Last week we began looking at some lessons from Jeremiah chapter six. Jeremiah’s listeners suffered from the sin of covetousness, from the least to the greatest.
In the days that Jesus walked on the earth this, too, was a problem. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24).
On another occasion he said, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15). The desire for more and the willingness to do whatever it takes to attain abundance cause many to leave the "old path." God has the answer to all who are tempted today by the sin of covetousness, and Paul said Christians need to learn to be content (Philippians 4:11).
While Jeremiah was telling them what God thought about them, and what would happen if they did not repent, the false teachers were filling their minds with words of peace and good times. They should have listened to God’s prophet.
Today this same thing happens. Instead of looking to God’s word to make sure the things taught are true, many are more interested in numbers rather than souls. Some fail to find truth because they only look for the biggest crowd, not a thus saith the Lord.
Moral issues cloud the thinking of men as they seek to please man and not God. Couples are not told the truth about marriage and divorce, people are not warned against the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19ff) and are not told of their responsibilities as Christians. God foretold in his word that such things would happen (2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).
Those to whom Jeremiah preached are said to have committed abomination, yet they were not the least bit ashamed of their sins. They had lived a sinful life for so long they could not even blush.
Their sins are talked about throughout the book of Jeremiah. They were guilty of adultery, idolatry, murder, drunkenness, etc. They lived in open rebellion against God and felt no remorse.
Many of these things are practiced openly in the world today, and the world is not ashamed. Adultery, immodesty, drunkenness and even homosexuality are condemned in the sight of God (Romans 1; Galatians 5:19ff). It must be remembered that what God call sin is just that. Each individual must come to God on his terms, and that includes repenting of sins that one commits.
Jeremiah gave them the cure for all of their sins, but they rejected the cure. The cure for them was to turn back to God and his word. The cure today for all is to turn back to God and his word. One must go back to it and follow it. Paul wrote to the Galatians, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6, 7).
While many today would try and pervert the gospel, a person must seek out the truth of God’s word and walk in the "old paths." Will men learn from the past?
Seek out the truth of God’s word. Obey his commands while time is yours.