Wednesday, January 4: Jeremiah 7-4 Faithful Actions...

It is easily evident that Jeremiah has been sent to offer a final call of repentance to Judah. Sin has grown deep into Judah’s life. God’s decision is cast.. He will judge Judah, as He did Israel, unless they repent and turn back. This is their last chance to repent…

I went back and re-read Jeremiah’s assignment in verse 2-8: Stand at the gate of the LORD's house and there proclaim this message: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

I found myself drawn to verse 5: If you really change your ways… It sounds to me like God is fed up with play-acting, pretend changes, Judah saying she will change, maybe offering some ‘cosmetic’ change but not really changing!

And how will the change be evident? The answer unfolds in 5-8:

·         Deal with others justly

·         Stop oppressing the alien, fatherless or widow, people with little or no rights & standing in society

·         Stop shedding innocent blood, murder & the godless human sacrifice of the Topheth

·         Stop worshipping other gods and calling out to them when in distress, etc.

I sat and pondered these four actions. They are concrete actions that fulfill heart of the Law to love God with heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as ourselves.

Lord,do I love You and others in concrete ways? I asked myself some questions built on those four actions.

·         Do I deal justly with others or do I show favoritism? Do I let people skate because I am too lazy or uninterested to speak up?

·         Do I seek justice for people with little or no rights in my society… the alien (even illegals), the unborn, widows and orphans and single parent households? Do I?

·         I may not be shedding innocent blood with my hands but am I allowing it through my silence? The unborn, prisoners at Gitmo, imbalance with regard to the death penalty, collateral damage of war, allowing people to go hungry, especially children, in my country or others???

·         Do I worship gods of money, success, pleasure, expensive toys… rather than the Lord? Do I trust the market and my portfolio more than the Lord for my future?

These are really tough questions. It is painful to write them and think about them.  Painful because with regard to many, I have been comfortable in my ignorance –not my problem. Is my ignorance and silence equal to complicity???

Oh God, forgive me… forgive me for not caring, not caring to do anything. God, I cannot take on all the worlds’ ills. Some of these grow in arenas of life in which I have no experience or influence. Release me from any false guilt, Lord. But at the same time, Lord, in arenas in which I can be a voice for justice, push me and prod me to speak for You and those who are treated unjustly.

Lord, may my life really be lived for You. Through Jesus, my Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

A Note on Topheth:

Topheth is child sacrifice. According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia etymology uncertain; the most probable is its connection with a root meaning "burning" …: The references are to such a place: "They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire" (Jeremiah 7:31). On account of this abomination Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom should be called "The valley of Slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place to bury," the Revised Version margin "because there shall be no place else" (Jeremiah 7:32).

A professor of mine excavated Topheths in a valley filled with urns. In each urn was the chard remains of children that were apparently sacrificed to Baal or Molech to curry some favor from the god.