As I was writing in my journal this a.m. summarizing Jer 41 to Jer 45 I recalled the parable in the NT about the two farmer boys in Matt 21. The similarities are striking. In Jer 42 we hear the Judahites telling Jeremiah that they wish to hear a word from the Lord and no matter what it is, good or bad, they will obey. See Jer 42:6 But look at their reaction when 10 days later they do not hear what they thought they should have heard. The men had "rethunk" their position. Well, we will listen and obey if it meets with our way of thinking. They in essence had predetermined what they were going to do no matter what God said and 10 days of waiting had confirmed their thinking. They were just hoping that God would align Himself with their thinking and when it did not they "rethunk" their decision. But, God does act that way. No sirree He does not. And He expects that our yea should be yea and our nay should be nay, not somewhere in-between. So listen to their decision in Jer 43:2 "Jeremiah you are a liar. God did not send you with these words". Let's see here...I think Jeremiah had proven himself to be a true prophet, had he not? Deut 18:22 gives us the test of a true prophet. If what he prophesied actually came to pass he was from God and if not then he was false. Jeremiah had over and over proven to be a true prophet yet these had already predetermined that he was false. Ten days had changed their minds. Now in the NT Jesus told a parable beginning in Matt 21:28 that bears a similar resemblance in attitude. There was a farmer who had two sons. The farmer told his "farmer boys" go and work in the vineyard. The first said "I will and he did not". The second said "I won't but later regretted what he said and he did". Jesus told that parable as a rebuke to the Pharisees who were men of "double-speak". They like the men in Jeremiah's day had said they would obey the Lord but when it came down the nitty gritty, it just did not fit in with their view of what they were to be doing and how they were to be the religious leaders of their day. The men of the historical record in Jeremiah,the two farmer boys and the religious leaders in Jesus' day are a picture of us when we say we will but do not do. We have already pre-determined what we will do but want God to agree with us. But God does not respond this way. He wants us to do as the people in Jeremiah's time said they would do: Jer 42:6 That is our test. We know what to do, but we fail to follow through. Why? Perhaps because deep within our hearts we do not trust God and His Word, that we think we know best.
My son wrote in his on-line mini-journal: We need to be careful to "not filter what God says, or is revealed to us" through our own view as to what it believable, but consider the source and have faith in God's revelation (eg God's word).
This may be applicable to "do I need to trust all of what it says in the Bible or just some of it"? In addition to be reminded of Jam 4:17 "to him who knows to do good and does it not, it is sin".
"Ouch"
A good reminder. As Paul said to men like to have their ears tickled and when the truth comes it is denied as truth or changed to fit in with their/our agenda. It reminded me of Rom 1:32 Men know the ordinance of God... yes men have a special place in their hearts, a God-vacuum that only HE can fill and they know. In the original language that word know has the meaning of : to know upon some mark, that is, recognise; by implication to become fully acquainted with, to acknowledge: - (ac-, have, take) know (-ledge, well), perceive.
Thus God has revealed enough of Himself that they are held accountable for the truth of who He is and His character. Rom 1:20 says that even His creation speaks of His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature so that man is without excuse. God has revealed Himself so that they might "know".
In one of the online devotionals I read today the author said the spies going into Canaan saw the bounty but not the Pillar. Where were their eyes? On themselves and not on the Pillar. We say we "know" but in reality we do not "know" because we have chosen to deny Him and His ways. That is our fundamental error and why we too fail like the men surrounding Jeremiah, the farmer boys, the Pharisees and those who reject God today: we want our ears to hear what we have already predetermined and if God's Word meets that expectation we follow it but if not we seek to find other passages that might contradict it. But, God does not contradict Himself. His word is yea and yea and nay and nay. We would be wise to heed that same model otherwise we are as Jam 4:17 says 'in sin'.
Draw me closer to You Lord that I might see Your holiness and reverently submit to Your way knowing the truth of Is 55:8 "your ways are higher than mine" . I can trust You , forgive me when I do not choose that route. Keep me closely bonded to You.
