The setting is in Egypt, where Jeremiah was forcibly taken when the remnant Jews from Jerusalem fled from the threat of Babylonian retaliation. Here Jeremiah discovered that Jewish families, which had been living in Egypt were having cake parties. It seems that they had decided to practice baking cakes in the image of the "Queen of Heaven." This was going on with the husbands of these families in full support; this was no small group, but a large assembly. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews living in Upper and Lower Egypt. God directed his prophet to warn all these families of the judgment they were going to bring on themselves if these cake parties continued. The response of the people is anything but a laughing matter: "Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present--a large assembly--and all the people living in Upper and Lower Egypt said, 'We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will spur out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.
(Jer. 44:15-17a) The verse that follows these statements of defiance should cause us to tremble in sober alarm if we truly recognize how close to home it really hits. It expresses the heart of many who are no longer walking in diligent obedience to all the will of God. "At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."
These are the concerns of those who have lost the spiritual vision of the glory of God in the face of Christ, and are living as "enemies of the Cross." Beware when the main concerns become PLENTY OF FOOD, WE WERE WELL OFF, AND WE SUFFERED NO HARM. Are these things the main concerns in our homes? Is this what we seek God for, are we after gain? Is the spirit of Job's wife in our midst; once the blessings are gone, are we ready to "curse God and die"? The way of the cross is a way of suffering, and hardship. The Church has traded taking men to the cross for taking them on a cruise; the main goal has become comfort instead of crucifixion. Beware this mentality among us; it is corporate (a large assembly), it is defiant (we will not listen)! Prophets are shunned and "peace purveyors" are applauded. Beware when you start hearing these words. "We just need peace, I'm tired of the struggle, can't we just enjoy some quiet."
Many husbands are yielding to this pressure, and sanctioning these comfort cake parties. Notice the shape of the cakes resemble the "Queen" of Heaven. It is no accident that when husbands abandon diligent faithfulness to the Lord, feminine authority sprouts like weeds. God becomes a woman: tender, sensitive, comforting, consoling, motherly, gone are His wrath, indignation, jealousy, might, power, and judgment. Women begin to exert more and more influence in the home and the Church, because when they are not happy, men suffer the most. God's ways are being abandoned by many men who have opted for pleasing his honey, before His Holy. A godly man can do both, but a double-minded man can do neither. God warned the Israelites again and again about the power women have to turn men's hearts away from the Lord.
(This is not an indictment against women intrinsically as though they are automatically going to lead to evil. There are many godly women who diligently serve the Lord. Rather this is an indictment against compromisers who have let down their weapons in the struggle of the faith in order to please someone else. In that sense, an ungodly woman, or a man is a real danger.)
These are the concerns of those who have lost the spiritual vision of the glory of God in the face of Christ, and are living as "enemies of the Cross." Beware when the main concerns become PLENTY OF FOOD, WE WERE WELL OFF, AND WE SUFFERED NO HARM. Are these things the main concerns in our homes? Is this what we seek God for, are we after gain? Is the spirit of Job's wife in our midst; once the blessings are gone, are we ready to "curse God and die"? The way of the cross is a way of suffering, and hardship. The Church has traded taking men to the cross for taking them on a cruise; the main goal has become comfort instead of crucifixion. Beware this mentality among us; it is corporate (a large assembly), it is defiant (we will not listen)! Prophets are shunned and "peace purveyors" are applauded. Beware when you start hearing these words. "We just need peace, I'm tired of the struggle, can't we just enjoy some quiet."
Many husbands are yielding to this pressure, and sanctioning these comfort cake parties. Notice the shape of the cakes resemble the "Queen" of Heaven. It is no accident that when husbands abandon diligent faithfulness to the Lord, feminine authority sprouts like weeds. God becomes a woman: tender, sensitive, comforting, consoling, motherly, gone are His wrath, indignation, jealousy, might, power, and judgment. Women begin to exert more and more influence in the home and the Church, because when they are not happy, men suffer the most. God's ways are being abandoned by many men who have opted for pleasing his honey, before His Holy. A godly man can do both, but a double-minded man can do neither. God warned the Israelites again and again about the power women have to turn men's hearts away from the Lord.
(This is not an indictment against women intrinsically as though they are automatically going to lead to evil. There are many godly women who diligently serve the Lord. Rather this is an indictment against compromisers who have let down their weapons in the struggle of the faith in order to please someone else. In that sense, an ungodly woman, or a man is a real danger.)
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