This year the 18th Sunday after Pentecost includes the following three readings: Jeremiah 11:18-20 (Schemes vs Jeremiah); James 3:16-4:6 (Source of wars) and Mark 9:30-37 (Servant of all). This time the sermon is based on Jeremiah 11:20 “Let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause.”
If you were asked what two characteristics of God would you name, most people might chose from the following: kind, good, gracious, merciful and the like. Who would guess “vengeance” as revealed in Jeremiah 11:20? Most instead would consider this as belonging more to sinful humanity rather than sinless divinity.
How can we understand this properly? The distinctions between Law and Gospel are most helpful. The context reveals that God’s vengeance is directed against Israel herself due to her unbelief. Once considered by God as a healthy green, olive tree, Israel has become corrupted through the offering of incense to Baal.
The fact is that Israel has become so rotten that she is ready to kill the messenger from God Himself (Jeremiah) because of his message of the accusations of the Law. Israel has followed her evil heart and needs to have radical surgery performed on her. This vengeance results in a discipline for the purpose of restoring and healing her broken nature. In summary, God’s vengeance orginates from His love toward His people.
As in Hebrews 12, God disciplines those whom He loves to restore them to a proper fellowship with Him. While the process is painful and difficult, the end result is one in which the now rotten tree is restored to its original beauty and bearer of good fruit. The connection to Jesus and the cross cannot be clearer. For like Jeremiah, Jesus’ ministry and message results in hatred and the desire to kill Him.
Though it appears that evil succeeds, in reality the vengeance against the Son of God also includes the Father’s forsaking of His Son because of our sins which He carried to the cross. Though the Law’s accusations and vengeance not only hurt but destroy our old Adam, the end result is a renewed fellowship with God all due to the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Name:Tom Baker
Tom
My earlier post before this one merely points to the harsh reality of “MISSING” the mark, i.e. THE LAW AND GOSPEL and so suffering punishments for this missing the mark; vengeance is the final outcome upon the creation by the Creator who receives not the fullness of the work of the Law and Gospel to them. The work of making the proper distinction of Law and Gospel is a “GOOD WORK” of both Law and Gospel done to us by God not a “GOOD WORK” done by us to God, Eph. 2:10.
In your expansion words hereon of Jeremiah 11 you reference the Olive Tree.
Quoting a vision of Zecariah we read about the “left” and the “right”, ah, the two kingdoms maybe? and we see words about two olive oil flows from the LEFT/Law Kingdom and the RIGHT/Gospel Kingdom:::>
Zec 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?
Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
I would say that the symbology here is of the “GOOD WORK” of Christ, the Candlestick, and the Holy Ghost, [but by my Spirit] upon the hearts of man [O great mountain] by “called” men like yourself to cause the “LIVING OLIVE OILS”, the Law and the Gospel to be properly understood.
When we properly understand the effects of the Law, we cry GRACE, GRACE, MERCY, MERCY, and God grants us Grace and Mercy. The Law’s effect upon our soul is silenced and we are restored to PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH THE WORK OF the blood of the Cross of JESUS CHRIST.
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Also this next part might be a bit prophetic in that if we see that Jews like Paul the Apostle, in his “talks” with his disciples start doing the same anointed work like Paul does, quoting from Romans 3 and Ephesians 4 below, will be accepted before God equally as us Gentiles, O great mountain.
THE WORK OF ESTABLISHING THE “LEFT” LAW KINGDOM in the Civil realm:::>
Rom 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Question: WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO ESTABLISH A SPIRITUAL LAW IN THE CIVIL REALM WHEN IT’S THE GOSPEL WE NEED?
THE WORK OF ESTABLISHING THE “RIGHT” GOSPEL KINGDOM IN THE CIVIL REALM:::>
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
You can say that at the end of the day, if Jews today began making proper distinctions between the Law [which is given by the Holy Ghost for one purpose, to bring us to Christ, needy] and the Gospel [which is given by the Holy Ghost for one purpose, to bring us to Christ, completely needy] they too would become anointed in the Work of the Lord today and Paul’s capstone WORD would happen by them too:::>
Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Michael
Eureka, Ca.
Yes, Michael, you are so right that when we properly understand the effects of the Law, we cry GRACE, GRACE, MERCY, MERCY. Thanks for staying in touch.