Mend your ways

 Jeremiah 26:12–13 (ESV)

12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.
13Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you.

Jeremiah continues to deliver the word of the God to the leaders regarding the impending destruction of the city and nation. God is giving them the opportunity to repent and be released from the destruction. The immediate reaction of some is to kill Jeremiah because they believe he is a false prophet and they want to silence his voice. However there were some of the leaders that believed he was speaking God's words and they stood up for Jeremiah to prevent his death. Even though they believed he was God's prophet declaring the word of God they did not act on the advice of Jeremiah to mend their ways and obey the voice of the Lord. It is difficult to understand why they continued in their ways when disaster was predicted several times. It is also difficult to understand why they would not return to obey the Lord who had done marvelous miracles to preserve the nation and supply for their needs. What advantage was there in worshipping the gods of Baal compared to the Living God? What benefits were they receiving that could compare to what God had provided for them? The power of sin to keep people in deception and lies was at work among the people just as it is today among people who have rejected the provision God has given all of mankind through his Son, Jesus.

The council of God

 Jeremiah 23:21–22 (ESV)

21“I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
22But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people, and they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their deeds.

The difference between the false prophet and the true prophet of God is that one spent time in the presence of God to hear what he had to say and the other only spoke what he wanted the people to hear. The false prophet led people away from the Lord but the true prophet always leads people into the presence of the Lord through their repentance and forgiveness. Jeremiah truly spoke the word of the Lord but the people refused to listen. They did not want to give up their false gods and their sinful behavior. They preferred to listen to the false prophet who denied what Jeremiah proclaimed. It is a temptation today for some ministers and prophets to declare things that did not come from spending time in God's presence and listening to his counsel. They do not declare the hard things that require repentance from evil but only speak words that they think will bring comfort to the people. God's word is powerful and it is like a hammer that breaks the power of sin. When it is not proclaimed there will be no change in the behavior of the people.

Is this not to know me?

 Jeremiah 22:15–17 (ESV)

15Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? declares the LORD.
17But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.”

Josiah was the last righteous king of Judah. He brought revival of the covenant practices God required. He was a king who was concerned for the poor and needy. He was just in his dealings with the people and God rewarded him for his obedience. But shortly after his death, his children became the kings of Judah and they did not follow the ways of their father but practiced everything against God's ways. They were men of violence, shedding of innocent blood and oppression.

The contrast of kings is very evident. Josiah knew God and knew the ways of God teaching them to the people. But the succeeding kings were materialistic and did not follow the laws of God leading the people back into idolatry. It only takes one generation to bring evil or good. When the laws and ways of God are passed on to the next generation, the blessings of God will follow. This is why it is so important for parents and leaders to teach the next generation how to live in a manner that is pleasing to God and will bring prosperity and peace to the nation.

Emotional roller coaster

 But the Lord is with me like a dread champion;

Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed,

With an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.  (Jeremiah 20:11, NASB95)

Jeremiah experienced a range of emotions from elation to desperation. His own people wanted him dead because of the prophetic words he pronounced against them. In spite of all the opposition he faced, he knew that God was with him and would be a warrior or champion for him. We, too, have the same assurance that God is always with us and will fight for us. He has declared war against his enemies, and if he is for us, who can stand against us? The despair that Jeremiah felt was turned to praise when he remembered that God had called him and would take care of him.

Cannibalisms

 9 And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their life afflict them.’

10 “Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, 11 and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury.  (Jeremiah 19:10,11)

Jeremiah communicated to the elders through physical demonstrations that reflected what God was going to do to the people and the cities because of their disobedience. The broken vessel symbolized that they would be broken without the ability to be repaired.  They would be discarded to the dump, and the seige of the Babylonians would cause cannibalism to be the way of survival for some.  The prospects of anything good happening had vanished, and the elders and leaders took no action to bring about the changes that were necessary to change the plans of God to destroy the city and punish the rebellious people. It is amazing that the people did not take seriously the messages of Jeremiah and totally rejected him. Numerous warnings and physical demonstrations were communicated but unneeded. The depravity and the power of sin had completely taken control of the people.

Extreme measures

 Jeremiah 16:19–21 (ESV)

19O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and say: “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit.
20Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods!”
21“Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.”

The only way God could change the rebellious attitude of the people was to drive them out of the Promised Land into the hands of the Babylonians who served gods made by human hands. The land of Israel was given to Abraham as the inheritance God wanted them to inhabit and enjoy. Losing the land and become captives of another nation was their punishment designed to bring grief and loss that would compel them to repent. It was an extreme measure that God used to get the attention of the people and cause them to turn away from the lies of the false prophets who led them astray. Israel was God's chosen people who were to declare his glory to the nations, but they failed to be the people he called them to be. Their failure was met with God's power and might that drove them out of their homes and land. The sacred nation was going to be a scattered nation. Many would never return to the Promised Land and would be scattered throughout the world. Only a remnant would return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city after 70 years of captivity.

Hardened by sin

 Jeremiah 13:23–24 (NRSV)

23Can Ethiopians change their skin or leopards their spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.
24I will scatter you like chaff driven by the wind from the desert.

The nation of Israel was a stubborn people who refused to change their ways. They were set on worshiping other gods, and nothing would cause them to repent and return to Jehovah. They were the nation that God would draw near to them and they in turn would cling to him out of love for him and what he had done for them. But they became attached to the false gods who could do nothing for them. The insanity of sin is seen in the vile behavior of people intent on doing evil. They become so corrupt that doing good is foreign to them. It will take extreme measures to bring about changes in the conduct of the people. For Israel this would mean captivity and destruction of the cities they inhabited. The land God had given to them was polluted by their sinfulness and God had to remove them from it. The nation would be scattered abroad and after 70 years of Babylonian captivity only a remnant would be permitted to return to Jerusalem. In spite of all of the warnings and demonstrations that Jeremiah would use to communicate the coming judgment, it had no effect. Sin had hardened their hearts, and change was impossible until the judgement fell and the people realized the gravity of their rebellion and were willing to repent.