Jeremiah 50-51 God is Governor

 

Jeremiah 50 -51 – God is Governor

 

The prophecy was given in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign, and Jeremiah sent it with Baruch’s brother. Seraiah, to be read publicly in Babylon. In scripture, Babylon symbolizes man’s worldly system organized in opposition to God.

 

The Persians would come out of the north, defeat Babylon, and leave it desolate. Babylon had been God’s hammer, cup, and “battle-ax” to bring his judgment to the sinful nations; but now her sins would be judged, particularly her brutal treatment of Israel.

 

Throughout this prophecy, God gives words of hope to His people still in captivity. Both Israel and Judah will be reunited and restored to their land. The scattered flock will be gathered, and the sinful nation forgiven. They are guilty of sin, but God the Judge will plead their case. The forsaken wife will be reunited to her Husband, and the nation will be vindicated.

 

How will all of this happen? By the power of the God of Israel who is not like the dead idols of the heathen. His people must flee this evil system and separate themselves wholly to the Lord. (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Rev. 18:4).

 

Babylon is still a desolation, and that ruin is a reminder that God is the Governor of the nations and the Judge of all the earth. Israel is still among the nations because her God is the Maker of all things.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Jeremiah 49 - Ammonites and Moabites

 

Jeremiah 49 – Ammonites and Moabites

 

The Ammonites and Moabites were descended from Lot (Gen. 19:30-38) and were enemies of the Jews. Molech was the god of the Ammonites, worshiped in immorality that involved the sacrificing of children. His name means “the reigning one,” but he would reign no more. He would go into captivity and not be able to rescue himself, which is what happens to false gods.

 

The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, brother of Jacob, and they also hated the Jews. They were recognized for their great wisdom (Obad. 8), but they would not be wise enough to stop the Babylonian invasion.

 

Their judgment would be like the stripping of a vineyard, getting drunk, the destroying of Sodom and Gomorrah, the attacking of a lion from the Judah thicket, and the sudden swooping down of an eagle, there was no escape!

 

Damascus would be feeble and fearful, like a woman in labor; and Kedar, Hazor, and Elam would be scattered to the wind like the chaff.  All these proud kingdoms felt secure in resisting the Lord, and He bore with them in His long suffering. But their day of opportunity ran out, and all God could do was judge them.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary, The Jeremiah Study Bible.

 

Jeremiah 46-48 In Egypt. Defeat

 

Jeremiah 46 – In Egypt

 

Jeremiah is in Egypt and the people are expecting peace and plenty from the Pharoah, but the prophecy is that Egypt will go down in defeat. God does give them encouraging words that if they repent then God will not make a full end of them, however their sins will be punished. The Egyptians thought they were like the Nile, rising to flood the enemy, but they would fail. Because Egypt was to be destroyed the people began to look toward Philistia and Moab for help, but Philistia was to be conquered also and Moab ceased from being a nation.

 

Jeremiah 47-48 -Defeat

 

The Egyptians had defeated the Philistia, but the Babylonians would destroy both Philistia and Moab. The Babylonian army would be like a rising river and a sword in the hands of the Lord.

 

Moab was known for its pride, so the Lord brought those people low. They relied on a false god and trusted material wealth, so their god was captured, and their wealth was plundered. They lost all their defenses.

 

Moab was also known for its wine. But the vessels would be emptied and broken and the people would become drunk with God’s wrath, the Babylonians were God’s “wine workers” to give Moab a “new taste” they had never had before. Sometimes God must pour us “from vessel to vessel” to make us what He wants us to be.

 

The bottles were broken, the staff was broken, and their arm was broken; “How she is broken down!” Had Moab been broken before the Lord, she would not have been broken by the Lord.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Jeremiah 44 - Location, Location

 

Jeremiah 44 – Location, Location

 

God sent His servants with the Word, but people would not listen. He chastened them with a drought, but they did not repent. Then He allowed the enemy to humiliate them, but the people still did not obey the will of God.

 

Perhaps it would be different in Egypt. No, the change in location did not change their hearts. They practiced their idolatry in Egypt, they even defended it! Before King Josiah’s reform, when they bowed down to idols. “They had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble: as if those things were tests of truth! The wicked

May prosper, but that is no excuse for sin.

 

In His mercy, God would rescue a small remnant of His people. The rest would be slain in the land they thought was so safe. Was God watching over them? Yes, but not for blessing.

 

Jeremiah 45 – Baruch

 

Baruch was a good friend of Jeremiah who wrote the words of Jeremiah on a scroll and sent it to king Jehoikim. The King in turn cut it with a knife and burned it in a fire. Baruch was also part of the remnant that was forced to go with Jeremiah to Egypt. God convinced Baruch to go along with His program and promised Baruch that He would preserve him through troubled times.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Jeremiah 42, 43 - Back to Egypt

 

Jeremiah 42– Back to Egypt

 

Israel found themselves in trouble, so they decided to go back to Egypt. This was a decision they tried to make back in Moses’ day and now after the Babylonian conquest. God had told them to stay in the land, but they were afraid to obey.

 

They had already made up their minds to go, but they thought it would be good to ask the prophet to pray for them; “Pray for us! We will obey!” How pious those words sounded! God cannot be fooled.

 

Jeremiah prayed and waited for God’s word for that hour. Perhaps God did have another plan for the people. No, God’s plan had not been changed. God told them not to be afraid; He told them to stay in the land and trust His care. But God also told His servant that the leaders were hypocrites and not to be trusted.

 

Faith and patience go together (Heb. 6:12): “Whosoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16)

 

Jeremiah 43 – Jeremiah’s Prediction Comes True

 

Everything Jeremiah had predicted had come true, but they called him a false prophet! Once you have decided to disobey the Lord, you can always find excuses for rejecting God’s truth. It must have been painful for Baruch and Jeremiah to endure the slander of those arrogant men, people they had helped for many years. But Jesus was treated the same way, so Jeremiah was experiencing “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil.3:10).

 

God had the last word: their trip to Egypt would be a death march. The only safe place is in the will of God. The army from which the Jews fled in Judah would come to Egypt and judge them because no one can run away from their problems.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

 

Jeremiah 40-41 In the Crisis Hours

 

Jeremiah 40 ,41 – In the Crisis Hours

 

God has a word for you in the crisis hours of life, so take time to listen. In this case, it came from the mouth of a Babylonian officer who knew Jeremiah’s prophecies. If you could go where you wanted, where would it be? Jeremiah chose to remain with the hurting people of the land. They consisted of very poor people, the blind, the crippled, the lame and some hardened criminals. What an encouragement he must have been to them!

 

God has ordained that men live under authority (Romans 13); otherwise, there is chaos. Gedaliah told the people exactly what Jeremiah had counseled: submit to the enemy and seek to live normal lives. Are you praying for those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-3)? Their job is not easy, and they need God’s help.

 

Was Gedaliah a bit naïve? Did he have too much faith in human nature? Perhaps, but he should have at least taken precautions to protect his life. Johanan was loyal to Zedekiah and rejected the rule of the governor. His love for the fallen king was greater than his love for God, others, and the nation. He was more concerned about revenge than righteousness. What could have been a peaceful transition became a civil war – all because of one man’s wickedness.

 

God told them encouraging things. He promised He would free them from their bondage if only they did what He commanded. He also warned them that if they persisted in doing things their own way, then His fury and anger will be poured out upon them, and they will see the land of Judah no more. Why do we ask God what He wants us to do but then proceed to do whatever we please to do? God tells us that if we obey His commandments in all ways, then He will bless us and we will grow in a closer relationship with Him. God doesn’t lay out His commandments to us in potluck style where we can pick and chose what we want to obey. He says to do all that He says, and He will take care of us forever. He also warns us that if we do not obey Him then His anger and wrath will come down upon us and we will receive curses instead of blessings. It is up to us to make the right choices.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Jeremiah 38 & 39 Accepting God's Message.

 

Jeremiah 38 – Accepting God’s Message.

 

Zedekiah was a weak king who was more interested in being popular with his friends than in being right with God. Since he was a doubleminded man, he was “unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)

 

First, he allowed some of his friends to arrest Jeremiah and put him in a dungeon. Next, he let Ebed-Melech and thirty guards rescue Jeremiah and take him to a safe place. Then, Zedekiah had a private meeting with Jeremiah to ask for help. If the king had accepted God’s message and obeyed it, he would have had the courage to stand up to his unbelieving friends and do right.

 

Jeremiah sank in the mire, but the king was sinking even deeper. His fear and unbelief ruined him. He could have saved himself and his people had he submitted himself to the Lord. Instead, he trusted his friends, and they dragged him down into the mire of disgrace and defeat.

 

Jeremiah 39 – Life for God, Not Self

 

God rewarded Zedekiah for his wickedness. The king thought he could escape, but the enemy caught up with him. The last thing Zedekiah saw was the execution of his own sons, then he was blinded. He walked by sight and ended up in darkness. He lived to serve himself and lost everything. He learned the truth of these words: “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23.

 

God rewarded Jeremiah for his faithfulness. For forty difficult years, he courageously proclaimed God’s Word, even though the people refused to obey it. If you measure ministry by “results”, Jeremiah was a failure. Given his freedom, he chose to remain with his people and minister to them. He had a shepherd’s heart.

 

God rewarded Ebed-Melech for his kindness. Now we know why this foreigner rescued Jeremiah; he had put his faith in God. It must have been Jeremiah’s witness that won him. An outsider trusted God, but the Jews would not trust Him.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

 

Jeremiah 37 - Zedekiah

 

Jeremiah 37 – Zedekiah

 

Over thirty years of ministry have gone by for Jeremiah. He started out as a young man of 20, a young priest who was called to be a prophet of God. Now he is in prison, and the army of Babylon is outside the walls of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 52; 2 Chronicles).

This is the third time Nebuchadnezzar has come against Jerusalem, the first two times he had taken a certain number of people captive and made Zedekiah, his slave, king over the remaining people. Zedekiah wanted to get out from under Nebuchadnezzar, so he asked the Pharoah of Egypt to help him.

The Egyptians came and Nebuchadnezzar retreated, and it looked like the false prophets had been right and Jeremiah wrong, but God had determined this destruction of Jerusalem.

The Bible records that Jeremiah was imprisoned five times. This time he was imprisoned because the princes thought he was abdicating over to the enemy’s side.

When God moved Zedekiah to call for Jeremiah, he begged for his life. Zedekiah wanted the intercession of the man of God but not the instruction of the Word of God. He never should have separated the two. He wanted God to be his servant and deliver the city, but he was not willing to be God’s servant and obey the Word.

 Zedekiah didn’t release Jeremiah, but moved him to a safer place in the courts where Jeremiah remained until the Babylonians came and took Jerusalem. After being in prison, Jeremiah continued to minister to fulfill God’s role for him. The Lord had promised Jeremiah years before that He would care for him, and He kept His promise. Jeremiah did not have an easy life, but he had a good conscience, for he knew he had been faithful to God.

Our responsibilities as the Lord’s followers do not change with our circumstances. God does not call us to serve Him only when conditions are right. The apostle Paul said, “I know how to be based, and I know how to abound.” He concluded; “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

 

Jeremiah 36 - King Johoikim

 

Jeremiah 36 – King Jehoikim

 

God told Jeremiah to record all His words in a book. So, Jeremiah told all of God’s words to Baruch who wrote them down. He then instructed Baruch to take the scroll into the house of the Lord and read it to all the people. When the princes heard that Baruch was reading it to the People, they had Baruch come into them and told him to take Jeremiah and go into hiding. After that, a scribe took it and read it to the princes and to King Jehoikim. When the king heard it, he took a pen knife and cut it into pieces and threw it into a fire. He didn’t care for it, he didn’t accept it, and he didn’t believe it. There was no remorse in what he did.

 

That didn’t stop God. In fact, He told Jeremiah to write it down again and send a message to Jehoikim. In his message he told Jehoikim that there would be no more of his family sitting on the throne again. And there wasn’t.

 

Unlike any other book, the Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Spirit of God (2 Tim. 3:3-17; 2 Peter 1:9-21). Therefore, it can be trusted, and it must be obeyed.

 

The King should have been copying the law for himself (Deut. 17:18-20) and heeding its message. Instead, he destroyed what Jeremiah had spoken and Baruch had written. You can try to destroy the Bible, but you will fail.

 

The king and his family are gone and would be forgotten were it not for the Book he tried to destroy! God’s Word will endure: “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89); “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Mathew 24:35

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah

 

Jeremiah 35 - The Rechabites

 

Jeremiah 35 – The Rechabites

 

The Rechabites are the remnant of believers God kept in Jerusalem. God shows us that there will always be a remnant of His people. When the Great tribulation comes about and all the believers will go into hiding to worship God, there will still be two witnesses that will stand up for God and they won’t be able to be touched until their mission is accomplished. The Lord told Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites to the house of the Lord and give them wine. Based on an earlier commandment in their family they refused to drink the wine. Even still God went on to pronounce judgment on the people of Judah and blessed the Rechabites.

 

The background of the Rechabites was of the family who assisted Jehu in removing Baal worship from the land (2 Kings 10:15-17). When the Babylonian army moved in, the Rechabites had to abandon their nomadic way of life and enter Jerusalem for safety.

 

They abandoned their tents, but they did not abandon their standards. Even though they were in the house of the Lord with a prophet of the Lord, they refused to drink the wine. The Rechabites did not ask others to agree with their tradition, but they would not violate themselves. They were very loyal.

 

Man’s tradition is not necessarily bad, unless it is contradicted by or substituted for God’s truth (Matt. 15:1-20). You may not agree with the traditions of others, but are you as devoted to God’s Word as they are to their traditions? The Jews refused to obey the law of God, but the Rechabites obeyed human traditions. What a statement against the Jews who claimed to know the true God! It is a statement against us today.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah, J. Vernon McGhee Through the Bible.

 

 

Jeremiah 34 - A Bad Name

 

Jeremiah 34 – A Bad Name

 

Jeremiah prophesied that the city of Jerusalem was to be burned by the King of Babylon and that the King Zedekiah would be taken captive. When Zedekiah heard this news, he made a promise to the people that all the Hebrew servants would be set free. In Exodus 21:2 the Lord had said that this covenant was right in His sight. But, Zedekiah did not keep his promise and the Lord said of him that he polluted (profaned) God’s name. By doing as he promised he could have shown the people that he was different from the other kings and that he served the living and true God. But it was just a pretense and brought on a bad name for himself and for God.

 

It is through the life of the child of God that people see God’s name and the furtherance of His word. If we profess to be Christians but don’t live as one, then we not only give ourselves a bad name, (hypocrite), but we also profane the name of God.

 

When the enemy finally broke through the city wall, king Zedekiah tried to escape but failed. Jeremiah told the king to submit to Babylon, but he would not obey. Therefore, the king was captured, bound, and blinded, and taken to Babylon where he would die. His bondage to sin led to bondage of the enemy. He destroyed himself.

 

Obedience must come from devotion within us (Eph. 6:6) and not depend on circumstances around us. These masters were in greater slavery than their servants because they did not seek to please the Lord.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah

 

 

Jeremiah 33 - A Message of Encouragement

 

Jeremiah 33 – A Message of Encouragement

 

The promise of future restoration must have seemed especially hard for Jeremiah to believe while he was imprisoned during the Babylonian crisis, and so the Lord encouraged him to pray with the promise that He would do great and mighty things, which he did not know.

 

God sent His imprisoned prophet a message of encouragement. The “sick” nation would one day have health; the defiled nation would be cleansed; war would give way to peace; and the truth of God would conquer the lies of the false prophets. There would be wedding songs, not funeral dirges; and righteousness would reign from the throne of David.

 

The promises of God are certain, but He still calls on us to actualize those promises through prayer. God wants to be involved in people’s lives, to be asked to help. People must call upon Him so He can answer them. (Psalm 91:15)

 

When will His promise be fulfilled? When Jesus Christ, the Son of David, reigns on earth and makes Jerusalem a city of righteousness. Meanwhile, as He reigns in our lives, we can be His servants and minister to those who need these same blessings. Through us, the Lord can bring to others the life-changing message of spiritual health, cleansing, and peace, and they can start rebuilding what sin has torn down.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible

J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible.

 

Jeremiah 32 -Why Lord?

 

Jeremiah 32 – Why Lord?

 

While Jeremiah was still in jail, Jerusalem was under siege. Jeremiah’s cousin comes to him and asks him to buy a field. God told Jeremiah to buy it and with faith he buys the field. He knows that if he buys this land it will fall into the hands of the Chaldean’s. Jeremiah obeyed God but did not understand His reasoning. He asked God why he needs to buy this land when God knows it is under siege.

 

God answers Jeremiah by letting him know that He can do the impossible and even though God is judging Judah now, He will later deliver His people back to the land under His infinite mercy.

 

When disaster strikes a land, the real estate options are very few. More people are moving out of the area than there are people trying to move in. Jeremiah’s cousin was desperate and wanted the money to move out from under the siege.

God reassured Jeremiah that buying the land was a good investment.

 

Sometimes when God is doing something in our life, there may come doubt or fears. God understands that and He wants us to ask questions. There is nothing wrong with asking God for clarification. Sometimes, He will clear it up right away and other times, we will have to wait for an answer, even if it means we will have to wait until we see Him in person.

 

Why do women lose a child while giving birth?

Why do innocent people go to prison?

What is Your purpose for me and my children while we are here on earth?

We must rely on God and trust Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you future and a hope.”

Believe that “all good things come to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

We step out in faith and lay our doubts and fears and questions down at Jesus’ feet and live our life knowing that God is in full control and can do great and marvelous things.  

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary. Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through The Bible

Jeremiah 31 His Everlasting Love

 

Jeremiah 31- His Everlasting Love

 

The word “I will” has been said by God fifteen times in this chapter and when God says “I will” we know He is telling us what He is going to do.

 

Most of the Israelites today have returned to their land but not to God. There is still a great persecution of Christians going on in that land. God intends to restore the nation Israel to that land in His own time, and in His own plan, and in His own purpose. God told them that He loved them with an everlasting Love.

 

We might ask how God could love these rebellious people. Hadn’t He told them repeatedly what to do and yet they still rebelled?

 

We might also ask how God can love us? Doesn’t He tell us what we should do repeatedly, yet we still want to go our own way? In God’s sight we are as great as sinners who are still unbelieving. It took the death of Christ to provide redemption for you and me. There is no limitation to who God loves. We should be amazed that God loves any of us.

 

There is no measure to everlasting, just as there is no measure to never. All we know is that it must be a long time.

 

The word “love” is not about our love for God but about God’s love for us. He is not through with the people of Israel and He is not through with us. His love is everlasting.

 

Getting all the people back to Israel will be a great undertaking as He never said the blind and lame are left behind. He says all my people will return. He says He will watch over them as a Shepherd watch over his sheep. He will then turn their mourning into gladness, and they will rejoice. He will make a new covenant with all of them and this time it will be written on their hearts and not on tablets of stone. All their sins will be forgiven and remembered no more. What God says cannot be changed. He will do all that He says He will do, and it will be for the good of all mankind.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible

Jeremiah 30 - Messages from God Through Jeremiah

 

Jeremiah 30 – Messages from God through Jeremiah

 

The army of Nebuchadnezzar is outside the walls of the City of Jerusalem. He intends to destroy Jerusalem and burn down the temple. Jeremiah was arrested and thrown into jail. God’s prophet is held captive by the rebellious spirit of a sinning nation which refused to hear the Word of God. The prophecy he writes is now from his jail cell. The false prophets had said there would be peace, but the people get the message now that there will be no peace. The prophecy he wrote about was not in their present day but far into the future, even our future. He talks of the tribulation period which is still to come.

 

It is to be a day of darkness, not of light. All people left on earth will have to go through the great tribulation before they see the brightness of the day. Out of this day the people of Israel will return to their land and King David will be raised up to rule over them once again. This is what is called the Kingdom Age.

 

Judah had sinned, so God had to correct them in love; but He would not permit their enemies to take advantage of them. God is faithful to His people even when they are not faithful to Him. (2 Tim. 2:12-13).

 

He chastens us so that He might heal us. The trials that He sends may be like bitter medicine, but they have a way of healing the sinful heart. “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the resent, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable “fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” Heb. 12:11.

In times of suffering, live for the joys of the “afterward”.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

Jeremiah 28 & 29 - Is it God's Word?

 

Jeremiah 28 – Is it God’s Word?

 

Hananiah was a false teacher telling lies to the people. Jeremiah told him that he was not a prophet of God and God will judge him by letting him die within a year. Instead of believing that Jeremiah carried the Word of God, the people continued to disagree with him. They listened to all the wrong voices even after Hananiah died.

We need to learn to distinguish God’s voice from man’s voice. When we pray we should listen. If God gives us peace at His word, we are hearing God’s voice. When we are given advice from man, we should compare it to the words in the Bible. If it goes together then we are receiving the voice of God.

 

Jeremiah 29 – A Letter to The Captives

 

Jeremiah has written a letter to the captives to let them know that they should settle down and not to expect to be released any time soon. He tells them to plan for their future. Get married, have children, establish their homes. Make peace and pray for their country. He told them not to rebel or revolt but to become law-abiding citizens. God had told the Israelites that they will be there for 70 years so now they must make the most of it.

The false prophets in Babylon refused to accept Jeremiah’s letter. They wrote their own letters telling the people that there are new prophets and priests, and that Jeremiah is to be silenced.

When we go to the Word of God we must learn to lay down our opinions, our self-will, and our viewpoints. We must learn to listen to what God has to say. We are not God’s judge, and we should not order Him around. God has all the facts, knows all the background, and has all the knowledge. We do not know more than God.

God’s word offers hope. If the Lord is present. There is hope. Our hope is anchored in Jesus, then it can withstand any attack. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God and the Hope He brings. The hope is the light that God gives in His word. That hope, that confident expectation can carry us through.

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

 

Jeremiah 27 _Yoke Around the Neck

 

Jeremiah 27 – Yoke Around the Neck

 

Envoys from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon came to Jerusalem to confer with King Zedekiah and his officials about a military coalition against Babylon. Jeremiah wore a yoke around his neck symbolizing the need for submission to Babylon because the Lord had decreed Babylon’s sovereignty over the nations. Zedekiah went to Babylon in this same year, perhaps to report on his activities and the reasons for this conference.

 

Jeremiah challenged the false prophets to prove the validity of their message by interceding that the vessels remaining in the temple is not removed to Babylon (2 Kings 25:13-17).  If they accepted his yoke, they would live; if they rejected it, they would die.

 

God oversees yokes. The yoke He gives you is the right one for you, no matter who may put it on your shoulders. God can even use unsaved people to help you do His will. Accept every yoke as the yoke of God and He will transform it from bondage to blessing. Break the light yoke and the next yoke will be heavier. Everyone must wear a yoke.

 

The nation broke God’s yoke by her sins, (Jer. 2:20) and those sins became a heavy yoke. (Lam. 1:14). This led to the even heavier yoke of Babylonian captivity. But God promised to remove the heavy yoke and give His people a new beginning (Jer. 30:8-11). Your youth is the best time to learn to wear the yoke (Lam. 3:27). Let God “break you” and control you now, and the future will be bright. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” Matt. 11:28-30.

 

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible

Jeremiah 26 - The Lord is Patient

 

Jeremiah 26 – The Lord is Patient

 

Jeremiah is no longer told to stand in the gate but to stand in the court and give the people the Word that God gives him. God wants to take back the judgment against His people and so He tells Jeremiah to preach to them to give them a chance to repent of their ways and to turn back to Him.

 

If they change, He will not judge them, He will bless them. It is not God who is changing His mind about judging the people. It is the people who must change for God to bless them instead of judge them.

 

God told Jerusalem that He will destroy them if they do not change, and they will become a burden to all nations.

 

Jeremiah is in a hard spot. The priests and the prophets want to kill him while the princes decide they best listen to him, thereby bringing the people over to their side.

 

To say the temple would be destroyed was considered blasphemy in those days. So, they considered Jeremiah a heretic.  The Priests and prophets said that God would never destroy the temple because it is His and the people are His. Jeremiah told them they were wrong because they had abused the temple with their immorality.

 

Today there are people who go to church every Sunday and Wednesday and live a Godly life while there, but once they leave the building they go back to their sinful life.

 

God will destroy our temple just as He destroyed theirs. He doesn’t want just part of us, He wants all of us. God reminded them and us that He is the Creator and He gives power to whomever He chooses. In this case it was the Babylonians.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

 

Jeremiah 25 - Seventy Years Captivity

 

Jeremiah 25 – Seventy Years Captivity.

 

God spoke of King Nebuchadnezzar as His servant because He uses him to pass judgment on the Israelites and their land.

 

God intends even today to let the people know that He will not only judge the people but the land also. There is a judgment on the land as sure as the curse of sin in on the earth.

 

God told the Israelites that they will go into captivity, and He will take away all the fun they have been having, nor will there be any more marrying or giving in marriage. All business and commerce will come to an end, and they will not be able to enjoy an evening at home anymore. They will be living in a foreign county while their land will be at rest. For seventy years the Israelites would be held captive in the land of Babylon, and no one would tend their land for all those seventy years.

 

God promised blessings if His word was kept but He warned them of judgment if it was not kept. If they walked contrary to Him, then He would walk contrary to them.

At the time of Jeremiah, this was a prophecy. Today it is history.

 

The Babylonians took the King, the princes, nobles, soldiers, and officers. There was only one remnant left in Judah that paid tribute to King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah mentions the people then goes on to list the places that were captured. Jerusalem, Uz, the land of the Philistines, Ashkelon, Azza, Akron and so on and so forth. God told them that if they sinned the wine cup will keep filling with God’s wrath until it pours out over the nations. Then He will cause the nations to drink of His wrath.

 

This proves that all nations all over the world are responsible to God and need to take heed to God’s word. Then at the end of the seventy years, God will turn it around and punish Babylon for being so mean to God’s people. He did the same thing to the Assyrians in 2 Chronicles. Once they return, they will rebuild Jerusalem again.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

Jeremiah 24 - The Firstfruits

 

Jeremiah 24 – The Firstfruits

 

The firstfruits were to be offered to the Lord as a sacrifice of Thanksgiving for His goodness. Israel was to be like firstfruits to the Lord, but the nation was not wholly devoted to God. Like the two baskets of figs, most of the people were bad, and only a remnant were good because they obeyed God.

 

Those who avoided exile and had remained in the land viewed themselves as favored by God, but Jeremiah turned this idea upside down.

 

The Lord’s transformation of His people’s hearts would heal Israel’s heart problem and break the pattern of sin and disobedience that had characterized their history.

 

What life does to us depends on what life finds in us. The godly remnant experienced good things from God during the exile, but the ungodly citizens were consumed by trouble. The godly remnant made the best of a bad situation because they trusted the Lord. (Rom. 8:28).

 

The important thing is a heart that knows the Lord and is wholly devoted to Him. You may not be able to control the situation, but you can control how you respond to it and to God. You are to “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). Believers today are to be “a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18), and we want to give Him the best.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible

 

Jeremiah 23 - Leaders Take Care of Their People

 

Jeremiah 23 – Leaders Take Care of Their People

 

God expects leaders of His people to be shepherds who love, guide, and care for them. But the shepherds in Judah were selfish and disloyal to God’s covenant.

 

The Kings scattered the people and did not protect them or provide for them. But one day God’s king will gather them and establish His kingdom in righteousness. The more we are like Jesus Christ today, the better we will serve others in love.

 

The prophets and priests did not give the people spiritual direction, nor were they examples of godliness. People who lack spiritual direction will lack spiritual discernment and believe anything. The false prophets invented their visions and passed them off as oracles from God. They did not get their messages from God. What they said was chaff compared to wheat.

 

No wonder false teachers are so popular! The sinful human heart does not want to be burned and broken by the fire and hammer of the Word of God. It prefers the chaff, even though chaff gives no nourishment.

 

Be sure that the people who give you spiritual counsel are called by God and obey God’s Word. The false prophets’ dreams eventually become nightmares.

 

God speaks against the leaders and rulers of our nation. He is upset because they do not take care of His people. There will come a day when Jesus will sit on the throne and the rulers of this land will no more have say in how it is handled. Wicked people cannot bring peace to this world. They may say they want peace and try to maintain peace, but they cannot do it. Only God can bring peace to mankind. Then He will separate the bad from the good.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah

Jeremiah 21 & 22 - Needing God's Help

 

Jeremiah 21 – Needing God’s Help

 

Zedekiah was not a man of faith, but he wanted God’s help. Jeremiah told him, “Babylon is not fighting against you, God is!” People ignore the Lord until they desperately need His help, and then they discover He is their enemy.

 

Jeremiah gave a second message and that was to the people, giving them the choice between life or death. Because of this counsel, Jeremiah was considered a traitor; but it was God’s word to the people, and those who obeyed it lived.

 

The third message was to the members of the house of David, Judah’s kings. Josiah was Judah’s last good king, the four kings who followed him were evil men whose doom Jeremiah announced. Had the kings led the nation in repentance, God would have shown mercy, but they persisted in their sins.

 

Jeremiah was not a popular preacher; but his message was faithful. Those who listened to him lived; those who resisted the Word died.

 

Jeremiah 22 – Four Kings Doom

 

Jeremiah reminded Zedekiah that he sat on the throne of David but was not ruling as David did. Not only would Zedekiah’s palace be ruined but the house of David would have no more kings until the Messiah came.

 

He told Shallum that he was not following in his father, Josiah’s footsteps. He reigned only three months before being taken to Egypt where he died.

 

Jehoiakim would not listening to God’s voice. This king was buried in disgrace.

 

Jehoiachin’s idol fell. He had several children but none of them would inherit the throne. He was a castaway and his sins jeopardized his and his family’s future. When we do not listen to God, we destroy our future..

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

Jeremiah 20 - The Word of God Burns Inside

 

Jeremiah 20 – The Word of God Burns Inside

 

Zedekiah is now on the throne. He was known to be the worst and weakest king who ever ruled Judah.

 

With the change of kings, there was also a change in the life and ministry of Jeremiah. When he gave the Word of God, he was adamant, strong and hard-nosed, but personally he had a tender heart.

 

The priest Pashur slapped Jeremiah and put him in jail. The next day he released Jeremiah, but he tells Pashur that the Lord has changed his name to Magor-Missabib which means terror on every side. He also tells him that he and his people will experience great terror when they are captured and taken to Babylon.

 

Jeremiah was broken hearted over his own message, he had been rejected, ignored and then he was persecuted. He was distraught and claimed that he will not speak the Word of God anymore. But, then Jeremiah realized the Word of God burned inside him and he had to speak out. That is how it should be with us.

 

Like Jonah, Job and Elijah, Jeremiah wished he had never been born. He complained that his life was too difficult. The more he was faithful to God’s Word, the more rejection he experienced. The disappointed prophet found it hard to take comfort in God’s promise that He would be with him and deliver him (Jer. 1:8). He was a very lonely man. His prayers revealed his heartfelt feelings. It spoke of anger, resentment, and self-loathing mingled with praise and confidence. Because he continued to communicate with God meant that he knew he wasn’t completely alone. The intensity of his feelings did not take away the reality of God’s presence.

 

When we think that we are alone and facing hard challenges of our lives, the Spirit of God within us will continue to shape us and draw us to God. (Jer. 29:11)

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible. J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible

 

 

Jeremiah 19 - He Broke the Clay

Jeremiah 19 – He Broke the Clay

 

God told Jeremiah to take the clay vessel to the elders of the people and the priests and tell them that because they have worshipped Baal and sacrificed their children to Molech, God is going to break this people like a clay vessel and hand them over to their enemies to be slaughtered and buried in the land of Tophet until there remains no burial place left.

 

Jeremiah did as God said and threw down the clay vessel and it broke in pieces. The people of Judah resisted Potter’s hand for too long.

 

We must not resist but be willing to let God mold us and shape us. To heal our broken spirits, to forgive our sinful nature and to make us into the beautiful people God plans for us to be.

 

Many times, in Judah’s history, when the nation would not yield to God, He made her again. She was marred but still in His hands. She was marred but still had potential. She was marred and He made her again, and He will do the same for anyone who yields to His will. (Rom. (:19-21).

 

However, if the vessel becomes hardened, it cannot be made again. All God can do is break it and that is what He did when Babylon captured Judah. The nation was beyond repair. The Valley of the Son of Hinnom was a site for pagan worship, but Josiah turned it into a garbage dump (2 Kings 23:10). Jeremiah renamed it “the valley of slaughter”.

 

People with hard hearts and stiff necks may be easily broken. All God asks is that we are clean, empty, and available, He will do the rest.

 

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible and J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible