September 29
Rebellion and Judgment
Jeremiah 6
KEY
VERSE: Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and
see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye
shall find rest for your souls.
n
Jeremiah
Perhaps the best way to
approach this lesson is to examine our worship. Jeremiah warns us that there
are right ways and wrong ways to worship God. Is our worship more right than
wrong?
The prophet tells us that God
told the people to “walk in the old paths,” the good way that is pleasing to
God. But the people said “We will not.”
Jeremiah told the people God
was insulted by the incense and sweet cane which they brought as burnt
offerings. They worshiped God with their lips but not their lives. Their worship
was phony.
The people pretended to be pure
silver, but God saw them for what they really were: “reprobate silver,” false
silver which God rejected. No matter how loudly they sang in worship on the
Lord’s Day, their singing was off key to God for he was aware of their
disobedience in daily living.
What is the truth about our
worship? When we sing “I am thine, O Lord,” do we
really mean it, or do we merely mouth the words?
When we stand for the reading
of Holy Scripture in church, do we then during the week make it a practice in
business to obey God’s word? Are we more concerned to be popular with our
friends than biblically obedient to God?
When we dress up in our fine
clothes and smile at others on Sunday, is there genuine love in our hearts for
others, a love that prompts us to forgive those who wrong us?
When we sing “I surrender all”
on Sunday, how true is our surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Are there
sinful attitudes to which we still cling? Is our check book surrendered? Or do
we still give to God out of our leftovers rather than giving a tithe of our
income?
Genuine worship honors God,
pleases God. False worship stinks in the nostrils of God. Let us ask God to
purify our hearts from all impurities so that our worship may be acceptable and
pleasing to him.