No Burger King Bible Here

This morning I pulled Jeremiah 6:16 from a box of scriptures I keep on my desk. It read as follows:

“Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”

I pulled the whole chapter of Jeremiah up for context and commentary. I found the scripture quoted was only a part of verse 16. The following is the whole of the verse:

Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

The first part of chapter 6 warns of the destruction of Jerusalem because the people have turned their heart and ears away from God. He warns of impending doom as an enemy moves toward them yet they take no action to change or show conviction for their greed and evil ways after being warned.

The lesson we can glean from this chapter is one of repentance and returning to God’s ways; it’s a good lesson. However, the danger comes from taking scripture out of context. Entire denominations and/or religions have made a practice of basing their theology on bits and pieces of scripture taken out of context and used to make a point based in the bits they want to use. Some Christian preachers want to use the ‘pretty part’ of the scripture and ignore the harder part. This is how some have come to be called ‘cotton candy preachers’ because they only use the pretty parts, the ‘feel good’ stuff. If we believe God is the author of scripture and gave His Word to those who committed it to writing, does it not seem a bit presumptuous of us to edit out that which does not tickle the ear, please the masses or give the whole story?

Friends, that was the whole point of Jeremiah 6 in the first place! People chose to do their own thing, walk to their own drummer rather than listen to God and follow His precepts. Isn’t that what we see in America today? People picking and choosing the bits and pieces that fit whatever it is they want to believe from the Bible rather than taking it as a whole? We have federal and state laws based on that practice. I did that at one time in my life. I rationalized a whole lot of things by ‘selective believing.’ It’s scary to think about that time of my life now. It’s scary to see what is happening in our country.

God is good and faithful to us but He is not fooled by our careful editing of His Word. This isn't Burger King, Friends, we can't have it our own way. It was God who outlined the consequences of living outside His will for us. Listen up, America! In Jeremiah 6:10-19, God says it very plainly:

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. But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in.

   “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD. “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.

 ¹⁶ This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’ Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them. Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.