Has there even been a people or nation so stubborn as Israel? No matter what the Lord said or promised them, they refused to obey. This is true after the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon. They did not heed God's word that they would prosper in exile, instead they continued to take matters into their own hands. First they killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the King of Babylon. Then they abandon the land for safety in Egypt in spite of Jeremiah's warning.
"O remnant of Judah, the LORD has told you, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the LORD your God and said, 'Pray to the LORD our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.' I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the LORD your God in all he sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle." - Jer. 42:19-22 NIV
It was a fatal mistake. There was nothing ,in any fiber of their being, that wanted to trust in God's provision. Once they were in Egypt, they resumed their own ways and started worshipping the gods of Egypt and the 'Queen of Heaven' and flaunting that worship in front of Jeremiah and the Lord. Jeremiah realizes that they are without hope. A remnant will be saved, but it will not be those who fled to Egypt, or trusted their own actions or in any other gods.
"Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, "As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives." For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs. - Jer. 44: 25-28 NIV
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Jeremiah 37-40: The Right Right Way
No matter what Jeremiah says, the kings and the people remaining in Jerusalem will not listen to him. The ones who have not surrendered to the Babylonians are still trying to hold on to the glory days, but they are gone. Every time Jeremiah tries to tell them that disaster is coming, they throw him in prison or down a cistern. King Zedekiah finally gives some credence to what Jeremiah has been saying all along, but even then, he tries to hide it from the other officials left in the city, because they will kill Jeremiah if he mentions defeat. Their bread is running out, the Babylonians are building a siege ramp to enter the city, and the Babylonian army is on the move. Yet they still believe they can survive. Zedekiah's request, that Jeremiah pray to God for them, comes too late. The city is stormed and burned. Zedekiah's sons are all killed and he is blinded and led into captivity along with the rest of those who remained in the city. Only the poor, working the fields, remained. The king and all of those in positions of influence had it all wrong.
It is better to surrender than be taken captive,
Better to be poor than rich,
Better to trust in God than in any noble leadership.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.- Proverbs 14:12 KJV
It is better to surrender than be taken captive,
Better to be poor than rich,
Better to trust in God than in any noble leadership.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.- Proverbs 14:12 KJV
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Jeremiah 34-36: Freedom
As the last days of Israel wind down, there are many stories of the people, some of them are stories of trust and others are not. The story of freedom for the slaves is one of the latter. The people made a covenant with King Zedekiah to set the slaves free. This should not have been something difficult for Israel since, as part of their covenant with God, they were always to celebrate a Year of Jubilee every fifty years when the land returned to it's rightful owners and every seven years they were supposed to set any fellow Hebrew slaves free. But the people remaining in Jerusalem had long since stopped trusting in God and trusted only in their own power and position. So they reneged on their covenant with King Zedekiah and once more enslaved the ones who had been set free. God's message to them was if they would not proclaim freedom to their slaves, God would proclaim freedom to them. Sounds like they were getting a bargain, but the freedom God was giving them would last their lifetime.
"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD -'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine." Jer. 34:17 NIV
They were going to be free. God was going to lift his hand from them and they would be free to suffer the consequences of their actions. Freedom, especially from God, has it's price.
"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim 'freedom' for you, declares the LORD -'freedom' to fall by the sword, plague and famine." Jer. 34:17 NIV
They were going to be free. God was going to lift his hand from them and they would be free to suffer the consequences of their actions. Freedom, especially from God, has it's price.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Jeremiah 32-33: The Deed is Sealed
Jeremiah is being held prisoner in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah because Zedekiah didn't like what he prophesied about Jerusalem being handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. However, if Zedekiah had observed Jeremiah closely, he would have seen that the Lord was not promising total destruction, instead he was promising restoration. To illustrate, God told Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin, Hanamel, and "Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.' - Jer. 32:14-15 NIV
Therein lies the promise, that the deed, sealed in a jar, would be needed someday, because the people in exile would be coming back. Jeremiah could see what Zedekiah could not, that nothing was to difficult for the Lord to bring about.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jer. 32:17 NIV
And therein lies our promise as well. The deed has been sealed. Only this time, it is the king who will be coming back to a people still living in exile from the world, as it was created to be.
Therein lies the promise, that the deed, sealed in a jar, would be needed someday, because the people in exile would be coming back. Jeremiah could see what Zedekiah could not, that nothing was to difficult for the Lord to bring about.
"Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jer. 32:17 NIV
And therein lies our promise as well. The deed has been sealed. Only this time, it is the king who will be coming back to a people still living in exile from the world, as it was created to be.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Jeremiah 30-31: God's Never Ending Love for Israel
What Israel's enemies have failed to see down through the centuries is that they are nothing more than pawns in the hands of God. Any punishment that they have delivered to Israel has been the Lord's doing, not their own. And while all of the nations of the earth may abandon Israel, God will never do so. Not only that, but there will come a time when Israel will not abandon God.
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. - Jer. 31:33 NIV
Lest anyone gets weary of waiting, or thinks the restoration of Israel will never come to pass, God's promise is as steady and sure as the world that we know.
This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:
"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,"
declares the LORD,
"will the descendants of Israel ever cease
to be a nation before me." - Jer. 31:35-36 NIV
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. - Jer. 31:33 NIV
Lest anyone gets weary of waiting, or thinks the restoration of Israel will never come to pass, God's promise is as steady and sure as the world that we know.
This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:
"Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,"
declares the LORD,
"will the descendants of Israel ever cease
to be a nation before me." - Jer. 31:35-36 NIV
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Jeremiah 28-29: Surrounded by Voices of Hope
There are now two groups of Israelites: those remaining in Jerusalem and those in exile in Babylon. There are also two different groups of prophets: those who prophesy that the fortunes of Jerusalem will turn in a couple of years and the exiles will return, and Jeremiah who delivers God's word to the exiles to settle down, marry, have children and grandchildren and pray for the prosperity of the city to which they were exiled.
Jeremiah sees what the others cannot see. He sees that the prophets promise a false hope to those still trying to hold on to the life they have known. And at the same time, he sees a future for those who have let go of the past and submitted to God's punishment of being exiled. Jeremiah gives the exiles Gods promise of something to look forward to:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." - Jer. 29:11-14 NIV
Captivity is not always the worst thing. Sometimes that's where the only true hope lies.
Jeremiah sees what the others cannot see. He sees that the prophets promise a false hope to those still trying to hold on to the life they have known. And at the same time, he sees a future for those who have let go of the past and submitted to God's punishment of being exiled. Jeremiah gives the exiles Gods promise of something to look forward to:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." - Jer. 29:11-14 NIV
Captivity is not always the worst thing. Sometimes that's where the only true hope lies.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Jeremiah 25-27: The Cup of God's Wrath
God's command to Jeremiah:
"Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
" 'The LORD will roar from on high;
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,' "
declares the LORD.
This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Look! Disaster is spreading
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth." - Jer. 25:30-32: NIV
Just as Jeremiah prophesied, Israel was taken into captivity, along with many of their neighboring countries by the Babylonians. Eventually, Babylon, the nation that destroyed Israel, was destroyed as well.
Sometimes it's difficult to know if these words of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah apply only to Israel's day or to days to come. It really doesn't matter. The bottom line is this: If God's people are not faithful, he will raise up an enemy to destroy them. And lest anyone think that the enemy God uses is so almighty and powerful, that very same enemy will also meet their destruction at the hand of God some day. Evil always gets it's just reward. God's wrath is always poured out on the wicked. It may not be in our time frame, but it always happens.
"Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them:
" 'The LORD will roar from on high;
he will thunder from his holy dwelling
and roar mightily against his land.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
shout against all who live on the earth.
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD will bring charges against the nations;
he will bring judgment on all mankind
and put the wicked to the sword,' "
declares the LORD.
This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Look! Disaster is spreading
from nation to nation;
a mighty storm is rising
from the ends of the earth." - Jer. 25:30-32: NIV
Just as Jeremiah prophesied, Israel was taken into captivity, along with many of their neighboring countries by the Babylonians. Eventually, Babylon, the nation that destroyed Israel, was destroyed as well.
Sometimes it's difficult to know if these words of the Lord from the mouth of Jeremiah apply only to Israel's day or to days to come. It really doesn't matter. The bottom line is this: If God's people are not faithful, he will raise up an enemy to destroy them. And lest anyone think that the enemy God uses is so almighty and powerful, that very same enemy will also meet their destruction at the hand of God some day. Evil always gets it's just reward. God's wrath is always poured out on the wicked. It may not be in our time frame, but it always happens.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Jeremiah 23-24: Two Baskets of Figs
God wasn't finished with Israel. He wasn't so much fed up with the people as he was with those in positions of authority: the kings, the shepherds, the prophets and priests. The kings had abused their privilege, the shepherds failed to care for the sheep, the prophets led the people astray, and the priests were ungodly.
God used two baskets of figs to illustrate for Jeremiah the difference between the godly and the ungodly. The good figs were very good, but the bad ones were so bad they could not be eaten. The good figs were those exiled to Babylon who would be under the watchful eye of the Lord until the day when a remnant would return to Israel. The bad figs were the king of Judah, the officials, all those who had been in power and who had led the people astray. For them there was no hope.
God used two baskets of figs to illustrate for Jeremiah the difference between the godly and the ungodly. The good figs were very good, but the bad ones were so bad they could not be eaten. The good figs were those exiled to Babylon who would be under the watchful eye of the Lord until the day when a remnant would return to Israel. The bad figs were the king of Judah, the officials, all those who had been in power and who had led the people astray. For them there was no hope.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Jeremiah 21-23: Beyond Hope
There does come a time when God is fed up with his people, with the kings and their followers. As the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, marches on Jerusalem, Zedekiah asks Jeremiah to ask the Lord if he will '"perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us." - Jer. 21:2 NIV
But it is too late, the people have gone too far. This is the end of the line for Judah. God tells him that the only hope is to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, but no matter what they do, Jerusalem is lost. "People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?' And the answer will be: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.' " - Jer. 22:8-9 NIV
Zedikiah has seen his two brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, who preceded him as king, as well as his nephew, Jehoiachin, taken captive and sent to another land from which they will never return. The people of Israel will now pay the price for their years of excess and disobedience.
I warned you when you felt secure,
but you said, 'I will not listen!'
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
The wind will drive all your shepherds away,
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness. - Jer. 22:21-22 NIV
There comes a time when it is too late to plead for God's forgiveness; to run to him for mercy. All the warnings have gone unheeded, and now it is to late.
But it is too late, the people have gone too far. This is the end of the line for Judah. God tells him that the only hope is to surrender to Nebuchadnezzar, but no matter what they do, Jerusalem is lost. "People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?' And the answer will be: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.' " - Jer. 22:8-9 NIV
Zedikiah has seen his two brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, who preceded him as king, as well as his nephew, Jehoiachin, taken captive and sent to another land from which they will never return. The people of Israel will now pay the price for their years of excess and disobedience.
I warned you when you felt secure,
but you said, 'I will not listen!'
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
The wind will drive all your shepherds away,
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness. - Jer. 22:21-22 NIV
There comes a time when it is too late to plead for God's forgiveness; to run to him for mercy. All the warnings have gone unheeded, and now it is to late.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Jeremiah 19-20: Jeremiah's Predicament
Poor Jeremiah. He hears the word of the Lord and feels compelled to deliver God's message to the people. So when God says go to the Valley of Hinnom, which lies outside the city of Jerusalem, and buy a clay pot he does so. There he proclaims the word of the Lord, and demonstrates God's promise by breaking the jar.
Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned sacrifices in it to gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. - Jer. 19:3-6 NIV
You would think that would make the people tear their clothes and repent, but instead they beat Jeremiah and left him in the stocks overnight. So Jeremiah runs to the Lord.
O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived;
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me
Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the LORD has brought me
insult and reproach all day long. - Jer 20:7-8 NIV
Unlike the people of Israel, who cannot be faithful, Jeremiah has no choice but to be true to God.
But if I say, "I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in:
indeed, I cannot. Jer. 20:9 NIV
Jeremiah knew that the only way to endure the fiery wrath of God was to have his fire burning in his heart.
Listen! I am going to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned sacrifices in it to gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent. They have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call this place Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. - Jer. 19:3-6 NIV
You would think that would make the people tear their clothes and repent, but instead they beat Jeremiah and left him in the stocks overnight. So Jeremiah runs to the Lord.
O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived;
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me
Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the LORD has brought me
insult and reproach all day long. - Jer 20:7-8 NIV
Unlike the people of Israel, who cannot be faithful, Jeremiah has no choice but to be true to God.
But if I say, "I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in:
indeed, I cannot. Jer. 20:9 NIV
Jeremiah knew that the only way to endure the fiery wrath of God was to have his fire burning in his heart.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Jeremiah 18: In the Hands of the Potter
God sends Jeremiah down to the potters house to watch the potter work with the clay. What he sees is the potter shaping a pot that will not do what he wants it to do. So the potter takes that clay off of the wheel and starts all over again.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. - Jer. 18:6-10 NIV
We would do well to heed these words. Not just collectively, as a nation, but as individuals as well. We are nothing but clay in the potters hand. If we're soft and pliable, if we let him shape us as he wants, we can become a useful vessel. But, if our nature is more like hard, unmalleable, clay, God may dash us to pieces and start all over again.
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. - Jer. 18:6-10 NIV
We would do well to heed these words. Not just collectively, as a nation, but as individuals as well. We are nothing but clay in the potters hand. If we're soft and pliable, if we let him shape us as he wants, we can become a useful vessel. But, if our nature is more like hard, unmalleable, clay, God may dash us to pieces and start all over again.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Jeremiah 15-17: Blessed is the Man
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve." - Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV
Jeremiah knew that the answer to pleasing or displeasing God was a matter of the heart. While most of the time, our actions belie what is in our heart, some of us have become very skillful at portraying one thing while harboring conflicting thoughts in our secret, inmost being. Frequently, the heart matter that we hide the most involves where we put our trust. As God said through Jeremiah, 'one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.' (Jer. 17:5) It was so obvious with the Israelites. They built altars and high places to other gods and made agreements with other nations for protection from their enemies. Now we trust more in our government, education, savings or possessions to take care of us.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." - Jer. 17:7-8 NIV
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
"I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve." - Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV
Jeremiah knew that the answer to pleasing or displeasing God was a matter of the heart. While most of the time, our actions belie what is in our heart, some of us have become very skillful at portraying one thing while harboring conflicting thoughts in our secret, inmost being. Frequently, the heart matter that we hide the most involves where we put our trust. As God said through Jeremiah, 'one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.' (Jer. 17:5) It was so obvious with the Israelites. They built altars and high places to other gods and made agreements with other nations for protection from their enemies. Now we trust more in our government, education, savings or possessions to take care of us.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit." - Jer. 17:7-8 NIV
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Jeremiah 11-14: Why Do the Wicked Prosper?
Poor Jeremiah. What a terrible time to be a prophet. The one godly king, Josiah, meets an untimely death, which affected Jeremiah so that he composed laments for the people to sing. Once Josiah was gone, and his wicked sons took the throne, any semblance of godliness was gone as well. Then Jeremiah learns that the men of Anathoth were plotting against him and threatening to kill him if he won't stop prophesying. It's no wonder he went to God with his complaint.
You are always righteous, O LORD,
when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
You have planted them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts. - Jer. 12:1-2
Why do the wicked prosper? God's answer to Jeremiah was for Jeremiah to go buy a linen belt and after he had worn it, to stuff it in a crevice in a rock and leave it. Naturally, when Jeremiah went back to retrieve it at God's command, it was ruined. That is what is going to happen to Israel, God told Jeremiah. 'They will become totally useless. The people are going to be filled with drunkenness, lust and adultery. But that will all change when drought takes over the land and there will be no water to drink, no grass for the cattle, no food. The prophets who say nothing bad will happen are lying. And even your prayers, Jeremiah, will not stay my hand.' 'Is there no hope?' Jeremiah finally asks the Lord. 'Have you completely rejected Judah?' Jeremiah cries a cry of repentance for all of Judah, but they have gone too far. The wicked who prospered so, who thought they were immune to any disaster, will be no more.
You are always righteous, O LORD,
when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?
You have planted them, and they have taken root;
they grow and bear fruit.
You are always on their lips
but far from their hearts. - Jer. 12:1-2
Why do the wicked prosper? God's answer to Jeremiah was for Jeremiah to go buy a linen belt and after he had worn it, to stuff it in a crevice in a rock and leave it. Naturally, when Jeremiah went back to retrieve it at God's command, it was ruined. That is what is going to happen to Israel, God told Jeremiah. 'They will become totally useless. The people are going to be filled with drunkenness, lust and adultery. But that will all change when drought takes over the land and there will be no water to drink, no grass for the cattle, no food. The prophets who say nothing bad will happen are lying. And even your prayers, Jeremiah, will not stay my hand.' 'Is there no hope?' Jeremiah finally asks the Lord. 'Have you completely rejected Judah?' Jeremiah cries a cry of repentance for all of Judah, but they have gone too far. The wicked who prospered so, who thought they were immune to any disaster, will be no more.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Jeremiah 9-10: If You Are Going To Boast
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD. - Jer. 9:23-24 NIV
We boast of all the wrong things. We whip out pictures of our children or grandchildren. We inflict our friends with video's of our most recent trip or post the pictures on Facebook. We decorate ourselves to the nines and then demurely say, "O, this old rag." We brag on the restaurants we have attended or the meals we have cooked. We brag on the schools our children have attended and their accomplishments. We parade our job titles as medals. We flaunt the charities where donate our time and or money. And in the end, it is all rubbish. Nothing more than wood, hay and stubble.
And all the while, we have something that we can truly boast of, although most of us are too hesitant or shy. We can boast in the Lord. We can boast that he is kind, just and righteous. We can boast that we are his and He is ours. We can boast that he knows and understands us...to the depth of our being, he understands us. Our folly, our foibles, our fears and failures. He knows us and he delights in us.
But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2 Cor. 10:17-18 NIV
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD. - Jer. 9:23-24 NIV
We boast of all the wrong things. We whip out pictures of our children or grandchildren. We inflict our friends with video's of our most recent trip or post the pictures on Facebook. We decorate ourselves to the nines and then demurely say, "O, this old rag." We brag on the restaurants we have attended or the meals we have cooked. We brag on the schools our children have attended and their accomplishments. We parade our job titles as medals. We flaunt the charities where donate our time and or money. And in the end, it is all rubbish. Nothing more than wood, hay and stubble.
And all the while, we have something that we can truly boast of, although most of us are too hesitant or shy. We can boast in the Lord. We can boast that he is kind, just and righteous. We can boast that we are his and He is ours. We can boast that he knows and understands us...to the depth of our being, he understands us. Our folly, our foibles, our fears and failures. He knows us and he delights in us.
But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2 Cor. 10:17-18 NIV
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Jeremiah 7-8: False Religion
The children of Israel had abandoned the ancient paths. They were trusting in something other than what God intended. They were trusting in flashy words. They were trusting in other gods. They were trusting that their sacrifices were enough. But they weren't. Jeremiah's words from the Lord to Israel were harsh.
" 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. - Jer. 7:2-8 NIV
Even today, we need to be saved from our illusions, that our worship, our sacrifices, our actions are enough. God has made it very clear how we are to live. Anything else is just false religion.
" 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!" If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. - Jer. 7:2-8 NIV
Even today, we need to be saved from our illusions, that our worship, our sacrifices, our actions are enough. God has made it very clear how we are to live. Anything else is just false religion.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Jeremiah 5-6: Stand at the Crossroads
Israel during Jeremiah's time was at a crossroads, literally and figuratively. One of the reasons the land that Israel occupied was fought over so in ancient times was that it stood at the crossroads of civilization. People coming from the north or east had to go through Israel to get to Egypt and vice versa. The spice trains, the lumber, the jewels, all were carried through that area, and whoever controlled the area controlled commerce.
The people of Israel were at a crossroads with their God as well. They had given control of their lives over to other gods, and they were at a point where they had to choose which route they were going to take. Jeremiah's pleas first to the people and then to the leaders fell on deaf ears.
So I will go to the leaders
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the LORD,
the requirements of their God."
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds. - Jer. 5:5 NIV
This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
I appointed watchmen over you and said,
'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!'
But you said, 'We will not listen.' - Jer. 6:16-17 NIV
The people felt they were free. It was their life to do with as they pleased. They had broken off the yoke of the Lord and were running after their own course. Instead of choosing the good way, they were heading for disaster, but they didn't want to hear about it.
The people of Israel were at a crossroads with their God as well. They had given control of their lives over to other gods, and they were at a point where they had to choose which route they were going to take. Jeremiah's pleas first to the people and then to the leaders fell on deaf ears.
So I will go to the leaders
and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the LORD,
the requirements of their God."
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
and torn off the bonds. - Jer. 5:5 NIV
This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
I appointed watchmen over you and said,
'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!'
But you said, 'We will not listen.' - Jer. 6:16-17 NIV
The people felt they were free. It was their life to do with as they pleased. They had broken off the yoke of the Lord and were running after their own course. Instead of choosing the good way, they were heading for disaster, but they didn't want to hear about it.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Jeremiah 3-4: The Sound of the Trumpet
Just as there is more than one kind of ruler, the godly and the ungodly, there is more than one trumpet sound. There is the victorious sound of the trumpet of victory and the fearful sound of the trumpet of the approaching enemies. Jeremiah had known both kinds of kings. He had seen the heart of Josiah who longed to follow God, and who tore down the idols and the high places and restored the temple. Jeremiah also saw the hearts of Josiah's three sons, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, as well as Josiah's grandson, Jehoiachin, who succeeded him. He had witnessed their wickedness first hand and delivered God's message to them.
"Tell this to the nations,
proclaim it to Jerusalem:
'A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
They surround her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,' "
declares the LORD.
"Your own conduct and actions
have brought this upon you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!" - Jer. 4:16-18 NIV
Jeremiah delivered God's message to the people, but it broke his heart.
Oh, my anguish, my anguish!
I writhe in pain.
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds within me,
I cannot keep silent.
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;
I have heard the battle cry.
Disaster follows disaster;
the whole land lies in ruins.
In an instant my tents are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment. - Jeremiah 4:19-20 NIV
He heard the trumpet's cry, but it was not one of victory, it was one of approaching disaster.
"Tell this to the nations,
proclaim it to Jerusalem:
'A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
They surround her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,' "
declares the LORD.
"Your own conduct and actions
have brought this upon you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!" - Jer. 4:16-18 NIV
Jeremiah delivered God's message to the people, but it broke his heart.
Oh, my anguish, my anguish!
I writhe in pain.
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds within me,
I cannot keep silent.
For I have heard the sound of the trumpet;
I have heard the battle cry.
Disaster follows disaster;
the whole land lies in ruins.
In an instant my tents are destroyed,
my shelter in a moment. - Jeremiah 4:19-20 NIV
He heard the trumpet's cry, but it was not one of victory, it was one of approaching disaster.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Jeremiah 1-2: Just a Child
Jeremiah's first response to God when he was called to take a message to Israel was that he couldn't speak because he was just a child. But a child's heart was just what the Lord was looking for. A child is totally dependent on his parents. When it comes to the Holy God, that is the only position we can take. Separation always comes, as it did for Israel, when we think we can do it ourselves. That was the message God wanted Jeremiah to give to his people, Israel.
"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water. - Jer. 2:13
Israel needed to become a child again, dependent on their Father, the only source of living water. Dependency on their own power, or any other power would only bring drought.
"My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water. - Jer. 2:13
Israel needed to become a child again, dependent on their Father, the only source of living water. Dependency on their own power, or any other power would only bring drought.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Isaiah 65-66: New Heavens and a New Earth
"Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. - Isaiah 65:17
Not only will we march someday into that magnificent city, Zion, a new Jerusalem, but it will be with a new mind as well. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. All the pain, all the sorrows, all the struggles, all the temptations, all the failures, all the grief, all the anger, all broken dreams, all the failed governments, disgraced politicians and preachers, all the celebrities, all the prized possessions, all of this life as we know it now, will not be remembered. It will not come to mind.
Instead, we will find ourselves where the wolf and the lamb eat together and the lion eats straw like the ox. And most importantly, we will be in the presence of the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the one who is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. - Is 66:15 NIV
We will find ourselves in his presence and will escape his anger, not through any valiant effort of our own, but because we believe in his Son, the one who paid the price and purchased our way into this glorious new kingdom.
"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. - Is. 66:22
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind. - Isaiah 65:17
Not only will we march someday into that magnificent city, Zion, a new Jerusalem, but it will be with a new mind as well. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. All the pain, all the sorrows, all the struggles, all the temptations, all the failures, all the grief, all the anger, all broken dreams, all the failed governments, disgraced politicians and preachers, all the celebrities, all the prized possessions, all of this life as we know it now, will not be remembered. It will not come to mind.
Instead, we will find ourselves where the wolf and the lamb eat together and the lion eats straw like the ox. And most importantly, we will be in the presence of the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the one who is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. - Is 66:15 NIV
We will find ourselves in his presence and will escape his anger, not through any valiant effort of our own, but because we believe in his Son, the one who paid the price and purchased our way into this glorious new kingdom.
"As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me," declares the LORD, "so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me," says the LORD. - Is. 66:22
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Isaiah 63-64: The Work of His Hand
Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people. - Is. 64:4-9
Isaiah's words in Chapter 64, could be our prayer today. They are the words of someone who knows the One who is the source is of all goodness. The only source there has ever been. The One who has given his creation everything they need or wanted, including free will. The One who has had to continually intervene on our behalf. The One who has watched his creation muddy themselves and when they are washed clean, go right out and stomp in the dirt once more. It's no wonder God turns his back on his creation now and then. And yet, he is our Father. We are the clay, He is the Potter.
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
No one calls on your name
or strives to lay hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and made us waste away because of our sins
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people. - Is. 64:4-9
Isaiah's words in Chapter 64, could be our prayer today. They are the words of someone who knows the One who is the source is of all goodness. The only source there has ever been. The One who has given his creation everything they need or wanted, including free will. The One who has had to continually intervene on our behalf. The One who has watched his creation muddy themselves and when they are washed clean, go right out and stomp in the dirt once more. It's no wonder God turns his back on his creation now and then. And yet, he is our Father. We are the clay, He is the Potter.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Isaiah 60-62: The Savior Comes
Someday, perhaps in the not too distant future, all will be changed. It is hard to see it now through the dust and grime of this generation; through the suicide bombings and governmental takeovers, hurricanes and earthquakes, child abuse and drug abuse, public scandal and private heartaches. But in the midst of this we are told:
"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you. - Is. 60:1-2 NIV
And out of the darkness and oppression the the earth has become, will arise a new city. It will be an everlasting city, 'a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.' (Is. 62:5 NIV)
Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.' " - Is. 62:11 NIV
Those are the only words we need to hear....the Savior comes and his reward is with him. None of the noise coming over the airwaves matters...the Savior comes!
"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you. - Is. 60:1-2 NIV
And out of the darkness and oppression the the earth has become, will arise a new city. It will be an everlasting city, 'a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.' (Is. 62:5 NIV)
Pass through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth:
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.' " - Is. 62:11 NIV
Those are the only words we need to hear....the Savior comes and his reward is with him. None of the noise coming over the airwaves matters...the Savior comes!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Isaiah 58-59: A Rebellious People (con't)
Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. - Is. 59:1-4
It's not too late to repent. To change our ways. To start trusting in the Lord God more than we do our ourselves, our prosperity, our possessions, or our nation. God can hear a cry of repentance above all the other clamors of this age. He has seen, he can hear and he will repay.
According to what they have done, so will he repay
wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands their due.
From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD,
and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath of the LORD drives along.
"The Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,"
declares the LORD. - Isaiah 59:18-20
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.
Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity.
They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;
they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. - Is. 59:1-4
It's not too late to repent. To change our ways. To start trusting in the Lord God more than we do our ourselves, our prosperity, our possessions, or our nation. God can hear a cry of repentance above all the other clamors of this age. He has seen, he can hear and he will repay.
According to what they have done, so will he repay
wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes;
he will repay the islands their due.
From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD,
and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory
For he will come like a pent-up flood
that the breath of the LORD drives along.
"The Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,"
declares the LORD. - Isaiah 59:18-20
Monday, August 9, 2010
Isaiah 58-59: A Rebillious People
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?.....
.....Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high. - Is. 58:1-4
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?....
....."If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
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. - Is. 58: 6-10
Did Isaiah foresee that there would be other sun-scorched nations throughout time just like Israel. Nations whose foundations would be in justice and righteousness, but who would through prosperity become self centered and self absorbed to the point that their only concern would be their own well-being, not that of the widow, the orphan, the alien in their midst, or even their own flesh and blood. Did he foresee people who call themselves godly, engaging in quarrels, strife, and abuse, constantly fearful that they might lose something. Did he foresee people who would bring their tithes and offerings from their earnings as a result of exploiting others: slum landlords, payday loan operators, recipients of medicaid fraud, snake oil salesmen, even televangelists.
...to be continued.
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?.....
.....Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high. - Is. 58:1-4
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?....
....."If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
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. - Is. 58: 6-10
Did Isaiah foresee that there would be other sun-scorched nations throughout time just like Israel. Nations whose foundations would be in justice and righteousness, but who would through prosperity become self centered and self absorbed to the point that their only concern would be their own well-being, not that of the widow, the orphan, the alien in their midst, or even their own flesh and blood. Did he foresee people who call themselves godly, engaging in quarrels, strife, and abuse, constantly fearful that they might lose something. Did he foresee people who would bring their tithes and offerings from their earnings as a result of exploiting others: slum landlords, payday loan operators, recipients of medicaid fraud, snake oil salesmen, even televangelists.
...to be continued.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Isaiah 56-57: All Are Welcome
And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD
to serve him,
to love the name of the LORD,
and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant-
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations." - Is. 56:6-7 NIV
While Israel was God's chosen people,He makes it clear that all are welcome to come. Sometimes we set the standards too high for those who would follow God. We give them our own rules and regulations to follow, when all that is required is a heart for God that is contrite and a spirit that has been broken by Him, not by us. Our concern should be that we remove any obstacles, to clear the path so they can see clearly the one and only Truth and the Way.
And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. - Is 57: 14-15 NIV
to serve him,
to love the name of the LORD,
and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant-
these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations." - Is. 56:6-7 NIV
While Israel was God's chosen people,He makes it clear that all are welcome to come. Sometimes we set the standards too high for those who would follow God. We give them our own rules and regulations to follow, when all that is required is a heart for God that is contrite and a spirit that has been broken by Him, not by us. Our concern should be that we remove any obstacles, to clear the path so they can see clearly the one and only Truth and the Way.
And it will be said:
"Build up, build up, prepare the road!
Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people."
For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. - Is 57: 14-15 NIV
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Isaiah 54-55: Random Thoughts
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. - Is. 55:1 NIV
One of the great mysteries of the Christian life is that out of our weakness we become strong. Out of thirst we find refreshment, out of poverty we find plenty. That's difficult for us to understand in this modern age of overabundance where we determine our prosperity by our possessions, not the lack thereof. But the wealth is in the seeking, in the thirst, in the need. While it may not make sense to us, this life of poverty was ordained by God in order that He become our only provision.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near. - Is. 55:6 NIV
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Is. 55:8-9 NIV
The end result of our poverty, if we will allow ourselves to let go, is that we will experience more than we ever imagined:
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. - Is. 55:12 NIV
The offer has been made. The hand is stretching out to quench our thirst and fill up all the empty, dry places.
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. - Rev. 22:17 NIV
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. - Is. 55:1 NIV
One of the great mysteries of the Christian life is that out of our weakness we become strong. Out of thirst we find refreshment, out of poverty we find plenty. That's difficult for us to understand in this modern age of overabundance where we determine our prosperity by our possessions, not the lack thereof. But the wealth is in the seeking, in the thirst, in the need. While it may not make sense to us, this life of poverty was ordained by God in order that He become our only provision.
Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near. - Is. 55:6 NIV
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Is. 55:8-9 NIV
The end result of our poverty, if we will allow ourselves to let go, is that we will experience more than we ever imagined:
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. - Is. 55:12 NIV
The offer has been made. The hand is stretching out to quench our thirst and fill up all the empty, dry places.
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. - Rev. 22:17 NIV
Friday, August 6, 2010
Isaiah 53: Surely, Surely
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? - Is. 53:1 NIV
Who would believe this message anyway. That salvation would come from some wimpy guy who said "Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, pray for those that despite you." and a myriad other radical things. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. - Is 53:2-3 NIV
He was betrayed and abandoned by his closest friends. Those who welcomed him joyously a week earlier became his accusers. And even as he carried our infirmities and sorrows to the depths of hell, everyone thought that God had abandoned him. As we go on our merry way, living our lives as if there were little consequence, he paid the price. God laid all of our sins on his back, to be carried to the grave and forgotten forever.
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? - Is. 53:1 NIV
Who would believe this message anyway. That salvation would come from some wimpy guy who said "Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, pray for those that despite you." and a myriad other radical things. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. - Is 53:2-3 NIV
He was betrayed and abandoned by his closest friends. Those who welcomed him joyously a week earlier became his accusers. And even as he carried our infirmities and sorrows to the depths of hell, everyone thought that God had abandoned him. As we go on our merry way, living our lives as if there were little consequence, he paid the price. God laid all of our sins on his back, to be carried to the grave and forgotten forever.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Isaiah 48- 52: Our God Reigns
Isaiah 52:7
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God. - Is. 52:8-10 NIV
Listen now, can you hear the sound? You have to strain to hear it over the roar of the nations, the jumble of information and the tumult of war. It's the sound of an advancing army that is bringing peace instead of strife. An army that is spreading news that brings rejoicing. Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns!
Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy.
When the LORD returns to Zion,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy together,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the LORD has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The LORD will lay bare his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth will see
the salvation of our God. - Is. 52:8-10 NIV
Listen now, can you hear the sound? You have to strain to hear it over the roar of the nations, the jumble of information and the tumult of war. It's the sound of an advancing army that is bringing peace instead of strife. An army that is spreading news that brings rejoicing. Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns! Our God Reigns!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Isaiah 46-48: God will Sustain
This message was for Israel, but it applies to us today. God will sustain us. He knew us before we were born, and just like Israel, we were chosen. He made a way for us to be grafted in to as his chosen people, and he will always make a way. He will always sustain, carry, and rescue his people. The mighty kingdoms that tried to overcome Israel and all of God's chosen for that matter, from Egypt, to Babylon, to Rome, and even to this present day cannot save. They have nothing to give us. It is the Lord God that sustains, and He alone.
"Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. - Is. 46: 3-4
"Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. - Is. 46: 3-4
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Isaiah 43-44: There is No Other
There is one common theme runnng through all of these chapters. God repeatedly proclaims. "I am the LORD, and there is none else."
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God - Is 43:10-12 NIV
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. - Is. 44:6
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. - Is. 45:5-6
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. - Is 45:18 NIV
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. - Is. 45:22 NIV
No one and no one else. No gods of clay, stone, wood, gold or silver. No kings, princes, emperors, potentates, presidents. There is no other creator, savior, redeemer. There is no other God. Enough said!
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD,
and apart from me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God - Is 43:10-12 NIV
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. - Is. 44:6
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.
That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. - Is. 45:5-6
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. - Is 45:18 NIV
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. - Is. 45:22 NIV
No one and no one else. No gods of clay, stone, wood, gold or silver. No kings, princes, emperors, potentates, presidents. There is no other creator, savior, redeemer. There is no other God. Enough said!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Isaiah 41-42: God Declares a New Thing
Repeatedly throughout Isaiah, the Lord tells Israel not to be afraid, when Israel had every reason to do so. They had descended into godlessness, worshipping the gods of their neighbors in addition to the only true God. Their kings had become corrupt and their enemies were surrounding them. Most of them probably could not see the promised redemption that God spoke of through the prophet Isaiah.
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."
This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
"I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."- Is. 41:1-9 NIV
Like many of us today, the Israelites were blind and captive and could not see the new thing that was springing into being. But the announcement was made and we have seen the first fruit of this promise. From our perspective in history we see more of the former things than the Israelites did in Isaiah's day. We have seen the chosen one, the light for those of us who were not descendants of Jacob. Having seen Him, we should trust God that the rest of his promise will come about as well.
"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."
This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
"I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
"I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."- Is. 41:1-9 NIV
Like many of us today, the Israelites were blind and captive and could not see the new thing that was springing into being. But the announcement was made and we have seen the first fruit of this promise. From our perspective in history we see more of the former things than the Israelites did in Isaiah's day. We have seen the chosen one, the light for those of us who were not descendants of Jacob. Having seen Him, we should trust God that the rest of his promise will come about as well.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Isaiah 39-40: The God of All Comfort
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins.
A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare the way for the LORD
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." - Is. 40:1-5 NIV
One day, this earth and everything upon it, all we have known, all we can comprehend, will be changed. God will spread his presence over the earth and the mountains will crumble, the crooked will be made straight. Everything we see now, everything we worry and fret about will be nothing more than a desert. All tears will be wiped away. A different world will rise up and the glory of the Lord will be revealed. For the mouth of the Lord, the God of all comfort, has spoken it.
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