The Folly of False Obedience

The Folly of False Obedience

Jeremiah 41-45

“Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God…You are telling a lie! The Lord Our God has not sent you.”  41:6 and 43:2

                  It's easy to trust and affirm our obedience to God when His plans align with ours, but it is far more difficult when He disrupts our plans and leads us in a direction we do not desire to go. The people of Judah were experiencing a time of great uncertainty. Babylon was applying pressure on them from the north as they sought to gain control of Judah. Judah became the buffer state between the two powerhouses of the Ancient Near East, so whoever controlled Judah controlled the trade routes between Europe and Africa and would hold the upper hand in the power struggle. Due to their strategic location, Babylon desired to gain control. With the threat of Babylon rising in the north, Judah's leaders sought a prophetic promise of deliverance from Jeremiah. When they approached him, they assured him they would listen to Jeremiah and obey whatever God declared. However, their affirmation of obedience was more an attempt to secure a favorable promise than a genuine willingness to submit to God’s direction. Instead of accepting Jeremiah's warning, which was that they would face judgment and desolation if they did not submit to Babylon, they accused Jeremiah of being a false prophet and incited the people to turn against him. They continued pursuing an alliance with Egypt, which ultimately led to their defeat and destruction. 

We condemn the folly of the Jews, yet we often fall into the same trap. We claim our obedience to God and join in His worship when He brings blessing into our lives and affirms our plans. We often see God as our cosmic benefactor who is here to do our bidding and support our ambitions. However, when life becomes difficult and our plans fail, we accuse God of being uncaring and unloving. We start to question Him and His plan for us. Yet, we only see life from the perspective of the present and what seems good for the moment. God guides our lives from an eternal viewpoint, considering what will have the greatest impact in eternity. We cannot see the outcome; we only observe the immediate result. Sometimes, God allows us to go through periods of hardship and adversity—not because He desires our harm, but because of the eternal benefits they produce, which are for our good and His glory. When life deviates from our plans and it feels like we are controlled by chance, we can trust that this is when God is most actively working in our lives. His plan is perfect, and although we cannot see the end, He does, and His purpose and plan are always flawless. When adversity arises, it is not because God has abandoned us; rather, it is because God is actively working in our lives to accomplish an eternal purpose.