Scripture
16This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ 17I posted watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’ But you replied,‘No! We won’t pay attention!’ Jeremiah 6:16-17
Observation
Out with the old and in with the new! This was the cry of Israel and Judah. At the crossroads the spiritual leaders led the way offering “superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound.” (Jer. 6:14). Just cover it up and it will be fine. To acknowledge the real depth of the wound or the seriousness of the sin would be to admit that they were frauds hungry for power and there to serve God or His people. Then, at the crossroads, the husbands and wives followed their leaders cue and began to serve themselves and their lustful cravings rather than serving their spouse in covenantal marriage. They thanked God for His faithful provision “by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels. 8They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife. (Jeremiah 5:7-8). At the crossroads, the children followed suit and turned against God Himself to worship the gods of self (Jer. 5:7). All in one voice they said to God and his prophets “No, that’s not the road we want! No! We won’t pay attention!” They cast off authority in the name personal authenticity. They cast off accountability in the name of hedonistic liberty. They cast off the Name of God to promote their own names and to re-name that which was once considered disgusting as completely delightful (Jer. 6:15). Who bares the brunt of these choices at the crossroad? When the older generations cast off restraint and choose to serve themselves, it’s the youngest among us who ultimately pay the highest price. Our sons and daughters will have nothing to eat because we weren’t planning for them while we served ourselves (Jer. 5:17). The children can no longer play in the streets because of the violence that runs rampant in our cities as leaders look the other way (Jer. 6:11).
Application
The road to “liberation” has led us to enslavement to self. The road of “revolution” as led to an almost complete separation from reality. Mary Eberstadt put it this way in her book “Adam and Eve After the Pill”, “Contrary to conventional depiction, the sexual revolution has proved a disaster for many men and women; and… its weight has fallen heaviest on the smallest and weakest shoulders in our society- even as it has given extra strength to those already strongest and most predatory.” Jesus is the one standing at the crossroads, asking us to stop and take a look around. We see the old well worn path of wisdom which Scripture and Spirit guide us to. We also see the well paved, extra wide, road that everyone else seems to flying down at high speeds. Which way will we choose? Jesus is the watchman who is drawing our attention to the “alarms going off all around us.” We’ve been so caught up in the 24/7 flow of information and noise that we honestly didn’t even notice until He pointed it out. We look at the old road again and seems to require far too much and it seems like we’d be walking it all alone. Whereas the new road seems to promise adventure, excitement, and all the freedom to do what we’ve always wanted to receive what we’ve always felt we deserved. So, we ignore the alarms, we say no to the stifling restraint of accountability and authority’s and head into what looks to be unfettered fulfillment of our wildest fantasies. John Mark Comer writes this in “Live No Lies”, “The problem with the current carpet bombing of thousands of years of human wisdom around sexual desire is, well, reality. The secular world’s dominant idea (read, working theory of reality) is that human beings are animals, simply aided by time and change to evolve into the dominate species on our planet; monogamy is “not natural”, as we rarely see it in other animals… and of course marriage sexual norms, and even gender itself are all social constructs, often crated by elites to maintain power.” Ironically, all those who have chosen the new road of self have found a harsh reality check. John Mark Comer points to some stats the most depressing of which are about our children: Happiness levels have been in decline since the glorious sexual revolution of the 60’s. Divorce is a traumatic event for children of all ages. The data on the effects of abortion on women’s mental and physical health is tragic to say the least. 25% of children seen a portion of their childhood without a father in the home creating damaging life choices to boys and girls alike. Pornography is growing at a rapid rate and is intentionally targeting our children. There is a toll to enter the new way and our children are most certainly paying the price for our supposed “freedom road”.
Prayer
Jesus, You said, “you will know the truth, and the turn will set you free.” We need to choose true freedom which starts with reality check by Your Word today. I’m stopping. I’m paying attention. I’m interrogating reality and I’m crying out in repentance. Thank You for Your forgiveness that leads to me to the narrow way and far away from the wide road that leads to destruction. I cry out for this generation who are literally being offered up on the altar of our cultures hedonism. Let a new wave of holiness start in Your reach and stand as stark contrast in this world so used to filth all over everything, including Your Church. Let the next generation see our humility and our unity and submission to Your authority so we can bring flourishing where many are dying.
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