Bible Reading Plan

Category: Jeremiah

  • Jeremiah 42

    Jeremiah 42

    Read Jeremiah 42

    42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatestapproached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”

    4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lordsays and will keep nothing back from you.”

    5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witnessagainst us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”

    7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. 9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 10 ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12 I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’

    13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ 15 then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’

    19 “Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 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.’ 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22 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.”

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter, we read the story of an interaction between a remnant of people who were left as they asked Jeremiah to get a word from the Lord for them. They needed wisdom, unsure of what they should do next and where they should go. Jeremiah heard their request and ensured he would take it before the Lord…and that he would tell them anything and everything God told him in response. He would keep nothing back from them (v. 4). The people then said, regardless of what God said, they would do as He said. But how sincere was that? 

    Verse 7 tells us that after ten days of waiting, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Think about how long those ten days must have felt! This is a great reminder to us that prophets weren’t like genies who could just spout off prophetic words whenever they felt like it–they had to wait on God to reveal a message to them. In his commentary on the book of Jeremiah Adam Clarke, an 18th and 19th century British scholar, said this: 

    “It is evident the prophets could not prophesy when they pleased, any more than the disciples of our Lord could work miracles when they wished. The gift of prophecy and the gift of miracles were both dependent on the will of the Most High, and each of them was given only for the moment; and when the necessity was over, the influence ceased.”

    The message that God gave to Jeremiah was another example of Jeremiah having to deliver tough news to the people asking to hear from God. If they remained in the land (like He had instructed them to do), they would be shown great mercy. However, if they moved on towards Egypt seeking a false sense of safety and security, they would most certainly die as a result of that. It ultimately came down to a matter of their hearts. 

    Jeremiah reminded them that they were the ones coming to him asking for next steps, so if they were to go on to Egypt they would be living hypocritically. He knew, based on their track record, that they would be tempted to go their own way and follow their own fleshly desire for comfort. God saw their hearts and He knew their motives. The same is true for us today.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why? 
    2. Why were Jeremiah’s own words at the end of this chapter so harsh?
    3. Do you ever find yourself going before God with your own plan in mind? How can you live today with open hands, asking God to accomplish His will through you? 

    A Quote

    David Guzik in his Enduring Word commentary had this to say about the end of this chapter:

    “They acted as if they sought the LORD in sincerity and submission, but it was not true. Many still seek God with pretended sincerity, already determined to do what they want to do, and only hoping that God will affirm them in so doing. This teaches the importance of seeking God with a truly submitted heart that will do whatever He tells us to do.”

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  • Jeremiah 41

    Jeremiah 41

    Read Jeremiah 41

    41 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

    4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it,5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cutthemselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.” So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

    10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

    11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. 13 When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

    Flight to Egypt

    16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt 18 to escape the Babylonians.They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

    Go Deeper

    Yesterday, we read that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, one of the Jewish leaders, as governor over the provinces of Judah. People were returning to their homeland even though it was controlled by the Chaldeans. Theologians believe Ishmael was jealous and angry being overlooked for this governorship given to Gedaliah. We read in the previous chapter that Gedaliah was warned by Johanan and other officers, but he refused to believe the evil intended for him. As we read through verses 1-10 today, Ishmael murdered Gedaliah and all his officers and others, and then lied publicly to lead others to believe that the event occurred without his knowledge. 

    In all the cruel and deceitful activity in this chapter, we can still see the hand of God then and His words for us now. First, He protected Jeremiah from death. Although the prophet suffered greatly at the hands of his own people and their enemies, he never stopped speaking God’s word to both. Jeremiah was unwavering in his call and commitment to God, His word, and His people, and we can find this same strength and resolve in our own walk with Christ.

    Second, it was hard to read that even those who humbly returned to mourn, seek the Lord, and worship were not spared. Like Jeremiah, and these humble worshippers, we must never stop our pursuit of God, His will, and His ways no matter our circumstances. This story asks us if we are willing to do the same no matter what we are facing. Jesus, facing the crucifixion, fell on his knees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

    There is no possible way to dismiss the power in this prayer, and it is a prayer for us as well. Jesus overcame death. As we bend the knee to God’s will in our own lives, we are promised His power and strength to overcome in this life along with the promise of eternity in heaven. In Luke 23:42-43, the man hanging on his cross next to Jesus said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise.”  

    Today, let these words comfort and capture your heart no matter what you may be facing. His promises are true and surrendering to His will unleashes the supernatural power you desire and need to overcome anything. To Him be the glory now and forever!

    Questions

    1. What do you think prompted Ishmael to choose to destroy Gedalia?
    2. Why did Gedalia disregard the warning from his officers? Was that wise? Why or why not?
    3. When faced with such extreme circumstances, how can we overcome them? Discuss this with your Life Group.

    A Quote

    Matthew Henry, a 17th century theologian wrote, “The success of villainy is short, and none can prosper who harden their hearts against God. This melancholy history warns us, never to be secure in this world. We never can be sure of peace on this side of heaven. Only those are happy and steady who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.”

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  • Jeremiah 40

    Jeremiah 40

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    Jeremiah Freed

    40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinnedagainst the Lord and did not obey him. 4 But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.” 5 However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”

    Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

    Gedaliah Assassinated

    7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10 I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”

    11 When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countriesheard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

    13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

    15 Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?”

    16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

    Go Deeper

    Many times in the midst of chaos, we look to everything except the Lord. Many times in chaos we follow anything except God’s plan. Jeremiah 40 shows us how following and trusting God’s plan allows us to receive the peace and blessings of God during moments of chaos. This chapter opens with an interesting encounter between Jeremiah and Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard for the Babylonian army. Nebuzaradan is releasing Jeremiah from his chains, Jeremiah was captured with the others following the fall of Jerusalem, and tells Jeremiah “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would (v. 2-3).” Nebuzaradan was not a follower of God, but he still recognized that judgment comes if you continually turn your back on God.

    Following Jeremiah’s release from the chains of captivity, Nebuzaradan gives him a choice. Jeremiah can go to Babylon and live a life under the care of Nebuzaradan, or stay with the people that rejected Jeremiah’s message from God. Nebuzaradan is offering Jeremiah the chance of a lifetime. You can come with me and have everything you can imagine, or stay with the people that rejected you. Jeremiah chooses to live among the poor and those left in the land of Judah. This shows us a lot about the character of Jeremiah. He is not a vindictive person instead he is a person that has chosen to continue to deliver God’s message to the people of Judah.

    Jeremiah chooses to continue to trust in God’s plan. He chooses to stay in the land of his people under the provision of God. Jeremiah 40:5 tells us that Nebuzaradan gives Jeremiah provisions and a present and that Jeremiah goes to Mizpah to live under the leadership of the new governor, Gedaliah.

    While in Mizpah the remnants of the people left in the land of Judah came together. Many of these people were the ones that fled Jerusalem during the siege from the Babylonians. Now they have gathered together and Gedaliah reassures them that they need to serve the Babylonians and everything will be good again. Another amazing scene unfolds as the people are told to harvest wine, summer fruit and olive oil. This not only shows God is once again blessing the people, but also shows us a time of rejuvenation following very hard times for the people.

    Jeremiah 40 goes on to show us how following God’s plan always works out as a blessing for us. Paul writes in Romans 8:28 “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.” Jeremiah is an example of this. His message is rejected by the people, God’s judgment comes to the people, and in the end Jeremiah is back in his homeland and enjoying the blessings of God.

    Questions

    1. What does this chapter teach us about following God’s plan?
    2. How can we apply Jeremiah’s trust in God to our lives?
    3. If you had to make the same choice as Jeremiah, what would you have done?

    Pray This

    Father, help us to follow your plan without hesitation or doubt. In Proverbs you tell us to trust with all our hearts and you will direct our paths, please help us to do that daily.

    Amen.

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  • Jeremiah 39

    Jeremiah 39

    Read Jeremiah 39

    1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.

    5 But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

    8 The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.10 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.

    11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.”13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

    15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. 18 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.’”

    Go Deeper

    In Jeremiah 39, we read the story of the fall of Jerusalem. As had been foretold, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his entire army marched towards Jerusalem and besieged the city (v. 1). They surrounded it, essentially cutting it off from the outside world and preventing the importing and exporting of goods all while taking aim at the walls around the city. After an 18 month siege, the city fell. All of the false prophets who had claimed Judah would come out victorious had been proven false. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was proven to be a prophet speaking on God’s behalf.

    As King Zedekiah tried to escape, eventually Nebuchadnezzar’s army caught up to him. Zedekiah tried to slip away, abandoning his people in the process, only to be captured on the run. Earlier in the book of Jeremiah it had been prophesied that Zedekiah would ultimately meet Nebuchadnezzar face-to-face, and now it was happening. The prophecies of what would happen to Zedekiah’s family if he didn’t listen and repent were also ultimately fulfilled here (v. 6-10). Ultimately, the city of Jerusalem was torched and destroyed. All because of hardened hearts that didn’t want to repent. 

    As for Jeremiah, he was vindicated and his status as a true prophet of God was cemented. The Babylonians cared for and protected Jeremiah, releasing him from prison and allowing him to live among the people once again. And for added measure, Ebed-Melek the Cushite (who we read about in the previous chapter) was preserved and protected for putting his trust in the Lord as well. The story of Ebed-Melek is a powerful one, reminding us that anyone with ears to hear and a willingness to put their faith in God can be in a relationship with Him. 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
    2. Why is the fall of Jerusalem such a significant event? 
    3. Why is the story of Ebed-Melek so important?

    By the Way

    King Zedekiah having his eyes taken out fulfilled a promise God made through Ezekiel before the fall of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 12:13: 

    “I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.”

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  • Jeremiah 38

    Jeremiah 38

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    Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

    38 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

    4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

    5 “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothingto oppose you.”

    6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

    7 But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”

    10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

    11 So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

    Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

    14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

    15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

    16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

    17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’”

    19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

    20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me:22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

    “‘They misled you and overcame you—
        those trusted friends of yours.
    Your feet are sunk in the mud;
        your friends have deserted you.’

    23 “All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.”

    24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. 25 If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ 26 then tellthem, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s houseto die there.’”

    27 All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.

    28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

    The Fall of Jerusalem

    This is how Jerusalem was taken:

    Go Deeper

    Jeremiah 38 occurs in the midst of a complex time for the prophet Jeremiah and the nation of Judah. The nation of Judah is being sieged by the nation of Babylon. This method of attack involved the invading armies surrounding a city and cutting off supplies until there was no food and/or water left in a city and its inhabitants were forced to surrender. The process of surrender often took time and involved the people of the city trickling out slowly until it was weak enough (in numbers or physical strength) to be easily overtaken by the attacking army.  

    This is an important factor in understanding this chapter as we see the atmosphere in the city playing a key role in the events that take place. For example, a motivating factor in Jeremiah being thrown into the cistern was because his message that “whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live” (v. 2) was “discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all of the people” (v. 4).  

    This context is helpful to understand the drastic response to Jeremiah’s teaching, but also makes clear the courage and faith that Jeremiah has to continue speaking the Word of the Lord. Throughout the book of Jeremiah, we have seen the pressure grow hotter in response to the Word of the Lord spoken through the prophet Jeremiah. As the judgment of God becomes closer for the rebellious people of Judah, they become more hostile to Jeremiah’s prophecies.  However, the prophet remains steadfast in his service to the Lord.  

    In the same way, we can see the teachers of the law and the Pharisees grow more and more obstinate against the teaching of Jesus and ultimately determine that He is worthy of death.  For Jeremiah, the leaders of the city attempted to murder him by cowardly throwing him into a cistern to die a slow death and avoid shedding his blood themselves.  

    For Christ, the leaders handed Him over the Romans in hopes that he would be killed for proclaiming Himself as the Son of God and the King of the Jews. After Jeremiah was lowered into the cistern, he was raised up by Ebed-melech (whose name means servant of the king).  Jeremiah was raised to continue proclaiming the Word of the Lord against the people of Judah that were enslaved to their sin. After Jesus was crucified, He was raised up by the power of the Spirit to defeat death and the power of sin once and for all. 

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you most about this chapter?
    2. Do you see anywhere else in this chapter where the setting of war impacts the actions and decisions of the people?
    3. Do you have a faith that could stand up against persecution like Jeremiah?

    By the Way

    This is not the only time a prophet’s life was in danger during a siege. Check out this passage from 2 Kings 6:24-33:

    24 Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. 25 There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.

    26 As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

    27 The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28 Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”

    She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29 So we cooked my son and atehim. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”

    30 When the king heard the woman’s words, he tore his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body. 31 He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”

    32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murderer is sending someone to cut off my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33 While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.

    The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

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  • Jeremiah 37

    Jeremiah 37

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    Jeremiah in Prison

    37 Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim.2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attentionto the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

    3 King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

    4 Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

    6 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’

    9 “This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! 10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

    11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. 13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”

    14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beatenand imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

    16 Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?”

    “Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

    18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? 20 But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”

    21 King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

    Go Deeper

    Jeremiah 37 begins with Zedekiah enthroned as Nebuchadnezzar’s puppet king. Zedekiah asks by messenger for Jeremiah to pray for Judah, an interesting move from a king who does not keep the commandments and ways of the Lord.  

    In Judah, the fear of war intensifies. Zedekiah has, in his desperation, arranged for the king of Egypt to send his army to their aid, betraying Nebuchadnezzar. Babylon’s army, the Chaldeans, have discovered this and now retreat from Judah to fight this new threat. The temporary reprieve seems like deliverance. Zedekiah believes his political moves have saved his nation.  

    Meanwhile, God tells Jeremiah that this retreat is temporary. The king of Egypt will retreat, and Babylon will return to crush Judah. Taking advantage of temporary safe passage, Jeremiah sets out to acquire the field he had purchased at God’s command in chapter 32 as an assurance of future hope. On his way to acquire his field, Jeremiah is captured and assumed to be a deserter. For this crime, he is imprisoned.  

    Days later, Zedekiah brings Jeremiah out of prison, to his house, and questions him secretly. This powerful figure questioning the man of God in secret is a shadow of Nicodemus, the powerful and influential rabbi, questioning Jesus by night, fearing what people thought. Zedekiah asks Jeremiah if there is any word from God. Coming right after he thinks he’s solved everything, this seems like a prideful ask. Has God changed his mind now that Zedekiah has taken matters into his own hands? No, Israel will still fall. The Lord is steadfast. 

    Jeremiah has a follow-up question. Why is he suffering for the truth while false prophets go free? Jeremiah stumbles on this question often—he asks a similar one in chapter 12. Why do the righteous suffer? His frustration with God is relatable, but Jesus has an answer in John 16:33. There is suffering, even for the faithful, while sin is still in the world, but for the glory of God, which will be revealed and understood when He returns.  

    Jeremiah pleads with Zedekiah to have mercy on him, and Zedekiah obliges with a measure of grace. He allows Jeremiah to be imprisoned in the court of the guard rather than at the mercy of who he’d been imprisoned by prior to this. What’s more, Jeremiah receives daily bread until the city starves during the siege. 

    Questions

    1. Jeremiah is on his way to acquire property the Lord asked him to purchase, yet he is captured and imprisoned instead to deliver the Lord’s word to the king. What does this tell you about God’s timing?  
    2. Jeremiah is preoccupied with his own suffering while false prophets suffer. How do you feel about your own suffering?  
    3. Read 1 Peter 4:12-19. How would you counsel Jeremiah in his frustration about his suffering? 

    By the Way

    Jeremiah also wrote Lamentations, an account of his personal grief and weeping during the fall of Judah. Lamentations 3:25-29 speak to the goodness of waiting on the Lord in siege and suffering:  

    “25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
        to the one who seeks him;
    26 it is good to wait quietly
        for the salvation of the Lord.
    27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
        while he is young. 

    28 Let him sit alone in silence,
        for the Lord has laid it on him.
    29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
        there may yet be hope.”

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  • Jeremiah 36

    Jeremiah 36

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    Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

    36 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the wordsI have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhapswhen the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

    4 So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll.5 Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. 6 So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. 7 Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn from their wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

    8 Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. 9 In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. 10 From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

    11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the secretary’s room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll,14 all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. 15 They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

    So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

    18 “Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

    19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

    20 After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him.22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment,with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear,nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.

    27 After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast?” 30 Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’”

    32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

    Go Deeper

    As we read in Jeremiah 36, King Jehoiakim didn’t like the message that was being communicated by Jeremiah (given to him by God). After God told Jeremiah to write this message down on a scroll (v. 1-8), Jeremiah enlisted Baruch to write these words on the scroll as Jeremiah dictated them. At the time, writing was a specialized skill and not everyone was capable of doing so, but Baruch did just what Jeremiah asked him to do (v. 8) and eventually even read the words aloud in the temple, calling for Judah to repent. 

    As the scroll was read first to the people in the temple court, then the royal officials, then ultimately King Jehoiakim, the reaction was…interesting. King Jehoiakim cut off parts of the scroll one at a time “until the entire scroll was burned in the fire” (v. 23). The text tells us that they weren’t fearful and they didn’t tear their clothes (a sign of mourning or despair). We can infer that they simply didn’t want to hear the message God wanted them to hear. 

    The passage ends with God giving another set of instructions to Jeremiah: write it all down again. So Jeremiah enlisted Baruch to help him once again as he spoke the words from God once again. God also promised a judgment on King Jehoiakim because of his actions. Nebuchadnezzar would come from Babylon and destroy Judah, just as God had told Jeremiah would happen. 

    Reading this chapter should stir up a deep appreciation for the unending and enduring power of God’s Word. This story is such a great reminder to us of how the Holy Spirit has preserved these words in these 66 books written by 40 different authors. Even when people (Jehoiakim, in this instance) try to extinguish the word of God, God finds a way to keep it in front of His people. Praise God that we benefit from His Word today.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why? 
    2. What do you know about King Jehoiakim up to this point? Where else has he been referenced in the Old Testament? 
    3. Do you find yourself taking God’s Word for granted? How can you develop a new appreciation for it today?

    Did You Know?

    Pastor David Guzik in his Enduring Word commentary had this note on other notable attempt to destroy the Bible:

    “In AD 300, the Roman emperor Diocletian ordered every Bible burned and they destroyed thousands of Bibles, even just portions of Bibles. A Christian could be killed for just having a Bible. Yet it didn’t work. The next Roman emperor ordered 50 brand new complete Bibles to be made at government expense.”

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  • Jeremiah 35

    Jeremiah 35

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    The Rekabites

    35 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 “Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.”

    3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. 4 I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”

    6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadabson of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonianand Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

    12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. 14 ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. 15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16 The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefathergave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’

    17 “Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.’”

    18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the LordAlmighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ 19 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’”

    Go Deeper

    In Jeremiah 35 God uses a very simple test to show the people of Judah and us what obedience looks like. Unfortunately for the people in Jerusalem, by God using the Rekabite Family as an example of what we should do, it also showed the disobedience of God’s people. Jeremiah is given the task of testing the Rekabite family by inviting them to a room in the temple and setting out bowls of wine and cups. The assumption might be that the family will sit down with Jeremiah and have some fellowship while drinking some wine. However, what God is doing is showing His people what obedience and trust looks like. 

    For many years God has been sending prophets to tell His people to stop running to other gods and trust the God that led you from bondage. Stop conforming to those around you and simply obey the commands that I, the Lord your God has given you. We see all of this plainly in verses 6-11. After Jeremiah tells the family to “Drink some wine” in verse 5. Notice that Jeremiah does not say anything such as The Lord commands you to drink some wine. He simply gives them the opportunity to conform to his request to drink some wine. Then in verses 6-11 we get to see what obedience looks like. 

    The Rekabites tell Jeremiah that their forefathers gave them a command to never drink wine and to live as nomads. They were to never settle down and build a house, but to  live with what God provides them. What a great example to us to trust God enough to obey Him completely. This is totally opposite of what the people of Judah have done for years. They have taken every opportunity to run from God and to trust in the false gods of the land. God is giving them an example of what He wants from His people and yet for years they have turned their back on God.

    As the rest of the chapter unfolds, God gives us the opportunity to see two very different actions that led to two very different outcomes. The obedient Rekabites are blessed in the land and God provides for their every need. Meanwhile, the disobedient people of Judah are awaiting the coming judgment of God. God is again pleading with His people. It’s as if He’s saying, “Please follow the example that I have set before you and I will again forgive you and take care of you. Simply trust and obey me, just like your forefathers did.” Is God pleading for your heart and trust just like the people of Judah?

    Questions

    1. How can we apply the lessons of obedience to our life?
    2. How can we use this story to help us to completely obey God’s commands?
    3. How can we use the story in the ever changing world we live in today?

    Did You Know?

    The famous hymn “Trust and Obey” was written in 1886 after composer Daniel Towner heard a young man stand up at a Dwight L. Moody revival meeting and proclaim “ I am not quite sure–but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey”

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  • Jeremiah 34

    Jeremiah 34

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    Warning to Zedekiah

    34 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiahking of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

    4 “‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas, master!” I myself make this promise, declares the Lord.’”

    6 Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7 while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachishand Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.

    Freedom for Slaves

    8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves.9 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

    12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’ Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me.15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have turned aroundand profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.

    17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.

    21 “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon,which has withdrawn from you. 22 I am going to give the order, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”

    Go Deeper

    Today’s passage is a reminder of the benevolence of our good Father, the power of grace, and the charge we’ve been given in our journey of sanctification.

    Starting in verse four, even amidst God‘s condemnation of Zedekiah, He shows His obvious desire to bless him. Through this we can see that He is not a jealous God that loves to punish, but rather a God that has a righteous anger, desiring so much more for us than for us to dwell in disobedience and sin. We can see the immediate positive impact that this had on Zedekiah by seeing how he responded to God‘s grace by extending it to others by his covenant of proclaiming the overdue freedom for slaves in verse 8. As we see stated later in the passage, this should’ve been occurring on a scheduled basis already, but had failed to be ever enacted. 

    This decree was upheld at first by the people of Judah, but unfortunately, they returned to their ways, seeking out comfort and old patterns. We also do the same thing when God has called us to do something outside our comfort zone. Just like a good parent, our patient and benevolent God chose to punish in this situation, in order for His children to grow from their choices. Although the punishment was daunting, you can see the act of love behind it, just as in the case of his message to Zedekiah earlier in this chapter.

    Also, with these last actions of the people of Judah, we can see a strong message of what we are called to do as followers of Christ. We are called to be steadfast in our spiritual journey including obedience. When God tells us to change, He doesn’t want us looking back. It is a continual long-term process with a permanent result. Sometimes when we are not careful, we may lose ground in trying to be obedient. However, spiritual disciplines such as praying, reading/memorizing scripture, gathering with believers, and others can help us maintain the course!

    It should be a wonderful comfort to us that our God is a God of promises, who holds Himself accountable to His own promises more than he holds us to our promises. Throughout scripture, he continues to uphold his side of the bargain, while being continuously patient with our failures to remain obedient.

    Questions

    1. How could you better share God’s grace to those around you?
    2. How has God blessed your life despite your disobedience?
    3. What aspect of God’s character stirs your affection for Him?

    By the Way

    We discover Zedekiah’s fate in another book of the Bible. Read what it says in 2 Kings 25:7: 

    “Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.”

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  • Jeremiah 33

    Jeremiah 33

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    Promise of Restoration

    33 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: 2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword5 in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

    6 “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

    10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offeringsto the house of the Lord, saying,

    “Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
        for the Lord is good;
        his love endures forever.”

    For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.

    12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the handof the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

    14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

    15 “‘In those days and at that time
        I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;
        he will do what is just and right in the land.
    16 In those days Judah will be saved
        and Jerusalem will live in safety.
    This is the name by which it will be called:
        The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

    17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”

    19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

    23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation.25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

    Go Deeper

    The book of Jeremiah can be outlined as judgment (ch. 1-29), hope (ch. 30-33), and more judgment (ch. 34-52). This chapter promises hope for Israel’s restoration and a reminder of God’s covenant with David. The chapter begins with Jeremiah in prison. King Zedekiah put him in the royal prison for preaching in God’s name that the Babylonians would succeed. The word of the Lord came to him with a message to the people of Israel. The Lord says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (v. 3). Corrie ten Boom, a well-known Christian during World War II, called this verse “God’s phone number.” This is an invitation from God to call out to Him and He will answer us and reveal Himself to us. The God of the universe desires to speak to us, and to tell us great things that we do not know. 

    Israel’s future restoration is detailed in Jeremiah 33. The Lord will bring health and healing to both the people and the land. The Lord will restore and rebuild Israel as it was in former times. The Lord will purify them and forgive them of all their iniquities. The city would be filled with His people singing “His faithful love endures forever” (v. 11). God says, “This city will bear on my behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the prosperity I will give them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them” (v. 9) The nations, through seeing the goodness God has for His people, will come to know Him, and worship Him. 

    We learn a lot about the character of God in this chapter. He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals. He is the God who rebuilds and restores all that’s broken. He brings beauty from ashes and turns sorrow to gladness. He purifies sins and remembers them no longer. He is the God who listens. He hears our prayers, and He answers them. He is the Creator God who wants His creation to intimately know Him. His greatest desire is His glory to be made known amongst all nations of the earth.  

    There is also a reminder of God’s Covenant with David. In 2 Samuel 7, God says he will build David a house, or a lasting dynasty through which the Messiah will come, an eternal kingdom to come through His lineage, and a throne to which will have ultimate authority. The Lord declares that He will fulfill the good promise that He had spoken to Israel. He says, “In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land” (v. 15). The “Righteous Branch” is depicted as a king, and points to King Jesus, who would one day administer justice and righteousness in the land. This is a Messianic prophecy, pointing to Christ! This is a glimmer of hope for the people of Israel, that through the line of David would come a king who will bring forth ultimate salvation on the cross.

    Questions

    1. Jeremiah 33:3 invites us to call out to God and promises that He will answer us and reveal to us things we do not know. How are you responding to this call? Why is daily prayer important? 
    2. What characteristics of God stand out to you in this chapter? 
    3. What is the significance of God’s covenant with David? How does this section point to Jesus, the “Righteous Branch?”

    Listen Here

    Listen to the song “Ruins” by Mav City Music as you reflect on this chapter. 

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