A Less Rigorous God - Jeremiah 2
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 9/8/2010 8:53 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Less Rigorous God Jeremiah
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Less Rigorous God Jeremiah
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday September 8, 2010
A Less Rigorous God
Jeremiah 2
If you were a parolee, would you prefer an ankle bracelet that tracked your every move or for your parole officer to say 2u, “Stay out of trouble and check in w/ me once every two weeks?” Most would walk the less rigorous road. The law of Moses regulated all of life – diet/ social relationships/sexual relationships/use of money/etc. By no means was it a stranglehold, but the law of Moses was demanding. The people desired a God not so demanding and they found it in the religions of the peoples they defeated. They wanted God lite. v31 reports what the people said: We are free to roam; we will no longer come to You.
v4 gives us Isaiah’s interpretation: Walked after emptiness and became empty…
The church so often finds itself repeating what we see in the life of Israel. The Christian life is rigorous. Following Jesus is the most glorious/most challenging thing you’ll ever do. Jesus wants not just some of you – He wants all of you. God gives us His all every day and He calls for our all every day. And we do – we give Him our all. But after a while we just want to give some, not all. We desire a less rigorous walk w/ God. Instead of ten commandments, we want seven. We want the church of the 5% tithe/once a year volunteer event/20 minute sermon/free latte. Text goes from all to some to none
Following after God in Adversity 1-3
This is J’s 1st public address of the book. It is full of rebuke and yet it begins w/ a rehearsal of how God longs for the longing of His people. B4 he rebukes them for displeasing the Lord, he reminds them of how they once walked in a way pleasing to the Lord. Your devotion to the Lord is noticed by God/counted precious by Him. 2 Chr. 16:9. God longs for a heart daily surrendered to Christ.
Devotion = covenant faithfulness – taking seriously the things of God.
Someone betrothed is ‘reserved.’ God was 1st in their lives
Following after Me – obedience/submission
Through a land not sown – faith - in the toughest of situations
Wilderness wanderings – much dissatisfaction/unrest. In spite of this, God remembers the good times and cherishes them. Cf. Hosea 2:15; Ex. 15:1
3 – Your hands were raised to Me and My hand was on you in a very special way. There was no seed in the ground and so Israel had to look above for food/sustenance. God was faithful: manna/cloud/fire
You may say, “There’s no seed in my ground.” There may be nothing below you/b4u, but there is a God above you. In the wilderness, not only did they learn the rigor of the law, they learned the faithfulness of God. God will keep His promises. He led them n2 a barren place so that they might learn His care. God is the garden, even in the wilderness.
J’s rehearsal of the history of Israel after the Exodus demonstrates that even when they had the law they still loved the Lord. Yes, there was complaining/unbelief – but it wasn’t directed at the law of God. And though the account is peppered w/ episodes of griping, there was still a significant group of people that really loved God and followed after Him.
Forgetting God in Prosperity 4-8
God asks how He mistreated Israel after they came n2 the land. Their forsaking the Lord wasn’t a reaction to something negative the Lord had done. Their forsaking the Lord was the expression of their evil hearts – cf. 17:9. The Bible is very clear in its description of the nature of man – fallen/sinful. This is the reason why/explains so much. We look for psycho/sociological reasons for people misbehaving. Often we don’t have to look further than the heart.
They desired a less rigorous God. The false prophets gave them what they wanted. Cf. 14:13-14; 23:14
Walked after emptiness and became empty…
Every man takes on to some degree the character and nature of the God he worships. TWOT
The pursuit of wealth/pleasure/power will leave you empty. If you pursue that which is devoid of God you will become devoid of God. Jesus said that you can’t serve two masters – love one/despise the other.
The next sentence tells us what happened to Israel, they didn’t say - “Where is the Lord?” Prosperity became a replacement for the presence of the Lord. Their hearts were turned elsewhere/they forgot the Lord. When they were suffering in Egyptian bondage they cried out: Where is the Lord? When they were standing at the Red Sea they cried out: Where is the Lord? When they were staring at tumbleweeds they cried out: Where is the Lord? When their stomachs were growling and their throats were parched they cried out: Where is the Lord?
When their stomachs were full/enemies defeated/roof over their heads – they forgot the Lord. God desires you to seek His presence when your stomach is full/enemies defeated/roof over your head.
6 I brought you out | 6 I brought you through | 7 I brought you to
When they were going through it, they called on the name of the Lord. When they came to it, they turned from the Lord. You remain closer to the Lord when you’re going through it. When all they had was God, God was all they wanted.
8 The ministry was corrupt
Forsaking God for Nothing 9-13
They have moved their attention/affection to false gods. The gods of the Canaanites were served w/ rites of immorality. The moral laxity of false religion appealed to their flesh. Cf. v7 – defiled My land…
2b defiled is to be sexually/religiously/ceremonially unclean. The sexual prohibitions/diet restrictions were different in the idolatrous religion of the Canaanites. Many in Israel wanted something less rigorous than the commandments of the Lord.
The counsel of our culture is less rigorous than the wisdom of the Lord – you’re #1. I watched a TV preacher over the weekend. He said: 1st thing in the morning, get up/look in the mirror/say to self – I am good looking and good things will happen to me today. You’re #1. My counsel is: 1st thing in the morning tell God how awesome He is/that you are His servant. He’s #1.
Culture’s counsel is a broken cistern. What man makes is broken/ empty/dry. The Lord is an ever present flow of life/blessing. They turned their back on Him who is all-sufficient.
Fleeing from God politically – to the nations 14-19
14 Even though Israel has a son’s status, he has a slave’s destiny.
15-16 Young lions = nations
17-19 On the road to the nations for help
Fleeing from God religiously – to the idols 20-28
20 I will not serve
What is ironic is that Israel didn’t see the judgment that was upon the nations. The fact that they were in the land was a strike against the gods of the nations. They served those they had defeated. They were defeated by those they defeated.
23 I am not defiled/i have not given myself to idolatry
What is amazing is that Israel denied their rebellion/pursuit of other gods. This is seen today in the sexual ethics of Christians.
Fighting against God – continually 29-37
31 We are free to roam - example of a less rigorous religion.
37 You shall go out - God brought them out of Egypt/thru the wilderness/n2 Canaan – but they will now go out. They can have what they have desired – the gods who call for less.
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A Less Rigorous God
Jeremiah 2
If you were a parolee, would you prefer an ankle bracelet that tracked your every move or for your parole officer to say 2u, “Stay out of trouble and check in w/ me once every two weeks?” Most would walk the less rigorous road. The law of Moses regulated all of life – diet/ social relationships/sexual relationships/use of money/etc. By no means was it a stranglehold, but the law of Moses was demanding. The people desired a God not so demanding and they found it in the religions of the peoples they defeated. They wanted God lite. v31 reports what the people said: We are free to roam; we will no longer come to You.
v4 gives us Isaiah’s interpretation: Walked after emptiness and became empty…
The church so often finds itself repeating what we see in the life of Israel. The Christian life is rigorous. Following Jesus is the most glorious/most challenging thing you’ll ever do. Jesus wants not just some of you – He wants all of you. God gives us His all every day and He calls for our all every day. And we do – we give Him our all. But after a while we just want to give some, not all. We desire a less rigorous walk w/ God. Instead of ten commandments, we want seven. We want the church of the 5% tithe/once a year volunteer event/20 minute sermon/free latte. Text goes from all to some to none
Following after God in Adversity 1-3
This is J’s 1st public address of the book. It is full of rebuke and yet it begins w/ a rehearsal of how God longs for the longing of His people. B4 he rebukes them for displeasing the Lord, he reminds them of how they once walked in a way pleasing to the Lord. Your devotion to the Lord is noticed by God/counted precious by Him. 2 Chr. 16:9. God longs for a heart daily surrendered to Christ.
Devotion = covenant faithfulness – taking seriously the things of God.
Someone betrothed is ‘reserved.’ God was 1st in their lives
Following after Me – obedience/submission
Through a land not sown – faith - in the toughest of situations
Wilderness wanderings – much dissatisfaction/unrest. In spite of this, God remembers the good times and cherishes them. Cf. Hosea 2:15; Ex. 15:1
3 – Your hands were raised to Me and My hand was on you in a very special way. There was no seed in the ground and so Israel had to look above for food/sustenance. God was faithful: manna/cloud/fire
You may say, “There’s no seed in my ground.” There may be nothing below you/b4u, but there is a God above you. In the wilderness, not only did they learn the rigor of the law, they learned the faithfulness of God. God will keep His promises. He led them n2 a barren place so that they might learn His care. God is the garden, even in the wilderness.
J’s rehearsal of the history of Israel after the Exodus demonstrates that even when they had the law they still loved the Lord. Yes, there was complaining/unbelief – but it wasn’t directed at the law of God. And though the account is peppered w/ episodes of griping, there was still a significant group of people that really loved God and followed after Him.
Forgetting God in Prosperity 4-8
God asks how He mistreated Israel after they came n2 the land. Their forsaking the Lord wasn’t a reaction to something negative the Lord had done. Their forsaking the Lord was the expression of their evil hearts – cf. 17:9. The Bible is very clear in its description of the nature of man – fallen/sinful. This is the reason why/explains so much. We look for psycho/sociological reasons for people misbehaving. Often we don’t have to look further than the heart.
They desired a less rigorous God. The false prophets gave them what they wanted. Cf. 14:13-14; 23:14
Walked after emptiness and became empty…
Every man takes on to some degree the character and nature of the God he worships. TWOT
The pursuit of wealth/pleasure/power will leave you empty. If you pursue that which is devoid of God you will become devoid of God. Jesus said that you can’t serve two masters – love one/despise the other.
The next sentence tells us what happened to Israel, they didn’t say - “Where is the Lord?” Prosperity became a replacement for the presence of the Lord. Their hearts were turned elsewhere/they forgot the Lord. When they were suffering in Egyptian bondage they cried out: Where is the Lord? When they were standing at the Red Sea they cried out: Where is the Lord? When they were staring at tumbleweeds they cried out: Where is the Lord? When their stomachs were growling and their throats were parched they cried out: Where is the Lord?
When their stomachs were full/enemies defeated/roof over their heads – they forgot the Lord. God desires you to seek His presence when your stomach is full/enemies defeated/roof over your head.
6 I brought you out | 6 I brought you through | 7 I brought you to
When they were going through it, they called on the name of the Lord. When they came to it, they turned from the Lord. You remain closer to the Lord when you’re going through it. When all they had was God, God was all they wanted.
8 The ministry was corrupt
Forsaking God for Nothing 9-13
They have moved their attention/affection to false gods. The gods of the Canaanites were served w/ rites of immorality. The moral laxity of false religion appealed to their flesh. Cf. v7 – defiled My land…
2b defiled is to be sexually/religiously/ceremonially unclean. The sexual prohibitions/diet restrictions were different in the idolatrous religion of the Canaanites. Many in Israel wanted something less rigorous than the commandments of the Lord.
The counsel of our culture is less rigorous than the wisdom of the Lord – you’re #1. I watched a TV preacher over the weekend. He said: 1st thing in the morning, get up/look in the mirror/say to self – I am good looking and good things will happen to me today. You’re #1. My counsel is: 1st thing in the morning tell God how awesome He is/that you are His servant. He’s #1.
Culture’s counsel is a broken cistern. What man makes is broken/ empty/dry. The Lord is an ever present flow of life/blessing. They turned their back on Him who is all-sufficient.
Fleeing from God politically – to the nations 14-19
14 Even though Israel has a son’s status, he has a slave’s destiny.
15-16 Young lions = nations
17-19 On the road to the nations for help
Fleeing from God religiously – to the idols 20-28
20 I will not serve
What is ironic is that Israel didn’t see the judgment that was upon the nations. The fact that they were in the land was a strike against the gods of the nations. They served those they had defeated. They were defeated by those they defeated.
23 I am not defiled/i have not given myself to idolatry
What is amazing is that Israel denied their rebellion/pursuit of other gods. This is seen today in the sexual ethics of Christians.
Fighting against God – continually 29-37
31 We are free to roam - example of a less rigorous religion.
37 You shall go out - God brought them out of Egypt/thru the wilderness/n2 Canaan – but they will now go out. They can have what they have desired – the gods who call for less.
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