Daily Devotions
Jeremiah
"You were hypocrites in your hearts"
Text: Jeremiah 42:20
THE PROBLEM OF HYPOCRISY
Jeremiah spoke to the remnant of Judah sincerely and candidly. He realised that the people had already determined what they wanted to do even though they asked Jeremiah to inquire about the will of God.
“For you were hypocrites in your hearts
when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying,
‘Pray for us to the LORD our God,
and according to all that the LORD your God says,
so declare to us and we will do it.’
And I have this day declared it to you,
but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God,
or anything which He has sent you by me.
Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine,
and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell.”
Jeremiah 42:20-22
1. “For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God, and according to all that the LORD your God says, so declare to us and we will do it'”
a) The sin of hypocrisy.
i) The people had asked Jeremiah to seek the LORD.
ii) They promised to obey Him no matter the word God would give.
iii) The reality was that they had no intension of obeying God.
b) The exposing of the hypocrites.
i) To highlight the problem of this sin.
ii) To warn of the danger of hypocrisy.
2. “And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed
the voice of the LORD your God, or anything which He has sent you by me”
a) Jeremiah had done his part.
b) He had sought the LORD on their behalf.
c) He had declared all that the LORD had revealed to him.
d) The reality:
i) They had not obeyed.
ii) They had not responded to any word that Jeremiah had spoken.
3. “Now therefore, know certainly that you shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place where you desire to go to dwell”
a) A solemn word of warning had to be given.
b) If they were to go to Egypt, in defiance to what God declared.
c) They must be prepared for the following:
i) Death by the sword.
ii) Or by famine.
iii) Or by pestilence.
d) Without God’s blessing of protection, they would perish!