Does God lament the sins of every nation? Let’s look at Jeremiah 4.
Does God ask of every nation the same as Israel, for truth, justice and righteousness?
“If you will return, Israel,” declares the Lord, “Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detestable things from My presence, And will not waver, And if you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will boast.” (Jer 4:1-2 NASB)
Does God ask of every nation the same as Judah, circumcision of the heart?
This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it. (Jer 4:3-4 NIV)
What punishment would come from the north for their many sins?
Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the trumpet in the land; Cry, ‘Gather together,’ And say, ‘Assemble yourselves, And let us go into the fortified cities.’ Set up the standard toward Zion. Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”
The lion has come up from his thicket, And the destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place To make your land desolate. Your cities will be laid waste, Without inhabitant. For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, Lament and wail. For the fierce anger of the Lord Has not turned back from us. (Jer 4:5-8 NKJV)
Did the people not realize that God’s promise of peace was conditional upon faithfulness? Does judgment come upon any nation that will not repent of evils?
“In that day,” says the Lord, “the king and the officials will tremble in fear. The priests will be struck with horror, and the prophets will be appalled.” Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord, the people have been deceived by what you said, for you promised peace for Jerusalem. But the sword is held at their throats!”
The time is coming when the Lord will say to the people of Jerusalem, “My dear people, a burning wind is blowing in from the desert, and it’s not a gentle breeze useful for winnowing grain. It is a roaring blast sent by me! Now I will pronounce your destruction!” (Jer 4:9-12 NLT)
Is God’s request to wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved, applicable to all nations?
Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined. Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you? For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim: “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah. As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh. “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.” (Jer 4:13-18 WEB)
How long can a nation allow sin to flourish before disaster follows disaster?
Oh, my suffering, my suffering! My pain is unbearable; my heart is in turmoil; it throbs nonstop. I can’t be silent, because I hear the blast of the trumpet and the roar of the battle cry! Disaster follows disaster; the whole land is ruined. Suddenly, my tents are destroyed, my shelter in a moment. How long must I see the battle flags and hear the blast of the trumpet? (Jer 4:19-21 CEB)
What happens to people that foolishly ignore God? Is all they know how to sin?
I heard the Lord say, “My people ignore me. They are foolish children who do not understand that they will be punished. All they know is how to sin.” After this, I looked around. The earth was barren, with no form of life. The sun, moon, and stars had disappeared. The mountains were shaking; no people could be seen, and all the birds had flown away. Farmland had become a desert, and towns were in ruins. The Lord's fierce anger had done all of this. (Jer 4:22-26 CEV)
Why is the whole land desolate, forsaken, fainting before murderers?
For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
At the noise of horseman and archer every city takes to flight; they enter thickets; they climb among rocks; all the cities are forsaken, and no man dwells in them. And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.” (Jer 4:27-31 ESV)
Does the New Testament also indicate a circumcision of the heart? Does this point to a transformation of the law under the new covenant?
On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God. (Rom 2:29 HCSB)
Does God lament the sins of every nation? You decide!
World Repentance (Jeremiah 3)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? Let’s look at Jeremiah 3.
What use was Israel asking God for mercy without repentance?
If a man divorces his wife, and after she leaves him marries another, can he return to her again? Wouldn’t such an act completely corrupt the land? Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers. Would you return to me? declares the Lord. Look to the well-traveled paths and see! Where haven’t you committed adultery? On the roadsides you sit in wait for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness. You have corrupted the land with your cheap and reckless behavior. That’s why the showers have failed and the spring rains have ceased. Still you act like a brazen prostitute who refuses to blush. At the same time you say to me, “My father, my friend since youth, will you stay angry forever? Will you continue to be furious?” This is what you say while you do as much evil as you possibly can. (Jer 3:1-5 CEB)
Did God lament the unfaithfulness of both Israel and Judah?
When Josiah was king, the Lord said: Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees. I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.
Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister. The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshiping idols of stone and wood. And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me. (Jer 3:6-10 CEV)
What does God declare to the northern ten tribes of Israel about returning to Him?
And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. (Jer 3:11-14 ESV)
What does God predict about the ark of the covenant, Jerusalem and all nations?
“I will give you shepherds who are loyal to Me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days”—the Lord’s declaration—“no one will say any longer, ‘The ark of the Lord’s covenant.’ It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. It will never again be made. At that time Jerusalem will be called, Yahweh’s Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.” (Jer 3:15-18 HCSB)
How does God speak to them about His heart’s true desire? What is His appeal?
“I said, ‘How I wanted to treat you like children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of the nations.’ I said, ‘You will call me, my father, and won’t turn back from following me.’ Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel,” declares the Lord. A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel because they have perverted their way. They have forgotten the Lord their God. “Turn back, unfaithful people, and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.” (Jer 3:19-22a ISV)
What does God predict the nation will say in repentance, as they return to God?
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. (Jer 3:22b-25 KJV)
Will all the nations eventually be gathered to the name of God and adopted?
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15 LSB)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? You decide!
What use was Israel asking God for mercy without repentance?
If a man divorces his wife, and after she leaves him marries another, can he return to her again? Wouldn’t such an act completely corrupt the land? Yet you have prostituted yourself with many lovers. Would you return to me? declares the Lord. Look to the well-traveled paths and see! Where haven’t you committed adultery? On the roadsides you sit in wait for lovers, like a nomad in the wilderness. You have corrupted the land with your cheap and reckless behavior. That’s why the showers have failed and the spring rains have ceased. Still you act like a brazen prostitute who refuses to blush. At the same time you say to me, “My father, my friend since youth, will you stay angry forever? Will you continue to be furious?” This is what you say while you do as much evil as you possibly can. (Jer 3:1-5 CEB)
Did God lament the unfaithfulness of both Israel and Judah?
When Josiah was king, the Lord said: Jeremiah, the kingdom of Israel was like an unfaithful wife who became a prostitute on the hilltops and in the shade of large trees. I knew that the kingdom of Israel had been unfaithful and committed many sins, yet I still hoped she might come back to me. But she didn't, so I divorced her and sent her away.
Her sister, the kingdom of Judah, saw what happened, but she wasn't worried in the least, and I watched her become unfaithful like her sister. The kingdom of Judah wasn't sorry for being a prostitute, and she didn't care that she had made both herself and the land unclean by worshiping idols of stone and wood. And worst of all, the people of Judah pretended to come back to me. (Jer 3:6-10 CEV)
What does God declare to the northern ten tribes of Israel about returning to Him?
And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, “‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. (Jer 3:11-14 ESV)
What does God predict about the ark of the covenant, Jerusalem and all nations?
“I will give you shepherds who are loyal to Me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill. When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days”—the Lord’s declaration—“no one will say any longer, ‘The ark of the Lord’s covenant.’ It will never come to mind, and no one will remember or miss it. It will never again be made. At that time Jerusalem will be called, Yahweh’s Throne, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They will cease to follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.” (Jer 3:15-18 HCSB)
How does God speak to them about His heart’s true desire? What is His appeal?
“I said, ‘How I wanted to treat you like children, and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of the nations.’ I said, ‘You will call me, my father, and won’t turn back from following me.’ Instead, like an unfaithful wife leaves her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, house of Israel,” declares the Lord. A voice is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the children of Israel because they have perverted their way. They have forgotten the Lord their God. “Turn back, unfaithful people, and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.” (Jer 3:19-22a ISV)
What does God predict the nation will say in repentance, as they return to God?
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God. (Jer 3:22b-25 KJV)
Will all the nations eventually be gathered to the name of God and adopted?
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15 LSB)
Does God’s plan include the repentance of people from Israel, Judah and all nations? You decide!
Broken Cisterns (Jeremiah 2)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? Let’s look at Jeremiah 2.
Was Israel once devoted to God, and enemies who attempted to devour the nation ended in disaster?
The Lord’s word came to me: Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem, The Lord proclaims: I remember your first love, your devotion as a young bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in an unplanted land. Israel was devoted to the Lord, the early produce of the harvest. Whoever ate from it became guilty; disaster overtook them, declares the Lord. (Jer 2:1-3 CEB)
How did the relationship between God and Israel become worthless?
Listen, people of Israel, and I, the Lord, will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols. Your ancestors refused to ask for my help, though I had rescued them from Egypt and led them through a treacherous, barren desert, where no one lives or dares to travel. (Jer 2:4-6 CEV)
Even after entering the land did all of Israel prove unfaithful to God, from the least to the greatest?
And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. (Jer 2:7-8 ESV)
Had Israel exchanged the one true God for an array of useless man-made idols? What have we exchanged for God?
Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will bring a case against your children’s children. Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 2:9-12 HCSB)
Does the analogy of the broken cisterns in any way apply to us?
“Indeed, my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer 2:13 ISV)
Did Israel learn anything from their Egyptian and Assyrian slavery? Will their own sins bring self-inflicted punishment?
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes [Egyptian cities] have broken the crown of thy head. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor [blackness of the Nile]? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. (Jer 2:14-19 KJV)
How did Israel act like a harlot who loved strangers instead of being faithful?
“For long ago I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’ For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot. Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely true seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not walked after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. Keep your feet from being barefoot And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’ ” (Jer 2:20-25 LSB)
How had Israel acted like a thief whose crimes are exposed? Is worshipping idols made of stone and trees in any way realistic?
“Like the shame of a thief when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me, And not their faces; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For as many as the number of your cities Are your gods, Judah.” (Jer 2:26-28 NASB)
Has punishment brought about national repentance in Israel? Will we repent?
“Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.” (Jer 2:29-30 NIV)
Why did Israel live in the delusion of self-mastery and forget God? Have we?
“O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jer 2:31-32 NKJV)
How well did foreign alliances work out for Israel? Do we put too much trust in foreign alliances, especially with nations that spurn Christian values?
“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses! And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned.
First here, then there—you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all.” (Jer 2:33-37 NLT)
Did Jesus also allude to coming to Him, the fountain of living water?
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38 WEB)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? You decide!
Was Israel once devoted to God, and enemies who attempted to devour the nation ended in disaster?
The Lord’s word came to me: Go and proclaim to the people of Jerusalem, The Lord proclaims: I remember your first love, your devotion as a young bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in an unplanted land. Israel was devoted to the Lord, the early produce of the harvest. Whoever ate from it became guilty; disaster overtook them, declares the Lord. (Jer 2:1-3 CEB)
How did the relationship between God and Israel become worthless?
Listen, people of Israel, and I, the Lord, will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols. Your ancestors refused to ask for my help, though I had rescued them from Egypt and led them through a treacherous, barren desert, where no one lives or dares to travel. (Jer 2:4-6 CEV)
Even after entering the land did all of Israel prove unfaithful to God, from the least to the greatest?
And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. (Jer 2:7-8 ESV)
Had Israel exchanged the one true God for an array of useless man-made idols? What have we exchanged for God?
Therefore, I will bring a case against you again. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will bring a case against your children’s children. Cross over to Cyprus and take a look. Send someone to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever exchanged its gods? (But they were not gods!) Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols. Be horrified at this, heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled. This is the Lord’s declaration. (Jer 2:9-12 HCSB)
Does the analogy of the broken cisterns in any way apply to us?
“Indeed, my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jer 2:13 ISV)
Did Israel learn anything from their Egyptian and Assyrian slavery? Will their own sins bring self-inflicted punishment?
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes [Egyptian cities] have broken the crown of thy head. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor [blackness of the Nile]? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. (Jer 2:14-19 KJV)
How did Israel act like a harlot who loved strangers instead of being faithful?
“For long ago I broke your yoke And tore off your bonds; But you said, ‘I will not serve!’ For on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot. Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely true seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me,” declares Lord Yahweh.
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not walked after the Baals’? Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are a swift young camel entangling her ways, A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; In her month they will find her. Keep your feet from being barefoot And your throat from thirst; But you said, ‘It is hopeless! No! For I have loved strangers, And after them I will walk.’ ” (Jer 2:20-25 LSB)
How had Israel acted like a thief whose crimes are exposed? Is worshipping idols made of stone and trees in any way realistic?
“Like the shame of a thief when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their leaders, Their priests, and their prophets, Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me, And not their faces; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods Which you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you In the time of your trouble! For as many as the number of your cities Are your gods, Judah.” (Jer 2:26-28 NASB)
Has punishment brought about national repentance in Israel? Will we repent?
“Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravenous lion.” (Jer 2:29-30 NIV)
Why did Israel live in the delusion of self-mastery and forget God? Have we?
“O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jer 2:31-32 NKJV)
How well did foreign alliances work out for Israel? Do we put too much trust in foreign alliances, especially with nations that spurn Christian values?
“How you plot and scheme to win your lovers. Even an experienced prostitute could learn from you! Your clothing is stained with the blood of the innocent and the poor, though you didn’t catch them breaking into your houses! And yet you say, ‘I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn’t angry with me!’ But now I will punish you severely because you claim you have not sinned.
First here, then there—you flit from one ally to another asking for help. But your new friends in Egypt will let you down, just as Assyria did before. In despair, you will be led into exile with your hands on your heads, for the Lord has rejected the nations you trust. They will not help you at all.” (Jer 2:33-37 NLT)
Did Jesus also allude to coming to Him, the fountain of living water?
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38 WEB)
Have we forsaken the fountain of living water, and dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water? You decide!
Set Apart (Jeremiah 1)
Were Jeremiah and Paul both set apart by God from their mother’s womb for a mission whereby kings, officials, priests, and people would fight against them? Let’s look at Jeremiah 1.
Was Jeremiah a priest in part of Judah, commissioned as a prophet during the last days of Judah, the southern tribes of Israel?
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 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. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. (Jer 1:1-3 KJV)
What did the Lord, Yahweh in this translation, say as He commissioned Jeremiah a prophet?
Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the innermost parts I knew you, And before you came out from the womb I set you apart; I have given you as a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I do not know how to speak Because I am a youth.” But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh. (Jer 1:4-8 LSB)
Though he was worried about being too young, what did God do to Jeremiah to encourage him in his appointment?
Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to tear down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.” (Jer 1:9-10 NASB)
Did Jeremiah see a common tree in that area? Similar to the Hebrew word watchful, does the watchful almond tree symbolize God watching over us?
The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” (Jer 1:11-12 NIV)
In this second vision did God reveal Judah’s threat from Babylon? Have all nations worshipped the works of their own hands instead of God?
And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.” Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jer 1:13-16 NKJV)
Was Jeremiah’s job to tell people everything from God? Do we modern preachers leave the difficult parts of God’s word out, afraid of the inevitable fight?
“Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jer 1:17-19 NLT)
Was Paul also set apart from his mother’s womb and called by God’s grace?
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, (Gal 1:15-16 WEB)
Were Jeremiah and Paul both set apart by God from their mother’s womb for a mission whereby kings, officials, priests, and people would fight against them? You decide!
Was Jeremiah a priest in part of Judah, commissioned as a prophet during the last days of Judah, the southern tribes of Israel?
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 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. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. (Jer 1:1-3 KJV)
What did the Lord, Yahweh in this translation, say as He commissioned Jeremiah a prophet?
Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the innermost parts I knew you, And before you came out from the womb I set you apart; I have given you as a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I do not know how to speak Because I am a youth.” But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh. (Jer 1:4-8 LSB)
Though he was worried about being too young, what did God do to Jeremiah to encourage him in his appointment?
Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to tear down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.” (Jer 1:9-10 NASB)
Did Jeremiah see a common tree in that area? Similar to the Hebrew word watchful, does the watchful almond tree symbolize God watching over us?
The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” (Jer 1:11-12 NIV)
In this second vision did God reveal Judah’s threat from Babylon? Have all nations worshipped the works of their own hands instead of God?
And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.” Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth On all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands. (Jer 1:13-16 NKJV)
Was Jeremiah’s job to tell people everything from God? Do we modern preachers leave the difficult parts of God’s word out, afraid of the inevitable fight?
“Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them. For see, today I have made you strong like a fortified city that cannot be captured, like an iron pillar or a bronze wall. You will stand against the whole land—the kings, officials, priests, and people of Judah. They will fight you, but they will fail. For I am with you, and I will take care of you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jer 1:17-19 NLT)
Was Paul also set apart from his mother’s womb and called by God’s grace?
But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood, (Gal 1:15-16 WEB)
Were Jeremiah and Paul both set apart by God from their mother’s womb for a mission whereby kings, officials, priests, and people would fight against them? You decide!
Judgment & Restoration (Isaiah 66)
Do the 66 books of the Protestant Bible parallel the 66 chapters of Isaiah in many ways? Let’s conclude Isaiah in chapter 66.
Where can God be found and to whom will He gladly look?
The Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. So where could you build a house for me, and where could my resting place be? My hand made all these things and brought them into being, says the Lord. But here is where I will look: to the humble and contrite in spirit, who tremble at my word. (Isa 66:1-2 CEB)
Do people still mix worship of God with idolatry? Do people still knowingly do what is wrong?
You sacrifice oxen to me, and you commit murder; you sacrifice lambs to me and dogs to other gods; you offer grain to me and pigs' blood to idols; you burn incense to me and praise your idols. You have made your own choice to do these disgusting things that you enjoy so much. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong. Now I will punish you in a way you dread the most. (Isa 66:3-4 CEV)
Will those who tremble at the Lord’s word be hated by others? Is God’s plan to eventually bring justice to all?
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!” (Isa 66:5-6 ESV)
Will Jerusalem’s salvation be like a woman suddenly giving birth without pain?
Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons. “Will I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the Lord; “or will I who deliver, close the womb?” says your God. Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her—so that you may nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breast and drink deeply and delight yourselves from her glorious breasts. (Isa 66:7-11 HCSB)
Will Jerusalem eventually be comforted by God? Will nations be punished?
This is what the Lord says: “See, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; and you will nurse, and you will be carried on her hip, and bounced upon her knees. Like a child whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem. And when you look, your hearts will rejoice and your bodies will flourish like grass; and it will be made known that the Lord’s hand is with his servants, but his fury is with his enemies.
“Take notice! The Lord will come with fire, and his chariot will be like a whirlwind, to pay back his anger—yes, his anger!— in fury, and his menacing rebukes in flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will proceed to judgment on all humanity, and those slain by the Lord will be many.” (Isa 66:13-16 ISV)
Will God approve of those who believe in abominations?
They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isa 66:17-18 KJV)
Did Isaiah prophesy the future work of Christian missionaries?
I will set a sign among them and will send those who have escaped from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My report nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. Then they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as a grain offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says Yahweh, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh. I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says Yahweh. (Isa 66:19-21 LSB)
Will all humanity eventually bow down to God? What will happen to those who rebel?
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord, “So will your descendants and your name endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord. “Then they will go out and look At the corpses of the people Who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isa 66:22-24 NASB)
Did Stephen quote this chapter of Isaiah, that God is not limited to a house of worship?
However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’ (Acts 7:48-50 NIV)
Do the 66 books of the Protestant Bible parallel the 66 chapters of Isaiah in many ways? You decide!
Where can God be found and to whom will He gladly look?
The Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. So where could you build a house for me, and where could my resting place be? My hand made all these things and brought them into being, says the Lord. But here is where I will look: to the humble and contrite in spirit, who tremble at my word. (Isa 66:1-2 CEB)
Do people still mix worship of God with idolatry? Do people still knowingly do what is wrong?
You sacrifice oxen to me, and you commit murder; you sacrifice lambs to me and dogs to other gods; you offer grain to me and pigs' blood to idols; you burn incense to me and praise your idols. You have made your own choice to do these disgusting things that you enjoy so much. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong. Now I will punish you in a way you dread the most. (Isa 66:3-4 CEV)
Will those who tremble at the Lord’s word be hated by others? Is God’s plan to eventually bring justice to all?
Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy’; but it is they who shall be put to shame. The sound of an uproar from the city! A sound from the temple! The sound of the Lord, rendering recompense to his enemies!” (Isa 66:5-6 ESV)
Will Jerusalem’s salvation be like a woman suddenly giving birth without pain?
Before Zion was in labor, she gave birth; before she was in pain, she delivered a boy. Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day or a nation be delivered in an instant? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons. “Will I bring a baby to the point of birth and not deliver it?” says the Lord; “or will I who deliver, close the womb?” says your God. Be glad for Jerusalem and rejoice over her, all who love her. Rejoice greatly with her, all who mourn over her—so that you may nurse and be satisfied from her comforting breast and drink deeply and delight yourselves from her glorious breasts. (Isa 66:7-11 HCSB)
Will Jerusalem eventually be comforted by God? Will nations be punished?
This is what the Lord says: “See, I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; and you will nurse, and you will be carried on her hip, and bounced upon her knees. Like a child whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted in Jerusalem. And when you look, your hearts will rejoice and your bodies will flourish like grass; and it will be made known that the Lord’s hand is with his servants, but his fury is with his enemies.
“Take notice! The Lord will come with fire, and his chariot will be like a whirlwind, to pay back his anger—yes, his anger!— in fury, and his menacing rebukes in flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the Lord will proceed to judgment on all humanity, and those slain by the Lord will be many.” (Isa 66:13-16 ISV)
Will God approve of those who believe in abominations?
They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. (Isa 66:17-18 KJV)
Did Isaiah prophesy the future work of Christian missionaries?
I will set a sign among them and will send those who have escaped from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal, and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My report nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations. Then they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as a grain offering to Yahweh, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules, and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem,” says Yahweh, “just as the sons of Israel bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh. I will also take some of them for priests and for Levites,” says Yahweh. (Isa 66:19-21 LSB)
Will all humanity eventually bow down to God? What will happen to those who rebel?
“For just as the new heavens and the new earth, Which I make, will endure before Me,” declares the Lord, “So will your descendants and your name endure. And it shall be from new moon to new moon And from Sabbath to Sabbath, All mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the Lord. “Then they will go out and look At the corpses of the people Who have rebelled against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be extinguished; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Isa 66:22-24 NASB)
Did Stephen quote this chapter of Isaiah, that God is not limited to a house of worship?
However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things?’ (Acts 7:48-50 NIV)
Do the 66 books of the Protestant Bible parallel the 66 chapters of Isaiah in many ways? You decide!
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