This is the third of five sermons I’ll be posting this week.
Why Has God Done This?
I. Introduction
a.
In Jeremiah 16:10, God shows that He knew the
people would wonder why they were being punished.
In Jeremiah 16:10, God shows that He knew the
people would wonder why they were being punished.
b.
“And it
shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they
shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against
us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against
the LORD our God?” (Jeremiah 16:10).
“And it
shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they
shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against
us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against
the LORD our God?” (Jeremiah 16:10).
i.
The fact that they would ask such a question
illustrates several things.
1.
They weren’t very good listeners to begin with.
They weren’t very good listeners to begin with.
2.
They were either oblivious to what they were
doing, or they were intentionally overlooking the evil they had done.
They were either oblivious to what they were
doing, or they were intentionally overlooking the evil they had done.
3.
They had not been reading the Law like they
should have despite the reforms that Josiah had made.
They had not been reading the Law like they
should have despite the reforms that Josiah had made.
4.
They did not think that God was being fair.
They did not think that God was being fair.
5.
They had not listened to the many prophets
besides Jeremiah that brought warnings to them.
They had not listened to the many prophets
besides Jeremiah that brought warnings to them.
II. God’s Answer
a.
“Then
shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the
LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have
worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law” (Jeremiah
16:11).
“Then
shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the
LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have
worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law” (Jeremiah
16:11).
i.
They were punished, first of all, because of
what their fathers did (Numbers 14:18).
ii.
Their fathers did 3 things.
1.
They worshipped false gods (Exodus 20:1-6)
They worshipped false gods (Exodus 20:1-6)
2.
They forsook God (Deuteronomy 30:17-20)
They forsook God (Deuteronomy 30:17-20)
3.
They stopped keeping the law (Deuteronomy 28:15)
They stopped keeping the law (Deuteronomy 28:15)
b.
“And ye
have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the
imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me” (Jeremiah
16:12).
“And ye
have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the
imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me” (Jeremiah
16:12).
i.
Everything the fathers did, this generation did
worse. They served more false gods, went further from God, and let the
commandments fall from their memory.
ii.
“He that
trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be
delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).
c.
“Therefore
will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor
your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will
not shew you favour” (Jeremiah 16:13).
“Therefore
will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor
your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will
not shew you favour” (Jeremiah 16:13).
III. A Glimmer of Hope for the Remnant
a.
Though God would destroy the people from off of
the land, He would not bring them to a full end just yet (Jeremiah 30:11). The
full end would not be brought about until the True Shepherd should come
(Jeremiah 23:40).
Though God would destroy the people from off of
the land, He would not bring them to a full end just yet (Jeremiah 30:11). The
full end would not be brought about until the True Shepherd should come
(Jeremiah 23:40).
b.
God’s goal for His people is expressed in
Jeremiah 16:14-15.
God’s goal for His people is expressed in
Jeremiah 16:14-15.
i.
“Therefore,
behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD
liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; (15)
But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the
land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I
will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers”
(Jeremiah 16:14-15).
ii.
This goal, as we will see, has been fulfilled in
Christ. The first Exodus was celebrated with the Passover (Exodus 12-13). The
establishment of the kingdom and the exodus from sin is celebrated with the New
Testament Passover (Luke 22:15-20; I Corinthians 5:7-8)
c.
The means through which the goal would be fulfilled
is seen in Jeremiah 16:16-21.
The means through which the goal would be fulfilled
is seen in Jeremiah 16:16-21.
i.
“Behold, I
will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after
will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and
from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. (17)
For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face,
neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
(18) And first I will recompense
their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they
have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and
abominable things. (19) O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my
refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the
ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
(20) Shall a man make gods unto
himself, and they are no gods? (21) Therefore, behold, I will this once cause
them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall
know that my name is The LORD” (Jeremiah 16:16-21).
1.
Fishers of men would be sent to bring back the
people (Matthew 4:19).
Fishers of men would be sent to bring back the
people (Matthew 4:19).
2.
But, at the time that Jeremiah was prophesying,
punishment must come.
But, at the time that Jeremiah was prophesying,
punishment must come.
3.
When the fishers would go out, however, then
even the Gentiles would be offered a place in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 49:6).
When the fishers would go out, however, then
even the Gentiles would be offered a place in the Kingdom of God (Isaiah 49:6).
4.
The Gentiles would then realize how silly it was
for them to follow false gods and man’s imaginations.
The Gentiles would then realize how silly it was
for them to follow false gods and man’s imaginations.
ii.
The kingdom was set up and all nations flowed
unto it in the first century as prophesied here and in numerous other passages
(Isaiah 2:1-4).
IV. Conclusion
a.
The people were being punished for their sin,
but God promised that He would bring them back and unite them again.
The people were being punished for their sin,
but God promised that He would bring them back and unite them again.
b. This had its fulfillment in the kingdom that you
and I are a part of today. If you aren’t in God’s kingdom, obey the gospel
today!