The Book of Jeremiah, in my view, is somewhat very eye opening in terms of describing God’s mercy and His ways. Of course this is just a tiny drop in the bucket of describing His character. But it also shows the character of God’s people. You can learn about yourself by reading the history of your ancestors and the choices they make. If we are to be wise, we should learn from their mistakes and learn from their good choices rather than continuing a repeated cycle of making the same mistakes over and over again. What happens if you make the same mistakes over and over again as your ancestors? Then you will experience the same outcome and judgment over and over as your rebellious ancestors. Then God will just continue to try or look for that people in the next generation.
Jeremiah 7:29 NLT “Shave your head in mourning, and weep alone on the mountains. For the Lord has rejected and forsaken this generation that has provoked his fury.’”
Do not presume that grace will give you a 100% guaranteed pass over your rebellious stubborn ways. The people of Judah in Jeremiah’s time thought that just attending church would keep them safe. They shouted, “the temple is here! We are safe! We are God’s people!”
The warning from Jeremiah lasted 40 years with measured and progressive discipline and judgment. The people of Judah may have viewed the measured discipline and judgments as temporary trivial inconveniences. Or they just did not believe God can actually destroy them or send them to hell. Therefore, they continued on their path of disobedience and rebellion, knowing they were not listening to God. This is a mistake that many modern day Christians continue to do. They repeat the same mistake over and over as the people of old. Do not think just because you are in a fire church you are safe because you attend church and the temple is here. You are JUDAH! Therefore the warning is for us!
Senior Pastor Steve Kim