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Word from Scotland

    by Sandy Shaw

Jeremiah Gives Us An Accurate and Balanced View of God
Date Posted: August 22, 2022

Jeremiah Chapters 8,9 . We come to the Word of God - always - in the Name of Jesus Christ - expecting Jesus to speak to us through this Word and expecting the Holy Spirit to minister to us, in some way.

No wonder Jeremiah was unpopular. A man who preaches and proclaims and prophecies and speaks in a similar way, will be regarded by many in a derogatory sense, as a Jeremiah - and if that word can become a synonym for something derogatory or overly gloomy - then soon, people will no longer take Jeremiah seriously. That is a problem we might have to face.

These Chapters raise questions - What kind of God do we believe in? Do we have a sentimental view of God? Or, do we hold a Scriptural view of God? And how do we really get to know the real God?

It might be said that you never really get to know a person until you listen to what he says - and some 4,000 times in the Bible it says - “Thus says The Lord”. Let Him speak for Himself. This occurs around 15 times in our passage today. God reveals how He thinks – through what He says – and this is the only real God.

If a person wishes a sugary sentimental view of God, then he will have problems with these verses. Verses 14,17 and Chapter 9 verse 15 . I will give you poisoned water to drink. Sin is serious!

It is never easy for a parent to watch a child suffer. When God sees His children sinning, it is as though He would rather see them dead. This is one of the difficult truths which arises in these verses. You can almost hear God saying - “I can’t bear all this going on in the world - in the Promised Land - among My Chosen People - in Jerusalem.

Many might even think you were mad to preach such a message in these so-called sophisticated days - but, in the light of this, do you think God will allow everything to go on in our land as though nothing were happening contrary to His ways? Do you see how it matters what kind of God we believe in? Believe in the God of the Bible.

God is allowing us to see things from His point of view - through this passage - through the life of Jesus - through what He reveals in the Book of Revelation.

God is saying - “Come and sit alongside Me and see how I feel about certain things.”

Verse 4 . What happens when you fall? You pick yourself up. But God says - “Why do you not do that spiritually?” What happens when a man gets on the wrong road? We turn around and seek to correct what is wrong - and even make up for lost time. But - not My people! The people will just not come to Me.

Seldom do we hear people say - “I must find God at all costs - I must get into the Church and be forgiven before it is too late - I must get saved from my sins - seldom do we hear anything like that.

Verse 8 . You may have a Bible - but preachers can make it mean whatever they like. They were doing that then - and they do it today. It is easy to twist The Word of God - until in peoples’ minds there is no God left who would poison people.

Peter said - Fear God and honour the king. Jesus said - “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” There must always be a reverential Godly fear. We must beware of becoming too pally with God - or flippant - or superficial.

There is in man an instinct for God - but they will not follow Him.

Verse 7 – Birds know something of the plans and requirements of God – but not His people.

Verse 13 . We read of how God has given so much - but He is also a God Who takes away.

We are permitted to see the situation from Jeremiah’s point of view too - he appears trapped between God and the people - and he began to experience agony of heart - and that inevitably happens in the heart of the concerned prophet or preacher or disciple. He can become upset (sick) as a result of the depth of concern.

Verse 11 . It was generally accepted that things were all right - in Jerusalem.

Verse 20 . The bad harvest is past - the crisis is over - and we are not saved – but no-one has really paid any attention. No-one is all that concerned. O, we will muddle through - next year it will rain and there will be a harvest.

Verse 21 . Gilead lay on the other side of The Jordan – and there they grew a balsam which was made into a healing ointment. Is there no answer? Is there no healing from the land of healing? Is there no medicine that will work?

Chapter 9 verse 1 where we read of the very personal experience of the prophet.

There is no integrity. People will say anything.

Verse 3 - they say things and shoot forth lies. Remember these words I have quoted on various occasions - “What we vow in times of peace, God normally asks us to pay and fulfil in times of war.”

Verse 4 . Every brother is a deceiver. Jeremiah wants away from all this - away from the city – perhaps returning to a little country cottage.

Verse 7 Jeremiah realises disaster is certain. And all that will be left will be a bitter taste. Verse 15 .

Verse 17 . How do you prepare for this? You either live it up - or sober down? Now we are right in the very middle of this just now - people are living it up - but those who see what is happening and who can cope with change - judgement - disaster - tragedy - are those who have sobered down. Those who live it up have nothing - no resources on which to fall back.

Verses 18,20,23 - The women are to open their mouths and the men are to shut theirs! These are very often signs of God’s Judgement.

It has been observed that just before a society collapses women’s fashions go crazy - as society almost goes out of control. Jeremiah hinted at that back in 4verse 30 . Jeremiah isn’t so out of date at all!

Verse 20 . Why don’t you try being sober and teach your children how to mourn and lament? Hear what God is saying and teach it.

Verse 23 . Men were boasting that they were clever or powerful or rich. What really counts is in verse 24 - get to understand and know God. Be ambitious in the area of kindness, justice and righteousness. When the world regards a man as being successful that it not usually the type of measure we use - we want to know is he well educated - is he in a position of power to give orders - is he wealthy with a big bank balance? Quite different!

Verse 25 . These men were proud that they were circumcised in their flesh - and successful in their businesses. God was keen to see them circumcised in their hearts - with worldly success cut out - cut away from their sinful desires and ambitions.

For us – it is important to know the requirements of Jesus and in Chapter 9 verse 3 it is important that we acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Know him as Lord and allow him to exercise his Lordship over our lives.

Verse 6 - Be aware of the possibility of being deceived by those around you. One way we can avoid being deceived is by acknowledging God. It sounds so simple. But to get to know Him we have to spend time with Him listening to Him - and to hear Him, get to know this Book. Hear Him through His written Word. There is no better way.

As we get to know Him better - we will come to realise that He too is concerned about what is going on around us - and then, we will be on His ide - and when all the new fashions have gone - judgement comes - as it surely will - and we will be able to STAND.

Jeremiah was a strong man - not as a man might measure strength - but I am reminded of strength as we were reading in Romans 15 - “We who are strong....mature.

Strength in Christ is not the same as strength in the flesh. Jesus was strong when being tempted and tested in the wilderness. Be strong in Christ and stand.

“Almighty God – help us to be strong spiritually – if we fall help us to get up right away – if we fail forgive us and lift us up. Father – you have placed Your people in the world to shine and serve – enable us to remain faithful to the very end – and to give You all the praise and the glory – with thanksgiving – we pray in Jesus’ Name.” Amen.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

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Biography Information:

Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!

Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.

Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.

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