“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.”
“Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.”
Oftentimes, we watch people train-wreck on television through things as harmless as funny home videos or reality TV shows where one person is poised to find a lifelong partner while fifteen others compete for the same prize. While this makes for some really interesting viewing, deep down, most of us are asking ourselves, “What are they thinking?” The magnitude of bad decision-making is on full display every night at 7:00 p.m., so to speak. It’s almost like the directors of these shows have lost the ability to create watchable content that has some craziness while still driving home a meaningful life lesson.
I miss shows like The Cosby Show, Little House on the Prairie, and Full House. We could all laugh, cry, and learn something instead of being completely overwhelmed by bad decisions spiraling out of control as we watch someone’s life wreck before our eyes. But before I sound like I’m 90 years old and completely out of touch, I’ve noticed that even my own daughters—while they love watching the train-wreck—also wonder what compels a person to willingly endure such chaos, much less have it all taped and viewed by millions.
Israel, at this time in its history, had become the reality TV show we watch today. They started out following the Lord under King David and Solomon, but as the years went by, they had a rash of kings who did not obey the Lord. Some were downright evil, while others attempted to pull the people back to God. But after they died, we read about their sons leading the Israelites into bad decisions and, even worse, outright disobedience to the Lord. The books of the prophets—like Isaiah and Hosea, to name a few—contain messages from God imploring Israel to return to Him. Jeremiah, in particular, is the one prophet who actually witnesses the exile of his people to Babylon, an event orchestrated by God because of their disobedience.
At this time, the people were in full rebellion against the Lord and His ways. Our verse above comes from a rebuke from God. He declares that no one is even listening to Him, and even worse, they find everything about Him offensive and take no pleasure in following Him at all. Verse 15 goes even deeper, saying they are not even ashamed of their conduct and don’t blush when engaging in sinful behavior. The whole scenario could play out on modern reality TV—where casual viewers sit on their couches and watch the chosen people of God commit detestable acts without batting an eye. The irony is that God had placed watchmen—the prophets—over them, but they refused to listen (v. 17). And in the end, most of them blamed God for the mess they were in. Sound familiar?
Thankfully, we can learn from their mistakes—praise the Lord! We don’t have to repeat the same behaviors. We can choose to keep our ears open and listen to God’s direction. 2 Peter 3:17-18 reads:
“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
We can choose to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ rather than become a person whose decisions are better suited for The Bachelor. We are called to a higher standard which is a godly lifestyle that runs from sin and obeys the Lord. We are called not to conform to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ.
Today, make the decision to follow Christ in all His ways—don’t pick and choose the parts you like. Drop the bravado and surrender it all to Him. I’d rather not have my life be a series of dumb decisions fueled by listening to foolish people. The choice is yours.
Prayer: Father, I pray that we run from sin and chase after the things of God. I pray that our entire being is focused on You, seeking Your righteousness first. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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