How Can a Loving God Judge Men?

Transcript

GR 450
9/12/1982
How Can A Loving God Judge Men?
Jeremiah 5:1-14
Gil Rugh

The Book of Jeremiah has a repeated emphasis on judgment. We have already seen that the appearance of a prophet in Israel was always a mark of spiritual decline. The fact that a prophet came with a message from God was not an indication of blessing but of judgment. The prophet’s ministry was necessitated by the rebellion of the people of God against His plans and purposes for them. We have also noticed the emphasis on grace as God continually exhorts the nation to turn to Him.

The emphasis in chapter 4 is that God’s imminent judgment will be fierce and unrelenting. Chapter 5 gives a balance to that perspective by answering the question, how can a loving, kind, holy God mete out such awful judgment? It focuses on the sins of the people, demonstrating their sinfulness and showing how deserving of judgment and condemnation they really are. We have a hard time appreciating the necessity of God’s judgment because we fail to have the proper concept of our own sinfulness. When we realize how sinful we really are, we will wonder how God could do anything but mete out judgment on sinners.

After presenting this case in chapter 5, God asks the question, “‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the Lord, ‘On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’” Jeremiah 5:29. After being shown the sinfulness of the people, you answer the question. Is there any possibility that a holy and righteous God should not mete out punishment for such sin? We will see how totally the nation of Israel has become absorbed in sin. We will find that sin is not something you dabble in. One of the basic characteristics of sin which Paul develops in Romans 6 is that sin always tends to enslave us. You may begin by dabbling in sin, but it becomes the absorption of your life and begins to dominate and control you in totality.

Chapter 5 opens with instructions to Jeremiah which will emphasize how completely the nation has been pervaded by its sinfulness. “Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and look now, and take note. And seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her.” verse 1. Jeremiah is to look throughout the city. If he can find one individual who is characterized by justice and faith, God will pardon the nation.

This reminds us of an incident that happened much earlier in the beginning days of Israel’s history. In Genesis 18, God tells Abraham that He intends to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot, a righteous man, dwells there. God says in verses 20 and 21, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. I will go down now and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” God is going down to search out the city, similar to what Jeremiah was later instructed to do. God already knows the condition of the city. He knows the heart condition and the thoughts of the mind. But the emphasis is on how the people will be searched out and judged.

Abraham intervened and asked God in verse 24 of Genesis 18, “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it?” Keep in mind that Jeremiah is addressing Jews who would be very familiar with Genesis 18. When he has the instruction to look for one man, the Jews are familiar with Abraham’s prayer, “God, will you spare it for fifty?” “I will spare it for fifty.” “For forty?” “Yes, I will spare it for forty.” “For thirty?” “Yes, for thirty.” “For twenty?” “Yes, for twenty.” In verse 32, “Then he said, ‘Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?’ And He said, ‘I will not destroy it on account of the ten.’” Abraham was satisfied that surely there were ten, but there were not. So Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

In Jeremiah 5, God says, “If there is one, I will spare them.” This reveals how gross the sin of Israel is. These people name the name of Jehovah and claim to belong to God. But God looks on this city and says, “If you can find one righteous man, I will spare it.” You see how totally decadent Jerusalem, the capital city, had become. This was the place where God’s presence and His name were to be held forth.

At the end of verse 1 the word translated truth can also be translated faithfulness. It is used in Exodus when the people of Israel went to war and the sons of Aaron held up the hands of Moses to steady them. As long as Moses’ hands were held up, the people won. When they lifted up his hands, they steadied them or made them faithful. It carries the idea of steadying or giving support. Behind the faithfulness is the basic faith that God demands.

That word is used again in verses 2 and 3, “And although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ surely they swear falsely. O Lord, do not Thine eyes look for truth?” God looks for faithfulness or faith. This key word is used in one of the most basic and important verses in all the Bible. “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith” Habakkuk 2:4. This phrase is quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” God has spoken and revealed Himself. The righteous will live by believing, by placing their faith in the revelation that God has given. The word denotes faithfulness and that which is more basic to faithfulness, the faith of the heart. Faithfulness to God is based upon faith in Him in the heart. The just live as a result of faith in the revelation God gives. That is the development in Romans 1 and Galatians 3. Salvation is by faith alone.

When you consider Jeremiah 5:1 and 3, you need to keep that concept in mind. “O Lord, do not Thine eyes look for truth?” God is looking for truth or faith. The just shall live by faith. God is looking through the city of Jerusalem to see if there are any who believe in Him and thus have a life characterized by faithfulness. But the basic issue is their faith. Are there any who have their faith in Him? We must not lose sight of the fact that Israel is more religious than they have ever been. Yet as God evaluates this center of religious activity in this religious nation, God says His eyes are looking for faith, for those who believe in Him.

The issue is the same today. God is not looking for people who do religious things, who perform religious functions or who go through religious ceremonies. He is looking for people who have placed their faith in the revelation He has given of Himself, in the death and resurrection of His Son who died to pay the penalty for their sin. So as they go through all their religious activity, God is looking beyond the activities to the heart to see if there are any who have faith and who believe in Him.

In verse 2, they are merely using the terminology. “And although they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ surely they swear falsely.” It has always been a plan and pattern of Satan to take the words of God and empty them of any significance but continue to use them. That is what is going on here. The people are still taking oaths in God’s name, but God says they swear falsely because they do not believe in Him. As we saw earlier, to take an oath in God’s name indicated a reliance upon Him to carry out the plan and to meet the need. He had sufficient power. Here they would take an oath in the name of Jehovah, but they did not believe in Jehovah. So, God says their oaths are empty and false.

Be careful about terminology. Not everyone who uses the terminology has his faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work. That is what is so deceptive. People say, “Oh yes, I love God. Oh yes, we believe in Jesus.” It is easy to throw this terminology around. Ask the average Protestant or Catholic, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” and he will say, “Yes, of course, do you think I am a pagan?” If you would have asked the average Jew in Jeremiah’s day, “Do you believe in Jehovah?” what do you think he would have said? “Of course! We are the covenant people.” The problem is, they had no faith in Him. That is what makes the difference.

In verse 3, God has applied the correction, but they will not pay any attention. “O Lord, do not Thine eyes look for truth? Thou has smitten them, but they did not weaken; Thou hast consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.” They have stubbornly hardened their hearts. They are unwilling to take correction. If you take your child aside and give him a spanking and he immediately gets up and does the same thing again in a very defiant way, what do you have to do? Some parents today just say, “Well, I guess it did not work, so we will just quit.” No. You take him back and apply firmer and more memorable discipline! If he gets up and says, “Ah, ha! That did not hurt,” and he goes and does it again, what do you do? You have to apply even firmer discipline.

That is what has happened here. God has applied the discipline to Israel, but they have hardened their faces and said, “We will not change.” What is God to do, give in? Who is to be God in this world? If after people harden their faces to God and say, “I will not give in,” is God supposed to give in? What kind of world would it be? Should God just turn it over to sinners? With what choice is He left but to make His judgment more severe and more awful.

Jeremiah felt the problem was that they were ignorant, uneducated, poor people of Jerusalem. “Then I said, ‘They are only the poor, they are foolish; for they do not know the way of the Lord or the ordinance of their God.’” verse 4. Today we have the same issues. We excuse sin on the basis of social conditions. They were raised in the slums. They have not had the proper education and training. You cannot hope that they will be different. These are the poor and the foolish. You cannot expect anything of them.

Jeremiah says, “‘I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the Lord, and the ordinance of their God.’ But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke and burst the bonds.” verse 5. There is no difference between rich and poor, great and small, important and unimportant. The sinful condition of the heart is the same for all.

It always amazes me that when you talk to unbelievers about salvation through faith in Christ, many of them are so concerned about the pagans. They will say, “What about people in these countries who have never heard?” I rarely try to answer that. All I say is, “I am satisfied that the holy and righteous God of the universe will do the right thing with them. I am concerned about you because you have heard.” Scripture does reveal the lost and hopeless condition of those who have not heard, but we are those who have heard. We are the educated. We are those who have prospered. Has education made us more Christian as this nation has developed its great universities and institutions of learning? Are we now a nation that is turning to God more rapidly than the pagan, heathen nations who have never learned to read or write? Not at all. Our education and learning have been used to try to deny the reality of an omnipotent God. Jeremiah goes to the great and does not find any difference. In fact, do you know what you find with the great and important? They are less open.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1, using the Corinthians as an example of how God works, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

The rich, the poor, the great and the small all have the same kind of heart. You can take a rotten apple and polish the skin, but it is no more fun to bite into it than if it is not polished. It is still rotten. That is the condition of our hearts.

Verse 6 of Jeremiah 5 describes the judgment that is coming, “Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the deserts shall destroy them, a leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, their apostasies are numerous.” There are two possible meanings for this verse. There was a time when the wild animals came out to the cities and attacked the people. You find these related numerous times in the prophets. This also pictures the nations that will be brought in judgment to destroy the people. As they leave their cities they are taken captive or killed, and then ultimately the cities, too, are consumed.

In verses 7-9 God asks, “‘Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me and sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the harlot’s house. They were well-fed lusty horses, each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish these people,’ declares the Lord, ‘and on a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’” Stop and consider the reality of sin. Should a holy and righteous God not confront it and deal with it?

The very blessings of God have been used by people to further their unrighteous ends. This pictures the blight of prosperity. “When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery” verse 7. It is going to be brought up later in this chapter that these people have forgotten the source of blessings, the God who has provided it all. So, what happens? They become unfaithful to Him, and the blessings that God provides bring ruin.

Near the conclusion of Moses’ earthly ministry, God tells Moses in Deuteronomy 31 that after he is gone the people are going to wander away. They are going to be unfaithful, and they are going to be punished. “For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them and spurn Me and break My covenant.” Deuteronomy 31:20. God says that when He brings them into all the blessings, He has prepared for them, they will forget about Him and turn away to the pursuit of other gods. So, God instructed Moses to teach them a song. The song is recorded in Deuteronomy 32. Look at verse 15, “But Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked--you are grown fat, thick, and sleek.” Israel had prospered and lived the good life. “Then he forsook God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”

It is amazing how soon people forget. It happens right here. We as believers are more prosperous and affluent than believers anywhere in the world, but is our Christianity making a greater impact? Do we have less problems with immorality or more? Now the church has to deal with the fact that so-and-so leaves so-and-so and takes up with so-and-so. The marriage begins to break down. Why? God has blessed us so richly. Should we, of all people, not be bowing and turning to Him in gratitude? Or have the blessings that He has given us caused us to grow comfortable, fat and prosperous so that we forget who provided them and why? We are taken up with other things.

In Jeremiah 5 there is both literal immorality and spiritual immorality. The context of Jeremiah has been their spiritual immorality. They have pursued other gods. But it always follows that when there is a breakdown in the spiritual relationship, there is a breakdown in the moral character and conduct. As our nation has moved further away from biblical principles, issues of morality have become more subjective. That is the kind of ethical situation we live in. We have questions now regarding marriage and divorce, immorality, adultery, homosexuality and all kinds of sin that were not in question a few years ago. Today there are people who believe they ought to be respected and accepted regardless of their lifestyle. That thinking finds its way into the church. Issues that were cut and dried or black and white not too long ago are now open for question.

Sometimes the church has taken a stand on things that were not biblical issues, but we need to be careful. When God has spoken, there is no question or debate. It is still black and white. We as a church have prospered. Oh, the tragedy of prosperity. Do you know where Christianity flourishes today? Where the Christians are not so prosperous or affluent. Our affluence gets in our way. We get absorbed with our prosperity, and we begin to enjoy the good life just as Israel did. They wandered from their God.

It is rather graphic. “When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the harlot’s house” verse 7. That is where they are going. “They were well-fed lusty horses, each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife” verse 8. It is amazing how someone else’s possessions become so desirable. Someone is lusting after someone else’s wife at the same time someone is lusting after his wife. It is a breakdown, but sin always wants to go contrary to what God’s plan is.

“‘Shall I not punish these people,’ declares the Lord, ‘and on a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’” verse 9. Just stop and think. What would you expect a holy and righteous God to do? What kind of world would this be if there were no semblance of justice?

Verse 10 contains a warning as well as a promise. “Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but do not execute a complete destruction.” The promise that we looked at in an earlier study in verse 18 says, “I will not make you a complete destruction.” Jeremiah 5:18. There is grace and mercy. There will be a remnant saved. That is God’s grace today. Not every one of us sinners is going to hell. That is not a testimony to us; it is a testimony to God’s grace.

Verse 10 uses the analogy of the vine. “Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but do not execute a complete destruction; strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.” We saw this analogy earlier in Jeremiah 2:21, “Yet I planted you a choice vine, a completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?” In a consistent analogy throughout the Old Testament, Israel is the vine of God. But Israel is always seen as a degenerate vine in the Old Testament. You can check out these passages: Psalm 80:8-16; Isaiah 5:1-7; Ezekiel 15:1-8; Hosea 10:1. Israel is the vine of God, but it is always a degenerate vine.

The better we understand the Old Testament, the more we will appreciate the development in the New Testament and how it fits. Jeremiah 5:10 is a background, along with the other passages listed, for a key passage in the New Testament. The last half of verse 10 says, “Strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.” In John 15 Jesus presents Himself as the true vine of God. Israel was a degenerate vine. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away” John 15:2. That is parallel to Jeremiah 5:10 -- “Strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.” The branches that claim to be in Jesus Christ but are not bearing fruit are stripped away, just like the branches in Israel. They claim to belong to God. They took oaths by His name, but they had no faith.

John 15:6 continues, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” My understanding of John 15 is that the unfruitful branches are unbelievers, just like the branches in Jeremiah 5:10. They do not belong to God, so they are stripped away for judgment.

The pattern is always the same in the Old and New Testaments alike. The God of the Old Testament is no different from the God of the New Testament. The emphasis is on His judgment on those who are sinners.

Jeremiah 5:11 says, “‘For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with Me,’ declares the Lord.” Verse 12 further explains the charge, “They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘Not He; misfortune will not come on us; and we will not see sword or famine.’” Jeremiah 5:12. It is interesting how they claim that God would not do this. Keep in mind that the cry of false teachers and false prophets has not changed in 2500 years. You can go to any number of churches today and be told that God would not send anyone to hell. What kind of mean ogre would He be to demand eternal torment from people? So, the Jews are saying, “Oh no. Not He. He would not do that. This misfortune and judgment will not come upon us.”

They took refuge in their religion. “We are the people of the covenant. We are the people who offer sacrifices. We are the people who have the temple.” Their complete allegiance and trust were in their religious forms and ceremonies.

What did they say about the prophets? “And the prophets are as wind, and the word is not in them. Thus, it will be done to them!” verse 13. What was their response to Jeremiah? Let us drop him in the slime pit. Let us kill Jeremiah. Let us starve Jeremiah. Let us beat Jeremiah. Why? According to them he is a wind bag. “The prophets are as wind.” When Jeremiah comes and preaches about judgment, do not believe it. Do you really think God would do that to us, His people? We are as religious as anybody.

That sounds like people today. You go to church as often as anybody. You have been pretty decent. Come on, be reasonable. Do you think that windbag is telling you the truth when he preaches hell fire and damnation? Is that what you go to church to hear? Who wants to get up in the morning, get all dressed and go to church to be told you are a sinner on your way to hell? Do not go and listen to the windbags. Come here and let me tell you have good you are.

Rubbish! That does not change reality. It is amazing how childish grown-up people are. You can hide your head and say, “There is no hell.” Do you think God has changed His mind? Did the fact that Israel said it would not happen keep it from happening? No, it happened.

God speaks of judgment today, and people say it will not happen. Will it happen? It will. The character of man does not change. Sinful people continue to respond in the same patterns. How do they deal with sin and judgment? They deny that God would do such a thing. It makes them feel better for a time, but it does not change reality.

In verse 14, God gives Jeremiah His plan. “Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, ‘Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will consume them.’” God is saying that His words will be like fire, and the people are the kindling. Jeremiah is going to speak on judgment, and they are going to be consumed by God. Never be disheartened by how people respond to your message because God’s Word always is effective. It is supernatural.

It is interesting to compare Jeremiah with Isaiah because the people had the advantage of being familiar with Isaiah’s ministry. He had prophesied a couple of centuries before Jeremiah. Israel had seen the results of his prophecy as judgment had come on the Northern Kingdom. Isaiah 55 presents the invitation of God’s grace. “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost” Isaiah 55:1. Is not the grace of God amazing! He does not say if you work hard enough or if you can save up enough you can have it. He says, “I have something free. I just want you to have it.”

Isaiah continues to offer God’s grace in verses 6 and 7, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on Him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:11. Verse 11 speaks of the effectiveness of God’s Word, “So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Any time God sends forth His Word, it is effective and accomplishes God’s purposes. I do not believe I ever preach or share the word of God with anyone without God’s purposes being accomplished.

We need to see ourselves and our successes in light of what God says. When I share the Word, the Spirit of God uses it. Not always in a way that I see or in the way I would expect or choose; but God’s Word never comes back empty and failing.

The Book of Hebrews reminds us that we really have a powerful Word. We do not realize that the weapon we have in our hands is a supernatural book. I do not venerate this book or its pages. But the message of this book is supernatural, dynamic, alive, life-changing! “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. It is powerful. It pierces down into the innermost recesses of the person. The Spirit of God takes it like a knife or sword and drives it right to the heart of people to convict them and to reveal them as they are. That is the key role that we play as those who are privileged to share this supernatural message. We get so taken up with our inadequacies. There is no doubt about it. You are inadequate! You do not have to spend any time convincing me of your inadequacy. I do not need to spend any time convincing you that I am inadequate. That is why God says to proclaim His Word! He does not ask you to write a message. He has not asked you to come up with a beautiful speech. He has given you a message and says, “Now tell them!”

When I am at conferences, pastors often ask, “What do you do at Indian Hills that makes the difference?” I tell them we teach the Scriptures. “I know, but what else do you do?” We teach the Scriptures. “I know, but what makes it different?” We teach the Scriptures. “No brilliant plan?” That is the brilliant plan. “Do you have any great programs?” Only as they enhance our ability to teach the Word. That is what it is all about. The power of this local church is the Word of God used by the Spirit of God in the lives of the people of God. The Word is transforming.

The issue is clear in James 1:21. “Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” The Word of God impregnated into the life is transforming.

Nothing physical has brought about the new birth. That is brought about by imperishable seed. “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living abiding word of God.” 1 Peter 1:22-23. The next two verses speak of the eternality of God’s Word, “For, ‘All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord abides forever.’” verses 24 and 25. In verse 2 of chapter 2, Peter says, “Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” The Word of God is everything that I need. It produces the new birth. You are to proclaim the Word. “So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17.

What do you need to do for those you are burdened about and praying for? You need to share the Word of God with them. Since faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, they cannot be saved until they hear the message. So you can share a message with them. I have shared it with many people who have not been saved, at least not yet; but I have sown the seed. The Spirit of God can take it and carry it to their hearts that they might believe and be saved. The Word is also God’s provision for our growth and development. That is why we minister week after week. It is our nourishment to bring us to maturity in Christ.

We believers need to be impressed as Jeremiah was in Jeremiah 5. He had a hard ministry and a hard people to minister to, but he had to keep in mind the power and dynamic of the Word of God. Every believer has the Word of God entrusted to his care. What a privilege! We have a supernatural Word that transforms lives. We are privileged to share that and make it known.

So far Jeremiah has emphasized that Jerusalem is a totally pagan city full of religious people mouthing empty allegiance to a God they do not believe in. God has prospered and blessed them. They have used His blessings to pursue sinful, ungodly activities and life-styles. Therefore, God must intervene with judgment. The word of judgment that is proclaimed will consume them, and they will be destroyed. But there will not be a complete destruction, because grace is evidenced in judgment. God is looking for any who will believe and place their faith in Him.

As God looks at this audience, He does not say, “Oh, look, they all sit up straight; two-thirds of them stayed awake; some will put money in the offering. Yes, they are all okay.” He is looking on the inside to see what the condition of your heart really is. As God looks at you, does He see one who has faith in His Son Jesus Christ? Have you recognized your own sinfulness and believed that the Son of God died for you? That makes all the difference for time and eternity.

For those of us who have believed, may God impress upon us the supernatural character of this message. As a people who have been blessed and prospered by God, He expects us to live for Him so that through our lives and ministry He might be exalted.