HEALTHY INDEPENDENCE-IV—Jeremiah 17:1-14
Attention:
Jn. 15:18-19—Jesus told His disciples:—“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Jn. 17:15-16—Jesus prayed for His disciples:—“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
God’s people must exhibit a ‘Healthy’ independence from the world in which they live.
?Are you living INDEPENDENTLY of that which has potential to destroy you?
The prophet Jeremiah contrasted two major aspects of Independence—Independence from God versus independence from the world.
*Dependence upon YHWH brings independence from worldly influence.
What can be gleaned by contrasting healthy & unhealthy independence?
*How can I be independent of worldly influence?
So far we’ve found that A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
1. A RESIDENT REBELLION(:1)
2. An ABERRANT EDUCATION(:2)
3. BLINDLY SIGHTED BENEFITS(:3-4)
4. An ANGERING LIFESTYLE(:4e)
5. MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUSTS(:5)
Today we’ll find that...
6—A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
The CURSE Of MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUST(:6)
Explanation/Illustration:(:6)
:6—“For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.”
This verse illustrates what verse :5 promises. It highlights the “curse” that is guaranteed to come upon the person who trusts “man”, makes flesh his strength, & whose heart is not with God.
•A person will try to justify & hide the pain/heartache/uncertainty/lostness/darkness that the curse has brought into their life by by their own invitation(Jn. 3:19-21).
•Jn. 3:19-21—““And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Verse :6 paints a picture of ‘Mere Survival’ as contrasted with ‘Life’(that which is better & is of God).
A.—“Like a shrub in the desert”—A picture of stunted growth, desolation, loneliness, meager living, existence only, never thriving, never reaching one’s potential, continually ‘knocked back’ by your environment. The shrub is not dead but is always on the verge of death.
•“A shrub” is reminiscent of a person who would live wildly & in places in want, & with even minimal creature comforts. It is a picture of ‘survival’ rather than ‘thriving’, & forced ‘minimalism’ rather than ‘enough.’
•A heart given to God is a grateful heart that ‘turns what we have into enough.’
“Shrub/Bush/Heath”...
[KJV]—rere ar-awr’—Adj.—1) Stripped, destitute. Strong—Naked, i.e. figuratively--Poor. Used 2X--.?From—rre aw-rar'—To bare; figuratively--To demolish; a primitive root.
-OR...
[BHM]—rewre ar-o-ayr' OR--rere ar-awr’—Noun Masc.—1) Naked, stripped, destitute; 2) Tree or bush—2a) probably Juniper or cypress. Strong—A juniper(from its nudity of situation). Used 1X--Jer. 17:6.?From—rre aw-rar’ reduplicated—Verb—1) To strip, make bare, strip oneself; To bare; figuratively--To demolish.
“Desert”—hbre ar-aw-baw’—Noun Fem.—1) Desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness. Strong—A desert; especially(with the article prefix)--The (generally)sterile valley of the Jordan & its continuation to the Red Sea.?From—bre aw-rab'—To grow dusky at sundown; a primitive root [identical with bre[to braid, i.e. intermix; to traffic(as if by barter); give to be security(as a kind of exchange)] through the idea of covering with a texture].
B.—“Shall not see when good comes”—Impossible to consider “good” coming into one’s life. No hope & without God in the world(Eph. 2:11-12). Only have temporary worldly securities! Those worldly securities will be unavoidably appealing—tempting—to someone who has absolutely nothing of spiritual substance.
•Preacher,...Do you mean to tell me that people who can afford to live in places most cannot—who ‘have means’, who are well-heeled, who are well-kept, & who can afford an opulent lifestyle—that the rich, will never “see when good comes”?
•First—It is no sin to be rich—to be financially secure, IF GOD brings that richness!
•Secondly—IF God does NOT bring the richness/financial security, then all that is regarded as ‘rich’ & desirable according to man/flesh/world, is actually abject poverty at best!—They have everything except heaven!...everything except eternal security!...everything except life in Christ Jesus!
•Being financially well-off is NOT The SAME THING as “goodness”! Being financially well-off does not equate to being “good”, nor does it mean that that which such a person receives is “good.”
“Not”2X—al lo’, awl low’, hl loh(De 3:11) OR-- wl—Adverb—1) Not, no—1a) Not(with verb - absolute prohibition), 1b) Not(with modifier - negation), 1c) Nothing(substantive), 1d) without(with particle), 1e) Before(of time). Strong—a primitive particle; Not(the simple or absolute negation); by implication--No; often used with other particles.
“See”—har raw-aw’—Qal Imperfect—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To see, 1a2) To see, perceive, 1a3) To see, have vision, 1a4) To look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out, 1a5) To see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish, 1a6) To look at, gaze at. Strong—a primitive root; To see, literally or figuratively(in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative).
“Good”—bwj towb—Adj.—1) Good, pleasant, agreeable—1a) Pleasant, agreeable(to the senses), 1b) Pleasant (to the higher nature), 1c) Good, excellent (of its kind), 1d) Good, rich, valuable in estimation, 1e) Good, appropriate, becoming, 1f) Better (comparative), 1g) Glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature), 1h) Good understanding (of man's intellectual nature), 1i) Good, kind, benign, 1j) Good, right(ethical). Noun Masc.—2) A good thing, benefit, welfare—2a) Welfare, prosperity, happiness, 2b) Good things(collective), 2c) Good, benefit, 2d) Moral good. Noun Fem.—3) Welfare, benefit, good things—3a) Welfare, prosperity, happiness, 3b) Good things (collective), 3c) Bounty. Strong—Good(as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine & the feminine, the singular & the plural(Good, A good or good thing, A good man or woman; The good, Goods or Good things, Good men or women), also as an adverb--Well.
“Comes”—awb bow’—Qal Imperfect—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in; 1a) (Qal)--1a1) To enter, come in, 1a2) To come—1a2a) To come with, 1a2b) To come upon, fall or light upon, attack(enemy), 1a2c) To come to pass, 1a3) To attain to, 1a4) To be enumerated, 1a5) To go. Strong—a primitive root; To go or come(in a wide variety of applications).
C.—“But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness”—
•State—“Inhabit”—A person living under God’s curse will spend an entire lifetime there IF they choose NOT to repent or turn back to God!
•Condition—“Parched places”—Their habitation will consist of that which is dried, unnourished. Their’s will be a constant struggle just to maintain physical life.
•It is ironic that the name ‘Zion’ in Hebrew language may means ‘parched place’(BDB)—the very place where God chose for His name to dwell...& thus where the Temple was built. When one chooses to live with only the trappings of religion yet without God, their world remains one of only “parched places.”
•A person who rejects the God who has made Himself known to all mankind, lives unsure of their life’s focus, & unsure of God’s purpose in their daily direction, as well as in the uncertainty of eternity!
•Location—“in the wilderness”—No family, No friends, No neighbors, No help of any kind, No resources, No recourse but self. Entirely at the mercy of natural life.
“Inhabit”—Nkv shaw-kan’—Qal Perfect—1) To settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To settle down to abide, 1a2) To abide, dwell, reside, 1b) (Piel)--1b1) To make settle down, establish, 1b2) To make or cause to dwell, 1c) (Hiphil)—1c1) To lay, place, set, establish, settle, fix, 1c2) To cause to dwell or abide. Strong—a primitive root [apparently akin(by transmission) to bkv[to lie down] through the idea of lodging; compare Nko[to be familiar with, minister to], Mkv[incline, load up, start early]]; to reside or permanently stay(literally or figuratively).
“Parched Places”—rrx charer khaw-rare' OR(plural)--Myrrx—Noun Masc.—1) Dry regions, parched place. Strong—Arid. Used 1X--Jer. 17:6.?From—rrx khaw-rar’—To glow, i.e. literally(to melt, burn, dry up) or figuratively--To show or incite passion; a primitive root.
“Wilderness”—rbdm mid-bawr’—Noun Masc.—1) Wilderness—1a) Pasture, 1b) Uninhabited land, wilderness, 1c) Large tracts of wilderness(around cities), 1d) Wilderness (figuratively); 2) Mouth—2a) Mouth(as organ of speech). Strong—A pasture(i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication--A desert; also--Speech(including its organs).?From—rbd daw-bar’—Verb—perhaps properly--To arrange; but used figuratively(of words)--To speak; rarely(in a destructive sense)--To subdue; a primitive root.
D.—“In a salt land which is not inhabited.”—An environment which is actively ‘against’ your living there!—An overabundance of “salt” is detrimental to the majority of life.
This is NOT a picture of life at the beach! It is a picture of life in the driest desert(no water) which is compounded by the presence of “salt.” Don’t picture the beach, picture the Dead Sea, where salt is so abundant that that is the only industry available & where anything edible must be trucked in from other places.
A person who would turn their heart from YHWH(:5) leads an existence which never crosses over into the realm of actual ‘living’, as they are only ‘alive’ at best...
•“Good” is not, nor will ever be, within the realm of their experience.
Consider the spiritual ramifications of such a picture...
•They will not even “see” the promise or possibility of the “good” God can bring them...All because of their prideful arrogance.
•God will not put His hand of blessing upon them. In fact, YHWH’s hand—which they have rejected—will only bring “cursing” & thus ‘bad’ to their sight.
“Salt”—hxlm mel-ay-khaw’—Noun Fem.—1) Saltness, barrenness, saltiness. Strong—properly--Salted(i.e. land [Ura eh’-rets—the earth(at large, or partitively--a land) being understood]), i.e. A desert. Used 3X--Job 39:6; Ps. 107:34; Jer. 17:6.?From—xlm maw-lakh’—properly--To rub to pieces or pulverize; intransitively--To disappear as dust; also (as denominative from xlm[powder, i.e. (specifically) salt(as easily pulverized & dissolved])--To salt whether internally(to season with salt) or externally (to rub with salt); ; a primitive root.
“Land”(See :13—“earth”)—Ura eh’-rets—Noun Fem.—1) Land, earth—1a) Earth—1a1) Whole earth(as opposed to a part), 1a2) Earth(as opposed to heaven), 1a3) Earth(inhabitants), 1b) Land—1b1) Country, territory, 1b2) District, region, 1b3) Tribal territory, 1b4) Piece of ground, 1b5) Land of Canaan, Israel, 1b6) Inhabitants of land, 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under)world, 1b8) City(-state), 1c) Ground, surface of the earth—1c1) Ground, 1c2) Soil, 1d) (in phrases)—1d1) People of the land, 1d2) Space or distance of country(in measurements of distance), 1d3) Level or plain country, 1d4) Land of the living, 1d5) End(s) of the earth, 1e) (almost wholly late in usage)—1e1) Lands, countries—1e1a) Often in contrast to Canaan. Strong—from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; The earth(at large, or partitively a land).
“Inhabited/Inhabitant”—bvy yaw-shab’—Qal Imperfect—1) To dwell, remain, sit, abide—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To sit, sit down, 1a2) To be set, 1a3) To remain, stay, 1a4) To dwell, have one's abode; 1b) (Niphal) To be inhabited; 1c) (Piel) To set, place; 1d) (Hiphil)--1d1) To cause to sit, 1d2) To cause to abide, set, 1d3) To cause to dwell, 1d4) To cause(cities) to be inhabited, 1d5) To marry(give an dwelling to); 1e) (Hophal)--1e1) To be inhabited, 1e2) To make to dwell. Strong—a primitive root; properly--To sit down(specifically--As judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication--To dwell, to remain; causatively--To settle, to marry.
Argumentation:
Job 8:11-20—“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? While it is yet green & not cut down, It withers before any other plant. So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure. He grows green in the sun, And his branches spread out in his garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap, And look for a place in the stones. If he is destroyed from his place, Then it will deny him, saying, ‘I have not seen you.’ “Behold, this is the joy of His way, And out of the earth others will grow. Behold, God will not cast away the blameless, Nor will He uphold the evildoers.”
Mat. 23:27-39—“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones & all uncleanness. “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy & lawlessness. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets & adorn the monuments of the righteous, & say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, & scribes: some of them you will kill & crucify, & some of them you will scourge in your synagogues & persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple & the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets & stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’””
Rev. 18:15-20—The demise of those who trust in ‘Babylon’—“The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping & wailing, & saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, & scarlet, & adorned with gold & precious stones & pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, & as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance “& cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ “They threw dust on their heads & cried out, weeping & wailing, & saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ “Rejoice over her, O heaven, & you holy apostles & prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
?What is YOUR life “like”?...?What does it most resemble?
?Does it seem that most of what you put your hands to, ends in failure & frustration, disappointment, & exasperation?
?Are you constantly angry, dissatisfied, & can never find contentedness?
Are you weary of serving your ‘enemies’ ?
?Are you desirous of the ‘heritage’ God promises all who are His?
?Does it seem that you are defeated at every turn?...That you can never ‘get ahead’—‘one step forward & two back’ as it were?...
...Then you are living out the ‘curse’ spoken of in this verse...
...BUT, you also are well aware of the SOLUTION spoken of!
You must turn your sin over to the Lord, instead of wallowing in it & not trusting Him!
1 Pet. 5:6-7—“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Application:
?Are you properly engaging(dealing with/handling/managing) The CURSE Of MISPLACED TRUST?
?Are you exhibiting A Healthy Independence?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
6. The ‘CURSE’ Of MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUST(:6)
1. A RESIDENT REBELLION(:1)
2. An ABERRANT EDUCATION(:2)
3. BLINDLY SIGHTED BENEFITS(:3-4)
4. An ANGERING LIFESTYLE(:4e)
5. MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUSTS(:5)
Pt# 6 only! Video Presented 08/16/2020am to:
1BCCbelle(Video to YouTube shared to Facebook @ Byron Sherman & ’First Baptist Church Carrabelle’)
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
