God calls Jeremiah
» God said, “I knew you before you were conceived.”
» God said, “I planned your life before you were born.”
Jeremiah’s response
» I’m too young to be used by you, God.
God’s response
» You’re not too young to be used by me
» You must obey
» Don’t be afraid
» I will be with you and take care of you
» I will give you the words to say and lead you
» I’m watching
» I will follow through with what I say I will do
» I will give you understanding of my words
» I will protect you and give you strength
God recalls His previous relationship with Israel (chosen people)
» They used to be eager to please me
» They used to love me
» They used to follow me
» They used to be Holy
» They used to have my protection from their enemies because of their relationship with
me.
What happeded to change Israel’s relationship with God?
» They were led astray
» They acted foolishly
» They put other things before God
» They stopped seeking God
» They forgot all that God had done for them
» They disobeyed
» They forgot God’s promises
» They mingled with the wrong crowd
» They wasted their time on nonsense
» They traded God for worthless idols
» They stopped fearing God
» They plotted and schemed
» They used other people
» They refused to admit their wrong (sin)
Consequences
» God brought a case against them
» God promised that His judgment against them would continue to affect even their
children and grandchildren
God’s instructions to Jeremiah
» Look at what is going on (His people living in sin and rejecting Him)
» Think about what you see
» God told him that his response should be (just as heaven’s response was) “shocked”
and that he should “shrink back in horror and dismay” because God’s people have
forsaken God (the fountain of living water) to dig for themselves cracked cisterns that
don’t even hold water
Results of Self induced rebellious sin
» become slaves
» get carried away as plunder (used)
» experience destruction and ruin
» lose glory and power (become useless to God)
» experience punishment instead of gain
» miss out on God’s plan (to be led and shown the way)
God asked
» How could this happen to my people? …I chose them, I rescued them, and I planted
them where they should be.
God said to His people
» Look around you (Open your eyes)
» Face your sin
» Those wanting to lead you astray don’t even have to search for you, you run to them.
» Why do you refuse to turn from running to sin?
» Don’t accuse Me of wrong, it is you who are rebelling.
» I will punish you.
» Your new friends will let you down.
» You will be led into exile (slavery…away from God’s original plan for you).
» You will not succeed.
Israel’s heart condition
» They feel shame only when they are caught.
» They call out to God only when they get into trouble.
» They are happy to be “free” of God (or so they think).
» They don’t want anything to do with God.
God’s heart
» God grieves that His people have forgotten Him and continue to claim they aren’t sinning.
Next
Jeremiah 1-2
Jeremiah 3-4
Jeremiah 5
Jeremiah 6
Jeremiah 7
Jeremiah 8
Jeremiah 9
Jeremiah 10-11
Jeremiah 12-13
Jeremiah 14-15
Jeremiah 16-17
Jeremiah 18
