The Review and Herald
June 30, 1885
The Word of the Lord Not to Be Disregarded
The Lord gave Jeremiah a message of reproof to bear to his people, charging them with the continual rejection of his counsel: “I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers.” He pleaded with them not to provoke him to anger with the work of their hands and the devices of their evil hearts; “but they hearkened not.” RH June 30, 1885, par. 1
Jeremiah then predicted the captivity of the Jews, as their punishment for not heeding the word of the Lord. The Chaldeans were to be used as the instrument by which God would chastise his disobedient people, whose punishment was to be in proportion to the light they had had, and the warnings they had despised and rejected. RH June 30, 1885, par. 2
The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord's house, and to speak unto all the people of Judah who came there to worship those things which he would give him to speak, that they might hearken, and turn from their evil ways. Then God would repent of the punishment which he had purposed to inflict upon them because of their wickedness. RH June 30, 1885, par. 3
The Lord commanded Jeremiah to say to the people: “Thus saith the Lord, If ye will not hearken unto me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened, then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” They understood this reference to Shiloh, and the time when the Philistines overcame Israel, and the ark of God was taken. RH June 30, 1885, par. 4
The sin of Eli consisted in passing lightly over the iniquity of his sons, who were in sacred office. His neglect to reprove and restrain his sons brought upon Israel a fearful calamity. The sons of Eli were slain, Eli himself lost his life, the ark of God was taken from Israel, and thirty thousand of the people were slain. All of these calamities occurred because sin was lightly regarded and allowed to remain among them. What a lesson is this to men holding responsible positions in the church of God! It warns them faithfully to remove the wrongs that dishonor the cause of truth. RH June 30, 1885, par. 5
In the days of Samuel, Israel thought that the presence of the ark containing the commandments of God would insure them the victory over the Philistines, whether or not they repented of their wicked works. Just so, in Jeremiah's time, the Jews believed that a strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment of their sinful course. RH June 30, 1885, par. 6
The same danger exists today among the people who profess to be the depository of God's law. They are too apt to flatter themselves that the regard in which they hold the commandments will preserve them from the power of divine justice. They refuse to be reproved for evil, and charge the servants of God with being too zealous in putting sin out of the camp. A sin-hating God calls upon those who profess to keep his law to depart from all iniquity. Neglect to repent and to obey his word will bring as serious consequences upon God's servants today as did the same sin upon ancient Israel. There is a limit beyond which he will no longer delay his judgments. The desolation of Jerusalem stands as a warning before the eyes of modern Israel, that the corrections given through his chosen instruments cannot be disregarded with impunity. RH June 30, 1885, par. 7
When the priests and the people heard the message that Jeremiah delivered to them in the name of the Lord, they were very angry, and declared that he should die. They were boisterous in their denunciations of him, crying, “Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.” Thus was the message of God despised, and the servant with whom he intrusted it threatened with death. The priests, the unfaithful prophets, and all the people turned in wrath upon him who would not speak to them smooth things and prophesy deceit. RH June 30, 1885, par. 8
The princes of Judah heard concerning the words of Jeremiah, and they came up from the king's house and sat in the entry of the Lord's house. “Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears. But Jeremiah stood boldly before the princes and the people, declaring: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold I am in your hand; do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain that if ye put me to death, ye surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.” RH June 30, 1885, par. 9
Had the prophet been intimidated by the threatening attitude of those high in authority, his message would have been without effect, and he would have lost his life. But the courage with which he discharged his painful duty commanded the respect of the people, and turned the princes of Israel in his favor. Thus God raised up defenders for his servant, who reasoned with the priests and false prophets, showing them how unwise would be the extreme measures which they advocated. RH June 30, 1885, par. 10
The influence of these powerful persons produced a reaction in the minds of the people. Then the elders united in protesting against the decision of the priests regarding the fate of Jeremiah. They cited the case of Micah, who prophesied judgments upon Jerusalem, saying, “Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.” And they asked, “Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.” RH June 30, 1885, par. 11
Through the pleading of these men of influence the prophet's life was spared; although many of the priests and false prophets, unable to endure the truths that he uttered, exposing their wickedness, would have been pleased had he been put to death on the plea of sedition. RH June 30, 1885, par. 12
But Israel remained unrepentant; and the Lord saw that they must be punished for their sins. He had long delayed his judgments because of his unwillingness to humiliate his chosen people, and had pleaded with them to return to their allegiance. He had brought them out of bondage that they might faithfully serve him, the only living and true God; but they had wandered into idolatry, they had slighted his warnings given them by his prophets. Yet he had deferred his chastisement, and had given them opportunity after opportunity to repent and avert the retribution for their sins. Through his chosen prophet, he had set before them in clear and positive terms the only course by which they could escape the punishment which they deserved,—a full repentance of their sins, and a turning from the evil of their ways. But they would not heed his warnings and reproofs, and now he would visit his displeasure upon them, as a last effort to check them in their course of transgression. RH June 30, 1885, par. 13
In these days he has instituted no new plan to preserve the purity of his people. As of old, he entreats the erring ones who profess his name to repent and turn from their evil ways. Now, as then, by the mouth of his chosen servants he predicts the dangers before them. He sounds the note of warning and reproves sin just as faithfully as in the days of Jeremiah. But the Israel of our time have the same temptations to scorn reproof and hate counsel as had ancient Israel. They too often turn a deaf ear to the words that God has given his servants for the benefit of those who profess the truth. Though the Lord in mercy withholds for a time the retribution of their sin, as in the days of Jeremiah, he will not always stay his hand, but will visit iniquity with righteous judgment. RH June 30, 1885, par. 14
“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” “Blessed is the man who thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.” “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” RH June 30, 1885, par. 15