Jeremiah 14

We are backing up a little today to get into something important as we study God’s dealings with mankind.

This chapter alludes to the origins of Satan. At one time, he was Lucifer, the angel closest to God in heaven. He was called “Star of the heaven” and “Son of the dawn.”

Later (in Ezekiel), we will read that he was beautiful and gifted. In fact, it was his great beauty and talent that led him to fall. Pride entered in, and it was all over for him.

In verses 13-14, Lucifer says in his heart that he is going to ascend to the heights and be like the Most High. He thinks that he can overthrow God.,but he is going to be thrown down to the Sheol, the recesses of the pit.

So the beautiful Lucifer becomes the lowest of the low. Eventually he will be cast into hell forever.

One day men will look on him and say, “Is this the one who made the whole earth tremble? Who shook kingdoms?” (V.16)

He’s crafty. He wants to trick us into rebelling against God along with him, and he does it by tempting us with pride. When under the influence of the devil, God’s creation can put themselves up to be God. They can exalt themselves, thinking that all of the keys to life reside within themselves.

From the fall of Adam to Jesus, man had no power over the devil. He can’t be seen, so men didn’t know who their enemy was. They thought that their ideas were their own – whether it included hate, murder, sexual perversion, or pursuit of drugs and alcohol. They didn’t realize that their enemy was trying to woo them down the wrong path.

In the meantime, Satan was out to destroy mankind.

But God had a plan. He would initiate a covenant with a man who would be true to him – the best that he could. (Abraham). Through that man He would bring forth a Son to die for the sinful nature of the world, and then men could be empowered back to their original state.

They would have wisdom and discernment. They would understand the ways of God, and they would commit to His will in the earth.

So you can see where we are now. Some day we will look on Satan and be shocked that this is the one who troubled the whole earth. He will not look beautiful and gifted as he once was; instead he will look shriveled and inept. In the meantime, we need to know who our enemy is – trying to get us into pride.

But we will resist him, and he will have to flee. In fact, the gates of hell will not prevail against us plundering his territory and helping others to escape.