Closed Eyes, Closed Ears, and Closed Mouths

Today’s Passage – Jeremiah 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text)

(Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Psalms 76 – 80; Proverbs 16)

“Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?” – (Jeremiah 7:17)

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. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” – (Jeremiah 7:23 – 24)

“But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” – (Jeremiah 7:28 )

I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.” – (Jeremiah 8:6)

“And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.” – (Jeremiah 9:5)

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” – (Matthew 13:15)

As I was reading this passage of Scripture this morning, I could not help but think about how the condition of Judah in Jeremiah’s day parallels the condition of our nation. America is in trouble today. She has charted a course of rebellion against the God Who gave her all of the prosperity, provision, and prosperity that she enjoys today. But as judgement was imminent for the people of Judah in Jeremiah’s day, I must sound the warning here that judgment is also right around the corner for America. We are an immoral and idolatrous nation. We have thrown God under the bus, and few seem to care.

I noticed in these chapters that God said that the people of Judah could not see how far away from Him that they had gotten. It is no different for us today. I am not sure why we are blind to our condition, but we are. Perhaps it is because the corruption has been gradual, over a period of many years, slow enough that we don’t realize that serious error is taking place. Consider what we are today compared to what we were when this nation was founded. We were a moral nation made up predominantly of Christians that feared the Lord. We preached and believed the Bible, and based our laws and government upon the principles contained in the Word of God. Today, we can’t even mention the Bible without getting in trouble; and it seems that our society is going out its way to promote the violation of God’s Law. And we don’t see it, at least very few do.

We also have turned a deaf ear to the few prophets out there that are trying to shout out the warning. God’s Word is being ignored, not only by our culture, but unfortunately also by many Christians. We truly have gotten to the point to where we have “…a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”.

The end result of not seeing, and not being willing to hear, has cause the third step in the downward slide: we have silenced many of the voices that are attempting to shout out the warning. The preachers have, for the most part, given up preaching against sin because the people simply do not want to hear it. Unfortunately, the only way that God will be able to turn us back to Him is through judgment. I am not hoping for judgment, but I know that it will wake many people up, and turn them back to God. I hope, however, that even before the judgment comes there will still be a few eyes out there that still see, and a few ears out there that are still listening to the voice of God, and a few mouths that will still speak for the Lord regardless of consequences that may come.