When Politicians Fail to Follow God - Jeremiah 34:15-17
When Politicians Fail to Follow God - Jeremiah 34:15-17
By Pastor Lee Hemen
August 2, 2009 AM
During election time it often seems that politicians will say almost anything in order to garner votes. Selling one’s soul for political gain is nothing new. David did it when he was running away from Saul. He made a pact with those who had been enemies of Israel (Moab) and later he would have to honor his decision. While we expect this kind of underhanded behavior from kings or politicians, we should be shocked when we discover it in the lives of God’s people.
We find that "The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Jew in bondage. So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free." The Israelites made promises to God that they never intended to keep. They were saying anything in order to garner God’s good favor and to look good to their neighbors. We tragically learn that "afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again." (Jeremiah 34:8-11) God’s people become like disgusting politicians when they continually think they can make a deal with or fool God. Let’s find out what is in store for those who claim God but their actions show them to be like politicians. Let’s learn what occurs when "politicians" (Christians) fail to follow God.
READ: Jeremiah 34:15-17
The Israelites thought they could circumnavigate God by declaring they would follow God, but renege on their promise to Him afterwards. Why does this happen and does it happen in our lives as Christians? The answer to both of these questions can be startling for those of us who have become blinded to our own political gain instead of following the Lord. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
I. They begin to do what is expedient for themselves! (Vv. 15-17)
1. Expediency always means doing the godly thing! Being one of God’s people means trusting Him completely, even when it is inconvenient for us personally! Notice that the slaves’ freedom was very short-lived. Those who claimed to "follow God," who actually released their slaves, "changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again." What caused this two-faced about face? Personal expediency period. It was beneficial for them at the moment. At the end of this chapter is "the key that unlocks the puzzle" so-to-speak. (Jeremiah 34:21-22) The city of Jerusalem was being besieged by the Babylonians. After the people had made their promise to God and released the slaves, the army of Babylon broke off its siege of Jerusalem to go and repel an attack by the Egyptians (See Jeremiah 37:4-13). The people hoped for an Egyptian victory, which would force Babylon from Judah. But after so much destruction slaves would be needed to rebuild the cities and towns. It therefore became expedient to reneged on their promise to God when it seemed that life would return to normal. David understood this also, because he had practiced it himself so often, and wrote of those who do evil for expedience sake: "For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin." (Psalms 36:2) The book of Judges reminds us that when God’s people in the past did what is expedient instead of what is holy then "everyone did as he saw fit." The same holds true for today as well. We begin to do what we think is best for our lives for the moment. That which will make us happy right now instead of what God requires of us. We forget that God desires our happiness in Him. When politicians fail to follow God they begin to do what is expedient for themselves.
EXAMPLE: We live in a day and age where people are encouraged to make everything about themselves. There is a video on YouTube that humorously shows this. It is a parody on those TV commercials where they sell religious music CDs. They sell the "It’s All About Me!" music CD. This is exactly where the Israelites were in their thinking: "It’s all about me!" Like politicians, they began to do what was expedient for themselves.
What many folks fail to understand is that God takes very seriously His relationship with you. When you say you follow the Lord you are telling others that God is in control of your life, and either He is in complete control or He is not. There is no halfway with the Lord. He does not want a backseat driver. When you commit your life to God, God will not be mocked. By saying you believe, yet doing exactly that which is contrary to the holiness of God is making a travesty of the Lord and Who He is. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
II. They begin to make promises they never intend to keep! (Vv. 15-16)
1. All promises are empty unless they are kept! Being one of God’s people means you keep your word! Notice that God tells them, "Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen." This is all good and fine, but there is a clincher here that immediately follows: "But now you have turned around and profaned my name." When we make promises that we never intend to keep with the Lord, we profane His name. This means we make a mockery of who God is and shows our contempt for Him. What was worse is that the Israelites justified their behavior by compounding their sin! They compounded their sin by justifying another one! Sure they set their slaves free, but now they needed them again to rebuild God’s city! We do the very same thing: "I do not want to be a hypocrite, so I won’t do what I know I should do to honor God in the first place." We try to justify our promise breaking, thinking that God will ignore our first "sin" and honor our second ungodliness! What this does is throw aspersions on God. We are attacking His reputation and character. Jesus understood this. He bluntly told the Pharisees "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire." (John 8:44) Notice, God tells the Israelites, "You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name." They willingly embraced a lie instead of the truth and did it in the house of the Lord! John would ask, "Who is the liar?" and then he answers that "It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ." (1 John 2:22) When we make promises we never intend to keep, no matter how we try to dress it up, we become like politicians with our words.
EXAMPLE: Don’t you hate it when politicians begin to use rhetoric instead of honesty and openness when answering questions? There is an old saying that is often attributed to politicians that goes something like, "If you see his lips moving, he is lying." Why would people say that? Because they have been lied to so many times by those who run for political office. We live in a say anything, do anything, to get anywhere society. It is so bad that we even expect our politicians to deliberately lie to us! How sad is that? Christians act like lying politicians when they try to lie to God and begin to make promises they never intend to keep.
We hate it when children make up excuses for their behavior, and it is not only sad, but kind of pathetic when adults do the very same thing! We have become adept as a society in thinking that heartfelt words or emotional outbursts mean the same thing as concrete actions. They do not. If you think they do try telling your boss that you strongly feel that you need to go to the beach instead of work tomorrow. Or try telling the IRS that you truly want to pay your taxes but you just can’t bring yourself to do so because you do not feel an emotional connection to pay them. I am sure they will understand. We certainly would face a result we may not like for our emotional decision wouldn’t we? In fact we cannot keep doing the same sinful things and not expect to face judgment. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
III. God will judge their attitude and actions! (v. 17)
1. Your actions speak louder than all your words! God makes it very clear that He finds excuse making nauseating in the extreme. He bluntly relates to Jeremiah, "You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth." In fact, God promises to treat those who broke their promise like the calf they had slaughtered when making their promise. They would be handed over to their enemies. And, just like the parts of the slaughtered calf, their dead bodies would lie on the ground as food for both birds and beasts! (v. 18) You may think, "Man, that’s harsh!" But then you have forgotten how God views those who honor Him with their lips but curse Him with their actions. Ecclesiastes reminds us: "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2) Earlier, in Jeremiah, God mocks the people and uses kind of lewd language to match their ungodly behavior when He reminds them they would be treated like a powerless promiscuous pregnant woman: "And if you ask yourself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’-- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated!" (Jeremiah 13:22) He sarcastically asks the Israelites, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." (Jeremiah 13:23) Just as a sinful woman cannot change without Him, they cannot either. No one can. Only God can change the human heart! And He will judge our actions when we make excuses for our sin instead of confessing it: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10) God will judge the actions of politicians who fail to follow Him.
EXAMPLE: When I was younger I was put in charge of planting certain parts of our vegetable garden. I was the one who planted and cared for the carrots, radishes, and corn. I knew when I planted a corn seed, corn would grow from it. The same is true of our lives as well. Here is what I mean: We may think that we will "do better next time," we may say we will do better next time, but when the next time comes and we fall short again God will hold us accountable. Both spiritually and physically for every action there is an opposite reaction. The Bible teaches us that we reap what we sow both in life and spiritually. If we say we are going to weed the garden of our lives and get rid of the filthy weeds of sin there, our attitude and actions had better match our words. Just as politicians who will say anything and do anything in order to get your vote are ultimately judged, so will you be judged if you act like them and not truly repent. God will judge our attitudes and actions.
Conclusion:
Christians can act just like politicians when we begin to do what is expedient for ourselves, when we begin to make promises we never intend to keep, and when we do -- God will judge our attitude and actions! Now, are you a politician or a Christian in following the Lord?
---
This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission. You now have my permission to use the entire article.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
August 2, 2009 AM
During election time it often seems that politicians will say almost anything in order to garner votes. Selling one’s soul for political gain is nothing new. David did it when he was running away from Saul. He made a pact with those who had been enemies of Israel (Moab) and later he would have to honor his decision. While we expect this kind of underhanded behavior from kings or politicians, we should be shocked when we discover it in the lives of God’s people.
We find that "The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Jew in bondage. So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free." The Israelites made promises to God that they never intended to keep. They were saying anything in order to garner God’s good favor and to look good to their neighbors. We tragically learn that "afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again." (Jeremiah 34:8-11) God’s people become like disgusting politicians when they continually think they can make a deal with or fool God. Let’s find out what is in store for those who claim God but their actions show them to be like politicians. Let’s learn what occurs when "politicians" (Christians) fail to follow God.
READ: Jeremiah 34:15-17
The Israelites thought they could circumnavigate God by declaring they would follow God, but renege on their promise to Him afterwards. Why does this happen and does it happen in our lives as Christians? The answer to both of these questions can be startling for those of us who have become blinded to our own political gain instead of following the Lord. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
I. They begin to do what is expedient for themselves! (Vv. 15-17)
1. Expediency always means doing the godly thing! Being one of God’s people means trusting Him completely, even when it is inconvenient for us personally! Notice that the slaves’ freedom was very short-lived. Those who claimed to "follow God," who actually released their slaves, "changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again." What caused this two-faced about face? Personal expediency period. It was beneficial for them at the moment. At the end of this chapter is "the key that unlocks the puzzle" so-to-speak. (Jeremiah 34:21-22) The city of Jerusalem was being besieged by the Babylonians. After the people had made their promise to God and released the slaves, the army of Babylon broke off its siege of Jerusalem to go and repel an attack by the Egyptians (See Jeremiah 37:4-13). The people hoped for an Egyptian victory, which would force Babylon from Judah. But after so much destruction slaves would be needed to rebuild the cities and towns. It therefore became expedient to reneged on their promise to God when it seemed that life would return to normal. David understood this also, because he had practiced it himself so often, and wrote of those who do evil for expedience sake: "For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin." (Psalms 36:2) The book of Judges reminds us that when God’s people in the past did what is expedient instead of what is holy then "everyone did as he saw fit." The same holds true for today as well. We begin to do what we think is best for our lives for the moment. That which will make us happy right now instead of what God requires of us. We forget that God desires our happiness in Him. When politicians fail to follow God they begin to do what is expedient for themselves.
EXAMPLE: We live in a day and age where people are encouraged to make everything about themselves. There is a video on YouTube that humorously shows this. It is a parody on those TV commercials where they sell religious music CDs. They sell the "It’s All About Me!" music CD. This is exactly where the Israelites were in their thinking: "It’s all about me!" Like politicians, they began to do what was expedient for themselves.
What many folks fail to understand is that God takes very seriously His relationship with you. When you say you follow the Lord you are telling others that God is in control of your life, and either He is in complete control or He is not. There is no halfway with the Lord. He does not want a backseat driver. When you commit your life to God, God will not be mocked. By saying you believe, yet doing exactly that which is contrary to the holiness of God is making a travesty of the Lord and Who He is. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
II. They begin to make promises they never intend to keep! (Vv. 15-16)
1. All promises are empty unless they are kept! Being one of God’s people means you keep your word! Notice that God tells them, "Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen." This is all good and fine, but there is a clincher here that immediately follows: "But now you have turned around and profaned my name." When we make promises that we never intend to keep with the Lord, we profane His name. This means we make a mockery of who God is and shows our contempt for Him. What was worse is that the Israelites justified their behavior by compounding their sin! They compounded their sin by justifying another one! Sure they set their slaves free, but now they needed them again to rebuild God’s city! We do the very same thing: "I do not want to be a hypocrite, so I won’t do what I know I should do to honor God in the first place." We try to justify our promise breaking, thinking that God will ignore our first "sin" and honor our second ungodliness! What this does is throw aspersions on God. We are attacking His reputation and character. Jesus understood this. He bluntly told the Pharisees "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire." (John 8:44) Notice, God tells the Israelites, "You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name." They willingly embraced a lie instead of the truth and did it in the house of the Lord! John would ask, "Who is the liar?" and then he answers that "It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ." (1 John 2:22) When we make promises we never intend to keep, no matter how we try to dress it up, we become like politicians with our words.
EXAMPLE: Don’t you hate it when politicians begin to use rhetoric instead of honesty and openness when answering questions? There is an old saying that is often attributed to politicians that goes something like, "If you see his lips moving, he is lying." Why would people say that? Because they have been lied to so many times by those who run for political office. We live in a say anything, do anything, to get anywhere society. It is so bad that we even expect our politicians to deliberately lie to us! How sad is that? Christians act like lying politicians when they try to lie to God and begin to make promises they never intend to keep.
We hate it when children make up excuses for their behavior, and it is not only sad, but kind of pathetic when adults do the very same thing! We have become adept as a society in thinking that heartfelt words or emotional outbursts mean the same thing as concrete actions. They do not. If you think they do try telling your boss that you strongly feel that you need to go to the beach instead of work tomorrow. Or try telling the IRS that you truly want to pay your taxes but you just can’t bring yourself to do so because you do not feel an emotional connection to pay them. I am sure they will understand. We certainly would face a result we may not like for our emotional decision wouldn’t we? In fact we cannot keep doing the same sinful things and not expect to face judgment. And here is why: When politicians fail to follow God…
III. God will judge their attitude and actions! (v. 17)
1. Your actions speak louder than all your words! God makes it very clear that He finds excuse making nauseating in the extreme. He bluntly relates to Jeremiah, "You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth." In fact, God promises to treat those who broke their promise like the calf they had slaughtered when making their promise. They would be handed over to their enemies. And, just like the parts of the slaughtered calf, their dead bodies would lie on the ground as food for both birds and beasts! (v. 18) You may think, "Man, that’s harsh!" But then you have forgotten how God views those who honor Him with their lips but curse Him with their actions. Ecclesiastes reminds us: "Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:2) Earlier, in Jeremiah, God mocks the people and uses kind of lewd language to match their ungodly behavior when He reminds them they would be treated like a powerless promiscuous pregnant woman: "And if you ask yourself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’-- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated!" (Jeremiah 13:22) He sarcastically asks the Israelites, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." (Jeremiah 13:23) Just as a sinful woman cannot change without Him, they cannot either. No one can. Only God can change the human heart! And He will judge our actions when we make excuses for our sin instead of confessing it: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." (1 John 1:8-10) God will judge the actions of politicians who fail to follow Him.
EXAMPLE: When I was younger I was put in charge of planting certain parts of our vegetable garden. I was the one who planted and cared for the carrots, radishes, and corn. I knew when I planted a corn seed, corn would grow from it. The same is true of our lives as well. Here is what I mean: We may think that we will "do better next time," we may say we will do better next time, but when the next time comes and we fall short again God will hold us accountable. Both spiritually and physically for every action there is an opposite reaction. The Bible teaches us that we reap what we sow both in life and spiritually. If we say we are going to weed the garden of our lives and get rid of the filthy weeds of sin there, our attitude and actions had better match our words. Just as politicians who will say anything and do anything in order to get your vote are ultimately judged, so will you be judged if you act like them and not truly repent. God will judge our attitudes and actions.
Conclusion:
Christians can act just like politicians when we begin to do what is expedient for ourselves, when we begin to make promises we never intend to keep, and when we do -- God will judge our attitude and actions! Now, are you a politician or a Christian in following the Lord?
---
This article is copyrighted © 2009 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission. You now have my permission to use the entire article.
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