Beyond the Point of No Return
Jeremiah 11-15
Tom J. Nettles
I
The Covenant and its Provisions
A
God’s sovereign
imposition of covenant 11:2-5; 13:11
1
The paradigm is
with mankind through Adam by creation and sovereign arrangement of life Gen
2:15-17; Romans 5:12-21 – Man was not a cooperative partner in the decision to
be an image bearer or to have a test of obedience placed on him. It was a
sovereign disposition fully consistent with the nature of things—God as creator
thus primary in both purpose and power, all other things as creatures thus the
results of purpose and power. God does not entertain any notion that his is
unfair but merely announces the moral reality of man’s necessary submission and
of punishment for disobedience.
2
The covenant with
Noah for all humanity and the entire earth in light of the universality of sin
and in light of the final judgment Gen 9:8-17; cf. 2 Peter 3:3-13 – God
demonstrated that he was fully able to bring universal judgment and fully just
in doing so while he saved a remnant by grace. The next universal judgment will
be the final one. In the meantime, many judgments of a temporal character occur
periodically.
3
Abraham for the
forming of the Messianic people Gen 12:1-3; Gen 15; 17
4
Moses Exodus
20:1-21; 24:3; Deut 4:9-14; 5:1-3; 7:7-12
B
Motives for
obeying it 11:4
‘brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace” compare with
Christian motivation in Romans 12:1; If the rescue of Israel from captivity in
Egypt was set forth as motive for obedience, how much more should Christians
see their receiving the redemptive mercies of God as reason for a complete
renewal of mind for a life consumed in love for God and his glory and filled
with service to him [“a living sacrifice”]. Among the variety of motives given
in Scripture Four are prominent:
1
Threat of
punishment – Exodus 20:5, 7 “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the3 children to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me.” [5] “For the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name
in vain.” [7] 2 Timothy 4:1 – “I charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead etc” Even if we have
confidence before God, the reality that others without such confidence will
face this judge should spur us to warning; “reprove, rebuke, and exhort.
2
Fear of the
divine majesty Exodus 20:18 Lightning, trumpets, smoke, thick darkness, people
trembling; “Do not let God speak to us, lest we die,” “God has come to test
you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”
3
For mercy shown –
Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
4
For future hope –
We should seek to emulate in the present that condition of perfect freedom from
sin that will be the reality of the future – 1 John 3:1-3 “Everyone who thus
hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure:’ cf. also Philippians 3:10-16;
also 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24.
5
A compelling view
of the glory of God – Philippians 1:9-11 “filed with the fruit of righteousness
that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
C
The promises
connected with obedience -
11:4; Deut 30:15-20 - that
is the inestimable status of having God as our God and being his people. This
is the enduring conceived purpose of covenantal arrangements. Look back to
Jeremiah 7:22, 23; Look at Leviticus 26:3, 12 for the summary and culmination
of all God’s care for the people if they “walk in my statutes and observe my
commandments” All the temporal blessings are theirs as a nation chosen by God
while his being their God transcends all temporal arrangements and signifies
eternal blessings. Look at Revelation 21:3, 7. [See “F” below]
D
The punishment
connected with disobedience – “cursed is the man who does not heed the words of
this covenant” Jeremiah 11:3b From the beginning this was the threat of failure
to abide in the provisions of the covenant as arranged and revealed by God –Go
back to Genesis 3:14, 17, 23; See Deuteronomy 27::9, 10, 26; Last verse cited
by Paul in Galatians 3:10
E
God made the
covenant to establish his glory in the earth – 13:11,16
Through this people God designed to
established the knowledge of his power, wisdom, and excellence throughout the
earth. Though they failed to live in accordance with his principles and
commandments, He will not be frustrated in his purpose. Look at the prophecy of
Zechariah in Luke 1:67-79 and also the words of Simeon in Luke 2:29-32. Through
F
God made the
covenant that there would be an extension of his glory outside of himself to be
manifest in a created and redeemed people: 11:4 You shall be my people, and I
will be your God; Rev. 21:3
“they shall be my people and God himself will be among them.”
Titus 2:14; 2 Thes 1:10
II
Disobedience: its source and the means of promoting it
A
Though the
provisions and threats are clear the evil heart refuses to conform – 11:8;
13:10, 23; This again indicates the sinful
intransigence of the human heart. It must be changed, and we should change it,
but so ingrained is our love of sin and self that only divine intervention can
grant the nature that sees and savors divine holiness with a resultant yearning
for righteousness.
B
Prophets,
priests, and kings all consort in their disobedience 13:13; 14:18
1
Prophets prophecy
peace and safety – 14:13-16. Though God has given a message through Jeremiah of
severe and certain judgment, the false prophets provide only messages of
comfort, sustaining the people in their idolatry and sensuality. Compare
Peter’s descriptions of false prophets in 2 Peter 2. These prophets that
Jeremiah confronted simply were blowhards “waterless springs and mists driven
by the storm.”
2
Priests offer
sacrifices though the worship is perverse [“you are near to their lips but far
from their mind” 12:2; offering not acceptable 14:12]
3
Kings pursue
personal wealth and pleasure with no desire for the honor of God 13:18; 15:4
C
The Love Sinners
have for all that promotes their personal advantage allows disobedience to
reign and even brings about a threat on the life of the true prophet. 11:21
1
They love gods
that condone their pleasure 11:9-13;
13:25-27
2
They approve
officials that encourage their criminality
cf. Romans 1:32
3
They hate the
prophet that threatens their pleasure – 12:5,6
D
The Hatred
Sinners have for truth and the certainty of judgment
1
The clarity of
Jeremiah’s word of truth to the people 15:15-18
2
Their plot to
kill Jeremiah 11:19, 21; 12:6
3
Jeremiah sees
their wickedness but not the depth of it 12:1-6; 13:15-17; He even seeks to
simulate repentance for them and appeal to the covenant as a means of getting
the Lord to relent from his determined punishment, 14:19-22. Some passages seem
to contain a soliloquy of Jeremiah’s eventual knowledge of their utter
destitution of any moral or spiritual integrity. 11:18-20
4
The necessity of
God’s sustaining Jeremiah for his ministry of judgment 15:19-21
III
When sinners
despise God’s patience and warning, there remains nothing but wrath 12:7,
8;15:5, 6
A
God will refuse
to listen 11:7, 11; 15:1; cf. Proverbs
1:24-33
B
He forbids
Jeremiah to pray for their deliverance
11:14; 14:11
C
Devises many
manifestations of punishment – 13:12-14; 14:16-18 15:2, 3, 7-13
1
Drought and
famine– 11:22 14:1-9
2
Sword – 11:22;
12:12
3
Captivity –
13:20, 21
IV
Hope is in God
alone but he is the one bringing punishment- 12:15-17; 14:19-22
A
Their return from
captivity did not produce a changed heart cf. Deut 30:6
B
They have not
grasped the moral significance of the exclusivity of Yahweh as creator, ruler,
sustainer, and redeemer. They felt that they could maintain a façade of worship
of God and engage the rituals provoked by Baal worship also. Edward R. Murrow
wrote about the great singer Marian Anderson, “Marian Anderson is a Christian,
but she is as much at home in a Buddhist meditation temple as she is in an
Israeli synagogue or a Moslem mosque.” Pluralism is irrational as well as antithetical
to the biblical revelation. The triune God will suffer no rivals.
C
Dependence on
grace does not diminish culpability for sin or the legitimacy of punishment
12:1-4