WARNING TO THE NATIONS – Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold I am bringing disaster on them which they will not be able to escape; though they will cry to Me, yet I will not listen to them. (Jeremiah 11:11)

This verse gives the reader a very stern warning telling us that those that will not submit to God’s command will not be able to escape His wrath. There is no fleeing from His justice, or avoiding His presence. Evil pursues sinners and entangles them in traps from which they cannot free themselves; unless they turn from their wicked ways and seek Him with all their heart.

Jeremiah is called the “Weeping Prophet”, and his heart is distressed because of what his people are doing. The Jewish nation has gone astray because they have willfully and purposefully rejected God and his job is to call them back to Him.

Israel had broken covenant with God, and Jeremiah had the unpleasant task of warning them of the coming judgment.

Today, we see history repeating itself; we see the same things happening again. So let’s see what we mean by this statement. First, they were guilty of innocent blood.

“For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind” (Jeremiah 19:4-5).

It is hard to believe that these people could become so hard of heart that they would burn their children up as a sacrifice to a god – but that is what they did. They took the innocent, defenseless little newborn babies and killed them in such a horribly painful way.

Today it is no different as we read increasing accounts of child sacrifice to Satan, the god of this world; along with the horrific practices of abortion which kills millions of babies each year.

Heartless and uninformed people call babies a lump of flesh, when the Bible tells us that God created our inmost being; and knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Judgment definitely is coming to any disobedient nation. Jeremiah writes, “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it, declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 12:17).

Jeremiah also warns of judgment coming because of sexual practices. He knew what Leviticus and many other scriptures taught: “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them” (Leviticus 20:13).

Notice that this sin was called an “abomination”. All sin is rebellion and all sin is appalling, however, this sin was singled out as an “abomination” to God. Those that support this sin are quick to attack the Word of God, but if they carefully read what happen in Sodom and Gomorrah and realize that they where annihilated because of this great abomination, there may be hope for people who decide to study the word of God and make a radical lifestyle change. 

The Bible is filled with warnings as we read in another passage in the New Testament. “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11); so as we see, there is hope.

Jeremiah also tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

When we look at many nations in this world, we see that those countries are rapidly coming under judgment because, as a society, we have voted to toss God out of our land. We have voted to clearly do that which we know God abhors. However, “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?’ then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying Me” (Jeremiah 16:10-12).

God’s judgment was coming on the Israelites because of many sins including child sacrifice and homosexuality; and because these people had rejected God; they rejected His rules and commandments; they rejected His covenant with them. The United States and many other countries in the world have done the same. What the Bible proclaims through Jeremiah over Israel – it proclaims over all disobedient nations.

From beginning to end of the book of Jeremiah, we see God pleading, begging, and inviting His beloved people to come back to Him. Again and again He pleads with them to return so He can bless them. But they stubbornly go on their sinful way.

God is pleading with our country, too. But, like, Israel, we are not listening. Abortion is a law of the land. Many states have legalized same sex marriage. Many states are requiring these sinful practices be taught in school to our kids. God has been removed from our legislative halls and from our courtrooms. We are raising a country of selfish, rebellious, hedonistic people who tolerate everything but God and Christianity.

So what are we going to do about it? Here are a few suggestions:

We need to humble ourselves and realize that we are far from God and very close to His ultimate judgment. We need desperately to get rid of all pride and humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to submit to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

We have a merciful and forgiving God that wants us to come to Him; not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

We need to make an assessment of our life, admit our sin and turn from it; remembering that sin hinders our prayer life and robs us of spiritual power.

We need to speak the truth in love and need to pray daily for our nation.

God wants to forgive and restore, He does not want to destroy us. He does not want to bring judgment on us. He says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD…” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

God has wonderful plans for us. He wants to prosper us. He wants to give us hope. He yearns for a loving relationship with us; but, we need to turn to Him and seek Him while He can still be found.

How can you escape the horrors of hell? The plan is as simple as A.B.C.

1. Admit that you are lost, sinful person and cannot save yourself from sin and hell.
2. Believe that Jesus Christ suffered on the cross to pay for all of your sins.
3. Confess that God raised Jesus from the grave – confess that you want Jesus Christ to be the absolute Lord of your live.

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