You are trusting in deceptive words

“But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.” (Jeremiah 7:8)

 

We can’t help but be surprised that Jeremiah the prophet was able to point out the wrong faith with that strong and stark expressions. A great prophet delivers the word of God in a straight and outspoken manner. There are so-called experienced people also in the world of the church and the faith, and it’s not easy affairs to educate the Bible to them. It’s very hard to point out wrongdoing, not positive or complimentary words, to them. In this Bible text, Jeremiah mentioned the Temple, that is, the Lord’s house, which is the essence of church and faith. He had said on what the Lord’s house should be like, and pointed out the fault of those who defile it.

 

It’s never easy for the leader to do duties by keeping an objective conviction. It’s not greatly hard for any body to express own will by words. Knowing someone through a medium like broadcasting or a book and respecting the person, it has a loophole inside itself. You had thought on certain person on TV “That’s so excellent,”, but when you meet him, you may be disappointed because get a different impression than imagined before meeting. Then, not only the disappointed person yourself, but also the person who was the object of respect, will be hurt together. However Jeremiah, who was described in the Bible and was also recognized in history, shows a greatness as a servant of God.

The Lord commanded Jeremiah this, “Proclaim this message to all you people of Judah who come through these gates of the Lord’s house to worship the Lord.” Three nouns, ‘the Lord’s house’, ‘the worship’, and ‘the people of Judah’ are included inside this sentence. Those are important things, but they are often to be easily negligible topics sometimes. If it’s ‘coming the gate of the Lord’s house’, we can imagine for a ritual, or worship, to God. Also, ‘worship’ is a practice of expressing the inner faith with ritual. And if they are the people of Judah, others will regard them people believing in Jehovah. Well, let’s change the words, let’s think about this. If they’re church members who go to worship, others can think that they have faith and reverence of Jesus, right? Though, the Lord of life and faith, commanded them to “Proclaim this message.” Then now, we need to think well who the party concerned who has to hear that words is, doesn't it?

Jehovah has said the claims of those who emphasize the Temple false in reality. It means that is meaningless and of no value to say the Temple without doing right behaviors. The matters that we must practice above all are justice for the neighbors or the foreigners, the sympathy for the strangers, orphans and widows, and not to shed innocent blood, and and not to follow other gods. If those social justice, humanity, fair law, and the prohibition of idol worship are performed, and an ideal life will become possible too. Because that is the deserved principle in life who follow Christ, we should build a good society by keeping those.

The basic predisposition of sin is the falsehood with antinomy. It means that words and actuality are different. But many people, foolishly, live on falsehood or hypocrisy. They think that behaving falsehood is necessary to live in the world. People commonly grow up learning to lie by adults from an early age. For by doing like that, they think that they will not lose to others. But we, rather, must learn wisdom to discern lies and not be deceived by lies, then that we can really win the world as well as lead the world, and live a life of peace. For the justice, those sent to the world as Jehovah’s people, those who believe in Jesus, we are. If a soldier does not obey the superior’s orders, it will be met difficult situation not only for the military but also for the entire country. The spiritual armies that lead this world are the people of God who follow Christ. Even if the world is however rough and evil, Christians must fight with righteousness, so that they can break down evil against rough roads.

 

If the Christians do not fulfill the mission of righteousness, there is no true hope in this world. What said is it that those who commit evil and serve idols come into the church of Christ, the house of the Lord, and say, “We have been saved?” That’s really deplorable thing. But this is what the Lord has said through Jeremiah, so such the situation must be true. Remember the only hope of this world is to abandon lies and stand in Christ, to live in prayer and obedience with the Bible’s teachings.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on July 31st 2022)