Hidden Out of Sight

October 23 Jeremiah 42:1-44:23

Object Lessons That Demand Obedience

“The Family Quagmire: HIDDEN OUT OF SIGHT

Do you worry more about “WHAT IS HIDDEN” or “WHAT IS SEEN”?

Most people worry more about what they can see… We have our “junk drawers”, “extra rooms”, “storage tubs”, overflowing pantries, and closets. As long as no one “peaks” we are “good to go”.

The definition of “HIDDEN” is “kept out of sight; concealed” and “hidden dangers”. Yikes!

Speaking of “Object Lessons that Demand Obedience”, I feel God goes beyond “the call of duty” to give me overt lessons when I am writing on topics. It’s like He says, “There you go; use this.”

This year’s back-to-school was the roughest ever for me in many ways. The temperatures have averaged triple digits (114 and humidity). I have literally been MELTING… but it’s not just me.

I got in my car to go to work and it literally smelled like someone had died in there. I had my car loaded with things to take to Good Will from cleaning the house over the weekend. I made the deduction that something in my storage boxes was the problem and so I headed over to Good Will (to share the love).

Come to think about it now, that is probably why the man had a funny look on his face. He was wondering if I was dropping off Grandma…

When I got home that night it was even worse. The high heat had cooked “whatever was wickedly hidden in my car”!

The next morning my husband took my car to get new cars put on it. Boy, did he have a surprise! I am sure he was embarrassed to drop it off, and he began hunting for “grandma’s remains” also.

Finally, he found the culprit! We had been shopping and my daughter had one bag to carry and it didn’t look like a grocery bag. She had left her bag in my car and it was filled with MEAT!

Bad, Rotten, TWO DAYS in the hot desert sun raw rank meat… Could I use more adjectives?

As the grinch would say, “Stink. Stank. Stunk.”

The problem was in what was HIDDEN! It was not on the surface or obvious. Instead, it was festering like a rank cancer multiplying by the minute.

Now, I ask you, “Would you try and salvage some of the rotten dead meat?”

Of course, not! If we ate that we would BE “grandma’s remains found in the car”!

The keyword used in our passage today is, “HIDDEN”.

First, there was a lineage of kings that were growing (like my meat) in the backseat! Each year was worse than the day before.

It was more than a Physical Quagmire… ...it was a Generational Choice of Sin!

You see, more is CAUGHT than TAUGHT and they definitely CAUGHT the family dysfunction! They were part of the “Family Quagmire”.

What is interesting in reading the Old Testament, we see that God had placed judges over the people to point them to Himself as KING. The people rebelled and wanted “a king” and that is exactly what they got… someone to RULE over them. These men were raised to a level they never should have been. God was supposed to direct the affairs of HIS nation.

Jeremiah is fighting more than the obvious SWAMP that he has been cast into… He is dealing with a generational dysfunction described as a Quagmire, “A Swamp, Quicksand, or Mire”.

Not only is there a spiritual bacteria festering in the kings but there was also one in the people. After a group of the Judean people was taken away, a remnant comes to Jeremiah and asks him to plead with God for them. They promise to do whatever he says. Jeremiah says, “I will HIDE NOTHING from you.” (42:4)

God gives him the message to give the people. They are to stay there and put their trust in God rather than in Egypt because Egypt is “going down” also.

God then gives them another OBJECT LESSON about THE HIDDEN ROCK. You see, they think they will place themselves in a safe hiding place, but King Nebuchadnezzar will spread his canopy over this rock too and they will be destined for death. Which choice will they make?

The Wrong One!

This “smelly meat” people keep on pouring out liquid incense to the “Queen of Heaven”. The men blame their wives and the wives “rat out their husbands”. Listen to their little squabble, “Besides, the women added, “Do you suppose that we were burning incense and pouring out liquid offerings without our husbands knowing about it and helping us? Of course not!” (44:19)

Jeremiah’s response, “Do you think the LORD doesn’t know what ALL of you and your officials and your ancestors have been doing?” (44:20)

Where was THE ROTTEN MEAT?

Well, it was HIDDEN OUT OF SIGHT. But, make no mistake, the LORD’s nostrils were burning with disgust and anger!