Zechariah 5 - Problems/Wickedness

I am on vacation; but, no, I did not take a vacation from this Bible Study Blog. It appears that we are missing the days from December 25, 2013 to January 1, 2014. I wrote them, but I also just moved them back over to Jeremiah. Linnea just let me know that somehow after chapter 4 of Zechariah, I jumped back to Jeremiah 5. Guess, I just wanted to stay with this project a year or so longer...! This, I think, is what happens when one leads three evening worship services, gets home at 1 a.m., sleeps for a very few hours, and gets up to focus on anything. I got lost! Forgive me and thank you, Linnea, for helping me to see the problem!

In Zechariah's vision today, the woman sitting in the basket is a major problem! She is "Wickedness." Two angels (women with wings) carry this basket to Babylon (Shinar) to build a house for it. Wickedness is to reside in Babylon, presumably as a punishment for the captivity of God's people.

We all make mistakes. Some can be fixed quite easily; others not so easily. Often, I find myself praying "Please, LORD, let not my mistakes be the cause of trouble or pain for others." On this New Year's Day, let us consider how we will approach this new year. Will we take care not to make mistakes that will damage others?

God's Peace - Pr. J

P.S. If you want to see what I wrote since Christmas morning 'till now you will have to go back and start at July 14th. There you will find double entries for some of the chapters of Jeremiah :)

Jeremiah 52 - In and Out of Exile and Captivity

We have come to the end of the Book of Jeremiah with Chapter 52. Chapter 52 is basically an encapsulated history of the Babylonian Captivity to ensure that we and all who read or hear Jeremiah understand that the Word of the LORD prophesied through Jeremiah was fulfilled. It is a remembering of their history.

It is good to remember the history of the children of Abraham, so that we do not repeat it. Sadly, I think we do continue to repeat it. We follow in the footsteps of Abraham's children, into the wilderness of sin. As we are  strengthened by the hardships, we return to the LORD and to the promised land. And... once, safe in the land, we take for granted the LORD, our God, and back to the wilderness, in exile, we go.

"When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath." (Deut 4:30-31 NIV)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 35 - Faithful As A Rekabite?

Jeremiah is still trying to get the people to change their ways. He is still trying to get them to listen to the LORD and follow in the way that He would have them go.

The Rekabites are used as an example of obedience and faithfulness. This family had been instructed, by their forefather, Jehonadab son of Rekab, never to drink wine, never to build homes for themselves; never to farm; rather, they were to live as nomads in tents and they would continue to live in the land for generations to come serving the LORD. These Rekabites actually listened. Even when Jeremiah tempted them with wine, they refused to drink. They did everything that they had been instructed to do by their forefather and the LORD promised that "Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.” (Jer 35:19)

On the other hand, the rest of the people remained hard-hearted and chose to do what they wanted to do and rejected the way of the LORD, their God, who had delivered them from the hands of Egypt. They rejected Him and would return to captivity.

I'm thinking that Jeremiah's attempts at changing the hearts and minds of these people with threats are going to end up pretty fruitless. Only the LORD can soften their hearts and it will be that they will not be softened until they spend some more time in the wilderness, in exile, in captivity.

I hope that we can all learn from the history of our forefathers... We shouldn't have to be threatened to get us to have faithful hearts. After all, look what the LORD has done for us... delivered us from the bondage of sin, by the precious blood of His own Son.

So why is it that some will be faithful to the way in which they should go and others will not? May God help us to be more like the Rekabites: faithful in the way that we should go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 30 - Good News

So far, Jeremiah has been preaching a lot of warnings, very dire warnings. Today, we have a break and hear a message of good news; good news to bring comfort to the exiled children of God. It is not necessarily good news, though, for the enemies of God's people.

"The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the Lord.” (Jer 30:3 NIV)

It is such good news that the LORD instructs Jeremiah to write it down so that the children of those who are exiled will have hope in the promised day of their reconciliation with their home land. The book that we know to contain the word of God and His will for us does have its share of warnings and prophecies for those who would follow their own way. But, it is full of good news for those who would take the time to hear.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  (Rom 8:27-29)

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 29 - The LORD Has A Plan

The prophet Jeremiah and the false prophet Shemaiah are sending letters between Jerusalem and Babylon. Shemaiah continues to lie about what the LORD says and seeks to do harm to Jeremiah. Jeremiah advises the people who have been exiled to Babylon to settle down and help the city in which they live to prosper for in doing so they too will prosper and in seventy years their families will return to Jerusalem. Shemaiah on the other hand does not offer such wisdom. He gives the people false hope in telling them they only have two years in Babylon and then they will return. If they listen to him, they will be wasting some very precious gifts, not the least of them being years of their time as they do nothing but rebel. Jeremiah promises that the LORD says because Shemaiah persists in preaching rebellion against the LORD; in witnessing falsely to the will of God, that he and his descendants will suffer.

It is sometimes very difficult to accept the LORD's will. Very often, His will is not what we would desire for ourselves. But know this:

"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 on 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)

Take that leap of faith and trust that no matter what you are going through today, the LORD has a plan for you and it is a very good plan - the best!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 24 - Exile or Captivity?

The first wave of exiles or captives are on their way to Babylon. Whether one sees these deportations as exiles or captivities, depends on whose point of view you are looking at it from. Those who are going to Babylon for their good are being exiled. Those who are going to Babylon for their hurt, are captives. In reality they are all exiles and captives at the same time.

But, Jeremiah's vision of two baskets of figs makes it clear that those whose hearts will turn to the LORD will return to the land that He has promised. This exile is for their good in the long run. Those whose hearts are hard against the LORD will suffer greatly in their captivity. They will suffer much harm.

For almost forty years I had felt like I had been exiled. We have moved around quite a bit. I have unpacked into fourteen homes in during that time. I thoroughly enjoyed living in most of those places. It was good. I learned and grew a lot. Finally, I am in the home where I think I will eventually get to die. Every once in awhile the grass looks greener elsewhere (especially when our winters last 'till June), but the thought passes rather quickly and I am content to stay. But, I often wonder if the exile is really over. I am thinking that it is not. The exile is turning out for the good. I may never move away from Aura. But, one day I will go home to the land promised to all who believe. I await the day to enter into the fullness of the Kingdom as I pass through the gateway called death.

Don't worry. I am not suicidal. Rather, I have a great hope in the day when I no longer have to wander through the wilderness of sin, but am welcomed into my Father's home, as He has promised and in His time. As St. Paul wrote to the Philippians from prison: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me." (Philippians 1:21-26 NIV)

Are you an exile or captive? I think it depends completely how you choose to live your life here on earth; freely as a child of God or as a slave to the temptations of the world.

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

Jeremiah 16 - The Warning Relevant For Today?

I am thinking that the LORD sure gave Israel a lot of warning and time to repent before He sent them into exile and captivity in Babylon. He warned them and warned them that the worship of their false gods was going to have some consequences. But, they did not listen to His promise of destruction through Jeremiah. They simply did not understand that they were bringing a curse upon the land and that God knew every one of their actions. There was nothing done in secret that God could not see. He saw it all. He sees it all, even today.

The consequences were going to be bad. Don't bother marrying or having children in that time, they are warned, for your children will die of deadly diseases in the land that you are being exiled to. There will be no joy or gladness in those days.

All had turned away from God. All had done what was evil in His sight. Therefore, the LORD promises to bring them back to Himself. 

“Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name is the Lord." (Jer 16:21)

But, there is hope even in this dire warning. There will be a day as they live in captivity that they will learn to turn to the LORD and they will say: "Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress..." (Jer 16:19) And.. the LORD will restore them to the land which He had driven them from. The LORD will have mercy upon His children who had strayed and desired to be returned to the land (the kingdom) that He had promised them.

Every now and then a few members of my congregation mention that they would like me to try to make the scriptures sound more relevant for today, use a few more personal, timely examples. And... I think, I should probably not go there, by using clear examples. I'm thinking that if I narrow it down more than scripture already has it becomes to easy for everyone to point the finger at someone else. I believe that the exhortations of the LORD through Jeremiah to stop worshipping false idols and turn to the LORD is already quite relevant for today. If we are honest with ourselves, we should be able to see quite clearly the examples in our own lives and the trouble that we are bringing upon ourselves as we seek to serve other gods and to build up little kingdoms of our own. Seek first the kingdom of God... Seek the land that He has promised and care for that land, before you find yourself exiled in a land that holds you in captivity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 74 - Destruction of Temple

Psalm 74 seems to have been written following the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar.  God's people have been taken to Babylon in captivity.  The Psalmist wants to know why, as Almighty as God is, hasn't He acted against those who have desecrated His temple?

Why?  We could ask the same thing, today?  Why is God not acting against those who have made His places of Worship something other than places of prayer, places to worship Him?  Why are men and women allowed to preach false gospels in buildings that were built for His glory? Why does He permit it?  Or, does He? 

Have we, too, been led into captivity and we're so blind to who God is that we don't even know it? Have we turned our backs on Him and we're so blind that we cannot even see that? Have we become God's enemies?

Lot's of questions to ponder as we enter into a new calendar year... May they help us to look within ourselves and turn in a new and renewed direction that will build up His temple, glorifying His Holy Name.

God's Peace - Pr. J