets is that it seems like they say the same things over and over. Unfortunately, that’s what you have to do with immature children. A number of years ago, I was ministering at a church that I used to return to yearly. The pastor’s son Paul was just a little guy when I first met them. This particular time I was there, he was about eleven years old. Paul, Tammy - the boys mother and my dear friend - and I had gotten into the car. “Do you have your seatbelt on?” Tammy asked, just as she did each time they got into the car. “No,” came Paul’s sheepish reply. “Paul, you are eleven years old. Everyday for eleven years, I have told you to buckle your seatbelt. How old will you be before you learn to do it without being told?” Tammy chided with motherly exasperation. 365 x 11 = 4,015. When you stop and realize that Paul had been in the car for more than one trip each day, going to and from school, to and from church, to and from the store or a friends house, you can easily see that he had heard those same words at least 8,000 to 10,000 times in his young lifetime. And yet, in his immaturity, the message had somehow eluded him. I haven’t seen Paul in a number of years. He is an adult now with a wife and children soon to come. Paul no longer has the voice of his mother telling him to buckle his seatbelt each time he climbs in the car. As an adult, he is expected to know and to do what is right. If he fails to buckle up, it is no longer because of immaturity - it is stupidity and rebellion, and the punishment more costly!
Like a persistent parent, God sent His prophets to remind His children to do what they had been taught to do. Our journey with the prophets lasts only a short time, but in actuality, these somber messages took place over a vast number of years. We hear their words repeatedly, day after day and it begins to sound quite repetitious. But unfortunately, like Paul who failed to heed his mother’s instruction regarding his seatbelt, God’s children refused to be obedient from the heart. Jeremiah knows that God’s patience is running out and His judgment fire is about to be kindled.
Jeremiah’s warnings are as relevant today as they were for the kingdom of Judah. Disregard for God’s ways is as rampant in our society as it was in the days before Judah’s captivity. May we hear God’s instructions and take it to heart as His Spirit speaks to us saying, “If you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman, My mouth, My voice to this doomed generation. Hopefully, they will turn to you in an effort to walk in the same path of obedience you walk in, but you must never become like them!!!” Only then will we stand fortified as a wall of bronze and be able to endure the fire that is about to come upon our sinful generation!
No comments:
Post a Comment