Jeremiah 5:1-5. “‘Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; see now and know; and seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her. Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ surely they swear falsely. “O Lord, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but they felt no pain; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive chastisement. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return. “Therefore I said, ‘Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. I will go to the great men and speak to them, for they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God.’ But these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds.” Run to and fro, seek, test, look, if anyone among My people is found who fights, who makes an effort to seek the truth. Search where many people gather whether there is anyone who does righteousness. Here it is not a question of numbers; is only a question whether anyone is found who loves purity of heart. Even if they say, “As the Lord lives,” they swear falsely! “But” someone will say, “isn’t there spirit in it?” Yes, of course there is spirit in it, but it is a different spirit, a different Jesus, a different gospel. 2 Cor. 11:4. Is this painting a dark picture? Not at all! It is giving light over circumstances as they are in reality. His eyes are on the truth, not on outward glamor. He looks to the thoughts of the heart. You struck them, but they felt no pain. They feel nothing. They refuse to be converted by receiving chastening. Then I thought that they are only a poor people who act like that. They are poor and not very intelligent, and they have so little knowledge that they do not know God’s way. Now I shall go to the great men and speak with them, for they must know God’s way—those who are learned and talented. I shall find righteousness with them. But they are the very ones who have broken the yoke of the Lord. But the poor people, where have they learned to break the yoke of the Lord? They have learned it from the great men. The weak follow the strong; that is obvious. Isn’t there anyone in the whole wide world who practices righteousness? No, there is not, except for one individual here and there who has come to the truth in the same way as you and I. We work in order to win such people. Read Isaiah 3:12 and Isaiah 59. Yes, the rulers of my people are half-grown boys, they are children. They have destroyed the way on which they were meant to walk. Can this way be destroyed? Yes, through the preaching! It can be destroyed as far as your understanding and your faith is concerned. They can speak in such a way that you cannot believe and that you cannot get clarity over the way. They shut it up and hide it. But now we are lighting a lamp so that you shall see and understand. Now God is opening up for you, and no one shall shut any more. Hallelujah! He shuts to all the great and wise and opens up for the poor and the babes. Seeing that He has opened up for me, He will also reveal it to you. We shall not work in vain. We harvest day after day and year after year, and the increase will be more in the future. We guide, comfort, encourage, prepare the way, make it passable and clean it up. However, all those who do not want to go on that way hate us. They teach that you should not take heed to each other because then you become confused. That is a fine doctrine! Not taking heed to each other! From where did they get that doctrine? Its source is all that unrighteousness, for the truth is stumbling on the platform. Isa. 59:14. If someone preaches the truth, he is sung down. They rule over their church. Those who are of the truth do not gain admittance, but on the other hand, they find an exit. Hallelujah! If you desire righteousness, then you, too, will find an exit. “And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” V. 15. They say, “Come to us; it is so pleasant among us!” And what shall he do, seeing that he doesn’t have light? He goes there and becomes their prey. Yet God loves this prey and leads them out, thanks and praise! Sing and play before the Lord’s face!! for you have returned from Babel to the land of Israel. God has sent a Man your way. Has He not paid attention to all of it? He has surely seen it, but His ways are past finding out. And He marveled that no one pleaded His case. He has created many nations; there have been so many prayers and answers to prayer, but no one wants to plead His case. “For He put on righteousness as a breastplate . . . He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.” Isa. 59:17. The disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” This zeal lays hold of one soul on one continent and another soul on another continent. Jesus Christ demonstrated that He was a warrior of the Spirit in order to save people. His followers become like Him. “The enemy comes in like a flood which the storms of the Lord drive away.” Isa. 59:19. The flood has already begun. It saves all the upright, and the unrighteous flee as fast as they can. For a Redeemer will come for everyone who turns away from his transgressions. V. 20. “But you are . . . a royal priesthood.” 1 Pet. 2:9. “My words . . . shall not depart from your mouth.” Isa. 59:21. What a blessed verse that is. Everyone can test himself. The same life-giving Word does not depart from our mouth, but it does depart from every one who does not live right. They become dry and sluggish and wretched. However, there is something that is even better: “My words . . . shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants.” Isn’t this true as well? Yes, the children have come to us like a flood, something that is unheard of. This is not normal. A common saying is that preacher’s children are the worst. Why? Because they do not practice righteousness in the home. Blessed are you if you practice righteousness. When you die, you have not one child, but twelve children who are like you. “He will not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” Ps. 127:5. Righteousness is a tremendous power! The children of the unrighteous become sick and tired of watching their father’s ungodliness. They have seen it from their earliest childhood, for “little pitchers have big ears.” They have seen their parents’ examples day after day, year after year. And how do the ungodly fare? Read Isaiah 60:14. “Also the sons of those who have afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; and they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” They have fallen so deeply that they cannot repent, but their children will come to us and fall prostrate before us after their fathers are no more. The children will give us a new name. They will call us The City of The Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. “Whereas you have been forsaken and hated”—from north to south and from east to west—“I will make you an eternal excellence.” “I will make your leaders sheer peace, sheer righteousness.” Isn’t this what is happening? “And your people shall all be righteous . . . .” V. 21. Take note of this! Their life guarantees it! Ungodly people are not found among them, for unrighteousness is judged. Not everyone who sits on the benches is with us. Perhaps you can say, “I have been along for so and so many years!” That is not the issue. Who has registered your name here? Only those who are crucified with Christ belong to the church. “A little one shall become a thousand . . . .” V. 22. Isn’t this what has happened? You who are small and lowly shall become a great people—even thousands—if you live a crucified life. You are wondering about it? It will be done to us according to our faith. Out of your loins will come thousands in the same way as with Abraham. “From me?” you say. Yes, enter into a right relationship to God—on the cross— and then it will happen. Your descendants will confirm it. The Lord will hasten it in its time. Does it take a long time to be crucified with Christ? You can be crucified with Christ in a little while, in a moment, in a second. You have to believe that you are crucified, and then it is done. You cannot toil your way to believing in Christ. I believe I am crucified; I know it by faith. “Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles . . . .” Isa. 61:8-9. This is a fact in the lives of those who are walking on the right way. They are a peculiar people. People will point them out and say, “There is one of them.” Away with sin, and we will soon see great things.