God's Appeal for Vindication of His Vengeance
S. Conway Jeremiah 6:18-30 Therefore hear, you nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.… Note - I. THE CHALLENGE. (Ver. 18.) God summons the nations, the Congregations, the earth, to serve as on a grand jury, and to vindicate by their verdict the righteousness of his procedure. Now, from this challenge we learn: 1. The universality of conscience. There is a moral sense, a knowledge of right and wrong, implanted in all men by God. It is "the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." 2. That God desires to have this universal conscience approving what he has done. (1) He takes for granted that his procedure wilt be scanned and judged by men. (2) But this he desires and approves. (3) He asks only for a true deliverance upon the ease before them. 3. God desires us to regard his actions, not as right because they are his, but as his because they are right. It is a perilous thing to defend the rectitude of Divine actions - as they have been defended, e.g. the massacres of the Canaanites - on the ground that his will makes them right. That is not the method whereby we are to "vindicate the ways of God to man." Abraham did not so, but asked, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Not make right, but do it. But what condescension on the part of God, thus to submit himself to our judgment! But he does this because he so yearns for our love, and because love cannot be apart from moral approval. II. THE STATEMENT OF THE MATTER ON THE PART OF GOD. 1. God declares what he will do (vers. 19-21). 2. How he will accomplish his purpose (vers. 22, 23). 3. How terrible its accomplishment will be (vers. 24-26). And then he gives: 4. The grounds of his procedure (vers. 19, 28, 29). III. THE CALLING OF THE WITNESS. (Ver. 27; cf. Exposition.) Jeremiah was to observe and declare the guilt of those whom God condemned. IV. THE VERDICT ANTICIPATED. (Ver. 30.) Men shall call them "reprobate silver." CONCLUSION. Let us tremble at that righteousness of God which the whole earth will confess when he condemns the sinner. Let us lay hold on that righteousness of God Which is for us in Christ. - C. Parallel Verses KJV: Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. WEB: Therefore hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what is among them.