Jeremiah 21 … Consider Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death

Originally posted: 5/22/2021

“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death,” (21:8).

I got my hopes up for a second. The king actually sent his envoys to Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord in hopes there would be deliverance from the invading Babylonians. And Zedekiah even spoke of His wonderful acts; and maybe, just maybe, He would deal with them in that wonderful way.

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, ² “Please inquire of the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us,” (21:1-2).

But then I remembered that King Josiah was Judah’s last godly king. And the hammer came down hard. The Lord would not be handing out His favor this time. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t the Babylonian army they needed to worry about. God Himself had declared war against His people.

Then Jeremiah said to them, “You shall say to Zedekiah as follows:⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to turn back the weapons of war which are in your hands, with which you are warring against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the center of this city. ⁵ I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation,’” (21:3-5).

And the image of the coming destruction was hopelessly gruesome. But even in His prophecy of what was coming, a ray of hope was extended. And though war had been declared, an opportunity to be spared was given, to be received and accepted by faith.

After all, their lack of faith in Him was the underlying root of all their problems. They had forsaken Him to chase after other gods. But if they would believe His offer, believe in His power to fulfill His Word, if they would place their faith in Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death, they would live.

This was not the first time He Set Life and Death Before His people. It has always been a choice. Although He certainly can, God forces no one. The only Way to Life is to choose Life.

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, ²⁰ by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them,” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

But this choice He now offers the people in Jerusalem under King Zedekiah didn’t seem to make sense; it went against the natural: submit to captivity, go into exile, and live in bondage to their captives. Didn’t it make more sense to stay in the Promised Land and fight for their freedom? But God was once again calling them to choose Life the Only Way that Life is possible. By faith. Choose to believe Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).

And this is His Truth, Life will only be granted His Way.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

Consider Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death

• He Sets Before Us the choice between His Way of Life and the way of Death.
  • “You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death,” (21:8).

• • • And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life, (1 John 5:11-12).

• He Sets Before Us the choice as He reveals the future.
  • “He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty,” (21:9).

• • • And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27).

• He Sets Before Us the choice as He explains His wrath.
  • “For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire,”’ (21:8-10).

• • • For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them, (Romans 1:18-19).

• He Sets Before Us the choice to turn to Him and live, or reject His Word and thus choose death.
  • “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord,’” (21:11).

• • • “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day,” (John 12:48).

• He Sets Before Us the choice to repent and turn away from the ways of injustice and unrighteousness.
  • “O house of David, thus says the Lord:
    “Administer justice every morning;
    And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor…” (21:12).
    • But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (Acts 3:18-19).

• He Sets Before Us the choice to choose His Way that He would turn away from His Wrath.
• “…That My wrath may not go forth like fire
  And burn with none to extinguish it,
  Because of the evil of their deeds,” (21:12).
  • But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him, (Romans 5:8-9).

How do we respond to Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death?

Really, today’s response is determined in the choices that God Sets Before Us. And the first choice we must make is whether or not we will choose Eternal Life through the Only Way He Set Before Us in His Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).

It’s a choice, not a command; and it is His Only Way to Life. When we choose to place our faith in Jesus, we can be certain that we have Eternal Life, that our future is secure, and His wrath has been turned away.

But as believers, we are still presented with numerous opportunities each and every day to accept or reject His commands, to turn away or stay in disobedience, to choose the Way of Life in His Spirit or depend on the flesh.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life,” (John 6:63).

And Scripture reveals that the choice begins in our minds; that before we are presented with the plethora of choices daily thrown our way, we must first choose our mindset. Will we choose to set our minds on the Way of Life or choose to set our minds on the Way of Death?

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ⁸ and those who are in the flesh cannot please God, (Romans 8:6-8).

In closing today, let us spend time aligning our mindset with His Holy Word, as we depend on His Holy Spirit to empower us to set our minds on His Truth; that we would seek Him Who Sets Before Us the Way of Life and the Way of Death, that we would daily, moment by moment, choose His Way of Life.

• Let us choose to Love Him with all that we are, that we would choose His Way of Life He Sets Before Us.
  • “and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength,” (Mark 12:30).

• Let us choose to surrender to Him with all that we are in holy worship, that we would choose His Way of Life He Sets Before Us.
  • Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, (Romans 12:1).

• Let us choose to spend time in His Word, trusting Him to renew our minds to know His good and perfect Will rather than trusting what makes sense by the world’s standards, that we would choose His Way of Life He Set Before Us.
  • And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect, (Romans 12: 2).

• Let us choose to seek the things above, not the things on earth, that we would be convinced of our glorious future as we choose His Way of Life He Sets Before Us.
  • Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. ³ For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory, (Colossians 3:1-4).

• Let us choose to dwell on all that is True and worthy of praise, that we would choose His Way of Life He Sets Before Us.
  • Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things, (Philippians 4:8).

• And let us choose to fix our hope completely on His grace, that we would be prepared to serve Him as we choose His Way of Life He Sets Before Us.
  • Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:13).

Let’s Grow Together!