For three consecutive days, when I opened my Bible, the pages have opened to Jeremiah Chapter 5. Well the third day, they actually opened to Psalm 27, but a third attempt on the third day led me right back to Jeremiah 5 (I’d tried randomly flipping The Book open three times hoping I wouldn’t end up in Jeremiah 5 again – but I did). Consequently I’ve read though God’s breathtakingly terrifying and heartbreaking pronouncements against His backslidden and wayward people. They had refused His voice, rejected his instruction in favor of their own ungodly pursuits, even unto idolatry, once too often, and now faced the full measure of His wrath.  In Chapter 7 The Lord says this “…While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer… Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors.” Jeremiah 7:13-14                                                                                                                                           These declarations are extremely severe, and don’t portray the eternally patient, tenderhearted God that we’d prefer to contemplate. So we generally avoid the text. Granted the spiritual state of the Israelites depicted here is one of rebellion akin to depravity, but this is still The Holy Scripture, and in these last evil days, the Book of Romans reminds us that they remain relevant and essential. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (meaning they once had knowledge of Him), God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting …” Romans 1:28-32 and 2:2-5.

 As we consider our personal spiritual condition as well as that of the nation, we simply can’t afford to find ourselves amidst rebukes like these …                                                                                                                                   “To whom can I speak and give warning?  Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them;  they find no pleasure in it. But I am full of the wrath of the Lord, and I cannot hold it in.” “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord. Jeremiah 6:10-12

 “This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing… For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says the Lord, that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.” Jeremiah 13:8-11                                                                                                                                “Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land—even the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,” says the Lord. “I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but will destroy them.” Jeremiah 13:13-14 

Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth. ² And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“Such as are for death, to death;
And such as are for the sword, to the sword;
And such as are for the famine, to the famine;
And such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.”

“And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,” says the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 15:1-4                                                                                                                                          And as for the blessings of peace and mercy so frequently pronounced today, The Text says this “For thus says the Lord: “Do not enter the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people,” says the Lord, “lovingkindness and mercies.” Jeremiah 16:5                                                                                                                                                And it only gets worse from there. Until finally He relents in one instance, and offers a way of escape in chapter 17  “If you value your lives, don’t carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Jerusalem, don’t carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat, and don’t do any work. Instead make Shabbat a holy day. Jeremiah 17:20 . While the admonition against carrying things in through the gates or out of the house may suggest avoiding strenuous effort, labor, or even mercantile exchange, it is not entirely clear, but keeping The Lord’s day holy is clear. And providentially this passage has particular, and relevant meaning concerning a recent event in my own life even as I write this.                                                                                                                               Again, the scripture is arresting, and consequently not often referenced. We usually skip the reviewing the potential punishment, and quote the more palatable antidote “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2Ch:7:14  

But we must not avoid the warnings. The Jeremiah texts contain challenging prouncements. But is necessary Word confronting us with the danger we might unwittingly indulge during these challenging times when it can become easy to be led astray by distractions, shiny objects, charisma, carelessness, fatigue and even counterfeit doctrine. The Jeremiah Logos can be invaluable in helping us to remain sober-minded such that we fiercely guard our hearts and minds; crave obedience over obstinance and convenience, promptly heed the voice of The Holy Spirit and permit Him to order our steps. Lest we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the horrifying state and just consequence of those called and failed and fallen from grace. A state I’d liken to falling away beyond the Event Horizon. I happened to be brushing up on space travel where I’d read that The Event Horizon is described as being two times beyond the point of no return … In that place as one author put it, “All that remains are particles of light and black holes – no matter, no atoms, no planets, no stars, no stellar remnants of life to cling to …”                                                                                                                                       I encourage us to lay down any reluctance to read about scary judgement against unrepentant BELIEVERS. Better to read about them than to be caught up in them. Then if we study The Scripture and search our hearts, if we should find ourselves in any way in alliance with a spirit of rebellion in this season. I pray The Lord’s deliverance and cleansing, and that He would make clear The Way of repentance, restoration and escape. Please precious Saints, if today you hear either His Rhema or Logos voice harden not your hearts. Heed His warning.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:15

Image by N.Anderson