Ep. 178. Jeremiah 5-6 | Ask For the Ancient Paths

EPISODE 178

ASK FOR THE ANCIENT PATHS: JEREMIAH 5-6

"Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, THAT I MAY PARDON HER." (emphasis mine) (obviously) God uses this kind of language throughout the Scripture. We see others like Job and Eli contemplating the need for a mediator between righteous God and sinful man. God is looking for just one individual of justice by which the whole city should be pardoned. But Jerusalem has turned from God. Of course, we see this as a foreshadowing of our need for Jesus and his coming and ultimate intercession on behalf of the sinful people. Jesus is the just man, the person of truth, and through him (by faith in him), we are pardoned.

One of the themes in Jeremiah we see repeated frequently is the faithlessness of the priests and prophets. "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?" I don't think we are much different today. People who claim to speak on behalf of God, our modern-day priests, and prophets, teach and preach at their own discretion with no regard for what is true of God. And the people, for the most part, love that it is so. But when the judgment of God comes upon the earth, those who have gathered for themselves false and lying teachers will have no recourse or opportunity for redemption.

ADDITIONAL READING: Ezekiel 22:30; Ezekiel 3:8-9; Hosea 13:8; Deuteronomy 8:11-20; Jeremiah 7:1-10; Jeremiah 20:9; 2 Chronicles 12:1-8; Isaiah 6:1-10; Isaiah 1:10-17; Amos 5:21-24