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"This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD"

Text: Jeremiah 7:28

A FIRM WORD OF REBUKE

There could be no mincing of words with the nation of Judah. The enemies were planning to attack the nation. If ever there was time for the nation to repent, it was now!

“So you shall say to them,
‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God
nor receive correction.
Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.
Cut off your hair and cast it away,
and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights;
for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.'”
Jeremiah 7:28-29

1. “So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction.'”

a) Obedience

i) Obedience was the key focus right from the start of Israel’s relationship with God.

ii) Worship was secondary compared to obedience to God.

b) Disobedience

i) Israel had disobeyed God wilfully.

ii) Judah was no better at all.

c) No correction

i) Israel refused God’s correction.

ii) Judah was walking in the same path.

2. “Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.”

a) Truth

i) This is a reference to God’s word given.

ii) It could be the written truth (The Scriptures).

iii) It could refer to the preached word of God.

iv) It had perished! Hardly anyone knew the truth of God’s word.

b) “Cut off from their mouth”

i) Truth was not getting through to them.

ii) Truth was not spoken by the children of Judah also.

3. “Cut off your hair and cast it away”

a) Cutting off the hair.

i) This was meant to be a grave sign of deep sorrow.

ii) This is not the usual haircut.

iii) This was a reference to being shaved severely.

b) Casting it away.

i) This was a follow-up of the cutting away of the hair.

ii) A good head of hair was meant to reflect the “glory” of the individual.

iii) The glory of Judah has been cut off and thrown away.

4. “And take up a lamentation on the desolate heights”

a) Lamentation was in order.

b) The present plight of Judah was desperate.

c) The future of the nation was lamentable.

5. “For the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.”

a) God had rejected Judah.

b) This generation (Jeremiah’s time) would be forsaken by the Lord.

c) God’s wrath was upon the nation of Judah and rightly so.