Compare Jeremiah 22:21 with Proverbs 1:24-25 on ignoring God's call. Setting the Scene • Jeremiah 22:21 and Proverbs 1:24-25 sit in very different books—Jeremiah is prophetic narrative; Proverbs is wisdom literature—yet both record the same stubborn human response: “I will not listen.” • Both passages portray a season of calm before judgment. God’s word comes while people are still “secure” (Jeremiah 22:21) or going about ordinary life (Proverbs 1:20-23). The call is gracious, but the refusal is deliberate. What the Verses Actually Say “I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.” “Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, because you neglected all my counsel, and desired none of my correction…” Common Threads • God initiates—He “warned” and “called.” • The hearers respond with refusal—“I will not listen… you refused… you neglected… you desired none.” • The rebellion is persistent—Jeremiah notes it has been their pattern “from youth,” and Proverbs describes refusal on multiple levels (call, counsel, correction). • The voice is personal—“My voice… My call… My counsel.” Ignoring Scripture is ignoring the Speaker behind it (cf. Hebrews 3:7-8). Why People Ignore God’s Call 1. Comfort and complacency (Jeremiah 22:21: “when you were secure”). 2. Prideful independence (Proverbs 1:24-25: rejecting “counsel” implies self-reliance). 3. Love of sin (John 3:19 tells us people prefer darkness). 4. Habit—Jeremiah says it’s been their way “from youth,” showing that patterns harden over time. Consequences Highlighted Elsewhere • Isaiah 65:12; 66:4—God “called” but they did not answer, so judgment followed. • Zechariah 7:11-13—“They made their hearts like flint… so I scattered them.” • Proverbs 1 continues (vv. 26-31) with calamity, distress, and “they will eat the fruit of their ways.” • Jeremiah 22 unfolds into exile and national collapse. Hope Within the Warning • The very fact God speaks is mercy (cf. 2 Peter 3:9). • Even after long resistance, He still invites: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). • Christ embodies divine wisdom calling out (1 Corinthians 1:24). His sheep “hear His voice” and follow (John 10:27). Taking It Personally • Examine moments of “security” when it’s easy to tune out conviction. • Replace passive hearing with active obedience (James 1:22). • Cultivate responsiveness—immediate, humble, faith-filled “Yes, Lord,” whenever Scripture speaks. • Encourage others lovingly; silence in the face of a brother or sister’s drift echoes the folly Proverbs warns against (Hebrews 3:13). Key Takeaways • God’s call is clear, persistent, and personal. • Ignoring that call is not neutral—it establishes a pattern that invites discipline. • Listening leads to life (Proverbs 1:33) and intimacy with the Shepherd who still speaks through His flawless Word today. |
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