What does "Where is the word of the LORD?" reveal about people's skepticism? Text Under Consideration “Behold, they keep saying to me, ‘Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now!’ ” (Jeremiah 17:15) Who Was Asking and Why? • Residents of Judah in Jeremiah’s day, weary of hearing repeated warnings, taunted the prophet. • The challenge implied, “If God really spoke, we’d have seen His judgment by now.” • Their tone was not humble inquiry but scornful disbelief—an attempt to discredit both Jeremiah and the divine message. The Heart Behind the Question • Doubt of God’s messenger—“Maybe Jeremiah is exaggerating.” • Denial of personal guilt—“Surely God won’t judge us.” • Demand for immediate proof—“If judgment hasn’t arrived on our timetable, it never will.” • Deflection of conviction—mockery served to silence an uneasy conscience (cf. Isaiah 5:19). The Pattern of Skepticism Across Scripture • Isaiah 5:19—“Let Him hurry and speed His work...” • Ezekiel 12:22—“The days go by and every vision fails.” • 2 Peter 3:3-4—scoffers ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” Each text shows the same heart posture: using delay as evidence that God will not act. God’s Answer to the Skeptics • Jeremiah 17:17-18—God vows to vindicate His servant and shame the mockers. • Ezekiel 12:25—“The word that I speak will be fulfilled without delay.” • Matthew 24:35—“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” • Amos 8:11-12 warns that those who belittle God’s word may one day seek it in vain. What the Challenge Reveals About Unbelief 1. Impatience—true faith waits; unbelief demands instant verification. 2. Pride—self becomes judge over God’s timetable. 3. Superficial security—peace is assumed because judgment tarried. 4. Spiritual blindness—God’s ongoing mercy is misread as absence (Romans 2:4). Lessons for Believers Today • Expect scoffing—God’s spokesmen have always faced it. • Rest in Scripture’s certainties—His promises and warnings stand unshaken (Psalm 119:89). • Recognize mercy in delay—God “is patient...not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Peter 3:9). • Keep proclaiming truth—the word itself carries power to break skepticism (1 Thessalonians 2:13). |
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