Jeremiah, prophet of God in an evil time, brought a message from God to the Nation — it fell on deaf ears.
Jeremiah 7:23 “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. Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God.”
Jeremiah 11:7 “Obey my voice.”
Jeremiah 12:17 “But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord.”
Jeremiah 18:10 “If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.”
Jeremiah 26:13 “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 that he hath pronounced against you.”
Doubtless, those refusing to obey God, thought it better to disobey. They refused to believe that their decisions, for or against God, held consequence. They blamed others. They sought to save their own skins. They sought desperately to maintain mental control over their minds and never relinquish their rational narrative. They trusted their own powers of intellect and “wisdom.”
The story of the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah followed the same prescription — The flood of ancient earth also.
Genesis 6:5 reveals the condition of man at Noah’s time, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” In Genesis 6:11 their cravings replaced a moral precept; corruption and violence also characterized their state. Lawlessness, carelessness, cruelty, etc. etc. epitomized the day.
So, in the early persecution of the New Testament church, came the words, ”
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29
Peter spoke thus, using the Greek word meaning, “to be persuaded by a ruler.” Other words for “obey” include, “to hear intelligently, to hear My voice, to be attentively listening. to hear under.”
The principle of obeying goes this way — whatever we allow to rule or reign in our soul, mind, or life is what we give heed to. Can we change this? Yes but we must also change our allegiance. Some options without God: Voice of conscience, emotional clamoring or feel-sorry stuff, mind-dominated arguments against conscience or emotions, intuition, inner guidance systems, hunches, voice of culture, voice of devils, voice of libido, art, and many more. Drugs, alcohol and sex exist as gods to be obeyed for so many.
In vital contrast to these we have simply the voice of God.
In my many years, (almost 70), I have known some folks who hear this voice of God. Unusual, to say the least. Some characteristics: They don’t react to threats or danger. They don’t feel compelled to answer my needy cries, right now. They have extreme control over their emotions when they speak. They are not bothered by a nagging conscience. Some give gifts to those who pose as enemies, they forgive readily. They seem to live above confusion and even embarrassment. They are not preoccupied with their own petty needs, nor others. They have something positive to say, even statements of love and kindness.
Others I have met encourage my life in front of others, give wise counsel after listening to my difficult issues, pray out loud for precious souls — ignoring the faults and deathly decisions of fellows. Some cry in public. Yes, these are strange ones, sore thumbs in a fabrication of life known as “the norm.” Somehow they exhibit a nether world, so unusual, yet inviting. A Narnia, a world we wish was ours.
Friends, it is us — and it is ours. love ya
