Honest truth-seekers

“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” (Jeremiah 5:1-2 NIV)

The conditions we find in the book of Jeremiah strike a resonance with Christians today.

We look at society around us and we often see the same thing. It is difficult to find people who “deals honestly and seeks the truth”. Rather than honesty we find people who slant everything in their favour. We are told that truth is whatever we want it to be, that your truth may be different than what I consider to be truth.

As for belief in God, many claim that they do, but the real proof is in how they living their lives. Lots of people use God’s name to emphasise what they want you to believe, yet they are “swearing falsely”, as God observed in Jeremiah’s day. Perhaps what we discover when we read the Jewish prophets is that life really hasn’t changed. Yes, the technology has changed but people are still the same. Where can we find honest, truth-seeking people?

“So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.’ But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.” (Jeremiah 5:5-6)

Unable to find honest truth-seekers among the people, God had Jeremiah next turn to their national leaders. You would think if anyone would know what God required of his people it would be Judah’s leaders – after all, when a king began to reign, he was to copy out God’s law and use it as his personal reference. Yet Jeremiah was once again disappointed – the leaders weren’t following God and were rebelling against him.

Again we ask, is it any different today? Often our leaders like to be seen going to Christian worship yet when we hear the words coming out of their mouths it is often profanity. When it comes to following God’s ways they more often than not are trying to forge a way that builds them up and makes them look good. Again we observe that conditions over the last 2,600 years have not really changed.

“They have lied about the Lord; they said, ‘He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.’” (Jeremiah 5:12-13)

It seems that people try to use God for their own benefit. They don’t seem to realise that actions have consequences. “A day of judgement? – You must be kidding!” “Heaven or hell? Do you really think they exist?” People disparage God and his word as outdated and irrelevant. But like the people of Jeremiah’s day, they will learn differently. God brought the Babylonians to conquer his people. God will one day bring this world to an end. What will those who have rejected God do then? As Jeremiah recorded:

“But what will you do in the end?” (Jeremiah 5:31)

What will we as God’s people do? Christians are to be an influence for Jesus on the world around us, showing that there is a better way to live. Sadly, it seems to me, the world influences us more than we do society around us. 

May we always be honest seekers of God’s truth and have the courage to speak a good word for Jesus!

Photo by Jon Galloway – people of Lachish being taken into Assyrian captivity, British Museum.

Readings for next week: Jeremiah 5-12