By: Roby Ellis
Text: Jeremiah 6:10–15 (NKJV)
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD. I am weary of holding it in. “I will pour it out on the children outside, And on the assembly of young men together; For even the husband shall be taken with the wife, The aged with him who is full of days.
12 And their houses shall be turned over to others, Fields and wives together; For I will stretch out My hand Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD.
13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.
Introduction
I. We live in a time of great conflict.
A. Many minority groups feel that they are being unmercifully oppressed by groups who have greater representation, greater opportunity, or greater strength.
B. The left is at war with the right, and anyone who dares to cross the line between the two on any issue is likely to become a target of attack.
II. We are constantly being reminded that our world is in crisis.
A. The national debt currently exceeds $21 trillion, more than $177,000 per taxpayer, and total liabilities total $115 trillion, almost $1 million apiece.
B. But if debt doesn’t get us before the oceans cover the earth, we are sure to be annihilated either in biological war or a nuclear holocaust.
III. With all of these ills plaguing this world, how can anyone who is in their right mind honestly say, “It is well with my soul”?
Discussion
I. Jeremiah lived in a time when peace seemed like an impossible dream.
A. Judah was teetering at the brink of absolute destruction.
1. Disaster was coming from the north (Jeremiah 6:1).
2. The enemy may have looked harmless, but they were set on destruction (vv 2–5).
3. If she did not amend her ways, Jerusalem would be punished for her sins (vv 6–9).
B. There were proclamations of peace, but it was a counterfeit peace.
1. There were prophets preaching a message of peace (v 14).
2. This was far more welcome than Jeremiah’s gloom and destruction (vv 10–13).
3. This counterfeit peace only emboldened Judah to continue in her sins (vv 15–19).
C. God made an offer to them of genuine peace, but Judah refused it.
1. He promised that He would forgive if she would return to Him (4:1–2).
2. When the first captives were taken, God promised to bring them back in time if they would humble themselves (46:27–28).
3. Unlike the bogus peace that the false prophets were peddling, God’s peace was something of substance that could help bring them through the trials ahead.
II. How can you be at peace when there is no peace?
A. Paul always seemed at peace in times of trouble.
1. He was at peace while adrift on the Mediterranean (Acts 27:22–25).
2. Even locked away in Rome, all was well with his soul (Philippians 1:12–14; 4:4–6).
3. Was he just naïve? Was he unaware of potential dangers? Did he have his head in the sand? No, he had sound reason to believe God would deliver him (2 Timothy 4:16–18).
B. Jesus wanted His disciples to have peace in time of trouble.
1. When Jesus told the disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1), He had just given them a lot of troubling news (13:21, 33, 38).
2. Jesus knew the dangers ahead of them all too well (15:18–25), but He wanted to give them peace (14:27; 16:20–22, 33).
C. Our peace can bring us through the worst of calamities.
1. The hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” was born out of personal tragedy, and it stands as a testament to the peace that nothing in this world can ever take away from us:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Without God’s assurance, words like these make no sense, but with it, these words express the peace that can carry us through any tragedy or sorrow.
Conclusion
I. The world often confuses peace with things like financial security, civil rights, constitutional liberty, or even cessation of hostilities, but all of these things are fragile and can be taken from us quickly and suddenly.
II.To get us through the storms of life, we need a peace that doesn’t make any sense to the world, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,” which alone has the power to “guard our minds and hearts through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).