Archives for August 2020

OVERVIEW:

God judges Israel for their idolatry (Chapter 6); the severity of God’s judgment (Chapter 7); the vision of Jerusalem’s sin (Chapter 8); the vision of God’s judgment on Jerusalem (Chapter 9); the vision of the cherubim and God’s glory (Chapter 10); Israel is warned about the false security of Jerusalem. (Chapter 11)

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we make our way through the book of Ezekiel, we will find a particular title that is repeated throughout the book. The title “Son of Man” is attributed to Ezekiel some 93 times. This title appears a total of 193 times in the Bible. In Daniel 7:13, the prophet Daniel attributes this same title to the promised Messiah, which is why the title appears 84 times in the New Testament in reference to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is apparent by the Jew’s reaction to our Lord using this title to refer to Himself in the Gospel of Luke, that they understood that this title had specific Messianic implications. Luke 22:66–71 says:

“And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.”

It also becomes apparent, as we make our way through this book, that Ezekiel is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ezekiel ministered to the nation of Israel as a prophet and a priest during the time of exile, just as our Lord will minister to Israel as a prophet and a priest during the time of tribulation. Note also that the period of judgment and restoration pictured in Ezekiel foreshadows the judgment and restoration of Israel during the tribulation and the millennial reign of Christ.

There is also another key phrase we find repeated throughout the book of Ezekiel. The phrase, “know that I am the Lord” appears 77 times in the Bible with 63 of them in the book of Ezekiel alone. The reason it is repeated so many times in this book, is that the situation in Israel during Ezekiel’s ministry was, quite simply, the fact that they didn’t know the Lord! They had forgotten who God was. Israel had turned to idolatry (6:4; 8:5–16), having replaced God with man-made images. Israel had also been guilty of trusting in their wealth (7:19) and in the walls of Jerusalem (11:3) for security. Through their exile, judgment, and eventual restoration, God’s purpose was to remind Israel that He is the Lord!

Ezekiel’s visions of God’s judgment are precise and severe. Israel’s idolatry had begun at God’s temple, causing God to remove His presence (8:6), therefore, it would be at God’s temple where His judgment would begin. (9:6) Throughout the entire Old Testament, we find that Satan constantly desired to destroy the place where God’s glory was intended to dwell. Satan was successful during the exile, when Babylon, under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar, burned the temple in 586 B.C. The temple was rebuilt later only to be destroyed again by Rome in 70 A.D. May this reality serve as both a reminder and a warning that our enemy wants to destroy the place where God’s glory is currently intended to dwell, that, of course, being in us! May we realize, that just like in Ezekiel’s day, the enemy desires that we would turn to other gods (idolatry) through covetousness, and that we would turn away from God in an effort to find security and safety in temporal material riches and our own “self-made” walls. Just as God instructed that judgment begin at His sanctuary (9:6), we must evaluate our temple (our heart) to see if, like Israel, we have forgotten who God is. Perhaps the phrase God repeated to Israel throughout the book of Ezekiel applies to us today: “know that I am the Lord”! Our security must be in the only One who can truly keep us safe: God Himself! We must recognize, that He is “the Lord”!

God appears to Ezekiel for the third time at the beginning of chapter 10. (1:4; 3:23; 10:1) It is during this encounter that God reveals to Ezekiel that Israel would one day be restored. (11:17–20) This final restoration will usher in the millennial reign of Christ. How awesome it is, that even in the midst of tribulation, God promises deliverance!

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:

• 7:7 – “…the day of trouble is near…”
• 7:10 – “Behold the day…”
• 7:12 – “…the day draweth near…”
• 7:19 – “…the day of wrath of the Lord…”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the ONE MAN CLOTHED WITH LINEN — Ezekiel 9:2 (Revelation 1:13)

OVERVIEW:

Ezekiel receives a vision of God’s glory; Ezekiel receives his commission; Ezekiel is instructed to physically typify the siege and judgment of Jerusalem.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we make our way into the book of Ezekiel today, let’s seek to get our bearings about what is actually unfolding in this powerful book. First of all, recognize that the name Ezekiel means “strengthened by God”. Along with Jeremiah and Daniel, Ezekiel is called upon by God to prophesy against Israel during the time of exile. (Ezekiel 1:1–2) The first two verses, of chapter one, provides for us the historical context of the book.

To understand the actual tone of Ezekiel’s message, it is essential to understand how Ezekiel fits into the story of the Old Testament. The Old Testament breaks down into six natural chronological divisions:

1. Genesis – The time of Genesis begins with the creation of the world, and ends with Jacob’s sons in Egypt.
2. Exodus – The time of Exodus begins with Jacob’s sons in Egypt, and ends with Joshua leading the nation of Israel to possess the land promised to them.
3. Judges – The time of Judges covers the period in Israel’s history when a variety of judges ruled.
4. Kings – During the time of the kings, a host of different kings ruled Israel. Keep in mind that after the reign of Solomon, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). The Northern Kingdom was ultimately defeated by Assyria and carried away captive in 722 B.C. The Southern Kingdom was ultimately defeated by Babylon and carried away captive in 606 B.C.
5. Exile – The time of exile covers the nation of Israel’s 70 years of exile.
6. Return – The time of the return covers the time of Israel’s return to their homeland, and the time when both the temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

The exile had been prophesied as far back as Moses (Deuteronomy 28), and as recently as the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 25:11–12) Israel’s disobedience culminated in the fact that they had failed to keep the sabbath for the land. (2^nd Chronicles 36:21) God had kept track of Israel’s failure to let the land rest, and had decided to exile Israel for seventy years in order that the land finally might have its rest. This is a chilling reminder of the consequences of sin. There is no doubt that Israel had grown accustomed to ignoring the sabbath for the land. Note, however, that God had kept track! God will not ignore sin. (Galatians 6:7)

Judah had temporarily turned to God under the reign of Josiah (640-609 B.C). After Josiah was killed by the Egyptian army, however, Judah (southern kingdom) plunged back into sin under their four remaining kings:

1. Jehoahaz (609 B.C.)
2. Jehoiakim (609–598 B.C.) – Daniel was taken captive during his reign.
3. Jehoiachin (598–597 B.C.) – Ezekiel was taken captive during his reign.
4. Zedekiah (597–586 B.C.) – He was more of a puppet king under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

The exile had begun in 606 B.C. and ended in 536 B.C. During those 70 years, both Daniel and Ezekiel were taken captive to Babylon. Eventually, Babylon, under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar, would burn the temple and destroy Jerusalem.

Ezekiel and his wife are among 10,000 Jews taken into captivity along with king Jehoiachin in 597 B.C. (2^nd Kings 24:11–18) Ezekiel is 25 years old when he is taken to Babylon. He is thirty years old when his ministry begins in 592 B.C. (Ezekiel 1:1) He ministers for 22 years (570 BC). Recognize that Ezekiel and his 10,000 fellow countrymen were actually more colonists than they were captives, being permitted to farm tracts of land under somewhat favorable conditions. Ezekiel even had his own house. It is important to remember that Ezekiel is already in captivity while he is prophesying to the Jews who had not been taken captive.

Ezekiel chapter 1 records one of the most incredible visions in the word of God. The vision includes four living creatures flying through the air like a flash of lightning; a crystal sea; creatures with multiple eyes and faces ushering in a throne; and an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ. Ezekiel is ushered into the presence of the Lord and catches a glimpse of the Second Advent. Just like Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1–8) and the Apostle John (Revelation 4–5), Ezekiel is so overwhelmed by the revelation of Christ in all of His glory, the most comfortable position he could find was on his face! Ezekiel’s response will be the response of every person when they see Christ in all of His glory. What a contrast to the nonchalant way much of Christianity approaches the Lord Jesus Christ today! There is no room for pride or selfishness in the presence of God Almighty. One day every knee will bow to the Lord Jesus Christ! (Romans 14:11) Hallelujah!

Chapters 2 and 3 record God’s commission for Ezekiel. He is to prophesy to the nation of Israel during the 70-year exile. One of the key take-aways that we can apply from this passage is that Ezekiel paints a picture for every preacher, and every Christian for that matter, of what it really means to be entrusted with the stewardship of the word of God. The picture begins with having an encounter with Christ. Notice in chapter 1, Ezekiel comes face to face with Christ. (1:28) Notice, however, that the encounter didn’t just involve what Ezekiel saw, but also what he heard. Speaking in the first person, Ezekiel says, “and I heard a voice of one that spake” (1:28), “and the Spirit entered into me when he spake.” (2:2) Likewise, realize that our effectiveness, as a steward of the word of God, must begin with a daily encounter with Christ, that results in our hearing His voice and being filled with His Spirit. (2:2; Ephesians 5:18) But the question is, how could we possibly have an encounter Christ, knowing that He doesn’t (and won’t) appear to us in a vision like Ezekiel’s? Very simply, we encounter Christ by so yielding ourselves to Him that we position ourselves before Him through the pages of His holy word. Through the written revelation of the word of God, we, too, get a glimpse of Christ in all of His glory (Ephesians 1:18), and hear, as it were, His voice.

Yet, notice further, that it isn’t enough for us to just “hear” God’s words, we must also “receive” those words in our heart. God instructed Ezekiel, “All my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart.” (3:10) We must receive God’s words into our heart to such a degree that they change the way we think, speak, act, and react. Notice also that God tells Ezekiel to receive “all” His words. Over the course of this prophecy, God is going to give Ezekiel some very difficult things to say and do. When it comes to God’s word, we must learn that we can’t “pick and choose” what we will obey and what we will not obey. The fact is, sometimes the word will be sweet; sometimes it will be bitter; sometimes it will comfort; and sometimes it will sting. Regardless of which it is, we are responsible to “receive” it, and to receive “all” of it!

But notice, that after “receiving” God’s words, God then instructed Ezekiel to “speak” His words. (2:7; 3:23–27). Just like Ezekiel was responsible for receiving “all” of them, he was also responsible for “speaking” all of them. God commanded him to “speak my words unto them” (whether the people liked it or not — 2:7) and “…when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God…” (3:27) Would to God that every pastor and every believer in the world would approach the responsibility of their mission like that! First, allowing God to speak His word to them; them receiving it in their hearts so they are filled with Spirit, having made personal application of the word in their own lives; and then, join the Apostle Paul in saying, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God!” (Acts 20:27) Our counsel to others must not be conclusions based on our own life experiences and opinions. We are responsible for declaring the word of God.

It is also interesting to note in these chapters, that Ezekiel’s actions mirrored his spoken words. God continually asks Ezekiel to demonstrate His truth to Israel by the way He lives (as seen in the sign of the tile, shaving, burning hair, lying on each side, and imprisonment). Our life must reflect the truth of God. Our actions must speak even louder than our words! With all of these things in place, you would think that Ezekiel was ready to go speak to the people. But God knew that if he would truly be effective in imparting His words to them, there were still a few other things that would need to take place. Ezekiel would first need to go and identify with the people. That’s why Ezekiel says in 3:15, that he “sat where they sat”. Before Ezekiel spoke a word to the people, he sat quietly for seven days with those who would be the recipients of his/God’s message. Oh, may we learn from Ezekiel’s example, that we must be willing to spend time with people, and be willing to listen to them, before we expect them to listen to us. How can we expect to share the love of Christ with people with whom we are unwilling to identify? The old cliché is so true: “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Finally, God gives Ezekiel a warning. He wanted Ezekiel to realize that he would be held accountable for the mission He had assigned to him. He wouldn’t, however, be held accountable for the response of the people. He would simply be held accountable to hear, receive, and speak the words of God. (3:15–21) At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we, too, will be held accountable for the mission God has assigned to us. (Romans 14:12; 2^nd Corinthians 5:10) God will not hold us accountable for how people responded to our message, but He will hold us accountable for whether or not we heard the word of Christ, received the word of Christ, and shared the word of Christ! (Colossians 3:16; 1^st Timothy 4:16)

Are you encountering Christ daily by surrendering yourself before Him through the pages of His word? Are you actually listening to His words and receiving them in your heart? Does your life give evidence of the filling of the Spirit? Are you actively and purposefully seeking to identify with those around you, so you might be effective in communicating God’s truth to them? Are they able to see and hear God’s truth by observing it in how you live your life?

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the APPEARANCE OF A MAN UPON THE THRONE — Ezekiel 1:26 (Revelation 1:13–17)

OVERVIEW:

Jeremiah’s lamentation over Jerusalem’s destruction (1:1–22); God’s justifiable wrath (2:1–22); God’s incredible mercy (3:1–66); God’s anger against Jerusalem (4:1–22); a plea for restoration. (5:1–22)

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

“The Lamentations of Jeremiah” as the title states, is the expression of Jeremiah’s incredible sorrow over the sins of God’s people that had resulted in the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and the entire kingdom of Judah. These five chapters are more or less a postscript to the book of Jeremiah. They are obviously a separate book in our English Bible, but are contained in the third section in the Hebrew Bible, called “The Writings.” This book employs acrostic poetry, much like we saw as we were making our way through Psalm 119. In chapters 1, 2 and 4, each succeeding verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3 actually contains three acrostic poems.

From an historical standpoint, the book of Lamentations deals with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. From a doctrinal (or prophetic) standpoint, the book deals with the events during and surrounding the Tribulation Period. In chapter 1, Jeremiah likens the city of Jerusalem to a grieving widow. He describes the fact that once she was a “princess”, but has now become a “tributary” or a slave. (1:1) At one time she was surrounded by “friends” (1:2) and “lovers” (1:2), but now everyone has forsaken her, leaving her to grieve and weep alone. In verse 4 of chapter 1, Jeremiah even gives human attributes to the roads leading to Jerusalem, saying, “the ways of Zion do mourn.” Whereas at one time, they had been filled with incoming worshippers, now they were totally desolate. The picture Jeremiah describes in this chapter is heartbreaking and pitiful. Having to actually put the reality of Jerusalem’s condition into words becomes even more than Jeremiah can handle. By the time he gets to verse 16, he says: “For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water.” Oh, that our hearts would break, and our eyes would leak, as did Jeremiah’s for the similar condition of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the last days of the Laodicean church period. (Revelation 3:14–22)

When God called His son, Israel, out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1), He led them with the cloud of His glory. Chapter 2 begins by explaining that at this point in their history, once again, the Lord covered them with a cloud. Sadly, however, it wasn’t the “cloud of his glory”, it was the “cloud of his anger”. Whereas in times past, the Lord fought on Israel’s behalf against their enemies, now the Lord Himself fought against Israel like one of their enemies. (2:2–5) Again, Jeremiah “laments” as he is forced to describe Israel’s awful condition: “Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (2:11) Jeremiah recognized, however, that they had gotten exactly what they deserved (2:19), because they listened to their false prophets (2:14), and had stubbornly refused to repent of their idolatry.

Verse 15 of Chapter 2 is perhaps the saddest of all of the tremendously sad verses in this book: “All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?” Applied to our Laodicean condition, while Christians are “whooping it up” about all of the so-called “wonderful” and “spiritual” things that are taking place, we have to wonder if the world isn’t looking at the church and saying, “Is this the glorious church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the beautiful, chaste virgin Bride that is without spot or blemish or any such thing?” (Ephesians 5:27; 2^nd Corinthians 11:2) May God give us many Jeremiahs in these last days who will lament our grievous condition.

After two and a half chapters of solely focusing on the pitiful condition in the land, in the middle of chapter 3, Jeremiah lifts his eyes to the Lord. In the midst of all of the sorrow and ruin, he is reminded of the mercy and compassion of the Lord, and the incredible fact that “His compassions fail not” (3:22), and “are new every morning.” (3:23) It brings Jeremiah to declare, “Great is Thy faithfulness!” In other words, “We have certainly failed You, O God, but You will not fail us!” May we, with Jeremiah, praise the Lord today for His marvelous, infinite, matchless mercy and grace!

In the remainder of chapter 3, Jeremiah calls upon the people to stop their whining…to search their hearts…to confess their sin…and to get right with God! He then calls upon God to bring punishment upon those He used as the instrument of His wrath against Jerusalem. Chapter 4 lets us know just how horrendous the situation in Jerusalem had actually gotten. Children were being mistreated and abused by their parents, and believe it or not, the situation had become so desperate that some mothers were actually eating their own children! God says that His punishment against this city would even be greater than His punishment of Sodom!

Chapter 5 continues the description of the deplorable situation in Zion, and ends with Jeremiah crying out to God, “Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.” (5:21) The good news is, in the very near future, God is finally going to answer Jeremiah’s prayer!

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:

• 2:1 – “…in the day of his anger!”
• 2:22 – “…in the day of the Lord’s anger…”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through JEREMIAH’S SORROW OVER JERUSALEM — Lamentations 1:12–22 (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34)

• As the MERCIFUL SAVIOUR — Lamentations 3:22 (Jude 1:21)

OVERVIEW:

God’s judgment upon Babylon (50:1–51:64); the fall of Jerusalem and Zedekiah’s torment (52:1–11); the Babylonians destroy the temple (52:12–23); the people are exiled (52:24–30); God has not forgotten and will not forsake David’s descendants (52:31–34).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

To this point, Babylon has been the tool God used to mete out His judgment upon the many nations we read about in chapters 44–49. In chapter 50, this time, Jeremiah prophesies God’s judgment upon Babylon and her many gods.

Once Babylon would be defeated, the chosen people of God would once again be gathered and returned to their homeland. This was partially fulfilled in 538 B.C. when Cyrus made a decree permitting the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. The context, however, points to the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Jews during the Great Tribulation. (notice all of the references to the Tribulation and Second Coming of Christ in this passage: “in those days” — 50:4; “it is the vengeance of the Lord” — 50:15; “in those days” — 50:20; “the vengeance of the Lord our God” — 50:28; “in that day” — 50:30.)

That “last days” fulfillment continues in chapter 51, as Jeremiah details Babylon’s judgment. Notice that his description is very similar to the description God gave of Babylon’s destruction through the Apostle John in Revelation 17 and 18. Note that God also points to Israel’s restoration in the last days. Despite all of Israel’s defiance against God, He still loves Israel, and has every intention of blessing her. Though the conflict in the Middle East rages today, Jeremiah (not to mention, John, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc., etc.) points to the fact that in the very near future, the conflict will be over, and Israel will be sitting on top! That certainly is not to say that everything Israel does and is doing today is right, but don’t ever forget to factor into your equation the EVERLASTING (!!!) Abrahamic Covenant: “And I will bless them that bless thee (Abraham or Israel), and curse him that curseth thee.” (Genesis 12:3) Non-Christians think that is a fatalistic viewpoint. Fatalistic as it may be, it is just a settled fact! Any way you slice it, Israel is going to end up on top, and her Messiah and King (and ours, hallelujah!!!), will rule the entire world from His throne in Jerusalem! America has made some incredibly sinful and stupid decisions in the last half of a century (or more!). Perhaps the only reason God has not unleashed His judgment upon us has been our faithfulness to bless Israel. When/if we curse them, I’m afraid we will finally be sealing our own doom!

In 51:59–64, one last time, God wants Jeremiah to give His message via an object lesson. Jeremiah “wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon,” (59:60) and then told Seraiah to take it and read it in Babylon. After reading it, he was to take the scroll, tie it to a rock and cast it into the Euphrates, explaining to the people that that’s exactly what God was going to do to them!

The book of Jeremiah concludes in chapter 52 with a somewhat lengthy explanation about the fall of Jerusalem. It is almost word for word what is written in 2^nd Kings 18–25, 30, and very similar to what was detailed in Jeremiah 39:1–18. It recounts the city’s fall, Zedekiah’s attempt to escape, his capture, and the murder of his sons “before his eyes,” (52:20) just before he lost his physical sight.

Back in 1^st Kings 9:1–9, after Solomon built the temple, God promised to keep His name there as long as they served only Him. “But,” He said, “if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.” (1^st Kings 9:6–7) The people did not live up to their end of the bargain, but as you might would imagine, God most certainly did live up to His! Jeremiah 52:12–30 is the fulfillment of God’s warning to Israel in 1^st Kings 9:6–7.

The book of Jeremiah does end, however, with just a flicker of hope. After 37 years of being exiled in Babylon, Jehoiachin, king of Judah, is shown preferential treatment. It is a reminder that God has not forgotten the Davidic Covenant, and, just as Jeremiah 30–33 makes clear, God will ultimately fulfill His promises to bless Israel.

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:

• 51:2 – “in the day of trouble”
• 51:6 – “the time of the Lord’s vengeance”
• 51:11 – “it is the vengeance of the Lord”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the REDEEMER WHO PLEADS OUR CAUSE — Jeremiah 50:34 (Luke 1:68; Romans 8:34)

• As the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE — Jeremiah 51:15 (Colossians 1:16)

OVERVIEW:

God’s condemnation through Jeremiah of the remnant’s idolatry in Egypt (44:1–4); the people blatantly confess their affection for idols (44:15–19); God’s last word concerning the faithless remnant (44:20–30); God’s exhortation to Baruch (45:1–5); God’s judgment upon Egypt (46:1–28); God’s judgment upon Philistia (47:1–7); God’s judgment upon Moab (48:1–47); God’s judgment upon Ammon (49:1–6); God’s judgment upon Edom (49:7–22); God’s judgment upon Damascus (49:23–27); God’s judgment upon the lesser nations (49:28–33); God’s judgment upon Elam (49:34-39).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

When we ended yesterday’s reading, the remnant had chosen to rebel against the word of the Lord, through Jeremiah, in spite of their extravagant promises not to do so. They went to Egypt in hopes of finding a place of refuge against the wrath of the Babylonians. Not content to simply go themselves, they forced Jeremiah and Baruch to go with them. Perhaps they thought that God would not exercise judgment against them if these two men of God were with them. Regardless of what they thought, Jeremiah’s preaching against them was anything but over! Nor was God’s judgment! Jeremiah walked them through the wickedness and idolatry of Judah, despite God’s cry to them through the prophets, “Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.” (44:4) Jeremiah promised that just as surely as God’s “fury” and “anger” was poured out on their cities and in the streets of Jerusalem, leaving them “wasted” and “desolate”, God’s judgment would fall upon them in Egypt. It is indeed amazing how, even after watching the painful effects of sin on people as they incur and endure the chastisement of Almighty God, that we can deceive ourselves into thinking that “it will be different for us,” or that “we will be the exception.”

Rather than Jeremiah’s message causing the people to repent, they somehow concluded that their problem was that they had not served other gods enough! They resort back to worshipping the queen of heaven (Ashtoreth), reasoning that their lives had turned for the worse when they stopped worshipping her. (44:17–19) Before we think that this idolatry “shoe”, as it were, doesn’t fit us, be reminded that in the New Testament, God identifies covetousness as idolatry. (Colossians 3:5) He doesn’t say that it is “like” idolatry, He says that it “IS” idolatry! Do note that at least three times in the New Testament, “covetousness” specifically refers to the desire for illicit sexual fulfillment. What happens in that whole world of sexual sin, is no different than what was happening to this remnant in Egypt. Practically speaking, people know how sexual sin has destroyed thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of homes before them, and yet, they deceive themselves into thinking it won’t destroy theirs. Oh God, deliver us from ourselves!

Chapter 45 is a short chapter with God giving His word to Baruch through Jeremiah. Baruch was one of only two people (Ebedmelech being the other one) in all of Jeremiah’s 40-year ministry who had ever responded to his preaching in any kind of positive way. God wants Baruch to realize, however, that though he was bummed at how things had shaken out for Jerusalem, the reason he was bummed was because of how it had affected him, not because of how it had affected God! Again, with God letting us know that the chief characteristic of our day is that we are “lovers of our own selves” (2^nd Timothy 3:1–2), we must be careful that we don’t deceive ourselves into thinking we are “spiritual” because of how we are repulsed by the condition of our country, and, yea, the world. Do we hurt because God hurts; or do we hurt because of how the sin of the world has affected, and is affecting, our lives?

In the remaining chapters in today’s reading, God details His judgment upon the Gentile nations:

• His judgment upon Egypt. (46:1–28)
• His judgment upon Philisita (47:1–7)
• His judgment upon Moab (48:1–47)
• His judgment upon Ammon (49:1–6)
• His judgment upon Edom (49:7–22)
• His judgment upon Damascus (49:23–27)
• His judgment upon the lesser nations (49:28–33)
• His judgment upon Elam (49:34–39)

The nations listed basically encompassed all of the nations of the known world at that time. It seems that God’s message, through Jeremiah, was that there is no nation who can defy Him and not inflict His judgment upon themselves. If that be true, our nation is on a collision course with disaster! 

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”: 

• 46:10 – “the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance” 
• 48:41 – “at that day” 
• 48:47 – “in the latter days” 
• 49:22 – “at that day” 
• 49:39 – “in the latter days”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through GOD’S SERVANTS, THE PROPHETS — Jeremiah 44:4 (Jesus was God’s “chosen Servant” — Matthew 12:17–18; Acts 3:20–21)

OVERVIEW:

The destruction of Jerusalem (39:1–10); God’s deliverance of Jeremiah and Ebedmelech (39:11–18); Jeremiah’s release (40:1–16); the plot against Gedaliah, Babylon’s appointed governor over those remaining in the land (41:1–10); the hostages taken by Ishmael are rescued (41:11–18); the Jews request a word from God through Jeremiah (42:1–6); Jeremiah delivers God’s word (42:7–22); the people reject God’s word (43:1–7); God’s rejection of the people (43:8–13).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

That fateful day, of which Jeremiah had been prophesying, had finally arrived. Verse one of chapter 39 says that Nebuchadrezzar and “all his army came against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.” Those who had been called to be the holy people of God, blessed with a holy standing before Him, with a holy temple, in a holy land, had finally desecrated their holy calling. King Zedekiah escaped in the middle of the night out of a secret passage way, but was overtaken in the plain and brought before Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon. (39:4–5) Nebuchadrezzar killed Zedekiah’s sons right “before his eyes” (39:6), just before he “put out Zedekiah’s eyes.” (39:7) Imagine, the last thing you ever see being your own children being slaughtered, and then, going the remainder of your life knowing full well that it was because of your own sin! It is an amazing phenomenon, that as parents, we can choose to be so willfully blinded to the consequences of our sinful choices upon our own precious children! Sadly, the example of Zedekiah’s selfishness and cluelessness regarding the effects of his sin upon his children, has historically, represented the rule rather than the exception, right up to this present day! (Galatians 6:7–8)

Just as God promised Jeremiah when He first called him (1:17–19), Jeremiah’s life was spared in the whole demise of the nation. (39:11–18) How ironic it is, that Jeremiah was shown more kindness by the King of Babylon than he had ever received from the previous four kings of Judah! In chapter 40, Jeremiah is actually freed by the Babylonians, being presented with the option of either being provided for in Babylon or remaining with the remnant that had been permitted to stay in the land. (40:4) In the great spirit and tradition of Moses before him, Jeremiah chose “to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of” Egypt (Hebrews 11:24–26) or, in this case, Babylon!

In 40:5–6, the king of Babylon appoints Gedaliah as governor over the people who were permitted to remain in the land. Gedaliah encouraged the people to quietly and respectfully serve Babylon, assuring them that if they did, things would go well with them. (40:9) Unfortunately, a plot was devised against Gedaliah, and in chapter 41, Ishmael not only murdered him, but many others who were with Gedaliah, taking many others as hostages as well. Ishmael’s plan was to flee to the city of Ammon, leaving the Jews around Jerusalem to suffer the wrath of the Babylonians. At that point, the people understood that they had two possibilities: they could flee to Egypt and trust them to help against the Babylonians or, they could remain where God had placed them and trust Him to help them. Stating it in that fashion makes the decision they “should have made” an absolute “no brainer” but as we look back over our shoulder and see how many times during a time of difficulty or trial we trusted the world’s (Egypt’s) solution, rather than trusting God, we find that in the moment, it doesn’t always feel like such a “no brainer”! May God BE our wisdom and discernment to see the choices before us as He sees them!

Surprisingly, the people of Judah actually sought Jeremiah’s counsel as to what they should do (42:1–4) pledging that whatever God said through him, regardless of what it was, they would obey it. (42:5–6) Wow! That’s a switch!

God’s word came back through Jeremiah, telling them that if they would remain in the land, He would protect them and bless them (42:7–12), but if they went to Egypt for help, He would allow them to be blasted to “kingdom come”! (42:13–18) Jeremiah prophesied that they were all full of “talk” but no “walk” and full of “show” but no “go” (42:19–22), and chapter 43 proved true. Rather than obey Jeremiah’s words to them, which is to say, God’s words to them, they accuse Jeremiah of telling them the things he did so they would fall to the Babylonians. What this really proved, is that they had planned to do what they wanted to do all along. They had just hoped that God’s will lined up with theirs. Recognize, that the same empty promises of surrender to God’s will, that will only be carried out if it lines up with what we want to do, are constantly and consistently made in our day! (2^nd Timothy 3:1–5) As the old saying goes, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

Chapter 43 ends with another of God’s many object lessons through Jeremiah, this time, pointing to the fact that Babylon would conquer Egypt just as they had Judah.

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:

• 39:16 – “in that day” 
• 39:17 – “in that day”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• Through GEDALIAH, as he instructed the Jews to pay homage to the heathen nation that ruled over them — Jeremiah 40:9 (Matthew 22:21)  

OVERVIEW:

God’s faithfulness to the Davidic Covenant (34:1–11); Israel’s unfaithfulness to their fellow countrymen (34:12–22); Israel’s unfaithfulness to their God (35:1–19); Israel’s rejection of God’s word (36:1–32); Jeremiah preaches against a false sense of security and self-deception (37:1–10); Jeremiah is imprisoned (37:11–21); Jeremiah is delivered (38:1– 16); Jeremiah presents alternatives to Zedekiah (38:17–28).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We enter the second and third sections of the book of Jeremiah in today’s reading. Whereas the first 33 chapters detailed the fate of Judah, chapters 34 and 35 detail the fate of Jerusalem, and chapter 36 to the end of the book is basically detailing the fate of the Gentile nations. This is the fulfillment of what God said to Jeremiah when He first called him: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” (1:5, 10)

As chapter 34 opens, Babylon is about to overtake Jerusalem. God tells Jeremiah to go and tell King Zedekiah that the city would, in fact, fall to the Babylonians, but that he would not be killed in the invasion. The fact that God was willing to spare this wicked king’s life is not only a testimony of His incredible mercy and grace, but a testimony of His faithfulness to keep His promises. As we have talked about, in the Davidic Covenant, God had promised that David’s lineage would survive. Though the covenant was obscured, in the fact that David’s kingly line would actually live in exile, the covenant was not revoked.  

In verses 12–22 of chapter 34, God speaks through Jeremiah to show Israel that they had not been faithful to one another by disobeying His plan for releasing on the seventh year, those, who for financial reasons, had sold themselves into slavery. In chapter 35, He uses the example of the faithfulness of the Rechabite family to reveal to Israel their unfaithfulness to Him. Oh, in the same way that the family of Rechab stood as a shining light in the midst of the darkness in Jeremiah’s day, may our families likewise bring glory to God against the “lukewarm-ness” (Revelation 3:15-17) and apostasy of our day! (1^st Timothy 4:1)

Chapter 36 is absolutely classic in terms of revealing the divisive nature of the word of God and its utter indestructibility! Because Jeremiah had been forbidden to enter the temple (36:5), he was forced to dictate the words of the Lord for Baruch, the scribe, to write into a scroll and deliver to the leaders of Israel, once again, calling for Israel’s repentance. The words were so powerful that the temple officials sent them to the king. As the words were read to the king by Jehudi, before he could get to the fourth “page”, the king grabbed it out of Jehudi’s hand, took out his pen knife and began cutting it to shreds, just before throwing it into the fire! It’s a very interesting story, and very easy to follow. But there is more than meets the eye that is really going on here. The chapter actually opens up to us one of the clearest explanations in the entire Bible about the whole process of the inspiration and preservation of Scripture!

The process of inspiration is described in verses 4 and 6 and, interestingly enough, it is precisely how 2^nd Peter 1:21 says it happened: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God SPAKE as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Jeremiah SPOKE his words to Baruch the scribe, but the words Baruch wrote weren’t actually JEREMIAH’S WORDS, they were the very “WORDS OF THE LORD”! (36:4) 

Jeremiah restates the process in verse 6 as he says to Baruch: “Go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the Lord.” By the way the story unfolded, and how God orchestrated the recording of it, it is apparent that God wanted to make sure we totally understood exactly how the actual process of inspiration and preservation works. In verse 17, God records the words of the temple leaders to Baruch: “Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?” Baruch responded in verse 18: “He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.” In other words, what Baruch had in written form, were the very words of God; what is often referred to, in theological circles, as the “original manuscripts”. But it is important to note, that what happened in this chapter to Jeremiah’s “original manuscripts”, is the same thing that happened to the entirety of the original manuscripts in history. They were totally destroyed! But remember, God not only “inspired” His word and words, He also promised to “preserve” them! (Psalm 12:6–7; Matthew 5:18) Notice in Jeremiah’s account of how this actually unfolded, that though the “original manuscripts” were no longer in existence, “somehow” God had no problem remembering exactly what they said, and He certainly had no problem producing a copy that contained “all the words of the book (the “original manuscript”, as it were) which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire”! (36:32) 

The reason this is so significant, is that many people today balk at the very idea of believing that the Bible we are able to actually hold in our hands (as opposed to original manuscripts that do not exist!) is the very word and words of God, just as He intended them. Every word, in fact! (Proverbs 30:5) However, it only stands to reason, that if God went to the “trouble” of inspiring His words in/on original manuscripts (that He obviously did not intend to keep in existence or we’d have them!), it certainly is no trouble for Him to preserve them in a book that we can actually wrap our hands and our lives around! 

Another contention people seem to have with those who have a faith-based view of the Bible (i.e. have faith in God’s promise to preserve His word! Psalm 12:6–7; Matthew 5:18) has to do with the italicized words in our King James Bible. When the “original manuscripts” were being penned, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was written in Greek and Aramaic. Obviously then, most translations of the Bible into other languages were translated out of copies of manuscripts that were written in these original languages. Since there is no such thing as a “word for word” translation (for the simple fact that in translating from one language to another, some words do not have a corresponding equivalent!) as the King James translators we’re translating the Bible into English, the italicized words were “added” to convey the meaning of the original language when there was no English equivalent. The argument is, how can we believe that we hold in our hands “every word of God” (Proverbs 30:5), if there are words that have been “added”? But the question we need to ask ourselves is, is that actually uncharacteristic of how God has previously worked in the whole process of inspiring and preserving His word? Notice that the last verse of Jeremiah 36 says that not only did the copy God produced contain every single word of the “original,” check this out: “And there were added besides unto them (in other words, besides the words that were written in/on the “original manuscripts!”) many like words”! (36:32)

In chapters 37 and 38, Jeremiah continues to hammer the message of Jerusalem’s destruction per God’s instruction, and is cast into prison for carrying out God’s will. For a detailed unfolding of chapters 37 and 38, refer to the outline provided in today’s “Overview”.

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• By JEREMIAH, WHO STOOD AS A FAITHFUL WITNESS TO THE REVEALED WILL OF GOD — Jeremiah 38:2–10 (Matthew 26:59)

OVERVIEW:

God’s promise that Israel will be His people (31:1–14); God’s promise of mercy to weary Israel (31:15–26); God’s promise to make Israel secure (31:27–30); God’s promise of a New Covenant with Israel (31:31–40); God’s instruction to Jeremiah to buy a field (32:1–15); God’s explanation to Jeremiah (32:16–35); God’s promise to bring the exiles home (32:36–44); God’s promise to keep His promises (33:1–26).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Jeremiah continues his positive message for Israel in chapter 31, though, as was discussed in yesterday’s reading, the ultimate fulfillment of his prophecy won’t be until the Second Coming of Christ. In verse 28 of chapter 31, God says through Jeremiah, “And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.” In other words, just as careful as God was to PUNISH Israel, He will be just as careful to BLESS them.

Verse 31 of chapter 31 is very significant. God speaks of a New Covenant that He would make with the house of Israel and Judah. As we have made our way through the Old Testament, we have seen God make at least three major covenants. The first was what we call the Abrahamic Covenant, in Genesis 17:7-8: “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” Coupled with what God had told Abraham in Genesis 12:2–3, the Lord promised to give Abraham heirs, a great name, a homeland, fame, protection, and the blessing of all nations through him.

The second major covenant was the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai. (Exodus 20; Leviticus 27) We refer to it as the Mosaic Covenant because this covenant with Israel was mediated by Moses. In contrast with the Abrahamic Covenant, this was not an unconditional and everlasting covenant.

The third major covenant, what we call the Davidic Covenant, was God’s promise to David of an everlasting kingdom. Through Nathan, the prophet, the Lord told David, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” (2^nd Samuel 7:12–13) As Jeremiah repeated in chapter 23:5, the coming King of Israel, or Messiah, whose kingdom would be eternal, would come through the kingly line of David.

It must be understood that God’s promise of a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31–34 would certainly not negate the everlasting covenants that He had previously made with Abraham and David. This covenant would actually participate with and work in conjunction with them. One of the tremendous beauties of this New Covenant is whereas the Mosaic Covenant was filled with God constantly saying, “Thou shalt”, this covenant is filled with God saying, “I will”! Oh my, what a blessed contrast! (See how many times you can find God saying, “I will” in 31:31–40, and then in chapter 32:36–44, where God picks up the subject again!) Recognize, also, that though this is an everlasting covenant that God made specifically with Israel and Judah, we have been permitted to participate in the blessing of this new covenant by God’s sovereign plan and grace. Paul said in Romans 11:17, that we, “being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree.”

After the glorious promises of this future new covenant in chapters 30 and 31, in chapter 32, God brings things back into Jeremiah’s present situation, and the impending judgment that He was about to unleash upon Israel and Judah. Just before Babylon’s final siege of Jerusalem, God tells Jeremiah to do something that certainly must have seemed strange to him. Purchasing property just before your entire city is overtaken by a foreign enemy is not exactly what you would call a wise business deal, to say the least! Yet, that is precisely what God tells Jeremiah to do. As we have seen God do repeatedly throughout Jeremiah’s ministry, this is, yet, another object lesson God intended to use to illustrate His point. This time, His point was that, though judgment would come, He would restore the people back to their homeland. He wanted to drive home the fact that there is nothing too hard for Him. (32:17, 27) He would bring the people back to their land, and they would enjoy the blessing of His new covenant with them. Again, we now know that these promises will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation as Israel turns to her Messiah, and will be enjoyed by the nation of Israel as He returns at the end of the Tribulation to establish His Millennial Kingdom.

Chapter 33 is a joyous chapter as it focuses on God’s character. It reminds us that the truth of God’s word is grounded in the trustworthiness of His person. He will perform every single thing He has ever promised (33:14), and it will be fulfilled just as He said, right when He said, and just how He said. It is true for Israel and Judah, and, praise the Lord, it’s just as true for you and me!

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”: 

• 31:29 – “In those days” (Specifically, the Tribulation period) 
• 31:31 – “Behold, the days come” 
• 31:33 – “After those days” 
• 31:38 – “Behold, the days come” 
• 33:15 – “In those days, and at that time” 
• 33:16 – “In those days”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the ONE WHO FORGIVES SINS — Jeremiah 31:34 (Matthew 9:6; John 8:10–11)

• By JEREMIAH, WHO ACTED AS A KINSMAN-REDEEMER IN PURCHASING THE LAND OF HIS COUSIN — Jeremiah 32:6–14 (Leviticus 25:25, 44; Ruth 2:20; 3:12–13; Galatians 4:4–5; Titus 2:13–14)

OVERVIEW:

Jeremiah’s cry to reject the false prophets and false prophecy concerning Babylon (27:1–22); Jeremiah’s cry to reject the false prophets and false prophecy concerning the Babylonian captivity (28:1–17); Jeremiah’s letter to those already taken into captivity urging them to reject the false prophets, and to seek the Lord (29:1–32); Jeremiah’s message about Israel’s future restoration (30:1–24).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

At the beginning of King Zedekiah’s reign, the Lord prophesied that Babylon, under the leadership and rule of Nebuchadnezzar, would overthrow Judah. The Lord commanded that Judah serve the one that He had used to discipline them. (27:8) The prophets of Judah told the people not to serve the king of Babylon, just as did the “diviners, dreamers, enchanters and sorcerers.” (27:9) It is a definite sad state of affairs when those who are presumably speaking for God are saying the same thing as those who are speaking for the devil! Jeremiah passionately warns the people not to hearken to their lies. (27:9, 14, 16) He tells them that God would ultimately restore them, but not before being brought into captivity. (27:22) Chapter 27 teaches us that though a “positive” message from a stereotypical Laodicean “preacher” (2^nd Timothy 4:3-4) feels a whole lot better on the ears than a “negative” message from a non-stereotypical Laodicean preacher (2^nd Timothy 4:2), God’s “negative” message will have a whole lot more powerful ramifications in our lives than their supposed “positive” one! May we never lose sight of Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:19 to those of us living in this “negative” Laodicean Church Period: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten…” In other words, the results of Jesus’ “negativity” through His preachers is actually a very positive thing!

Chapter 28 lets us know that in the same year that the events of chapter 27 were taking place, Jeremiah encountered what must have been one of the “well respected” and “big name” prophets of Judah; a man by the name of Hananiah. His message from “the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel” (28:2) was that God had broken Babylon’s power over Judah, and that within two years, all of the vessels that had been taken out of the temple would be returned, along with all of the exiles. What a positive message that was! The only problem with it is that it wasn’t true! God had said no such thing! (28:15) Jeremiah tells Hananiah that Babylon’s yoke was not a yoke of wood that would be easily broken, but was a yoke of iron, and that he was a liar. Jeremiah then prophesied Hananiah’s death for his sin of misleading the people, and he died, verifying which one of them was truly speaking for the Lord. Even so, the people still refused to listen to the words of the Lord through Jeremiah.

In chapter 29, Jeremiah writes a letter to the Jewish people who had already been taken into captivity.  He tells them not to listen to the false prophets who have been prophesying their soon release. He tells them that the captivity is actually going to last 70 years, and that they should go ahead and make the best of it by building houses, planting gardens, and strengthening their families, because this would be the place where most of them would die. Our gracious God even wrote to them through Jeremiah, saying that if they refused to listen to the false prophets and would seek Him, their lives in captivity in Babylon would be blessed, and actually be better than those who lived in the freedom of Judah! Once again, they refused to listen to Him.

In chapter 30, Jeremiah’s message actually turns in more of a positive direction. Though the positive nature of his message pertained to a future time, (actually, the time of the Great Tribulation and Second Coming of Christ when God will restore the nation of Israel, not only to her homeland, but to her Messiah), the break from the negativity of Jeremiah’s message had to be refreshing to him. Do recognize that all of the events that are taking place in the Middle East today are simply setting the stage for what God was prophesying through Jeremiah in this chapter. It is an exciting time to be alive if for no other reason than that! Lift up your head, my brothers and sisters, our redemption draweth nigh!

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”: 

• 30:7a –“that day is great, so that none is like it” 
• 30:7b – “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (specifically, the Tribulation Period)
• 30:8 – “in that day” 
• 30:24 – “in the latter days”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As the LORD WHO WILL BE RAISED UP AS DAVID THEIR KING — Jeremiah 30:9 (Matthew 2:2; 1:1; Luke 1:31–33)

OVERVIEW: 

Jeremiah preaches about the Righteous King who would rise to the throne (23:1–8); Jeremiah preaches against the false prophets (23:9–40); Jeremiah preaches against the people (24:1–25, 38); Jeremiah preaches against false worship and false prophecy (26:1–29, 32).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As was mentioned in yesterday’s reading, in chapters 21–29, Jeremiah is called on by God to preach to those to whom He referred back in 1:17–19: “kings, princes, priests, and the people of the land.” Beginning in 21:1, all the way into 23:8, Jeremiah has been preaching against the kings. Though God pronounced “woe” upon these wretched shepherds (“pastors”) who were leading Judah to destruction, God begins to point to a different day, when a righteous King from David’s line would rise to the throne! “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.” (23:5–6) Of course, that righteous Lord and King from David’s Branch (i.e. line or ancestry) is none other than the King of kings Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ! Little did Jeremiah, or those to whom he was preaching, realize that he was actually preaching about what would happen 2000 years after our Lord’s first coming! (1^st Peter 1:10–12)

In the remainder of chapter 23 (23:9–40), Jeremiah turns from preaching against the kings, to preaching against the prophets. It is amazing how history repeats itself. (Ecclesiastes 3:15) So many of the things Jeremiah preached, as he opposed the prophets of his day, he could come and preach in opposition to many of the preachers in our day! Check out 23:16–17: “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” Again, much like in Laodicea, the words that are so often spoken in the name of the Lord, or in the name of “preaching”, leave people void of the truth of God. (2^nd Timothy 4:4) Preachers are to preach a message “out of the mouth of the Lord” (i.e. the word of God!!!), not out “of their own heart.” (23:16) God has already given His commentary on men’s hearts through Jeremiah back in 17:9. Our hearts are so deceitful and desperately wicked it is near nigh impossible to even know what’s actually going on in them! Spare us the message you feel the Lord has laid on your heart, Preachers, and just give us the Lord’s heart as it has been revealed in His word! (“out of the mouth of the Lord” — 23:16) The message from the prophets in Jeremiah’s day (23:17), like many of the preachers in our own day, was void of the message of God’s impending judgment. The people were told they were “going to be all right” (i.e. “No evil shall come upon you”), even though they willfully and blatantly lived for self, self-satisfaction, and self-gratification. (i.e. “after the imagination of his own heart” — 23:17)

In 23:22, God says that if those given the responsibility of heralding His words would have “stood in his counsel”, so that the people would have actually heard the words of the Lord, the people would have turned from “their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” Note in this verse, that God reveals to us that “evil” is not limited to our specific actions (i.e. evil things we “do”); “evil” is also a “way” in which we find ourselves (as in, a “way of life,” or the “course of our life” — Ephesians 2:2).

Would to God that every preacher in Laodicea would read 23:31 just before they walk out to preach: “Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.”  Whoa!  Or, maybe better stated, “Woe!”

In chapters 24 and 25, Jeremiah turns the focus of his preaching against the people. Something we want to be sure we don’t miss out of this section is that, though the people had horrific spiritual leadership, God still held them responsible for their actions. We all need to recognize, that at the Judgment Seat of Christ, God will not receive the argument, “But my pastor didn’t preach the word!” That may be true, but the fact remains, God has not only given every single one of us His word, He has even placed the resident Truth Teacher (the Holy Spirit) inside each one of us! (1^st John 2:27) We will all be held personally responsible for our stewardship of God’s word and God’s Spirit!

Note also, that just like in Laodicea, one of the reasons that Judah had such terrible spiritual leadership, is that the people didn’t want godly counsel or leadership! (2^nd Timothy 4:3) The way Jeremiah was treated is more than proof of that. God says of our day, that the people do “not endure sound doctrine: but after their own lusts…heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. And they…turn away their ears from the truth…and unto fables.” (2^nd Timothy 4:3-4)

In chapter 26, Jeremiah begins to preach against, not only the kings, the prophets, and the people, but the priests as well. In verses 7–15, the priests and the prophets actually call for Jeremiah’s death.  Notice in 26:2–8, that carrying out the Lord’s perfect will, comes with a very significant cost! “Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2^nd Timothy 3:12) Yes, it’ll cost us, but the rewards are out of this world! Literally!  

SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”: 

• 25:29 – “for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth”
• 25:30 – “The Lord shall roar from on high” 
• 25:31 – “he will give them that are wicked to the sword” 
• 25:33 – “at that day”

CHRIST IS REVEALED:

• As THE KING RAISED UNTO DAVID A RIGHTEOUS BRANCH — Jeremiah 23:5 (Matthew 2:1; Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:31–33)

• As THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS — Jeremiah 23:6 (1^st Corinthians 1:30; 2^nd Corinthians 5:21)