WWUTT 2334 They Have Spoken Falsely of the Lord (Jeremiah 5:10-19)

In the time that God brought judgment against Judah, it was in a day when they were still worshiping

God. They worshiped false gods, but they still said, As the Lord lives, but it wasn't genuine.

It wasn't real when we understand the text. This is

When We Understand The Text, a daily Bible commentary to help encourage your time in the Word. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday we feature

New Testament Study, an Old Testament book on Thursday, and our Q &A on Friday.

Now here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. In our study of the book of Jeremiah, we're going to pick up where we left off last week in Jeremiah chapter 5.

God is bringing this rebuke against Jerusalem because of their rebellion against the

Lord. They have refused to repent. They've even decided we're going to go after what the false teachers say because we like what they say to us better instead of listening to the true prophets of God.

So judgment is going to come upon them and they deserve it. They bring it upon themselves. Jerusalem is representing both

Israel and Judah here, and you'll see that in the section that we will read today.

For God talks about judgment that will come upon both houses, upon Israel and upon Judah, but he will not make a full end of them.

He still has a plan and a purpose that he means to accomplish. So let's pick up reading where we left off last time.

I'm going to start in verse 10 and go through verse 19. Hear the word of the Lord. Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end, strip away her branches, for they are not the

Lord's. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the

Lord. They have spoken falsely of the Lord and have said he will do nothing. No disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

The prophets will become wind. The word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.

Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, because you have spoken this word, behold,

I am making my words in your mouth a fire and this people would and the fire shall consume them.

Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar. Oh, house of Israel declares the

Lord. It is an enduring nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.

The quiver is like an open tomb. They are all mighty warriors. They shall eat up your harvest and your food.

They shall eat up your sons and your daughters. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds.

They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees, your fortified cities in which you trust.

They shall beat down with the sword. But even in those days declares the

Lord, I will not make a full end of you. And when people say, why has the

Lord our God done all these things to us? You shall say to them, as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.

Now last week, when we had read at the beginning of this particular chapter, Jeremiah, the prophet is running to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem.

He's he's looking for someone who seeks truth, someone who still loves righteousness.

Surely there are those even within this city who still seek after the Lord. But in verse two, it says, though they say, as the

Lord lives, yet they swear falsely. So they will. They will say things claiming that they follow

God, that they worship him, that Yahweh is on their side, but they swear falsely.

They do not truly follow God, for they have not kept his word and they've been worshiping false gods, thus provoking the

Lord to anger and bringing this judgment upon them. Here in the United States of America, we just had an inauguration on Monday of this week.

The new president being sworn in, the new old president, President Donald Trump, who is now the 45th and the 47th presidents of the

United States, along with his vice president, J .D. Vance, was sworn in at the inauguration on Monday as well.

Now, there were there were a lot of things that were said in that inauguration, in the speeches that were given, especially

Donald Trump's speech, that a lot of conservatives are cheering because it undoes the very liberal and leftist policies and direction that was going on under the

Biden administration and the things that Kamala Harris swore that she was going to do, which were even more liberal, more left wing than what

Biden was doing. As hard as that is to believe that you get even more left than Biden, yet Kamala Harris was going to do it.

She who was running against Donald Trump in the election at the end of 2024. But God has shown mercy to us and has not let this nation go as far left as it could have gone.

Things could have been much, much worse. So it was easy to cheer on some of the things that Donald Trump was saying in his speech, undoing some of those leftist policies.

Nonetheless, we should not think that the United States of America is a place that actually has the favor of God.

This nation is still guilty of great and egregious sins, everything that is every bit as evil, if not worse than what

Judah was doing at the time that God brings this judgment against both houses, against Israel and against Judah.

And speaking to Jerusalem here as representing the two houses, that capital city where the temple was built, where God dwelled with his people, though we wouldn't dwell with them for long, at least at this point in their history,

God will soon remove his presence so that this judgment that they deserve can come against them.

Just because we might see things moving in a little bit more conservative direction in the

U .S., don't think that means the favor of God is upon us, because, as I said, many great sins still must be repented of.

It was a very ecumenical service, in fact, the whole inauguration. Everybody who prayed, there sure was a variety of different ministers that led prayers to Catholic priests who, of course, don't just look to Jesus Christ for the giver of salvation, but even someone like Mary, who is a co -redemptrix, as she is called, or they pray to dead saints, or they will worship the mass, believing that the bread and the cup literally turn into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus, and so therefore worship it and commit idolatry.

That's who these men were, these Catholic priests that prayed at the inauguration. There was also a rabbi, a

Jewish rabbi who denies that Jesus is the Christ. There was a prosperity preacher who, when he prayed, prayed a prayer for Martin Luther King, Jr.,

who denied the resurrection, denied that Jesus was the Christ, and as Paul said in 1

Corinthians 15, if Jesus is not risen from the dead, then you are still in your sins and your faith is futile, and yet it was that man, that reverend leader of the civil rights movement in American history, it was a prayer from him that this preacher had recited in the inauguration service for Donald Trump.

About the only preacher who prayed that you may have considered to be a God -fearing evangelical would have been

Franklin Graham. So you see all this different commitment, this hodgepodge of different faith practices and traditions that came together for this thing, maybe only one of those ministers was actually truly and genuinely calling upon the name of the

Lord. So it was every bit as much this picture of as the Lord lives, but they swear falsely.

They called upon God. There was a lot of talking about God in this service,

Donald Trump even talking about the providence of God that saved his life last year in July when he was nearly assassinated and believes that God had saved his life that day.

Indeed, it's true. By the providential hand of God, he was saved that day. Our country could be in a completely different state right now if it were not for the merciful hand of God, even upon Donald Trump last summer when he was nearly assassinated.

And yet, though he is showing his mercy because the United States definitely deserves much worse than it is getting, we should not think that when

God is spoken about so commonly in the inauguration, the way that he was, that they were genuine professions of faith.

For as I said, it's just like what we're seeing here with Judah. They will say as the

Lord lives, but they swear falsely and as said later on in what

I just read from verse 12, they have spoken falsely of the

Lord. They have said he will do nothing. No disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

You did not hear anything of repentance in the inauguration, even though the United States of America is guilty of great bloodshed with 60 million unborn children murdered since Roe v.

Wade in 1973. We just had a sanctity of human life Sunday this past Sunday.

And then, of course, this week was the was the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Even though that has been overturned, there's still just as much abortion going on in the

United States as there's ever been. Estimates are about a million babies still being aborted every year, though there are some states that have that have outlawed abortion within the state or at least the practice of abortion abortion as it would happen in an abortion clinic.

But you can still get the abortion pill, even though those things have happened. It's still rampant bloodshed.

That is happening. The sacrifice of children for the sake of the sexual promiscuity of Americans.

And then, of course, the the definition of marriage remains changed in American law that a man can marry a man or a woman can marry a woman.

They do not honor marriage as God made it to be or as he defined it, as even Jesus taught about it in Matthew chapter 19.

And Donald Trump is perfectly fine with same sex marriage. In fact, he's got a man that he's nominated for treasurer who believes he is married to another man.

And these kinds of things will provoke the Lord to anger. You don't see any sense of repentance. So we can be thankful that things aren't going as far left as radically liberal as they were just a matter of months ago.

May we be able to use these moments, these opportunities as the church to continue to go out and spread the gospel to accomplish what we have the right to be able to do under the protection of our

Constitution for those of us Christians that live here in the United States. But we should not think of this as being a more

Christian nation. There is still much repentance that needs to be done. A gospel that needs to be proclaimed.

Christ and he alone must be exalted and worshipped. We read previously, even in Jeremiah chapter four, if you return, oh,

Israel declares the Lord to me, you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence and do not waver.

And if you swear as the Lord lives in truth, in justice and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him and in him they shall glory.

But that's if a nation's repentance is genuine. And we haven't yet seen that in the

United States. I pray that it would come. I pray somebody like Donald Trump or even

J .D. Vance would lead the United States of America in that way of repentance and the worship of Christ.

But we can't wait for the government to do it. It is not incumbent upon the government to be the one to herald the gospel.

It is given to the church. It is our responsibility as a church.

Churches all over America must repent. Before there's going to be repentance sweeping the land.

Many churches not even proclaiming the gospel. I gave an example of one yesterday with the it was

Marianne Buddy, the Episcopal priest who preached at the inaugural prayer service on Tuesday.

And had proclaimed LGBTQ ism, illegal immigration, and as as trumpeted a number of different left leaning ideologies over the course of her time as a minister in the

Washington diocese. She's put there because of her political activism, not because of her qualifications, obviously, because she's a woman which instantly makes her unqualified to be a bishop or a pastor of any kind.

The Episcopal Church in the United States has had its lampstand removed. The gospel of Jesus Christ is no longer with that church.

There may still be some genuine Christians within the within Episcopalian ism, is that what you would call it?

There may be some genuine priests who truly love the Lord and actually preach the gospel, but the church as a whole is not of God.

That is a denomination that has left Christianity a long time ago and has become more committed to social activism and that social activism being of a more liberal or Democrat or left wing nature.

And so there's this call upon Judah to repent and may that repentance be genuine.

But Jerusalem, we know, has refused to repent and so strip away her branches.

They're not the Lord's. They do not belong to God. They have shown themselves to honor another, the false gods that they worship.

For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the Lord. They have spoken falsely of the

Lord and have said he will do nothing. No disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.

That is a taunt of the godless that comes up multiple times throughout the scriptures.

In fact, Psalm 94 says, Oh Lord, God of vengeance, oh

God of vengeance, shine forth, rise up, oh judge of the earth, repay to the proud what they deserve.

Oh Lord, how long shall the wicked exalt? They pour out arrogant words, all the evildoers boast.

They crush your people and afflict your heritage. They kill the widow in the sojourner and murder the fatherless.

And they say, the Lord does not see, the God of Jacob does not perceive.

They revel in their unrighteousness because they think God doesn't see it. He's not going to judge them for it.

Psalm 73, 11, how can God know? Is there knowledge in the most high?

Psalm 10, 11, God has forgotten, he has hidden his face. He will never see it. So all of these wicked people that continue in their wickedness, believing that judgment will not come upon them.

But as the Lord says in 2 Peter 3, he does not count slowness as we count slowness.

He's patient towards you, not wishing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. But the judgment of God will come on that day when

Christ returns and the heavens will pass away with a roar, the scripture says.

So we continue verse 14, therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, because you have spoken this word, behold,

I am making my words in your mouth a fire and this people would and the fire shall consume them.

You know, you're probably familiar with the two witnesses in the book of Revelation.

It's talked about in Revelation chapter 11 that there will be two witnesses and in that day they will come breathing fire.

Now there are some who believe that who's talked about here in Revelation 11 with regards to these two witnesses.

These are two prophets that are going to show up one day. It's not actually, it's a church.

The two witnesses is a reference to the church. Again, we are the witnesses in this wicked and depraved generation.

We're supposed to be going out with the gospel. You can't wait for the government to make up their minds about that and begin leading the people in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ.

It must be the church that does so. The church is the witness of the gospel in the world. And this reference to two witnesses is a reference to the law that every testimony must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

So the church is regarded as two witnesses. That's the symbolism that's being used there in Revelation 11.

But some will read that absolutely literally and say that no, this is in reference to two prophets are going to show up one day.

We don't know who they are yet, but they're going to come and they're going to prophesy for 1 ,260 days as talked about there in Revelation 11 3.

And it also says in verse five, if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes.

If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. To those who read this passage, literally believing that it's talking about two prophets who will come later in the future.

I've asked that question. Okay. If you're going to read that absolutely literally like that, then do you think that those prophets are literally going to breathe fire?

And I'm surprised, I will say that I'm actually surprised at the number of people that respond to me and say, yes, they will, because it says that and it's supposed to be read literally.

So these prophets are going to show up and they're actually going to breathe fire. But we can see here from what's said in Jeremiah as what

God had given to Jeremiah speaking words that will be in your mouth, a fire.

That's exactly the reference that we see in Revelation 11 5. So it's not literal fire that pours forth from these witnesses' mouths.

It's the word of God as spoken from his scripture that will come from the church, the testimony of the church, warning people that judgment is coming and to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved.

Our words will be in our mouths as a fire to this people.

Just as God said, it would be so for Jeremiah, I am making my words in your mouth a fire and this people would and the fire shall consume them.

Behold, I am bringing against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, declares the Lord, it is an enduring nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say, which is a terrifying thought.

To be conquered by another people and not even know what they're saying to you as they're conquering you.

You won't be able to understand what they're saying as they come against you to destroy you.

Verse 16, their quiver is like an open tomb. So talking about the quiver that holds their arrows, they bring death.

They are all mighty warriors. Now, this next section, verse 17, is it's kind of written in a poetic sort of way to demonstrate like the cadence of a moving army coming, coming in rhythm, coming in waves.

So you have in 17, they shall eat up your harvest and your food. They shall eat up your sons and your daughters.

They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. So this would be like horrifying imagery as this is being said here, haunting in the way that it's phrased in this rhythmic sort of pattern.

Like you could hear the marching of the of the troops, the wave after waves of battalions that would come against the city or against the people, your fortified cities in which you trust they shall beat down with the sword.

So this is the promise of destruction that's coming upon you. But again, as we read back in verse 10, go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end.

And so we see the same thing said again in verse 18. But even in those days, declares the

Lord, I will not make a full end of you. And when your people say, why is the

Lord our God done all these things to us? You shall say to them, as you have forsaken me and serve foreign gods in your land.

So you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.

So the promise is you're going to be exiled, but I will not utterly wipe you out.

And that's where we'll pick up next week. A declaration to the house of Jacob and proclaimed in Judah.

Hear this, oh, foolish and senseless people who have eyes, but see not and have ears, but hear not.

Do you not fear me, declares the Lord, do you not tremble before me?

And my friends, we must have that reverent fear of God, and we must understand the responsibility that is upon each and every one of us to proclaim the gospel in wherever we are, because God's judgment will come upon whatever land you live in.

And the only way to escape the judgment of God is by faith in Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for what we have read, even from the prophet Jeremiah. We can have these reminders of a judgment that is to come, but salvation that has been given through Jesus Christ, our

Lord, he who died on the cross for our sins, who rose again from the dead, who is ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God.

All who believe in him will not perish, but have everlasting life. Only one way to escape death and the judgment of God that is coming, and that is to believe in the

Lord Jesus Christ. And so may we understand the responsibility that is upon the church to proclaim that message to the world, not waiting for our government to repent and be the entity that leads the people, for it is the church that you have given this responsibility to, to call out sin, call to repentance, and preach the gospel.

May it be the love of our lives, the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we live according to the gospel as well and the commands of Christ.

It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This has been When We Understand the

Text of Pastor Gabriel Hughes. For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt

.com. If you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast, or just send us a comment, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com

and let your friends know about our ministry. Join us again tomorrow as we grow together in the study of God's word, when we understand the text.