Joe and I got up at 8am, did devotions, then went back to sleep. In the morning, I went to the self paced center and turned in my final assignment. From there I went to 61C lecture and then home. I ran into a lot of gracepoint people on the way home. I guess all our classes ended at the same time today.

In the evening, Jacob invited Sean, Joseph, Dustin and I to the princeton review building to study. The building has a lot of classrooms that are completely empty at night, so it's a really nice and quiet atmosphere we can study in. It's pretty much the perfect place to study when you really need to.

It's also a couple hops away from papamingo.

Devotion time questions:

Jeremiah 6

Given the severity of Jerusalem’s punishment and the fact that my “sickness and wounds” are ever before God, what then ought to be my posture as a sinner before this holy and just God?

I should always be grateful before him, understanding that he has continual mercy on me even though my weaknesses are always before his eyes. I should not take for granted the fact that I am not receiving what my actions deserve, but instead am a recipient of perpetual grace that comes from God because of Christ's death for me.

I need to show God proper reverence, and understand that he is a just and powerful God, fully capable of dealing with me as my sins deserve, yet showing his great love by calling me back to him instead. I am not free from God's wrath because God has weakened since the time of Jeremiah. God is the same now as he was then, and will forever be unchanging. It is simply due to Christ's redemptive work on the cross that we have escaped this judgement.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling
Philippians 2:12

Reflect on the deceit practiced by the prophets and priests. Why would they have dressed serious wounds “as though it were not serious,” and proclaimed false peace?

In verse 13, it seems as though the prophets and priests practiced deceit for some sort of direct gain, and therefore their greed caused them to choose profiting over leading the people astray rather than delivering true words of warning and judgement.

They also might have simply wanted to appease the people and to be loved by them for always delivering favorable "messages from God" to them, ignoring their true condition of sinfulness and effectively leading them to their destruction via flattery.

In light of how evil these leaders were, we should be thankful of those who truly deliver God's word to us, even if the message might be difficult to take. A godly leader will deliver God's message to his people whether or not the message is pleasing to the people's ears.

What about the people invited such false teachings, and the minimizing of sins?

Their ears were closed to God, ignoring his word to them, and they found God's word offensive and lacking of pleasure. Since their focus was so strongly on the pleasures of the world, the fact that the word of God addressed their sins and commanded them to leave their wicked lifestyles was offensive to their ears.

By minimizing their sins and welcoming false teachers that delivered pleasing messages that held no truth, the people could continue on in their wickedness.

What might be the process by which a people or culture come to have “no shame at all” and “not even know how to blush”?

Initially they resisted the word of God, hardened their hearts, and justified themselves with the help of false teachers and prophets, who deceived them into believing that their lifestyle was acceptable.

Over time, their hearts were so hardened against God and their corrupt lifestyles so "normalized" that they were blind to the sinfulness that was pervasive in their lives. This process requires a lot of resisting, rejecting God's word, and hardening of the heart. It wasn't caused simply by the deception of the leaders.

Matthew Henry says,

At first they hardened themselves and would not blush, afterwards they were so hardened that they could not. Quod unum habebant in malis bonum perdunt, peccandi verecundiam—they have lost the only good property which once blended itself with many bad ones, that is, shame for having done amiss.—Senec. De Vit. Beat.

Are there some ways in which I have lost the proper sense of shame toward my sins, and no longer am able to blush?

Thoughts omitted here.

To what extent am I convinced that God’s “ancient paths” is the “good way” that will give “rest for [my] soul”?

During Joe Kim's message this past Sunday, he spoke on how we can hold, or "believe", certain views but not be convinced of them. I must make sure that I don't just proclaim this truth, but am actually convinced of it.

This is an important issue, since the many roads of life certainly diverge and must lead to different outcomes. To be responsible as travelers on these roads, we need to be convinced that the road we are taking is the right road that will lead us where we are hoping to go.

We must be wise and not "those that believe lawful and unlawful are of no less consequence to us than the right way and the wrong are to a traveller" (M.H.)

Who are the people God has appointed over me as watchmen in my life? What has been my attitude towards the message they have been bringing to me?

My parents, my leaders, and my friends. I must carefully consider all the words of advice and instruction they bring to me, for it is a demonstration of God's love and mercy that he has appointed watchmen over us to shepherd us through life. This does not mean we are to blindly obey everything we are told by the watchmen in our lives, but we are to have proper reverence for their words and carefully consider our lives in light of their guidance.

What about God’s heart is revealed in v. 20?

He desires not the physical expression of love towards God, but the inward righteousness and love for God that results in the physical expressions. The people believed that their physical acts alone could appease God and divert the judgement that was proclaimed.

God is not pleased and does not profit from even the most extravagant sacrifices or outward expressions towards him if we are not right with him on the inside. Outward expression means nothing to him if we do not have righteousness inside that mirrors it.