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Good evening, please turn in 
your Bibles to Jeremiah six. Jeremiah, Chapter six. We will 
hope to be instructed and encouraged and taught by the Babylonian 
or Chaldean invasion of the southern kingdom of Judah this evening, 
and you might be asking, how can we be admonished and instructed 
and encouraged by the Babylonian or Chaldean invasion of the southern 
kingdom of Judah. And I believe, of course, that 
we can be because it is given to us within the pages of God's 
holy word. And we do have the instruction 
or the declaration of the Apostle Paul that the history of Old 
Covenant Israel serves serves as an admonition to us as Christians 
in the New Covenant. We gain much. We learn much. 
We are edified by much that is revealed in the Old Testament, 
of course, as well as the New Testament. So we will hope to 
be instructed again by the pages of Jeremiah six as we learn many 
things concerning the sovereignty of God and his upholding of divine 
justice. of the transgressions and the 
depravity of men, and of the need or the necessity of divine 
grace, and of a substitutionary sacrifice that comes in the person 
and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we'll read Jeremiah 6, and 
I'll pick up reading at verse 1. We'll finish reading at verse 
20. Oh, you children of Benjamin, 
gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem. Blow 
the trumpet in Sukkot and set up a signal fire and Beth HaKarem. For disaster appears out of the 
north and great destruction. I have likened the daughter of 
Zion to a lovely and delicate woman. The shepherds with their 
flock shall come to her. They shall pitch their tents 
against her all around. Each one shall pasture in his 
own place. Prepare war against her. Arise 
and let us go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day goes away, 
for the shadows of the evening are lengthening. Arise and let 
us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. For thus has the 
Lord of hosts said, cut down trees and build a mound against 
Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished. 
She is full of oppression in her midst. As a fountain wells 
up with water, so she wells up with her wickedness. Violence 
and plundering are heard in her before me continually are grief 
and wounds. Be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest 
my soul depart from you, lest I make you desolate, a land not 
inhabited. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
they shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnants of Israel 
as a great gatherer. Put your hand back into the branches. 
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. 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, 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. Because 
from the least of them to the greatest of them, everyone is 
given to covetousness. And from the prophet even to 
the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt 
of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no 
peace. 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. Thus says 
the Lord, stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths 
where the good way is and walk in it. Then you will find rest 
for your souls. But they said, we will not walk 
in it. Also, I set watchmen over you saying, listen to the sound 
of the trumpet. But they said, we will not listen. 
Therefore, here you nations and no congregation. What is among 
them here? Oh, Earth. Behold, I will certainly 
bring calamity on this people, the fruit of their thoughts, 
because they have not heeded my words nor my law, but rejected 
it. For what purpose to me comes 
frankincense from Sheba and sweet, excuse me, and sweet cane from 
a far country. Your burnt offerings are not 
acceptable, nor your sacrifice is sweet to me. Amen. Well, let 
us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
your revealed Word. We thank you, Lord God, for the 
Scriptures that you have given to us. And we thank you, Lord 
God, that we can glean much and be well instructed in your God-breathed 
Word to us. And might we be that. Might we 
be the recipients of instruction. Lord God, we ask for the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit for preacher and for hearer that we might 
engage in this act of worship and be lifted up and edified 
in the things of your Word. And Lord God, we would just ask 
that you be with us now. Help us to be instructed. Help 
us to accord our lives, to align our lives unto your revealed 
word to us. And might we glorify you and 
extol and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. We 
pray in his most precious name. Amen. Well, Jeremiah's lifetime 
was, or Jeremiah's lifetime saw, world empires jockeying for territorial 
and military supremacy. The time of Jeremiah, a number 
of things were going on. The Assyrian Empire was on the 
decline in about 626 BC, in and around 626. The capital of Assyria, Nineveh, 
fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, or the Chaldeans, 
in 612 BC. In 605 BC, Nebuchadnezzar and 
the Babylonians conquered Egypt at Carchemish, and it was Nebuchadnezzar 
and the Babylonians that were moving upon, with might and power, 
Judah, the southern kingdom. The Southern Kingdom were the 
witnesses of the Northern Kingdom being brought into captivity 
by Assyria. It had been about a hundred years 
since the Northern Kingdom had been brought into captivity. 
And we learn in Jeremiah 3, 7 that treacherous Judah witnessed her 
abominations, witnessed her backsliding and adultery, but nevertheless 
did not reform her ways. And so now God, by divine justice, 
was coming by way of Babylon, by way of the Chaldeans to to 
bring or to enforce the terms of his covenant and his law because 
they had transgressed. And when we when we look at these 
things in all of these things, we are to be directed to the 
throne room of the high king of heaven. as the one who orchestrates 
from his divine position the affairs of men to the praise 
of his glory and for the zeal of his own name and for the good 
of his people. One thing that we need to do 
when we look upon the historical accounts of empires being brought 
as vessels of judgment upon Israel, upon Judah, We are to see the 
divine machinations or the providential movements of Yahweh, the covenant 
Lord, in bringing about his eternal decree. Even Nebuchadnezzar eventually 
recognized the sovereignty of God when he said he does according 
to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of 
the earth. Who can restrain his hand or say to him, what have 
you done? So getting now to Jeremiah chapter 
six, we're going to notice, first of all, the announcement of the 
destruction of Judah, the announcement of the destruction of Judah. 
And actually, just before we get to Jeremiah six and verse 
one, if you can turn to the left to Jeremiah chapter one, just 
to see something of a good summary of what's going on and why it's 
going on in the book and in the pages of Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 
one. Beginning at the end of verse 
14, out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the 
inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all 
the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord. 
They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance 
of the gates of Jerusalem against all its walls all around and 
against all the cities of Judah. I will utter my judgments against 
them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me. 
burned incense to other gods and worship the works of their 
own hands. And so, Jeremiah, that comes 
in the context of Jeremiah's commission to Judah. in order 
to prophesy of the inevitable doom of of that southern kingdom 
and that they should repent and return to God, return to the 
old house where the good way is. So first off, back in Jeremiah, 
chapter six, the announcement of the destruction of Judah, 
the prophecy of the inevitable destruction of Judah by way of 
Babylon, who was God's chosen vessel to bring divine recompense 
and retribution upon those who had gone contrary to him. Verse 
1, O you children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee from 
the midst of Jerusalem, blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set 
up a signal fire in Beth HaKarem. For disaster appears out of the 
north, and great destruction. The Lord God, though he had sworn 
and would not relent concerning divine judgment, nevertheless 
gives something of instructions and warning to Judah that their 
invader was coming. that Babylon, that the Chaldeans 
under Nebuchadnezzar were coming and they were to bring disaster 
and great destruction. But this was something that would 
be in vain, of course, because notice the fact of verse two 
and verse three. The fact was that Jerusalem would 
not be ready, yes, by divine movements, but because in her 
midst the prophets were declaring to them peace, peace and prosperity 
when there was none. They had gone away from their 
God. They had left the God of the 
old paths and they had worshipped the works of their own hands. 
They had gone after the gods of the Gentiles. They had they 
had reproached and blasphemed the word of the Lord and they 
had gone away from him. And so notice verse two, I have 
likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman. The nation of Jerusalem or the 
southern the southern kingdom of Judah was to be something 
of a pushover for Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian invading armies. They were not or they did not 
have the face of gross opposition and readiness, but rather the 
shepherds with their flock shall come to her. Verse three. That's 
a reference to the Babylonians. That's a reference to Nebuchadnezzar 
and his officers coming in and encamping among them. and taking 
over Judah and destroying her. The shepherds with their flock 
shall come to her. They shall pitch their tents 
against her all around. Each one shall pasture in his 
own place. This is a prediction of Nebuchadnezzar 
again and his officers, his troops entering Jerusalem and camping 
inside of her with ease. I have likened the daughter of 
Zion to a lovely and a delicate woman. And then God, by the prophet, 
again, takes up not again. God, by the prophet, takes up 
the dialogue of his appointed his appointed invaders versus 
four and five. Prepare war against her. Arise, 
let us go up at noon. Woe to us for the day goes away, 
for the shadows of the evening are lengthening. Arise and let 
us go by night and let us destroy her palaces. So, again, God, 
by by the prophet, announces judgment upon Judah and we'll 
get to the particulars concerning the justice of that judgment 
as we move along. But notice now God gives instructions 
to the destroyers. God gives instructions to the 
destroyers, to Babylon, his instrument of divine justice, to bring destruction 
to Judah for violating the terms of covenant and law, beginning 
in verse six. For thus has the Lord of hosts 
said, cut down trees and build a mound against Jerusalem. This 
is the city to be punished. She is full of oppression in 
her midst as a fountain wells up with water. So she wells up 
with her wickedness. Violence and plundering are heard 
in her before me continually are grief and wounds. Be instructed, 
O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from you, lest I make you desolate, 
a land not inhabited. But beginning there in verse 
six or in verse six, we have the instructions given to the 
destroyers. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
cut down trees and build a mound against Jerusalem. This is the 
city to be punished. Gil notes in his commentary that 
there was something of a ditch, an enclosure sort of around the 
city of Jerusalem. And this he sees as a command 
to the Chaldeans, to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians, to fill 
those things, to cut down trees and build a mound. against it 
so that they can adequately attack the city, the city of his affection, 
the city that was supposed to be a city that testified to the 
grace of God and his covenant faithfulness and to the glory 
of the living and true God. And so, again, God is giving 
divine instructions to the invaders of Jerusalem in order that they 
might attack her effectively. And notice we have here the language 
of imposing penalty upon Jerusalem. The language of imposing penalty 
upon Jerusalem. The middle of verse six. This 
is the city to be punished. I think we have two things here. 
This is the city to be punished. Not only do we certainly have 
here the guiltiness of Jerusalem, this is the city to be punished. 
And there is good and solid divine reasons why this city is to be 
punished. And we also have, of course, 
the immediacy of the punishment. The day of vengeance was now. 
The day of vengeance was near. The judge was standing at the 
door. And so Jerusalem was about to 
meet her end by way of the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar. And then 
we see, as is often repeated in Jeremiah and throughout the 
prophets, God provides the reasons for their punishment. God provides 
the reasons for their punishment. There is justification. There 
is warrant. Notice the end of verse six and 
moving into verse seven. She is full of oppression in 
her midst as a fountain wells up with water. So she wells up 
with her wickedness. Violence and plundering are heard 
and are heard in her before me continually are grief and wounds. She is full of oppression in 
her midst. This isn't that Jerusalem was 
somehow the innocent and ill-fated recipients of tyranny, but rather 
that within the ranks, within the population of God's people, 
of the southern kingdom of Judah, there were those who were oppressors. 
And there were those, of course, who were oppressed. But nevertheless, 
oppression marked God's people and judgment was coming because 
of that. She is full of oppression in 
her midst. And then notice beginning of 
verse seven, as a fountain wells up with water, so she wells up 
with her wickedness. It wasn't the case that there 
was just an occasional and infrequent dripping of water that was the 
wickedness of Judah. It was the case that as a fountain 
wells up with water, so she wells up with her wickedness. Jeremiah 
would say elsewhere, can the Ethiopian change his skin or 
the leopard its spots? Then let you do good who are 
accustomed to doing evil. It was the custom of Judah, the 
custom of the southern kingdom, to be engrossed in wickedness, 
not just to occasionally somehow against their regular holy disposition, 
engage in wickedness, but rather as fountains well up with water. 
So she welled up with her wickedness. And then also violence and plundering 
are heard in her. before me continually are grief 
and wounds. Yes, we are to see in this particular 
portion of the verse that more language of the sorry state of 
Jerusalem, more language of the sorry state of Judah. But I believe 
we are also to see here the fact of the divine and sovereign double 
edged sword of knowledge that is Yahweh's. The violence and 
plundering are heard in her before me continually, says the Lord, 
our grief and wounds and this double edged sword of intimate, 
divine and sovereign knowledge of all things is just that a 
double edged sword to the people of God, to those who walk in 
the way everlasting. This is a boon to their walk 
in the way everlasting. that before our great God continually, 
our grief and wounds, or in other words, he looks upon us and he 
sees our trials. He sees our travails. He sees 
our tribulation. He sees and he hears and he acts 
accordingly. But also the other edge of that 
sword for those who do not walk in the way everlasting, for those 
who walk in the perilous way, this is not a boon to their walk, 
but rather this reality is something that ever haunts their walk because 
God does see, because God does hear, because his eye is always 
on the good and the bad, observing them. That ought to be something 
that haunts those who do not walk in the way everlasting. 
And certainly this would be something this should have been something 
that haunted the southern kingdom for those who were full of oppression 
in their midst, for those who has water welled up from the 
fountain. So were they welled up with their 
wickedness and we worship rather. And it is a joy. It is a delight 
that we worship and follow a God who does have all things before 
him. We worship and we serve and we 
fall before delightfully fall before a Lord Jesus Christ who 
has eyes as of a flame of fire piercing through the darkest 
veil, witnessing the good, witnessing the bad, commending those who 
are faithful and condemning those who are unrepentant. It is a 
beautiful thing that we can know and that we can serve and that 
we can follow that Christ. And might we be faithful and 
might we be good as we follow and walk in the way everlasting. Notice now that Yahweh, the Lord 
of hosts, gives instructions now to Judah. He had instructed 
the invaders, the Chaldean invaders, to come against Jerusalem because 
this is the city to be punished. And now he gives instruction 
to Jerusalem. Be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest 
my soul depart from you, lest I make you desolate, a land not 
inhabited. In other words, The Lord is saying 
to Judah, be the humble recipients of correction. Be instructed, 
O Judah, they were to exercise wisdom, they were to exercise 
discernment, and they were to be the humble recipients of correction 
from their divine and saving Lord. They were to return to 
God. They were to own their transgressions 
and repent instead of instead of furious anger for their continuing 
in spiritual stubbornness. They were to be the humble recipients 
of fatherly displeasure. And they were they were to turn 
from their idolatry. They were to turn from their 
transgressions and they were to worship the God of the armies 
of Israel. These words be instructed. carry 
with them so many things. Just this simple sentence to 
Jerusalem, be instructed. The simple phrase to Jerusalem, 
be instructed. Oh, Jerusalem carries with it 
so many things. They were to rehearse their transgressions. They were to take their transgressions, 
their inequities, hold them under the shining light of covenant 
and law and see their ugliness and repent of that wickedness 
and of those transgressions. They were to consider the words 
of the prophet. They were to consider the words 
of the prophet Jeremiah concerning the coming Babylonians, concerning 
the coming invaders. They were to heed the warnings 
of God by the prophet concerning the coming invaders. And they 
were to turn from their idolatries, to turn from their wickedness, 
to turn from their covenant breach and to embrace the covenant Lord 
and follow and walk in the ancient paths, in the old ways. But they 
did not do that. they were to stop listening to 
those worthless physicians. We noticed... We notice that 
it is these these worthless physicians that say to the people, peace, 
peace, verse 14. They have also healed the hurt 
of my people slightly saying peace, peace. They were not to 
listen to those worthless physicians, those false prophets. They were 
to listen to the Lord God through the prophet Jeremiah, who was 
declaring calamity, who was declaring destruction because they had 
deviated far from their covenant Lord and they had embraced idolatry 
and had entertained all manner of wickedness. They were to take 
heed to the pleas and promises of the Lord and return to him. Throughout Jeremiah and condensed 
even within just a span of verses in Jeremiah 3 and up to Jeremiah 
4 verse 1, we have God saying, return to me and I will heal 
your backsliding. Jeremiah 3 at verse 7, Jeremiah 
three at verse seven, and I said after she had done these things, 
all these things returned to me, but she did not return. Jeremiah 
three in verse twelve return back sliding. Israel says the 
Lord. I will not cause my anger to fall on you, for I am merciful, 
says the Lord. I will not remain angry forever. Verse 14 return. Oh, backsliding 
children, says the Lord, for I am married to you. Verse 22, 
return you backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding. 
Jeremiah 4 and verse 1. If you will return, O Israel, 
says the Lord, return to me. And if you will put away your 
abominations out of my sight, then you shall not be moved. Also, they were to recall God's 
gracious dealings in the past. Israel was to go about the exercise 
of historical retrospect. They were to remember God's gracious 
dealings with Noah, with Abraham, with Isaac, with Jacob, with 
Joseph, with David, with with Moses, with David, with Solomon. 
They were to look back upon the history of a gracious God and 
they were to repent of having turned away from him and gone 
off, gone after. the gods of the nations. They 
were to look upon the past and see a gracious God of covenant 
faithfulness, keeping his people. And they were to look at the 
power of God in creation and in Providence. Jeremiah 5, 22 
to 25. They were to look at the God, 
the power of God in creation and Providence. Notice Jeremiah 
5 at verse 22. Do you not fear me, says the 
Lord? Will you not tremble at my presence? who have placed 
the sand as the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that 
it cannot pass beyond it. And though its waves toss to 
and fro, yet they cannot prevail. Though they roar, yet they cannot 
pass over it. But this people has a defiant 
and rebellious heart. They have revolted and departed. 
They do not say in their heart, let us now fear the Lord our 
God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its 
season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 
Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have 
withheld good from you. They were to look upon the gracious 
and the powerful God of creation and providence, and they were 
to return unto him. And brethren, those in every 
generation who are contrary to God are to be well instructed 
by these examples of providential history. Paul did write that 
these things were written for our admonition. Those who are 
contrary to the God of creation and providence and sustaining 
and redeeming are to be well instructed by those things that 
have been made clear to him. Yes, he is dead in his trespasses 
and in his sins. Yes, he is in bondage to sin. Yes, all of these things that 
the Bible say regarding biblical anthropology and the depravity 
of man are true. But nevertheless, the instruction 
stands. Be instructed, be instructed. We know the necessity of grace, 
but it is not the case that anybody can argue that anybody can argue. that they have not been made 
known the ways of the Lord day after day, utter speech, night 
after night, reveals knowledge that the heavens declare the 
glory of God. The firmament shows his handiwork. 
These in Judah were supposed to look back upon or look at 
those things, creation and providence. and to return unto their covenant 
Lord. And we'll get some more of every 
generation that is contrary to the Lord in a moment. But notice 
after. After we read of this instruction 
to Jerusalem, this instruction to Judah, we see that Jeremiah 
bemoans the obstinacy and the pig-headedness of Judah. The 
obstinacy and the pig-headedness of his people in verse 10 or 
just reading beginning at verse 9. Thus says the Lord of hosts, 
they shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnants of Israel 
as a great gatherer. Put your hand back into the branches. 
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." Jeremiah here bemoans the pig-headedness of his people, 
spiritual deadness, disobedience, dishonoring and rejecting the 
word of God. This is a common refrain of the 
prophets Throughout providential and redemptive history, you uncircumcised 
in hardened years. You always resist the Holy Spirit, 
Stephen said. Like your fathers did, so do 
you. Which of the prophets did your 
fathers not persecute? And they put to death those who 
foretold the coming of the just one, of whom you now have become 
the betrayers and murderers. It is the history of Israel that 
there are those that there are those who persecute God's messengers, 
God's heralds sent to them. We read that this morning when 
we were reading Mark chapter 12. And the parable of the vineyard, 
the parable of the vineyard owner and those to whom he leases the 
vineyard and every servant that is sent by the landowner, by 
the vineyard owner, is put to death or beaten and stoned. And 
he finally, the landowner finally sends his son, who we know in 
this parable is the Lord Jesus Christ. And nevertheless, they 
take his inheritance and they put him to death. The history 
of Israel is marked by by those who have put to death the prophets, 
put to death those who foretold the coming of the just one. And 
this indictment of spiritual deadness, this indictment of 
being uncircumcised in heart and ears, is the declaration 
of God's heralds throughout the history of the church. When they 
come against pig-headedness in the center, they will not hear. 
They will not give heed. They will not be well instructed. 
They will not exercise wisdom and discernment, but rather will 
stay in their state of bondage, will stay in their state of being 
dead in trespasses and in sins. And notice that verse 16. Notice 
that verse 16, a wonderful verse, and we probably won't have enough 
time to get back to this place, but notice what it says here. 
And in verse 16, thus says the Lord, stand in the ways and see 
and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your 
souls. But they said we will not walk 
in it. God is reiterating here with 
more force Jeremiah by God or God by the prophet Jeremiah is 
reiterating with more force or giving that instruction here 
with more force. God does, if you will, God plants 
a crossroads before the nation of Judah and says, be instructed, 
choose well, exercise wisdom, because there is ultimately two 
paths before you. The way everlasting, the old 
paths, the ancient paths, those that are reliable, proven, well 
tried by your forefathers. or the perilous way, the way 
that ends in destruction, the way that ends in eternal hellfire, 
the way that ends in damnation, stand in the waves and see they 
were to come before an intersection before the crossroads. And they 
were to be well instructed in which path to undertake. They 
were to ask directions. They were to ask to receive or 
to buy freely the compass from the redeeming Lord and to see 
which way to go. Ask for the old paths where the 
good way is and walk in it. And it is it is with appeal to 
the exercise of wisdom that God has planted many crossroads before 
his people throughout redemptive history. We could look at Joshua 
before the nation of Israel. Choose this day whom you will 
serve. Are you going to serve the gods 
of the nations, the gods of the Egyptians and the Amorites, or 
will you serve the living and true God, Yahweh? Choose now, 
this day, whom you will serve. Or in 1 Kings 18, Elijah and 
the prophets of Baal. There is that crossroads that 
is planted before the people. They were not to continue any 
longer faltering between two opinions. They were to either 
choose Yahweh, the covenant Lord, the living and true God, or Baal, 
who was no God at all. Or we could think in the first 
century, Pilate, conscious Pilate to the Jews, God by divine providence 
plants that crossroads before his people, Barabbas or Jesus. But they chose Barabbas. Crucify 
Christ, give us Barabbas. The first century Jews and the 
Gentiles before the preaching, before the heraldic declaration 
of God's prophets and messengers would be given that crossroads, 
would have the crossroads planted before them. You choose Caesar 
or you choose Christ. And we see the unbelieving Jewish 
declaration. We have no king but Caesar. Planted 
before them were two ways, choose Christ, King of Kings and Lord 
of Lords, or Caesar, a false claimant to that title. But they 
chose Caesar. We have no king but Caesar. And it really all boils down 
to the declaration of the Apostle John in John three thirty six 
regarding those crossroads. John 3, 36, he who believes the 
sun has life, but he who does not believe the sun shall not 
see life. But the wrath of God abides on 
him. Those crossroads are planted 
before people. But the common refrain from those 
untouched by the grace, the amazing and victorious grace of God is 
we will not walk in it. And it is against the force of 
revelation that they do this. The God in creation and providence 
and in special revelation declares loudly his presence, his existence 
and his glory. But it is with stopped up ears 
that unbelievers march forth in the perilous way. They are the unbeliever, the 
idolater, the professing atheist, the cultist. All of those who 
follow after false religion do, in fact, have two full time jobs. If they are regularly employed 
in this lower world, they have a full time job wherein they 
go daily and they labor, they make money and they bring home 
food for the table. But they have a second full time 
job. And that second full time job 
is daily suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. That's their 
second full-time job, and they spend much time at that throughout 
the day, daily trying to suppress, day after day uttering speech, 
night after night revealing knowledge, the heavens declaring the glory 
of God, the firmament showing His handiwork. They stop up the 
ears, they cover the eyes, and they say, there is no God, and 
they live according to that profession. It is the case that those who 
are unbelieving, those who do not embrace the Covenant Lord, 
Yahweh, those who are following after many a false religion, 
are like those dwelling in a chamber with Behemoth with the tail that 
swings as a cedar. Behemoth is in their chambers 
and his tail is swinging like the cedars of Lebanon, knocking 
over lamps and knocking over couch pillows and knocking over 
many things. And the unbeliever walks around 
the chamber, picks them up, but all the while declaring that 
there is no beast in that chamber. That is the unbeliever. That 
is the one who is stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and 
ears. Those are the ones who say, we will not walk in it. 
When trumpets are blown, when watchmen are set over them, verse 
17, they say, we will not listen. It's an indictment upon man, 
and it stresses the comprehensiveness of sin, depravity, and the fact 
that they are in need of divine and saving and sovereign grace. And then notice, if we're still 
in Jeremiah 6, verses 11 and 12, verses 11 and 12, the the 
prophet, after declaring his weariness and trying to hold 
in the prophecy of the wrath of God, opens up the Lord speaking 
through him. Verse 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, 
and their houses will 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. We should 
see here the universal breadth of the sin and the guilt of sin 
upon all men. God is not relenting. If there was any quarter to be 
asked or if anyone was to ask for quarter to be given and to 
argue based on age, to argue based on the fragility of their 
age, whether young or old, to argue for quarter to be given 
based on the fact that they were almost upon their deathbed or 
to argue for quarter to be given because they were in conjugal 
relations with their spouse. God would say there is no quarter 
to be given, no quarter to be granted for even the husband 
shall be taken with the wife and on the assembly of the young 
men together before that the aged with him who is full of 
days. All will be the recipients of 
divine recompense because they had departed from the living 
and the true God. And we ought to see here that 
If you have not been granted repentance, if you have not faith 
in the Savior, then no argument for you will suffice on Judgment 
Day. There's no wiggle room out of 
divine judgment. There is no argument for quarter 
to be given. If you face the Lord that day 
and you have not believed, you are not found in Christ, but 
rather daily and weekly and monthly and yearly unto your death. You 
were opposed to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Again, 
the language of Jeremiah, the prophet, and on the assembly 
of the young men together, for even the husband shall be taken 
with the wife, the agent with him who is full of days 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. The beautiful thing is that Christ 
in redemptive history reverses this particular sort of curse 
on a spiritual level. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost went to all types of men, to the young 
and to the old, to maidservants and to manservants. So if now 
you are not found in the Lord, you are not found among the faithful. 
It is the case that you will on the day of judgment, if you 
do not bend and eat to Christ, be found before the judge of 
heaven and earth and no quarter given. Nevertheless, now, while 
you are living, it is the acceptable time to repent. It is the acceptable 
time now. Right now is the time to bend 
a knee to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, to bend to 
the ultimate and divine destroyer who looks upon with grace and 
mercy those who are of a humble and contrite heart, who do believe 
in his son that he sent into this world. But those who do 
not are accursed. Those who do not will bet will 
be the recipients of the spiritual, the spiritual parallel to this 
example, that they will have the Lord stretch out his hand 
upon them and against the inhabitants of the land. The justice, brethren, 
of no quarter given versus 13 and 15, lest anyone think that 
there is somehow overreaction from the throne room. We get 
the divine evidence concerning those who have who will be the 
recipients of the Lord stretching out his hand against the inhabitants 
of the land. There is no overreaction from 
the divine throne room, but rather perfect justice flowing from 
it. Notice verses 13 beginning at verse 13, because from the 
least of them to the greatest of them, everyone is given to 
covetousness and from the prophet even to the priest. Everyone 
deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt 
of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no 
peace. 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. Again, the divine recompense 
is coming by way of Babylon, but it is not an injustice, but 
rather a justice because of the iniquities of his people. They 
had broken covenant. We don't have enough time to 
get into everything concerning what God by Moses had given to 
his people in Leviticus and in Deuteronomy concerning their 
covenant allegiance to their covenant Lord. But we see here 
a reversal and overturning of covenant blessings. It's interesting 
how we see here in verse 12, their houses shall be turned 
over to others, fields and wives together. One covenant blessing 
as God was bringing his people into the land of promise was 
that they would dwell in houses that were not built by their 
own hands. They would be the recipients of crops and harvests 
and those things that they did not plant. Yet, because they 
went away serving other gods, because they departed from Yahweh, 
now they are the recipients of covenant cursings. They had breached 
their covenant with the covenant Lord, and now the cursings of 
the covenant. Leviticus 26. And Deuteronomy 
28 are coming upon the people. God, again, is using Babylon 
as his divine instrument of judgment for those who had broken covenant 
and law. The justice of no quarter given 
is because of the covetousness, the false prophecy, the lack 
of shame as they with wicked and open satisfaction committed 
all manner of idolatry and the immorality that follows. And 
then God reiterates the consequences for their disobedience. We read 
it, but we'll read it again. God reiterates the consequences 
for their disobedience in verse 15, right in the middle. Therefore, 
they shall fall among those who fall at the time I punish them. They shall be cast down, says 
the Lord. Speaking here concerning most 
particularly the prophets and the priests, the prophets who 
cried out peace, peace when there is no peace. Jeremiah was the 
weary yet righteous prophet in declaring the actual will and 
the word of God, because they had broken covenant and law. 
There was not going to be peace, peace and prosperity, but rather 
God by Babylon was coming to judge them for transgressing 
the righteous precepts of the covenant Lord. And so the prophets 
were not to preach peace, peace. It's easy to do that because 
then you receive the benefits of the king and everything is 
well in the kingdom for you. You know, if we realize this 
ethic or this, you know, this that sort of notion as Christians, 
as Christian preachers, but as Christians generally, it's very 
easy to preach peace, peace. We preach, you know, God loves 
you, has a wonderful plan for your life. Everything's going 
to be fine. You know, let's just all, you know, sit around the 
campfire, sing kubaya, love, love, love. Very easy. But when 
we actually come with the Christian message that God is holy, you 
are not. You're depraved and you need 
Christ Jesus, the only savior for sinners. Well, then that's 
when we've departed from the nice and welcoming peace, peace, 
and we've entered into the realm of Jeremiah, who would ultimately 
be put to death for his declaration of truth. So, brethren, we are 
not to be those worthless positions that say to a sinner, all is 
well, but rather your lot is not well. No, nothing is well 
for you unless you bend the knee to the King of Kings and Lord 
of Lords, who will then believing it, are you believing he will 
place his hand upon you and say, be not afraid. But if you don't 
do that, if you don't bend any, he will be the one that you will 
hide from. He will be the one who will bring 
his wrath and you will be calling upon the rocks and the trees 
to fall on you, to hide you from the wrath of the one who has 
ownership and sovereignty over the nations. So God reiterates 
his consequences for disobedience. The resolute severity of the 
covenant Lord is announced. And this is something that we 
ought to get from this passage is the resolute severity, the 
resolute faithfulness of God. God's covenant faithfulness does 
not only pertain to the blessings that he pours out upon his covenant 
people and redemptive history. The covenant faithfulness of 
God also pertains to the fact that he exercises justice, that 
he issues forth the curses of the covenant for disobedience, 
for having transgressed. And brethren, if we get if we 
get anything from this declaration of the prophet Jeremiah to the 
southern kingdom of Judah, we should get the faithfulness of 
the covenant Lord. And we should get the necessity 
of grace because we look upon this and we see we will not walk 
in it. We see we will not listen. We 
see Judah not being instructed. And what would that do if there 
was not amazing and sovereign and free grace? It would cause 
us to lament and it would cause us to moan and it would cause 
us to be cast down in great sorrow. But the reality is that as we 
advance through the pages of Jeremiah, there is a promise. 
There is a promise for a perfect Lord of righteousness, the just 
one who would come and who would be our great shepherd. There 
is the announcement of the fact of the divine remedy for this 
malady, for the fact that people were obstinate, that they were 
pigheaded, that they were dead in their trespasses and in their 
sins, that they were wrapped up in all manner of bondage. 
to their father the devil, the announcement comes regarding 
new covenant reality and the divine remedy. Behold, I will 
gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in my 
anger and in my fury and in great wrath. I will bring them back 
to this place and I will cause them to dwell safely. They shall 
be my people and I will be their God. Then I will give them one 
heart and one way that they may fear me forever for the good 
of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting 
covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them 
good, but I will put my fear in their hearts so that they 
will not depart from me. wonderful announcement of this 
covenant, Lord, who exercised the curses of the obedience and 
bringing Babylon upon Judah. But nevertheless, there is a 
promise for that remnant. He did not totally remove his 
eye. He did not totally remove his 
ear. He did not totally remove his presence from the inhabitants 
of the land. But he does bless. He did bless 
a remnant. And we are the blessed recipients 
of that new covenant reality. We are the blessed beneficiaries 
of that Lord of righteousness, the Lord, our righteousness, 
who came in the fullness of time to give himself upon the cross 
of Calvary for guilty sinners. And I brethren, the necessity 
of grace, the promise of the Savior King, One thing that we 
also ought to learn from this is that we need to follow after 
the wisdom of God and not after the wisdom of men. The instruction 
of the prophet, God through the prophet, be instructed, O Jerusalem, 
stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where the 
good way is and walk in it. And there you will find rest 
for your souls. We need to be well instructed 
and thank God by his grace. We have been well instructed. 
We'd always to hold on to the wisdom of God, the old paths 
where the good way is and not the wisdom of men. This is the 
declaration of Paul in his ministry. He held forth always. the wisdom 
of God being being central in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
You could bring before Paul, you could bring before Paul the 
rhetoric, the rhetoric of Tyranus. You could bring before him the 
reasonings of the Stoics and the ramblings of the Epicureans. 
And he would plant in the middle of all of them the cross of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. And he would say to all of them, 
tremble in the wake of this cross, which is the wisdom and the power 
of God. We need to seek after the old paths. And it's very 
interesting. The old paths here always had a future trajectory. 
The old paths, the ancient paths, the eternal way, the way everlasting, 
always had that future trajectory, the movement of redemptive history 
to a bruised and battered savior upon the cross of Calvary, working 
out the salvation of sinners. And that is where I charge you 
to rest this day. If you believe in him, rest upon 
him as that surety, as that mediator of the covenant promised by God. 
And if you don't believe again, it's the it's the charge of the 
preacher that you believe resting upon the preacher and the Christians 
in this audience resting upon a God of divine decree, a God 
who is accepted and appointed time raises sinners from deadness 
and life from deadness in sin rather to life in Christ. We 
do with propriety say to you, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. And there you will find rest 
for your souls. There you will find the good 
path, the right way, the old path, the everlasting way, and 
walk therein and find that rest and be blessed by a covenant 
Lord who embraces his people and brings them into Emmanuel's 
land to sing the praises of Christ forever. Let's pray. Father, 
we thank you so much for what you have revealed to us in Jeremiah, 
what you do reveal to us throughout your entire revealed word, Lord 
God. We would pray that we would be well instructed by this divine 
judgment and that we would see, Lord God, knowing that we stand 
in Christ Jesus and nothing is able to pull us from out of his 
sovereign grasp. Nevertheless, might we be well 
instructed by the disobedience of a bygone generation? And might 
we walk in the way everlasting and seek to conduct ourselves 
in a manner worthy of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? We 
thank you that we can hold a Bible in our hands, that we can open 
it up and learn from it. And might we stand fast in that 
old path, in the reliable way, the way that you have given to 
us in your holy word. And might we never depart from 
it, Lord God. We ask that you would surround 
us with your sovereign and providential care, that you guard our hearts 
and you would guard our minds against those things that would 
get in the way of worshiping a triune God and following after 
his precepts. So we pray that you would go 
with us, Lord God. We pray for your help, for your divine aid 
as we live out and work out our lives in this lower world, that 
you'd help us to be kept near the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ 
and to follow the lamb wherever he goes. We pray in Christ's 
precious name. Amen.