Provoking God

Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Jer 32:26-35 

26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 
27 Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? 
28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. 
31 For this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 
33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Despite God's great love for His people and power, why was He handing them over to their enemies? (v.26-27, 30-34)
2) What would their enemies do to them? (v.28-29)
3) What abomination did the God's people commit that may have further provoked the Lord to anger? (v.35)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What sins have the citizens of the U.S. committed that may have provoked God to anger against us?
5) What sins have you committed in your own life that may have provoked the Lord to anger against you?
6) Have you confessed and repented of (turned away from ) all your sins? If not, why not.

PRINCIPLES
7) When God chastens His people He does so out of love.
8) The promises of God remain to the people of God despite the punishment of God.
9) The only way to escape God's wrath is to humble ourselves, seek the Lord through prayer, and repent of our sins (see 2 Chronicles 7:14).