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JEREMIAH: STAYING UPRIGHT AMIDST EVIL PRESSURES
Part IV: Prophecies Concerning Judah
I. Learning To Resist Heeding All Forms Of Pagan Error As Leaders Of God's People
(Jeremiah 10:1-25)
  1. Introduction
    1. Fashionable secular thinking is often so close to ancient pagan beliefs that even Christians may adopt it: for example, ancient pagans believed life forces originally existed as pent up from coming into life forms by way of a restrictive monster, and that they were released to spring into life when a hero god slew the monster, M. K. Wakeman, God's Battle with the Monster: A Study in Biblical Imagery, p. 4-6 as cited in B. K. Waltke, Creation and Chaos, p. 6-9; though Moses wrote Genesis 1-2 to critique this view, asserting all earthly life began by miracles done by One true Creator God, some Christians apply the stylish belief of evolution to Genesis 1-2, claiming God used evolutionary processes for life to spring up out of nature!
    2. Yet, Jeremiah 10:1-25 calls especially leaders of God's people to resist heeding all such pagan error, a call that resonates down to our era with stirring relevancy (as follows):
  2. Learning To Resist Heeding All Forms Of Pagan Error As Leaders Of God's People, Jer. 10:1-25.
    1. In keeping with the Law, God called Judah not to be dismayed at pagan astrological signs, Jer. 10:1-3a:
      1. In the Law, God had instructed Israel not to follow the pagan beliefs of submission to divination signs picked up by "reading" the movements of the heavenly bodies, Deuteronomy 4:15, 19a, b.
      2. Indeed, God had there explained He made the stellar luminaries not to subjugate and to lead man, but to serve man's needs worldwide (Deut. 4:19c) as lights and signs so man might tell time, Gen. 1:14ff.
      3. Thus, God called Judah not to heed such false pagan beliefs regarding the heavenly bodies, Jer. 10:3a.
    2. God went on to show the foolishness of such paganistic idolatrous beliefs, Jeremiah 10:3b-5:
      1. God revealed the pagans randomly cut down a tree out of a forest of trees and carved it into an idol for worship, and then decorated it with silver and gold and fastened it so it might be stable, Jer. 10:3b-4.
      2. Such idols were like meager scarecrows in a garden patch that are helpless and cannot speak, but must be carried about as they can not walk, Jer. 10:5a; they are thus not to be feared as a sovereign deity, for they can neither carry out calamitous retribution nor can they do good for their followers, Jer. 10:5b!
    3. Accordingly, Jeremiah broke out in a praise to God Who is infinitely superior to such false gods, 10:6-10.
    4. God urged Jeremiah to deliver this message of His vast superiority to idols unto Judah's people, 10:11-16.
    5. The reason this discussion on God's superiority to pagan idols was needed becomes apparent in Jeremiah 11:17-21: Judah's leaders had departed from God and so led God's people to adopt such errant paganism:
      1. God called those who would come under Babylonian siege to gather up their wares for a long trek into exile, for, in judgment, He would sling them out of the land of Judah, Jeremiah 10:17-18.
      2. Jeremiah reacted to this revelation, saying the pain of this news was overwhelming, Jeremiah 10:19!
      3. Indeed, in the language of nomads, Jeremiah described a terrible sense of homelessness as the tent's cords are broken, his children are gone and there is no one left to help set up his tent, Jeremiah 10:20!
      4. Judah's leaders were the cause of this distress: they had become stupid in not inquiring of God and so had led Judah into paganism, 10:21a; 2:8. They had not prospered and the flock was scattered, 10:21b!
      5. Jeremiah returned to describe the destruction of the coming Babylonian invasion, Jeremiah 10:22.
    6. Deprived of good leaders, Jeremiah did what these leaders had failed to do: he HIMSELF called on God to lead him into the correct paths gently and not in His wrath lest Jeremiah perish, Jer. 10:23-24; 10:21a,b.
    7. Jeremiah then asked God to pour out His wrath on the Gentiles for devouring Judah in judgment, 10:25!
Lesson: (1) Since Judah's human leaders had failed to look to God for insight, they had led or allowed the people to slip into pagan idolatry, and then into judgment! (2) As a solution, Jeremiah did what his leaders failed to do: he called on God for insight to depart from error himself so he might be blessed!

Application: (1) If we are spiritual leaders in some way, may we call on God for guidance in that oversight that we might avoid all forms of pagan ideology and impact our subordinates with the truth that they might enjoy God's blessing! (2) If our LEADERS have failed US here, may WE call on God OURSELVES for the INSIGHT WE need as did Jeremiah that WE might take God's path of blessing.