By: Orean Brown
Some may ask what does apostasy meaning? Apostasy in the bible means to intentionally fall away or withdrawal, from the faith. All throughout the bible we see examples of apostasy, and how God dealt with those that choose to fall away. Jeremiah 6:10-16 is a great example of the patterns of apostasy. In these verses of Scripture, Jeremiah describes the departure of Israel in five steps. But he could as well been describing today’s society! Conditions that were prevalent then are with us now. The spiritual attitudes that led to the downfall of Israel, are found today in the religious world. And the five steps that led them astray still plague mankind today.
Step 1 – They Refused to Listen to the Word of God – In Jeremiah 6:10, God is speaking through his prophet Jeremiah and he states, To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken, the Word of the Lord is unto them a reproach, and they have no delight in it“. God spoke, but the people refused to hear! They would not listen to the truth. Jesus spoke in Matthew 13:15 of His generation: He said: “This people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed.” When people refuse to hear God, He cannot guide their lives: for His guidance is through the Word He gave. Throughout history, man has often refused to heed the message of God. We can start at the beginning with Adam and Eve, or the people during Noah’s day, and let’s not forget about Pharaoh. All didn’t heed God’s word and paid a severe penalty.
Step 2- They Were Obsessed with Material Things- Jeremiah 6:13, “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet, even unto the priest everyone dealt falsely”. The avid desire for material gains often leads to immoral means of obtaining it. When people become obsessed with the desire for things, they will justify in their own minds almost any action necessary to fulfill their desires. The folly of seeking earthly things is evident to all who will open their eyes. Rich man dies and leave their fortunes behind for others to fight over. They spend all their lives seeking material gain, and their lives remain empty because man has a higher calling and purpose than to gather all the material things that he might hoard together here upon this earth. Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth.” He then tells of the rich man, bountifully blessed, who left God out of his life; at his death, God asked, “The things thou hast prepared, whose shall they now be?” Luke 12:15-20.
Step 3 – They Deluded Themselves with Falsehoods – Jeremiah 6:14, “They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying Peace, peace; when there is no peace”. When people are walking the wrong path, the devil makes it easy for them to believe, “Everything is fine.” But saying it doesn’t make it so! That is Jeremiah’s message from God. And that still rings true! Paul writes of those who have no love for the truth in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 Paul tells us, And all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie”. That is usually the case; when the truth is not accepted, error will be! But Jesus still declares, “The truth shall make you free” John 8:32. There are still many religious people who have “itching ears” 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and they demand preachers who will preach what they want to hear. People want to be able to “choose churches” today; so, preachers are encouraged to teach, “Join the church of your choice.” As though God gave a choice. “One church is as good as another,” in the same way that Israel said, “Peace, peace” when there was no peace. There was no peace among them as they continued in their sins; they were simply deluding themselves. Just as people today cry out “One church is as good as another” are deluding themselves in that way, thinking that the churches built and maintained by men are just as good as the one built by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Step 4 – They Were Not Ashamed, Nor Could They Blush – Jeremiah 6:15 “Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush”. Israel rejected God, refused to hear Him, stole and cheated for personal gain, and “were not ashamed.” But they should have been! The morality of a society can usually be determined by what causes people to blush, which shames them. We live in a permissive society. The immoral deeds of movie stars and politicians can be emblazoned across newspapers coast to coast with little effect on their popularity. Hardly anyone is ashamed of the misdeeds of public figures. We have forgotten how to blush. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:12, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” But many “leaders” seem to take pride in how immoral they can be, flaunting their immoralities on TV talk-shows and gossip column interviews.
Step 5 -They Rejected the Only Possible Cure – “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. But they said We will not walk therein” Jeremiah 6:16. Here is revealed the only way back to God: the old paths. When the Ephesian church departed from Christ, He told them, “Thou hast left thy first love …Repent, and do the first works” Revelation 2:4-5. That is what Israel was told by Jeremiah. And that is what God is telling us today when we depart from Him. With all the “modern” things that surround us, we need to be constantly reminded of the need to go back to the old paths, wherein is a good way. The old paths call for us to go all the way back to the Bible for all authority. The plea of God through Jeremiah was, “Ask for the old paths, and walk therein.” God pleads with all to follow that principle today. But the sad words of Israel’s reply were: “We will not walk therein.” Our plea today is that all go back to the “old paths” as revealed in the gospel of Christ: follow His teaching, have the faith that comes from a study of His Word, be obedient to His commands, serve in His church and wear His name. Remember that Israel said, “We will not walk therein.” What is your own answer to be with regards to walking in the old paths and following the good ways?