JBS 2020–Chapter 8

The Loving Messenger

Jeremiah 42-44

Story

In C.S. Lewis book, the LAST BATTLE, which is an allegory about the end time and return of Christ: there is the segment where Lucy pleads with the dwarfs. The dwarfs are unbelievers. The presence of Aslan has brought light but they refuse to see the light or to acknowledge its existence. They refuse to see what is so very obvious to Lucy and other believers. Both Lucy and Edmund try to convince them but the Dwarfs will not change their mind or attitude. Even Aslan’s very presence doesn’t change them.

Background

In this session, we will look at spot passages is chapters 42-43-44 as we continue our same line of thinking: DISOBEDIENCE IS COSTLY. Disobedience is a bad choice and bad choices produce bad results.

After the Fall

When Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians; they do everything that Jeremiah had predicted, burn the city, destroy the buildings and put the nobles, leaders, land barons to the sword. They spare the slaves and the poor along with Jeremiah and some of his friends.

A man by the name of Gedaliah {gee-dal-ya} the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor over the territory. A man by the name of Ishmael [member of the royal family] plotted and killed Gedaliah. This put the remaining Jews in a panic mode. So they form a group [made up of leaders and soldiers] and approach Jeremiah. We take up in Jeremiah 42:2…

They approached Jeremiah the prophet and said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. ³ Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.”

This sounds rather innocent: they want Jeremiah to pray for them…it would appear that they are seeking God’s will. Jeremiah agrees to pray for them…

“All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.”

The rebuttal and promise of the people…

“May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! ⁶ Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.”

Reality Check

Ten days later the LORD gives Jeremiah the answer…

‘Stay here in this land… Do not fear the king of Babylon…the LORD will rescue you from his power. But if you refuse to obey and are determined to go to Egypt, the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, will get you there…you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there….You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.’

People’s Response

Jeremiah 43:2-3

“You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt! ³ Baruch has convinced you to say this, because he wants us to stay here and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried off into exile.”

Again in verse 7… The people refused to obey the voice of the Lord and went to Egypt, going as far as the city of Tahpanhes.

Notes

[1] Note the insincerity of the people: prayer was a sham, they already had their minds made up.

[2] Note their blatant disobedience. It is unmistakable, they flat rebel, we will not listen to the word of the LORD.

[3] They force Jeremiah and Baruch to go with them. Why? Obviously they do not like Baruch and they will not listen to Jeremiah.

[4] They jump from the frying pan into the fire with Jeremiah telling them exactly what is going to happen. Neb has no need to return to Judah but he is coming to Egypt, just a matter of time and he did and these people died by the sword just as Jeremiah predicted.

[5] It is seldom wise to run from your problems. I said seldom, not never. Joseph ran from a problem and he was wise in doing so. Most of the time when we run from a problem, we take it with us or it follows close behind. The best thing to do is recognize the problem, call it what it is and deal with it.

[6] Egypt was a false Messiah. The world is not our savior; it is one of the reasons we need saving. Don’t look to the world to solve your problems, look to Jesus.

[7] These ignorant and rebellious Jews walked right into a trap and had no one to blame except themselves.

Obey and Live–Disobey and Die

Lessons to Learn from their failure…

[1] Always examine your motives…Why am I praying? Why do I attend worship? Why do I help my neighbor?

[2] To be open to God’s agenda, you have to drop yours. We can pray sincerely when our minds are already made up.

[3] Desire God’s will more than His blessings. The Jews wanted God’s blessings {why they carried Jeremiah} but they wanted Him to bless their way—He doesn’t do our will. He will not bless rebellion. He will bless obedience–Trust and obey, there is no other way. He will not rubber stamp your plans.

Summing It Up

Jeremiah 44:15-18

Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt—answered Jeremiah, “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her with liquid offerings, we have been in great trouble and have been dying from war and famine.”

Final Lessons

[1] Not a lot has changed: the Jews had removed God from the picture. They had no fear or respect for Him or His word. He was simply someone to blame when their plans went wrong.

[2] The Jews were given a faithful witness who was true to the word: they had no one to blame but themselves: they were rebellious and would not listen.

[3] Things are not in our control but there are in God’s. He is working His plan and His will, will be done.

[4] Many people are like the Dwarfs, they choose to believe a lie when the truth is staring them in the face.

[5] Obedience doesn’t give us immunity from suffering but it will give us peace.

[6] Jeremiah’s generation refused to listen…He may have died thinking that he failed…He didn’t. Think of the millions who have been blessed by his story. Seldom do we know the impact we are making.

[7] Our goal must always be obedience to Christ and glory to God.

[8] Our call is to be faithful: the results are up to God

Advertisement

JBS 2020–Chapter 7

No Compromise

Jeremiah 37-39

Compromise is usually seen as a good thing in modern America–as a sort of middle road between two extremes. Yet if we stop and think about it, there are a lot of situations in which compromise is far from positive.

Hearson, page 76

Illustration

Neville Chamberlain and Hitler. Chamberlain followed the “appeasement” policy which was popular in England. He gave Hitler the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia but that only fueled Hitler’s aggression. When Hitler invaded Poland, the English realized they had made a mistake.

Some people make compromise a way of life; most notable, politicians. But how do that rate when it comes to integrity, very low.

If we compromise with the truth, we sacrifice our integrity. Remember Job’s wife, what an encouraging lady…His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job did not listen to her and he did maintain his integrity.

Compromise Begets Compromise

David made one compromise when he took his friend’s wife in his bed chamber, but that compromise lead to another, and another.

Good Examples

Daniel and his three friends are a good example of integrity and refusal to compromise.

The Point

When it comes to obeying Christ, there is to be no compromise.

Historical Background

[1] Zedekiah was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar so he was a puppet king or a sort of governor. Unlike other kings before him, he could not do as he pleased.

[2] Zedekiah did have a difficult task: Pleasing Nebuchadnezzar and the Elders of Judah. The Elders were pro-Egypt and were constantly encouraging Zedekiah to rebel against his boss. Keep in mind, Zedekiah is not a strong man in terms of character.

[3] Some a short period of time, the Babylonians broke the siege and during this time, Jeremiah tries to get out of Jerusalem and go home.

[4] Jeremiah was accused of treason, of compromising with the Babylonians but in reality, he was obeying God and it was Judah and Zedekiah who had compromised their faith.

Indecisiveness

Jeremiah 37:2-3

But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the Lord said through Jeremiah. Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent messengers to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.” 

Jeremiah 37:5 tells us that  Pharaoh Hophra of Egypt and his army appeared at the southern border of Judah. The Babylonians break the siege and move toward the Egyptians. The Egyptians turn tail and head back to Egypt. The Babylonians then go back to Jerusalem.

Zedekiah and many of the Jews thought they were saved. Jeremiah told them: No, they are coming back and nothing has changed. Jeremiah 37:9-10…

“This is what the Lord says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t! ¹⁰ Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”

All Jeremiah had to do to save his own skin was just play along; let them believe what ever they wanted to believe. The only thing that can get him in trouble at this point is to keep telling the truth. All he had to do to save his own skin was shut-up.

[John the Baptist lost his head for telling the truth]

Jeremiah’s Message never changes

Surrender and live, rebel and die.

Jeremiah in the Cistern

Jeremiah 38

⁴ So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!” ⁵ King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.” ⁶ So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

Contrast: Jeremiah verses Zedekiah

Jeremiah feared God more than man and would not compromise one word; not even tone it down or keep silent. Zedekiah changed his commitments as easily and quickly as changing clothes. Honestly, which of the two do you respect?

Ebed-Melech

Jeremiah 38:7-13

¹⁴ One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of the Lord’s Temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said. “And don’t try to hide the truth.”

¹⁵ Jeremiah said, “If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won’t listen to me anyway.”¹⁶ So King Zedekiah secretly promised him, “As surely as the Lord our Creator lives, I will not kill you or hand you over to the men who want you dead.” ¹⁷ Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down. ¹⁸ But if you refuse to surrender, you will not escape! This city will be handed over to the Babylonians, and they will burn it to the ground.’”¹⁹ “But I am afraid to surrender,” the king said, “for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!” ²⁰ Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.

Ironic Conclusion

[Hearson, top of page 84]

The Jews and Zedekiah: In their effort to save their lives, their homes, their comfort and happiness, they lost everything.

The very last thing Zedekiah saw with his eyes was the execution of his sons and then they gouged out his eyes and put him in chains. I wonder if he thought about his foolish choices: if he had only listened to the word of God, none of this would have happened.

A second irony that has a prophetic message: the poor were given the land. All these things that the Jews owned was given to the poor. THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH. David predicted it in Psalm 37 and Jesus confirmed it in the Sermon of the Mount.

JBS-2020–Chapter 6

God’s Eternal Word

Dr. Hearson begins chapter 6 with a Star Trek analogy. I am not a Star Trek fan but the story is about some officers were tasked with saving the planet and they had to jump from a shuttle and land on a platform. Two of the three did it successfully but the third was a thrill seeker and he tried to deploy his chutte just in time to hit the platform. His chutte did open as face as he assumed and he was killed.

The Authors analysis: his actions were not only foolish, they were very selfish as he jeopardized the mission by trying to be a dare devil.

Fear Can Be Good or Bad

How do we know when fear is good or when it is bad? Healthy fear can save our lives as we exercise caution: too much fear can paralyze and render us dysfunctional. There are times when facing our fears can be a good thing, even thrilling [roller coaster]. I was horrified the first time Bro. Inman told me I was to preach. I’m glad I faced that fear. One of the greater joys of my life is to preach. [why I did not do well in retirement]

How Do We Relate Fear To God’s Word?

Respect may be a better word here: I have great respect for the word of God. I don’t understand it all but I believe it all. I made that commitment in college and I’ve never looked back.

Jehoiakim

The book of Jeremiah is not in chronological order so don’t get confused. Jehoiakim was king before Zedekiah. Jehoiakim was evil through and through. He was cruel and self-serving. He was anything but a shepherd king. He didn’t love people nor God and he had no respect for God’s word or God’s prophet.

The author makes two valid points: this event took place some 18 years before the final judgment of Jerusalem. This is a reminder of how gracious and merciful God is in dealing with sinful humans. This event makes it crystal clear that Jehoiakim had no interest whatsoever in pleasing God.

Baruch The Scribe

We don’t generally give Baruch a lot of credit which is typical of the person who plays second fiddle. He is to Jeremiah what Barnabas was to Paul. Jeremiah has a restraining order and cannot go to the temple but the LORD gives him a message and he dictates it to Baruch and Baruch goes to the temple and delivers the message.

Fast Day

The Fast Day was not what you would think, Dr. Hearson likens it to EASTER Sunday. He says the fast days drew huge crowds and usually all the elders were present. So the temple would be packed. The LORD tells Jeremiah [36:3], Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings.”

God’s desire is a restoration of fellowship but that depends on Judah’s repentance but even in judgment, God’s desire was to bring Judah to repentance.

Baruch Reads the Scroll

When Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people, some of the government officials heard the message. The congregation did not react; could have been indifference or perhaps they were not listening but the officials were impressed and wanted the king to hear the message. Have you ever been to DC or to a major city where there is a person preaching on the side walk. I’ve seen it in DC more than once, a black man who lives in a old school bus shouting REPENT, and no one pays any attention. Gemariah, the brother of Ahiakim–both sons of Shaphan the scribe the faithful secretary and confident to King Josiah. Its Gemariah’s son Micaiah that is impressed with Jeremiah’s message.

Note

Years earlier when his grand father Shaphan read the scroll to Josiah, a REVIVAL broke out that changed the landscape of the entire country, so perhaps this is what Micaiah is thinking or hoping. He calls together some higher level cabinet members and has Baruch read it again, they too are shaken by the message [v. 16, looked at each other in fear]. They insisted that the king hear the message and they hoped for a good response but they didn’t count on it. They told Baruch, “You and Jeremiah go into hiding and don’t tell anyone where you are, not even us.”

Jehoiakim’s Disrespect

Jehoiakim had already had the prophet Uriah executed for repeating one of Jeremiah’s sermons, so his officials did want to take any changes–that’s why they had Jeremiah hide.

Jehoiakim reacts perhaps as they feared, he paid no attention to the message, in fact every time that read a section of the scroll, he took a pen knife and cut that section off and threw in the fire. It was in December and he was sitting by a fire. The officials were upset by his disrespect but he paid them no attention.

Note The Contrast

Josiah’s response to the word: tore his robe, put on sackcloth and repented–Jehoiakim burned the scroll and did not tear his robe nor repent and just as His officials expected, He wanted Jeremiah and Baruch arrested.

Sad Story With Sad Ending

Jehoiakim had seal his own fate; he would not get another change. He had harmed not only himself but his children. The Royal line would not continue through him. The bible doesn’t tell us exactly how he died, only that it was by the hand of the Babylonians. He did not have a funeral and no one cared.

Moral Of the Story

God’s word is not only infallible, it is indestructible. Jesus said, {Matthew 24:35} Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

JBS 2020–Chapter Two

Courage To Tell

Quote

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak, is to speak; not to act, is to act.”

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to tell the truth: especially in a culture that craves the lie.”

~H.C. Anderson

STORY: The Emperor new clothes

Moral of the Story: The emperor needed to hear the truth from someone who was close to him, cared about his welfare.

NOTE: All humans need accountability, there is no exception. Wise people make themselves accountable to those whom they trust. {Tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear}.

[1] Chapter 26 in Jeremiah is about his famous Temple Sermon. {on a fast day/Easter}

[2] Jews were guilty of TEMPLE worship…it was their security blanket. Logic: “God loved the temple so He would never allow anything to happen to it.” Hint of paganism here: all pagans worshiped objects like shrines, altars, idols and temples.

[3] Irony: In pagan society there was no emphasis on the character of the worshiper: all the emphasis was on the offering or the sacrifice. Paganism is very materialistic and materialism is very pagan.

[4] God is more concerned with proper worship and Character than He is in bricks and mortar.

[5] Deuteronomy 12 records God’s instructions on worship and He particularly commanded them to destroy all symbols of pagan worship.

The TEXT: Jeremiah 26

At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ² Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. ³ It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. ⁴ You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ⁵ and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently—though you have not heeded— ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.

[6] Shiloh had been in the pass a thriving place of worship but it was basically closed down after the death of Eli.

NOTE: We don’t worship places {person} and we don’t live in the past.

[6] Reaction of the congregation:

⁷ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

NOTE: It is not just the congregation; it is the Priest and the Prophets. There are always false prophets among us who say what people want to hear.

[7] Look who comes to Jeremiah’s rescue: of all people, government officials. Probably lower level cabinet members.

¹⁰ When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

[8] Ahikam was the leader of this group and his father had worked with previous administration as a court secretary–they were scribes by trade. Ahikam’s father Shaphan was the one who found the scroll in the temple during the early days of Josiah so he was a God fearing man.

[9] What do we do when we hear a sermon we don’t like–blast the messenger. But it was not Jeremiah’s message they were opposing. Here is where we have to be careful, prayerful and students of the word.

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “It is the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. ¹³ Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

[10] The government officials are able to calm the crowd and then they get help from the Elders who draw from history and the days of Micah and Hezekiah.

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” ¹⁷ And some of the elders of the land arose and said to all the assembled people, ¹⁸ “Micah of Moresheth, who prophesied during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

¹⁹ Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord change his mind about the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster on ourselves!”

[10] Then we have the story of Uriah the prophet who basically said the same thing Jeremiah said and he too was threatened so he fled to Egypt.  Jehoiakim hunts him down and executes him.

Lessons To Learn

[1] The TRUTH is seldom pleasant to to hear or proclaim.

[2] Worldliness, paganism and materialism are temptations for every generation.

[3] The TRUTH must be preached if only one responds or even none.

[4] Often there is a price to pay for telling the truth

JBS 2020–chapter 4

The Problem With Promises

[1] Dr. Hearson is a fan of JRR Tolkien and I am not but the basic point of his analogy is when promises are broken, we feel betrayed. {lot of betrayal in this chapter] To see the relationship to this chapter, let me give you some background…

[2] Zedekiah is king, Jerusalem is under siege. The Jews have been notorious as breaking the Mosaic law concerning slavery. They were supposed to, by law, release all slaves every 7th year. You are not going to find many era’s in Jewish history where they actually obeyed the laws of Moses, especially this one. I ‘m sure Jeremiah had something to do with but Zedekiah decision to free the slaves in obedience to the Lord’s command. Meanwhile, Egypt starts a march toward Jerusalem to confront the Babylonians and the Babylonians break siege and head toward Egypt. Zedekiah and the slave owners went back on their promise re-enslaved their former slaves.

[3] Jeremiah warned them concerning this evil and told them the Babylonians would be back. Sure enough the Egyptian army made an about face and headed back to Egypt and the Babylonians returned and took up the siege.

Three Betrayals

[1] I’m sure Jeremiah and the slaves felt betrayed: as soon as the army left, the king and the slave owners reneged on their promise. {Coleman}

[2] Egypt betrayed Israel. No doubt, Zedekiah had sent to them for help and they had good intentions to a point. We don’t know why they turned around but it was probably due to the size of the Babylonian army and the fact that they knew they would be coming to Egypt next. Whatever the cause, the did not help Israel. [Egypt is a type of the world]

[3] The greatest betrayal was Judah betraying God. They were attempting to manipulate God and thought they had pulled it off and like fools they reneged on their promise to God.

Zedikiah’s Fate

34 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. ³ You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.

⁴ “‘But listen to this promise from the Lord, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says: You will not be killed in war ⁵ but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, “Alas, our master is dead!” This I have decreed, says the Lord.’”

⁶ So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah. ⁷ At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured.

[1] Jeremiah’s predictions concerning Zedekiah

~City will be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar

~He will burn it to the ground

~You will not escape

~You will be captured not killed

~You will stand before Nebuchadnezzar face to face

~You will not die by the sword

[2] Page 51…Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem were corrupted by their own selfishness and belief that the power of God was something they could use to help them accomplish their own selfish purposes. {Guilty of trying to manipulate God to get Him to serve their interest}

The Treatment of the Poor in Israel

Looking closer, page 51

Deuteronomy 15:1-11

15 “At the end of every seventh year you must cancel the debts of everyone who owes you money. ² This is how it must be done. Everyone must cancel the loans they have made to their fellow Israelites. They must not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord’s time of release has arrived. ³ This release from debt, however, applies only to your fellow Israelites—not to the foreigners living among you. ⁴ “There should be no poor among you, for the Lord your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. ⁵ You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ⁶ The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you. ⁷ “But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. ⁸ Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. ¹¹ There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.

Matthew 26:8-11

⁸ The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. ⁹ “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? ¹¹ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 

Matthew 19:21

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Back to the betrayal of the poor within the city: the irony is when the Babylonians took the city, they either killed or enslaved the nobles, then they set the poor free. The meek inherited the land, one day they will inherit the earth.

Conclusion

We should have the attitude of Job: “tho He slay me, yet will I trust {love, serve} Him.” Bo-ro-mir in the lord of the rings was supposedly a good man but he wanted the ring for its power. He intended to do good with this power, that was his justification for seeking it but the fact that he wanted power was a sign that he would be corrupted by it.

Sometimes we want good things for the wrong reason.

The ancients sealed covenants by slaughtering of an animal and cutting it into two parts and the agreeing parties walk between the two pieces. The meaning, “If I break the covenant you have the right to cut me in half.”

Judah’s breaking the covenant with God brought about their death. {Literally} The wages of sin is death. Sin and rebellion always lead to death.

JBS 2020–Chapter 3

Judgment and Hope

Jeremiah 29-31

[1] The ultimate goal of every believer is to obey Christ our of love and respect for who He is and what He has done. Solomon said, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” [Fools despise being told what to do] {Proverbs 1:7}

[2] Timothy Keller…“In Christ, we no longer fear God’s wrath in the judicial sense {Hell} but wisdom {spiritual maturity} requires a pure hatred for sin {especially our sin} and not just a fear of the consequences.” True or mature fear of the LORD serves out of love and respect in appreciation for who He is and what He has done for us. Even if there was no hell or bad consequences for sin, we ought to serve Him for His sake, nor ours.

[3] Dr. Hearson uses Macbeth as an illustration of sin producing bitter circumstances. Macbeth was a Scottish Warrior and a highly decorated hero in the war against the Danes. Too much praise put ambitious thoughts in his head and he began planning a way to become king. His wife loved the thought and encouraged him and helped him plan, plot and commit the crime of murder in order to attain the crown. After Macbeth became king, he was tormented by guilt. The guilt drove lady Macbeth to despair and she took her own life. The guild drove Macbeth to being a mad man, a tyrant who trusted no one. Eventually, he is murdered so that some other seeking fool can become king. They wanted it all and got nothing.

[4] Long story short–there is no doubting the consequences of sin and ultimately they lead to death and destruction. Grave consequences!

[5] Jeremiah 29-31 tells us about God’s continual warning to the Israelites about their sinful ways, about seeking their interest and not His, BUT it also contains a lot of prophecy and promises: some that I am sure you are familiar with [29:11].

[6] We begin in chapter 29 with Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles, sent by two trusted couriers, friends of the family so to speak.

[7] Brief look at the contents of the letter…

⁴ This is what the Lord of {Host} Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: ⁵ “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. ⁶ Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! ⁷ And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

⁸ This is what the Lord of [Host] Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams, ⁹ because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.

[8] The basic message: do not give up, God has not abandon you and do not be bitter toward your captors, God used them to punish you for your disobedience. It is your own fault so do not be angry with them. Don’t be angry with God because He was just, you deserved to be punished.

[9] Dr. Hearson says on page 34, this was a BITTER SWEET message. On the one hand Jeremiah offered them hope; on the other that had to accept their punishment as just, confess their guilt and get on with their lives.

[10] The false prophets were telling them the opposite–don’t unpack, you will not be here long.

[11] Then Jeremiah’s words really bring comfort…29:10-14… ¹⁰ This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² In those days when you pray, I will listen. ¹³ If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”

[12] In chapter 28 Jeremiah has words with a false prophet who is prophesying in the temple; saying that the articles stolen would be returned along with the captives. Jeremiah confronted him [28:15],  “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies. ¹⁶ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’” The very next verse reads: Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.

[13] This is incredible, everything Jeremiah predicted came true; the fall of Jerusalem, the fate of Zedekiah, the length of exile [70 years], what would happen if they went to Egypt…everything. These people had never known Jeremiah to lie and yet they did not believe him.

[14] Poor miserable Jews living in exile. Dr. Hearson reminds us that this letter from Jeremiah is not just for the ancient Jews, in a sense the Church lives in perpetual exile. Page 36, he says, “We live in a culture that is increasingly hostile to biblical values.” Persecution use to be something that happened somewhere else, now its happening in the USA. The Sadducees {ACLU} and the gay mafia is behind a lot of it. {Franklin Graham}

[15] I agree. I don’t know about you but I feel like a captive a lot of the time. A prison can be bars and cells or it can be unpleasant and painful circumstances that you can’t escape. That is why I love Luke 4:18 where Jesus quotes Isaiah and says in reference to Himself…“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”

[16] Understanding Trials [page 39]. Some trials are self inflicted and understandable but many are not: they make no sense to us but I’m not going to get into that: mainly what the author deals with is the trials that we can relate to our sin and rebellion, our not following the LORD. First God is in control: not the Babylonians and second, God has a plan. He makes an excellent point on page 39-40…“There is something in the trial that will help our relationship with God grow, if we only respond in humility and obedience.” {this holds true with me}

Moving Toward Hope

Jeremiah 31:1-6

This is what the LORD says…“Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.” ³ Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
⁴ I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines. ⁵ Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. ⁶ The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’”

Dr. Hearson makes four points

[1] God would transform their sorrow into joy

[2] They would feel a great sense of security

[3] God would be their Shepherd [comforter]

[4] They would become fruitful again

Blessing of The New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34

¹ “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. ³² This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

³³ “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Of course, this passage is fulfilled in Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit and the church. Dr. Hearson uses the illustration of marriage to help us understand growth in our relationship with Jesus. When we say “I do” at the altar, we enter into a contractual agreement. Marriage is a much more committed love than courtship. But does it end there? It shouldn’t. The emotions of love may change over the years but our love for our spouse should mature from a childish need love to a deep unconditional love.

God Loves Obedience

Jeremiah 35 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Faithful Recabites

35 This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: ² “Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the Lord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.” ³ So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—representing all the Recabite families. ⁴ I took them to the Temple, and we went into the room assigned to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah, a man of God. This room was located next to the one used by the Temple officials, directly above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, the Temple gatekeeper.⁵ I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink, ⁶ but they refused. “No,” they said, “we don’t drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab son of Recab gave us this command: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. ⁷ And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.’ ⁸ So we have obeyed him in all these things. We have never had a drink of wine to this day, nor have our wives, our sons, or our daughters. ⁹ We haven’t built houses or owned vineyards or farms or planted crops. ¹⁰ We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed all the commands of Jehonadab, our ancestor. ¹¹ But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked this country, we were afraid of the Babylonian and Syrian armies. So we decided to move to Jerusalem. That is why we are here.” ¹² Then the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: ¹³ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Go and say to the people in Judah and Jerusalem, ‘Come and learn a lesson about how to obey Me. ¹⁴ The Recabites do not drink wine to this day because their ancestor Jehonadab told them not to. But I have spoken to you again and again, and you refuse to obey me. ¹⁵ Time after time I sent you prophets, who told you, “Turn from your wicked ways, and start doing things right. Stop worshiping other gods so that you might live in peace here in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you would not listen to me or obey me. ¹⁶ The descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab have obeyed their ancestor completely, but you have refused to listen to me.’ ¹⁷ “Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you refuse to listen or answer when I call, I will send upon Judah and Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened.’” ¹⁸ Then Jeremiah turned to the Recabites and said, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed your ancestor Jehonadab in every respect, following all his instructions.’ ¹⁹ Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.’”

Introduction

Jeremiah lived in a culture where commitment to God was very casual. The Israelites were not talking God’s word nor their Mission seriously.

Jeremiah takes the Recabites to the Temple and uses them as an example when it comes to obedience. Israel’s mission, to be a light to the nations, depended on their obedience, just as our mission as the church depends on our obedience.

Jesus said in Acts 1:8…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Background

Recabites are descendant of Jethro, Moses father-in-law. They are also known as Kenites. Jonadab was a contemporary of Jehu king of Israel. Jehu followed the reigns of Ahab and his son Jehoram. So Jonadab lived 250 years before Jeremiah [12 generations] and yet these recabites were faithful in obedience to their ancestor Jonadab [A Yahweh Puritan].

Transition

If the Recabites could obey a ancestor WHO was merely human…WHY COULDN’T ISRAEL OBEY GOD.

GOD LOVES OBEDIENCE

BECAUSE HE LOVES US AND WANTS THE BEST FOR US…HE DEMANDS OUR OBEDIENCE.

Obedience is a first principle…

The first thing we teach our children is to obey! Why is this? Is it so that we can boss? No, it is for their good and success. {keeps them from becoming law breakers–prepares them for the world, work, etc.}

Illustration: Woman with her child…

Three Levels of obedience

[1] Fear/Respect [me going to Danville, parental authority, military]

[2] Commitment–We do it because it is the right thing to do

[3] Love [Passion]

John 4…“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 

CONCLUSION

Just as obedience is rewarding, disobedience comes with a price.

[1] Adam and Eve–Home

[2] Cain–Blessing

[3] Israelites–Initially the promise land…then their land and freedom.

IMAGINE AN OBEDIENT CONGREGATION

~Hebrews 10:24-25…And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Matthew 28:19-20… Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

JBS 2020–Chapter Two

Courage To Tell

Quote

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak, is to speak; not to act, is to act.”

~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to tell the truth: especially in a culture that craves the lie.”

~H.C. Anderson

STORY: The Emperor new clothes

Moral of the Story: The emperor needed to hear the truth from someone who was close to him, cared about his welfare.

NOTE: All humans need accountability, there is no exception. Wise people make themselves accountable to those whom they trust. {Tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear}.

[1] Chapter 26 in Jeremiah is about his famous Temple Sermon. {on a fast day/Easter}

[2] Jews were guilty of TEMPLE worship…it was their security blanket. Logic: “God loved the temple so He would never allow anything to happen to it.” Hint of paganism here: all pagans worshiped objects like shrines, altars, idols and temples.

[3] Irony: In pagan society there was no emphasis on the character of the worshiper: all the emphasis was on the offering or the sacrifice. Paganism is very materialistic and materialism is very pagan.

[4] God is more concerned with proper worship and Character than He is in bricks and mortar.

[5] Deuteronomy 12 records God’s instructions on worship and He particularly commanded them to destroy all symbols of pagan worship.

The TEXT: Jeremiah 26

At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ² Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. ³ It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. ⁴ You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ⁵ and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently—though you have not heeded— ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.

[6] Shiloh had been in the pass a thriving place of worship but it was basically closed down after the death of Eli.

NOTE: We don’t worship places {person} and we don’t live in the past.

[6] Reaction of the congregation:

⁷ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.

NOTE: It is not just the congregation; it is the Priest and the Prophets. There are always false prophets among us who say what people want to hear.

[7] Look who comes to Jeremiah’s rescue: of all people, government officials. Probably lower level cabinet members.

¹⁰ When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

[8] Ahikam was the leader of this group and his father had worked with previous administration as a court secretary–they were scribes by trade. Ahikam’s father Shaphan was the one who found the scroll in the temple during the early days of Josiah so he was a God fearing man.

[9] What do we do when we hear a sermon we don’t like–blast the messenger. But it was not Jeremiah’s message they were opposing. Here is where we have to be careful, prayerful and students of the word.

¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “It is the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. ¹³ Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ But as for me, here I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. ¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

[10] The government officials are able to calm the crowd and then they get help from the Elders who draw from history and the days of Micah and Hezekiah.

Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.” ¹⁷ And some of the elders of the land arose and said to all the assembled people, ¹⁸ “Micah of Moresheth, who prophesied during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah, said to all the people of Judah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.’

¹⁹ Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and entreat the favor of the Lord, and did not the Lord change his mind about the disaster that he had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great disaster on ourselves!”

[10] Then we have the story of Uriah the prophet who basically said the same thing Jeremiah said and he too was threatened so he fled to Egypt.  Jehoiakim hunts him down and executes him.

Lessons To Learn

[1] The TRUTH is seldom pleasant to to hear or proclaim.

[2] Worldliness, paganism and materialism are temptations for every generation.

[3] The TRUTH must be preached if only one responds or even none.

[4] Often there is a price to pay for telling the truth

JBS 2020–Chapter One–Understanding The Call

Jeremiah

“Faithful To The Mission”

[1] Our Study Course book written by Blake Hearson, Professor of Old Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is an exceptional book. It is very good and I highly recommend that you read it.

[2] The FOCUS of the study is to get us better acquainted with the prophet Jeremiah who prophesied during turbulent times. Jeremiah witnessed the death of the nation.

[3] Jeremiah labored in a hostile environment and we want to relate his experience with the challenge we face today. How do we shall the gospel of Jesus Christ with a culture that doesn’t want to hear it

[4] Christian Smith articulates our problem well: “Many young adults are rejecting Christianity and embracing a relativistic view that insist that every person has the right to create their own moral values {standard} and no one can tell them how to live.”

[5] In other words, we live in a culture that has redefined sin. Timothy Keller says; “The only sins in this relativistic society are Racism and sexism.” I have added one more, oppression. Somehow this relativism has creeped into the SBC through the reform movement. We now have people in high places who are not PRO-LIFE. They are what we call social justice warriors and the leading proponents are Russel Moore and J.D. Greear.

[6] Jeremiah had to contend with false prophets and we must do the same.

[7] We begin our study in Jeremiah chapter one and we will begin with the first three verses.

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, ² to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. ³ It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

[8] Verses 1-3 is a brief overview of Jeremiah’s ministry. It began in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign was King [626 BC] and it actually extends beyond the history of the kings but Jeremiah worked with these three kings primarily.

[9] Jeremiah could have been a priest: his father was a priest, so he was a descendant of Aaron. He lived in Anathoth of Benjamin but that was common for Priest and Levites. {Benjamin is not that large, about the size of one of our counties}

[10] Jeremiah’s ministry will span some 40 plus years. We do not know exactly. His best days were in the beginning under Josiah. One of the sad notes: everything got worse after Josiah’s death.

[11] Josiah was a very good king [David, Hezekiah and Josiah were the three outstanding kings]. He was a puritan, he hated idols. Reigned for 39 years and tried to reform Judah.

[12] Unfortunately, Josiah sons were evil, I guess the results of being raised in a harem. Jehoakim was horrible: nothing good can be said about him. He exploited the people. He was self-serving and ruthless. He undid everything his father had worked for: leading Judah back to idol worship. He had no respect for God, God’s word or God’s prophet. Zedekiah was weak, indecisive and deficient of character [their version of Jimmy Carter]. It seemed that he had an inclination to do right but he was easily influenced by the wrong people. He did not have personal animosity toward Jeremiah but of course, he was far to weak to be his ally.

[13] Key dates to remember are: Jeremiah’s call in 626 BC, the defeat of Egypt at Carchemisch and the first Babylonian invasion in 605 BC. The second invasion in 597 BC [deal with Jehoakim] and then the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

[14] This means history notes that God’s showed them mercy, he gave them two stern warnings and they paid no heed to either.

Jeremiah’s Call Verses 4-10

[1] Note the verbs expressing God’s activity.

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

[2] Jeremiah’s call is all God’s doing.

[3] I do want to make a special note of verse 5…“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” The Hebrew word translated ‘form’ was the word used to describe the potter’s work as he molded and shaped the clay.

[4] Two other passages come to mind:

Job 10:8-12

Your hands fashioned and made me… Remember that you fashioned me like clay…You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

Psalm 139:13

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

NOTE: The same Hebrew word for knit in both passages…to weave together.

[5] One thing is certain: It was God who called Jeremiah: He was drafted unlike Isaiah who volunteered.

[6] Jeremiah’s call is a lot like Moses…

⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” 

[7] God had the final word…

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.
⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” [why do you think Jeremiah was afraid?]

NOTE: God does not except excuses

Mission Of The Prophet Verses 9-10

⁹ Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth.
¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

[1] The Miracle of Preaching: God putting His word in the prophets mouth. In the introduction of your book; Dr. Hearson talks about the characteristics of a prophet [p.5]: The prophet could see clearly from God perspective. The prophet saw that judgment would come if sin was not repented of and turned from. Prophets were passionate; they felt the pain or grief God feels when we refuse to repent. They spoke the truth instead of what people wanted to hear and they were persecuted for it.

NOTE: A pastor can be prophetic but only if he retains his independence: he can never become a people pleaser. When you compromise with your integrity, you are like the police chief that cannot arrest the guilty party because the chief is on the take. People bribe judges, policemen and congressman for a reason–to control them.

[2] Notice what Jeremiah was called to do: to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Four of the six are negative: Pluck up is a farm term, pull down is a construction term and destroy and overthrow are war terms.

[3] A lot was going on in Judah that was irredeemable. Judah had actually become more depraved than the Canaanites who occupied the land before them.

[4] Jeremiah’s job was to warn them, to tell the them truth: God did not allow Adam and Eve to stay in the garden because of their transgression and He was not going to allow Judah to stay in the land unless they repented.

[5] Jeremiah knew that Judgment was coming and he had a good idea that the Jews [based on their history] were not going to repent. Think of all the great prophets God had sent them and eventually would send His own Son. They rejected them all.

[6] Jeremiah did believe that God would reshape a believing remnant, the ones who went into exile.

[7] Today’s culture cries out for preachers to be positive, to be seeker sensitive. Seeker friendly churches don’t mention unpleasant distasteful thing like abortion, drug abuse and adultery. Our pluralistic society resents the condemnation of anything other than what they have chosen not to condemn. They have rewritten the dictionary: the bible is no longer the dictionary for sin. “I’m OK, your OK, everyone is OK except those who insist that none of us are OK. We are all sinners, all guilty but we cannot change the definition of sin. That is defined by a HOLY GOD in the word of God, not by sinful men.

[8] God gives Jeremiah two illustrations to solidify his call…

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” ¹² Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” ¹³ The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.”

[9] The first illustration is a play on words the Hebrew word for Almond and Watch sounded alike. God is assuring Jeremiah that He Himself will take full responsibility for the effectiveness of the word; not the last phrase…“to perform it.” Isaiah 55:11 comes to mind…So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

[10] The second illustration is about the impending judgment. The boiling pot to the north is Babylon.

[11] Verses 14-16 tell us why the judgment is coming…Actually verse 16 sums it up…And I will utter my judgments against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have made offerings to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

[12] Words of encouragement [v.17]…But you, gird up your loins [tighten your belt]; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them.

[13] God called Jeremiah to be hard headed… I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land.

[14] The will resist you but that doesn’t mean that you have failed…Verse 19…They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.

Discussion

…Seeker churches are growing, traditional churches are in decline. They follow a politically correct agenda while we preach the pure word of God. They draw crowds and we preach to empty pews…What should we do?

…A prophet is the guy screaming fire because he can see the flames that no one else can see. He hollowed “fire, get out,” and everyone just sits there.

…False prophets get their affirmation from people and success: prophets get their affirmation from God. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”