Tag Archives: Jeremiah

Independence Day and Jeremiah

03 Sunday Jul 2022

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Are you a preacher like Jeremiah? If you’re a preacher, you should be. If not, then you’re not doing the Lord’s bidding. In Jeremiah 1:9-10, the Lord set forth the prophet’s mission. He was to root out, tear down, and build back up. Now, it must be remembered that Jeremiah had an assigned mission in a circumstance that is not our own. Yet, his mission is not all that different than a mission belonging to the preacher of the Gospel. In 1:17, the Lord said to Jeremiah that he was to prepare himself for this mission because the people of the land would not hear what he had to say and, most certainly, they would not obey the charge that came to them from the Lord.

The reason for their stubbornness was because of their national loyalty, directly associated with their wicked heart (17:9); they held on to a hope the Lord would not let them be conquered. They were a deceived people holding on to this. We shake our heads at how obstinate some can be, not realizing that we are not much different than they were. For Jeremiah, a preacher of the Lord’s message, this was not something easy for him. One can be the Lord chosen servant, as Jeremiah was, and still look for the exit door when the “heat in the kitchen” becomes unbearable; the exit door looks mighty attractive!

Before Jeremiah gets underway in a serious sort of way, the Lord sets forth the problem. First, it was the Lord who led the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt. Second, the people chose to forget this and changed the glory of God from something else. Third, the Lord asked: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me…” that they would choose to leave their protective wall (cf. 2:5). Even though the Lord asked the question, He knew full well what happened and why, but He wanted them to think on this before He acted. Thus, He sent Jeremiah to get them to seriously consider the path they were walking and what the Lord was about to do. They refused. Because they did this, the Lord’s word was going to resonate in a such a way in which they were not prepared. “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts” (2:19).

In reading Jeremiah 1 and 2, there is a New Testament application. A preacher of the Lord’s gospel message is so serious that men who preach and elders who lead, if they are not serious students of the Word, the people are misled. Men who serve as elders and preachers are not to be devotional reader (only) of the Scriptures, but they are to be serious students. Why is that? Because they lead the Lord’s people and if they don’t know the Lord’s teachings to a deeper level than that which comes from a devotional reading of Scripture, then wolves arise from their own midst and lead the flock astray, and those whose knowledge is only surface-oriented are in no position to protect the Lord’s heritage.

In addition to this, they must be teachers of the Lord’s word, that is, they must be capable and involved in teaching the church the Lord’s way. This may include teaching the youth in their respective Bible classes, but it also includes teaching adults. If one can’t teach (or refuses), how can that one (or they) lead? If they don’t, they allow others to do it for them and they fail the brethren.

What about preachers? The same that is said for the elders applies to the preacher also. He is in better position to learn and know more than any in the congregation, but with that knowledge comes a serious responsibility. First, he must live what he learns. Second, he must not allow the accumulated knowledge to generate within him arrogance. Brethren see through this quickly and confidence is lost; when such is the case ears are turned away. Every time I read through Jeremiah I think of these things. I fear there are many men who lead who do not think enough along these lines. Liberty and independence were before Judah, but those of Jeremiah’s day refused to hear – and it cost them dearly! Let us hear the spirit of Jeremiah.

The Persistent Word of God

10 Thursday Mar 2016

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To a conscientious man or woman, the Word of God burns like a flame within the heart; it is not easily squelched. There is something about God’s Word that is unlike anything man ever produced. Whatever it is than man can inspire, there is an inadequate quality to it that will eventually arise. It is not this way with God’s Word.

Jeremiah the prophet expressed himself along this line exactly. Frustrated as he was at the time, he resolved to no longer preach the Lord’s Word to a people that had no interest in hearing anything, much less do anything about that which the Lord demanded. On one occasion he said (and wrote), For whenever I prophesy, I must cry out, “Violence and destruction are coming!” This message from the LORD has made me an object of continual insults and derision. Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more.” But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in; I cannot contain it (Jeremiah 20:8-9, NET).

Perhaps you can relate well with Jeremiah on this. I hope so.

There was a king, however, who could not, did not, and made it a point to not allow others the opportunity to relate to the same. In Jeremiah 36, the righteous king Josiah (deceased at this time) had a son who was king and who regarded the Lord with scorn. His name was Jehoiakim. The Lord, through Jeremiah, preached and preached of the national leaders need to repent or the Lord would bring such disaster on the nation that the anguish they would experience would be unlike anything they could imagine. This message was received by some, but rejected by most.

On the occasion of Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah had his associate write out the Lord’s message and read it in the Temple. This was done and many of the people were alarmed. They passed word to the king, and the king called for the document to be read in his presence. Having read the document, the king cut it up and put the writings of Jeremiah into the fire (36:23), representing his scorn for that which the Lord said. To the king, he might have been reacting to this persistent prophet that always preached against him, but to the Lord the king represented Israel’s destruction. To him who is given much, much is expected.

The Scriptures teach that the Lord’s Word will accomplish its purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11), and the Lord’s purpose with His Word is for each to bow the knee to Jesus (Philippians 2:9). In every soul wherein the Lord’s Word burns, those are people who willingly bowed their knees before the Lord Jesus. On the other hand, there are a great many more who look upon the Lord’s Word as a petulant nuisance, and they just want preachers and Christians to stop trying to “force your morality and religion” on them. Representing this latter group in Jeremiah’s time was King Jehoiakim. What the king hoped to “burn away” only sealed, presumably, his eternal destiny (36:30-31).

There is a lesson in here for us. Will we learn it? RT

Harvest the Lord’s Wrath

13 Tuesday Oct 2015

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In Jeremiah 11 the Lord made known to His prophet a conspiracy against him by the people. Jeremiah knew others were against him, that is, they opposed him in his preaching of the Lord’s words. It does not appear, however, that he knew anything of a conspiracy against him. It shook Jeremiah hard. In chapter 12, Jeremiah laments the situation that he faces, asking the Lord hard questions. 1) Why do the wicked prosper? 2) Why do I suffer? 3) Why won’t you act? The Lord addresses these, but only in part. To Jeremiah He says that whatever anguish he is experiencing, it compares not with His anguish as He watches His children (the nation of Israel, then Judah) walk the path of destruction, not knowing where they are heading. The Lord gave them up because as they roared against Him; He knew He was not wanted. Outside forces have already begun to prey on Israel; the leaders of the nation had begun to satisfy themselves, and as they provided for themselves, the nation had begun to reap the Lord’s harvest of wrath (Jeremiah 12:17). Even in this darkness, the Lord said, that if they turn back to Him, He will hear!

If there is a point of reference similar to Israel’s for our country, from the perspective of one preacher, we (as a country) have long since past the point of no return. Could Israel have been any viler than our own current situation? Perhaps they were worse, but I confess I have a hard time seeing it. Whether we are as wicked as they once were, the point is not our destruction, as they experienced it. They had a covenant relationship, while this country does not. Covenant relationship matters bring a different response than those who do not have one.

As a nation we may not experience the destructive captivity that both the northern and southern tribes of Israel did. But in our wickedness toward the Lord’s way we ought not to think for even a moment that we are a blessed country! Whatever blessings we had in the past started slipping away a long time back. The point, though, is not our destruction, but an appeal to the Lord in the prayers offer to the Almighty that if we as a nation turn around in our way of thinking and in our way of living, then as the Lord said to the people of Jeremiah’s day, perhaps He will say the same of us. If each individual turns to the Lord, then we “shall be established in the midst of My people” (Jeremiah 12:16). RT

 

Jeremiah’s Perplexity

01 Monday Jun 2015

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In the history of Israel, the prophet Jeremiah, though given a level of understanding that was greater than the community to whom he preached, was also plagued with much perplexity. For instance, in Jeremiah 32, the Lord told Jeremiah to purchase a piece of ground. Jeremiah did, but he really did not understand why. He had been preaching for a period of time that an invading army was going to come in to Jerusalem (and the surrounding area) to destroy all those had possessions! Jeremiah made inquiry of the Lord concerning why he was to purchase a land that was soon to be in the hands of Jerusalem’s enemy (Babylon).

The Lord replied with a reminder to Jeremiah that throughout Israel’s history, the nation had been in rebellion, and though Jeremiah did not understand how that piece of land he purchased was going to be his, the Lord’s reminder to him was that the land would return to the people of Israel, and that piece of land would be in possession of Jeremiah’s heritage (32:36-44). Moreover, nothing was too hard for the Lord in accomplishing this (Jeremiah 32:27). Jeremiah was to take consolation that, though he really did not understand, the Lord did and all things would work according to the Lord’s purposes (cf. Romans 8:28).

In this there is a lesson. Those who identified themselves with the Lord don’t understand, always, what is taking place in front of them. It is not that they are “thick-headed,” only that some things in one’s vision may not be clear. Nevertheless, though understanding may be lacking with the saints, with the Lord there is no lack of understanding, or even accomplishing His desires.

To Jeremiah the Lord expressed His great disappointment concerning the nation and their rebellion to His godly, saintly, and holy will (32:31-33). Though the Lord took a great amount of time to teach the people, the people only heard the Lord, but considered to themselves that the Lord’s way was not the most important way. In fact, to them, the Lord’s way was great, but only if it brought them some personal satisfaction.

There are some Christians today who think in a similar way. To their great disappointment and soon to be surprise, when the Lord calls them to judgment (2 Cor. 5:10), their perplexity and understanding will be abundantly clear, but it won’t be for their own pleasure!

Initial Notes on Surah 2 (Qur’an)

01 Saturday Nov 2014

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It is my goal to read the Surah via three different translations and to consider the remarks presented by these translators especially in relation to what the Bible actually teaches. In other words, what does the Qur’an say about what the Bible teaches? Does it assert something the Bible does not? Does the Qur’an misuse the Bible?

I have three varied translations of the Qur’an with comments by various Islamic scholars. They are Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Maulana Muhammad Ali, and Muhammad Asad. On occasion, in addition to these, I will reference other Islamic sources.

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Surah 2 is the longest Surah in the Qur’an, with 40 sections, 286 verses (Yusuf). One might compare it with Psalm 119 in the Bible. Yusuf said this Surah “sums up the whole teaching of man” (Yusuf 16), wherein creation, Abraham, Israel, Jesus, jihad, and other things are mentioned. Maulana, however, has a different summary perspective on the Surah: “[t]his chapter deals mainly with the Jews and their contentions against Islam…” (6). Maulana gives a summary to the chapter he mentions the 13th section; “The thirteenth states that the former scriptures are abrogated and a better and more advanced code is given in Islam, the religion of entire submission” (p. 6).

My plan, with regard to this Surah, is to write in accordance with the 40 sections as it might pertain to the Bible. There is no way to adequately address the many things contained in the Surah in brief (or short) articles; I hope to adequately address the significant points in a number of articles.

Let me begin by addressing Maulana’s words concerning abrogation. During the times of the Old Covenant, the Lord made clear on at least two occasions (more than that actually) that the Law of Moses was but a temporary law and when a prophet came along to assert and sustain that point, the Israelites were to hear.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers–it is to him you shall listen– just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’– when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:15-22, ESV).

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34, ESV).

There are some points of emphasis for us in this. First, God’s prophet was going to be able to sustain any point he makes authoritatively. This stands to reason. Before one should be expected to accept something contrary (in part or in whole), there needs to be a [the] recognized authority behind that demand. Second, what the Lord gave Moses was (by God’s design) temporary, and the Lord made this clear in His words to Jeremiah. To these two quick points from the above reading is now added a third concerning the New Covenant. In Jude 3 one reads, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (ESV).

Not only was the law temporary, but the law (Galatians 6:2; James 1:25) given by the Lord is permanent and final. Thus, anything contrary to this, especially since the Lord gave no forewarning of such a change, means that Islam and the Qur’an is not from God, but from some other source (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The Lord’s Lament

17 Monday Feb 2014

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                The psalmist said: “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:15, NKJV). It was a tremendous lament of Jeremiah to watch his city being destroyed by the Babylonians because the people in the city refused to hear what the Lord had to say. Jeremiah warned and warned, but the people wanted to go about their commerce, they wanted to tend to their children’s ballgames, they wanted to be sure they had enough money in the bank so they worked when opportunity was available, and when the family called for an outing it was important to be there so whatever desire the Lord had was to be put to the side for the moment.

In the expression with the use of the word “ballgame” a point is made that can’t be missed but by the spiritually dull. Yet, it is the spiritually weak that needs to hear the Lord all over again. How does the Lord want man to give thanks to Him for His goodness? To begin, one could and should be a faithful Christian; second, one could and should be gathering with the saints whenever there is a meeting; third, one could and should teach others about Him because the life lived is a reflection of the salvation gained. Though a large number of people want salvation from the Lord, a great many of these same people expend little interest and effort in understanding and maintaining that salvation. There is a sad day coming for a great many who call themselves Christians. The Lord’s lament will be the experience gained by those too busy to give thanks to the Lord.

Jeremiah’s Mission

13 Friday Dec 2013

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Christians who make a habit to read the Scriptures on a regular basis can’t help but to reflect and admire Jeremiah the prophet. He was a man chosen by the Lord before his birth to do the Lord’s bidding (Jeremiah 1:5), and when Jeremiah thought his youth would prevent him from engaging in the Lord’s work, the Lord reassured him that his youth was exactly what He wanted (1:7). Jeremiah spent many years proclaiming the Lord’s message to a people determined to walk the broad path that leads to destruction. What was Jeremiah’s mission from the Lord to a people so determined? His mission is stated for us in Jeremiah 1:10. “See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (ESV). When the Lord said to Jeremiah that He had given him authority over nations and kingdoms, He was referring to the peoples of those nations and kingdoms. If Jeremiah’s word could penetrate the people, then perhaps the nations would be spared the Lord’s wrath (3:22). Let us briefly consider these points: to pluck up, to destroy, and to build up.

To pluck up. The old KJV uses the phrase “to root out”. The idea is to dig deep and remove the root that anchors itself in, in the context of Jeremiah, in false ideology. The false ideology (doctrine, teaching) is that associated with the idolatry of the nation. Idolatry is very damning, and many people are plagued by it without even knowing it. They know it not because they know not the Lord. Those of Jeremiah’s day were soon to learn what they did not know.

To destroy. Since the Lord was going to root out the depths of their anchor, what would He do with what comes up? He plans to destroy it and to start again. In the context, that which the Lord was going to do was that which was done to the northern kingdom already: Israel had been taken away into captivity by the Assyrians and, unfortunately, Judah refused to heed the warning the Lord gave, and because she refused to hear and heed there was one verdict pending.

To build up. The Lord, however, was not one to leave a land (heart) vacant. If there was a desire on the part of one (or the many), as there was in the context of the Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Lord would provide a solution to one’s despair. However, the one who was in despair needed to respond to the Lord’s offer. The Lord would not accept anyone one according to the dictates of their own heart (3:17), but He would accept if they came to Him humbly and contrite.

God’s preacher – that is what Jeremiah was. Will any follow Jeremiah today?

You Induced Me

02 Monday Apr 2012

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Jeremiah was God’s preacher to a nation that was bent on its own destruction. Not only was there resistance from the nation in general, but especially disappointing was there resistance from those of the priestly class that had some semblance of knowledge. As God’s preacher was lamenting his circumstances he cries out to the Lord, “O Lord, You induced me…” (Jeremiah 20:7). The word “induced” is also rendered “coerced,” “enticed,” “persuaded.”

Interesting when you think about Jeremiah using such a word in the Lord’s direction, isn’t it? As Jeremiah tied to resist the Lord’s fire within him would not allow it. When Jeremiah considered the effort of others to persuade, coerce, or induce him in their direction – the choice was easily made (Jeremiah 20:7-10). Do you feel the weight of the family, the church, your work environment, or your community against you? If you do you might remember Jeremiah.