Jeremiah 11 -- Voting With God (NOT about the presidential election)

Six times in six verses God used the word "obey" because it was something the people of Judah were not doing.  King Josiah had started a reformation, but it wasn't a revival.  It was only on the surface and not in the heart.

My commentary quoted from a poem called "The Need Of The Hour".  It says:

                 We need the faith to go a path untrod,

                 The power to be alone and vote with God.

"That's what Jeremiah was doing here ... God knew what the people were doing in secret and that they would return to their sins at the first opportunity ... Both God and Jeremiah knew that the nation's obedience wasn't from the heart.  Ezekiel 14:3 says, 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart.'"

The people of Judah were acting like children, motivated by getting a reward or escaping a spanking, my commentary said.  "Howe He longed for them to obey because they loved Him and wanted to please Him."

"Disaster was coming to Judah, and nothing could change it ... Therefore, the Lord commanded Jeremiah a second time not to pray for the people," even though He called them 'My beloved' here.

"God patiently dealt with His people, seeking to woo them back, but they only hardened their hearts and turned a deaf ear to His warnings.  Before we condemn the people of Judah, however, let's examine our own hearts and churches.  Are there idols in our hearts?  Do we give wholehearted devotion to the Lord, or is our devotion divided between Christ and another? .... Remember, God's last word to the church isn't the Great Commission; it's 'Repent, or else!' (Rev. 2-3) "

The priests in Jeremiah's hometown were conspiring to kill him for his prophecies.  "You would think that they would have had more discernment than to listen to the false prophets, but holding a religious office is no guarantee that people possess spiritual wisdom."

What was Jeremiah to do?

"All he could do was commit himself and his enemies to the Lord and trust God to work.  This is the first of several occasions in his life when Jeremiah privately poured out his heart to the Lord and asked Him to fight his battles and help him with his depression and fears.  Publicly, Jeremiah was bold before people, but privately he was broken before God."

Father, help us to realize our own sinfulness and to discover whether we harbor sin in our lives.  Help us to be broken before You, allowing You to work in and through us to get Your will done in this world.  Give us the power to be alone and vote with You.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford