Jer. 43-44
Pride is a dangerous and powerful thing. It skews our perspective and drives us to rationalize and justify our choices any way that we can. This remnant of Judah had likely already made up their mind that they needed to go to Egypt before Jeremiah got back to them with God’s word. To accept what Jeremiah told them, then, would have required them to admit that their decision had been wrong. That’s where the pride kicked in. Rather than admit they got it wrong, they accused Jeremiah of lying to them saying, “Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us” (Jer 43:3a). This enabled them to believe that they were not being disobedient to God.
Unfortunately, pride never knows when to stop. That first faulty rationalization led to faulty conclusions that grew into outright defiance. Ultimately, the Jewish remnant that fled to Egypt decided that things were going badly for them not because they were being disobedient to God, but because they had stopped making offerings to the queen of heaven. Thus, their pride utterly blinded them to the truth and led them straight into the ditch of disaster. Make no mistake – pride does the same for us today.
Heb. 11:20-40
The faith described in this passage of Hebrews is such a contrast to the pride we see in the Jeremiah passage! Faith clearly requires humility. Unlike pride, faith does not rationalize and is not persuaded by fear. It is what allows God to work in and through us.
And it seems that faith is the thread that connects God’s story from one end to the other. The early patriarchs noted in Hebrews were given a promise. Though they never saw that promise fulfilled, their faith in that promise directed the way they lived. We have realized the promise given to them in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Since we now have the promise fulfilled, we have a better covenant, a better High Priest, a better assurance of our hope. This allows us to live out faith-filled lives, even as the patriarchs did, knowing that someday ALL of us who held to faith will receive the hope of the promise, which is eternal life with God.