Poor Jeremiah

Vulnerable to imminent danger, Israel searched for a response. The remnant in Judah ears and minds echoed with the murmurs of the strong Chaldeans; their conquest possibly consuming their city. Very aware of their weakness in military power, two solutions remained. The simplest solution gambled on cat and mouse; Israel would lock in and hope to go unnoticed or bypassed. The second possibility moved the people of Israel under the Protection in Egypt.

Stomaching uncertainty, the leaders sought God's wisdom on the issue. By request, Jeremiah prayed to the Lord for 3 days. At the end he got an answer, and guess what?

The people didn't like the answer.

If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, 16 then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die.

And Amazingly enough the people answered:

You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, Do not go to Egypt to live there, 3 but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.

How many times do I find myself in similar situations? Zero. I have no clue what Chaldeans are, or how they look. Chaldeans could be a skunk people with an aversion to humans that shower with excessive amounts of dove lotion. But this is not the point, do I listen and obey God?

Consider the story. Israel ASKED for what God's opinion and then bypassed it. Were they actually looking for instruction? Perhaps they were looking for a divine affirmation to the plans that they already had in mind. Many times Ill have an opinion in mind. I will consult other people, but this "consulting" hides a secret search for affirmation. If I present my opinion to someone that disagrees, I will continue "consulting" until I find someone that agrees. So how humble was I really? Half a rice kernel's worth, I'd say.

A vile part of me has contempt for Israel. They knew it was the word of God! Obey! Duh! It's always easier to fuss from the skybox. Try griping on playing field. For all the people knew, Jeremiah was the forgotten crazy uncle. He wasn't married; he would stand in random places and just start talking. How were they to know? The strategy Jeremiah recommended bunkered the remnant in a spot that offered less protection. Egypt was a long standing nation and military power, who wouldn't want to sit in their lap for a few generations? So, if judgment and frustration comes to mind, pause to think a bit, and a little compassion please. Figuring out the voice of God was not so obvious.

The nights are quiet, and my prayers rarely possess me to beginning conversations with "Thus sayth the lord". I don't hear the voice of God. No writing burns on my bedroom walls. No donkey comes to my window to rebuke me. So in some sense i don't have the same tension as Israel. Though I don't have the enlightenment to the word of God, I do have his word. His word says simple things like sin not, believe, have mercy, search for the lord. What of economics? What about schooling? What about life choices? How can I get this setup or situation in life? These questions are not resolved in the bible. Will i believe simply or make somethign complex about the whole thing? That is my call. The word has spoken well, and thoroughly that I should live simply. Will I do that much? Will i resist formulation for Joy, strategies convenience, or even wisdom for ministry?

"the foolishness of God is stronger than the wisdom of men"