Jeremiah 11
Outline
1-5 | The Lord tells Jeremiah to remind the people about the covenant
6-8 | Jeremiah reminds them of the forefathers failure to heed
9-13 | Israel and Judah broke the covenant and worshiped idols
14-17 | The Lord refuses to hear prayers for the people and pronounces judgment
18-20 | Plots against Jeremiah exposed
21-23 | God promises his judgment will come soon
Reflections
The Lord calls Jeremiah to go and proclaim the broken covenant that exists between God and Israel and Judah.
- Remember the covenant and the promise to bring you to the promised land
- God has continually warned the people to keep the covenant
- Israel and Judah have continually returned to idol worship
God tells Jeremiah to no longer pray for the people because their sins are too many for the sacrifices to atone for them; therefore, judgment will come soon.
God was patient with the people. They entered the promised land sometime around 1400 BC. This prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled around 600 BC. That’s 800 years that God patiently waited for the nation to repent. While there were some faithful, the majority worshiped idols along with offering sacrifices to God, which God doesn’t stand for. Thus judgment finally had to come.
If this were the end of the story it would be a said one indeed. But it’s not. The rest of the story is that there was one perfect sacrifice that atoned for all the sins of the world, for eternity, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Along with that, God is waiting patiently for people to repent and come to salvation. Consider the following.
John 3:16-21 NASB “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
1 Peter 3:18-22 NASB For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you–not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience–through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
2 Peter 3:1-10 NASB This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Lord, we praise and thank You for Your patience when we are stubborn and seek to fulfill our selfish desires. Forgive us when we sin against You and others by following after our sinful nature and not honoring You. Help us to remember the price that was paid for our salvation and to resist temptations when they come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Jeremiah_11_RL-BrokenCovenantPlotsAgainstJeremiah.pdf
