|
Good Decisions
Standing at the Crossroads
Well, good evening. This is Bobby Stafford with the
Granby church of Christ. We're going to be looking at Jeremiah chapter 6
about decisions, using some material from Brother Andy Irwin. I think
this will be something all of us can really use. So if you have your
Bibles, we'll begin in Jeremiah chapter 6, beginning with verse 16 and
going through verse 21:
Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see,
and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then
you will find rest for your souls." But they said, "We will not walk in
it." Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, "Listen to the sound of the
trumpet!" But they said, "We will not listen." Therefore hear, you
nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—The fruit of
their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but
rejected it. For what purpose to Me comes frankincense from Sheba, and
sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices sweet to Me. Therefore thus says the Lord: "Behold,
I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, and the fathers and the
sons together shall fall on them. The neighbor and his friend shall
perish."
So again, this is Jeremiah chapter 6, verses 16
through 21. We find the nation of Judah is at a proverbial crossroads.
They were told by inspiration, through the prophet Jeremiah, to choose
the path they were to take. But they chose not to listen to God and walk
in His way. They chose instead to continue in their sins. As a result,
doom and destruction awaited them.
It’s a little difficult to know which time period of
Jeremiah’s life this is referring to, because he did prophesy for many
decades. But it’s possible that this sermon belongs to the time after
622 BC, during the latter part of King Josiah’s reign. Josiah was known
for reforming the nation, especially when it came to sacrifices.
Judah was certainly at a crossroads. They had a
choice. They could follow some of the prior kings that were evil—like
Ammon and Manasseh—or they could follow the path of Josiah, who was a
good and obedient king. Of course, that path would lead to rest for
their souls, the prophet said.
Regardless of the date, the people of Jeremiah’s time
understood what he was talking about. That we can be sure of. They knew
about the ancient past, they knew about the good way, they knew about
God’s way—and it was a good way not because it was old, but because it
was the right way. In other words, it was God’s way. Walking in the old
paths always brought rest and peace to people’s souls. But these people
of Judah were stiff-necked, stubborn, rebellious, and they refused to
walk in God’s paths.
Consider the Choice Before You
So we're going to look at these phrases and see what
they mean and what we can glean from them today.
God’s instruction to Judah was, "Stand in the ways
and see." He was calling upon His people to pay attention to their
circumstances, to look around them, to see how their decisions had
brought them to that point. That Hebrew word for “see” could also be
translated “consider”—to be mentally aware of, to realize, to take note
of.
Judah needed to do one thing at the beginning:
consider the choice before them. Because for them, and for us, it’s all
about choices. It’s all about decisions. They were at a crossroads.
That’s how the word is translated in some versions like the NIV. They
came up to two paths before them and had to decide: left or right?
That’s the sense we’re to think about.
They’re standing at the crossroads and they need to
make the right decisions.
Ask for the Old Paths
He says, "Ask for the old paths, where the good
way is." The old paths are the paths God has described for them.
Not because they’re old, but because they’re right. They’re God’s ways.
That’s what makes them good.
That’s the path of obedient faith. That’s what He’s
telling them to do. The good way is the way that God approves of. The
way God has always pointed man to throughout history is the best path.
It may be hard, but it’s the best. But what did the people say?
"We will not walk in it."
So here we have Judah—a whole nation—standing at the
crossroads. God is pointing them to the right way. He tells them,
through Jeremiah, this is the best way to go. But the people say,
"We will not walk in it." Very rebelliously and brashly, they say
no. They won’t follow Josiah’s reforms. They won’t return to following
God’s law. They won’t listen to the prophets. They’re going to do
whatever they want.
In Jeremiah 11:8: "Yet they
did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of
his evil heart. Therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this
covenant, which I commanded them to do but which they have not done."
In Jeremiah 7:24: "Yet they
did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the
dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward."
So, by choosing the wrong path, they actually went
backward, away from God.
Wise to Do Evil
Choosing the wrong path was going to change them—for
the worse. Judah would become a people who chose to do evil instead of
good.
Jeremiah 4:22 says: "For My
people are foolish, they have not known Me. They are silly children, and
they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good
they have no knowledge."
They had the knowledge available to them. They just
weren’t paying any attention to it.
Their sins, transgressions, and backslidings would
increase. Jeremiah 5:6 says: "Therefore a lion
from the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the deserts shall destroy
them, a leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from
them shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many;
their backslidings have increased."
Refusing to Listen
Judah became a nation that didn’t obey the voice of
the Lord. Jeremiah 7:28 says: "So you shall
say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord
their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut
off from their mouth.’"
They became covetous, deceptive, dishonest, and
immoral. They believed they didn’t need God. They didn’t need to walk
His path. They became their own gods in their own eyes.
Warning Rejected
Back in Jeremiah 6:17, God says:
"Also I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the
sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'"
God sent prophets to teach, admonish, exhort, and
warn. But the people ignored them. The trumpet was a warning, and they
refused it. Judah would not have suffered doom and destruction if they
had only listened.
Watchmen were like sentries on towers, able to see
danger from far away. God gave Judah faithful watchmen to warn them of
impending disaster. They chose not to listen.
God’s Fair Judgment
Jeremiah 6:18–19: "Therefore
hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O
earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—The fruit
of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but
rejected it."
The surrounding nations were called by God to witness
how fair He was in judging His own people. Judah’s punishment was not
because God was cruel—it was because they rejected Him.
Superficial Worship Rejected
Jeremiah 6:20: "For what
purpose to Me comes frankincense from Sheba and sweet cane from a far
country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices
sweet to Me."
Even their expensive sacrifices were meaningless
because they lacked a sincere heart. They were just going through the
motions—rituals without repentance. God refused to accept their
offerings.
Consequences of Rebellion
Verse 21: "Therefore thus
says the Lord: 'Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people,
and the fathers and the sons together shall fall on them. The neighbor
and his friend shall perish.'"
God was going to make sure Judah didn’t prevail. Their
efforts couldn’t stop the judgment.
Our Application Today
What can we glean from this today? Everyone must
consider their spiritual circumstances. If we see we’re on the wrong
path, we need to be humble enough to repent and turn around.
When we’re at the crossroads, we must seek God’s will.
The only way to know His will is through His revealed Word. We must
search it, understand it, and obey it.
It is foolish to substitute our understanding for
God's. God’s way leads to life. Sacrifices without sincerity, honesty,
and holiness are useless. Whatever we do for God must come from a
sincere, obedient heart.
And finally, we must realize: if we say, "We will
not walk therein," there will be consequences—severe consequences.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James
4:6).
Jesus, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in
Matthew 7, said that the one who hears His sayings and does not do them
is like a house built on the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and
great was the fall of it.
Jeremiah 6 speaks to us today. It’s for our learning.
Let’s take heed, and make sure we don’t fall like the nation of Judah.
Sermon Outline
I. Introduction: Decisions at the Crossroads –
Jeremiah 6:16–21
II. Historical Context of Judah’s Condition
- Reforms under Josiah vs. Evil of Manasseh and
Ammon
- God’s offer of rest for their souls
III. God’s Command: "Stand
in the Ways and See"
- Spiritual awareness and consideration
- Importance of reflection and evaluation
IV. Asking for the Old Paths –
"Ask for the old paths, where the good way is"
- Meaning of the “old paths”
- God’s way as the good and right way
- The obedience of faith
V. Judah’s Rebellion and Refusal to Walk
- "We will not walk in it"
– Jeremiah 6:16
- Jeremiah 11:8; 7:24 – Choosing evil over
obedience
VI. The Consequences of Choosing the Wrong Path
- Jeremiah 4:22 – Foolishness and ignorance
- Jeremiah 5:6 – Increased sin and judgment
- Jeremiah 7:28 – Rejection of truth
VII. God’s Watchmen Rejected – Jeremiah 6:17
- Ignoring prophetic warnings
- Failure to heed God’s trumpet of warning
VIII. God’s Fairness in Judgment – Jeremiah 6:18–19
- God’s justice witnessed by nations
- Judgment results from rejection of God’s law
IX. Empty Worship Condemned – Jeremiah 6:20
- Meaningless sacrifices
- Rituals without repentance
X. Divine Judgment Executed – Jeremiah 6:21
- Stumbling blocks and national ruin
- Human effort cannot prevent God’s judgment
XI. Application to Us Today
- Evaluate spiritual direction
- Seek God's will through His Word
- Offer sincere worship
- Obey to avoid consequences
XII. Final Warning and Appeal
- James 4:6 – God’s grace to the humble
- Matthew 7:24–27 – Obedience ensures spiritual
stability
Call to Action
Are you standing at a crossroads in your life? God is
calling. He says, "Ask for the old paths, where the good way is."
Will you walk in them? Or will you say, "We will not walk therein"?
Don’t follow Judah’s tragic path. Open your heart to God’s Word. Obey
His commands. Listen to His watchmen. Walk the good path. It leads to
rest for your soul. Reject it—and destruction awaits. The choice is
yours. Choose wisely.
Scripture Reference List
- Jeremiah 6:16–21 – God’s call, Judah’s rebellion,
consequences
- Jeremiah 7:24 – Going backward, not forward
- Jeremiah 4:22 – Wise to do evil
- Jeremiah 5:6 – Transgressions increased
- Jeremiah 7:28 – Refusal to obey God’s voice
- Jeremiah 11:8 – Following evil hearts
- James 4:6 – God resists the proud, gives grace to
the humble
- Matthew 7:24–27 – Hearers and doers; house on the
rock vs. sand
Prepared by Bobby Stafford of the church of Christ
at Granby, MO |
The
church of Christ
