Jeremiah’s Sixth Sermon Part 2 Jeremiah 15:1-21 Introduction

1 Jeremiah 's Sixth Sermon part 2. Jeremiah 15:1-21 . Introduction Jeremiah 's Sixth Sermon continues. The Sermon addresses the themes of Jehovah and Judah and Jehovah and Jeremiah . The Sermon begins with a list of the suffering caused by the terrible draught ( ); a supplication as the people cry out to God because of their affliction and a description of their sin ( ). It continues with a dialogue between Jehovah and Jeremiah . The Lord has asked Jeremiah do not pray for these people anymore ( ). The prophet describes a severe draught that effected the whole nation.

2 The people cried out to God confessed their sin and their backsliding; but the Lord replied that He rejected their cry and their pleas; they were guilty of loving their sin and had no intention of turning from sin. At the end of chapter 14 Jeremiah prays; Jeremiah weeps night and day for his people; Jeremiah questioned if God had rejected the people completely; if they were beyond healing; Jeremiah acknowledged the wickedness and guilt of their fathers and urged the Lord to deliver them for His names sake; for the Temple's sake; for the covenant's sake; and acknowledged that only God could make the drought cease and send the rain and deliver them from the impending judgment.

3 Chapter 15 is God's answer to Jeremiah 's prayer. What is God's response? The Lord will not tolerate the people's sin; The Lord refuses to indulge the nation's fleshly desires; and refuses to give them a license to sin. The people were guilty of the worst kind of unrepentant persistent sin. And so they would bear the punishment for that sin. A Word To The Sinner Who Refuses To Turn ( ). Jeremiah 15:1 Then the Lord said to me, Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

4 Intercessory prayer would not save them. Judgment was certain. Both Moses and Samuel were famous for their intercessory prayers. This was a shocking statement to Jeremiah . Over and over again we see examples of Moses praying for the people (Exodus 32:11-14; 30-34; Numbers 14:13-19; Deuteronomy 9:18-25). The Lord answered Samuel's prayers over and over again (1. Samuel 7:5-9; 12:19-25;). Samuel led the people to repent and then prayed for them! What is the difference between the intercessions of Moses, Samuel and Jeremiah ? Moses and Samuel were willing to convince--persuade the people to repent--and then interceded for them.

5 The Lord earlier told Jeremiah that the people offered back religion, ritual, external religious activities--but no change of heart. The people of Judea and Jerusalem had become a cesspool of corruption; a picture of pollution and degradation. What does it mean to cast them out of My sight ? In a sense they would be removed from God's favor and God's promised land. In another sense--it may mean--if people try hard enough to escape God--run from God--they will succeed. 1. Jeremiah 's Sixth Sermon part 2. Jeremiah 15:1-21 . The people asked; Have you utterly rejected Judah?

6 (14:19). God's answer. Yes. God expands the reason (more about that in verse 4). Jeremiah 15:2 And it shall be, if they say to you, Where should we go?' then you shall tell them, Thus says the Lord: Such as are for death, to death; And such as are for the sword, to the sword; And such as are for the famine, to the famine; And such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. '. We continue the thought--you run from God--where will you go? Run hard--run fast--run long-- and you run right into judgment. As the people of Judah and Jerusalem run from God--they run towards destruction; this stark verse communicates an important truth; every road that leads away from God and Jesus Christ leads to destruction and death.

7 The people were doomed--destined for judgment. What happens when the people ask; Where will God send us? Where shall we go? The answer Jeremiah is given is; Some of you will be executed in battle; some of you will die from starvation; some of you will be taken captive and transported to foreign nations. Do you remember in John's gospel when Jesus asks His disciples Will you leave too? And they respond Where shall we go? (John 6:68). Where indeed? Jeremiah 15:3 And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

8 The dead would be desecrated. Unburied bodies would be dragged away by wild dogs; birds and other wild animals. The picture of wild animals dragging away dead bodies must have terrified some and disgusted the people listening to the prophet's Sermon . Leaving a person to be eaten by wild animals was the most one of the most disgusting things imaginable. Jeremiah 15:4 I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. The Hebrew name Manasseh means one who causes to forget.

9 In one sense Manasseh creates a form of spiritual dementia. The descendants of Jacob would be hated by all the nations. In addition to the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews they would be despised and hated by the nations. It's as if God is peering down through future centuries and seeing every hateful and hurtful rejection. The Jews would become the object of contempt and loathing. 2. Jeremiah 's Sixth Sermon part 2. Jeremiah 15:1-21 . Some people wrongly think that if God can see into the future--that God is responsible for that future.

10 What exactly were the crimes of Manasseh? He was perhaps one of the most sinful kings of Judah. The sins committed by Manasseh included all the detestable practices by his neighbors;. gross immorality; persistent idolatry; the worship of false gods and deep involvement in occult practices; searching for truth in the celestial bodies in the sky; worshipping the sun and the moon and the stars. The people sank so low they began to embrace human sacrifice. Manasseh burned his own son to death as an offering; he allowed and encouraged the people to completely disregard the God of Moses; completely ignore the commands of God and the commandments of God; they became stumbling blocks to one another; and what is most surprising the Jews of Jeremiah 's day--were more wicked than the pagans who occupied the land before the Jews and were expelled for their sinful practices.