Tribulation Ends Celebration Begins - Jeremiah 32

“The Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah’s house.” Jeremiah 32:1-2

Like John, Jeremiah is suffering for testifying for God. In Revelation 1:9, John wrote, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

As for Jeremiah, the Babylonian army is surrounding the city. Recently, Jeremiah sent letters from the Lord to God’s people in Babylon to assure them that after the land of Israel enjoyed 70 years of rest, God would bring them back. King Zedekiah wanted a good word from Jeremiah about Jerusalem, but Jeremiah did not have one for him.

“Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him [Jeremiah] up, saying, ‘Why do you prophesy and say, thus says the Lord: behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye; then he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall be until I visit him, says the Lord; though you fight with the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed?’” Jeremiah 32:3-5

Wasn’t a preacher supposed to inspire hope and courage in the hearts of his listeners? The Lord had directed Jeremiah to write a letter of hope and beautiful promises to the exiles in Babylon, but he had no such word for king Zedekiah. To do so, would be wrong. He promised Zedekiah a face to face, eye to eye talk with the King of Babylon. His efforts to win the war would fail.

Religious and political leaders also tried to silence Jesus from speaking the truth. In Luke 20:2, “They demanded, ‘By what authority are You doing all these things? Who gave You the right?’”

In addition to Jeremiah, Urijah, Zephaniah, and Habakkuk prophesied to Jerusalem. Year after year, they rose up early and spoke God’s Word to them.

“And Jeremiah said, ‘The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, ‘Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.’” Jeremiah 32:6-7

Numbers 35:4-5 describes Anathoth as a land set aside for the Levites. Each Levitical city was to have 1,500 feet of pastureland extending from the city walls for their cattle and animals. They were not to sell these lands to another tribe. When the owner died, the next of kin had the right to redeem it before anyone else did. See Leviticus 25:25 and Ruth 4:3-6 for more details.

“Then, Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the Word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the Word of the Lord.” Jeremiah 32:8

God confirmed His Word to Jeremiah by having his cousin show up and ask him to buy the land.

In Acts 10:17, after Peter had a vision from God, he doubted in himself about the meaning of it. Then, men arrived. After they gave Peter their message, he knew his vision was from God.

“So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money—17 shekels of silver. And I signed the deed and sealed it, took witnesses, and weighed the money on the scales.” Jeremiah 32:9-10

A shekel back then was worth about 50₵ in today’s US Dollars. Jeremiah paid about $8.50 for the field. A small sum due to the Babylonian siege around the city. Some might have thought him crazy to buy land, but he did it as an expression of his faith in God’s Word. God promised to resurrect the city.

In Revelation, Jesus reveals that this current earth shall experience plagues, wars, diseases, pestilences and climatic disasters. An antichrist shall attempt to control humanity’s beliefs. A spirit of harlotry shall attempt to seduce humanity into sin. God’s prophets and saints will be persecuted. Some will die for speaking the truth. Then, Christ shall appear and bring with Him a new heaven, a new earth and a new Jerusalem. Glory to God!

“So I took the purchase deed, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open; and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.” Jeremiah 32:11-12

Two deeds were drawn up in a contract of sale; the original copy, witnessed and sealed with the public seal; the other just a backup copy. The sealed original, when opened after 70 years’ captivity, would confirm Jeremiah as the owner. “Even though Jeremiah would not live to see that day, he made sure the documents would be around to prove that God was faithful to His promise.” [1]

“Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: take these deeds, both this purchase deed, which is sealed and this deed, which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” Jeremiah 32:13-15

Jeremiah’s deed for land in Jerusalem prefigures Christ taking the deed of the earth and making all things new. In Revelation 5:1-21, John wrote of a scroll being handed to the Lamb. The scroll is believed to be the title deed of the earth.

“Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. You show lovingkindness to thousands and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the great, the mighty God, whose Name is the Lord of hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.’” Jeremiah 32:16-19

Jeremiah’s prayer is full of faith that with God nothing is impossible. He begins his prayer with an, “Ah!” “Ah” is an expression of awesome wonder. Jeremiah acknowledges that God created all things. He worships God for His love for thousands, and His severity towards iniquity. He worships God for keeping His eyes on people and for giving to each one appropriate responses.

“You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself a Name, as it is this day. You have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror; You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ And they came in and took possession of it, but they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your Law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore, You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.” Jeremiah 32:20-23

The Lord was gracious to them. What did they do to Him? They allowed other loves to exceed their love for Him. They did not serve Him. They served other gods which were not gods.

“Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword, famine, and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it!” Jeremiah 32:24

Babylonian sieges began with encirclement to cut off all supply lines and communication. The 587 BC siege of Jerusalem lasted 18 months. The enemy used siege towers on wheels with battering rams to go over and through the walls.

“And You have said to me, O Lord God, ‘Buy the field for money, and take witnesses!’ Yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” Jeremiah 32:25

Jeremiah obeyed the Lord. He purchased the field from his uncle, but afterwards, it seems he had buyer’s regret. He envisioned the Babylonian siege mounds and the Babylonian soldiers coming over Jerusalem’s walls with swords swinging. He envisions the impacts of famine. Bodies growing gaunt! He imagines the odor from diseased corpses. Why did God ask him to buy a field at a time like this?

“Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, ‘Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?’” Jeremiah 32:26-27

Nothing is too hard for the Lord. In Acts 17:26, Paul told idolators that “God made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth.”

In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, “With God all things are possible.”

“Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it. And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire to this city and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke Me to anger because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 32:28-30

They sowed fire to Baal on their rooftops so their rooftops reaped fire. The god of fire was the object of their worship so God gave them an abundance of fire.

“For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their princes, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 32:31-32

Is God’s wrath limited to the Old Testament time only? No, in Revelation 2:19-23, Jesus spoke against a church’s prophetess who was teaching and seducing His servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. He gave the prophetess time to repent. She did not repent. He promised to cast her into a sickbed, give her cohorts tribulation, and kill her children with death, unless they repented.

“And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by My Name, to defile it. And they built the high places of Baal which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.” Jeremiah 32:33-35

God rose up early and attempted to speak to them by His prophets. But they would not listen. They desecrated God’s holy house. They offered to Baal human sacrifices to appease him. They became like monsters.

There’s a similar scenario described in Revelation 16:9: “Men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the Name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.” They should have humbled themselves and listened to God.

“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, it shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.” Jeremiah 32:36-37

Their guilt deserved God’s everlasting vengeance, but He promised to restore them. The “all” countries implies a future restoration of Israel more universal than that from Babylon.

“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them.” Jeremiah 32:38-39

God will not be ashamed to be called their God. Having one heart and having one way, contrasts with being scattered.

In John 17:20-23, Jesus prayed for His twelve apostles and for those who believe in Him through their words. He prayed, “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ...That they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Jesus has always wanted us to be one with Him and God. In John 15:4-7, Jesus urges us to abide in Him. Israel’s downfall in Jeremiah’s day, and the downfall of so many believers today stems from abandoning God.

“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” Jeremiah 32:40

The covenant established by Jesus’ sacrifice is everlasting because it is based on God’s grace and forgiveness. It is about God’s work in us and not our work for God.

In Deuteronomy 30:1-6, God prophesied of their captivity in another land followed by His compassion on them. He promised to circumcise their hearts and the hearts of their descendants. Then, they would love Him with all their hearts and soul.

“Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul. For thus says the Lord: just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.” Jeremiah 32:41-42

Israel’s return to the Promised Land after the exile was a foretaste of the grace to be revealed when Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation.

“And fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is desolate, without man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and seal them, and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captives to return, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 32:43-44

After God’s righteous anger abated, He revealed His redeeming love for them by bringing them back to Jerusalem. When that day arrived, many in Israel signed new property deeds.

In John 14:1-3, Jesus says to us His followers in these last days, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

2 Peter 3:13 says, “But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

In Revelation 21:7, our Lord Jesus said, “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.”

Tribulation shall end and celebration shall begin.

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel: 

https://youtu.be/ndWYxV396YI

[1] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 479-482

Born Anew - Jeremiah 31

“At the same time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:1

God shall be God of all the families of Israel! The God of the exiles of the southern kingdom of Judah, AND of the ten tribes of the northern kingdom!

Paul rejoices in this promise in Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, ‘There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer. He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.’”

The Deliverer is Jesus Christ!

“Thus says the Lord: the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness—Israel, when I went to give him rest.” Jeremiah 31:2

The Israelites, who survived Egypt, experienced God’s gracious provisions as they crossed the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land. God provided for them in many miraculous ways. They also would survive the exile by His grace. Compared to heaven the entire earth is like a wilderness. God gives grace to all who believe in and profess His Son Jesus Christ to cross over from this worldly wilderness into heaven itself!

God promised Israel rest. In Mark 2:27-28, Jesus is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” He said, “The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.” In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Revelation 14:13 speaks of those who die in the Lord as resting from their labors. Every Sabbath is a day to remember and celebrate the Sabbath that we will enjoy in heaven.

“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3

Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” If you are in Christ, it is because the Father drew you to Himself with lovingkindness.

1 John 4:19 says, “We love, because He first loved us.”

God renews His grace on Israel based on His everlasting covenant of love for them.

Babylon, like a wilderness, is a horrible place to reside. Due to His grace and love for Israel, He brings them home.

“Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines and shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.” Jeremiah 31:4

God promised Jeremiah that he would uproot and plant. Now, that Israel has been uprooted from their homeland, and the land is resting, he writes of the happy day when they will be replanted. It will be a happy time of music, dancing to the Lord and rejoicing in His love.

In Acts 15:16-17, during a Church council, James quoted Jeremiah’s prophecy, saying, “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up.” James also referenced a promise that God had made to include Gentiles in His family. “So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My Name.”

In Ephesians 2:20, New Testament Jerusalem is “Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone.” When completed, there will be rejoicing in God.

Revelation 21:10 says, “He... showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” God shall fulfill this promise.

“You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria. The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.” Jeremiah 31:5

Samaria was the capital of the northern tribes. The name Samaria is synonymous with the entire northern region of Israel. The mountainous nature of that area is a suitable climate for growing grapes. In John 15:1-5, Jesus also spoke of vines and fruits being symbolic of Himself and the good works that He produces in those who remain in Him.

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul wrote of the fruit of the Holy Spirit which comes forth from those who belong to Christ, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:24 speaks of pruning, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

“For there shall be a day when the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’” Jeremiah 31:6

The watchmen, like preachers, call the ten tribes to worship the Lord at annual feasts in Jerusalem.

Mount Ephraim is symbolic of the northern tribes. Ephraim was one of the largest and most powerful northern tribes. Zion refers to Jerusalem and by extension to the house of the Lord.

The watchmen prefigure preachers of the Gospel. Gospel preachers summon Samaritans to believe in Messiah.

In John 4:25-26, 39-42, Jesus told a Samaritan woman that He was the Messiah, saying, “I am He, the One speaking to you.” She believed in Him and testified of Him in her city. They came to Jesus and He stayed with them for two days. Many Samaritans believed in Jesus at that time.

Acts 8:5 says, “Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.” Acts 8:14-17 says that the Samaritans received the Word of the Lord. Peter and John joined Philipp in Samaria. They laid hands on the new believers and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:25 says that they preached the Gospel to many villages in Samaria.

“For thus says the Lord: sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!’” Jeremiah 31:7

The Lord urged people to seek restoration with glad songs, shouts, proclamations of praise and with petitions to the Lord for salvation. They are to praise God in advance of the restoration as though already accomplished. In Mark 11:24, Jesus said to His disciples, “I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Jesus is looking for believing believers.

In Luke 18:8, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Romans 11:5 speaks of a remnant of believers thanks to God’s grace. “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.”

“Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return there.” Jeremiah 31:8

In Matthew 11:5, Jesus raised the dead and healed the lepers. He made the lame to walk, the mute to talk, and the deaf to hear. He preached the Gospel to the poor.

Matthew 12:20 says of the Messiah, “A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory.”

The Lord helps those who are experiencing various adversities to cross the finish line strong.

“They shall come with weeping, and with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble. For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.” Jeremiah 31:9

Weeping, perhaps, because the veil that kept them from perceiving the grace and kindness of God has been removed from their eyes. They were wrong about God. He loves them. He straightened the path before them. They are treated as a firstborn because God imparted to them the righteousness of Christ His firstborn Son.

Isaiah 40:11 says that He [God] will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms holding them close to His heart.

Jeremiah wrote, “I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters.” Revelation 7:17 says, “The Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Jeremiah wrote, “I will cause them to walk in a straight way.” In John 14:6, Jesus is the straight way to the Father, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

“Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’” Jeremiah 31:10

The Heavenly Father proclaimed to the farthest ends of the earth His promise to bring Israel back to Himself. He who scattered them knows where to find them. The bulk of the captives that the Lord brought back to Israel had been scattered to Assyria, Babylon and Persia.

In John 11:50-52, just before Jesus was crucified, the High Priest “Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.”

In Acts 2:9-11, on the day the Holy Spirit baptized the twelve apostles, there were Jews present from many nations. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judeans, and Cappadocians, Cretans and Arabs. Jews from Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, and Rome. Acts 2:44 testifies that faith in Jesus Messiah brought them together, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common.”

In Revelation 10:11, an angel said to John, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” In Revelation 14:1-5, there are 144,000 Messianic Jews from every tribe of Israel following the Lamb wherever He goes.

“For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than him.” Jeremiah 31:11

In Matthew 20:28, Jesus spoke of Himself as Goel. Goel is the Hebrew word for a kinsman-redeemer. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” He came to redeem us from our captivity to sin.

In Matthew 12:28-29, Jesus is the One who frees people from the hand of him who is stronger than them. By His mighty power, demonic strongholds over people are broken and destroyed. Hebrews 2:14 says, “Since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

“Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the Lord—for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd. Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all.” Jeremiah 31:12

Isaiah 58:11 says, “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”

The people did sing to the Lord. They did stream back to the Lord when they returned to Israel from captivity. But even more so in Acts 2:4-47! Jesus Messiah blessed them with the oil of His Holy Spirit. Oil symbolizes the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. Then, they broke bread together reminiscent of Him who gave His body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins.

“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together. For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow.” Jeremiah 31:13

The above prophecy was partially fulfilled when the Lord brought back the captives from Babylon. This prophecy was more completely fulfilled in Acts 2:4-47, when the Holy Spirit poured out on sons and daughters and they began to prophesy. When young men saw visions! When old men dreamed dreams! When God’s Spirit of prophesy poured out on male and female servants! The Holy Spirit fills people with joy, dance and songs of praise to God.

“I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:14

In Haggai 1:1 and Zechariah 3; 4:6-10, when the people of Israel returned to their homeland, they had great priests and governors like Ezra and Nehemiah, and like Joshua and Zerubbabel.

In 1 Peter 2:9, the Holy Spirit makes believers in Christ “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Revelation 5:10 says of Jesus, “You have made us unto our God kings and priests. And we shall reign on the earth.”

“Thus says the Lord: a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15

Jeremiah 31:15 accurately describes an event connected to Jesus. 600 years prior to the birth of Jesus, God connects Jeremiah’s writings with the massacre of babies by King Herod.

In Genesis 30:1, Rachel wanted to have children. In Genesis 35:18-19, she died in Ramah while giving birth to her son whom she named Ben-oni meaning “son of sorrow.” Jacob renamed him Benjamin meaning “son of my right hand” or “son of strength.” Rachel was buried at Ramah. She is represented as “weeping” as Bethlehem is depopulated of her son’s descendants. After Herod massacred the baby boys, many mothers there had “sons of sorrow.”

“Thus says the Lord: ‘refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border.” Jeremiah 31:16-17

In Jeremiah 40:1, “Ramah was the place from which Nebuzaradan deported the Jews to Babylon. Thus, God consoles ‘Rachel’ with the promise of their restoration. The removal of the Jews to Babylon compares with Rachel’s babies being massacred by Herod. The return of the Jews from exile to Jerusalem compares with her sons being resurrected from the dead.” [JFBC]

“Your work shall be rewarded.” Rachel named her son Ben-oni, meaning “son of my sorrow.” Her work was to weep for her children. Her work was rewarded when the Lord resurrected her, when the Lord brought her descendants back from Babylon, and when the Lord resurrected her sons that King Herod massacred in Bethlehem. A town that belonged to the tribe of Benjamin!

“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like a bull unaccustomed to the yoke. Turn me, and I shall be turned, for You are the Lord my God.” Jeremiah 31:18

Before being chastised by the Lord, Israel was like an untamed ox. This metaphor relates with the yoke which Jeremiah wore to illustrate Israel’s need to be yoked (submitted) to God’s will.

Before Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was like a wild bull. In Acts 9:5, Paul asked Jesus, “’Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’” The goad is a tool for guiding oxen in the right direction. It hurts them but also helps them to be useful.

Later, in Philippians 2:13, Paul wrote to fellow believers saying, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

“Surely, after my turning, I repented. And after I was instructed. I struck myself on the thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated because I bore the reproach of my youth.” Jeremiah 31:19

To repent is to come to one’s senses. In Luke 15:17, when the prodigal’s money was gone, he was lonely. He was so hungry that pig slop looked good to him. Then, he came to his senses.

The tax collector in Luke 18:13 came to his senses when he prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul wrote, ““Now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

“Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still. Therefore, My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:20

“Who would have thought that one so undutiful to His heavenly Father as Ephraim, should still be regarded by God as a pleasant child? Certainly, he was not so in respect to his sin, but by virtue of God’s everlasting love.” [JFBC] Like the father in Luke 15:20-24, when he saw his son yet a great way off, he ran to him and had compassion on him.

“Set up signposts, make landmarks. Set your heart toward the highway, the way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these your cities.” Jeremiah 31:21

God urged the exiles to set up signs and landmarks as caravan leaders do to mark the way through the desert because others would be returning by the same path. The Lord calls her a virgin daughter despite her previous adulterous affairs with idols. He forgave her.

“How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—a woman shall encompass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22

“The Lord will create” implies Holy Spirit power in the Virgin’s womb to create a second Adam, such as was done in creating the first Adam (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 10:5). “A new thing” a man at once God and man! A woman at once mother and virgin. A child conceived by the Holy Spirit without man. [JFBC]

“The restoration of Israel is grounded in God’s covenant in Christ. The Virgin Mary’s conception of Messiah in the womb answers to the ‘Virgin of Israel’ in Jeremiah 31:21. The reference to the conception of the child Messiah accords with the mention of the massacre of ‘children’ referred to in Jeremiah 31:15.” [JFBC]

Matthew 1:21 says, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” In Luke 1:34-35, Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, seeing that I know not a man?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you. Therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: they shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: ‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!’” Jeremiah 31:23

Jerusalem shall once again be the capital of the whole nation. Back home from exile, the Lord will bless them with justice and holiness.

“And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks.” Jeremiah 31:24

Farmers and flocks from Judah’s cities indicate ample food to meet daily needs. In a spiritual sense, sowers of the Gospel feed hungry souls.

“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25

God is well able to refresh our souls. To fill our cup until overflowing! In Luke 1:53, Mary’s soul magnified the Lord after the angel told her the good news concerning Israel’s Messiah. She said of the Lord, “He has filled the hungry with good things.”

“After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.” Jeremiah 31:26

The word “sleep” here means a dream. Jeremiah did not have to work or strain to obtain these words from God. God gave them to him while he was sleeping. These promises left a “sweet” impression on his mind. Jeremiah’s dream relates to Matthew 1:20; 2:12, 19, 22, in which God instructs Joseph via dreams.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:27-28

What imagery! God sows human and animal seeds as a farmer spreads plant seeds on soil.

David wrote in Psalm 139:13-14, “You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful I know that full well.”

“In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.” Jeremiah 31:29-30

This was apparently a proverb among the children of exiles in Babylon to express grief about being punished for their fathers’ sin. They said in Lamentations 5:7, “Our fathers sinned and are no more. It is we who have borne their iniquities.” But the Lord is saying to them that each person will be held accountable for their own actions and made to pay for their choices.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

This new covenant answers to Israel’s need to know the Lord. This new covenant answers to the useless sash and to the marred clay pot mentioned earlier in Jeremiah’s prophecy. God wanted to wear His people close to Him like a treasured sash. He wanted them to be vessels of honor. The work of His own hands! This closeness would come about when God forgave their sins and remembered them no more. God’s remembrance of them shall be based on the perfect obedience of His Son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:16 says, “I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” This is an intimate relationship with God’s Word. His Word is inside us! Jesus didn’t give us laws written on stones as Moses did. Jesus writes God’s Word on our hearts to help us know God in a personal way, and to abide with Him.

“Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, who disturbs the sea, and its waves roar (The Lord of hosts is His Name): If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus says the Lord: if heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:35-37

God spoke of signs that have been around since the beginning of the world: the sun, the moon, the stars, the sea, the heavens and the foundations of the earth, all this to emphatically say that Israel will not cease to be a nation. God guaranteed it. The people in Babylon needed this word because they had doubts about their future.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb. Then, it shall turn toward Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.” Jeremiah 31:38-40

The valley of dead bodies (death valley) was going to be alive again thanks to the Lord.

Israel was dead to God, but she lived again. God’s great love, rich mercy and grace in Christ Jesus revived her soul. I see God doing this miracle among so many people today. Glory to God!

Ephesians 2:1, 4 says, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins. But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

“Thank You Heavenly Father for Your grace to us in Christ Jesus Your Son. And thank You Holy Spirit for making us anew in the image of the One True God.

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/KfDCKBarGvE



[JFBC] Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary

The Apple of His Eye - Jeremiah 30

What was captivity like? Loss of personhood! Loss of being seen and heard! Loss of legal representation! Loss of protection under the law! All these losses if dwelt on, could overwhelm their hearts and minds with sadness. God told His people not to be afraid or dismayed. He promised to be with them and help them.

Can you imagine leaving your homeland due to overwhelming hardships? In the past, we served a congregation with people from the nations of Venezuela, Argentina, Columbia, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Egypt and Iraq. Circumstances were better for them in the USA, but most maintained aspects of the previous life they once enjoyed.

God asked Jeremiah to write to the captives in Babylon about a bright future.

“The Word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.” Jeremiah 30:1-3

Jeremiah recorded God’s promises so that when they came to pass, he and others could take note of God’s faithfulness. One very special promise to them from God was, “Israel and Judah” will return together and form one nation.

“Now these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah. ‘For thus says the Lord: we have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:4-7

God was doing something new. Men with labor pains! God calls it the time of Jacob’s trouble. In this context, Jacob’s trouble refers to his tribulation before his rebirth.

They might have been asking themselves, “When will this ever end?” “How long God until you get us out of here?” The answer is that the pain would last until a new life is born.

James 1:4 says, “Let patience have her perfect work.” In John 16:21, Jesus said, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” God allows pain until the joy of new life comes forth.

The partial deliverance at Babylon’s downfall prefigures the final, complete deliverance of Israel, literal and spiritual, at the downfall of the mystical Babylon in Revelation 18:1-19:21.

“For it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from your neck, and will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no more enslave them.” Jeremiah 30:8

God says to us, “I break your yoke! I burst your bonds! Egypt let you go! Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and Europe will let you go! YOU ARE MY PEOPLE!

“But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom I will raise up for them.” Jeremiah 30:9

Instead of serving strangers they will serve the Lord. None of King David’s seed has held the scepter since the captivity. After the exile, Zerubbabel, though of David’s family line, never claimed the title of “king.” The Son of David, Jesus Messiah, must therefore be meant.” [JFBC]

“Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid.” Jeremiah 30:10

Jeremiah’s new theme is restoration. Previously, God warned them of dreadful events. Now, He says to them not to fear. Don’t be dismayed! I will save you from afar. You may not see the restoration, but the promise shall be fulfilled to your seed. They shall return, have rest and be quiet. No one shall make them afraid.

“For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice and will not let you go altogether unpunished.” Jeremiah 30:11

Trials are not our final destiny. The Lord is with us to save us. Seasons of refinement are temporary. For example, the Lord placed limits on Satan’s attacks on Job.

Captivity was an undesired outcome of Israel’s and Judah’s sin. The Lord, in His grace, established an end date to the captivity before it began: 70 YEARS.

“For thus says the Lord: your affliction is incurable your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up; you have no healing medicines. All your lovers [the Assyrians and Egyptians] have forgotten you; they do not seek you; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased. Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you.” Jeremiah 30:12-15

The Lord chastised them severely in accordance with what their sins deserved. They cannot heal themselves. Their allies cannot heal them. They must turn to the Lord for healing.

Hosea 6:1-2 says, “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us. He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us. On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight.” The third day alludes to the resurrection of Christ. They needed Messiah. Only He could raise them from their spiritually dead condition.

At first, it seemed that they were left on the roadside to die. Where was the Good Samaritan to bind up their wounds and apply medicines?

Jesus Christ is symbolized in the Good Samaritan. He seems like an alien to them, but no, He is their Advocate. 1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

“Therefore, all those who devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall become plunder, and all who prey upon you I will make a prey.” Jeremiah 30:16

“Therefore” — connected with Jeremiah 30:13, because “There is none to plead your cause” ... “therefore” I will plunder your plunderers.

Wait! God is going to come to their rescue! He is going to rise up like a mighty lion and roar at their enemies. Those who preyed on them will become His prey.

In Exodus 23:22, Moses told Israel, “If you truly obey His voice [God’s Angel] and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.”

“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, says the Lord, because they called you an outcast saying: ‘This is Zion; no one seeks her.’” Jeremiah 30:17

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He [Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

The greatest healing of all is healing of the soul. This was the healing that Israel needed desperately. All their efforts to keep the Law of Moses failed. So, Jesus made a new covenant with Israel and with all who believe in Him.

In Matthew 26:26-28, “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”

“Thus says the Lord: behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents and have mercy on his dwelling places; the city shall be built upon its own mound, and the palace shall remain according to its own plan.” Jeremiah 30:18

Jacob’s greatest captivity (sin) would end as a result of God’s forgiveness. Their lives would be rebuilt on the abundance of His compassion toward them.

“Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry; I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all who oppress them. Their nobles shall be from among them, and their governor shall come from their midst; then I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach Me; for who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me? says the Lord. You shall be My people, and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:18-22

Israel’s restoration is an outcome of God’s forgiveness and grace. God would bring them back. The Lord is great at saving people from the brink of destruction.

God replaced Israel’s tents with a city on a hill complete with a palace. God’s plan for Israel included filling their hearts with thanksgiving and merriment. Rather than the Israelites being absorbed and dissolved in foreign lands, God would preserve and multiply them.

God promised to punish the foreign leaders who oppressed them. Their future leaders would be from their own people. Their lives and God’s life would be happily intertwined. God had always wanted to be close to them. It took a lot of pain on both sides to eliminate the distance.

Peter, a descendent of Israel, wrote in 1 Peter 1:7, “So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

“Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind; it will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it.” Jeremiah 30:23-24

This whirlwind of fury is an expression of God’s love for His people. Like a mother bear robbed of her cubs, He humbles those who took them captive. He is jealous for His people.

Yes, God chastised Israel. He refined them because He loved them. Deuteronomy 32:10 says, “He [God] found him [Israel] in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” Both Israel and we who believe in Him are the apple of God’s eye. The Lord says in Zechariah 2:8, “He who touches you touches the apple of His eye.”

After tribulation - celebration! In Nehemiah 8:1-10, they enjoyed God and His Word. Not long after that, God appeared among them in human flesh. Emmanuel – God with us!

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel: 

https://youtu.be/52Tj4bX6Dig

[JFCB] Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary

Hope and a Future - Jeremiah 29

False prophets falsely informed the exiles that their stay in Babylon would be short. Hananiah said two years. God inspired Jeremiah to write and tell them the truth.

God is a good communicator. In Exodus 17:14, He asked Moses to write for Him. In Psalm 45:1, He inspired King David to write for Him. In Isaiah 8:1, He asked Isaiah to “take a large scroll and write on it with a man’s pen.” In 1 Corinthians 14:37, Paul wrote, “...The things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” In Revelation 1:11, Jesus said to John, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches...”

When I was a missionary in China, the Lord led me to write monthly letters to friends and family to share with them what the Lord revealed to me from the Bible, as wells as to testify of what was accomplished among the people by God’s grace.

As buckets are able to hold water and make water portable, so words are to thoughts. Words make thoughts transferable.

John 1:1 refers to Jesus as the Word of God. John 1:18 refers to Jesus as the One who declares (Greek – exegetes) the Father. To exegete is to make understandable. Neither I, nor anyone else can rightly declare the Bible apart from Jesus. Hebrews 4:12 says that His Word is living. It lives because Jesus lives in it and through it.

“Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.” Jeremiah 29:1

These people needed a sure word from the Lord. God gave Jeremiah a message. Jeremiah wrote it down. Elasah and Gemariah delivered his letter to the exiles.

Hananiah had prophesied falsely in the Name of the Lord that God would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar within the space of two years. Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Babylon corrected the false hope spread by Hananiah and others.

“(This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)” Jeremiah 29:2

2 Chronicles 36:9 says, “Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

2 Kings 24:8 says that Jehoiachin’s mother’s name was Nehushta. She likely was a bad influence on him since she is mentioned in connection with his doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

Jeremiah wrote his letter to the captives after King Jeconiah, Nehushta, the eunuchs, the princes, the craftsmen, and the smiths arrived in Babylon.

“The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.’” Jeremiah 29:3-6

The exiles did not want to be exiles, but alas, they would be for 70 years.

Though Romans persecuted Christians, Paul encouraged Christians to marry and have children: “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” 1 Timothy 5:14

It takes time to adjust to a new culture. If you are always thinking about returning to your homeland, it will delay your ability to adjust to the new culture. There are four identifiable culture shock stages. The honeymoon phase – everything feels exciting. The frustration phase – the differences feel overwhelming. The adjustment phase – you start adapting. The acceptance phase – You feel at home.

“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7

In Luke 2:14-15, the angelic choir praised and glorified God. They proclaimed peace and goodwill toward people on earth. In Luke 10:5-6, Jesus urged us to speak peace to the homes that we enter. Instead of seeing yourself as an exile, see yourself as an ambassador.

The Lord says to seek the peace of the city and to also to pray to the Lord for it. I find that as I pray for people that the Lord makes ways for me to connect with them and help them.

The Lord urged the exiles not to be deceived by the lies of the false prophets.

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My Name. I have not sent them, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:8-9

The false prophets had deceived the people prior to the exile. Why should they listen to them now? Jeremiah urged them not to listen to them.

“For thus says the Lord: After 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good Word toward you and cause you to return to this place.” Jeremiah 29:10

Those who listened to false prophets and believed false dreams would live in limbo. Those who believed God’s Word would settle down and make the best of their time in Babylon. When the 70 years were complete, God would bring them back to their homeland.

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

God gives to us a future and a hope. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Paul wrote, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” In Revelation 2-3, Jesus promised wonderful rewards to overcomers. Imagine a happily ever after in paradise with God! No lacks, just love!

Jeremiah’s example was to be a yoke fellow with God. To seek God’s kingdom first and His righteousness and let God take care of the rest.

“Instead of hoping for and desiring a speedy return to Jerusalem, the exiles had every reason to thank God that they were spared the horrors of the last days of Jerusalem. Surely, God had thoughts of good concerning them, and not evil!” [2]

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12

When peace replaced hostility, they began to talk with God. God heard them. Their prayer life developed. Daniel was an exile. Daniel 6:10 says, “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God.”

The Holy Spirit developed my prayer life as I served Jesus in China. The more I prayed to Him, the more He worked in and through me. After a while, my fellowship with Jesus became more precious to me than my homeland.

“And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:13-14

In 2 Chronicles 15:1-2, Azariah the prophet said to King Asa, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”

2 Chronicles 15:8-15 says that Asa “took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land...” He and his people sought the Lord and “the Lord was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.”

21 years later, King Asa was no longer leaning on the Lord as he did before. The Spirit of God moved Hanani to say to him in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

Don’t let your fire for the Lord go out.

“Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’—therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity –thus says the Lord of hosts: behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth—to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, because they have not heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:15-19

Previously, the Lord had said that the wooden yoke which Hananiah broke, would become an iron yoke (Jeremiah 28). An iron yoke symbolized the sword, famine, pestilence and curse that would pursue the rotten figs (people) that remained in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 24). The good figs were they in Babylon. God urged them not to turn back at this time, but to wait.

“Therefore hear the Word of the Lord, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My Name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’ because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My Name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed, I know, and am a witness, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:20-23

Ahab and Zedekiah prophesied lies in the Name of the Lord. They were taken as captives to Babylon and then executed.

Before the exile began, some of Israel’s kings and religious leaders adopted the pagan practice of sacrificing children by fire to idols. Perhaps, these men were a part of that.

The Lord had told Jeremiah that in the place where the people had burned their children they would be burned (Jeremiah 7). Ahab and Zedekiah were roasted in fire.

In Matthew 23:5-15 and Luke 20:27, Jesus said that the religious leaders liked the best places, best titles and best recognitions, but they made their followers fit for hell.

In Romans 16:17-18, Paul wrote, “I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”

“You shall also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: you have sent letters in your name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, ‘The Lord has made you priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, so that there should be officers in the house of the Lord over every man who is demented and considers himself a prophet, that you should put him in prison and in the stocks. Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who makes himself a prophet to you? For he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, this captivity is long; build houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat their fruit.’ Now Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.” Jeremiah 29:24-28

Shemaiah wanted Jeremiah silenced and removed from sight. Shemaiah told the priests in Jerusalem that he was now in Jehoiada’s position. Shemaiah wanted demented prophets (namely Jeremiah) arrested, imprisoned and placed in wooden stocks.

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the high priest, but to Shemaiah, he was an insurrectionist because he had told the people in Babylon to build houses, plant gardens and eat their fruit.

“Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: ‘Send to all those in captivity, saying, thus says the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I have not sent him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie—therefore thus says the Lord: behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his family: he shall not have anyone to dwell among this people, nor shall he see the good that I will do for My people, says the Lord, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord.’” Jeremiah 29:30-32

Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hananiah, Ahab, Zedekiah and Shemaiah were four men who wanted nothing to do with taking God’s Word to foreign nations. They tried to persuade those who did to quit. A big mistake!

When I first spoke of going to China, people tried to dissuade me. Thankfully, a Christian singer named Keith Green wrote a track in 1982 that was entitled, “Why YOU should go to the Mission Field.” Keith said unless God has called you to America, He has already called you to the mission field. He said that Jesus was speaking to all His followers when He said, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” (Mark 16:15)

I am so thankful that God called me to take the Gospel to China. I look back fondly on those years. I enjoyed serving Jesus there so much that my heart broke to return to America.

God said to the Jews in Babylon that His plans for them were good plans. They would enjoy their service if they settled down and submitted to His will. In due time, they would have peace. In due time, their presence among the Babylonians would make a positive difference.

The Lord greatly used Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Babylon. God moved King Nebuchadnezzar to promote Daniel and his three friends above others in Babylon.

When King Nebuchadnezzar tried to execute Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for refusing to bow to his idol, the Lord intervened. They walked out of the fire unharmed. Not so, the false prophets Zedekiah and Ahab. They roasted in his fire.

In Daniel 3:29-30, after Nebuchadnezzar saw God’s servants walk out of the fire unharmed, he made a decree saying “that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces...”

Some of God’s people in Babylon might have viewed their time there as unacceptable, but that is not how those who walked with God saw it. God had said, ‘Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have sent you.’ “Nebuchadnezzar did not take them to Babylon. God sent them there. The exiles were not captives – they were missionaries.” [3]

May the Lord Jesus grant to you and me the grace to be like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. May we bloom wherever we are planted by the Lord! In a little while, we will be together with the Father in paradise. Praise the Lord!

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel: 

https://youtu.be/pAa2dyIDCcU

[1] Dr. Theo Laetsch, Bible Commentary Jeremiah, Concordia Paperback Edition, 1965, ©, page 231; Bible references: 2 Kings 22:2, 12; 2 Chronicles 34-35; Jeremiah 26:24

[2] Dr. Theo Laetsch, Bible Commentary Jeremiah, Concordia Paperback Edition, 1965, ©, page 234, 236

[3] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 414-415

Prophesying Rightly - Jeremiah 28

Hananiah’s message was popularly embraced. Whose church would you rather go to? Jeremiah preached Babylonian captivity. Not very seeker-friendly! Hananiah, on the other hand, told you what you wanted to hear. In soothing tones, he promised freedom from troubles. His name means “the Lord is gracious.”

In Jeremiah 27:2, “Jeremiah did what God told him to do. He made the kind of yoke a farmer uses to hitch oxen to a plow. He made it out of straps and crossbars, hung it around his neck, and paraded about the temple. The point of his object lesson was that all nations must come under the yoke of the king of Babylon.” [1]

“And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, ‘Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon, says the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” Jeremiah 28:1-4

Hananiah told sinners what they wanted to hear. Are you rebellious? Not a problem. Are you defiant? No worries! He predicted that God would change their circumstances for the better even if they continued in their idolatrous ways.

“Christians do not talk about God’s judgment because they enjoy it. The only reason we teach these things is because the Lord Jesus Christ teaches them in the Bible.” “Leslie Newbiggin accurately states, ‘It is one of the weaknesses of a great deal of contemporary Christianity that we do not speak of the last judgment and of the possibility of being finally lost.’” [2]

1 Thessalonians 5:3 warns us, “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

“Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, ‘Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the Lord’s house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place.’” Jeremiah 28:5-6

“What should we do when people in our own culture reject the hard truths of God’s Word? Francis Schaeffer explains that the situation has not changed very much, if at all, since the days of Jeremiah: ‘Any man who thinks he can speak truly of the things of God today into such a culture as our own and not have such words spoken against him is foolish. It is not possible.’” [3]

How does one respond to a popular movement that is not from God? Hold your tongue? Let your anger flare? People liked what Hananiah had to say, but he had essentially called God and Jeremiah liars. How did Jeremiah respond? At first, Jeremiah’s response was docile. He replied “Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied...”

But Jeremiah’s secondary response was not docile. He warned them.

“Nevertheless hear now this Word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: the prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms—of war, disaster, and pestilence. As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the Word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent.” Jeremiah 28:7-9

Hananiah spoke of unconditional prosperity. Jeremiah points out that the Biblical prophets who preceded them prophesied of judgments. That was the norm! They would have to wait and see if Hananiah’s prophecy came to pass because it did not line up with the Biblical pattern.

Fulfillment is the valid proof that a prophecy is from God according to Deuteronomy 18:22.

1 Corinthians 14:32-33 says, “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” If a man utters words that do not line up with the Word of God, and if the Holy Spirit unsettles the hearts of those who hear him, then, no one should immediately act on his words.

In Acts 17:11, the Bereans received the Apostle Paul’s message with great eagerness, but still “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

“Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’ And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.” Jeremiah 28:10-11

Jeremiah did not respond to Hananiah’s theatrics. He walked away. However, before Jeremiah got very far, the Word of the Lord came to him again.

“Now the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ‘Go and tell Hananiah, saying, thus says the Lord: you have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron.’” Jeremiah 28:12-13

If people rejected Jeremiah’s lighter and breakable wooden yoke (Babylon), their rejection would yield a heavier and unbreakable iron yoke, namely, loss of God’s care and provisions.

Jeremiah spoke in accordance with Deuteronomy 27:47-48, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”

“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also. Jeremiah 28:14

Nebuchadnezzar prefigures the antichrist of the last days. According to Revelation 13:16-17, the antichrist of the last days will “force all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.”

Hananiah prefigures the false prophets amidst God’s people in that future time. They derive their messages from what they perceive people want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 says, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” Jeremiah 28:15-17

Jeremiah told Hananiah to his face that he was a false prophet. Hananiah had falsely predicted that within two years the yoke of Babylon would be broken. Jeremiah rightly predicted that Hananiah would die within two years.

Babylon’s yoke was not broken. Hananiah died two months later. He uttered his prophecy in the fifth month. His death took place in the seventh month. It is eternally dangerous to contradict God’s Word. See Jeremiah 28:1-17 for more details.

Deuteronomy 18:20 says, “A prophet who presumes to speak in My Name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the Name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

In Revelation 22:18-19, the Lord says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”

In Matthew 24:11, when the disciples of Jesus asked Him for signs of the end times, the first sign that He gave to them was, “Many false prophets will rise and deceive many.”

Beware of movies that are supposedly “Christian” but add, subtract and change what the Bible says. They slip lies into the script. In 1 Kings 22:14, the prophet Micaiah was asked to speak what a king wanted people to hear. He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.”

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name and in Your Name drive out demons and in Your Name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’”

God provides for us a clear guideline to discern the authenticity of a prophetic word. Revelation 19:10 says, “The Spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.”

In John 5:43, Jesus said to the deceived religious people of His day, “I have come in My Father’s Name, and you do not accept Me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” A true prophet testifies for God in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Who are the false prophets of our days?

We are in a battle for truth. False religions include Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Atheism, Ancestor worship, Mary worship, and Pagan mysticism.

Mormons believe a lie that an angel gave their founder extra revelation. Galatians 1:18 says, “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a Gospel other than the one, we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!”

Hananiah’s name means “the Lord is gracious.” The Lord is gracious, but not to liars who pose as His servants.

Jesus warned people of hell numerous times in the Gospels. Accurate doctrine is of vital importance. In Matthew 8:12, He described hell as a place of “outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. In Matthew 13:42, as “a furnace of fire!” In Matthew 18:8, as a place of “eternal fire!” In Mark 9:43, as an “unquenchable fire!” In Mark 9:48, as a place, “Where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”

We need to be yoked to truth not lies.

Ephesians 5:6 says, “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus urged us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me....” Jesus wore the yoke the Father gave to Him. His yoke symbolizes fellowship with the Heavenly Father.

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel: 

https://youtu.be/hFO51XaJJ8k

[1] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, `Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 397-399

[2] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 397-399

[3] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 400, 405

Yoked To The Lord - Jeremiah 27

“In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this Word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, thus says the Lord to me: make for yourselves bonds and yokes, and put them on your neck.” Jeremiah 27:1-2

Previously, the Lord gave Jeremiah visions of an almond tree blooming and a boiling pot tipping over. He led him to put a sash in a hole between rocks. The Lord led him to a potter’s house to watch the potter do his work. He led him to lead others to a dump where there were broken shards of clay. Now, the Lord requires him to make bonds and yokes for six kings including his own king.

A yoke is a piece of equipment, most often a wooden bar, used to connect and control two animals, like oxen, to work together for tasks such as plowing fields or hauling loads.

The Lord gave Jeremiah the right words to say. Ambassadors had come to Jerusalem to conspire against Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke (according to Pherecydes in Clement of Alexandria [Miscellanies, 567]). The Lord’s command to submit to Babylon’s yoke was sure to provoke these leaders to anger.

“Send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.” Jeremiah 27:3

Jeremiah was to wear one yoke and give yokes to the messengers of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. Messengers had come to Jerusalem to meet with King Zedekiah of Judah. They came to Jerusalem to conspire against Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke. The Lord’s Word for them via Jeremiah was to wear Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke. Serve him!

“The Babylonian Chronicles record that during this period he [Nebuchadnezzar] had to repel an attack by an enemy, put down a revolt among his own people and launch a military campaign against the Syrians. So, with King Zedekiah as their ringleader, the downtrodden nations of the Middle East gathered in Jerusalem to plot the downfall of Babylon.” [1]

“And command them to say to their masters, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel—thus you shall say to your masters: I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.” Jeremiah 27:4-5

God created the universe by His great power. Jeremiah tells his king and the ambassadors that their gathering is pointless because God already appointed Babylon to rule over them. Psalm 75:6-7 says, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another.”

Psalm 75:8 says, “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is fully mixed, and He pours it out; surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.” This particular cup is full of God’s fury. God gives it to proud people who refuse to recognize and to profess their need of a relationship with Him the one true God.

“And now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field I have also given him to serve him.” Jeremiah 27:6

The Lord gave Nebuchadnezzar horses to carry his soldiers, oxen to pull his supply wagons, and livestock to keep his people well fed. Since God’s people and their neighbors rejected Him, He placed them under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule for a season.

“So all nations shall serve him and his son and his son’s son, until the time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall make him serve them.” Jeremiah 27:7

Jeremiah’s message to Israel’s neighbors was that God could decide their destinies. He did not have to consult them. It did not matter if they liked His decision or not. He was Creator. His decrees would stand. He declared, “All nations shall serve him, his son and his son’s son.”

Nebuchadnezzar had four successors: 1) Evil-Merodach his son; 2) Neriglissar his son-in-law; 3) Labosodarchod his daughter’s son; and 4) Belshazzar Evil-Merodach’s son. Neriglissar and Labosodarchod were not in the direct male line; so Jeremiah’s prophecy held good. The nations did serve Nebuchadnezzar, his son Evil-Merodach and his grandson Belshazzar.

“And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish, says the Lord, with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.” Jeremiah 27:8

Yokes were for dumb ox and stubborn donkey kings. They refused to serve God. They would not budge an inch. So, God sent sword, famine and pestilence against them. Sword, famine and plague are God’s typical triplets for plundering a nation’s prosperity.

“Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, You shall not serve the king of Babylon. For they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land; and I will drive you out, and you will perish. Jeremiah 27:9-10

Jeremiah warned those who preferred a different message than God’s Word not to do so. God was the only one who cared for their everlasting souls. If the coming calamities were as cars about to crash into them, God was the voice shouting, “Look out!” “Move!”

When God said to serve Nebuchadnezzar, He meant to do as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did in the Book of Daniel. They submitted to Nebuchadnezzar’s God given authority, but they did not worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar set up for his glory. They preferred to die physically rather than to deny God and lose their souls eternally.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s loyalty to God prefigures the mindset of the saints in the last days. Revelation 13:7 says, “It was granted to him [the antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” He overcame their earthly bodies but not their eternal souls.

Revelation 12:11 says, “They overcame him [the accuser of the brethren] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

“But the nations that bring their necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let them remain in their own land, says the Lord, and they shall till it and dwell in it’” Jeremiah 27:11

The words “serve” and “till,” (cultivate) are from the same Hebrew root word. God was essentially saying if you serve Babylon’s king, the land will serve you. [2]

“I also spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, ‘Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live!’” Jeremiah 27:12

“Breaking away from obedience to God never brings freedom; instead, it brings slavery to some harsh taskmaster. The gentle yoke of obedience was to be replaced by the brutal yoke of oppression, service to God by servitude to Nebuchadnezzar.” [3]

“Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the Lord has spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; for I have not sent them, says the Lord, yet they prophesy a lie in My Name, that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.” Jeremiah 27:13-15

Why do we ever listen to the words of liars and not to the Lord’s? It was the serpent’s lies to our first parents, Adam and Eve, that robbed them and us of paradise. When the condemned thief next to Jesus on the cross asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom, Jesus replied to him in Luke 23:43, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” The devil robs people of paradise. Jesus restores people to paradise.

“Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie to you.’” Jeremiah 27:16

According to 2 Chronicles 36:5-7 and 2 Kings 24:13, the “vessels of the Lord’s house” had been carried away to Babylon during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah.

“Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? But if they are prophets, and if the Word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon.” Jeremiah 27:17-18

The false prophets, diviners, dreamers, soothsayers, and sorcerers could have prayed day and night, but God would not have answered them. God’s Word was not in them. The devil’s lies were! Some say, “Have faith,” but do not say “Faith in who or what?” A person can be sincere but be sincerely wrong. I can trust a hen to lay an egg, but not to save my everlasting soul. Only God can do that!

We are in a spiritual warzone. Put on the battle gear of the Lord from Ephesians 6:14-17:

The whole armor of God

Gird your waist with truth

Breastplate of righteousness

Footwear of the Gospel of peace

Shield of faith

Helmet of salvation

Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word)

“For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem: They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them, says the Lord. Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.” Jeremiah 27:19-22

The pillars, the sea, the carts and vessels of the temple are still in Jerusalem. However, the Babylonians are coming back. They will loot the temple and burn it down. The pillars, the sea and ten carts of the temple were made with bronze. Some of the temple vessels were made of gold, but others were bronze. The sheer quantity of bronze used for these items was “beyond measure.”

The two bronze pillars at the front of the temple stood 27 feet high with decorative capitals on them adding an additional 4.5 feet to their height. The sea was a massive circular basin used by the priests for washing. The sea rested on the backs of 12 bronze oxen. The Babylonians broke the larger items up and carried all these treasures away to Babylon. (2 Kings 25:8-17)

In Jeremiah 7:3-4, the Word of the Lord to the people of Jerusalem was, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.”

The people were trusting that by entering a building that they built with their hands, God would be satisfied. Not so, the Lord was looking for His likeness! God made us in His image. We lost that image when our first parents sinned.

God was seeking the fruit of His presence in them, namely, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) God restores His image in us when we embrace Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and are born anew by His indwelling Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 26:59-61, the accusations that were brought against Jesus by two false witnesses was that He said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.” Jesus was referring to His death and resurrection.

Prior to being stoned by religious leaders, the Christian martyr Stephen proclaimed in Acts 7:48, “The Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands.”

In Acts 17:24-25, Paul told his Athenian listeners, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

Do our finest buildings and our most extravagant rituals impress God? He created and sustains the whole universe! What about forgiveness? Yes, that pleases God. What about love? Yes, that pleases God! What about faith? Yes, Jesus marveled at the Roman Centurion’s faith in Matthew 8:8-10. These things please God because they require us to be in a relationship with Him.

The truth speaker’s goal is to break false beliefs and build true faith.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “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.”

Attached is a link to a power point version of this article which I have recorded on my YouTube channel: 

https://youtu.be/uUDK-A_L2rg

[1] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 392

[2] Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary

[3] Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations from Sorrow to Hope, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, © 2001, p. 393