07/03/2021
The Congregation: Jeremiah 6
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is;
and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
+ + +
Never let it be said God doesn’t give His people options. He won’t force us to walk with Him where He leads. Neither will He turn from the way He has chosen. Either His people travel with him, or they part ways with the Lord.
From God’s vantage point, he can see the older “ancient paths” are the better to travel. They have served many generations of His people better. That “good path” leads to rest for the soul. God wants the souls of His people to know and enjoy rest.
If His people will simply follow Him, go where He is already leading them, they will know his rest—his Sabbath—for their souls, too. Such an outcome is inevitable: God’s “good way” leads only toward such a Sabbath for “my soul, all my innermost being!” (Psalm 103)
Every other road is Restless, an “Unsabbath Road.” It leads to sleepless nights and long, weary days. Loss, hardship, captivity to restlessness, hurry and slavery are but the waypoints along the Restless road. God would have us travel with him toward certain rest.
Indeed, recall how our Lord says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—a Sabbath, with Me. (Matt. 11:28) If you find yourself ever frazzled, you might consider going to Him where He’s promised to meet you: in the Word and Sacrament ministry of the congregation. Go often, and you’ll learn to receive your rest from the Best!
Our vantage point is short-sighted, focused often on immediate gratification for our bad desires—but also appears to be good for us. When Eve considered the forbidden fruit, she saw it as appealing, “pleasing to the eye,” and noticed there were good things about it: “it was good for food” (Gen. 3) Her intentions for disregarding the Lord’s command were good. Most folks skip church with good intentions. Before they realize it, months and years have passed where worship is the rare exception, not the general rule for them. Yet, Eve’s godless path led to ruin. So does ours lead to a life devoid of rest from our labors with Jesus. God’s path always leads to “Sabbath” for His people— to your rest.
Behold how Jeremiah mourns, having tried to show them God’s ways are older (since the very Beginning!) and better, with a sure Sabbath destination: “find rest for your souls.”
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
God’s people decided to part ways with him and walk toward restless ruin of their lives.
+ + + The Congregation: Jeremiah 6:
17 I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’
+ + +
The prophet’s task Jeremiah often describes as being the Lord’s “watchman.” These keep a spiritual lookout, an often lonesome work. To him it is given to sound the alarm in order that the people be alert to imminent threats, approaching enemies, and rouse them to take up arms in defense or to flee.
Jeremiah was doing his job. Awake, vigilant, he beholds the enemies’ approach as one incapable to standing against them alone. Your pastor, too, is a watchman. It is given to him to alert the people to distant, imminent dangers, too. He cannot avert or conquer them for you—but he can sound the alarm and rouse you when needed.
Like with the alarms we set for ourselves, many prefer to silence them, hit snooze again and again rather than be roused to spiritual warfare against spiritual enemies. Weary, drunk, hopeless, or indifferent—some choose to snooze and lose.
Regardless, the watchman is vigilant and awake for you, in love and service to you. How sad to see danger when it’s still miles away from you and be ignored. God grants us faithful watchmen over our lives. Thus the New Testament exhorts pastors not to lose heart:
“Pay careful attention to (literally “keep watch of!”) yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” (Acts 20:28-29)
Also, God directs his people to be grateful for their watchman-pastors, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17) The Lord God always seeks what is to your advantage.
Here in Jeremiah, the reality and sad consequence is shown,
“But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.”
People will snooze and lose, rather than heed and honor the watchmen’s warnings. Worse still, some will regard the truth about imminent spiritual danger as a “false alarm.” Again, vantage point is key. The watchman is positioned high on the walls to see farther in the distance. The spiritual snoozer sees no danger to his life lying warm and comfy in bed.
+ + + The Congregation: Jeremiah 6:
18 Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O **congregation,**
what will happen to them.
19 Hear, O earth;
behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
+ + +
So we arrive at another instance of the Biblical word “Congregation.” For this congregation, it’s too late. Babylon is at the gates! Destruction and captivity, exile and slavery are upon them.
How about for you, your family, your congregation? What will happen if we continue to refuse responding to the watchman’s alarm? Will we walk away from the Lord’s Sabbath Road and forsake our rest? Would we rather snooze and delay conforming our conduct to the Lord’s good law and ways, snooze some more until sometime when we’re not all cozied into our self-devised weekend routines?
You don’t have to walk in the Lord’s ways. But at least we ought to know the difference between his path and the path of our own choosing: the path of the godless, the restless, the cozy slumberer.
+ + + The Congregation: Jeremiah 6:
20 What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba,
or sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
21 Therefore thus says the Lord:
‘Behold, I will lay before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.’”
—Jeremiah 6:16-21
“Frankincense” we recognize from the Christmas account: wise gentiles from the east, the Magi, could see God was doing something important among His people. The Lord draws them to Jesus. They worship him. They present their gifts to Him. Not because they owe him or want anything from this babe in a manger. They honor Him because He is worthy of honor, on account of who He is and what He has come to do: be King of the Jews, to suffer and die for you. They come to honor the Savior of the World.
If you and I won’t worship the Lord, we ought to know he’s well able to draw worshippers from elsewhere. God’s call to come meet the Savior rings out, to “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts!” (Psalm 96:8)
God doesn’t need your worship, your sacrifices, your offerings. In fact, they sometimes become utterly unacceptable. The Lord cannot, will not accept them, when they’re offered in vain attempt to barter and trade with him, or to purchase something from him. God refuses a commercial, producer-consumer, score keeping relationship with you!
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” (Psalm 130:3-4) God’s help is not for sale, but graciously and freely given in Christ alone.
The Lord God Almighty deigns to hold court in our town, the one who saved us. Have we frankincense or gifts with which to come and see and honor him—just for being who He is and doing what He does for us through the week?
Some cease coming to worship when they imagine God has cheated or slighted them somehow. The Lord was never supposed to do something other than graciously send His Savior into our midst, to bear our sin and make atonement for our sins, restoring us to favor with God. Indeed, we’ve not deserved to be saved from our faults and folly.
True Christian worship is the faith in Jesus that seeks Jesus. Faith in Jesus goes to Jesus. Faith relies upon Jesus. Faith honors Jesus as our savior and king, with thanksgiving in the congregation. Best of all, faith in Jesus receives “paid in full” forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.
Jesus is the Good Way, provider of faithful watchmen, and desires your advantage—for you also to be included and share in a day of Rest with him in the congregation. Let us join the wise men and offer our acceptable worship of faith and thanksgiving, before we delay and snooze ourselves right into destruction.
We pray: “Lord have mercy upon your people, rescue them from their enemies at the gates, and redeem them from captivity. Grant that we may walk the Good Way with you, in the midst of the congregation, in Christ.”
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