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All right, so in Jeremiah chapter 2, of course, let's do a real quick recap of chapter 1 if you weren't here last week Chapter 1 we see the Lord calling Jeremiah to prophesy and to deliver the message that he would have for specifically Judah and Jerusalem to hear because this is the time he's starting off in the days of Josiah the king of Judah and that's kind of the time frame We're in right now and he spans a few more kings up until a carry up until and a little bit through The carrying away of the children of Judah captive by the Babylonians. So God calls him and says hey, you know I've got I've got this work for you to do you're gonna be my preacher and you're gonna go all nations and And he already starts to tell him it's gonna be you know to pluck down and to root out and and and it's not Gonna be Necessarily well-received and he encouraged them says hey, don't be afraid of their faces just preach whatever it is I'm gonna tell you to do Jeremiah's little hesitant saying, you know, hey, I'm youth. You know, I can't really speak that well, but God Confirms know that he's the one that he wants to send and as we get into chapter 2 here now, we're getting We're starting to get the message From the Lord, you know Jared that Jeremiah is receiving from the Lord to go and preach to Jerusalem to go to preach to Judah and This is just the the beginning in the book of Jeremiah there's a lot of rebukes There's a lot more to come and in fact a lot of the references I didn't do that for this evening sermon There's a lot of references that come up multiple times further in the book of Jeremiah And I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves I'd rather just deal with those things when we get to them in the later chapters But a lot of the same themes come up again the rebukes Persist and He continues even over time. We got to remember that when we read I'll try to make a point occasionally to bring that up That as it may take you one sitting to read the entire book of Jeremiah But it spans many many many many years, right? So the events that happen here and everything like that So we just got to just remember that and keep that in mind as things go and that's also one of the reasons why we see some some repeating of some of the same type of Admonishments and rebukes so without further ado Let's continue here and start reading in Jeremiah chapter 2 look at verse number 1 the Bible says moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying go and cry in The ears of Jerusalem and of course the word cry does not mean weep like like don't go go and cry about it Cry means to raise up your voice and cry out That's the the way that the Bible is always using the word cry has to do with Raising up your voice and crying out weeping is always used for weeping for just that for shedding tears so go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying thus said the Lord I Remember thee the kindness of thy youth the love of thine espousals When thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a land that was not sown and in here in these few verses The Lord's just bringing up how Israel used to be How the children of God used to be saying hey look I remember when you were young I remember how you used to be I remember your espousals I remember the love of thine espousals, and you went after me in the wilderness Israel was holiness unto the Lord like man wasn't that good days When you were holy to the Lord when you separated yourself unto me and you were following me And I was leading you in the wilderness, and you followed me And the firstfruits of all his increase verse number three all that devour him shall offend Evil shall come upon them saith the Lord so that's when when Israel was holy unto the Lord God protected him when anyone would have come against them and try to evil and treat them Then God would step in and make sure that they were evil and treated and God was there for his people When they were there serving him and he just starts off this way verse number four says Hear ye the word of the Lord Oh house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel Thus saith the Lord and you know this you see this a lot, and this is important thus saith the Lord and Jeremiah is gonna do exactly what he's being told to do thus saith the Lord This is what God said and you never don't ever Ever say something like hey God said this or thus saith the Lord if God did not say those things we have to have reverence and care and and be careful with the words that we use and If you have a feeling about something if you think something Do not conflate your thoughts and your feelings with God All right and with God's Word Too many preachers are way too sloppy about that Oh, I got a word from the Lord and this and that and God said this I mean I probably brought this up before I was at a funeral once quite a long time ago and a preacher was telling the the Son a young a younger boy of a man who was deceased who's you know middle-aged man. It was kind of sad You'd taken his own life, and he's in he's telling this boy yeah, well God told me last night, and he starts telling him all this stuff and The stuff he was telling him like like wasn't bad in and of itself but the Bible didn't say any of those things of What he's saying even if you were to say like I could give some grace if you see if the Bible literally says Something that would apply to everybody and you want to apply that to this person, but it's literally what the Bible said Okay, fine. You're gonna say God said that then you could say God said that that's a message for you fine But he just started saying like it was like almost creepy or mystical like oh, yeah last night You know I was in prayer, and I forget exactly what he said but it was it was something the fact that you know God has this message for you and and and God said That and fill in the blank, and I was just like I couldn't believe what I was hearing Is that when he's real big? megachurch type places but We we ought not to be like that and you ought to be very very careful because why? Because you're like the boy who cried wolf if you just keep on saying well. God said this God said this God said this If people actually fact-check you and say well wait where does God say that? You're gonna lose your credibility right and and again you don't want to be someone who adds to the Word of God By just saying things and making claims that God says if he does it if he didn't really say those things All right, it's just it's all about having reverence and respect to the Word of God So he says this hear you the the word of the Lord O house of Jacob and all the families allows One more point on that same subject we're going to see that as we continue through the book of Jeremiah It calls that they calls that Jeremiah calls out a lot of the prophets of the day who were doing that very thing the Lord said the Lord said and The Lord didn't say and Lord didn't send the prophets and the Lord wasn't speaking to those guys yet They would claim to have a word of the Lord Anyways, so they get really one of the things I love about the book of Jeremiah we'll get into that later, but the strong rebukes rebukes against the false prophets and Just in just calling out the phonies for what they are Let's keep reading here Verse 5 thus saith the Lord What iniquity? Have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after vanity and or become vain So this is God's question to the people So what sin have you found in me? I mean you you guys have departed really far from me So what did I do wrong? Where's my sin? Where's my transgression for you to just up and leave me and turn your back on me and go after other gods What did I do? Now this people is gonna have the attitude like you also see in the book of Malachi What do you mean? We're not you know, they think that they're serving the Lord and everything's great and they literally think they're serving the Lord but The Bible is clear and God is calling them out for saying that you know you prophesy by bail and that's down in verse 8 we'll get to that in a minute, but He's you know, they would say no no we serve the Lord but he's saying well you've wandered far away from me So so much to the point where he's just saying like why have you left me? Look at verse number Six Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt That led us through the wilderness through a land of deserts and of pits through a land of drought and of the shadow of death Through a land that no man passed through and where no man dwelt and he asked he mentions this that they didn't say where is the Lord twice because he says that there in verse 6 and also in verse 8 the Priest said not where is the Lord? So he's making reference to they're not looking for God They don't have it's not that they're really far away But they're still seeking him and looking for him sincerely and going like where's the God of the past? Where's the God that brought? The children of Israel out of Egypt that used Moses and parted the Red Sea like, where is that God? We don't see him today. They're not it's not like they're trying to find God. He's like you're not even looking You're not even looking for me and you're not you're not even At the point where you would say God's departed from us Where did he go? But you have departed he's like you why did you leave me? What did I do you wrong and You're not even saying where is the Lord? It's like God's gone and they don't even notice They don't even seem to care Verse 7 and I brought you into a plentiful country to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof, but when ye entered Ye defiled my land and made mine heritage an Abomination he's saying I led you through the wilderness. I led you through the droughts I led you through all these places. I brought you into the Promised Land. I gave it to you as a gift It's a plentiful country. I gave you all the fields. I gave you all the vineyards. I gave you all this stuff There was even houses that were built that they could just go and dwell in in the Promised Land from the people they conquered and Everything was built up for them and everything was ready to go and it was just like ready to just move in It's moving ready, right? Turn key. Here you go there's a whole land for you and He says but you defiled my land you polluted my land you made it an abomination For State the priest said not where is the Lord and they that handle the law Knew me not So the people whose job it was the responsibility was To teach the law of God to teach the law of the Lord the priests the Levi yo these people he's saying They didn't even know me The pastor is also transgressed against me and the prophets prophesied by bail and walked after things that do not profit So basically they're teaching things and going after these other things that have no spiritual value whatsoever. They're busy doing things They're prophesying but they're prophesying by bail Which another word for bail is Satan a False God and you know this this is identical. This is the people being described in Matthew chapter 7 So so many people like to try to use Matthew chapter 7 to prop up a workspace salvation No Matthew 7 is really talking about this group of people because They're not seeking the Lord but you know what they would claim that they're serving the Lord They would the people who are responsible for the law. They don't even know God Yet they're still teaching they're still prophesying they're prophesying by bail But they're walking in they're walking after things that don't profit Matthew 7 the Bible says in verse 21, which by the way and in the context to even of Matthew 7 He's talking about in Jeremiah the the pastors the prophets, right? These are gonna be your false prophets So before we even read verse 21 that talks about not everyone that says Lord Lord Well right before that Jesus is explaining in verse 15 beware of false prophets Which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves You shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles even so every good tree Bringing forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringing forth evil fruit a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit every tree that bringeth not forth Good fruit fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire wherefore by their fruits you shall know them So he gives that section of that portion of Scripture verses 15 through 20 warning about the false prophets and Warning about hey, the false prophet is a reprobate. The false prophet is someone is a tree that cannot bring forth good fruit They're a tree they're bringing forth fruit, but it's not good fruit And that's how you're gonna recognize and identify the false prophet is because They're incapable of bringing forth good fruit. That's what he's teaching. That's what's being taught here And also in the book of Jeremiah, there's a lot of warning There's a lot of rebuke against the false prophets the false priests that are they don't even know God and they're prophesying They're supposed to be responsible for the law and they're not teaching the way they're supposed to because they're actually prophets of Baal And not prophets of the Lord yet. They claim to be prophets of the Lord And that's the worst part. We have so many people that claim to be prophets of Christ probably, you know pastors and Christians right there a claim Christ. They're gonna claim the Lord. They're gonna claim the Bible, but they're really just bail worshippers They're really just false prophets that are prophesying by bail and not prophesying by the the Word of God Believer 21 their Bible says not everyone that sayeth unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven But he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord Have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works These are the types of people are going to stand before God Where the priest said not where is the Lord they handle the law knew me not The pastors also transgressed against me the prophets prophesied by bail and walked after things that don't profit They were busy doing stuff, but here say hey didn't we do all this stuff for you Lord Here we were working for you. Look at all these great works we did for you And then will I profess unto them. I never knew you depart for me that work iniquity you can do that stuff for me and They're trying by the way, the the main point with that is they're trusting in their works for their salvation not trusting in the Lord For their salvation, let's go back to Jeremiah chapter 2 verse number 9 Baba reads wherefore I will yet plead with you said the Lord and with your children's children. Will I plead For pass over the aisles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see if there be such a Thing hath a nation changed their gods Which are yet no gods But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit so he's saying Go go check it out for yourself. Are there any of the are any of the other nations is he the nations? Are they just changing their gods? No, they're all still worshiping their false gods their idolatry, you know, the the Ephesians have Diana they've got you know, the the not at this time, but you know, the the is the lot of the Arab nations would have Muhammad and Islam and and you know the Indian nations are gonna have The Hindus and the Hindu gods and all this other stuff, right? So he's saying look at the nations around you. They're not just changing their gods now They should to the real God. He's like, but look at them They're not even changing their gods and they don't even have real gods Like they're not real yet you my people They have the whole point saying you have changed your God Because you took the glory he says but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Who's the glory of the people the Lord? God is their glory God brought them out. God is the Savior got you know, they have the word of the Lord They have the law they have the testimony. They have all this stuff going for them and They've just exchanged it. They've swapped it out For things that don't profit for things that are of no value vain, which is idolatry, which is the false gods Be astonished. Oh ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid Be very desolate said the Lord For my people have committed to evils Evil number one they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters The Lord brings life he's the one he's the Savior he brings salvation he's the fountain of living waters, but he says you know what they forsaken me they've left me and Number two and huge them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water So I love this this analogy here because you've got a fountain of living water a fountain of water Is gonna just keep bringing forth water, right? That's what a fountain does it's gonna keep on it just keeps bring forth bring forth bring forth bring forth fresh Good clean water just keeps coming out of the fountain. That's who the Lord is But what did they do they build cisterns cisterns like a tank? Right or a well something where they you just they could just have a source where they fill up With the water, but this that doesn't provide its own water The cistern isn't a fountain It's just this storage place and on top of that not only do they have this storage place Which okay you can have a storage place for your water, but when it's broken It's going to leak and dry up, and you're not gonna have any water so at the end of the day You have nothing you don't have the life-giving water that you need to survive You're gonna end up with nothing and you you've you had the fountain Which was good for you, which is great, but you've rejected that and you've traded that in for broken cisterns and That is how every false religion how every false God is Is is just like this analogy here is that they're like the broken cisterns and in fact this is also how the false prophets are described in the book of Jude and This verse popped into my head while studying for the sermon is in Jude verse 12 these are spots in your feasts of charity While they feast with you feeding themselves without fear Clouds they are without water Carried about of winds trees whose fruit withereth without fruit twice dead Plucked up by the roots see the clouds are Meaningless they're vain there if there's no water in them If they're not gonna provide the rain for the land and what you know It's kind of like what good is it and that's what the false prophet is. They look like They're gonna bring something good. They look like they contain water and they're gonna bring life and everything, but they're empty They're the clouds without water You know people here are going like man, I don't like the rain yeah, you know what the rain is good The rain is necessary to like, you know So we don't go into drought so that like crops can continue to grow like farmers really like the rain So, you know, it may ruin your day might have to carry an umbrella or something But you know, it's actually a really good thing when you see the rain. So when we read these You know the clouds without water is actually a bad thing We read about the false prophet don't think like hey, well, I actually like a cloudy day when there's no no water, right? But that's how but that's how the false prophets are being referenced and that's how the Lord is Getting his message across that you guys you guys have these broken cisterns you think that they're gonna do you good and and You're putting your trust in something that's broken something that can't Sustain you and provide for you verse number 14 is Israel a servant. Is he a home-born slave? Why is he spoiled? I mean, why would why would Israel be spoiled? Why would God's people why would God's nation be spoiled? Why would he be a service? Yeah. Is he a home-born slave? The young lions roared up roared upon him and Yelled and they made his land waste his cities are burned without inhabitant This is the prophesying of what's gonna happen to Judah Also, the children of Knopf and to happen ease have broken the crown of thy head and that's Knopf and to happen ease are in Egypt and This is relevant especially at the time because Egypt is one of the nations that they look to for their defense They look to for their security Especially a little bit later when they are attacked and even when they're conquered by Babylon They still say no No, we're gonna go into Egypt and be protected there and we'll see those prophecies later on We'll see how God responds to that but even from the very beginning Even from the early years of Jeremiah's preaching and God telling him he's giving the warning about Egypt about the children of Egypt be saying, you know, don't basically not to trust in him Because they've broken the crown of your head there. They're not gonna do you any good Hast thou not procured this unto thyself in That thou has forsaken the Lord thy God When he led thee by the way, he's saying, you know procured this on yourself. You've done this to yourself Haven't you just done this to yourself when you've when you left God? Because God was there to be your defender to be your protector now You left them in that and now you're just left in the hands of the heathen nations round about you to do with you as they will and Think about how scary that is and again, you know In our day to day life I Don't know about you we all think about this and you know, obviously I'm not always thinking about this we should Every day you wake up you think you know what? I want to have God with me like today I want God with me today What can I do to have make sure God's with me today Well, I start walking in the spirit or I do spiritual things or you'll be start off in communication with the Lord Start off with hearing from the Lord. So, you know like start your day this way Because think about think about a day where God's not with you Now Maybe something bad will happen maybe it won't but you're really just Allowing yourself to be at a much greater risk, but if you could just say you know what? I just want every single day. I want God to be with me Then you could full well know if anything evil happens It's gonna end up being the will of the Lord for some reason or another because I'm doing right by God But I'd much rather be confident and comfortable knowing like hey, I'm in the spirit today I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I want God with me right and then living my life that way as opposed to Maybe not knowing or just you know, if things continue to get really bad to just God just going like yeah I mean you're on your own So then when people do want to come and and cause problems for you do evil to you It's just like well didn't you just bring this on yourself? You made your bed now lie in it You didn't want anything to do with me right, so There you go. I Mean that's that's kind of a scary thought And that's literally what the message is being brought to Jerusalem to Judah Hey when that when the children of Egypt are breaking your head Didn't you just do this to yourself because you forsook me you forsaken the Lord thy God would when he led thee by the way and Now what is thou to do in the way of Egypt to drink the waters of Sihor? What is thou to do in the way of Assyria to drink the waters of the river? So Egypt and Assyria were mightier nations then right? it's the Assyrians are the ones who took the northern kingdom of Israel captive, you know decades earlier and Now we see this reference is like like what do you what are you gonna do? Why are you going to their waters? Right because you forsaken the Lord again the waters being the life-giving of the sustenance. Why do you look to these heathen nations? Why do you look to the Assyrians? Why are you looking to Egypt? Verse 19 9 own wickedness Shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou has forsaken the Lord thy God and that my Fear is not in thee said the Lord God of hosts and remember Jeremiah is going to the people to the nations and just telling them look your own wickedness is going to correct you Your own wickedness is gonna find you and you know God inherently builds in repercussions and Consequences for sin like it like oftentimes is built into the sin itself You know the book of Proverbs tells us, you know, if you're gonna dig a ditch for someone else You're gonna fall into that ditch right and the people who are who are looking to shed blood, you know they're gonna get their their blood shed and oftentimes Things like you know, I mean you think about some of the easiest examples would be drugs alcohol things like that Those are sins that that come with their it's already a built-in curse or consequence to going down that path Just just right built in you're gonna you're gonna have all these ill effects and it's gonna you know God doesn't even have to Necessarily do anything to punish you because you just have brought that on yourself You know sleeping around doing things like that, you know getting diseases It's all it's just it's just a built-in punishment for sin and You know your own wickedness is gonna correct you and I backslidings shall reprove these as a message from the Lord and Ultimately saying, you know, my fear is not in me Verse 20 for of old time. I have broken thy yoke and burst thy bands and Thou saidst I will not transgress This comes up again later where the people say one thing. Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah God You know, what does he say? What did God say? I broke your yoke. I burst your bands. I freed you, right? And they say yeah, we're gonna we're gonna obey you we're not gonna transgress And Then and then went upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest playing the harlot So you're saying you're gonna stay faithful you stay you're saying you're gonna listen to me You're gonna you're gonna you know, not transgress But then it seems like every chance you get you're going to the groves you're going to the idols You're going to these other gods and and you're you're making up these other gods and worshiping them You're playing the harlot, right? You're not staying faithful to the Lord You're just going out and doing whatever you want to do and getting involved in all manner of sin. They're hypocrites Hypocrite claims to be faithful And then they just go and depart from being faithful in verse 21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine Holy a right seed How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? So what God's saying here and again, he's speaking collectively as a whole He's not talking about one individual person that started off good and turned bad or something like this That's that's not how this is applied this is the nation of Judah Right, and even if you want to go back further you can say the nation of Israel, but specifically they're sent to Judah He's like I planted you a noble vine Holy a right to you you were good when I planted you it was good I established you I planted you you're this good tree. You're you know, you're set to bring forth good fruit He's like, how are you turned into a bunch of degenerates? You hear about the word degenerate I mean, what is it to regenerate? You're gonna you're gonna bring forth again. I mean, it's like the word Genesis that gen roots there is Bringing forth it's like the Genesis is the is the bringing forth of life Regenerate is bringing forth new life or you know, you're bringing again, but D generate is going the opposite direction Right, you're you're you're decreasing you're diminishing from that life from that generation And you're turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me and I What a horrible thing to be called a degenerate plant by the Lord Right, no one wants to be called a bunch of degenerates But that's what they are in God's eyes, but they thought they were you know, they were really religious The people were they I mean they they sacrificed and they Held services and they did all kinds of stuff. They thought they were great and God just called them a bunch of degenerates They didn't have the fear of the Lord in them. They made up their own gods and made up their own rules and and Made up their own traditions Verse 22 for though thou wash thee with nighter and Take thee much soap Yet thine iniquity is marked before me saith the Lord God He said it doesn't matter how much you try to clean away your sins. You can't do it Your iniquity is marked before me you you've stained yourself you bunch of degenerates Because when when you try to just clean up yourself without seeking the forgiveness of Lord, but that sin doesn't you know, it doesn't go away It's still there. We need we need the cleansing blood of Christ to wash away our sins nothing else is gonna do it and And the only way you could get that is by humbling yourself and Knowing and acknowledging it's not what I could do. It's not my soap. It's not my nighter It's nothing I could do. I'm gonna just have to go to the Lord humbly and receive the gift and they hadn't done that and They thought they were doing good and they weren't And it doesn't matter how much they tried to wash. They can't get clean verse 23. How canst thou say I Am NOT polluted. I Have not gone after Balaam. See this is that is their response and God's saying how could you even say that? How can you say you haven't gone after Balaam now, of course We know if God is saying they're going after Balaam They're going after Balaam if God's saying they're prophesying by Balaam. That's what they're doing but they refuse to think that they are really prophesying after Balaam and In you know, this is what is just common amongst mankind Where people just deceive themselves and though what do you mean that you think I'm not a Christian? You know, you got some Mormon some Jehovah's Witnesses. What do you mean? I'm not a Christian. Of course. I'm a Christian You are not a Christian You're you're you are of bail Like you aren't a Christian Of course and you know the Catholics know you're not Christian and you know that used to be known They would even say that I think maybe a few times I've recently It's rare when I run across it now, they have to be older Catholics but the question used to be are you Catholic or Christian and That's kind of how people differentiated the OGs. You're either Catholic or Christian because the great Catholics aren't Christian And it was widely known that they're not Christian But now now it's just like oh, no, we're all Christian No, no, you're not Not everyone that says Lord Lord is really even worshiping the Lord Even knows the Lord Because he said that the the people those that were handling the law didn't even know God. They didn't know him. They're claiming him They're they're being astonished. What do you mean? We're going after Balaam How can sell say I'm not polluted I have not gone after Balaam See thy way in the valley know what thou has done thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways A wild ass used to the wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure in her occasion who can turn her away All they that seek seeker will not weary themselves in her month. They shall find her so He's likening them say, you know when they say what do you mean like Balaam? He's likening them to these camels and these wild asses The wild ass is gonna go and do whatever it wants to do. It's just snuffing up the air It's you know, like like that's what you're like, you're just gonna go and do whatever you want to do That's what shows me that you're a Balaam because you don't really care what the law is. You're not gonna be tamed you're gonna go off and do your own thing and And that is evidence right there that you are not serving the Lord that you are a Balaam because that's what the Satan teaches Do what thy wilt shall be the whole of the law Do what you want to do Right. That's what the wild ass does. They're just Prancing around and doing the whole thing and you try to get too close. They're gonna kick you And That's how he's likening to him let's look at verse number 25 withhold thy foot from being unshod in thy throat from thirst But thou saidst there is no hope no for I have loved strangers and after them will I go And you know, that's true. There is no hope when when you have an attitude that says, you know what I've loved strangers So it's one thing to say I've loved strangers but then they follow with and after them I will go Right. It's one thing to be wrong and recognize and say yeah, I went after strangers, but Now I'm right now. I'm gonna come back to you now. I'm gonna be faithful to you But that's not what they say I've loved strangers and I'm still gonna go after them They've set up other gods and they're still going after other gods Verse 26 as the thief is ashamed when he is found So is the house of Israel ashamed and again the house of Israel is talking about the whole collective They look it's they their kings their princes and their priests and their prophets These are all the people that would be of reputation all the people that are supposed to be the ones leading the way in charge of the people and Everything all of those people I mean all the way down to the priests and the prophets He's saying they're all ashamed and why are they ashamed because verse 27 says saying to a stock Thou art my father and to a stone now has brought me forth. I mean how Ridiculous and absurd it is to think of someone Taking a rock and bowing down and going my father You've brought me so much life Or to a tree, oh, you know be the literal tree hugger right like oh, I love you so much You're my god Like it's utter foolishness. I mean you would think like those people have lost their minds and you know what they have And the people that are just like just totally reprobate that that new god glorified I'm not as God became vain in their own imaginations their foolish hearts darkened They worship and serve the creature more than the creator who's blessed forever. Amen That and that's literally what they end up doing is they set up they establish these other things these other creations things that are just created as being the creator and When people go off the deep end like that, that is what they do and you could say Yeah, but no one's right, you know, you might not have the same gods that were worshiped in the Old Testament Like you may not have Astro specifically you may not have some specific names of gods like still being worshiped today or these Idolatry, but the idolatry first of all still exists Many of the Easter most of the like probably all the Eastern religions still have idolatry I mean you go into some Chinese restaurants and stuff. You're gonna see idolatry Go into a Catholic restaurant. You're gonna see idolatry go to a Catholic home We're gonna see the statues of Mary, right? I mean it is still all over the place But people are gonna say well, we don't really worship that that's how they justify that dolla tree Okay, look, so we're not really worshipping them. Well, you're getting down on your knees before I mean you're praying to them But okay, we're not gonna call it worship I Could just about guarantee you that Even the people in this day where God is saying that they're that they're bowing down and saying, you know, you're my father They wouldn't say that Like they wouldn't be the ones claiming To that extent. No, it's just you know, it's just symbolic. It's just representative You know, of course, I don't think that this stone Like is God right? I mean, that's what anyone would say, but what's God saying? That's what you're doing. That's how stupid and foolish it is. You're worshiping you're bowing down to it That's what you do people will try to say it's over there, but it is what they're doing Saying to us and how absurd is that saying to a stock thou art my father into a stone now has brought me forth For they have turned their back unto me and not their face But in the time of their trouble, they will say arise and save us When everything is going good. Yeah, it's fine. They don't care about turning their back on God until things get real Then all of a sudden it's gonna be like oh wait Yeah, this this Trinket this stone is doing nothing for me maybe I should turn back to God and and you know When people know God and then turn from him what can you possibly turn to after that? And that's how people go go reprobate is when they know about God they don't get saved They don't put their trust in him, but they know about him They heard that they know the real deal They know what they know who God is and to some extent and they know how to be saved They know these things but then they're just like no and then when they just turn from that It's like what do you turn to you have to turn to stones and and stocks? Verse 28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods Oh Judah What a bad condition for Judah to be in he's saying, you know You have so many gods like count up however many cities are in Judah like you you have a different God in each city You're just worshiping all these different gods and all that, you know, whatever crazy And we I guess we could turn it now, I'll probably go back to it again But this this whole mindset if you want to turn real quick to Proverbs chapter 1 Just go back in your Bible a little bit to Proverbs chapter 1 It's consistently taught throughout Scripture the pattern right They say they turn from the Lord they turn their back on him When God would receive them Right. God's there for him God would was trying to send prophets trying to tell them trying to correct them, but they're just like no No, no, no, no, and they're gonna turn to the stone and they're gonna turn to the stock And they're gonna turn their back on God, but then trouble is gonna come their way and Then they're gonna call it and then they're gonna look to God and be like hey save me, right? Arise and save us but then God's gonna say like he says in Jeremiah 2 28. Hey, where are your gods that you've made you? Why are you coming to me now? You made those gods go see if they'll save you Go on go bow down before that stone. Oh, you're having real trouble now. Yeah, that's who you wanted to worship. There you go Have some of that Let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble And you know what again don't don't forget Thus saith the Lord. Oh You're just so hateful. No thus saith the Lord. This is God's message that he's telling Jeremiah to preach to his people this Is God Saying that let them arise that they can save the in time of trouble God's not falling all over himself to save them and oh fine, you know now look God is long-suffering and very merciful and there are people who can make mistakes and come back You know, of course, of course because we've all made mistakes We're all sinners and we've all done things wrong and we've all had situations like that But it's not the same when people have already known they've already been exposed You know Like like you get to this point and you know and you make your choice and you reject the Lord to become a child Of the devil that's who this people is talking about here these specific false prophets But it's just like the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 1 verse 24 The Bible says because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded see God always starts off Nice, loving friendly for God's will of the world. He gave his only begotten Son right I've called I Reached out my hand. I'm calling But you said nope Not gonna listen I Refused I stretched out my hand no man regarded but you have said it not all my counsel and would none of my reproof Tried correcting you you didn't want to hear you. I'd have nothing to do with it verse 26 I also will laugh at your calamity. I Will mock when your fear cometh You thought you were so proud and so tough and you don't need God and you know, I tried to call you I tried to correct you. I tried to help you Okay. Now your fear comes and guess what? I'm gonna mock you When your fear cometh as desolation your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer seek ye the Lord while he may be found That you know and if that doesn't scare you man, I don't know what will So for people who are unsaved especially like You think you know people who think that you have your whole I'm gonna my deathbed I'll turn to Christ I'll get saved or what, you know, like You fool One people who think that don't even understand the gospel because they think that it has to do with like You making a sacrifice and giving your life to Christ as opposed to receiving the free gift of salvation They just think like oh it's not that fun to like obey the rules So I just want to disobey all the rules long as I can And I'm just gonna take advantage of like this free gift and just be like, well, I'm just gonna leave it there for now I'm gonna do all this stuff and then I'm gonna come back and take it like you are fooled Cuz you know what you have an attitude like that that gift might not just be sitting there waiting for you anymore You might go like, okay. I'm finally ready I just just you know, I rejected everything that you had for me and now it's gonna be like yeah Well, you know what you you've that that ship has sailed you lost your opportunity. I called you refused I reached out my hand. You didn't regard you have nothing to do with it You don't you can't treat God and think that he is just Always gonna be there no matter what and you can do anything that you want and this God will always be there It's not the case Not the case He's there But but otherwise, how can you explain this literally then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me They're finally gonna want to know because why because things have gotten really bad Oh For that they hated knowledge and Did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices for the turning away of the Simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them but who so harkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of Evil the same concept being brought forth multiple times in the book of Jeremiah as we continue You'll see this over and over and over again Let's keep reading here in Jeremiah chapter 2 Because he's saying look you have gods. Where are they at? Now? You want to call on me? Yeah, go go seek them Verse 29, wherefore will he will you plead with me? Ye all have transgressed against me saith the Lord in Vain have I smitten your children They received no correction Your own sword hath devoured your prophets like a destroying lion He's saying you know I've been trying to to discipline and correct your children, and they're not receiving any correction How has he been trying to correct them how you with the rebukes with the prophets? Which when he says look your own sword hath devoured your prophets? Like I was sending profits to you, and you killed them You did this yourself. I'm trying to help you. I'm trying to give you the right way I'm trying to give you knowledge. I'm trying to give you wisdom, and what do you do you kill him? You destroy him? How do you think God's going to respond is why Jesus gave that example? you know we just went over when I was preaching on the replacement theology of the the good men and you know the man that owned the vineyard and let it out the servants and He's sending people and they just keep on getting beaten up and stoned and killed and everything else like what do you think's gonna? What do you think's gonna happen? And what do you think's gonna happen to the people that just continue to do that stuff over and over and over again of course? God's gonna draw the line and say know what no Sorry, no, you're done and this message. That's being brought forth by Jeremiah is a very negative message But hey people need to look at this and understand be like yeah, we're not alive in Jeremiah's day anymore Yeah, but God's still the same God hasn't changed and there was judgment pronounced against Judah Going all the way back to Manasseh I Came after that Josiah. Yeah, he served he served the Lord with all his heart, and and you know judgment was Postponed Temporarily, but God was not you know doubt is definitely bringing forth that judgment and As I said before we could clearly see here. I mean this this is the message being brought forth to the people Josiah may have been doing a great thing, but you know seems like a lot of people weren't Because this is the message that Jeremiah was sent to preach Verse 31 Oh generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness Wherefore say my people we are lords we will come no more unto thee So God's saying like what was that was was I a wilderness like am I just empty to you was I a land of darkness No, the Lord is light right God provides the the the light and the truth, but The people clearly aren't humble because they're saying well, we're Lords We're not gonna come unto you Well really God could change that For so you can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire I mean imagine a bride forgetting that like her bride Dress her bridal gown, you know, like like that's a huge part of the wedding ceremony right the bridal garment Of course a brides not gonna forget her attire yet. My people have forgotten me. Look at this days without number Just Can't even count this they have they have turned their back on me and just departed from me just On and on and on and on and again. I mean God is long-suffering but He gets to the point. He says look this is days without number at this point Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways now Good night, and as we even see in the next verse to how much wickedness is done in the name of love Oh, we're just going to seek love. I mean isn't this timely? Because that's what was happening in his days. Why trimmest thou that way to why are you? Shaping up your way and getting ready to seek love Like why are you getting prepared to seek love? He's like you've taught the wicked ones your ways Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocence Like you're responsible for the death of the poor innocence and we saying that In your skirts in the lower part of your of your garment is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocence I mean that that reminds me days of abortion Oh What else is the blood of the innocence right the poor innocence the poor defenseless children Yeah, you're getting the blood on the bottom of your clothing And Honestly, that is what was happening to him that there was child sacrifice and you know what there's child sacrifice today People don't want to think about it that way or call it that oh We don't do that's so primitive child, so it is child sacrifice What's the child sacrifice for though? It's for oh, I don't want it That's gonna ruin my plans. That's gonna ruin me I have this plan and I want to do this and I want to go to school and I want to get a Job, I can't have a kid that's gonna screw up my plans So you sacrifice your child by killing it and murdering and shedding its blood At the altar of whatever you want to do and your selfishness That's what's happening. It's being offered up to your god of me me me me me It's a truth It's the truth It's human Sacrifice it's what abortion is And this was happening in the days of Manasseh and this was happening probably continuing to happen which is why Jeremiah is prophesying against it and This is the message you're saying look yeah, you call it love the love is love you're seeking love. Yeah, you're wicked And then the rest of that verse verse 34 says I have not found it by secret search but upon all these It's like I didn't have to go and like secretly go in to try to find this wickedness in the blood of the Instance, I mean, it's just out in the open. It's just it's just broadcast. It's just there it is There's no shame there's no hiding it And You see the way that nations go and I see the way that our nation's going and I don't see any real difference here Because things that were abominable things that would just make people blush and shame it used to be that way. I Mean it was a shame for someone to get an abortion even when it was first legalized It was a big shame and big taboo and like you don't talk about that stuff ever Like people may have done it But it would be more something you have to search out and seek out to see you know, how that's being done nowadays It's just like it's craziness Verse 35 yet thou sayest. Well because I'm innocent surely his anger shall turn from me I'm innocent That's their mindset Shedding innocent blood and going. Oh, I'm innocent. I'm not doing anything wrong. I Mean how far removed do you have to be from the Word of God? To be guilty of all these things that they're guilty of and just to be like, yeah, I'm innocent I'm innocent surely his anger is gonna turn for me behold. I will plead with thee because thou sayest I have not sinned You think you haven't said you think you're innocent, excuse me Why Gaddis thou about so much to change thy way Thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou was ashamed of Assyria And you know, it's like don't turn to Egypt you're gonna be ashamed Egypt's gonna let you down And you know if you want to go to the world you want to go to the heathen you're gonna be let down They're not gonna save you. They're not gonna help you Verse 37 yay thou shalt go forth from him in nine hands upon nine head For the Lord hath rejected thy confidences and thou shalt not prosper in them So what was their confidences were in everything but the Lord I mean they were their confidence was in Egypt is in Assyria I was in like whatever right anything else these these false gods their confidence was in Themselves is in whatever just other things And God's just saying you know what I'm gonna make sure That everything that you're putting your confidence in is going to come tumbling down You have no confidence It's it's false. It's fake because if it's not in the Lord It's not gonna stand And the fear of the Lord is a powerful thing that that people need to Understand and get through their heads Unsaved and saved alike I mean who do you think you are you think you just walk around and do whatever you want And God's not gonna be angry you think you could just go around and start Sowing to the wind and you're not gonna reap the whirlwind and you just go around and just say well I'm innocent. I'm gonna do whatever I want no No, God's not kept not God's not mocked. You're deceiving yourself You're not deceived. God is not mocked for what's over a man so what that shall he also reap It's far as I've order prayer Dear Lord. Thank you so much for the book of Jeremiah. I pray there's so many things in this book I pray to please help us to learn and understand more and make the applications Between the different time periods for to understand how things were then and in the preaching that was going forth But also how this still applies these truths are still Applicable even today, and I pray that you would please help us to see the similarities and help us to Know the truth and and Lord, please most importantly help us to Walk in the truth God we love you to Jesus name we pray Amen