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