Heart Conditions.- The Stubborn Heart
" You have behaved more wickedly than your fathers.
See how each of you is following the stubbornness
of his evil heart instead of obeying me." Jeremiah 16:12
Jeremiah paid a price so many ministers of the Gospel pay, He was isolated from society. "I sit alone," he tells god "because your hand is upon me." Jer. 15:17
But poor Jeremiah's social life grew worse as a result of God's unique instructions. (He was prohibited to marry and father children.(16:1,2) To be unmarried marked a man as a failure in his world. A single man could not pass his name on, or property,he was like a broken branch on a family tree. His voluntary celibacy and childlessness,put a reproach on him. But if people had been paying attention they would have understood his "anti-social" behavior was rooted in a firm belief of perilous times.
Disease and death awaited women and children. The carnage of "Apocalypse" would be so great that mourning and burial would be impossible. Corpses of loved ones would lie exposed to elements, and to scavenging animals and birds! This would mean that the land would be defiled in their culture.
His actions also pointed out that during the atrocities of the coming invasion, people would not be allowed to grieve. They could not cut them selves, or shave their heads , they could not bring food and drink to comfort survivors (vs 6,7) what is surprising is that these were considered forbidden pagan rituals! (see Lev. 19:27, 28; and Deut 14:1) yet had somehow entered into daily life and ceremonial custom.
How many "traditions" do we hold stubbornly on to. We know they are wrong, yet we fear social segregation if we do not participate. We go to family parties of unholy nature because we do not wish to leave the past. We even carry on behaviors we know wrong or immoral. We treat our spouses as second class citizens, we talk rudely around our "work" buddies so we can fit in.
The word used that we translate "stubbornness" is a noun found 10 times (ten is the number of judgment), in the old testament ( this includes 8 times in Jeremiah) each time it refers to the condition of the heart.
Some see the twistedness as used in the original Hebrew word. Others compare the word to related languages of the ancient "near" East. There they see the idea of hardness. (unrepentance)
Just as arteries harden with plaque deposits, the spiritual heart can become encrusted with habitual sin. Result ..? Heart Failure!
Ask your self how big a problem is stubbornness in my life? Di I have a "habit" of learning my lessons the "Hard way"? Do we refuse to budge, rather than really lay it on the line for Yeshua?
What sort of consequences am I seeing due to my foolishness? Children setting their face against you? Perhaps a cold or angry partner (husband wife) ? Continued Employment loss? Finances being squandered, and ever increasing indebtedness? I have heard a call of some that say to the people that they should give their funds to God ( or more correctly to them) so they can stop the lack and return the increase. Rather than call the real reason behind the lack of finances, as being a sign of poor stewardness.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith
1 John 5:3-4
See how each of you is following the stubbornness
of his evil heart instead of obeying me." Jeremiah 16:12
Jeremiah paid a price so many ministers of the Gospel pay, He was isolated from society. "I sit alone," he tells god "because your hand is upon me." Jer. 15:17
But poor Jeremiah's social life grew worse as a result of God's unique instructions. (He was prohibited to marry and father children.(16:1,2) To be unmarried marked a man as a failure in his world. A single man could not pass his name on, or property,he was like a broken branch on a family tree. His voluntary celibacy and childlessness,put a reproach on him. But if people had been paying attention they would have understood his "anti-social" behavior was rooted in a firm belief of perilous times.
Disease and death awaited women and children. The carnage of "Apocalypse" would be so great that mourning and burial would be impossible. Corpses of loved ones would lie exposed to elements, and to scavenging animals and birds! This would mean that the land would be defiled in their culture.
His actions also pointed out that during the atrocities of the coming invasion, people would not be allowed to grieve. They could not cut them selves, or shave their heads , they could not bring food and drink to comfort survivors (vs 6,7) what is surprising is that these were considered forbidden pagan rituals! (see Lev. 19:27, 28; and Deut 14:1) yet had somehow entered into daily life and ceremonial custom.
How many "traditions" do we hold stubbornly on to. We know they are wrong, yet we fear social segregation if we do not participate. We go to family parties of unholy nature because we do not wish to leave the past. We even carry on behaviors we know wrong or immoral. We treat our spouses as second class citizens, we talk rudely around our "work" buddies so we can fit in.
The word used that we translate "stubbornness" is a noun found 10 times (ten is the number of judgment), in the old testament ( this includes 8 times in Jeremiah) each time it refers to the condition of the heart.
Some see the twistedness as used in the original Hebrew word. Others compare the word to related languages of the ancient "near" East. There they see the idea of hardness. (unrepentance)
Just as arteries harden with plaque deposits, the spiritual heart can become encrusted with habitual sin. Result ..? Heart Failure!
Ask your self how big a problem is stubbornness in my life? Di I have a "habit" of learning my lessons the "Hard way"? Do we refuse to budge, rather than really lay it on the line for Yeshua?
What sort of consequences am I seeing due to my foolishness? Children setting their face against you? Perhaps a cold or angry partner (husband wife) ? Continued Employment loss? Finances being squandered, and ever increasing indebtedness? I have heard a call of some that say to the people that they should give their funds to God ( or more correctly to them) so they can stop the lack and return the increase. Rather than call the real reason behind the lack of finances, as being a sign of poor stewardness.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith
1 John 5:3-4
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Blessings,
~ Pathways Of Grace
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