Jeremiah 10:23-24 - You Are Not Your Own

The most comforting truth is the one we hate the most.

Photo credit: Gantas Vaičiulėnas via Unsplash

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Jeremiah 10:23–24

²³  LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own;

it is not for them to direct their steps.

²⁴  Discipline me, LORD, but only in due measure—

not in your anger, or you will reduce me to nothing.

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Canons of Dordt

Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election

Point 2 - Limited Atonement

Point 3 - Total Depravity

Point 4 - Irresistible Grace

Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect

1. However, 

   1. just as by the fall 

      1. humans did not cease to be human, 

      2. endowed with intellect and will, 

   2. and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race, 

      1. did not abolish the nature of the human race 

      2. but distorted and spiritually killed it, 

   3. so also this divine grace of regeneration 

      1. does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; 

      2. nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force, 

      3. but 

         1. spiritually revives, heals, reforms, 

         2. and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back.

2. As a result, 

   1. a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail 

   2. where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant. 

   3. In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists. 

      1. Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us, 

         1. we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice, 

         2. by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright.

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Summary

In the Old Testament, God corresponded with His people via two different sets of intermediatories: priests represented the people to God, and prophets represented God to the people. We've read from the prophet Jeremiah several times already this year, and we've noted that while no true prophets of God had it easy, Jeremiah had a particularly tough calling.

Prophets were not popular because they communicated divine truth - God's Word - and truth has never been popular, nor will it ever be until Christ returns. Remember, our biggest consequence for falling into sin is what we call the noetic effect - our ability to think properly has been deeply compromised, causing a deep seated resentment to truth in general, but especially divinely revealed truth.

Jeremiah's prayer here begins with an admission of one of the most reviled truths of all times: that people's lives are not their own. Our lives are inextricably held in the LORD's almighty, sovereign hands. It's this truth that sin pokes at more than any other, for each of us was born with an intense desire to direct our own steps rather than follow God's sovereign direction.

True and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will, as the Canons put it, rests in this truth that Jeremiah acknowledges at the beginning of his prayer. Freedom comes in realizing your dependence, not by continually trying to establish your independence.

Thus, the Canons continue, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us, we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice, by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright.

  Dig Deeper  

Jeremiah goes on to make a peculiar request in this short prayer: for the LORD to discipline him, or as other translations put it, to correct him. Most of us don't properly confess our sin as we pray, and when we do our prayers are simply for forgiveness or that our Father would mitigate the consequences of our sin. But Jeremiah here reminds us that we need to be corrected, not just forgiven.

Jeremiah knows he can't handle the full measure of God's wrath. He prays that God would blunt His anger, lest you bring me to nothing. Although Jeremiah didn't know it at the time, this mediator for God's people was asking for the protection God would provide through our ultimate mediator Jesus Christ, who as our perfect prophet, priest and king would absorb all of God's just punishment for our sin.

It's good for you to ask for God's forgiveness in Jesus' name, but don't forget to pray like Jeremiah here also, asking for discipline and correction. It's through these often painful measures that God spiritually revives, heals, and reforms your will, and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who directs our steps;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the LORD would discipline and correct you, that you would become more and more like Christ;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 6