Jeremiah 39 - I Will Rescue You!

"But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord." (Jer 39:17-18 NIV)

You will escape, because you put your trust in me. That was the LORD's message to  Ebed-Melek as Jerusalem was being seized by the Babylonians. King Zedekiah did not escape; even though he tried to run. His sons were caught and killed as well as all the nobles of Egypt. But, this man, Ebed-Melek, was to be saved because of his faithfulness, in that when Jeremiah was put into the cistern by the nobles, Ebed-Melek helped to effect his release from that prospective death. Ebed-Melek would be saved because he trusted in the LORD and was willing to stick his own neck out to do God's will.

We are reminded, in today's reading, that we are saved by faith. We are saved because we trust that God has saved us through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

Jerusalem has been seized. It was surely a dark hour. But, even in this darkness, the light of God's grace shines. "But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields." (vs 10)

The poor people, Ebed-Melek were granted grace in these very dark times. These unknown people, out there somewhere on the fringe, that no one paid much attention to, and had no one to truly trust, but God, were saved and even blessed.

"I will rescue you, declares the Lord; because you trust in me, declares the Lord"

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 38 - Listen and Live

Apparently Jeremiah's preaching is having an effect on King Zedekiah. The officials wants him dead and lower him into a cistern to die. But, Zedekiah hears of it and rescues him. He not only rescues him, he has a private meeting with him wherein he listens to Jeremiah's advise on what he should do in order to live. Jeremiah informs him that if he is to live, he must surrender to the Babylonians

Just because we don't always like someone's advice; just because the end result of someone advice isn't exactly how we would have our future, doesn't mean that we shouldn't listen. It doesn't mean we shouldn't follow that advise. Zedekiah seems (at least in this chapter) to have enough sense to at least listen. We will see in the following chapters what he chose to do: whether to follow Jeremiah's advice and live or ignore it and suffer and die.

Many kings and their kingdoms; many men, women, and children, have fallen for refusing to listen and taking sound advice. Listen to the word of the LORD. Listen to Him and follow in the way that He would have you go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 2 - Return To The LORD

For those of you who have been reading the Bible daily along with this blog, you probably recognize the message of the LORD through Jeremiah. It appears to be pretty predominant in our readings.

 

Return to the LORD and get rid of your false idols! They are worthless!

The LORD says through Jeremiah:
"Has a nation ever changed its gods?
    (Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
    for worthless idols.
Be appalled at this, you heavens,
    and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
“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 2:11-13 NIV)

The water of life is free to all who would receive it, yet we would rather dig our own muddy pits to quench our thirst. Muddy pits never quench the thirst of anyone. So why would we turn to the work of our own hands, the worthless "unwork" of false idols? Why would we sabotage ourselves in this way?

It is such a sad state that we have become our own worst false gods. In this day of everything is about me and for me.... me... me... me... We have deceived ourselves into thinking that we can take care of our own wants and worship God as we lay around on our couches or whatever it is that gives us momentary pleasure and self-reward and that this is not sin. 

The Word of the LORD according to Jeremiah 2:31-35

"“You of this generation, consider the word of the Lord:

“Have I been a desert to Israel
    or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
    we will come to you no more’?
Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
    a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
    days without number.
How skilled you are at pursuing love!
    Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
On your clothes is found
    the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
    though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this
    you say, ‘I am innocent;
    he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment on you    because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’"

Indeed, how many who say they worship the one true and Almighty God would forget their jewelry, yet they forget to give God glory and honor! They forget to worship the One who gave His very life  that we might drink from the waters of life, eat from the tree of life. And, in all this they are arrogant enough to say that it is not a sin.

Return to the LORD and destroy the false images that you worship. They will do nothing for you! They can do nothing! They are worthless! But, the One who can and has, loves you enough to save you by dying for you.

There is just so much more to meditate upon in this second of chapter two of Jeremiah; please don't neglect to read it.

God's Peace - Pr. J