This Time I Will Make Them Know! ~ Kay Arthur

Jeremiah, Part 1 (Return To Me)

Program 33 – This Time I Will Make Them Know!

Have you ever thought if God is God, and America pledges the allegiance and calls upon God, if we put on our coins “In God We Trust” then why is God not showing up for America? Why are we going through this great economic crisis? Why are we going through the things that we‟re going through? Why this great calamity? We‟ll talk about it today. God takes Jeremiah and He begins to talk to him in Jeremiah chapter 16 which is really a continuation, so to speak, of His conversation in Jeremiah 15. And He tells Jeremiah what he is not allowed to do and why. And it all has to do with the great calamity that is coming on Jeremiah‟s nation.

Now remember this is the nation of Israel. This is the nation chosen by God. This is the nation that is to be a “kingdom of priests” to the world. This is a nation that is to live under a theocracy. This is the nation to whom belongs the covenants, the promises, the Word of God. This is the nation that God has given His inheritance to, has allowed Israel to live on His inheritance, on the land.

Now watch what happens in Jeremiah chapter 16. Now remember in Jeremiah chapter 15, Jeremiah‟s been complaining to God because it‟s hard, because it‟s difficult, because they‟re trying to take his life. Because his own family is coming against him and this is where God says to Jeremiah “Hey, you better extract the precious from the worthless. You will become My spokesman if you do. But otherwise, if you‟re gonna keep complaining then I can‟t use you.” (See Jeremiah 15:18-21)

And so He lays the gauntlet before Jeremiah and Jeremiah picks it up. In Jeremiah chapter 16 in verse 1 it says “The word of the LORD also came to me….” (Jeremiah 16:1) Jeremiah‟s speaking and this is where we want you to color every reference to “Jeremiah” in your Bible because so many times Jeremiah is standing there just being a spokesman, a mouthpiece for God.

But then Jeremiah shows us like no other Old Testament prophet what it means to walk with the Lord and what it costs to be one of His prophets, because Jeremiah just bares his soul. He tells us what God says to him and what he says to God. And God says to him, “You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.” (Jeremiah 16:2) Not only are the priests of Anathoth going to get you and the people of Anathoth, not only are your brothers and your sisters coming after you, but you know what? I don‟t want you to get married and I don‟t want you to have children; no son, no daughter for you. “For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land: they…,” the sons and daughters, “…will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground….” (Jeremiah 16:3-4) They‟re bodies will be all over. They‟ll be like dung, just all over the place, rotting, corrupting. He says, they will “…come to an end by the sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.” (Jeremiah 16:4) I‟ve seen those vultures. And I‟ve seen them on a carcass and I‟ve seen how ugly they are and He says “I don‟t want you to have sons or daughters in this place because this is what I‟m going to do to the people of this land. They‟re gonna be scattered all over the ground. The vultures are gonna eat their flesh, so are the beasts of the earth.” “For thus says the LORD, „Do not enter a house of mourning….” If somebody died, don‟t you go to that house of mourning, “…or go to lament or to console them….” (Jeremiah 16:5) If someone‟s sitting here and they have a loved one that has died, you can‟t put your arm around them. You can‟t console them and say “I‟m so sorry.” If they‟re holding a dead baby you can‟t say “I‟m so sorry.” You cannot lament with them. He says “…„For I have withdrawn My peace from this people,‟ declares the LORD, „My lovingkindness and compassion.‟” (Jeremiah 16:5) I‟ve withdrawn it. I‟m taking it away. It‟s not gonna be there. “Both great men and small will die in this land….” (Jeremiah 16:6) It‟s going to know no class distinction, rich, poor, well-known, unknown, they‟re gonna die in this land. “…They will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them.” (Jeremiah 16:6)

Now they weren‟t supposed to do that for the dead because they had hope, because they belonged to God, because as I‟ve taught you the first two days, there is a throne of majesty high from the beginning. It‟s always been there. And it is the place of our sanctuary. (See Jeremiah 17:12) But these people have picked up the customs of the other people around so they‟re gashing themselves. They‟re shaving their heads. And He says, “Listen, this is what‟s going to happen: „Men will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation….‟” (Jeremiah 16:7) “Here, here, drink this. You need something.” They won‟t give them a cup of consolation He says, because “…to drink for anyone‟s father or mother. Moreover you shall not go into a house of feasting…,” where they‟re having a party. (Jeremiah 16:7-8) Don‟t go to where they‟re having a party where they‟re celebrating, when they‟re laughing, when they‟re patting each other on the back, when they‟re having a good ole time. Don‟t go there. Why? He says, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: „Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, [from] before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.” (Jeremiah 16:9) “I‟m gonna eliminate it from this land.”

Now we go back to this chart that we worked on on the first two days of this week and we look at it, and what He‟s saying is, “Hey, you‟re gonna be out of this land. You‟re going to go into captivity. There‟s not gonna be any singing in this land. There‟s not gonna be any rejoicing. There‟s not going to be calling „Oh! The bride groom cometh.‟” There‟s not gonna be any of that. He says “Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you….” (Jeremiah 16:10) “Eventually they‟re gonna say, „Hey Jeremiah, how come you haven‟t gotten married? Jeremiah, don‟t you want kids? Jeremiah, why didn‟t you go to your friend when he was mourning the death of his father? Why didn‟t you go to your loved ones when they were mourning the death of that baby? I mean Jeremiah, you don‟t go anyplace. You don‟t go to houses of mourning. We have a party and we invite you. You won‟t even come.‟ So when they start saying this and saying why, this is what you‟re to tell them.” He says “Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, „For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity [on] us…?‟” (Jeremiah 16:10) Because what is Jeremiah‟s answer going to be to them? Jeremiah‟s answer is “Hey, I didn‟t do that because this is what God is doing to this land. Dead bodies are gonna be all over. The birds of the sky, the beasts of the earth are going to eat them,” and they‟re gonna say, “Now wait a minute, wait a minute.” See, they are God‟s chosen people. They are the sons of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. They have been given a position in the land. Surely God would not kick them out of the land. Surely God wouldn‟t do that. And he says, “Oh yes. This is why this great calamity has come on you.” And they say, “…And what is our iniquity…what is our sin [that] we[‟ve] committed against the LORD our God?” (Jeremiah 16:10) “What have we done? What is wrong?”

Just as we say, “Why has God allowed this happen America?” Now America doesn‟t know that God‟s behind this right now, the general population don‟t know. But those that know the Word of God know it. Those that know the Word of God know that a nation, Ezekiel 14, cannot sin against God and be unfaithful and not escape the judgment of God. (See Ezekiel 14:13) You say, “But I just thought it was just Israel that had to tow the line.” Listen, God made man in His image and God has to deal with any man, any woman that desecrates, that suppresses, that holds down the image of God in their lives. So as you listen to this, think Israel. But like I said, you look at what‟s happening through the lens of the Word of God.

So it says, “Then you are to say to them….” (Jeremiah 16:11) This is your answer when they say, “Why this calamity?” You know, “What‟s our iniquity?” “Then you are to say to them, „It[‟s] because your forefathers have forsaken Me,‟ declares the LORD, „and [they] have followed other gods and [they] have served them and [they] have bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and [they] have not kept My law.‟” (Jeremiah 16:11)

Now remember we‟re marking every reference to “idols”. We‟re putting a big “I” over “gods” over “idols” over the “them‟s” that refer to them. And then He says, “You too have done evil…,” not just your forefathers, but “...you too have done evil, even more than your forefathers….” (Jeremiah 16:12)

And I want to tell you something. I‟ve lived long enough. I‟m 75. I have lived long enough, Beloved, to see the tremendous changes in our society. I am absolutely grieved and repulsed at all the filth, at all the horrible talk, of all the talk about sex, of the ads that are on television for enhancement and stuff like this. It makes me absolutely sick and grieved. And I‟m just a human being. I am not a righteous God who is indignant in all this.

So He says “…even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of evil heart, without listening to Me.” (Jeremiah 16:12) Listen to this announcement and do come back. Welcome back, Beloved. I left you with God telling Jeremiah, “When they come and ask you, „Why this great calamity? Why these bodies strewn all over the earth?‟ what are you going to say to them? You‟re going to tell them that it‟s because your forefathers forgot Me. And it‟s because you forgot Me. And you know what I‟m gonna do?” “…I[‟m gonna] hurl you [right] out of the land….” (Jeremiah 16:13) That‟s what I‟m gonna do.

Just picture God just taking Israel and just pitching Israel right out of that land. What is He referring to? He‟s referring to the time on our chart 586 B.C. It‟s really in three stages. It‟s in 605 B.C. It‟s in 597 B.C. when He hurls 10,000 of them out of the land and then finally in 586 B.C. when He destroys them. Now why? What is He saying?

Well, let‟s look at it in verse 13. “So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known…,” that‟s Babylon, “…neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods….” (Jeremiah 16:13) “You want to serve those gods? Okay. I‟ll send you to a land where they have plenty of them.” “…And…you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.” (Jeremiah 16:13) Verse 14, He says, “„Therefore behold, days are coming,‟ declares the LORD, „when it will no longer be said, „As the LORD lives, who brought [us] up…out of the land of Egypt.‟” (Jeremiah 16:14)

Now when He says that, they are referring to the reputation of God that spread all over that land because the stories were told of the plagues that God brought on Egypt, and on Pharaoh and on Pharaoh‟s household because they would not let His people go out of Egypt. They remember the plagues. They remember the story of Pharaoh‟s army drowning in the Red Sea. But He says “Listen, with this captivity.” With the Babylonian captivity, and look at your chart now, look at Egypt down there and then look at Babylon, the second dispersion out of the land, so to speak.

And as you look at it, just know this, He says “I‟m not gonna be known anymore as the God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I‟m going to be known as the God,” now listen carefully, “that restores you back to the land.” Listen to what He says. “…It will no longer be said, „As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,‟ but…,” (Jeremiah 16:14) and I just took a pencil and put a cloud around the “but” so that you don‟t miss it. “…As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north…,” and He‟s talking about Babylon. (Jeremiah 16:14) And you say, “But Babylon is really to the east.” Yes, but you have to go north before you can go east because there‟s a desert between Israel and Babylon, Babylon, remember, is modern day Iraq.

And so He says, “…As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north…from the countries where He had banished them.‟ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:14-15) He says, “I‟m taking you into captivity, but I‟m gonna bring you home. I‟m going to bring you back.”

Here is the promise of restoration. It‟s a promise that we know, go back and look at your chart again, we know, remember what our key verse is for this week? Our key verse is Jeremiah 17:12, “A glorious throne on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” (Jeremiah 17:12) And so because He is the place of our sanctuary, because He is the throne, because He is sovereign, because He rules and does according to His will, as I told you, in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth God can do as He pleases. (See Daniel 4:35)

And this is what you and I need to remember at this time. But we need to ask, but God why are You doing what You‟re doing? Why has God devastated the economy of the United States of America? It‟s because and I‟ve been saying it for years, because greed is idolatry (See Colossian 3:5) and God is gonna pull the rug out from under our feet and put us flat on our faces.

I don‟t know where you are. I don‟t know what you‟re going through, but I will tell you, Beloved, that none of it should chase you away from God, rather it is to draw you to God. [Tribulation works patience, and patience, perseverance. And perseverance works proven character.] This is Romans 5. [And proven character brings hope and hope does not disappoint.] (PARAPHRASE, Romans 5:3-5)

So God is giving them hope. I am going to bring you back. “…I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:15) But then He makes this, “„Behold, I‟m going to send for many fishermen,‟ [said] the LORD, „and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.‟” (Jeremiah 16:16)

You see in this time they think: “Oh, I can escape the judgment”, and they‟ll go and hide. And He says, “I‟m gonna send a hunter and find you.” Oh, I can swim away, so to speak, from this. He says, “No, I‟m going to get a fisherman and he is going to reel you in.” He says, “I‟m God. My throne is on high. I can see everything that‟s going on down here on earth. (See Jeremiah 16:17) I am the Omniscient. I am the All-knowing God. I am the Omnipresent God. There‟s no hiding from Me.” He says, “…My eyes…,” verse 17, “…are on all [your] ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is there iniquity concealed from My eyes.” (Jeremiah 16:17)

You know why these things are happening in America? Because the cup of our iniquity is full and overflowing, because we take the Word of God and distort it and we say, Oh, it‟s all right to sleep around, it‟s all right to have sex outside of marriage.” “Oh you can‟t expect somebody to restrain themselves. You better give them a condom. You better give them pills.

You can expect somebody to restrain themselves.” God has made a command. And the command is that “You shall not commit adultery.”(Exodus 20:14) And “…You shall not covet your neighbor‟s wife [or your neighbor‟s husband.] (Exodus 20:17) He says “…Their iniquity [is not] concealed from My eyes. I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land….” (Jeremiah 16:17-18)

America has been polluted. Polluted by all the abortions. Polluted by all the immorality. Polluted by all the corruption. “…They have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.”(Jeremiah 16:18) And Jeremiah stops and he looks towards that throne and he says, “O LORD, my strength and my stronghold…my refuge in the day of distress, to You the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, „Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit.‟ Can a man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods!” (Jeremiah 16:19-20)

The nations are going to come. All of a sudden what he does is he takes us on the chart to the very last millennium when Jesus Christ rules on the face of this earth, when He comes back as Isaiah 2 says, and you can read it after the program. But in Isaiah chapter 2 He talks about all the nations coming up to Jerusalem, coming up to the earthly Zion and beating their swords into plowshares and learning the ways of the Lord. (See Isaiah 2:2-4) America better repent. America better learn the ways of the Lord.