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YAG 11th Retreat Session 3

Text: Jeremiah 5

YAG 11th RETREAT 
Session 3
Friday, 28 May 2010
Theme: “CALL TO ME”

A. NEW WORD FROM THE LORD

1. An old precedent           Cf. Genesis 18

a) Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah

b) Pleading for the twin cities to be spared for the sake of 10 righteous people

2. A special offer

If you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth,
and I will pardon her.

Jeremiah 5:1

a) Pardon for the sake of just one man

b) Features of this righteous person:-

i) He executes judgment

ii) He seeks truth

B. TAKING UP GOD’S CHALLENGE

1. Jeremiah cannot believe that he cannot find even one righteous person

a) He takes up God’s challenge

b) His findings are recorded below

2. Honest admission after first attempt          Jeremiah 5:3

a) They have not grieved when chastened by the Lord           Jeremiah 5:3b;

b) Refused to be corrected           Jeremiah 5:3c; 2;30

c) Became more hardened           Jeremiah 5:3d

d) Refused to return to the Lord           Jeremiah 5:3e; 4:1

3. Jeremiah offers an excuse for the people           Jeremiah 5:4

a) These are the poor people           Jeremiah 5:4a

b) They are foolish (not well educated)           Jeremiah 5:4b

i) They do not know the way of the Lord           Jeremiah 5:4c

ii) Nor His judgment           Jeremiah 5:4d

4. Jeremiah’s honest admission after second attempt

a) They are considered “the great men”           Jeremiah 5:5a

i) They have known the way of the Lord           Jeremiah 5:5b

ii) They know the His judgments           Jeremiah 5:5c

b) What these “great men” were really like

i) They have broken the yoke           Jeremiah 5:5d

ii) Their transgressions are many           Jeremiah 5:6e

iii) Backslidings have increased           Jeremiah 5:6f

5. Painful Growth for Jeremiah

a) It was a painful time to learn and accept that God was right

b) It was sorrowful to know that Israel had sunk to such abysmal levels

c) But it was necessary

i) He could no longer just ask for pardon

ii) He could not ask God to overlook the sins of Judah

iii) He must feel driven to learn how best he can minister now

d) Historical context

It sometimes determines how we are to minister!

C. GOD’S JUDGMENT DECLARED          Jeremiah 5:7-31

1. The Pardon of God           Jeremiah 5:7a

a) God would like to pardon

b) But there must be some basis for pardon!

i) Repentance

ii) Returning to God in humility

iii) Reparation of relationship

c) What if there is no basis for pardon?

i) No repentance

ii) No desire to return to God

iii) Rebellion and Rejection

d) What if there is nothing but judgment left to consider?           Jeremiah 5:29

i) As was the case for Israel, the northern kingdom (722 BC conquered by
the Assyrians)

ii) As threatened- to be conquered by the Babylonians (Prophecy fulfilled in
586 BB. Judah was conquered by the Chaldeans)

2. List of sins of Judah

a) Forsaking the Lord           Jeremiah 5:7b

b) Pursued idolatrous practices           Jeremiah 5:7b-8

c) Treachery           Jeremiah 5:11

d) False teachings           Jeremiah 5:12

i) Lies taught by false prophets           Jeremiah 5:13

ii) Lies believed in by the people           Jeremiah 5:12

iii) False hopes- that God would never destroy Judah           Jeremiah 5:12

iv) A false word           Jeremiah 5:12

e) Trust in their fortified cities           Jeremiah 5:17

f) Spiritual state of the nation

i) Foolishness           Jeremiah 5:21a

ii) Without understanding           Jeremiah 5:21b

iii) Having eyes but not seeing           Jeremiah 5:21c

iv) Having ears but not hearing           Jeremiah 5:21d

v) No fear of the Lord           Jeremiah 5:22a, 24

vi) Defiant and rebellious           Jeremiah 5:23a

vii) Revolted and departed           Jeremiah 5:23b

viii) The wicked rich           Jeremiah 5:26-28; 6:7

ix) The tyranny of the prophets and priests           Jeremiah 5:31a

x) The compliance of the people to these false teachings           Jeremiah 5:31b

xi) No delight in God’s word           Jeremiah 6:10

xii) Given to covetousness           Jeremiah 6:13

xiii) Offering of superficial and false hope of peace           Jeremiah 6:14

xiv) No conscience to even feel shame           Jeremiah 6:15

xv) Rejection of God’s word           Jeremiah 6:19

3. Another Call to Return to the Lord           Jeremiah 6:16-30

a) To consider walking in “the old paths”           Jeremiah 6:16

b) To consider hearing the watchmen of God           Jeremiah 6:17

c) To consider mourning before God           Jeremiah 6:26

4. Additional role for Jeremiah to play

a) As an assayer           Jeremiah 6:27a

b) As a fortress           Jeremiah 6:27b

D. What was Jeremiah’s response now?
“Call to Me”

1. No response recorded

2. No more attempt to disprove God’s word

3. Silence now

a) To take in this new word

b) To ponder the gravity of the actual state of the nation

c) To reconsider the earlier attempts of intercessory prayer

d) To fortify self for the additional roles to be taken up

i) Original role           Jeremiah 1:17-19

ii) Additional roles           Jeremiah 6:27