The Sunday Sermonette – A Lesson Not Learned.

Having lived off and on in the same house for over sixty years, its walls echo with memories—some make me laugh, others tug at my heart, and a few are burned (literally) into my mind. My childhood Sundays were wrapped around a peaceful routine. Mom, Dad, and I would come home from church, and upon entering the house, Mom would light the gas oven to begin heating our scrumptious lunch, which she’d diligently prepared the day before. Once we finished eating and the last dish was put away, we’d set off for a slow drive along the Coast, soaking in the sights, the sounds, and the salty breath of the sea.

Coming home one Sunday, I insisted on lighting the oven. Dad promptly told me no, warning me of the dangers and saying I was too young. Hard-headed, little whippersnapper me refused to give up. Next Sunday, I asked again, and got the same answer. The following Sunday, I received the same response to my question about the stove. They say the third time’s the charm. On that Sunday, I convinced myself that I was mature enough to light the gas oven.

As Mom and Dad changed out of their Sunday clothes into something more comfortable, I opened the oven door. I turned the oven on and lit a match. For some reason, the match went out. I lit another and out it went. On my third try, another match was lit. In just brief seconds, I felt searing heat, smelled burning hair, and then pain. I let out a holler, running into my parents’ bedroom with tears in my eyes, along with singed eyebrows and locks of my once-lush brown hair.

From the bathroom medicine cabinet, out came aloe vera, and from the kitchen, a dab of honey. Thankfully, I was not permanently scarred by the fire that burst forth from the oven. A lesson was learned that Sunday, long ago—sometimes it’s best to listen to those who are older and wiser than you. It can save your life, especially if it involves a gas stove.

When we forget a lesson—or refuse to learn from it—we risk repeating the same mistake. The Jews of the Old Testament learned the hard way that ignoring the warnings of the prophets, especially Jeremiah, would lead to disaster. The Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 44, is his sermon to the Jews in Egypt. They had returned there, thinking they would be safe from the threat of Babylonian captivity. Their return, however, was a dash into disaster.

While living in Egypt, the Jews took up the idolatrous practice of worshiping Egyptian gods. This not only infuriated Jeremiah, but also Father God. As Jeremiah told them, “This is what God says, ‘Again and again, I sent my servants, my prophets, to plead with you. Don’t do these horrible things that I hate so much! But my people would not listen or turn back from their wicked ways. They kept right on burning incense to these gods. And so my fury boiled over and fell like fire on the towns of Judah and into the streets of Jerusalem, and now they are a desolate ruin.'”

The Jews struggled to purge their evils while in Egypt, but continued repeating them. A failure to learn from past failures ensures future ones. Your past experiences should be your School of Experiences. Learn from it. Let your past mistakes point you to God, because the farther you drift from His love and forgiveness, the more confused your thinking becomes.

“Why arouse my anger by burning incense to the idols you have made here in Egypt,” God said. “You will only destroy yourselves and make yourselves an object of cursing and mockery for all the nations of the earth… To this very hour, you have shown no remorse or reverence. No one has chosen to follow my law and the decrees I gave to you and your ancestors before you.” Jeremiah’s chilling last words were, “Therefore, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have made up my mind to destroy every one of you.'”

Perhaps this seems harsh by today’s standards, but don’t forget: God is a God of love and grace, but He is also a God of standards. He expects us to abide by them. The Jews refused to recognize the true source of their problems. They did not just drift away from God’s leadership; they gleefully sprinted away from it. When your world begins falling apart, pause and look closely at your life—and at God’s instruction book, the Bible. Do not wander so far away that you cannot hear Him calling, “Come Home, come Home. Ye who are weary, come Home.”

Long ago, little Andy learned the hard way: listen to your Father. He knows more than you realize, cares deeply, and wants to protect you. The Jews in the Old Testament ignored their Father and paid the price. Please do not repeat their mistakes. Let your lessons shape your actions.

Ponder this and go forth.