The Truth In Print, July 2007 Vol. 13 Issue 6
A Publication of the Valley
church of Christ
WHAT STUBBORNNESS REALLY IS
The prophet Jeremiah had a lot to say
about the stubbornness of God’s people. He pulled no punches but stated plainly
the carnality involved. As you read consider taking your Bible and also reading
the passages, thus acquainting yourself with these important scriptures. The
purpose of our study is to ensure that we understand the importance of
obedience being commanded us. The seriousness of our study is seen in that the
stubborn contend with God, are punished, and while being punishment go yet
onwards towards that point where iniquity is great, sins are numerous, and
God’s punishment painfully serious! (cf. Jer. 30:15, 12).
The Stubborn Do Not Understand The Importance Of
Obedience Being Commanded (Jer. 7:21-26)
God in His anger tells them they can add
burnt offerings to their sacrifices
and eat the flesh as they
desire, but that is not what will satisfy Him! Have you
ever seen lets say the News on
CNN until it drives you nuts because it is so repetitive? One of the lessons on
stubbornness is how long God had seen this! God goes back to Moses and their
fathers who heard Moses speak. God tells them that he did “not” speak to the
fathers in the day that He brought them out of Egypt, concerning burnt
offerings or sacrifices —“But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my
voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all
the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you” (Jer.
7:22-23). He’s saying, Obedience is what
I commanded them! He tells “why” – that it might be well with them (cf. De.
6:3). That would have been about 1445 BC., and Jeremiah is dated at 627 to 574
BC. Do some simple subtracting and consider just how sick of their stubbornness
the Lord was. Now read Isaiah 1:10-15 and you will see just how sick of it the
Lord was! And through all of these years God is always telling them what they
should do and must do, as well as what will happen if they refuse (Read Isa.
1:16-20).
The reason that they were like their
fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, was because they did not prepare
their heart to seek the Lord! (cf. Ps. 78:7). God never chose them for their
righteousness, and told them to remember and do not forget they were stubborn
and rebellious from the day they left until the day they arrived in Canaan!
(cf. De. 9:4-7). (We should remember how we have provoked God and not forget!)
This is why God says what He does in telling Jeremiah they will not listen to
you and they will not answer you (Jer. 7:27-28). Because it has been proven for so long a
time!
Joshua told them the same in his farewell
speech. When they agreed with Joshua and said “Far be it from us that we should
forsake the Lord to serve other gods” and then recounted all God had done for
them, he said in return “Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is
a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins” (Josh.
24:15-19). He warned them that God would do them harm if they did not, they
persisted in saying they would serve the Lord, became their own witness against
themselves, and were then told by Joshua to put away their idols they still had
at that very time and serve the Lord! (cp. Josh. 24:23 with 24:16).
Obedience is what God commanded and delights
in. He delights in loyalty and knowledge (Hosea 6:6). He also delights in a
broken spirit when one has dealt deceitfully against Him and ignored the loyalty necessary to pleasing
Him (Ps. 51:17).
The point—without obedience things are not
going to go well with you! You bring
evil upon yourself. Hear Isaiah, “The shew of their countenance doth witness
against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto
their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. [10] Say ye to the
righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of
their doings. [11] Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the
reward of his hands shall be given him” (Isaiah 3:9-11).
This stubbornness accrues punishment and
ends in eternal death (Rom. 2:5).
Stubbornness Is A “Walk” That Is Going Backwards Not
Forward! (Jer. 7:24)
Here is what it is plain and simple:
1. Not obey,
2. Not listen,
3. Walked “own” counsels,
4. Walked in stubbornness of
“own” evil hearts,
5. Progressive – did more evil
than fathers (verse 26).
Stubbornness Contends With God In Refusing To Accept
Correction (Jer. 2:29-37)
Here is what it is in plain words:
1. Accept no chastening,
2. Received no correction,
3. Hated those who rebuked them,
4. Resolve to go on in their own
sinful course — “We are lords; we will come no more to
you,”
5. Liars who contradict what God
says while contradicting themselves,
a. Jer. 2:29b – God declares
they transgressed,
b. Jer. 2:35 – In spite of the
evidence they say they are innocent, 2:23 “I have
not…”
c. Jer. 2:25 – Saying it is
hopeless to serve God and we have chosen to transgress!
Listen! You contend with God when you refuse
correction. Is this some kind of
sick game the stubborn play in
their own mind? If so they will find no injustice
with God —- “Thus saith the
Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from
me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?” (Jer. 2:5).
A Refusal To Repent Goes With Refusing Correction! (Jer.
5:1-3)
Here is what it is plain and simple:
1. Stubborn are the majority,
2. Liars,
3. Smitten but not weakened,
4. Consumed but refused to take
correction,
5. This is accomplished by
making their faces harder than rock,
6. “Though thou shouldest bray
(pound) a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle,
yet will not his foolishness
depart from him” (Pr. 27:25).
7. To what point will he or she
refuse to repent? To the point of when hearing the
curses God will bring upon him
he will bless himself in his heart saying, “I shall
have peace, though I walk in the
imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst” (De. 29:19, read
20-21).
Eventually The Truth Perishes And Lies Prevail! (Jer.
7:28-34, 9:3)
When members are stubborn and refusing
correction they will say they have set goals but they lie! So their rejection
will come through the wrath of the Lord that they do not fear (Jer. 7:29). You can always find “lists” of evidence when
one is stubborn and refuses to listen (cf. 7:30-31). Here is what they do “not”
say:
“But this people hath a revolting
and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and
gone. [24] Neither say they in
their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that
giveth rain, both the former and
the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us
the appointed weeks of the
harvest (Jer. 5:23-25). And we remember what they do say — see De. 29:19 above!
The Stubborn Refuse To Be Ashamed While Having Their Own
Way (Jer. 3:1-5, 6:15)
Again here is what it is:
1. Their stubbornness is “seen”
by all,
2. They have a harlots forehead,
a. You have to acknowledge your
iniquities and that God is your Master to return
to God (Jer. 3:11-14).
3. Not ashamed, neither could
they blush, Jer. 6:15.
4. How little shame did they
display? They were not ashamed when saying in face of God, “We will not!” (Read
6:16-20).
5. When God punishes them in
full then they will be ashamed, 7:19; 9:19 great shame.
The Wicked Lying Heart Is In Perpetual Backsliding (Jer.
8:4-7)
Here is what it is plain and simple:
1. These were not the righteous
who stumble seven times and rise up again, but evil hearts of stubbornness (cp.
Pr. 24:16),
2. They hold fast to deceit and
refuse to return,
a. When in that stubborn backsliding pattern
members will say they have set goals but they lie! Yes, I have set goals and I
know service to God comes first and I will work to get back. Yes, I have
listened and I’m going to do right!
b. God says He has listened and
heard,
3. Everyone turned to his own
course,
5. They had lost the knowledge of God,
6. God asks, “And what kind of wisdom
do they have?” (Read Jer. 8:8-12)
a. The kind that is based upon
lies (8) and shames (9).
b. Why of course —the kind that
seeks to justify the stubborn in their stubbornness! Jer. 8:11,
c. The kind that keeps one from
being ashamed even though their so called “wise” who taught them have been put
to shame!
Conclusion: This stubbornness accrues
punishment and ends in eternal death —“But after thy hardness and impenitent
heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation
of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5).
By Bob Lovelace