Jeremiah Would Have Run Them Out of the Country
Americans love their country for the freedom and abundant opportunities from
coast to coast. Never has there been an equivalent time for prosperity. A
growing air of confidence exists among the people. One must admit, Americans are
comfortable and loving it. Americans are patriots. Jeremiah lived in a
comfortable time much like ours. The last good king Josiah spent an enormous
effort on reform, removing idols, high places and wood-idols. Not even Assyria
seemed to be much of a threat. Therefore, the people enjoyed political peace and
prosperity. Jerusalem was on a pedestal. The Israelites, much like modern
Americans, loved their country.
Israel's Patriotism
God had promised an everlasting an everlasting throne to King David (2 Sam
7:12ff.) and chosen Zion as His earthly home (Ps 132:13ff.). Therefore those
within Jerusalem believed that no harm could ever come to His city or anyone
residing there. Temple worship became a charm to ward off evil. The people
trusted in the building and even the city itself (Jer. 7:4). Those in Jerusalem
were patriots in the sense that they rallied for the political salvation of
Israel. Consequently the people came to believe they could worship other gods
provided they worshiped Yahweh at temple also. One might remember as Jeremiah
would have the promised curses for disobedience laid out in Deuteronomy 28:15,
58ff., and 30:17-19. Harrison rightly summarizes Israel's misunderstanding,
"What the Israelites were either unwilling or unable to comprehend was the fact
that the external religious forms they were pursuing with such enthusiasm were
completely alien to the spirit of Sinai and the Law."1 It was no wonder that
Jeremiah's listeners accused him of treason and undermining the national morale
when he preached the temple would be destroyed and, "He who goes out to the
Chaldeans...will live" (Jer. 21:9; 26:9ff; 37:14; 38:2, 4). What Israel could
not see was that Babylon was rising up to destroy them.
Jeremiah's Patriotism
Jeremiah was a patriot with the higher motivation not toward the political, but
the moral salvation of his people. Jeremiah knew the only answer to Israel's
moral salvation was to surrender to Babylon. In this sense, Jeremiah, although
politically opposed to the majority, was a patriot on a higher plane. Political
patriotism could in no way be compared to he higher level of moral patriotism
Jeremiah held for God's nation. While political Israel focussed on material
salvation, Jeremiah saw the big picture and worked toward spiritual salvation
even when it meant giving up the country (21:9; 29:24ff; 38:2).
Many men and women are often so blinded by love that they fail to see obvious
character flaws in the object of their love. Such was true for the people of
Israel who loved political Israel so that they were blind to the states moral
rottenness. So blind was Israel that they thought that Jeremiah was a traitor
who undermined the morale of the country (37:14; 38:4). However, Jeremiah
understood that Israel's political patriotism had blinded the eyes of her
patriots, and therefore preached repentance fervently. Israel's only hope was to
accept their punishment for their sins and turn back to God.
Raymond Calkins, in his book Jeremiah the Prophet: A Study in Personal Religion,
rightly summarized Jeremiah's patriotism as the whole tragedy of his life.
Jeremiah tried all his life to get Israel to repent and at the same time watched
them deliver themselves over to destruction. This created in him a tension that
tore him apart inside. On one hand Jeremiah loved his people and would suffer to
the bitter end for them, but on the other hand, Jeremiah knew unerringly God's
moral will and was forced to preach it (311).
As Americans and fellow Christians, we might learn from Jeremiah that we all
have a tendency to be like Israel and trust what we have, in the "place" of our
worship and the services we perform instead of the God that set them in order.
It is easy to trust in what we do rather than who we are doing it for and forget
the entire reason we worship at all. We need to thank preachers like Jeremiah
who point out where we can improve.
Who was Jeremiah?
Jeremiah was a patriot to the end who loved his county more than his fellow
countrymen ever realized. He never completely gave up on them. Jeremiah
persevered through the worst trials, beatings and mockings in order to save his
fellow countrymen from destruction. Jeremiah endured all things because he
realized that religion was not only an external exercise but an internal
relationship with the Almighty God.
Three things help a Christian in his or her walk with God, prayer - building a
personal relationship with the Almighty, perseverance - walking through trials
trusting in God's promises, and patriotism - a fervent love for God's spiritual
nation and its people. Jeremiah exemplified all three of these characteristics.
Jeremiah was a man after God's own heart. Let us be men and women of God like
Jeremiah. Let us trust the Lord.
By Steve Quillian
From Expository Files 7.7; July 2000