DO NOT BE WICKED.(6)

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*DO NOT BE WICKED.(6)*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Jer 13: 23 *Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

God can change all things but are wicked people willing to change?

*Scripture Commentaries.*

Jeremiah wrote in the same breath as

Job. In both writers was the illustration of human wickedness, likened to both the natures of wild animals.

While Job used the wild donkey's nature, Jeremiah use the leopard's.

Job 11:12 says *But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human".*

Jeremiah 13:23 says *Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots."*

Isaiah gave us a candid illustration asking if an *"Ethiopian (could) change his skin, or the leopard his spots?...."*

He gives us two illustrations:

First, he uses people, the Ethiopian. This is not to demean any Ethiopian descent or natives but it is to illustrate a typical blackness which is very original of a human skin.

Typical blackness is unmatched in East Africa. The skin colour is too deep-ingrained. It is a physical trait and while this is not to discriminate blackness against whiteness or brownness, it is to candidly illustrate how black can be hard to change to other colours. So the Ethiopian could not change his colour just like anyone who is deep-ingrained in actual sin that has become his regular makeup could not change from the evil he is *".....accustomed to......."*

A person becomes deep in actual sin

because they love what is hateful and hate what is lovable. They take pride in wickedness.

Second, it is a powerful illustration that human wickedness is not different from animal behaviours because just like the Ethiopian can not change its colour so a leopard could not.

The unchangeableness of both explains the reluctance of evil people to not change from their evil characters.

The key phase Jeremiah used was telling.

He used the phrase *"....accustomed to do evil.*

So Jeremiah's statement of question could be rephrased as asking that 'if an Ethiopian could change its skin color and a leopard could change its spots (their natural and physical trait colour) then those who are *".....that are accustomed to do evil* could *"......also do good....."*.

However, it is a condition they can not change because they are

*"....accustomed to do evil* unless they submit to God who can only change them through Christ!

Jeremiah must have been asking if it was possible the wicked could change from the evil they are accustomed to doing!

You can change from evil to good.

Through Christ, you can *Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.* (Jam 4:7).

*Remorse corner.*

A sinful life of wickedness will remain unchanged if the sinner remains to change from his sinful ways.

*Call to Word action.*

Isaiah 55:7 *Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Jeremiah's question can find answers in Christ's salvation of a sinner willing to repent. There is no condition Christ can not change.

*Prayer*

Lord, help me not to love what You hate, and let me not hate what You love. Let me not be accustomed to doing evil, in Jesus name.

Good morning and be blessed as you go today.

God bless you

Shalom.