The
priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not:
the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore I will yet plead
with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead.
For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider
diligently, and see if there be such a thing (Jer. 2:8-10).
COMMON GRACE ARGUMENT:
“The Lord, in this text,
pleads with His covenanted reprobate people who refuse to be faithful to Him.
The whole chapter chronicles His kindness to them and their ungratefulness to
Him. Nothing in the context indicates He is only speaking to the elect …”
(I)
It’s important to note that “plead” has the idea of “contending
with” or “striving with words” as in “getting into a quarrel.” So the word is
used in the sense of carrying on a lawsuit against someone. For example, the
word is used in Genesis 13:7: “And there was a strife between
the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the
Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.” Similarly, Genesis 26:20: “And the herdmen of
Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The
water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove
with him.” Also, Exodus 17:2: “Wherefore the people did chide with
Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why
chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?” So, pleading is not necessarily a begging and
hoping against hope that those who hear the word would repent.
But, when God directs his argument against those who
are walking in sin, the reprobate will hear the word and harden their hearts.
At the same time, God will graciously work in the hearts of His elect to BRING
them to repentance through the word of warning. So this does not qualify as a
well-meant offer in the sense that God is graciously dealing with the reprobate
trying to get them to repent. (JM, 09/08/2019)
-----------------------------------------
(II)
More to come! (DV)
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