“I Want to be Like Mike”

Jeremiah 10:

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the nations, or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; people deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good. Jer 10:1-5 (NRSV)

Israel knew the only true God. The God of the universe, the Lord of hosts entered into a covenant relationship with Israel. God chose Israel so that she might be light to the surrounding nations. The nations were to learn from Israel; learn about her God. Instead of Israel influencing the nations, the nations influenced Israel. God spoke in verse 2 to the house of Israel, “Do not learn the way of the nations . . .”

Are we like Israel in this manner? Do believers and the church “learn the way of the nations?” We can know the God who offers eternal life and life abundant. Why do we turn to the world to find life, joy, and satisfaction? In verse 3 Jeremiah writes that the nations cut down a tree and from it fashions a god that cannot walk, speak, do good, or do evil. Sounds really ridiculous doesn’t it? We must ask ourselves if today we do likewise. No, we don’t make idols from a log, but do we imitate the world and copy its ways? Do we seek satisfaction and meaning in worldly accolades and achievements, in worldly wealth, power, knowledge, education? Has the world influenced us, the church? Instead of the church pointing God to the world, has the world has pointed its ways to the church.

Some would insist and argue that they are influencing the world through the proclamation of the gospel. Of course proclamation of His truth is good. No matter how poorly we proclaim it or from whatever motivation it’s proclaimed, God can and often does use the less than ideal proclamation of His truth. Even as we proclaim to the world that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, we must be sure that our lives also proclaim the same message. We worship and serve the only true God. In verses 6 and 7, Jeremiah writes,

There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For that is your due; among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is no one like you. (NRSV)

We must search within that we indeed are not proclaiming the true God with our mouths while simultaneously embracing false gods for meaning and satisfaction. Then we must ask ourselves why we are seeking meaning and satisfaction from the gods of this world when we claim to know the only true God. Do we not truly believe that God can satisfy us more deeply and more completely than the things of this world? Is the Siren voice of this world too great a temptation to overcome? Have we not even tried to know Him? Maybe we simply do not know that, “God shows us the path of life. In His presence there is fullness of joy; in His right hand are pleasures forevermore.” And we don’t know that being a believer is more than attending church, more than studying the Bible, more than sharing the good news with others, more than all the “Christian” activities that fill our calendars. We don’t know that the essence of being a believer is relationship with the God of the universe, of knowing and experiencing Him.

In regards to learning from the world, it’s not that the world has nothing to teach us. We can learn from the world, from other nations, from other cultures. The bottom line is that all truth is from God. The point is that in regards to abundant life, to salvation, there is only one way. Verse 9 says, “But the Lord is the true God: He is the living God and the everlasting King. . .“ Let us repent and turn back to the living God and everlasting King who alone gives true life, immeasurable joy, and satisfaction. As we enjoy the bounties of knowing this King, we become a light to the world. The world will ask about our joy, peace, and love. They will wonder why we’re not pursing wealth, power, worldly achievements, etc. They will learn of our God. Most important is that God will be exalted and magnified as we find our satisfaction in Him.