Jeremiah 21:11-22-10 David’s House
The house of David was a special house to the Lord. But being of that house did NOT cause God to over look their sin. Each is accountable unto him/her self.
God promised David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne forever. We know that seat is taken by Jesus, as He is one of David’s descendants through His mother. He knew before He even made this promise what was coming. That David’s descendants would profane His name. But He let David’s earthly line continue for quite some time in honor of David.
Of David’s descendants, there were a few godly kings, many marginal kings, and a few totally evil kings. Even though there were of the line of David, God would judge them on THEIR merits. If you look back in the books of Kings and Chronicles, one thing that is ALWAYS mentioned about these kings is their relationship to God. “King ______ was a godly king…” or “King ________ was an evil king…” This was the dividing line for all the kings. And this would be what they faced God on when their lives were over.
Because of their authority, the relationship of the king with God also became the relationship of the people with God. The king either led the people to God or away from Him. I believe these men will be held accountable for the direction of the people on the Day of Judgment.
Judah was being judged in Jeremiah’s time on account of the evil kings. Manasseh was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’. He was the MOST ungodly king in ALL of Judah’s history. And his leadership brought the people to a place of DEEP SIN. God even mentions Manasseh’s sin as the reason for judgment at Jeremiah’s time in history.
Let’s not deceive ourselves though. Just because our leaders make sin enticing, DOES NOT mean we are free to engage in it and they take the blame for it. We are EACH accountable for our own actions. If this weren’t the case, God would have just removed the kings and given the people new leaders who led them back to Him. But He didn’t. He punished the WHOLE nation for their sins.
Because of the HUGE sin of the nation, there were godly people who also got caught up in the ‘net’ of judgment. Those who were righteous carried God’s protection with them into the dark places. They didn’t avoid the time of judgment but were protected within it. We see examples of God’s protection and favor on those who still served Him while in captivity. Even Jeremiah is walking a difficult path as he warns the people of what is coming but God was still protecting his life.
This is bringing up thoughts of the judgment to come; the Tribulation. I believe in the rapture happening at the moment before the Tribulation begins. I think it will probably be a triggering event for the world. BUT, if that is NOT God’s plan, I GUARENTEE He will be watching over His children during it. He will be with those who come to faith in Jesus during the Tribulation too. They will ‘feel the fires’ raging around them but will not be destroyed by them. Even if that means that their earthly bodies are destroyed but their spirits live with the Lord. We know from Revelation 20:4 that those who refuse to bow to the beast and refuse to be silenced about Jesus, will lose their heads. Many will be put to death through beheading. But their spirits WILL BE WITH GOD! There is NOTHING man can do to those whose faith is in Christ Jesus that will take us from His hands. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).
I know, it sounded like I was wrapping up but there is one final point I want to make. I was thinking about it earlier and the Spirit brought it back to my mind, so I think that means I should include it. Here goes.
Do NOT depend on the ‘faith of your fathers’ to carry you to salvation. Grandma will pray for you with ALL her heart, but it is up to YOU to accept Jesus free gift of salvation. EACH OF US has to make that choice for ourselves. NO ONE will enter the gates of Heaven ‘riding on the coattails’ of ANYONE else. I believe that those who have no ability to understand will receive special dispensation. The very young and the truly simple minded will likely be protected. The simple minded I’m speaking of are those who are profoundly retarded. Those who cannot even understand simple directions or communicate in any form. I have worked with individuals who meet these criteria in my lifetime and I believe God watches out for them.
Father God, THANK YOU for Your love. Thank You that I can KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt that You will be with me at ALL times and in ALL circumstances. I don’t need to fear ANYTHING this world can throw at me. Thank You for my ‘legacy of faith’ from my parents. They taught me of You from the beginning of my life. And they also taught me that I had to make the decision to follow You for myself. They pointed me to You and let us work out our relationship on our own. I wouldn’t trade our relationship for ANYTHING in this world!
