I warned you when you were secure. You said, 'I will not listen.' This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice. I warned you when you were secure.This phrase highlights God's proactive communication with His people during times of peace and prosperity. Historically, Judah experienced periods of security, such as during the reigns of kings like Josiah, when reforms were made, and the nation was relatively stable. The warning signifies God's desire for repentance and obedience, even when external threats seem distant. This reflects a recurring biblical theme where God warns His people through prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Ezekiel) to turn from their ways before judgment comes. The security mentioned can also be seen as a test of faithfulness, as prosperity often leads to complacency and spiritual neglect. You said, ‘I will not listen.’
This response from the people of Judah indicates a deliberate choice to ignore God's warnings. It reflects a hardened heart and a refusal to heed divine instruction, a common issue throughout Israel's history. This attitude is reminiscent of the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness (Exodus 32) and their repeated idolatry during the time of the Judges. The phrase underscores the human tendency to reject God's voice, especially when it challenges comfort or calls for change. This rebellion is a precursor to the eventual judgment that comes upon Judah, as seen in the Babylonian exile. This has been your way from youth,
The reference to "youth" suggests a long-standing pattern of disobedience and rebellion against God. It points back to the early days of the nation, possibly alluding to the time of the Exodus and the establishment of Israel as a people. This historical context emphasizes that the issue is not new but deeply rooted in the nation's identity. The phrase can also be seen as a metaphor for spiritual immaturity, where despite God's nurturing and guidance, the people have consistently chosen their own path. This persistent disobedience is a theme echoed in other prophetic books, such as Hosea, where Israel is likened to a wayward child. that you have not obeyed My voice.
The failure to obey God's voice is central to the covenant relationship between God and Israel. Obedience was a key requirement of the Mosaic Covenant, with blessings promised for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). The prophets, including Jeremiah, were sent to call the people back to this covenantal faithfulness. The phrase underscores the seriousness of ignoring God's commands, which ultimately leads to judgment. In a broader biblical context, this disobedience contrasts with the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17) and whose life serves as the ultimate example of listening to and obeying God's voice. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings, and he often faced opposition and persecution. 2. JudahThe southern kingdom of Israel, which was often warned by prophets like Jeremiah about impending judgment due to their disobedience and idolatry. 3. God's WarningsThroughout the history of Israel and Judah, God sent prophets to warn the people to turn from their sinful ways and return to Him. 4. Youth of JudahRefers to the early history of the nation, indicating a long-standing pattern of disobedience and rebellion against God's commands. 5. SecurityThe false sense of safety and complacency that the people of Judah felt, leading them to ignore God's warnings. Teaching Points The Danger of ComplacencyFeeling secure can lead to spiritual complacency, where we ignore God's warnings and fail to heed His voice. The Pattern of DisobedienceDisobedience can become a habitual pattern if not addressed. It's crucial to break cycles of sin early. The Importance of Listening to GodGod speaks through His Word and His messengers. We must cultivate a heart that listens and responds to His voice. Consequences of Ignoring GodIgnoring God's warnings can lead to severe consequences, both spiritually and physically. Repentance and ReturnDespite past disobedience, God always offers a path to repentance and restoration. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some areas in your life where you might feel "secure" and potentially ignore God's warnings? 2. How can you identify and break patterns of disobedience in your spiritual walk? 3. In what ways does God communicate His warnings to us today, and how can we ensure we are listening? 4. Reflect on a time when ignoring God's voice led to negative consequences. What did you learn from that experience? 5. How can the principles in Jeremiah 22:21 be applied to the church today to prevent spiritual complacency? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 28This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, providing a backdrop for understanding the consequences faced by Judah. Isaiah 30:9-11Highlights the rebellious nature of the people who prefer smooth words and deceit over the truth of God's warnings. Ezekiel 33:31-32Describes people who hear God's words but do not act on them, similar to the attitude of Judah in Jeremiah's time. People Babylonians, Coniah, David, Jehoiachin, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah, Josiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, ShallumPlaces Abarim, Babylon, Bashan, Gilead, Jerusalem, LebanonTopics Attention, Didn't, Ear, Earliest, Ease, Felt, Hast, Hearken, Hearkened, Hearkenedst, Listen, Manner, Obey, Obeyed, Obeyedst, Practice, Prosperity, Saidest, Secure, Spake, Spoke, Spoken, Voice, Well-being, YouthDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 22:21 5165 listening
5746 youth
5873 habits
5942 security Jeremiah 22:20-21 5205 alliance Jeremiah 22:21-22 7786 shepherd, king and leader Library The Life of Mr. James Mitchel.
Mr. James Mitchel[152] was educated at the university of Edinburgh, and was, with some other of his fellow-students, made master of arts anno 1656. Mr. Robert Leighton (afterwards bishop Leighton), being then principal of that college, before the degree was conferred upon them, tendered to them the national and solemn league and covenant; which covenants, upon mature deliberation, he took, finding nothing in them but a short compend of the moral law, binding to our duty towards God and towards …
John Howie—Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies)Columban.
THE wild districts of Ireland were occupied with convents, after the example of Patrick, and cultivated by the hard labour of the monks. The Irish convents were distinguished by their strict Christian discipline, their diligence and their zeal in the study of the Scriptures, and of science in general, as far as they had the means of acquiring it. Irish monks brought learning from Britain and Gaul, they treasured up this learning and elaborated it in the solitude of the convent, and they are said …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places "Hear the Word of the Lord, Ye Rulers of Sodom, Give Ear unto the Law of Our God, Ye People of Gomorrah,"
Isaiah i. 10, 11, &c.--"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah," &c. It is strange to think what mercy is mixed with the most wrath like strokes and threatenings. There is no prophet whose office and commission is only for judgment, nay, to speak the truth, it is mercy that premises threatenings. The entering of the law, both in the commands and curses, is to make sin abound, that grace may superabound, so that both rods and threatenings …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning "If we Say that we have Fellowship with Him, and Walk in Darkness, we Lie,"
1 John i. 6.--"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie," &c. That which is the sum of religion, sincerity, and a correspondency between profession and practice, is confirmed by reason, and much strengthened by nature itself, so that religion, reason, and nature, conspire in one, to hold out the beauty and comeliness of sincerity, and to put a note and character of infamy and deformity upon all hypocrisy and deceit, especially in the matters of religion. There is …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity The Two Classes.
"Two men went up into the temple to pray."--Luke xvii. 10. I now want to speak of two classes: First, those who do not feel their need of a Saviour who have not been convinced of sin by the Spirit; and Second, those who are convinced of sin and cry, "What must I do to be saved?" All inquirers can be ranged under two heads: they have either the spirit of the Pharisee, or the spirit of the publican. If a man having the spirit of the Pharisee comes into an after-meeting, I know of no better portion …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It A Discourse of the House and Forest of Lebanon
OF THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. That part of Palestine in which the celebrated mountains of Lebanon are situated, is the border country adjoining Syria, having Sidon for its seaport, and Land, nearly adjoining the city of Damascus, on the north. This metropolitan city of Syria, and capital of the kingdom of Damascus, was strongly fortified; and during the border conflicts it served as a cover to the Assyrian army. Bunyan, with great reason, supposes that, to keep …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 "To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord,"
Isaiah i. 11.--"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord," &c. This is the word he calls them to hear and a strange word. Isaiah asks, What mean your sacrifices? God will not have them. I think the people would say in their own hearts, What means the prophet? What would the Lord be at? Do we anything but what he commanded us? Is he angry at us for obeying him? What means this word? Is he not repealing the statute and ordinance he had made in Israel? If he had reproved …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning Jewish Homes
It may be safely asserted, that the grand distinction, which divided all mankind into Jews and Gentiles, was not only religious, but also social. However near the cities of the heathen to those of Israel, however frequent and close the intercourse between the two parties, no one could have entered a Jewish town or village without feeling, so to speak, in quite another world. The aspect of the streets, the building and arrangement of the houses, the municipal and religious rule, the manners and customs …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 22:21 NIVJeremiah 22:21 NLTJeremiah 22:21 ESVJeremiah 22:21 NASBJeremiah 22:21 KJV
Jeremiah 22:21 Commentaries
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