Must those who faithfully preach God’s word be prepared for attacks and false accusations even from religious leaders? Let’s look at Jeremiah 20.
What did the priest do to Jeremiah? What did Jeremiah prophesy over him?
When the priest Pashhur, Immer’s son, who was the officer in charge of the Lord’s Temple heard Jeremiah prophesying these words, Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate of the Temple. The next day, Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, and Jeremiah told him, “The Lord has not named you Pashhur [prosperity all around], but rather Magor-missabib [terror all around]. (Jer 20:1-3 ISV)
Was Pashhur a lying priest, a false prophet, and did God plan a bad end for him?
For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies. (Jer 20:4-6 KJV)
Like many who actually preach God’s word rather than popular lies, did Jeremiah reach a state of despair?
O Yahweh, You have enticed me, and I was enticed; You were stronger than I, and You prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me. For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I call out violence and devastation Because for me the word of Yahweh has resulted In reproach and derision all day long. But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot prevail. (Jer 20:7-9 LSB)
Do people naturally want to denounce a preacher who is faithful to the truth, rather than soft empty-headed lies?
For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; let’s denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.” But the Lord is with me like a powerful champion; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be put to great shame because they have failed, An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. Yet, Lord of armies, who tests the righteous, Who sees the mind and the heart; Let me see Your vengeance on them, For to You I have disclosed my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For He has saved the soul of the needy one From the hand of evildoers. (Jer 20:10-13 NASB)
Does a preacher, who is faithful to the truth, ever get discouraged enough to curse the day he was born?
Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, “A child is born to you—a son!” May that man be like the towns the Lord overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame? (Jer 20:14-18 NIV)
Did religious leaders also attack the apostles as they preached the Gospel?
Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. (Acts 5:17-18 NKJV)
Must those who faithfully preach God’s word be prepared for attacks and false accusations even from religious leaders? You decide!
Broken Jar (Jeremiah 19)
Did God sometimes use a visual illustration in telling a prophecy? Would that be fine in a sermon today? Let’s look at Jeremiah 19.
What did God ask Jeremiah to do using a clay jar to illustrate a message?
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. Say to them, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring! (Jer 19:1-3 NLT)
Does God repeat a warning from Jeremiah 7 about renaming the Valley of Hinnom on the south side of Jerusalem to the Valley of Slaughter?
Because they have forsaken me, and have defiled this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods that they didn’t know—they, their fathers, and the kings of Judah—and have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I didn’t command, nor speak, which didn’t even enter into my mind. Therefore, behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that this place will no more be called ‘Topheth’ [a place of child sacrifice], nor ‘The Valley of the son of Hinnom’, but ‘The valley of Slaughter’. (Jer 19:4-6 WEB)
What punishment will God send to the nation for their idolatrous murder of little children in the valley of Hinnom?
I will foil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place and will have them fall in battle before their enemies, before those who seek their lives. I will give their corpses as food to the birds and the wild animals. I will make this city something that sounds horrible; all who pass by it will be shocked at its pain. And when their enemies lay siege to the city, seeking their lives, they will resort in desperation to eating the flesh of their sons and daughters, and to devouring the flesh of their neighbors. (Jer 19:7-9 CEB)
What demonstration illustrating God’s message was Jeremiah to perform as he publicly prophesied?
Jeremiah, as soon as you have said this, smash the jar while the people are watching. Then tell them that I have also said: I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I warn you that I will shatter Judah and Jerusalem just like this jar that is broken beyond repair. You will bury your dead here in Topheth, but so many of you will die that there won't be enough room. I will make Jerusalem as unclean as Topheth, by filling the city with your dead bodies. I will do this because you and your kings have gone up to the roofs of your houses and burned incense to the stars in the sky, as though they were gods. And you have given sacrifices of wine to foreign gods. (Jer 19:10-13 CEV)
As Jeremiah moved from Topheth, where child sacrifice was made, to stand in the Temple court, what did he say?
Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.” (Jer 19:14-15 ESV)
Were the ancient fires of the valley of Hinnom a metaphor for the fires of hell?
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire [literally the fire of Gehenna, the valley Hinnom]. (Mat 5:22 HCSB)
Did God sometimes use a visual illustration in telling a prophecy? Would that be fine in a sermon today? You decide!
What did God ask Jeremiah to do using a clay jar to illustrate a message?
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a clay jar. Then ask some of the leaders of the people and of the priests to follow you. Go out through the Gate of Broken Pots to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and give them this message. Say to them, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: I will bring a terrible disaster on this place, and the ears of those who hear about it will ring! (Jer 19:1-3 NLT)
Does God repeat a warning from Jeremiah 7 about renaming the Valley of Hinnom on the south side of Jerusalem to the Valley of Slaughter?
Because they have forsaken me, and have defiled this place, and have burned incense in it to other gods that they didn’t know—they, their fathers, and the kings of Judah—and have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I didn’t command, nor speak, which didn’t even enter into my mind. Therefore, behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that this place will no more be called ‘Topheth’ [a place of child sacrifice], nor ‘The Valley of the son of Hinnom’, but ‘The valley of Slaughter’. (Jer 19:4-6 WEB)
What punishment will God send to the nation for their idolatrous murder of little children in the valley of Hinnom?
I will foil the plans of Judah and Jerusalem in this place and will have them fall in battle before their enemies, before those who seek their lives. I will give their corpses as food to the birds and the wild animals. I will make this city something that sounds horrible; all who pass by it will be shocked at its pain. And when their enemies lay siege to the city, seeking their lives, they will resort in desperation to eating the flesh of their sons and daughters, and to devouring the flesh of their neighbors. (Jer 19:7-9 CEB)
What demonstration illustrating God’s message was Jeremiah to perform as he publicly prophesied?
Jeremiah, as soon as you have said this, smash the jar while the people are watching. Then tell them that I have also said: I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I warn you that I will shatter Judah and Jerusalem just like this jar that is broken beyond repair. You will bury your dead here in Topheth, but so many of you will die that there won't be enough room. I will make Jerusalem as unclean as Topheth, by filling the city with your dead bodies. I will do this because you and your kings have gone up to the roofs of your houses and burned incense to the stars in the sky, as though they were gods. And you have given sacrifices of wine to foreign gods. (Jer 19:10-13 CEV)
As Jeremiah moved from Topheth, where child sacrifice was made, to stand in the Temple court, what did he say?
Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the Lord's house and said to all the people: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold, I am bringing upon this city and upon all its towns all the disaster that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their neck, refusing to hear my words.” (Jer 19:14-15 ESV)
Were the ancient fires of the valley of Hinnom a metaphor for the fires of hell?
But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire [literally the fire of Gehenna, the valley Hinnom]. (Mat 5:22 HCSB)
Did God sometimes use a visual illustration in telling a prophecy? Would that be fine in a sermon today? You decide!
Potter & Clay (Jeremiah 18)
Does the analogy of the potter and the clay mean that we have no free will? Are really two decisions involved, ours and God’s? Let’s look at Jeremiah 18.
Is it the clay’s choice or the potter’s as to what kind of vessel the potter makes?
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (Jer 18:1-4 ESV)
Does it sound like a lack of free will that a nation can choose evil or turn from its evil?
The word of the Lord came to me: “House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it. However, if that nation I have made an announcement about turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. At another time I announce that I will build and plant a nation or a kingdom. However, if it does what is evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it. (Jer 18:5-10 HCSB)
Does it sound like a lack of free will that Judah pursued their own evil desires?
“Now say to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Look, I’m designing a disaster just for you, and I’m making plans against you. Each one of you must repent from his evil way. Make your ways and deeds right.”’ But they’ll say, ‘It’s useless! We will follow our plans and each of us will pursue his own evil desires.’ (Jer 18:11-12 ISV)
Do many nations forget their real origin and bow down to pure fiction?
“Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Ask the nations. Who has ever heard of anything like this? You have done a most horrible thing, virgin Israel. Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Or does the cold water from a foreign land ever cease to flow? Yet my people have forgotten me, and they burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their journey on the ancient paths. They walk on trails, on a way that is not built up. (Jer 18:13-15 ISV)
Would God turn His back on the nation on their day of calamity?
To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. (Jer 18:16-17 KJV)
Did the people plot against God’s prophet? Do churches ever plot against a faithful pastor?
Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to perish from the priest, nor counsel to the wise man, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.” (Jer 18:18 LSB)
Had Jeremiah once defended the nation? Did he now realize that they deserved the punishment God had planned for them?
Give Your attention to me, Lord, And listen to what my opponents are saying! Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good in their behalf, So as to turn Your wrath away from them. Therefore, give their children over to famine And turn them over to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be slaughtered to death, Their young men struck and killed by the sword in battle. (Jer 18:19-21 NASB)
Did God allow the persecution that Jeremiah experienced to help him see why God was about to punish the nation?
Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet. But you, Lord, know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. (Jer 18:22-23 NIV)
Does the potter decide if a lump of clay is suited for a fine vase or a rough pot?
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom 9:20-21 NKJV)
Does the analogy of the potter and the clay mean that we have no free will? Are really two decisions involved, ours and God’s? You decide!
Is it the clay’s choice or the potter’s as to what kind of vessel the potter makes?
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. (Jer 18:1-4 ESV)
Does it sound like a lack of free will that a nation can choose evil or turn from its evil?
The word of the Lord came to me: “House of Israel, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay?”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel. At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it. However, if that nation I have made an announcement about turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. At another time I announce that I will build and plant a nation or a kingdom. However, if it does what is evil in My sight by not listening to My voice, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it. (Jer 18:5-10 HCSB)
Does it sound like a lack of free will that Judah pursued their own evil desires?
“Now say to the people of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Look, I’m designing a disaster just for you, and I’m making plans against you. Each one of you must repent from his evil way. Make your ways and deeds right.”’ But they’ll say, ‘It’s useless! We will follow our plans and each of us will pursue his own evil desires.’ (Jer 18:11-12 ISV)
Do many nations forget their real origin and bow down to pure fiction?
“Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘Ask the nations. Who has ever heard of anything like this? You have done a most horrible thing, virgin Israel. Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Or does the cold water from a foreign land ever cease to flow? Yet my people have forgotten me, and they burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their journey on the ancient paths. They walk on trails, on a way that is not built up. (Jer 18:13-15 ISV)
Would God turn His back on the nation on their day of calamity?
To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. (Jer 18:16-17 KJV)
Did the people plot against God’s prophet? Do churches ever plot against a faithful pastor?
Then they said, “Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to perish from the priest, nor counsel to the wise man, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words.” (Jer 18:18 LSB)
Had Jeremiah once defended the nation? Did he now realize that they deserved the punishment God had planned for them?
Give Your attention to me, Lord, And listen to what my opponents are saying! Should good be repaid with evil? For they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You To speak good in their behalf, So as to turn Your wrath away from them. Therefore, give their children over to famine And turn them over to the power of the sword; And let their wives become childless and widowed. Let their men also be slaughtered to death, Their young men struck and killed by the sword in battle. (Jer 18:19-21 NASB)
Did God allow the persecution that Jeremiah experienced to help him see why God was about to punish the nation?
Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet. But you, Lord, know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger. (Jer 18:22-23 NIV)
Does the potter decide if a lump of clay is suited for a fine vase or a rough pot?
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (Rom 9:20-21 NKJV)
Does the analogy of the potter and the clay mean that we have no free will? Are really two decisions involved, ours and God’s? You decide!
Who to Trust (Jeremiah 17)
Though we may pray for our human leaders, who do we really trust, them or God? Let’s look at Jeremiah 17.
How ingrained is sin in the land? Does it eventually result in national disinheritance?
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. (Jer 17:1-4 KJV)
Do we trust in human political and religious leadership or God? How does this compare with a tree in the desert versus a tree by a stream?
Thus says Yahweh, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from Yahweh. And he will be like a juniper in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will dwell in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt which is not inhabited.
Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh And whose trust is Yahweh. And he will be like a tree planted by the water, That sends forth its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor refrain from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:5-8 LSB)
How deceitful is the human heart? Do we even trust ourselves? Have we made a fortune unjustly?
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, So is a person who makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the middle of his days it will abandon him, And in the end he will be a fool.” (Jer 17:9-11 NASB)
Who is the ultimate hope of any nation, a political leader on the left or right or God?
A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. (Jer 17:12-13 NIV)
How did Jeremiah pray for himself and shame for his persecutors?
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Indeed they say to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!” As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You, Nor have I desired the woeful day; You know what came out of my lips; It was right there before You.
Do not be a terror to me; You are my hope in the day of doom. Let them be ashamed who persecute me, But do not let me be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, But do not let me be dismayed. Bring on them the day of doom, And destroy them with double destruction! (Jer 17:14-18 NKJV)
If Sabbath is not required anywhere in the New Testament, but Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest for our souls, what can we learn from the importance of Sabbath under the old covenant?
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline. (Jer 17:19-23 NLT)
Do we add a burden onto faith in Jesus? Are we saved in Him by faith or by works? What are our spiritual sacrifices to God?
It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,” says Yahweh, “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein; then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever.
They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to Yahweh’s house. But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.”’” (Jer 17:24-27 WEB)
If Jesus nowhere commanded us to rest in a day, Saturday or Sunday, what kind of rest did He offer?
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30 ESV)
If we no longer need to sacrifice animals, is there a sacrifice we are encouraged to make? Though we are not saved by good works, are we saved for good works?
Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. (Rom 12:1 CEV)
Though we may pray for our human leaders, who do we really trust, them or God? You decide!
How ingrained is sin in the land? Does it eventually result in national disinheritance?
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. (Jer 17:1-4 KJV)
Do we trust in human political and religious leadership or God? How does this compare with a tree in the desert versus a tree by a stream?
Thus says Yahweh, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from Yahweh. And he will be like a juniper in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will dwell in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt which is not inhabited.
Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh And whose trust is Yahweh. And he will be like a tree planted by the water, That sends forth its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor refrain from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:5-8 LSB)
How deceitful is the human heart? Do we even trust ourselves? Have we made a fortune unjustly?
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid, So is a person who makes a fortune, but unjustly; In the middle of his days it will abandon him, And in the end he will be a fool.” (Jer 17:9-11 NASB)
Who is the ultimate hope of any nation, a political leader on the left or right or God?
A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. (Jer 17:12-13 NIV)
How did Jeremiah pray for himself and shame for his persecutors?
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Indeed they say to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!” As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You, Nor have I desired the woeful day; You know what came out of my lips; It was right there before You.
Do not be a terror to me; You are my hope in the day of doom. Let them be ashamed who persecute me, But do not let me be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, But do not let me be dismayed. Bring on them the day of doom, And destroy them with double destruction! (Jer 17:14-18 NKJV)
If Sabbath is not required anywhere in the New Testament, but Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest for our souls, what can we learn from the importance of Sabbath under the old covenant?
This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline. (Jer 17:19-23 NLT)
Do we add a burden onto faith in Jesus? Are we saved in Him by faith or by works? What are our spiritual sacrifices to God?
It will happen, if you diligently listen to me,” says Yahweh, “to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to make the Sabbath day holy, to do no work therein; then there will enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city will remain forever.
They will come from the cities of Judah, and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, meal offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to Yahweh’s house. But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.”’” (Jer 17:24-27 WEB)
If Jesus nowhere commanded us to rest in a day, Saturday or Sunday, what kind of rest did He offer?
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30 ESV)
If we no longer need to sacrifice animals, is there a sacrifice we are encouraged to make? Though we are not saved by good works, are we saved for good works?
Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That's the most sensible way to serve God. (Rom 12:1 CEV)
Though we may pray for our human leaders, who do we really trust, them or God? You decide!
Jeremiah's Hope (Jeremiah 16)
Even while God punishes a nation, does He do so in hope? Let’s look at Jeremiah 16.
Why did God tell Jeremiah not to marry and have children in that place?
The Lord gave me another message. He said, “Do not get married or have children in this place. For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.” (Jer 16:1-4 NLT)
Would people die without burial or mourners attending their graves?
For Yahweh says, “Don’t enter into the house of mourning. Don’t go to lament. Don’t bemoan them, for I have taken away my peace from this people,” says Yahweh, “even loving kindness and tender mercies. Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried. Men won’t lament for them, cut themselves, or make themselves bald for them. Men won’t break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Men won’t give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother. (Jer 16:5-7 WEB)
What did God tell Jeremiah about attending parties, feasting in the land? Would people ask what they had done wrong?
Don’t enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Before your very eyes and in your own lifetime, I will silence in this place the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the bridegroom and the bride. When you proclaim all these things to the people, and they ask you, “Why has the Lord pronounced such massive devastation against us? What have we done wrong? How have we sinned against the Lord our God?” (Jer 16:8-10 CEB)
How did God want Jeremiah to answer the people, when they asked why such massive devastation?
Then tell them I have said: People of Judah, your ancestors turned away from me; they rejected my laws and teachings and started worshiping other gods. And you have done even worse! You are stubborn, and instead of obeying me, you do whatever evil comes to your mind. So I will throw you into a land that you and your ancestors know nothing about, a place where you will have to worship other gods both day and night. And I won't feel the least bit sorry for you.
A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living Lord who rescued Israel from Egypt. Instead, you will call me the Living Lord who rescued you from that country in the north and from the other countries where I had forced you to go. Someday I will bring you back to this land that I gave your ancestors. (Jer 16:11-15 CEV)
Was God fishing for people to punish because of their detestable wrong?
“Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” (Jer 16:16-18 ESV)
What was Jeremiah’s prayer about idols and lies, and what was God’s answer?
Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.” Can one make gods for himself? But they are not gods.
“Therefore, I am about to inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is Yahweh.” (Jer 16:19-21 HCSB)
Did Jesus turn the metaphor of fishing for people to punish into fishing for people to give hope?
“Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” (Matthew 4:19 ISV)
Even while God punishes a nation, does He do so in hope? You decide!
Why did God tell Jeremiah not to marry and have children in that place?
The Lord gave me another message. He said, “Do not get married or have children in this place. For this is what the Lord says about the children born here in this city and about their mothers and fathers: They will die from terrible diseases. No one will mourn for them or bury them, and they will lie scattered on the ground like manure. They will die from war and famine, and their bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.” (Jer 16:1-4 NLT)
Would people die without burial or mourners attending their graves?
For Yahweh says, “Don’t enter into the house of mourning. Don’t go to lament. Don’t bemoan them, for I have taken away my peace from this people,” says Yahweh, “even loving kindness and tender mercies. Both great and small will die in this land. They will not be buried. Men won’t lament for them, cut themselves, or make themselves bald for them. Men won’t break bread for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead. Men won’t give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother. (Jer 16:5-7 WEB)
What did God tell Jeremiah about attending parties, feasting in the land? Would people ask what they had done wrong?
Don’t enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink. This is what the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel, proclaims: Before your very eyes and in your own lifetime, I will silence in this place the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of the bridegroom and the bride. When you proclaim all these things to the people, and they ask you, “Why has the Lord pronounced such massive devastation against us? What have we done wrong? How have we sinned against the Lord our God?” (Jer 16:8-10 CEB)
How did God want Jeremiah to answer the people, when they asked why such massive devastation?
Then tell them I have said: People of Judah, your ancestors turned away from me; they rejected my laws and teachings and started worshiping other gods. And you have done even worse! You are stubborn, and instead of obeying me, you do whatever evil comes to your mind. So I will throw you into a land that you and your ancestors know nothing about, a place where you will have to worship other gods both day and night. And I won't feel the least bit sorry for you.
A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living Lord who rescued Israel from Egypt. Instead, you will call me the Living Lord who rescued you from that country in the north and from the other countries where I had forced you to go. Someday I will bring you back to this land that I gave your ancestors. (Jer 16:11-15 CEV)
Was God fishing for people to punish because of their detestable wrong?
“Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them. And afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes. But first I will doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” (Jer 16:16-18 ESV)
What was Jeremiah’s prayer about idols and lies, and what was God’s answer?
Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in a time of distress, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth, and they will say, “Our fathers inherited only lies, worthless idols of no benefit at all.” Can one make gods for himself? But they are not gods.
“Therefore, I am about to inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is Yahweh.” (Jer 16:19-21 HCSB)
Did Jesus turn the metaphor of fishing for people to punish into fishing for people to give hope?
“Follow me,” he told them, “and I will make you fishers of people!” (Matthew 4:19 ISV)
Even while God punishes a nation, does He do so in hope? You decide!
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