Chuck Larsen

One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, “Mommy, will you stay with me all night?” Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, “I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.” A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, “The big sissy!” Our culture has adopted the practice of applying feminine slurs on males who don’t live up to the masculine image of the day. Some slurs are more graphic than “sissy” but they refer to the same idea. I once had a discussion with a strong feminist who blamed that practice on the Bible. I couldn’t deny the fact that the scriptures do use the feminine gender to point to weakness. In Jeremiah 6:2, the prophet says, “The lovely and delicately bred I will destroy, the daughter of Zion.” As Ryken observes, “Jeremiah uses feminine vocabulary to show how vulnerable his people are. Previously he suggested that Jerusalem was preparing for battle by putting on makeup (4:30). Now he says Jerusalem is more like a maiden than a warrior.” One translation puts that verse like this: “I will destroy the Daughter of Zion, so beautiful and delicate” (6:2).”^[1] This is not a slur, it’s a contrast between beauty and brawn.

In Jeremiah’s day, a shepherd was used to picture a leader who had many followers. It became the metaphor for strong kings who ruled nations and who were to be feared by their enemies. In Jeremiah 6:3 we read “Shepherds with their flocks shall come against her; they shall pitch their tents around her; they shall pasture each in his place.” To think of a shepherd as the image created in the Psalms and in the New Testament is to misunderstand Jeremiah. He’s comparing a young girl with a Mike Tyson male figure. Maybe a better image would be a Green Bay Packer linebacker with one of the Green Bay Packer cheer leaders. Who would win in a physical battle of might between these two? It seems obvious. But it’s not a slur. The word sissy is used specifically to refer to the linebacker acting like the cheer leader when he’s in combat. You don’t bring beauty into a contest of brawn! The end is obvious! That’s exactly what Israel did in the face of their enemy.

Jeremiah, or any of the human authors of the bible, did not demean women. The scriptures are full of women who surpass their male counterparts, Deborah being just one example. Anyone who watched the Republican Presidential debates this week should have been impressed with the courage, wisdom, and strength of the only female candidate on the block. Carly Fiorina showed herself stronger, smarter, and more courageous than many of the male candidates.

^[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 96.

Fourteen years ago today thousands of people in New York died in the tragic attack on America by religious fanatics. Many lives were ended without warning, reminding us all that our lives are fragile and could end at any moment. But the truth is whether we die instantly of a heart attack like my grandmother in her 40’s, or of an unexpected brain aneurism like my sister in her 40’s or of an enemy attack in an instant, the truth remains that we all really do have a warning. God loves us! In the Garden of Eden God warned Adam and Eve of the consequence of eating from a particular tree. He didn’t forbid it! He informed them of the danger and then gave them everything they needed to live healthy and happy lives. He did that because He loved them. In Noah’s day God warned them. At the first Passover in Egypt God warned of the death that would visit them. He warned them and gave them a way out. They needed only to put the blood of the lamb on their houses. My point this morning is that God loves everyone and no one ever really dies without warning.

Jeremiah 6:1 is another warning to the people of Israel. The nations of the north were coming to destroy them and their city and God tells them. He says, “Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal on Beth-haccherem, for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction.” As Constance observes, “They were directed to leave the city, which God was about to destroy, and take refuge in the mountains. The destruction was so near that Jeremiah saw the invasion as if it were already in progress. The trumpet call and fire signal were the two means of warning the people.”^[1]

God loves us. There is a destruction that will fall upon us all one day. God always judges sin. But in His great love for us He sent His Son to take that judgment for us. You all know the verse: “For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish” under the hand of God’s judgment. That means without Christ every sinner will pay for their own sins. Christians today are the Jeremiah’s shouting run! Run to safety! The prophets in Jeremiah’s day were ignoring the message of God’s judgment. Jeremiah calls them “lying prophets.” We must not be like them. Ryken says, “And we will not be lying prophets. We will not hide the wrath of God from people. We will warn them that God judges sinners, and that the only protection from his curse is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, received by faith.”^[2]

^[1] Mrs. T. M. Constance, Jeremiah, vol. 1 (Dickson, TN: Explorer’s Bible Study, 1978), 33–34.

^[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 105.

One of the more common themes I brought with me out of the 60’s was, as Creed Bratton’s old Rock Group the Grass Roots put it, “Sha na na na, live for today…” While the rest of the world is worrying about tomorrow the singer and his girl will “take pleasure while they can.” At the time of Jeremiah’s prophecy a similar culture had taken “grass roots” in Jerusalem. The people, as a whole, love to live by this philosophy, but especially so when it’s embraced by their leaders. In Israel the political leaders along with the religious leaders have ignored the truth of God’s word and God’s ways, and adopted a philosophy of pragmatic pleasure. They twisted their roles to make the best out of the moment instead of building for a solid future. The closing verses of chapter five, Jeremiah 5:30-31, put it this way, “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so…” But Jeremiah adds a simple little question after his indictment. He asks, “…but what will you do when the end comes?”

I like the way Arnold and Black summarize the situation for us. They write about living in “…the hopelessness of a culture going downhill. One of the clearest, most notable philosophies of television and music is the notion that we must live for today because there might not be a tomorrow. It may be that drug abuse is so high precisely because people are not able to dream about their tomorrow. A culture without God does not think too far into the future.” As the trends of western civilization led through the various philosophies of existentialism to the nihilism of Nietzsche, God is at best irrelevant and at worst He is dead. Thus there are no absolute values and there is nothing truly lasting to live for. This is diametrically opposed to the biblical truths of Christianity.

Going back to Arnold and Black they say, “In the Christian faith we know a few things with certainty upon which we place our trust. The first is that Jesus will come again. We can wait for that day because we have been promised its fulfillment. The second is that we will reign eternally with God in heaven. We will one day be rid of our trials, tribulations and pains. In the presence of God there is joy and no more pain (Rev 21). As Christians, we have something to live for. We can wake up each day knowing that God is present in our lives and that his priorities will win out. We have hope. Christians can be people of purpose and confidence, living God-centered lives filled with challenge and vision.”^[1]

^[1] Jeffrey Arnold and Stephanie Black, The Big Book on Small Groups (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992).

In Jeremiah 5:28, the prophet describes the “fat cats” of Judah who make themselves wealthy at the expense of others. They abuse privilege and ignore responsibility of caring for others.  Cain revealed this characteristic himself when God asked him about his brother. Cain, like many good politicians, answered a question with a question. He said, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God’s response to that was a definite “yes, of course you are” even though those words are not recorded in the text. The innocent blood of Cain’s victim cries out from the ground for justice. Shall not God deliver it? Of course He will. In Jeremiah 5:29, the prophet moves from charging the “fat cat” leaders of Israel with their guilt to pronouncing God’s response. He writes, “Shall I not punish them for these things? Declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?” As Cain’s question to God assumed a negative reply, God’s question in this verse assumes a positive reply; “of course I will judge them!”

God has to respond to all injustices as he did with Cain and Able. Ryken correctly observes, “The reason for this is that God himself is a Father to the fatherless and a Defender of the poor: ‘For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords.… He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing’ (Deuteronomy 10:17–18). All true sons and true daughters of God show their love for their heavenly Father by being champions for the cause of the poor.”^[1] We are charged with looking out for the welfare of those who cannot look out for themselves.

One of the important areas today in which we can care for those who cannot care for themselves is to take up the cause of the pre-born. You might what Jeremiah wrote in 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” The helpless life in the womb is often the victim of violence at the very hands of those who should love and care for them. It is only a fetus, so much rubbish to simply be discarded. Ryken goes on in his commentary to say, “The living God…asks, ‘What are you doing to plead the case of the fatherless to win it, or to defend the rights of the poor?’ If you are not doing anything for orphans or for the destitute, then you are just one of the fat cats. Unless you are doing something already, it is time to do something about the poor…”^[2]

^[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 102.

^[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 102.

Success in the market place is more important than anything else. Whatever you must do to succeed you must do! It’s the mindset of the modern business man but is really nothing new. The lives of people so occupied with position, power, and possessions are as confusing as a cage full of birds flying in every direction. The fluttering of wings and the clawing and the cawing lifts a cacophony of confusion which cannot be contained. But each bird symbolizes another plot, plan, or trick to acquire more. In Jeremiah 5:27, the prophet indicts the “businessmen” of Judah of this dilemma. He writes, “Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich.” Ray Stevens wrote a great song about this back in the 60’s entitled, “Mr. Businessman.”  Here are his lyrics:

“Itemize the things you covet, As you squander through your life… Bigger cars, bigger houses, Term insurance for your wife…Tuesday evenings with your harlot And on Wednesdays it’s your charlatan..Analyst, he’s high upon your list…You’ve got air conditioned sinuses And dark disturbing doubt about religion…And you keep those cards and letters going out While your secretary’s tempting you…Your morals are exempting you from guilt and shame – Heaven knows you’re not to blame…You better, Take care of business Mr. Businessman….What’s your plan? Get down to business Mr. Businessman if you can…Before it’s too late..And you throw your life away…Did you see your children growing up today..And did you hear the music of their laughter As they set about to play..Did you catch the fragrance of those roses in your garden…Did the morning sunlight warm your soul,..Brighten up your day…Do you qualify to be alive Or is the limit of your senses so as only to survive…Hey yeah…Spending counterfeit incentive…Wasting precious time and health…Placing value on the worthless…Disregarding priceless wealth…You can wheel and deal the best of them…And steal it from the rest of them…You know the score, their ethics are a bore…Eighty-six proof anesthetic crutches prop you to the top…Where the smiles are all synthetic And the ulcers never stop..When they take that final inventory,…Yours will be the same sad story everywhere… No one will really care, no one more lonely than…This rich important man, lets have your autograph…Endorse your epitaph…”

Of course the refrain of the song is “You better, take care of business Mr. Businessman…Get down to business Mr. Businessman…” It’s a call to reflect on your life and to reconsider what matters most. It’s Jeremiah’s call to the citizens of Judah. It’s God’s call to us every day! Let’s set aside the truly temporal things and focus on what really matters. It’s time to get down to doing business with God!

While in Deadwood, South Dakota a few weeks ago we stayed at the Historic Franklin Hotel. In our small suite was a bookshelf on which I found the “Unofficial Biography of Frank Sinatra” by Kitty Kelley. Frank sued Kitty to prevent this book from being published and held its publication up for years. After reading it, it’s no wonder he didn’t want it to hit the market. It exposed his abortionist mother, his criminal records and his mob connections that made him what he was.  I don’t think I’ll ever hear one of his songs in the same way again. The bottom line is that Frank has a very seedy side which served him to advance himself in the entertainment industry. He did whatever it took to get what he wanted.

In Jeremiah 5:26, the prophet explained that this was the case of many successful figures in Israel in his day. That verse says, “For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.” According to Bert Hall, as he explains the context of this verse, he writes that it is pointing to “…the specific wicked men, men who by deceit and cunning became rich and great.”^[1] I’m sure we can get anything we want in this world if we’re willing to do anything at all to get it. Ethics, morals, basic biblical standards of behavior are ignored as long as we can get what we want. If it will make me successful there’s no other measurement that matters. “Whatever works is right” is the motto of our national business effort to much too large of a degree.

William James is the founder of the philosophical school referred to as “pragmatics.” He teaches that the end justifies the means. But the scriptures, God’s ways, are revealed clearly to us and they stand head and shoulders above the perceived results of our actions. Pragmatism, as a world view, existed long before William James and the 1900’s. Saul, who had to be instructed that obedience was more important than sacrifice, stands out as the biblical example of a man who justified his behavior accordingly. It seems in many respects the nation of Israel had become a nation of pragmatists who were willing to do anything they needed to get what they wanted. In Judah, the leaders, like Saul, actually argued that they were serving God by doing this. I like what Bryan Chapell says about this; “People who think they will serve God in ways better than God himself has prescribed are only fooling themselves. You cannot do the will of God and break the Word of God.”^[2]

^[1] Bert Harold Hall, “The Book of Jeremiah,” in Isaiah-Malachi, vol. 3, The Wesleyan Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), 201.

^[2] Bryan Chapell, Using Illustrations to Preach with Power, Rev. ed. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 149.

In the agricultural economy of Israel the blesses of prosperity and the curses of poverty, drought, and infertility were seen as directly proffered from the hand of God as a result of man’s obedience or disobedience respectively. Israel’s current situation is of course the consequence of turning away from the covenant of Sinai that Israel entered into upon deliverance from slavery in Egypt. As Moses reminded them of this covenant in the book of Deuteronomy he closed his statements with a refresher on the blessings of obedience and the cursings of disobedience. The blessings of obedience brought Israel houses they didn’t build, water from wells they didn’t dig, and food from crops they didn’t plant. Indeed, Israel was blessed with a land flowing with milk and honey. But Jeremiah explains that the lack of rain, the poor yields from the fields, and the famine in the land is a direct result of Israel’s sin. In Jeremiah 5:25 he says, “Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.” Dearman says, “Jeremiah 5:25 then underscores the correspondence between act and consequence: ‘Your sins have deprived you of good.’^[1]

Job teaches us that not all suffering is a result of our sin. Sometime it’s the result of an invisible battle designed to test our faith and confidence in the goodness of God. Sometimes hardships come as a normal part of living in a fallen world. Jesus also taught that sometimes disaster may fall upon us in ways that seem rather random and unexplainable by our goodness or our badness (see Luke 13:1-5).

But I have found over the years that my mother was right; “your sins will find you out.” They always come back to you it seems in one form or another. Surely, Jeremiah is right; our sins will always “deprive us of good.” Jeremiah uses this truth to point out that God’s everlasting love is expressed to us not only in His blessings for obedience but also in His cursings on disobedience. Our sins make life much less than what God has planned for us. God’s everlasting love is expressed in His positive intentions for us. Jeremiah 29:11 is going to summarize God’s love to a sinful, wayward people; “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” God always has our best interest foremost in mind regardless of our situations. He only wants the absolute best for us, yet, like Israel, we often are willing to settle for so much less.

^[1] J. Andrew Dearman, Jeremiah and Lamentations, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002), 88.