Jeremiah 7:1-26
Thursday, 10 November 2022
“But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.”-Jer.7:23
Prophet Jeremiah conveyed the prophecies from the Lord to the nations. Most of the messages focused on repentance and warning— if no repentance was seen, the upcoming judgment on God’s own people was inevitable. It was Jeremiah's commission to lodge God's condemnation against his own people and proclaim the end of an era.
Throughout the word of God, we can see God promising blessings— God wanted to pour out His blessings to His people; but all promises and blessings are conditional. Our key verse addresses the same. Obedience is one of the basic requirements in the Christian life. All through the word of God, from the first person Adam, we find man disobeying God. God’s patience and continued mercy to His chosen people is clearly visible in the Scriptures. There is a blessing given here: I WILL BE YOUR GOD and YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE but the condition is YOU NEED TO OBEY MY VOICE. Alongside, God gives an instruction: “WALK IN ALL THE WAYS WHICH I COMMAND YOU, if you do so it may be well unto you.” If they do so, they will continue in the land and enjoy all the blessings promised to such obedience.
But instead of obedience, how they would respond was clearly known to God- Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.(v.24)— a small sentence that draws the clear picture of the journey of God’s people. That points to the results of disobedience. But as written in the key verse, God still speaks this message to all mankind.
Complete and perfect obedience to God was demonstrated by the one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil.2:8 & Heb. 5:7-8). God is trying to tell each of us, “Dear child you too can walk the same way as Jesus did.” He gives us a choice- to follow or to disobey. With a fatherly love He has kept for His children great privileges on this earth and in eternity. “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Cor. 2:9).
The great plan of God has been revealed through Jesus – “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things…” (Heb.1:1-2). For those who are ready to listen to Him and choose to walk in His footsteps, our heavenly Father has kept a marvelous position. The lives of the apostles testify of obedience to God and the fruit of their work for the Lord still remains. 2 Tim.2:11&12 says, ‘This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”’
As of today, how is our response to His voice and calling? How many promises have we heard through the word of God and through the servants of God? Let us decide to obey Him, hold fast all the promises and the blessings that follow as we walk forward according to His plan. May the Holy Spirit lead us. Amen.
To remember: “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” (2Cor.1:20)
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