Thursday, January 23, 2014

Sermon: The Discipline of Decision (Jer 42)

The Discipline of Decision (Jer 42)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

We make numerous decisions every day. Some of them allow for careful reflection, while others confront us suddenly and require an immediate response, allowing us little or no opportunity for reflection.
An elderly woman wanted to visit England, the home of her ancestors. It would be her first trip abroad, and she went to the Passport Office to get the necessary travel document. "You must declare your loyalty first," the clerk said. "Raise your right hand." Unaware of this prerequisite for a passport, she raised her hand as the clerk asked, "Do you swear to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, domestic or foreign?" The woman's face paled. This was not what she expected, yet she needed the passport. "Well, I guess so," she replied, trembling a bit, "but...will I have help, or will I have to do it all by myself?"
Some decisions confront us suddenly and require an immediate response, allowing little or no opportunity for reflection. In the sixth century B.C., among the many decisions the residents of Judah had to make, was one that confronted God's people suddenly but that should not have required much reflection, especially given the guidance they received from the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah ministered in the Southern Kingdom of Judah from the time of Josiah to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Josiah was the last Judean king who did "what was right in the eyes of the LORD" (2 Kgs 22:2). After Josiah's death, the political and spiritual condition of God's people deteriorated drastically,1 and they did not appreciate Jeremiah's repeated warnings of impending judgment.2
  • Rival factions threatened to kill him.
  • False prophets contradicted his message.
  • City officials threw him into a muddy cistern.
  • Judah's king pulled him out but kept him in prison.
Jeremiah's position was most unpatriotic, for he advocated surrender to the Babylonians, and the Judeans were not willing to accept that their situation was irreversible. The prophet must be wrong. If they only held out long enough, help would surely come...but help did not come. The Babylonians breached the city walls, destroyed the temple, and exiled most of the inhabitants. Judah became a province of the empire under Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor.

The conquering commander released Jeremiah, who chose to stay with the survivors the Babylonian army left behind. The prophet advised them to cooperate with the new administration and to rebuild their lives, offering to represent them before the authorities. Unfortunately, a group of Judean dissidents attempted to exploit the instability of the new regime. After Babylon withdrew most of its forces, rebels killed the governor along with his entire staff, and took other residents of the area hostage. A remnant of the Judean military drove off the dissidents and freed the hostages, but the damage was done.

At this point, the Judean soldiers and civilians think it prudent to seek refuge in Egypt, assuming that the Babylonians will retaliate for the death of the their governor and will not be too discriminating of those they hold responsible. The Judeans feel they need to change their home lest the Babylonians change their health...in the worst possible way. Before leaving, the group's leaders consult Jeremiah to ask what counsel God would give them. Please turn to chapter 42, which records the exchange that follows and the steps they must take in The Discipline of Decision. As the chapter opens...

I. The Leaders Approach Jeremiah.
A. They will ask God's direction (Jer 42:1-4).
Jer 42:1 Then all the army officers...and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray to the LORD your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray [periphrastic] that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do." 4 1 have heard you," replied Jeremiah the prophet. "1 will certainly pray to the LORD your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the LORD says and will keep nothing back from you."
This is not the first time the prophet has been asked to pray for the people. Before the final Babylonian attack on Jerusalem, Jeremiah received a similar request from the king, who said, "Please pray to the LORD our God for us" (Jer 37:3). This second request has a different tone.
  • Before the city fell, they called the LORD "our God," perhaps reflecting their hope that He would not really destroy them.
  • After the city fell, they refer to the LORD as "your God," acknowledging their distance from Him.
The Judeans come to Jeremiah because they recognize that, unlike them, his relationship with the LORD is undamaged. Jeremiah reverses this reference to God as he reiterates their request—"I will certainly pray to the LORD your God...."—perhaps to give hope that God has not abandoned them.3 This is the first step in The Discipline of Decision: Despite feeling alienated, they will ask God's direction.

Have you ever disobeyed God? If your relationship with Him means anything to you, you will feel remorse, sorrow for displeasing Him. Sometimes, sin leaves your life in shambles, and you wonder if you can ever pull it together again. At other times, your life may seem to fall apart for no apparent reason, at least for nothing that you have done. You lose your job; a relationship turns sour; the bottom falls out of the market just as you invest your entire winnings from the lottery ticket you found. You are upset and confused. You realize that you have to do something, but what?

For whatever reason, you are at the point of decision. The uncertainty you sense is a signal, reminding you of what you already know, that the first step in resolving your dilemma is go to God. James said, "You have not because you ask not" (Jms 4:2d). When facing a difficult decision, as these Judeans did, you must be willing to ask God.... There is more to it, of course, which the refugees admit.
B. They will accept God's instruction (Jer 42:5-6).
Jer 42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God."
The people put no conditions on their request. They do not ask Jeremiah to discuss their preferences with God or to lobby for a particular outcome. They also agree to follow the whole of God's answer, not just the part that appeals to them. Had they listened to Him all along, they would not be in this predicament now. Hence, they realize that heeding God is in their best interest: "so that it will go well with us." Moreover, they seem to get Jeremiah's earlier point. Although they begin their reply to him by referring again to the LORD as "your God," they correct themselves and twice call Him "our God," thereby acknowledging their obligation to obey Him. To underscore the strength of their conviction, they employ an oath: "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us" if we do not heed everything He tells us.4 This is the second step in The Discipline of Decision: No matter what answer Jeremiah brings, they will accept God's instruction.

Likewise, when you ask God's guidance in some matter, you must not attach conditions to the answer:
  • "I'll go wherever you want me to go; just don't send me to Timbuktu."5
You also cannot pick and choose what parts of His answer you will accept:
  • "I like this idea, God, but not that one. Give me a few more options."
If you request His direction, He expects you to follow it...all of it. You must also realize that heeding God is in your best interest, "so that it may go well with [you]."
When Linda moved from Arizona to New York, the difference in climate took a toll on her health; she had recurring bouts with pneumonia. As we considered college, it seemed prudent to choose a warmer climate; so we went to South Carolina, and she had no more difficulty. Later, when we considered seminary, the one school that stood out was in Illinois, where the weather is much like that in New York. It seemed to be the direction God was leading, so we went, trusting He would keep Linda healthy, which He did. The next step was more difficult: Wisconsin, which has nine months of winter and three months of bad sledding, where the wind-chill can drop to -50 and stay that way for several days. We lived there ten years, longer than anywhere else; and, apart from an occasional cold, Linda had no respiratory difficulty. How different might our lives have been? What might we have missed of God's purpose, had we said, "We'll go anywhere...as long as it's warm."

Having agreed to accept God's instruction for their current dilemma, now...
C. They will await God's solution (Jer 42:7-8).
Jer 42:7 Ten days later the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together...all the army officers...and all the people from the least to the greatest.
There was some delay in God's response.6 Did Jeremiah catch Him at a bad time? Was God away on vacation, out of range of His cell phone? This is not a difficult request, yet there is no word for ten days. "[G]iven the emotions within the group, the question must have been posed to him more than once" during this period (Holladay 1989:299). By now, news of the governor's assassination has certainly reached the Babylonian office in Damascus, which may already have sent troops to crush the rebellion in Judah.7 The people do not have time to waste, yet they remain. This is the third step in The Discipline of Decision: Despite the urgency they may feel, they will await God's solution.

Sometimes waiting for God to give you direction is more taxing on your nerves than having no direction. "What's taking Him so long? This is not a hard question. What's He waiting for?!" By delaying His answer, He may be testing your resolve, allowing you to settle for yourself how serious you are about wanting His direction and how determined you are to follow it. Perhaps it is just to see if you will move on your own or "wait for the LORD."8

When Jeremiah returns with God's answer, he assembles the refugees. Apparently, they are all still there (v. 8). The LORD's instructions have two parts. The first part is what they should do and how God will bless them if they obey (vv. 10-12).9
Jer 42:10 'If you stay in this land, I will build you up.... 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon....for I am with you and will save you.... 12 I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.'
The second part of the instructions is what they should not do and how God will punish them if they disobey (vv. 14-17).
Jer 42:14 [I]f you say, 'No, we will go and live in Egypt...,' 15 ...and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. 17 ...by the sword, famine and plague; not one...will survive or escape....'
I would call that crystal clear direction: Stay and live, or go and die. The people will certainly stay, right? ...There is apparently more to God's response than this simple choice. Reading on, we see what more...

II. The LORD Answers Jeremiah.

...and anticipates the people's reaction.
A. They will not apply God's admonition (Jer 42:19-21).
Jer 42:19 "O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' 211 have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you.
Have we missed something? The prophet has not even given them a chance to respond, and already he is jumping on their case. How does he know what they will do? ...God may have told him, but Jeremiah is likely aware of their discussion over the past few days and knows that many have already made up their minds. Whatever God says, they are going to Egypt. They do not want God's direction, only His approval (Feinberg 1986:633).10 Jeremiah does not let them off the hook. He uses the pronoun again, this time to stress their responsibility: "[Y]ou sent me to the LORD your God....but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you." Obedience is the fourth step in The Discipline of Decision: Unfortunately, they fail to take it because they will not apply God's admonition.11

If you ask for guidance, you had better be ready to follow it. This fourth step is the most important, the one that counts in the end, as Jesus indicates in one of his parables:
Matt 21:28 ...There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 "'1 will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31a "Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
Ultimately, it was the first son who obeyed his father. Jesus' point is that what a person does is more important than what a person says he will do. Likewise, if you ask for guidance, implying that you will heed God's directive, you had better be ready to follow it or be prepared to face the consequences. Jeremiah says in v. 20 that the people "made a fatal mistake" (NIV); literally, "You have led yourself astray'; you've deceived yourself. You're playing with your own life here by asking God's will, when you have no intention of applying it." Consequently...
B. They will not avoid God's condemnation (Jer 42:22).
Jer 42:22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle."
The people think they have good reason to reject God's counsel. The Babylonians are coming back, and they are not happy with the situation in Judah. The remnant of Judah's military was able to deal with the rebels but, even at the height of its strength, failed to stop that superpower's army. Therefore, the safest course is to take refuge in Egypt...safe from one danger, perhaps, but not safe from a greater danger. They think to avoid Babylon's retaliation, but they will not avoid God's condemnation, even in Egypt.

In chapter 43, the Judeans do reject the word of the LORD through Jeremiah.12 The company goes to Tapanhes, an Egyptian outpost in the Sinai, taking Jeremiah with them.13 Soon after, the Babylonians invade Judah again, just as the refugees feared, but then extend their campaign by attacking Egypt,14 bringing what the refugees feared most (Keil and Delitsch n.d. 5:931)—sword, famine, and plague—all of which, God says, they could have missed had they taken the proper steps in The Discipline of Decision.

Sometimes you may be are afraid to ask for God's direction because you suspect you will not like the answer. You think as long as you do not know what God wants, as long as it is not crystal clear, He will not hold you responsible if you fail to do it. You can plead ignorance, "plausible deniability." That is like crossing a busy intersection with your eyes closed, assuming that because you cannot see whether or not your walking against the light, the cars would not dare to hit you. Who in his right mind would put himself in that kind of predicament? Yet, people sometimes think they can finesse their way with God. Jesus addressed that situation in another parable.
Luke 12:47 [The] servant who knows his master's will and...does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
By pleading ignorance, you think that God will overlook your negligence. Keep in mind, though, that while knowing God's will brings greater responsibility, ignoring God's will does not absolve you of responsibility.15 Besides, why settle for God's condemnation, even if just a "few blows," (Luke 12:48), when you can have God's commendation, His "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt 25:21,23)? What would you rather receive?

God's guidance is intended for your good. You may not understand it at the time. His counsel may even seem contrary to your welfare. Would you have advised the Judeans to stay and face Babylonian retaliation? How could that have possibly worked to their advantage?

Your situations are different, of course, and rarely as dangerous. You also depend more on the words of scripture than on the words of a prophet. Nevertheless, you may still balk at God's instruction and excuse your ignoring it by insisting that your way is better.
  • The boss wants you to work on Saturday and has hinted that your job could be in jeopardy if you refuse.
  • The boyfriend says that he will not compete with church and insists that you either stay home or risk losing him.
  • The student in your study group gets an advance copy of the chemistry exam and says that, if the teacher finds out, everyone will fail.
Like the message to the Judeans, God has spoken to many of the difficult situations you face. What you may not realize is that, also like the Judeans, when you reject God's counsel, when you choose to go your way and not His way, you deprive ourselves of several invaluable resources:
  • You reject the perspective of God (omniscience), who knows and "make[s] known the end from the beginning" (Isa 46:10).
  • You reject the presence of God (omnipresence), who promises to be with His people whether they "pass through... rivers [or] walk through...fire" (Isa 43:2).
  • You reject the power of God (omnipotence), who "in all things...works for the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28).
In the end, the question God posed to the Judeans in the sixth century is the same question He poses today: Will you trust Him, regardless of how the situation appears?
  • Will you trust Him and honor the Sabbath, even if the boss fires you, because God knows what the future holds, and He holds your future?
  • Will you trust Him and maintain involvement in the church despite its strain on your love life, because God is able to work even this to your ultimate advantage?
  • Will you trust Him and expose the theft of the exam, even if friends desert you, content that God will be with you and will never desert you?
God's guidance is intended for your good. Will you trust Him long enough and often enough to discover that?

In Jer 42, the Judeans have a choice to make—face the Babylonians or flee the Babylonians. At such a difficult time, they do what people should do: They consult God. In fact, they go through all the steps necessary in making a proper decision of this sort. They indicate their willingness...
  • To ask God's direction,
  • To accept God's instruction, and
  • To await God's solution.
They fail only in the final but most important step. They indicate their unwillingness...
  • To apply God's admonition.
Therefore, they will be unable
  • To avoid God's condemnation.
Their fate, however, need not be yours. Having read the report, you know the end and are aware of their error. When the time comes for you to take that final step, all you need to do, really, is trust God that His guidance is for your ultimate good. That is the most crucial phase in The Discipline of Decision, and the one that enables you to make the best choice.

For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.

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Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs