It has been said that the best place to hide something is in plain sight. If those who teach the Bible were to selectively tip toe through Scripture to avoid offending current values, Lamentations 2:14 could very well be a verse hidden in plain sight. It reads:
they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity.
The oracles they gave you were false and misleading." NIV
When people describe a sermon as being good, relevant or meaningful for their lives, what characteristics come to mind? Terms such as positive, uplifting and practical advice might frequently be among the top contenders. Scripture does contain an encouraging message that fills us with hope which needs to be preached. But, how often would "expose my sin" show up on a survey regarding what people consider to be valuable? How frequently are we appreciative and value a lesson which might legitimately step all over our toes?
If we roll the clock back to the seventh and sixth centuries B.C., we discover a drama playing out which provides a powerful lesson for today. God's people loved to seek out a steady diet of positive and affirming messages from their religious leaders.1 Their hearts had become corrupt with greed, among other degenerative spiritual conditions, as their lives were centered around the drive to acquire more and more.2 Any message which confronted their sinful state was offensive to them; the only message they wanted to hear was that positive affirmation of the status quo, "You are OK. No harm will come to you."3
Because God's people failed to repent, God was left with no other choice. God is merciful. He had been slow in pouring out his anger, however the time had come to end their rebellion. God crushed his own people under the ruthless shoes of the Babylonians. From the smoldering rubble left in their wake, the sorrowful lament of Jeremiah rose up:
they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity.
The oracles they gave you were false and misleading."4
What makes for good Bible teaching? A faithful proclamation of God's Word. Sometimes that message will encourage us; on other occasions it will convict us. The goal is neither to be made to feel guilty nor to receive an uplifting slap on the back, but to be brought closer to the will of God. Then we will serve our awesome God and treat others acceptably. In writing to Timothy, Paul expressed similar instruction:
"Proclaim the message .... rebuke and encourage ... For the time will come when they will not tolerate healthy teaching. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will accumulate around themselves teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."5
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2005
1\ Jeremiah 5:30-31
2\ Jeremiah 6:13
3\ Jeremiah 6:10, 13; 5:12, 31
4\ Lamentations 2:14
5\ 2 Timothy 4:2,3
Other Articles Which Might Be of Interest
Getting A Grip on Tolerance, Acceptance and Inclusion
What's the Christian Thing to Do? (What Does it Mean to be a Loving Person)
But I Thought It Was OK (On Sincerity and One's Conscience)