Daily Bible Devotionals

“Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying: At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself to you. He may serve you six years but then you must send him out free from you but your ancestors did not obey Me or pay attention. Today, you repented and did what pleased Me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me at the temple called by My name. But you have changed your minds and profaned My name.” Jeremiah 34:12-16a (HCSB)

I love Disneyland. I love the rides, the shows, the parade, the fireworks, and even the food! Another thing I love about Disneyland is how everyone leaves their strollers unattended, rides their rides, and comes back to find everything just as they left it. I don’t know why everyone is so honest at Disneyland, but I guarantee nobody would leave their stroller unattended at the convenience store across the street from Disneyland! It’s like there is some honor code at Disney; people want to believe in a better world. Sadly, much of that community mindset stays at Disney once we leave the parking garage.

There was a time in Israel’s history when they wanted to believe in a better world, where they obeyed God’s Word. They even made a special covenant with Him. It lasted about a day. They may have been sincere in their desire to follow Him, but in the end, the flesh won over. Their will to follow Him was overridden by their desire to enslave their brothers! The whole scenario is a textbook example of what it looks like when we break the third commandment.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 (NKJV)

The correct understanding of “taking the Lord’s name in vain” has been missed by most people. Quite honestly, many Christians believe that taking the Lord’s name in vain means using His name as a curse word.  

Actually, “taking (or using) the Lord’s name in vain” describes a situation where people declare to have repented, to have become God’s people, bearing His name, yet choose to live as if they still belong to the World. They claim to have received His Name, yet they received it in vain because they never surrendered their trust to Him. His name bears His blessing, and receiving His name is a byproduct of His grace towards our faithfulness when we place our trust in Jesus’ Lordship. (Ephesians 2:8-9) People who receive His name in vain choose to identify themselves as believers yet forfeit the blessing only given to the faithful. God cares about our faithfulness, and His blessing is directly related to our decision to follow Him. Sure, our salvation is secured by His faithfulness towards us, by His grace. But why would we forfeit His blessing just to return to the worldly ways we repented from when we pleaded for His salvation?

“This is the Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the guard’s courtyard in the palace of the king of Judah. Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying. ‘Why are you prophesying, “This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to hand this city over to Babylon’s king, and he will capture it. Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the Chaldeans; indeed, he will certainly be handed over to Babylon’s king. They will speak face-to-face and meet eye-to-eye. He will take Zedekiah to Babylon where he will stay until I attend to him – this is the Lord’s declaration. You will fight the Chaldeans, but you will not succeed?’” Jeremiah 32:1-5 (HCSB)

It isn’t easy being a prophet! Tell the truth, then get thrown in jail. But that was the job.  With the Word of the Lord comes Responsibility, Accountability, and Liability.  

There is a Responsibility because the Lord has chosen to reveal His Truth to us. When we read the Bible and pray, “Lord, give me something today and someone to share it with,” is He not faithful to answer that prayer to both ends? First, He reveals a deeper understanding, which draws us closer to Him. But He doesn’t simply pour His Word into us so we can be filled and capped off. God reveals His Truth so we can share it with those He leads to us. We are responsible for sharing His revelation. It is why we exist: to know Him and make Him known. That is worship.  (Jeremiah 1:1-10)

In addition, we are Accountable. Along with the responsibility of knowing God’s Word, we are held accountable for how we live up to that responsibility. For instance, you may be convinced of some Biblical Truth and given a Divine burden to share it with a specific individual, yet you may choose to ignore that responsibility. For that, we are held accountable.  (Jeremiah 15:19-21)

Then, there is Liability. Obviously, if the Lord holds us accountable for how we respond to the revelation of His Word, there is a liability (discipline, rebuke, punishment) attached to our disobedience. In today’s chapter, we learn there is also a potential liability connected to our faithfulness. Because Jeremiah chose to be responsible, accountable, and free of divine liability, he was contemptibly held “liable” by Zedekiah. He was put in prison for telling the truth of God’s Word!! Yet, he could not remain silent.  (Jeremiah 20:9)

This is an excellent lesson for us. We should recognize these realities that Jesus is Lord, the Rock of our salvation, but He is also a rock of offense to most who do not believe. That being said, I would rather be persecuted by men for correctly following the Lord than rebuked by Him for cowering before those who can kill the body but not the soul!

“Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 (HCSB)

“There is hope for your future – this is the Lord’s declaration – and your children will return to their own territory. I have heard Ephraim moaning: ‘You disciplined me and I have been disciplined like an untrained calf. Restore me, and I will return, for You, Lord, are my God. After I returned, I repented; After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, my inner being yearns for him: I will truly have compassion on him. This is the Lord’s declaration.” Jeremiah 31:17-20 (HCSB)

In the days of Joshua, Israel had received her inheritance: The blessing of the Lord, which included the privilege of worshipping Him rightly and living in the land of Canaan. But, beginning with the generation that arose after Joshua’s generation, the young nation of Israel began a long, multi-generational downtrend of moral and spiritual depravity.  

Because of Israel’s idolatry, which had eventually saturated every household, the Lord banished them from His blessing and their land. (Yet, they were never banished from His heart.) After having squandered its inheritance and having found itself bankrupt and enslaved in a foreign nation, eventually, Israel (called “Ephraim” in today’s chapter because “Ephraim” was the name of the Israelite tribal region where idolatry was most highly concentrated) cried out to the Lord for His grace and mercy, repented of their idolatry and were restored to rightness with God. That included their restoration to the land of Canaan. It is precisely the correlation Jesus assigned when He told the parable we know as the “prodigal son.” Keep in mind the “two sons” represent Judah and Israel, and Israel (Ephraim) was the first to embrace idolatry and, hence, the first to be deported.

“He also said: ‘A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.” So, he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to Him, ‘I have sinned against heaven in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired hands.’” So, he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.’”  Luke 15:11-20 (HCSB)

Has your sin led you down a self-destructive dead-end street? Return and repent. The Lord will run to greet you with compassionate, open arms, tears, and kisses. (Matthew 11:28)

“As for My servant, Jacob, do not be afraid – this is the Lord’s declaration – and do not be dismayed, Israel, for I will without fail save you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return and have calm and quiet with no one to frighten him. For I will be with you – this is the Lord’s declaration – to save you! I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have scattered you; however, I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you justly, but I will by no means leave you unpunished.” Jeremiah 30:10-11 (HCSB)

In many Orthodox Jewish homes, whenever a family member chooses to follow Jesus as Messiah, the family has a funeral for them. They tear their clothes, weep, and mourn for the required amount of time. They do this because, to the ultra-religious, following Jesus is apostasy. They see a choice to follow Jesus as a choice against God and the Jewish community as a whole, so the community rejects them. This type of funeral communicates more than the death of a person; it signifies that they are dead and will not be seen in paradise. They are gone forever.  It is meant to evoke shame in apostates.

This must have been the way the Israelites in Babylonian exile felt, as if they had rejected following the Lord with their whole hearts by leaving the Jewish community in Jerusalem behind and were suffering the consequences of faithlessness. Many had supplemented proper worship with idolatry, while others completely forsook the Lord. Either way, God is looking for whole-heartedness. Lukewarm faith is not saving faith at all.

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (HCSB)

Today’s passage bears a message of hope. God is telling the descendants of Jacob that they are not cursed; their sin is not so great that there is no longer any means of salvation. If they would turn back to Him and obey His Word, God promised to restore His people to the land of Canaan. It was not their righteousness that would trigger this restoration. Instead, Israel’s return would be by God’s Grace, through their faith in His Word.  

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 (NKJV)

That said, God’s Grace is seldom extended without His Mercy nearby! Grace is getting something you don’t deserve. Mercy is not getting what you do deserve, to the extent that you deserve it! But mercy comes with pain to remind us not to sin that way again. Israel was not getting a free pass. God said His discipline was just, and “Jacob” would no longer avoid stern discipline. Still, compared to what the other nations underwent, Israel was shown God’s mercy. They were not completely destroyed. Let’s thank God for His grace and mercy extended towards us through Messiah Jesus!

“Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive - to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon.’” Jeremiah 29:1-4 (NKJV)

It was a tense moment in the courtroom as the judge pounded his gavel, “GUILTY!” and pronounced a 70-year sentence to the defendant, a felon whose case had such overwhelming evidence against him that a grade school child could have levied the proper judgment. But as the guards led the convict to the prison transport, a courtroom intern came running with a letter of encouragement. A pardon, perhaps? No. It was a statement that the judge’s sentence would never be repealed, not even by a single day. So, where was the encouragement? The judge’s note continued to state that the judge would personally ensure the convict’s safety while he was in prison and that at the end of his 70-year sentence, the prisoner would have paid his full debt to society. Then (and only then), the convict could return home and prosper without fear of further judicial recourse. The judge promised not to hold a grudge once the terms of the sentence had been satisfied. Furthermore, the judge would be willing to assist the convict in his restoration in society and already had a plan to financially support the (ex)convict upon release. Oh, yes, and the ex-con will be eternally thankful to the judge for having judged righteously.

If you can understand that story, you understand the essence of Jeremiah 29:11, the often-prayed yet seldom-understood verse of encouragement.

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:10-14 (NKJV)

You see, Jeremiah 29:11 is not a promise of pardon from a push-over god. It is a promise of justice from the righteous yet merciful Judge. He is the One who would die for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:7-9), yet He chastens us so we would learn to sin no more! (Hebrews 12:6-11)

“The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, but you have led these people to trust in a lie. Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I am about to send you off the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have spoken rebellion against the Lord.”’ And the Prophet Hananiah died that year in the seventh month.” Jeremiah 28:15-16 (HCSB)

Today’s chapter continues warning us against false prophets, but with the intended message that we should confront and expose false prophets. As a matter of fact, the more we study God’s Word, the more we notice how false messages have even wormed their way into certain Church circles. The distinguishing factor of a false prophet is how far their message strays from God’s Word. The apostle Paul described a community that was adept in distinguishing false prophets from true messengers of God.

“As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Borea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.” Acts 17:10-12 (HCSB)

God’s Word, the Bible, exposes the false prophet! Since a true prophet’s message is always consistent with the Bible, consider these statements:

“The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, ‘Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.’  But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, I will say whatever the Lord says to me.’” 1 Kings 22:13-14 (HCSB)

“Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said about you that you can hear a dream and interpret it.’  ‘I am not able to,’ Joseph answered Pharaoh. ‘It is God who will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.’” Genesis 41:15-16 (HCSB)

Even Jesus (one of the three Persons of the tri-unity of God) knew that His message must be completely consistent (and never contradictory) with God’s plan and purpose. He was, after all, God’s Word, made flesh. (John 1:1-14)

“The one who rejects Me and doesn’t accept My sayings has this as his judge: The Word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commands as to what I should say and what I should speak. I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father told Me.” John 12:48-50 (HCSB)

“But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers who say to you: ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon!’ for they prophesy a lie to you, so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish. But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will till it and reside in it. This is the Lord’s declaration.” Jeremiah 27:9-11 (HCSB)

False prophets are still alive and well in our culture. Sadly, there will be false prophets masquerading among us all the way up to the Messiah’s second coming. By perverting God’s Word and denying its authority, false prophets establish their own “word from God.”  By doing this, they establish themselves as the sole experts of their own “Messianic-themed” false religions.  

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.” 2 Peter 2:1-3 (HCSB)

Since Judah had followed the counsel of false prophets and rejected God’s Word, the Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to rule over them. This is so they could know the difference between the “yoke” of the Lord and that of a pagan ruler.  

“By My great strength and outstretched arm, I made the earth, and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please. So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him. All the nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him.” Jeremiah 27:5-7 (HCSB)

Knowing this era of Israel’s history brings context to Jesus’ statement:

“At that time Jesus said, “’I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because it was Your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal Him.  Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:25-30 (HCSB)

Serving God’s anointed One leads to peace & deliverance. God chose Nebuchadnezzar to rule for a season, but Jesus is Lord for all eternity, so whose “yoke” would you prefer?

“But you must say to this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am presenting to you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war. For I have turned against this city to bring disaster and not good’”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “‘It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it down.’”  Jeremiah 21:8-10 (HCSB)

When I was a young and immature believer, I considered the God of the Old Testament Scriptures to be an angry God who simply could not be pleased. My perception of Him was that He was only judging and never gracious or patient. On the other hand, it seemed like the God of the New Testament Scriptures was very loving and patient and not the kind Who would judge anyone but accepted everyone just as they are. But have you read the Book of The Revelation?

At the outset, it seems like today’s passage from Jeremiah proves my theory. On the contrary, it disproves the idea that God was always judging and never loving and patient. If you read closely, God is presenting His people with a merciful way out of His judgment if they would only turn from their sin and heed His Word. As for patience, He is actually repeating the terms of a covenant He made with Israel soon after they left Egypt, a covenant Israel had been violating for hundreds of years!

“This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow down to other gods and worship them, I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not live long in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”  Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (HCSB)

God had told His people they would stay in the Promised Land forever if they would only follow His Word and not stray from it. He patiently, graciously and mercifully guided and forgave them for many generations. However, eventually, God’s judgment must eclipse His mercy, or else He is no God at all. And still, He pleads…

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“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel said to me: ‘Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to drink from it. They will drink, stagger, and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.’  So, I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to.” Jeremiah 25:15-17 (HCSB)

God is the Lord of all creation, the Judge of every nation. As Jeremiah was prophesying the imminent destruction of Jerusalem (at the hand of the Babylonians), he also prophesied global judgment on the nations whose idolatry had enticed Israel to forsake the Lord. We see the same “cup of wrath” imagery in the New Testament.

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He told His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’  Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is swallowed up in sorrow – to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.’  Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:36-39 (HCSB)

The “cup” offered to Jesus was mandatory, for sin must be punished justly.

“Then you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Drink, get drunk and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you. If they refuse to take the cup from you and drink, you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: You must drink! For I am already bringing disaster on the city that bears My name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth – this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.” Jeremiah 25:27-29 (HCSB)

Even Jesus’ disciples were unable to remain vigilant. All humanity is sinful and in need of merciful salvation. Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8)

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, ‘So, couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, ‘My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.’  And then He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time is near. The Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go! See – My betrayer is near.’  While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people.” Matthew 26:40-47 (HCSB)

Only sinless Jesus could have accepted the cup and fulfilled God’s just requirement.

“After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. One basket contained very good figs, like early figs, but the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they were inedible.” Jeremiah 24:1-2 (HCSB)

In Biblical imagery, the fig is a symbol of Israel’s Spiritual identity. When the Lord showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs, He was telling him there are only two ways to worship Him: very well or very badly. Consider the prophet Micah’s usage of this imagery:

“How sad for me! For I am like one who – when the summer fruit has been gathered after the gleaning of the grape harvest – finds no grape cluster to eat, no early fig, which I crave.” Micah 7:1 (HCSB)

Jeremiah and Micah help us understand the instance where Jesus cursed the fig tree just before He cleared the Temple.  

“The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. After seeing in the distance, a fig tree covered with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again!’  And His disciples heard it.” Mark 11:12-14 (HCSB - see also Mark 11:15-27)

“I will gather them and bring them to an end. This is the Lord’s declaration. There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the tree, and even the leaf will whither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.” Jeremiah 8:13 (HCSB)

“The Word of the Lord came to me: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will keep My eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them My heart to know Me, that I am the Lord. They will be My people, and I will be their God because they will return to Me with all their heart. But as for the bad figs, so bad they are inedible, this is what the Lord says: In this way I will deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, His officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem – those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt. I will make them an object of horror and disaster to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace, an object of scorn, ridicule and cursing, wherever I have banished them. I will send sword, famine, and plague against them until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.” Jeremiah 24:4-10 (HCSB)

The day after Jesus cursed the fig tree, His disciples found the tree withered. In 70 AD, the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, which remains a ruin today. But all who repent and place their faith in Messiah Jesus will be saved.

“This is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their minds, not from the Lord’s mouth. They keep on saying to those who despise Me. ‘The Lord has said: You will have no peace.’ They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.’ For who has stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear His Word? Who has paid attention to His Word and obeyed?” Jeremiah 23:16-18 (HCSB)

When most believers in Jesus think of “prophecy,” our minds generally drift toward “end times” or the prediction of future events, almost like fortune-telling. For most of us, “prophecy” is limited to God’s revelation of His Word by the working of His Spirit when we commit to reading the Bible. But it is not beyond the Lord’s ability to reveal future events to His followers. Consider the apostle Paul’s instructions to the Corinthian believers:  

“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you would prophesy. For the person who speaks in another language is not speaking to men but to God, since no one understands him; however, he speaks mysteries in the Spirit. But the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation. The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:1-4 (HCSB)

When we read God’s Word with the intent to know, apply, and share it with others, He reveals His truth to us. In a sense, we can predict the future because, through Scripture, He has shown us the predictable outcomes of those who choose to follow or reject His Word. But that is a far cry from predicting exact events. The purpose of His revelation of His Word to us is to build up His Church. But there is a problem. Many people claim to speak messages on the Lord’s behalf that He never gave them to deliver. Their “prophecy” came from themselves, not God.

“I did not send these prophets, yet they ran with a message. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. If they had really stood in My council, they would have enabled My people to hear My words and would have turned back from their evil ways and their evil deeds.”  Jeremiah 23:21-22 (HCSB)

Furthermore, concerning “prophecy” and our shared daily Bible pursuit, I encourage you to gather in groups to discuss what He is revealing to you. This will maximize our potential to see Paul’s words realized in our midst and in our day.

“But if all are prophesying, and some unbeliever or uninformed person comes in, he is convicted by all and is judged by all. The secrets of his heart will be revealed, and as a result he will fall down on his face and worship God, proclaiming, ‘God is really among you.’”  1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (HCSB)

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work, who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, and cut out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.’ Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence.” Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: ‘They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’ They shall not lament for him, saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’ He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 22:13-19 (NKJV)

Everyone weeps at the funeral of a good man, but nobody mourns for a tyrant. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Kings are as kings do.”  God’s indictment of Jerusalem’s rulers is direct. Just because you have a house fit for a king does not mean you are fit to run God’s kingdom. Simply amassing wealth does not make you spiritually rich. This was all because Judah’s rulers had acquired their wealth and power by exploiting the apple of God’s eye, His people! Instead of God’s hireling shepherds, called to lay down their lives for His “sheep,” the ruling elite considered themselves owners of the flock, intent on slaughtering & shearing the sheep. God may bless us with wealth, but it is not so that we can live lavishly. He calls us to care for even the “least” of His lambs.

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 (NKJV)

Among Christians, it is widely accepted that homosexuality was the sin for which God judged Sodom & Gomorrah. While homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord, He says (through the prophet Ezekiel) that there was a whole other reason (one much closer to the hearts of every believer) for which He judged Sodom.

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore, I took them away as I saw fit.’” Ezekiel 16:48-50 (NKJV)

Homosexuality was simply an out-working of a culture bent on pride and fullness of food & leisure, all the while neglecting “the least of these.” (Matthew 25:40) Oh, that America would hear this message, turn from their mirrors and seek the Lord!

“You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughing stock all the time; everyone ridicules me. For whenever I speak, I cry out – I proclaim: ‘Violence and destruction!’ - because the Word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision. If I say: ‘I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,’ His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail. Jeremiah 20:7-9 (HCSB)

There is a myth in the Church (by “myth,” I mean “lie”) that teaches that if a person accepts Jesus as Lord and does everything He commands, then everything will go well for that person. This myth has wormed its way into the success paradigms of many ministries. As a result, there is very little room for “Jeremiahs” in our culture, people who do everything the Lord requires but whose preaching is categorically rejected.

Because the myth is so entangled into our vision of “success,” many believers become disenchanted when ministry gets challenging and positive results don’t seem to come as easy as for others. That was Jeremiah’s case. He did everything right, and yet he suffered. Jesus went as far as calling such rejection a “blessing.”

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV)

The apostle Paul is a man who could relate to Jeremiah and Jesus’ rejection.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved. For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts.’” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (HCSB)

After his big “heroes of the faith” speech, where faithful believers were miraculously saved from various disasters, the writer of Hebrews reminds us of another group of “faithful” believers.

“Some men were tortured, not accepting release so that they might gain a better resurrection, and others experienced mocking and scourging, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, and they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground. All these were approved through their faith, but did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.” Hebrews 11:35b-40 (HCSB)

There is a cost of discipleship. (Luke 14:26-28) But, in the words of Christian martyr Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to obtain what he cannot lose.” Success is weighed purely in our obedience to God.

“This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Go down at once to the potter’s house; there I will reveal My words to you.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, working away at the wheel. But the jar that he was making from the clay became flawed in the potters hand, so he made it into another jar, as it seemed right for him to do.” Jeremiah 18:1-4 (HCSB)

The sight of the potter molding, marring, and remodeling his vessels of clay impressed the truth on the mind of Jeremiah that God had absolute power over the nations. If Israel disobeyed, He would punish them; if the people repented, He would restore them. Jeremiah delivered the Lord’s message.

Not only is the Lord interested in “molding” nations. He also molds us as individuals. The New Testament writer of Hebrews commented about Jesus’ ongoing work in the lives of His followers.

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (HCSB)

Some believe that God created the World, set everything into motion, and has been resting ever since. Still, others believe that God is concerned with “big” things (whatever that means) and doesn’t have time, energy, or concern with us as individuals. Today’s passage tells us that the Lord never stops working and shaping us for His service.

Furthermore, if we are rebellious and aren’t “shaping up” to His design, God isn’t against reducing us to a lump of clay. His Church is a collection of His “works of art,” so if we aren’t shaping up as individuals, the whole community suffers. This was Israel’s case. Israelite personal idolatry became collective national idolatry. Eventually, God did what all potters do when a vase isn’t taking shape: He smashed it to pieces.

“Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, ‘He did not make me’? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, ‘He has no understanding’”? Isaiah 19:16 (NKJV)

Perhaps your life has felt the spin of the potter’s wheel lately. It could be that He has been building you up & tearing you down, and you are feeling frustrated that He is not following your design. First, we must recognize God’s part (Potter) and ours (clay). Then, we must patiently trust the Lord to finish what He started in us.

“A throne of glory on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12 (HCSB)

Today’s passage overlays, almost perfectly, with the New Testament account of Jesus forgiving an adulterous woman; the setting is the Temple in Jerusalem.

“At dawn He went to the Temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them.” John 8:2  (HCSB)

“Hear how they keep challenging me, ‘Where is the Word of the Lord? Let it come!’ Jeremiah 17:15 (HCSB)

“Then the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center. ‘Teacher,’ they said to Him ‘this woman was caught in adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do You say?’  They asked this to trap Him, so that they might have evidence to accuse Him.” John 8:3-6a (HCSB)

“Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the fountain of living water, the Lord.”  Jeremiah 17:13 (HCSB)

“Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, ‘The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left with the woman at the center.”  John 8:6b-9 (HCSB)

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” Jeremiah 17:14 (HCSB)

“But I have not run away from being your shepherd, and I have not longed for the fatal day. You know my words were spoken in your presence. Don’t become a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of disaster. Let my persecutors be put to shame, but don’t let me be put to shame. Let them be terrified, but don’t let me be terrified. Bring on them the day of disaster; shatter them with total destruction.” Jeremiah 17:16-18 (HCSB)

“When Jesus stood up, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’  ‘No one, Lord’ she answered. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus said. ‘From now on, go and sin no more.’”  Then He said to them again, ‘I am the light of the World. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:10-12 (HCSB)

“‘However, take note! The days are coming’ – the Lord’s declaration – ‘when it will no longer be said: As the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt, but rather: As the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites from the land of the north and from all the other lands where He had banished them. For I will return them to their land that I gave their ancestors.’” Jeremiah 16:14-15 (HCSB)

The form we use to re-tell the story of the Passover is called the Haggadah. “Haggadah” is a Hebrew word for “the telling.” The dinner we eat while listening to the Haggadah is called a Seder. “Seder” means “order.” So the Passover Seder Haggadah is literally the ordered re-telling of God’s Passover, His deliverance of Israel’s bondage in Egypt.

In today’s passage, God is telling Israel that, in the future, there will be another “type” of Passover. It will be the story of Israel’s deliverance from their bondage among the nations and re-deliverance back to the land of Israel.

But another deliverance is coming for Israel, and we will read about it in a few weeks. Here is a sneak peek: Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of sin through the New Covenant of Messiah Jesus.

“Look, the days are coming” – this is the Lord’s declaration – “When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt – a covenant they broke, even though I had married them – the Lord’s declaration. “I will place My law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people. No longer will one teach his neighbor, or his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me from the least to the greatest of them’ – the Lord’s declaration. ‘For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.’” Jeremiah 31:31-34 (HCSB)

Furthermore, God’s “Salvation” (His “Yeshua” – Jesus’ Hebrew Name means “Salvation”), His “New Covenant” and “New Passover” are also extended to the Gentiles.

“He says, ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6 (HCSB)

Isn’t it good to know that everlasting atonement has been offered to all mankind, exclusively through Messiah Jesus? Have you entered into Messiah Jesus’ “Passover”?

“For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the festival, not with the old yeast, or with the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7b-8 (HCSB)

“O Lord, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.  Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, for You have filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?” Jeremiah 15:15-18 (NKJV)

Why are God’s “chosen” in such trouble? It would be easy to point to their idolatry and the pagan lifestyles they adopted, but those are merely symptoms of a deeper issue. God’s people are in trouble because they have forsaken His Word, the Bible. Now, they are living in the aftermath of how considering God less leads to complete godlessness. Therefore, they suffer His rebuke as if they were pagans simply because they have forsaken God’s Word and adopted pagan values. It is not as though Israel had not been warned. Consider song #1 in their hymnal.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3 (NKJV)

So, Israel began to downplay God’s Word generations before Jeremiah’s day. First, they departed from His counsel and chose to include worldly secular ideas in their worship. Next, they began to act and think more worldly. Finally, several generations later, Jeremiah is not dealing with a few rebels who sit in the seat of a mocker; he is dealing with the ASSEMBLY (Nation) of mockers! Now, look at the Church at large today. Do you see a similar trend in our pulpits & pews over the past few generations? Of course, you do! Therefore, we can predict a certain judgment from God on our nation…unless we turn back to Him and His Word. And the sad truth is that when carnal “Christians” undergo difficulty, they run to their church. But if the Church has become corrupted, the carnal pastor with his (or her) corrupt counsel is no better than an unreliable stream. Even when they claim to speak on God’s behalf, their so-called “Biblical” counsel is deeply tainted with worldliness and Biblical contextual illiteracy. They are no better than Job’s friends who claimed to speak on behalf of God, yet their counsel was void of wisdom.

“My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, like the streams of the brooks that pass away, which are dark because of the ice, and into which the snow vanishes.” Job 6:15-16 (NKJV)

Let’s seek God’s Word and obey it. Then, we will be prepared to share wise counsel with the lost, hurting & perishing whom the Lord leads our way! (1 Peter 3:15)

“‘Though our guilt testifies against us, Lord, act for Your name’s sake. Indeed, our rebellions are many; we have sinned against You.  Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of distress, why are You like an alien in the land, like a traveler stopping by for the night? Why are You like a helpless man, like a warrior unable to save? Yet You are among us, Lord, and we are called by Your name. Don’t leave us!’  This is what the Lord says concerning these people: Truly they love to wander; they never rest their feet. So the Lord does not accept them. Now He will remember their guilt and punish their sins.’” Jeremiah 14:7-10 (CSB)

In today’s chapter, the picture of a devastating drought introduces the prediction of another series of judgments upon Judah, and it is a masterpiece of word painting. The prophet uses vivid colors to depict a scene of universal disaster. The whole country is desolate. The city gates are dark with the black robes of mourners. The water cisterns are found empty. The barren fields are seared and dusty. Men and animals together are desperate and dying of thirst.

Jeremiah is appalled by his own vision. He utters a prayer of penitence, admitting that God’s punishment is just and pleading that the Lord, for His name’s sake, will act as in times past and show Himself to be the hope of Israel.

To this, the Lord replies that the penalty has been in proportion to the guilt of the people. Unless they repent, not just with words, but with their whole hearts, He will not accept their worship nor bring them relief. Truly, worse suffering is yet to come.

Jeremiah offers an excuse for the people: False prophets have given assurance of prosperity and peace. To that, God answers that false prophets and common people alike are to perish by famine, the sword, or be led as captives into a land they do not know.

In today’s passage, Jeremiah offers a false assumption/argument that many Christians today also hold true. That is, the assumption that God would allow His children to go unpunished just to protect His reputation as if He needed to impress anyone. God is not in the habit of making Himself attractive to lure people into worshiping Him through a popularity contest. This is a lesson many church leaders would do well to learn! The error of such an assumption is rooted in ignorance of God’s priorities, clearly articulated priorities in His Word. God is Holy, and in Him is nothing impure. He is only and always concerned with what is perfect and true: He hates impurity.

If His children claim to be called by His name yet are living compromised lives, He will allow their reputations and even His own to suffer. This is so that the truth will be known. Unless the child repents and falls back in line with God’s character, He must distinguish the child from Himself. This is so His glory can be ultimately known to be pure. God’s reputation will only temporarily be tarnished by such punishment because, eventually, people will learn the difference between God and His rebellious children. Once sin is punished, God’s holiness is revealed to have remained intact.

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“Listen and pay attention. Do not be proud, for the Lord had spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the mountains at dusk. But if you will not listen, my innermost being will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, for the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.” Jeremiah 13:15-17 (HCSB)

Jeremiah was the obedient servant of our very creative “Creator.”  As such, Jeremiah expressed his prophecies not only in figurative language but also in symbolic acts. God ordered Jeremiah to buy a linen girdle, to bind it upon his loins, and not put it in water. Later, he was told to take it to the Euphrates and to hide it in a cleft of the rocks…the same kind of place where God placed Moses so he could catch a glimpse of Him as He passed by. It is also the kind of place where Elijah was hiding when God appeared in a still, small voice. It suggests the Lord was not simply choosing to abandon Israel. Rather, He would eventually reveal Himself to them, hoping they would repent. The “cleft of a rock” imagery would have stirred up historic solid memories of God’s presence, and “linen underwear” spoke of how the Lord had kept Israel close and intimately so.

My early career was spent as a songwriter. Whenever I write a song, a Bible devotional, or put together some other teaching moment, my deepest desire is to connect with people in such a way that they believe the gospel. In our innovative multi-media culture, one would think that Jeremiah’s extreme creative methods of communication would have connected with Israel and brought them to repentance. Not so.

God led Jeremiah to use drastic measures to go out on a limb and make himself a spectacle. Furthermore, God knew Israel would not repent, regardless of Jeremiah’s extremely demonstrative methods. But why would God call a person to such a humiliating and (seemingly) fruitless mission field? So Israel would be without excuse: they had been warned. About this time, you’re probably thinking, “Stinks to be Jeremiah!”  That’s pretty much how Jeremiah felt. Not only was he asked to participate in prophetic performance art, but he was also the laughing stock (and hated son) of Jerusalem. As a communicator, I can empathize with the prophet. Can you imagine finishing a concert and everyone throws tomatoes or wants to lynch you?

Whenever analogies of “linen underwear” and “full wine jugs” break down, creativity gets thrown out the window. Jeremiah continues with a direct approach. Jeremiah has been rightly chosen, not just for his obedience to the Lord but also for his passionate love for his people!

Today’s passage has a great lesson for us. It is good to be obedient to God, but we must match that obedience with LOVE for those He sends us, even the unrepentant ones.

“Now, these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 (HCSB)

“Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying “Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God.” That I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them a “land flowing with milk and honey”: as it is this day.’ Then I said, ‘So be it Lord.’ Then the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and do them.”’” Jeremiah 11:2-6 (NKJV)

CURSED. As we examine Jeremiah’s rebuke/exhortation to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, we cannot ignore its direct opposition to Psalm 1.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Why was Judah/Jerusalem facing such imminent destruction? Because they had turned away from God’s Word. Now, they were not as blatant (initially) in their idolatry as the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Israel had gone straight into idolatry, full-on. Israel’s decline and destruction (at the hands of the Assyrians) was swifter. Instead, Judah did not run straightway into idolatry. Judah began by redefining and re-prioritizing God’s Word to the point where they elevated worldly, secular values over the Bible’s articulated standard.  

And this is the case with the Church in our day. When people (including church leaders) step away from God’s Word as the ONLY authority and counsel, they establish a system of so-called “righteousness” apart from God’s will. But God does not want us to take our cues from the world. He wants everyone to KNOW, TRUST, and OBEY His Word and to let it guide every moment of every day.

“This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has instructed me to teach you so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because YHWH, the God of your fathers, has promised you ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.  Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:1-7 (HCSB)

“I know, Lord, that a man’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps. Discipline me, Lord, but with Justice – not in your anger, or You will reduce me to nothing. Pour out Your wrath on the nations that don’t recognize You and on the families that don’t call on Your name, for they have consumed Jacob; they have consumed him and finished him off and made his homeland desolate.” Jeremiah 10:23-25 (HCSB)

In the face of the punishment that is coming upon Judah and the surrounding nations, the least of all lessons Judah should have learned is that trusting in false gods will not deliver them. Moreover, since all the other nations were being judged along with Judah, it made no sense to trust in the nations who trust in false gods!

What are these “gods” after all? They are pieces of wood carved by skillful workmen, decked with silver and gold, clothed in violet and purple, and put together with a hammer and nails so they cannot move. In striking contrast is the “True God,” the “Living God,” and the “Everlasting God.”

“But the Lord is the true God: He is the living and everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.” Jeremiah 10:10 (NKJV)

Yet, Judah will not trust in this living God; therefore, punishment is about to fall. The call comes to the besieged “daughter of Israel” to gather a few necessary articles in preparation for a hasty flight and the painful journey to the land of exile. She cries out in anguish and remorse because her suffering is grievous, but she has brought it upon herself, and now it must be endured. It reminds me of America’s current economic, moral, and spiritual season.

Disaster is the result of the faithless rulers (shepherds) whose “flock” is now “scattered.” But long before the rulers were corrupt, the individuals were enticed to idolatry, to the point where virtually all of Israel was looking down the “business end” of God’s judgment. National idolatry always begins with personal idolatry. Likewise, national holiness begins when we, as individuals, set ourselves apart to know God’s Word, obey it, and walk with Him daily.

In today’s passage, the prophet speaks for his people as he confesses that more than human wisdom is needed to guide Israel’s course. He prays that the coming judgment would be just, but ONLY just. That is, Jeremiah pleads that God’s judgment may not be in wrath to utterly destroy but in a spirit of punishment with the intent of restoration.

Ah, if they (i.e., “WE”) would have only remembered the children’s Proverb:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV)

“This is what the Lord says: The wise must not boast in his wisdom; the mighty must not boast in his might; the rich must not boast in his riches.  But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me – that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things.  This is the Lord’s declaration.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 (HCSB)

Today’s passage reminds me of Caleb in the book of Joshua.  Caleb was about 80 years old, yet he boasted, “I’m as strong as I ever was.”  I have heard preachers proclaim that living a clean, Godly life kept Caleb physically fit.  The way I see it, Caleb’s strength was in his acknowledgment that God was his strength!  When he was young, Caleb didn’t trust in his youthfulness, and when he was old, he didn’t cower in his frailty.  His strength was always and only in the Lord.  

This is precisely what the Lord is communicating to Judah.  Furthermore, it is what God was communicating to the Corinthian church through His messenger, the apostle Paul.

“Brothers, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.  Instead, God has chosen the World’s foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the World’s weak things to shame the strong.  God has chosen the World’s insignificant and despised things – the things viewed as nothing – so He might bring to nothing the things that are viewed as something, so that no one can boast in His presence.  But from Him you are in Messiah Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written: The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (HCSB)

“Our boast is in the Lord.” Consider that statement through the lens of God’s grace.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is God’s gift – not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Today’s passage tells us that God delights in showing His faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth.  But what does God NOT delight in?

“Tell them: As I live – the declaration of the Lord God – I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live.  Repent, repent of your evil ways!  Why will you die, oh house of Israel?” Now, son of man, say to your people: The righteousness of the righteous person will not save him on the day of his transgression; neither will the wickedness of the wicked person cause him to stumble on the day he turns from his wickedness. The righteous person won’t be able to survive by his righteousness on the day he sins.” Ezekiel 33:11-12 (HCSB)

God is just, and He will, by no means, clear the guilty.  But if men will turn from their sin, recognize and follow Jesus as Lord, they will be saved!  No man is so bad that he cannot have God’s grace, and none is so good that he doesn’t need it.

“‘How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; so what wisdom do they have? Therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will inherit them; because from the least even to the greatest everyone is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; in the time of their punishment they shall be cast down,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 8:8-12 (NKJV)

It should not surprise us that Israel departed from God’s Word and followed after the “god-themed” messages of men, which were designed to minister to men’s fleshly imaginations of God as they sought after liberty without accountability. It should not surprise us because that kind of god-themed “theology” (which denies God’s standard by stressing His grace while ignoring the certainty of His judgment) pervades the church culture of our generation. And it should not surprise us because the apostle Paul warned that such a culture would arise in the last days.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV)

Surely, as we read about the “last days” of Jerusalem, we must perceive that we are living in the last days. At least these surely must be the last days of America, for God must apologize to Jerusalem (and Sodom & Gomorrah) if we exhibit the same blasphemies yet remain un-judged! Beware of the pastor who promises the peace & prosperity of God (His grace) yet disregards His holiness and judgment.

“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:6b-9 (NKJV)

“‘I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,’ Says the Lord, ‘And I will heal him.’ But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ Says my God, ‘for the wicked.’” Isaiah 57:19-21 (NKJV)

The peace that “passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7) is not the absence of conflict or accountability. It is the peace of knowing the Messiah and obeying His Word.

“But look, you keep trusting in deceitful words that cannot help. Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known? Then do you come and stand before Me in this house called by My name and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts!’ Has this house, which is called by name, become a den of robbers in your view? Yes, I too have seen it.”  Jeremiah 7:8-11 (HCSB)

One cannot read today’s passage without thinking about Jesus clearing the Temple.

“They came to Jerusalem, and He went into the Temple complex and began to throw out those buying and selling in the Temple. He overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the Temple complex. Then he began to teach them: ‘Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,” but you have made it into a den of robbers!”  Mark 11:15-17 (HCSB)

So, what is the source of such evil in the Lord’s house? The people had abandoned God’s Word and chosen to trust in deceitful words…words that please the listener with false promises and infuriate the Lord. When Jesus cleared the Temple, He was harkening to Israel’s past apostasy and God’s judgment of it, addressing their present-day apostasy and prophesying that the Temple would once again be destroyed unless the people repented.

When I travel to Israel in the summers, I always visit the “old city” of Jerusalem. A visit to Jerusalem is never complete without some time at the Western Wall. Perhaps you have seen pictures of that site, hundreds of Orthodox Jews (and tourists) praying. The place where they are gathered is actually part of the remains of the support/foundation for the Temple Mount. None of the actual Temple remains; it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Many visitors at the Western Wall ask, “Why would the Lord allow for His Temple to be destroyed?” I’m always soberly reminded of today’s chapter, especially verses 12-15.    

“‘But return to My place that was at Shiloh, where I made My name dwell first. See what I did to it because of the evil of My people Israel. Now, because you have done all these things’ – this is the Lord’s declaration – ‘and because I have spoken to you time and time again, but you wouldn’t listen, and I have called to you, but you wouldn’t answer, what I did to Shiloh I will do to the house that is called by My name – the house in which you trust – the place that I gave to you and your ancestors. I will drive you from My presence, just as I drove out all of your brothers, all the descendants of Ephraim.’” Jeremiah 7:12-15 (HCSB)

Oh Lord, as we search Your Word each day, teach us what You require of us, that we may be a people who are holy and pleasing to You!