Trust God's Sovereignty, 22 March 2020
Patiently Trust God’s Sovereignty
Series—Jeremiah: Called to Faithfulness
Jeremiah 12
Series Big Idea: Jeremiah was faithful despite his difficult prophetic task.
Big Idea: God is sovereign and He can be trusted, despite what we see, think, or feel today.
Why? It might be the most common question asked by children.
Why do I have to get out of bed?
Why do I have to brush my teeth?
Why do I have to eat breakfast?
Why do I have to go to school?
Come to think of it, these are all questions adults ask, too!
One of the most universal questions throughout history has been, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” I’ve asked it. I’m sure you’ve wondered it. Job did (12; 21). The psalmists (37; 49; 73) and Habakkuk (chapter 1) and Malachi (2:17; 3:15) did. Jeremiah did, too.
I hope today we can answer that important question…and draw closer to Almighty God.
We’re in the middle of a series on the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a bullfrog…and a prophet! God’s chosen people, the Jews, had repeatedly broken their covenant with God. Last Sunday we looked at their disgraceful practice in the temple, worshiping other gods. The difficult life of a prophet involved speaking for God to disobedient people, warning them of the consequences of their actions.
In chapter one, Jeremiah was understandably reluctant to accept God’s call for him to be a prophet and obey the LORD. Last week in chapter seven, Jeremiah told the people their sins and evil were too much for God. They had willfully chosen to walk away from God.
Today we’re in chapter twelve. It begins,
You are always righteous, LORD, when I bring a case before you. (Jeremiah 12:1)
This is a great start. Jeremiah understands God is right. God is always right. God is always righteous. That’s His nature, His character. He can do no wrong. He cannot sin. He cannot fail or make a mistake. He is perfect in all of His ways.
It’s vitally important for all of us to understand God, to know God. We cannot fully comprehend Him, of course, but He is knowable. He wants to be known by us. He has given us the Bible to discover His wonderful attributes, including his righteousness.
I realize you might not agree with Jeremiah. You may think He’s forgotten you, made a mistake, or failed you. I can assure you though it may feel that way, you will someday understand why…
Jeremiah acknowledged that God is always righteous, always right when a case is brought before Him. Now Jeremiah does just that; he brings a case before the LORD.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? (Jeremiah 12:1b)
There it is! Why do good things happen to bad people? Jeremiah admits God is righteous, but is He a God of justice?
It’s ok to question God. Some have been taught they should never doubt or question, but this is one of many good, honest questions directed toward God. He wants to hear from us. He can handle anything we throw at Him! He’s God!
Jeremiah continues,
You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. (Jeremiah 12:2)
They talk about You, but they’re far from You, LORD. Don’t you see what’s going on? They are religious but not righteous. They’re fakers, actors, hypocrites. Why don’t you punish them?
Yet you know me, LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter! (Jeremiah 12:3)
How do you really feel, Jeremiah?! Jeremiah was set apart by God and he wants God to set apart the wicked…for their day of slaughter!
How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.” (Jeremiah 12:4)
God had sent a drought, yet the people refused to acknowledge their sin and God’s judgment.
Why do you permit it, LORD? Perhaps a better question than, “Why?” is, “What are You up to, LORD? He is sovereign and in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it. He’s good and faithful, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
I’ve heard it said that you shouldn’t ask a question for which you don’t want the answer! God responds to Jeremiah…and it’s not what he expected.
“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)
God says, “Jeremiah, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Your relatives, members of your own family—even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. (Jeremiah 12:6)
This is a disturbing verse. God warns Jeremiah to not trust his own family…or their words.
Warren Wiersbe notes, “Jeremiah was asking, ‘How can I get out of this?’ But he should have been asking, ‘What can I get out of this?’”
We are to live by God’s promises, not explanations. Of course, we don’t understand everything that happens in this world. If so, we’d be God!
We like easy, comfortable, and safe. We like sunny days at the beach, but the only thing that grows at the beach is your waistline! Growth requires testing, discipline, pain, challenge, and…change. Often the very things we want removed from our lives are the very things God is using to grow us, mature us, shape us, and make us like Jesus.
And life’s trials should always draw us back to God, enhancing our relationship with and dependency upon God. Maybe today’s trials are designed to create tomorrow’s miracles. Singer/songwriter Laura Story penned these words in her song Blessings:
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops/ What if Your healing comes through tears/ What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near/ What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
Trials are an opportunity to trust.
Trials are an opportunity for others to pray and support us.
Trails are an opportunity for God to show His power.
Trials are an opportunity for us to grow.
But I still don’t like them…and neither did Jeremiah! God continues,
“I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. (Jeremiah 12:7)
This may not seem like love, but sometimes love has to let go. For God, sin cannot be tolerated.
I know of someone who recently broke up with his girlfriend, not because he didn’t love her, but because he did. He knew he couldn’t meet her expectations and released her to pursue her desires. I think that’s what God is doing here. The people had broken their covenant with God. They turned their backs on Him. He tried and tried and tried to get their attention and urged them to repent—to turn back toward Him. They refused and chose to follow the ways of their ungodly friends and neighbors and finally God says enough. It’s sad. It’s tragic!
My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her. (Jeremiah 12:8)
They have been opposing God and He’s had enough. The Hebrew word for hate can also mean turn against. The people roared at God like an angry lion.
Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. (Jeremiah 12:9)
Speckled or colored birds stood out from the other birds, and consequently the others would surround and attack the odd creature. This is Judah.
Now there’s a series of images God uses to describe the devastation that lies ahead.
10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.
11 It will be made a wasteland,
parched and desolate before me;
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no one who cares.
12 Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword of the LORD will devour
from one end of the land to the other;
no one will be safe.
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the LORD’S fierce anger.”
Can you image God saying these words to us? I sometimes wonder if He’s not! Our money says, “In God We Trust” but we seem to trust more in our money than in our God. We’ve marginalized faith in the public square, passed laws that are in direct violation of scripture, and become so self-absorbed that there’s no time or energy left for the relationship we were created to have with our Creator.
Is God angry with the USA? Is He angry with the world? Is the coronavirus a punishment? The best answer I can give is “maybe.” Keep in mind, this passage was not written to 21st century Christians in Toledo…but it was written for us. We’re told that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We’re told that if we disown Jesus, he will disown us before the Father (Matthew 10:33).
I have a pastor friend who posted this last week:
Pestilences (pandemics) and plagues don't come from satan. They come from God. There is not one instance in the 130+ mentions of pestilences and plagues in the Bible where they are attributed to the demonic realm. EVERY one is said to have come from God, even if it's by the agency of angels. We don't rebuke pestilences and plagues. We REPENT. (Joe Sazyc Sr.)
That’s what the Jewish people failed to do…repent. Will we?
This is what the LORD says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. (Jeremiah 12:14)
Is anybody ready for some good news?
But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. (Jeremiah 12:15)
God has remembered the land. It’s His land, only loaned to the Jews. The people would spend seventy years in captivity and then be allowed to return to their land and restore the nation and temple…and their worship of God.
And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 12:16-17)
In this instance, God is pro-choice! He gives the people the choice to follow Him or the false god Baal. They get to determine their own destiny, the consequences of their allegiance. Even today, nation who follow Jesus receive a certain blessing, while those who ignore Him will pay the price…now and/or in the future
So What?
What in the world can we learn from this dark chapter in a book written thousands of years ago? First,
We all experience suffering because of sin.
The good and the bad both experience pain, loss, and suffering. It’s easy to be envious of the wealth, pleasure, or power of others. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, right?! But as long as sin is a part of the human condition, we will be hurt and we will hurt others. Social media begs us to compare ourselves to the highlight reels of others, but that’s the point…we only see the highlights…the smiles…the Instagrammable photos. I promise you, ever person you’ve ever met or seen has suffered. They may be in agony at this moment, just unwilling to be honest and vulnerable.
Perhaps you could care less about others. You’re struggling now. You’re doubting or questioning God now. God for it! He’s listening. He cares. It might not feel like it, but He’s at work. He’s up to something.
Your story is not over.
Every good story has a moment of tension—the climax. Have you ever heard a good story where the main character is just happy, happy, happy from beginning to end? No! There are moments of suspense or crisis that are followed by resolution. The same is true for your story.
When you ask, “God, what are You up to?” you open up to the opportunity to see how God will heal, redeem, restore, or otherwise answer your prayers. We don’t like moments of trial, but that’s how we grow. Today may be excruciating, but there’s bright hope for tomorrow…and He is with you today, whether you like/know/acknowledge/feel it or not.
The same can be said for the wicked. Their story is not over. Judgment Day is coming…for all of us. “Vengeance is mine,” says the LORD (Romans 12:19). The bottom line is…
God is sovereign. He can be trusted, despite what we see, think, or feel today.
Conclusion
If anyone had a right to ask why good things happen to bad people, it was Jesus. After all, he was the only truly “good” human to walk this earth. The people who denied, betrayed, sentenced, and executed him could all be considered “bad,” yet he loved them and prayed for them.
Jesus never asks us to do anything he wasn’t willing to do…and we have the same Holy Spirit to give us the love, grace, courage, and strength to do it.
There’s a question more common than, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” and that’s, “Why do bad things happen to good people.” The worst possible thing happened to the only good person as he was beaten, mocked, and crucified for you and me. We often say it’s all about Jesus and as we’ve gathered here to worship Jesus, we close with a song which talks about his life, death, and victory…a victory which is ours as we trust God and follow Jesus, regardless of the temporary injustices we may see around us. The best is yet to come!
Credits: some ideas from D6, Warren Wiersbe
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series—Jeremiah: Called to Faithfulness
Jeremiah 12
Series Big Idea: Jeremiah was faithful despite his difficult prophetic task.
Big Idea: God is sovereign and He can be trusted, despite what we see, think, or feel today.
Why? It might be the most common question asked by children.
Why do I have to get out of bed?
Why do I have to brush my teeth?
Why do I have to eat breakfast?
Why do I have to go to school?
Come to think of it, these are all questions adults ask, too!
One of the most universal questions throughout history has been, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” I’ve asked it. I’m sure you’ve wondered it. Job did (12; 21). The psalmists (37; 49; 73) and Habakkuk (chapter 1) and Malachi (2:17; 3:15) did. Jeremiah did, too.
I hope today we can answer that important question…and draw closer to Almighty God.
We’re in the middle of a series on the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a bullfrog…and a prophet! God’s chosen people, the Jews, had repeatedly broken their covenant with God. Last Sunday we looked at their disgraceful practice in the temple, worshiping other gods. The difficult life of a prophet involved speaking for God to disobedient people, warning them of the consequences of their actions.
In chapter one, Jeremiah was understandably reluctant to accept God’s call for him to be a prophet and obey the LORD. Last week in chapter seven, Jeremiah told the people their sins and evil were too much for God. They had willfully chosen to walk away from God.
Today we’re in chapter twelve. It begins,
You are always righteous, LORD, when I bring a case before you. (Jeremiah 12:1)
This is a great start. Jeremiah understands God is right. God is always right. God is always righteous. That’s His nature, His character. He can do no wrong. He cannot sin. He cannot fail or make a mistake. He is perfect in all of His ways.
It’s vitally important for all of us to understand God, to know God. We cannot fully comprehend Him, of course, but He is knowable. He wants to be known by us. He has given us the Bible to discover His wonderful attributes, including his righteousness.
I realize you might not agree with Jeremiah. You may think He’s forgotten you, made a mistake, or failed you. I can assure you though it may feel that way, you will someday understand why…
- - Your loved one died
- - You lost the job you loved
- - That relationship failed
- - You were born with those challenges
- - There’s no toilet paper at the store!
Jeremiah acknowledged that God is always righteous, always right when a case is brought before Him. Now Jeremiah does just that; he brings a case before the LORD.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? (Jeremiah 12:1b)
There it is! Why do good things happen to bad people? Jeremiah admits God is righteous, but is He a God of justice?
It’s ok to question God. Some have been taught they should never doubt or question, but this is one of many good, honest questions directed toward God. He wants to hear from us. He can handle anything we throw at Him! He’s God!
Jeremiah continues,
You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. (Jeremiah 12:2)
They talk about You, but they’re far from You, LORD. Don’t you see what’s going on? They are religious but not righteous. They’re fakers, actors, hypocrites. Why don’t you punish them?
Yet you know me, LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter! (Jeremiah 12:3)
How do you really feel, Jeremiah?! Jeremiah was set apart by God and he wants God to set apart the wicked…for their day of slaughter!
How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.” (Jeremiah 12:4)
God had sent a drought, yet the people refused to acknowledge their sin and God’s judgment.
Why do you permit it, LORD? Perhaps a better question than, “Why?” is, “What are You up to, LORD? He is sovereign and in control, even when it doesn’t seem like it. He’s good and faithful, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
I’ve heard it said that you shouldn’t ask a question for which you don’t want the answer! God responds to Jeremiah…and it’s not what he expected.
“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? (Jeremiah 12:5)
God says, “Jeremiah, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”
Your relatives, members of your own family—even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. (Jeremiah 12:6)
This is a disturbing verse. God warns Jeremiah to not trust his own family…or their words.
Warren Wiersbe notes, “Jeremiah was asking, ‘How can I get out of this?’ But he should have been asking, ‘What can I get out of this?’”
We are to live by God’s promises, not explanations. Of course, we don’t understand everything that happens in this world. If so, we’d be God!
We like easy, comfortable, and safe. We like sunny days at the beach, but the only thing that grows at the beach is your waistline! Growth requires testing, discipline, pain, challenge, and…change. Often the very things we want removed from our lives are the very things God is using to grow us, mature us, shape us, and make us like Jesus.
And life’s trials should always draw us back to God, enhancing our relationship with and dependency upon God. Maybe today’s trials are designed to create tomorrow’s miracles. Singer/songwriter Laura Story penned these words in her song Blessings:
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops/ What if Your healing comes through tears/ What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near/ What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
Trials are an opportunity to trust.
Trials are an opportunity for others to pray and support us.
Trails are an opportunity for God to show His power.
Trials are an opportunity for us to grow.
But I still don’t like them…and neither did Jeremiah! God continues,
“I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. (Jeremiah 12:7)
This may not seem like love, but sometimes love has to let go. For God, sin cannot be tolerated.
I know of someone who recently broke up with his girlfriend, not because he didn’t love her, but because he did. He knew he couldn’t meet her expectations and released her to pursue her desires. I think that’s what God is doing here. The people had broken their covenant with God. They turned their backs on Him. He tried and tried and tried to get their attention and urged them to repent—to turn back toward Him. They refused and chose to follow the ways of their ungodly friends and neighbors and finally God says enough. It’s sad. It’s tragic!
My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her. (Jeremiah 12:8)
They have been opposing God and He’s had enough. The Hebrew word for hate can also mean turn against. The people roared at God like an angry lion.
Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. (Jeremiah 12:9)
Speckled or colored birds stood out from the other birds, and consequently the others would surround and attack the odd creature. This is Judah.
Now there’s a series of images God uses to describe the devastation that lies ahead.
10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.
11 It will be made a wasteland,
parched and desolate before me;
the whole land will be laid waste
because there is no one who cares.
12 Over all the barren heights in the desert
destroyers will swarm,
for the sword of the LORD will devour
from one end of the land to the other;
no one will be safe.
13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns;
they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.
They will bear the shame of their harvest
because of the LORD’S fierce anger.”
Can you image God saying these words to us? I sometimes wonder if He’s not! Our money says, “In God We Trust” but we seem to trust more in our money than in our God. We’ve marginalized faith in the public square, passed laws that are in direct violation of scripture, and become so self-absorbed that there’s no time or energy left for the relationship we were created to have with our Creator.
Is God angry with the USA? Is He angry with the world? Is the coronavirus a punishment? The best answer I can give is “maybe.” Keep in mind, this passage was not written to 21st century Christians in Toledo…but it was written for us. We’re told that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We’re told that if we disown Jesus, he will disown us before the Father (Matthew 10:33).
I have a pastor friend who posted this last week:
Pestilences (pandemics) and plagues don't come from satan. They come from God. There is not one instance in the 130+ mentions of pestilences and plagues in the Bible where they are attributed to the demonic realm. EVERY one is said to have come from God, even if it's by the agency of angels. We don't rebuke pestilences and plagues. We REPENT. (Joe Sazyc Sr.)
That’s what the Jewish people failed to do…repent. Will we?
This is what the LORD says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. (Jeremiah 12:14)
Is anybody ready for some good news?
But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. (Jeremiah 12:15)
God has remembered the land. It’s His land, only loaned to the Jews. The people would spend seventy years in captivity and then be allowed to return to their land and restore the nation and temple…and their worship of God.
And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 12:16-17)
In this instance, God is pro-choice! He gives the people the choice to follow Him or the false god Baal. They get to determine their own destiny, the consequences of their allegiance. Even today, nation who follow Jesus receive a certain blessing, while those who ignore Him will pay the price…now and/or in the future
So What?
What in the world can we learn from this dark chapter in a book written thousands of years ago? First,
We all experience suffering because of sin.
The good and the bad both experience pain, loss, and suffering. It’s easy to be envious of the wealth, pleasure, or power of others. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, right?! But as long as sin is a part of the human condition, we will be hurt and we will hurt others. Social media begs us to compare ourselves to the highlight reels of others, but that’s the point…we only see the highlights…the smiles…the Instagrammable photos. I promise you, ever person you’ve ever met or seen has suffered. They may be in agony at this moment, just unwilling to be honest and vulnerable.
Perhaps you could care less about others. You’re struggling now. You’re doubting or questioning God now. God for it! He’s listening. He cares. It might not feel like it, but He’s at work. He’s up to something.
Your story is not over.
Every good story has a moment of tension—the climax. Have you ever heard a good story where the main character is just happy, happy, happy from beginning to end? No! There are moments of suspense or crisis that are followed by resolution. The same is true for your story.
When you ask, “God, what are You up to?” you open up to the opportunity to see how God will heal, redeem, restore, or otherwise answer your prayers. We don’t like moments of trial, but that’s how we grow. Today may be excruciating, but there’s bright hope for tomorrow…and He is with you today, whether you like/know/acknowledge/feel it or not.
The same can be said for the wicked. Their story is not over. Judgment Day is coming…for all of us. “Vengeance is mine,” says the LORD (Romans 12:19). The bottom line is…
God is sovereign. He can be trusted, despite what we see, think, or feel today.
Conclusion
If anyone had a right to ask why good things happen to bad people, it was Jesus. After all, he was the only truly “good” human to walk this earth. The people who denied, betrayed, sentenced, and executed him could all be considered “bad,” yet he loved them and prayed for them.
Jesus never asks us to do anything he wasn’t willing to do…and we have the same Holy Spirit to give us the love, grace, courage, and strength to do it.
There’s a question more common than, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” and that’s, “Why do bad things happen to good people.” The worst possible thing happened to the only good person as he was beaten, mocked, and crucified for you and me. We often say it’s all about Jesus and as we’ve gathered here to worship Jesus, we close with a song which talks about his life, death, and victory…a victory which is ours as we trust God and follow Jesus, regardless of the temporary injustices we may see around us. The best is yet to come!
Credits: some ideas from D6, Warren Wiersbe