By: Dale Weckbacher
Text: Jeremiah
19:1-15
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you
free, you will be free indeed.
(ESV)
Happy Fourth of July
everyone. To those reading this that
live outside of the United States, this may be just another day but for those
living in the United States, the day has historical significance. The day commemorates the intention of the
colonies to separate from British rule due to a set of grievances listed in the
document. However, what most remember
from the document is its preamble saying, ‘We hold these truths to be
self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with
certain inalienable rights.” The
document goes on to say these rights are the right to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. Words like those
in the U.S. Declaration of Independence are just ink on a page unless they are
adhered to and defended, something that has occurred numerous times through war
in the United States.
For the nation of Judah, the
situation has become dire and is about to result in the destruction of Judah
beginning in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, making void the plans of Judah and
Jerusalem (Jeremiah
19:7). In Jeremiah
18:12,15-16 the people tell God they intend to follow their plans which are
the worship of other gods. God’s promise
of destruction for Judah is God punishing His people for their disobedience to
the first commandment (Exodus
20:1-3) and defending His word in Deuteronomy
28:15-68.
Jeremiah
19 provides two prophetic illustrations symbolizing the plight of Judah and
Jerusalem’s forsaking of God.
1) A
siege (Jeremiah
19:1-9) – The Valley of the Son of Hinnom is about to come under siege from
invaders from the north. Ancient cities typically
did not need to fear an aerial attack from an enemy because there were no
airplanes and missiles yet. To defend
themselves, these cities would build high walls to keep an invading army out
but walls keeping invaders out can also keep people in. A siege was a military tactic where the invaders
would surround a city, keeping the people trapped inside and preventing the
flow of needed supplies and food. The
plan was to cause the people of the city to surrender due to starvation. This symbolizes the hold of sin in one’s life
keeping them enslaved to sin and causing them to die, separated from God their
creator for eternity (Romans
3:23, 6:23).
2) The
broken flask (Jeremiah
19:10-15) – In Jeremiah
19:1, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house again and
this time to purchase an earthen flask. In
the context of the writing of this text, flasks typically held oil or
wine. The oil was used for cooking or for
lamps to bring light at night but was also used in anointing someone like when
Samuel anointed David as king (1
Samuel 16:1-13). Flasks could also
hold wine symbolizing joy (Isaiah
24:11). In this context, we gain an understanding
of the significance of Jeremiah breaking this flask in front of the men that
went with him. The breaking of the flask
means God’s presence and joy have left Judah and Jerusalem.
The siege of Jerusalem is
symbolic of the hold sin has on the lives of all people for all have sinned (Romans
3:23). This siege of sin has serious
consequences for it brings a sentence of death (Romans
6:23). The flask symbolizes our
hearts which can either be filled with God’s presence through accepting Jesus
as our savior or broken by choosing to remain under the siege of sin (John
3:16-18). If you are reading this
and have never prayed to accept Jesus as your savior freeing you from the siege
of sin, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
Happy fourth of July everyone and
may everyone reading this post experience liberation from sin on this Independence
Day.
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