We know there is only one true God, but in the Bible we read of many false gods that were worshiped. Jehovah God was not happy anytime a false god was created. “Can man make for himself gods? Such are not gods! Therefore, behold, I will make them know, this once I will make them know my power and my might, and they shall know that my name is the LORD.” (Jeremiah 16:21) Throughout the Bible He used many different methods to show His power. He may not show His power in the same ways today, but He is no less powerful now as He was back then. “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10)
In Jeremiah chapter 10 the Israelites are warned about being influenced too much by those they would be living around. “Thus says the LORD: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,” (Jeremiah 10:2) Superstition and idolatry were prevalent in this area and He wanted them to know how He felt about those things. “They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!” (Jeremiah 10:8) Not much doubt about His feelings on this subject. After telling them all the negatives about idols and the vanities of these people, he contrasts it with the One who we know today. “But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10)
The Lord wanted His people the Israelites to be close to Him. “If you will return, O Israel,” says the LORD, “Return to Me” (Jeremiah 4:1) He wants the same for us today. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8) He is always there with blessings that are immeasurable if we will just follow His word.
The Lord gave Jeremiah instructions on what to tell His people. In chapter 2 of Jeremiah we read of him reminding the Israelites of many of the blessings they had received from God and the care that He had given them. His words left no question about how He felt about their forsaking Him. “Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. 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.” (Jeremiah 2:12-13) Living waters would be referring to a spring of running water that never ceased. Here God is using “living waters” to mean His power and all that He provides to His people. A cistern was a container for storing water that obviously would only provide a limited supply of water. He is using the term cistern to stand for worldly things which we know are short lived. It could be idols, human pride, money, or anything that has been wrongly put ahead of love for God and service to Him. We can see His point here, why would anyone choose something that is soon to run out over something that will last for eternity.
Zephaniah brought words from the Lord that spoke of both the wrath and the love of God. “On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD,” (Zephaniah 3:11-12) Many times throughout the book of Proverbs we read of the contrast between being prideful and being humble. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2) “One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23) If you want to be lifted up, James has the answer. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)
When Josiah was king he followed God’s commands, but later found out there were parts of God’s word that he was not aware of. “Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, ‘Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.’ And Shaphan read from it before the king. And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ‘Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book.’” (2 Chronicles 34:18-21) Today we have God’s Word readily available, but we can also be guilty of not following It fully. The Bereans were an example of a people desiring to know and follow the entire Word of God. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11) We have an additional source of help to gain knowledge that goes along with diligent study of His Word. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
In our legal system, we often see errors made where guilty are set free and innocent are wrongfully punished. With God’s judgement, the outcome will always be the correct and just one. “The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” (Nahum 1:3) “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Colossians 3:25)
What were you doing when you were 12 years old? For Manasseh he was being a king. At first he struggled to follow the right path. “And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen” (2 Chronicles 33:10) But things changed when trouble came. “Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.” (2 Chronicles 33:12-13) God wants all to be saved, (1 Timothy 2:4) but we shouldn’t be like Manasseh and wait for calamity to come before we obey God.
A lost copy of the law was found and read to King Josiah. From the king’s reaction they must not have been following the commands of the law. “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, ‘Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.’” (2 Kings 22:11-13) It is hard to follow something that you do not know about. The Sadducees had the same problem when questioning Jesus about the resurrection. “Jesus said to them, ‘Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?’” (Mark 12:24) God has preserved His word to be our guide to living. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The people of Berea were an example to us of how to know what God’s word says. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
In this section of scripture God is compared to someone who makes pottery. “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8) For the clay to be turned into the final product, it takes time. If we want to be the Christian that God would have us be, we have to be longsuffering and never give up. The clay sometimes has to be reformed if it gets out of place. We must be willing to let ourselves be molded by studying His word and seeing where we need to change our lives. He can mold us, but we have to be willing to let Him.