“Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the LORD, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 45:5, NLT)
Baruch attained a special place in ancient Jewish history. He was the scribe for the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 36:18 explains that part of Baruch’s work was to write down the words “in ink” that Jeremiah dictated to him. Often, these words were directed against sinful Israel by Almighty God. Baruch got to see first-hand how God’s messages, sent to the prophet Jeremiah, came to perfect fruition.
What is not well known among Christians or Jews who read the Bible is that Baruch was also acknowledged by the historian Josephus. Josephus wrote that Baruch “was of a very distinguished family and thoroughly educated” (Begg and Spilsbury, Flavius Josephus, 258). Because of this and other statements, it is believed that Baruch came from wealth, had a top-notch education, could read and write, and was highly respected. But even though Baruch had so much going for him, and though he had first-hand access to Jeremiah and to God’s messages, he had one fault. He was a little too self-centered. The scripture for today from Jeremiah 45:5 contains one of God’s messages through the prophet Jeremiah. This one was directed to Baruch. God asked Baruch directly, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!” (Jeremiah 45:5). God was about to bring destruction upon the people of Israel for their sin. Baruch should not consider himself special just because he had an insider’s access to God through Jeremiah. Baruch needed to be humble and obedient, not consider himself an elite and “holier than thou”.
One of the greatest dangers that can occur in your life is spiritual pride. We are told in Proverbs that pride comes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). We are told in Isaiah 14:12-14 that prideful ambition led to the downfall of Satan. Spiritual pride is not seen by many today as a real danger. However, if these two passages don’t make you rethink that premise, you may be blind to pride’s effects. Based on our scripture for today from Jeremiah 45:5, it seems that Baruch was flirting dangerously with spiritual pride and selfish ambition. God’s warning to Baruch was meant to bring him back into a right relationship with heaven.
Pride has a way of damaging one’s spiritual connection with God. It can cause you to be blind to God’s mercies and overlook God’s bounteous blessings. Pride can cause you to question God’s actions or place your needs above the needs of others. Pride surely goeth before a fall!
Often, pride will not only affect your view of the world, but it will also seep into other areas of your life. There it will cause all kinds of emotional and spiritual turmoil. One good way to know if pride is snaking its way into your spiritual life is to look at your prayers. When you pray, do your words sound like a laundry-list of things you want or desire? Do you spend more time inn prayer asking for things than giving praise and thanks and confessions to God? Do you pray most often when you have a want or need? Do you ever ask God to do things your way?
The apostle James spoke of prayers that are stuffed with selfish wants and personal reward. In truth, James discovered that too many Christians “do not receive” things from God because they “ask wrongly, to spend it on their own passions” (James 4:3). Based on this conversation in the letter of James, it is clear that when you “seek great things for yourself” (like Baruch!), you “do not receive” God’s blessings.
Even when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing his own mortality, he did not pray selfishly. He prayed for “God’s will to be done” (Luke 22:42). Are you content to pray the same?
A man came to his priest and asked for a few moments. The priest gladly offered him a seat in the rectory living room. There, the man broke down in tears saying, “Father, my twin brother has cancer of the lung. I know he smoked a lot. I know he drank a lot. But he’s a good guy! He means a lot to me! I give a lot of money and time to this parish. I want you to say special prayers for his healing!” Throughout the conversation, the priest was surprised at the man’s insistence. He was more concerned with his brother’s being cured from cancer than the fact that his brother cared nothing about God! And, the man had the belief that his offerings to the parish gave him special access to the priest and to God. The man had convinced himself that his offerings meant God would hear his prayers over the voices of others! The man also was convinced that the priest owed it to him to pray for the health of his brother. In so many ways, this man was clueless to the fact that he was being very spiritually prideful. Based on James 4:3, he even risked God NOT hearing the prayers on his brother’s behalf because he “asked wrongly”! This man had no understanding how spiritual pride and selfish ambition were keeping him from seeing and experiencing real blessing!
Because of Jeremiah 45:5, I ask you today the same question God asked Baruch long ago, “Are you seeking great things for yourself?” Don’t do it! Prideful ambition goes a long way to stifling blessing and grace and salvation and so much more!
What is not well known among Christians or Jews who read the Bible is that Baruch was also acknowledged by the historian Josephus. Josephus wrote that Baruch “was of a very distinguished family and thoroughly educated” (Begg and Spilsbury, Flavius Josephus, 258). Because of this and other statements, it is believed that Baruch came from wealth, had a top-notch education, could read and write, and was highly respected. But even though Baruch had so much going for him, and though he had first-hand access to Jeremiah and to God’s messages, he had one fault. He was a little too self-centered. The scripture for today from Jeremiah 45:5 contains one of God’s messages through the prophet Jeremiah. This one was directed to Baruch. God asked Baruch directly, “Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it!” (Jeremiah 45:5). God was about to bring destruction upon the people of Israel for their sin. Baruch should not consider himself special just because he had an insider’s access to God through Jeremiah. Baruch needed to be humble and obedient, not consider himself an elite and “holier than thou”.
One of the greatest dangers that can occur in your life is spiritual pride. We are told in Proverbs that pride comes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). We are told in Isaiah 14:12-14 that prideful ambition led to the downfall of Satan. Spiritual pride is not seen by many today as a real danger. However, if these two passages don’t make you rethink that premise, you may be blind to pride’s effects. Based on our scripture for today from Jeremiah 45:5, it seems that Baruch was flirting dangerously with spiritual pride and selfish ambition. God’s warning to Baruch was meant to bring him back into a right relationship with heaven.
Pride has a way of damaging one’s spiritual connection with God. It can cause you to be blind to God’s mercies and overlook God’s bounteous blessings. Pride can cause you to question God’s actions or place your needs above the needs of others. Pride surely goeth before a fall!
Often, pride will not only affect your view of the world, but it will also seep into other areas of your life. There it will cause all kinds of emotional and spiritual turmoil. One good way to know if pride is snaking its way into your spiritual life is to look at your prayers. When you pray, do your words sound like a laundry-list of things you want or desire? Do you spend more time inn prayer asking for things than giving praise and thanks and confessions to God? Do you pray most often when you have a want or need? Do you ever ask God to do things your way?
The apostle James spoke of prayers that are stuffed with selfish wants and personal reward. In truth, James discovered that too many Christians “do not receive” things from God because they “ask wrongly, to spend it on their own passions” (James 4:3). Based on this conversation in the letter of James, it is clear that when you “seek great things for yourself” (like Baruch!), you “do not receive” God’s blessings.
Even when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing his own mortality, he did not pray selfishly. He prayed for “God’s will to be done” (Luke 22:42). Are you content to pray the same?
A man came to his priest and asked for a few moments. The priest gladly offered him a seat in the rectory living room. There, the man broke down in tears saying, “Father, my twin brother has cancer of the lung. I know he smoked a lot. I know he drank a lot. But he’s a good guy! He means a lot to me! I give a lot of money and time to this parish. I want you to say special prayers for his healing!” Throughout the conversation, the priest was surprised at the man’s insistence. He was more concerned with his brother’s being cured from cancer than the fact that his brother cared nothing about God! And, the man had the belief that his offerings to the parish gave him special access to the priest and to God. The man had convinced himself that his offerings meant God would hear his prayers over the voices of others! The man also was convinced that the priest owed it to him to pray for the health of his brother. In so many ways, this man was clueless to the fact that he was being very spiritually prideful. Based on James 4:3, he even risked God NOT hearing the prayers on his brother’s behalf because he “asked wrongly”! This man had no understanding how spiritual pride and selfish ambition were keeping him from seeing and experiencing real blessing!
Because of Jeremiah 45:5, I ask you today the same question God asked Baruch long ago, “Are you seeking great things for yourself?” Don’t do it! Prideful ambition goes a long way to stifling blessing and grace and salvation and so much more!