Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of the Mosheus for Zion's 4. Jeremiah is often called
the weeping prophet, for the Lord sent him to bear witness
of his truth to the nation of Israel, which was stiff-necked,
disobedient, and unwilling to heed the warnings of their own
impending destruction. The nation of Israel is typical
of those who embrace outward religion and are content to walk
in their own ways, relying upon the traditions which they are
comfortable with. Though Israel, as a nation, is
often identified as the people of God, it is also true that
the Lord ordained their downfall. For they are not all Israel which
are of Israel, neither because they are the seed of Abraham
are they all children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. In order to differentiate
between those who are the children of the promise and those who
are the children of the flesh, the Lord makes it clear that
he has a remnant among the sons of men, Jews as well as Gentiles,
who alone shall be saved according to his divine purpose. This remnant
shall be saved while the multitude shall perish in everlasting destruction. Not one among those that perish
can accuse God of not doing right, for they are all guilty and worthy
of death, and His justice demands satisfaction. That remnant which
He is pleased to deliver are equally worthy of death, but
according to His mercy and grace alone they are granted life.
Not a one among them can discover any reason that they should not
be destroyed with the multitude, but must confess with Jeremiah,
it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because
his compassions fail not. So the Lord sent Jeremiah to
bear witness in his generation to that people which would not
listen to his warnings and who despised his message and even
his person. The Lord ordained him for this
work before he was ever born. Thus are those whom the Lord
is pleased to send with the words of the everlasting gospel. A
man cannot apply for this position, learn how to perform it, or get
his commission for it from men. It is not bestowed upon the learned,
dependent upon human ability, or entered into by free will.
As Paul said, For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to
glory of, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me
if I preach not the gospel. A man thus called must perform
it. He is not to be exalted or patted on the back, nor is this
a position, a professional career choice, or a part-time occupation,
but a calling which cannot be escaped. Therefore we see Jeremiah
going forth to declare the truth to a people who would not listen
to him. The Lord said they were guilty of two things. For my
people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain
of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns
that can hold no water. They have forsaken me, and have
burned incense unto other gods, and worshiped the works of their
own hands. This is an apt description of
the present-day religious multitude which call themselves by the
name of Christ. They have forsaken the absolute
God who reveals himself in the scriptures in favor of a weak-kneed
deity who can do nothing without the cooperation and permission
of men. They have concocted a system
which makes a man's salvation to depend upon his willingness
to receive it rather than the blood of Christ who has redeemed
for himself a bride which he loved from the foundation of
the world. This man-centered and man-reliant system is indeed
a broken cistern which can hold no water. It promises salvation
to those who are able to gain it by their own activity and
by a faith which they supposedly are able to bring to the Lord
while designing their own means and methods of worshipping Him.
Yet the scripture tells us that He saves the weak, the poor,
and blind among men. A man who can bring faith to
the Lord does not stand in need of salvation. On top of that,
they tell us that the salvation of men depends upon the works
of men to preach it to the multitudes, and the money of men to send
them forth to do that. They believe that many shall
perish for whom Christ shed his precious blood. This is a travesty
of thought, and completely contrary to anything which can be discovered
in the pages of the Bible. Christ said he would lose none
of those which were given to him by his Father. He gives to
them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any
man pluck them out of his hand.