Jeremiah’s prophecy rings true today

One of the greatest mistakes being made by modern Christianity is the assertion that the Old Testament does not apply to them. And while it is admitted that portions, such as sacrificial law, no longer have direct application, it must also be admitted that this is a purely modern idea, not countenanced at all in the early church.

In fact, the apostle Paul affirmed just how important the Old Testament was by saying, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition…. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians 10:11-12)

I mention this because in all the Bible, there is no book with so much direct application to America than that of Jeremiah. Take for instance chapter 2 verse 13: “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.”

Who among us is willing to deny that as a country, we have long since forsaken the God of our founding fathers? Though there was a diversity of denominations among them, yet there was unity between them as all those denominations acknowledged Jesus Christ to be both their Savior and Lord.

Yet, what will be readily denied is that this rejection has entered into the doors of the church. Instead, it will be pointed out that great strides are being made in bringing unity between the churches. However, this unity will not include the Bible, aka “doctrine.” Thus the rejection of the fountain of living waters, and his authority to run our lives, and replacing him with some cracked cistern, perhaps that one called “mammon” in Matthew chapter 6.

And then there is chapter 23. Like the 23rd Psalm, it is about shepherding, but instead of being like the good shepherd, Jesus Christ, we find these to be false shepherds who scatter the sheep. God’s allegations against them is their departure from his word. Notice verse 16: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.”

Their message was one of political correctness during their day. Though God had forecast evil against them because of their own wickedness, and had promised that they would be carried off into Babylon, these false messengers were promising peace.

Is there really anything different about the shepherds of our day? Wasn’t it Peter who told us that as there were false prophets in the days of ancient Israel, that there would be false teachers in ours? Wasn’t it Paul who told us that the day would come when these same false teachers would turn the ears of believers away from the truth?

For these false teachers, the scariest two verses in all of scripture must be those of Jeremiah 23:21-22: “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”

I say all this because we, as a nation, have come to a junction in our history that is not going to go away.

There is no doubt in my mind that God is saying today what he told Jeremiah in his day: “… Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand…. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” (Jeremiah 18:6,9-10)

The trouble is that we are not listening. God’s people are no longer people of principles drawn from God’s word, but we have become people who are ruled by our passions and feelings.

If God is indeed finished with America, as he was with ancient Israel, understand it is not because God has failed us, but we have failed him. And what’s more, not only do we deserve what we get, but there is no way to avoid the consequences.

Ron Hamman is pastor for Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla. Contact him at

357-4229.