IN ORDER…ANOTHER CHANCE
JEREMIAH 35-37
AUGUST 17, 2017

God takes no pleasure in the suffering or destruction of His people. In the chapters of Jeremiah that are before us today God is giving yet another chance to His people to repent so He may spare them the judgement that is surely coming.

As an example of how easy it should be to obey him he uses the obedience of one family to what was asked of them many years prior by a relative long departed.

Jeremiah 35.12-14
12 Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me. 14 The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me.

Because of their obedience God says, "I won't let them get wiped out. They'll remain." The Recabites who still obey Jonadab their ancestor and follow after his orders and refuse to live in houses but dwell in tents and don't plant vineyards. An interesting bunch of people, and God says, "They'll remain. My people they're going to get wiped out. Theyn refused one greater than a human relative they refused almighty God who is so much kinder and wiser than any human being.

Why were the Recabites spared? Because they obeyed and stayed faithful to what was asked of them. The same that God would do for His people if only they obeyed Him and remained faithful to what He asked of them. 

So God gives another chance to His people hoping they have learned the obedience lesson from the example of the Recabites.

Jeremiah 36.2-3 
2 “Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations…. 3 Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”

Unfortunately they did not listen, obey or repent. 

Is there something that the Lord wants us to do or not to do that we refuse to obey? He knows the outcome of our choices and only wants the best for us. If he is telling us not to do something all He is saying is “don’t hurt yourself” if He wants us to do something all he is saying is “I want to bless you”. Is He offering you another chance to obey?

God is good in all that He asks us to obey.

“Heavenly Father I trust you this day. I will demonstrate my trust by obeying you. When it seems difficult or I don’t completely understand why, I will trust that you are too good to allow me to hurt myself or keep any good thing from me. Amen.”