ST. STEPHEN’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
Striving to speak God’s saving truth in love. Ephesians 4:15
St. Stephen’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and School | Beaver Dam, WI | 920.885.3309
Categories: Sermon
Sermon on Jeremiah 23:23-29 for 10th Sunday after Pentecost, August 18, 2019
Dear friends in Christ,
Last week Pastor Stratman began the sermon with a few comments about “interpreting” the Bible, mentioning two underlying truths: that the Bible is clear in its message from God to us and that it tells us everything we need to know about God, us and life – it is sufficient for everything. He went on to then say that though that is true, there are instances/sections where understanding the context (time in history, cultural situation, etc.) in which the words were spoken/written can help us better understand and apply to ourselves God’s words. Today’s section from Jeremiah is another of those instances.
Our reading begins with a somewhat strange question from the LORD through his prophet Jeremiah, “Am I a God who is only nearby, and not a God far away?” The Lord seems to “tout” that he is a “God far away”. At first thought, that seems strange to me.
What would you rather have your God be – nearby or far away? My first thought, I want a God nearby, not far away!! I want Him close to me!! Involved in my life! Yet, he is “touting” that he is a God faraway, as if that’s a good thing! In reality, they are both a good thing, also a frightening thing – and that is his major point to the people of Judah in this section.
Here’s the context that helps us apply this section of God’s word to ourselves and our relationship with him. Jeremiah was the Lord’s prophet to the people of Judah about 600 B.C. For several hundred years these people had been also worshiping the idols – the false gods – of the previous inhabitants of their land (the Canaanites) and of surrounding peoples. They had been involved in activity associated with such worship that is offensive to the true God – sexual immorality, violence, etc. The Lord had continually sent his prophets to call the people to repent and to return to love and worship of him alone – men like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and now Jeremiah. As part of the Lord’s call to repentance there would soon be, and it came during Jeremiah’s lifetime, an exile of thousands of Jews to Babylon. Jeremiah announced its coming. In this section the Lord is condemning other prophets who claimed to be speaking for the Lord, whose message was totally opposite of Jeremiah’s. Prefacing their messages with statements like, “I have had a dream”, they proclaimed that all was well; nothing to fear; peace and prosperity will prevail; no exile coming. To this the Lord asked through Jeremiah this question: “Am I only a God nearby, and not a God far away?” He went on to kind of rephrase the question by asking, “Do I not fill heaven and earth? Is there anywhere you can hide from me?” This was in response to the belief of the idol worshipers that the gods and goddesses were “local deities”, that they only controlled events in small areas. Example – the Baals were believed to be fertility gods who controlled the fertility and productivity of the land and animals. But each one carried this out in small regions. They believed there was a Baal god who controlled fertility around Bethlehem, and another god controlled it around Jericho, and another who controlled it around Bethel, etc. This was the idea of a “god nearby” – only knows what’s happening in a very small area. By saying that he is “a God far away” he was saying that he has a panoramic view; he sees and hears everything. There is nowhere in the world where he doesn’t know what’s going on! To those false prophets the message was: “I know what you’re saying. I know the lies you’re promoting in my name! I’m watching you!”
As we apply this portion of Scripture to ourselves today, the message is the same …
God Is Watching Us … From a distance and nearby!
God is watching us from a distance! The truth expressed there ought to strike fear and terror into us. That was part of the intent when first spoken to those false prophets through Jeremiah. “Do you think I only hang around some small town nowhere near you? Do you think I don’t know what’s going on? Do you think I don’t know what you’re saying as you say you speak for me?!!” This truth of God’s omnipresence (everywhere at all times) and omniscience (knows all) ought to terrify us as well. This is the God who made us and who will judge our lives to determine our eternal existence beyond this life. He is watching us from a distance … he has a “panoramic” view; he sees all!!! To the false prophets and people of Judah he was saying, “I know about your involvement in Baal worship!” “I know about your engaging in sexually immoral activity as part of that worship!” “I know, you prophets, that you’re misleading my people, away from me!” “There is no place you can hide where I can’t see and know what you are doing! I am a God far away – I see it all!!”
HOW FRIGHTENING! This truth about God watching us from a distance scares me! No matter where I may be, he’s watching! My God, my Creator, my JUDGE! HE KNOWS what goes on … at the tavern … in the car. He knows what goes on in the workplace; the laziness and shoddy work we might do. He “hears” the talk behind people’s backs! In our homes … even though doors are shut and shades are closed, he “sees” and “hears” the harsh words and actions between spouses and between children and parents! He sees the responsibilities shirked at home, work and school! Our God, our Creator, our eternal Judge sees and hears ALL! We’re judged already! How frightening that he is a “God far away”, watching us from a distance!
But also how comforting this truth is to us! He sees and hears our disobedient failures, which also means he sees our desperate need for a rescue from his judgment. “From a distance”, seeing all, knowing all, He knows every sinful human being’s need. That need is to have the perfect innocence of life that would allow life forever with him. That need is to have it provided for us, since not a one of us has that innocence. Closely related to the all-knowing and ever-present attributes of our God is his omnipotence (all-powerful). Combine those attributes with his mercy and love and we find great comfort. He has employed that knowledge and power to meet every sinner’s need. That power united a human nature with God the Son to provide the Substitute to be perfect for us before God and to endure our deserved punishment. That power raised the crucified and punished Jesus to life again! That’s the power of the God “far away”, who knows all and has all power, and employs it in love for you!
The same terrifying and comforting truths come also from the Lord’s statement that is also a God NEARBY. How near is he to you?? If, as he said, he knows everything is happening in the entire world that means he is so near to you and me that he knows what’s in your “head”!! He’s in your home! He’s at your workplace, at school! He is wherever you are!!! That’s frightening for the same reasons as He’s “far away”. Being “right beside you” all the time, he hears what comes from our mouths and he even knows the thoughts and attitudes within us that give birth to the sinful and hurtful words and actions that come out of us. He knows every bit of evidence that should be held up against us in his “court room”! He is Judge, Witness, and Jury in determining our eternal fate.
But for the person who has been given the gift of faith in his mercy and love, his being our “God nearby” is the greatest comfort now and for eternity! He is not a God who just sits back in heaven and watches everything play out in our lives. He does not sit back and let us wander through this life only to be destroyed eternally by his justice. In mercy and love he came to our world and to us! Up close and personal he sees our every need, especially our need for an innocence before him that will allow us life eternal with him. In love, the Son of God climbed into our flesh and blood. In love, he lived in this world, walking the same paths as us, but without sin.
In love, that Son of God and Son of Man took on and in himself the punishment our sins deserve while on that cross; he took that punishment right in the presence of, only feet away from two of the people who were closest to him in his earthly life – his mother and his disciple John. In love, he now sends his Spirit to dwell in us, connecting us in faith and love to him, drawing us near to him – forever!
And he is still nearby. He told his disciples the night before his crucifixion that he would not “leave you as orphans”. In his Word and sacraments of forgiveness he still draws near to us to personally apply his gracious forgiveness and life. He still knows your situation, all the time. Very personally in his Word, which he describes as a fire and a hammer to break our sinful pride and self-righteousness, he prepares us to eagerly and joyfully receive his comforting forgiveness and promise that through our Savior we will be near and dear to him forever. God is watching us – from a distance and nearby. Let that “frighten’ you, that you cling desperately to his promise of being so very near to you in love, and experience his never-ending love and life. Amen.