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  • Revelation 4

    Revelation 4

    Read Revelation 4

    The Throne in Heaven

    4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

    In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

    “‘Holy, holy, holy

    is the Lord God Almighty,’

    who was, and is, and is to come.”

    9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

    11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
        to receive glory and honor and power,
    for you created all things,
        and by your will they were created
        and have their being.”

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter, John gets called up into Heaven to actually see what is taking place before the presence of God. What he experiences is obviously a phenomenal sight to behold. He is immediately in the presence of a throne room, and the person on the throne had the appearance of jasper and ruby (perhaps signaling the blood of Jesus). The throne was surrounded by a rainbow, displaying that the one who sits on this throne rules with faithfulness. Then 24 elders encircle the throne, with each elder wearing a crown. 

    This likely means that they were people, as Scripture says we will receive a crown in Heaven. Furthermore, there was lightning and thunder emanating from the throne indicating the one on the throne had tremendous power and should be feared. Four creatures surrounded the throne, one with the face of an ox, one with the face of an eagle, one with the face of a human, and one with the face of a lion. Each face represents 4 of the most powerful creatures that God had formed.

    Once John gets one describing what he sees, he starts to tell us what takes place in this room. The 4 creatures continually ascribe to the one on the throne that He is holy and is everlasting. In response, the elders all give their crowns to the one on the throne and declare that he is worthy of all glory and power.

    John writes this to us not so that we’d have a full picture of Heaven, but that we’d have enough of a picture of Heaven for our need. While we don’t yet have the full ability to grasp what he was able to see, this chapter does give us a vision into the majesty of the presence of God. When we enter into Heaven we’ll be blown away by the grandeur, power, and grace emanating from the throne room. A response to this text, is that we should participate in the worship that is already taking place in Heaven. As the creatures and elders declare the holiness and worthiness of God, we should do the same!

    Questions

    1. What most sticks out to you from this passage?
    2. What do you think would strike you most if you got to see what John saw?
    3. Why do you think this is in Scripture?

    A Quote

     “It is very little that we can know of the future state, but we may be quite sure that we know as much as is good for us. We ought to be as content with that which is not revealed as with that which is. If God wills us not to know, we ought to be satisfied not to know. Depend on it, he has told us all about heaven that is necessary to bring us there; and if he had revealed more, it would have served rather for the gratification of our curiosity than for the increase of our grace.”–Charles Spurgeon

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  • Revelation 3

    Revelation 3

    Editor’s Note

    We began our study on the book of Revelation on Saturday. If you missed it, you can go back and read the preview and first chapter here!

    Read Revelation 3

    To the Church in Sardis

    3 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

    These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

    4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches.

    To the Church in Philadelphia

    7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

    These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open doorthat no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

    11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

    To the Church in Laodicea

    14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

    These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

    19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

    21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

    Go Deeper

    This chapter is a continuation of the messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor. These final messages are given to the churches in Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.  Jesus, through John, addresses each of these congregations and gives them both encouragement and warnings that can give us both hope and guidance as well.

    Sardis was a wealthy city and was well known in the ancient world for its economic success. History tells us, though, that because of this economic success, the people were overconfident. They felt invincible and stopped being watchful of their city which led to them being easily conquered not once, but twice! The first verse of this chapter concludes with “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” The city of Sardis appeared alive and good, but it was overwhelmed and oppressed. Jesus knew that their hearts were the same way. We can learn from the mistakes of the church in Sardis to be watchful of our hearts. Revelation 3:3 says “Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.”

    Philadelphia was a prosperous city because of its location. It was conveniently located on the highway that led from Europe to the East and served as a gateway between the two continents. Jesus says of the church in Philadelphia “I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” They may not have had the mightiest army or the wealthiest economy, but this church was faithful to Jesus and obedient to his word. We can learn from the faithfulness of the church in Philadelphia that, as it says in 2 Corinthians 12:9b, we can “boast all the more gladly of (our) weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon (us).”

    Laodicea was another important and wealthy city. It was fairly modernized with banking establishments, a medical school, and a successful textile industry. What it did not have, however, was an adequate water supply. So when Jesus addresses their church and says “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (3:16) they immediately would have understood what he was talking about. The aqueducts in Laodicea brought hot water from Hierapolis and cold water from the streams in Colossae, but all the water was known to be tepid by the time it arrived in the city. In a spiritual sense, Jesus is addressing this church’s indifference and ability to compromise. We can learn from the tepidness of the church in Laodicea that God desires passion and dependence over apathy and self-reliance.

    This chapter closes with a great invitation. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (v. 20). This is a great reminder and encouragement that Jesus desires fellowship with each and every one of us. Regardless of if we are careless like the church in Sardis, steadfast like the church in Philadelphia, or indifferent like the church in Laodicea our invitation is the same: Listen for His voice and open the door.

    Questions

    1. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” How well do you do at being watchful of your heart?
    2. What characteristics did the church in Philadelphia have that displayed its faithfulness?
    3. Would you characterize your faith as hot, cold, or lukewarm? Why? 

    Did You Know?

    Revelation 3:5 gives believers an amazing promise: “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” 

    The Bible tells us a lot about the importance of us confessing the name of Jesus, but here we are promised that when we get to heaven he will not be ashamed to say our name before the Father! Commentator David Guzik says, “It is important for us to accept Jesus. But it is far more important to know if Jesus accepts us.”

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  • Revelation 2

    Revelation 2

    Editor’s Note

    We began our study on the book of Revelation on Saturday. If you missed it, you can go back and read the preview and first chapter here!

    Read Revelation 2

    To the Church in Ephesus

    2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

    These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right handand walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

    4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstandfrom its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

    7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

    To the Church in Smyrna

    8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

    These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

    11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

    To the Church in Pergamum

    12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

    These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

    14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

    17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

    To the Church in Thyatira

    18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

    These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

    20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

    24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

    26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepterand will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

    Go Deeper

    The Revelation of Jesus is more than a revelatory (apocalyptic) mash-up of prophetic letters and visions from Jesus through angel messengers to the first century church in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). It is a supernatural unveiling of coming events where Jesus promises to intervene in human history, destroy evil, and bring his kingdom. These highly symbolic, repetitive messages were written to encourage faithful perseverance during persecution and instill hope.

    Revelation’s second and third chapters follow John’s introductory greeting and initial vision of Jesus among seven specific churches in specific locations and cultural contexts. Most letters include a description of Christ, a commendation and rebuke from Christ, a remedy, consequences, and promises for those who endure. Revelation 2 includes the first four letters to Ephesus (v. 1-7), Smyrna (v. 8-11), Pergamum (v. 12-17), and Thyatira (v. 18-29).

    Jesus’ first message to the Church in Ephesus, a wealthy Roman port. He describes himself as holding seven stars (angels) and walking among (visiting) seven lampstands (churches) (Revelation 1:20). He commends their doctrinal vigilance amidst corrupting worldly influences and patient endurance during persecution and marginalization from brutal Roman rulers and Jewish neighbors. He encourages the Ephesian church to repent for assimilating pagan culture and commands them to return to their first love for God and others or lose their church. Jesus promises those who repent and persevere (conquerors) will eat of the tree of (eternal) life with leaves for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2).

    Jesus’ second message (v. 8-11) is addressed to the Church in Smyrna, a thriving port with temples dedicated to Greek and Roman deities, including the Ceasar, Zeus, and Athena. Jesus describes himself as the unique first and last God, who died and returned to life. He commends Smyrna’s rich faithfulness in the face of imminent tribulation, imprisonment, and martyrdom. Jesus promises a crown of (eternal) life to conquerors who will transcend the second death of worldly kingdoms.

    In the third message (v. 12-17), Jesus has a two-edged sword (words of life) for the church in Pergamum, a governmental center where Satan (Rome) dwells. He commends them for holding fast through martyrdom, but condemns them for idolatry and sexual immorality. He declares war against those who will not repent. He promises those who persevere sacred food and an exclusive invitation with a new name, like Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, etc. who grappled well with God.

    John records Jesus’ fourth message to the Church in Thyatira, a smaller commercial city known for manufacturing purple (see Lydia in Acts 16). Jesus is described as the omniscient, omnipotent Son of God with eyes of flame and feet of bronze. He knows of the church’s patient endurance and growth but condemns the failure of some to turn from assimilating pagan practices. Those who hold fast are promised just rewards: a morning star (Jesus himself) and dominion over their oppressors (nations).

    Then, as now, the second chapter of Jesus’ Revelation to John repeatedly condemns tolerant adoption of corrupting worldly influences, commends faithful suffering, and promises eternal life for those who repent and faithfully persevere.

    Questions

    1. What messages do you find encouraging? Circle Jesus’ promises and commendations to the seven churches.
    2.  What messages do you find challenging? Underline Jesus’ condemnations of worldly influences in the seven churches.
    3. What messages from Revelation 2 apply to us today? Highlight Jesus’ promises for faithful perseverance.

    By the Way

    The ESV Expository Commentary quotes G.K. Chesterton, “Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.” Recent scholarship summarizes Revelation in one verse: Exodus 20:3. “You shall have no other gods before me.”

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  • Revelation Introduction + 1

    Revelation Introduction + 1

    Revelation Preview

    We are gearing up to read the book of Revelation! For many of us, this can be a book that is daunting and sometimes challenging to read. However, the book of Revelation is in our Bibles for a reason. It was not meant to scare us or give us things to debate, it was meant to instill hope in what the future will hold for those who are in Christ. It’s all about seeing Christ for who He has revealed Himself to be. The Apostle John experienced exile on the island of Patmos during the Roman Emperor Domitian’s reign, and during that time received a vision from the Lord through an angel in AD 94-96. The book was written to the seven churches and has been preserved for us as the living and active Word of God. 

    The message of Revelation is simple: victory! Jesus will reign victorious forever, and those who have trusted in Him will as well. Revelation 1:19 gives us a general outline for the book. The angel tells John, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.” It covers the things which have been seen in the past (chapter 1), the things which are in the present (chapters 2-3), and the things which will take place in the future (chapters 4-22). This book is considered apocalyptic literature; however, it is composed in a letter framework and is filled with prophecy. It is filled with symbolism as a means to describe divine realities that are difficult to put into words. Some of these symbols are tied to the history and geography of the original readers, and they would have understood these as symbols because they are tied to the time period.

    There are various interpretations to the book of Revelation. The idealist (or allegorical) interpretation sees the book as an allegory teaching the triumph of good over evil. The preterist (or past) view believes the book deals with events that took place in early church history. The historical viewpoint sees the book as dealing with events in the entirety of church history, not just the church in John’s Day. The futurist interpretation views the book as mainly eschatological, meaning events that will happen in the future end times.

    It is important to read this book in light of the Old Testament. There are over four hundred references to the Old Testament, where much of the symbolic imagery comes from. If we look back to the Old Testament and how the Israelites were waiting for the Messiah to come, Jesus literally fulfilled hundreds of prophecies in regard to His first coming (which is what we celebrate at Christmas)! Likewise, we can be confident that Jesus will literally fulfill the promises that are made in this book as He makes all things new.  

    This book is filled with mysteries about the things to come. There are visions of worship, three sets of seven judgements (seals, trumpets, and bowls), the final stage of the end of the world, the fall of Babylon, the marriage Supper of the Lamb, Christ’s second return, the setting up of the Millennial Kingdom, and so much more! Revelation gave the people during the time it was written incredible hope. Likewise, it gives us hope now knowing that whatever we are going through, we won’t be going through for long. We know how the story ends: Jesus will one day return and reign in glory, and that’s good news for us today!

    Read Revelation 1

    Prologue

    1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angelto his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

    Greetings and Doxology

    4 John,

    To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

    Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

    To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

    7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
        and “every eye will see him,
    even those who pierced him”;
        and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
    So shall it be! Amen.

    8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

    John’s Vision of Christ

    9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphiaand Laodicea.”

    12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

    17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

    19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right handand of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angelsof the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

    Go Deeper

    Revelation begins giving us an idea of the value of the book, and why we should read it and obey it. It says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (v. 3). This is the first of seven blessings that John mentions in Revelation. There is blessing when we hear the words of this book and obey it.  

    Nancy Guthrie, an author, and Bible teacher, puts it like this: “There is no magical blessing in simply hearing what is revealed in Revelation. There’s no blessing for those who hear it but choose to ignore it, reject it, rebel against it, or simply treat it as fodder for their curiosity. The blessing is for those whose lives are impacted and shaped by what is in it. It changes their priorities. It builds up their courage. It impacts how they spend their money. It leads them to worship in spirit and in truth. It sends them to their knees in prayer. It emboldens their witness. It takes away their fear of death. It fills their imagination and fuels their anticipation of where history is headed, and it shapes their understanding of how their suffering will resolve in the new heaven and the new earth.” This book should change the way that we live today!

    Revelation is all about Jesus from beginning to end. We learn more about the person of Jesus in the book of Revelation than almost any other book in the Bible. Revelation 1 gives us a beautiful picture of our Savior. Take note of some of the descriptions of Jesus in this chapter alone:  

    • The One who is, and who was, and who is to come (v. 4)
    • The faithful witness (v. 5)
    • Firstborn of the dead (v. 5)
    • Ruler of kings on earth (v. 5)
    • Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom of priests (v. 5-6)
    • The One who is coming with the clouds (v. 7)
    • Acknowledged by every tribe and tongue (v. 7)
    • The Alpha and Omega (v. 8)
    • The Almighty (v. 8)
    • Son of Man (v. 13)
    • Clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest (v. 13)
    • Head of white hair (v. 14)
    • Eyes like a flame of fire (v. 14)
    • Feet like burnished bronze and a voice like the roar of many rivers (v. 15)
    • Holds seven stars in His right hand (v. 16)
    • From His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword and His face was like the sun (v. 16)
    • The first and the last (v. 17)
    • The living One (v. 18)
    • The One who died but lives forevermore, and who holds the keys of Death and Hades (v. 18)

    As we journey through the book of Revelation, remember that Jesus is the main focus. Revelation gives us reason to revel in Him and see Him for who He has revealed Himself to be.

    Questions

    1. Make a note of verse 19. How does this verse give us a general outline to the book of Revelation? (Tip: Having an outline is helpful as we study a book like Revelation.)
    2. What does verse 3 tell us to do when it comes to the book of Revelation? Why do you think there is blessing from listening and obeying the words of this book?   
    3. Write down the descriptors of Jesus in this chapter. Which ones stand out to you? What is the significance of this descriptive detail?

    Watch This

    Check out The Bible Project’s video overview of the first half of the book of Revelation! 

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  • Jeremiah 52

    Jeremiah 52

    Read Jeremiah 52

    The Fall of Jerusalem

    52 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. 3 It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.

    Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

    4 So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. 5 The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

    6 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. 7 Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, 8 but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, 9 and he was captured.

    He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 10 There at Riblah the king of Babylon killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah.11 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death.

    12 On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 13 He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 14 The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down all the walls around Jerusalem. 15 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exilesome of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. 16 But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

    17 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. 18 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 19 The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings—all that were made of pure gold or silver.

    20 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bullsunder it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. 21 Each pillar was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; each was four fingers thick, and hollow. 22 The bronze capital on top of one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. 23 There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranatesabove the surrounding network was a hundred.

    24 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. 25 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land, sixty of whom were found in the city.26 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 27 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

    So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 28 This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile:

    in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;29 in Nebuchadnezzar’s eighteenth year,832 people from Jerusalem;30 in his twenty-third year,745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard.There were 4,600 people in all.

    Jehoiachin Released

    31 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison. 32 He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. 33 So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. 34 Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowanceas long as he lived, till the day of his death.

    Go Deeper

    This final chapter of the book of Jeremiah serves as an epilogue of sorts to the rest of the book. Jeremiah’s final words of prophecy were uttered in the previous chapter, then we presume he died. Some scholars believe that Baruch, the faithful scribe we encountered throughout a couple of chapters in the book, wrote the final chapter that concluded the book. Almost every verse in Jeremiah 52 is a prophecy fulfilled from Jeremiah’s time on earth, and the story told in this chapter is a retelling of a story that we can also read about in 2 Kings 24-25. 

    We read the story of Babylon’s final assault on Jerusalem, where the temple was attacked and torn down and the people were brought into exile by the Babylonians. The temple was looted and destroyed (v. 17-23) and many people were executed there on the spot (v. 24-27). Just as Jeremiah had foretold, complete and utter destruction had come upon the land. Reading this final chapter almost serves as a summary of the whole book of Jeremiah and it shows what Jeremiah knew all along: Jeremiah’s words were true because they came directly from God. 

    The final story at the very end of the book is a brief narrative about King Jehoiachin, the heir to the line of David. Jehoiachin is taken out of prison and was treated kindly and with favor. He was treated better than other captives, ate his meals with Evilmerodach (son of Nebuchadnezzar), and was given an allowance every day for the remainder of his life. Jehoiachin serves as the first glimmer of hope that Jeremiah’s prophecies of future restoration would come to fruition. Even in the midst of destruction, we see a message of hope. As followers of Jesus, we can resonate with that message. Even in the midst of chaos and turmoil, we can cling to the hope of Jesus and the trust that He is in the process of reconciling the world to Himself.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why? 
    2. Why do you think the book of Jeremiah ended in this way? 
    3. What did you observe from the story about Jehoiachin at the end of the chapter?

    Watch This

    Now that we’ve reached the end of Jeremiah, go back and watch The Bible Recap’s video overview of Jeremiah. 

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  • Jeremiah 51

    Jeremiah 51

    Read Jeremiah 51

    51 This is what the Lord says:

    “See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
        against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.
    2 I will send foreigners to Babylon
        to winnow her and to devastate her land;
    they will oppose her on every side
        in the day of her disaster.
    3 Let not the archer string his bow,
        nor let him put on his armor.
    Do not spare her young men;
        completely destroy her army.
    4 They will fall down slain in Babylon,
        fatally wounded in her streets.
    5 For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
        by their God, the Lord Almighty,
    though their land is full of guilt
        before the Holy One of Israel.
    6 “Flee from Babylon!
        Run for your lives!
        Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
    It is time for the Lord’s vengeance;
        he will repay her what she deserves.
    7 Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand;
        she made the whole earth drunk.
    The nations drank her wine;
        therefore they have now gone mad.
    8 Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
        Wail over her!
    Get balm for her pain;
        perhaps she can be healed.
    9 “‘We would have healed Babylon,
        but she cannot be healed;
    let us leave her and each go to our own land,
        for her judgment reaches to the skies,
        it rises as high as the heavens.’
    10 “‘The Lord has vindicated us;
        come, let us tell in Zion
        what the Lord our God has done.’
    11 “Sharpen the arrows,
        take up the shields!
    The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
        because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
    The Lord will take vengeance,
        vengeance for his temple.
    12 Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
        Reinforce the guard,
    station the watchmen,
        prepare an ambush!
    The Lord will carry out his purpose,
        his decree against the people of Babylon.
    13 You who live by many waters
        and are rich in treasures,
    your end has come,
        the time for you to be destroyed.
    14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by himself:
        I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,
        and they will shout in triumph over you.
    15 “He made the earth by his power;
        he founded the world by his wisdom
        and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
    16 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
        he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
    He sends lightning with the rain
        and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
    17 “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
        every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
    The images he makes are a fraud;
        they have no breath in them.
    18 They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
        when their judgment comes, they will perish.
    19 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
        for he is the Maker of all things,
    including the people of his inheritance—
        the Lord Almighty is his name.
    20 “You are my war club,
        my weapon for battle—
    with you I shatter nations,
        with you I destroy kingdoms,
    21 with you I shatter horse and rider,
        with you I shatter chariot and driver,
    22 with you I shatter man and woman,
        with you I shatter old man and youth,
        with you I shatter young man and young woman,
    23 with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
        with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
        with you I shatter governors and officials.    24 “Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord.
    25 “I am against you, you destroying mountain,
        you who destroy the whole earth,”
    declares the Lord.
    “I will stretch out my hand against you,
        roll you off the cliffs,
        and make you a burned-out mountain.
    26 No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
        nor any stone for a foundation,
        for you will be desolate forever,”
    declares the Lord.
    27 “Lift up a banner in the land!
        Blow the trumpet among the nations!
    Prepare the nations for battle against her;
        summon against her these kingdoms:
        Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz.
    Appoint a commander against her;
        send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
    28 Prepare the nations for battle against her—
        the kings of the Medes,
    their governors and all their officials,
        and all the countries they rule.
    29 The land trembles and writhes,
        for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand—
    to lay waste the land of Babylon
        so that no one will live there.
    30 Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting;
        they remain in their strongholds.
    Their strength is exhausted;
        they have become weaklings.
    Her dwellings are set on fire;
        the bars of her gates are broken.
    31 One courier follows another
        and messenger follows messenger
    to announce to the king of Babylon
        that his entire city is captured,
    32 the river crossings seized,
        the marshes set on fire,
        and the soldiers terrified.”
    33 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
    “Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor
        at the time it is trampled;
        the time to harvest her will soon come.”
    34 “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us,
        he has thrown us into confusion,
        he has made us an empty jar.
    Like a serpent he has swallowed us
        and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
        and then has spewed us out.
    35 May the violence done to our flesh be on Babylon,”
        say the inhabitants of Zion.
    “May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
        says Jerusalem.    36 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
    “See, I will defend your cause
        and avenge you;
    I will dry up her sea
        and make her springs dry.
    37 Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
        a haunt of jackals,
    an object of horror and scorn,
        a place where no one lives.
    38 Her people all roar like young lions,
        they growl like lion cubs.
    39 But while they are aroused,
        I will set out a feast for them
        and make them drunk,
    so that they shout with laughter—
        then sleep forever and not awake,”
    declares the Lord.
    40 “I will bring them down
        like lambs to the slaughter,
        like rams and goats.
    41 “How Sheshak will be captured,
        the boast of the whole earth seized!
    How desolate Babylon will be
        among the nations!
    42 The sea will rise over Babylon;
        its roaring waves will cover her.
    43 Her towns will be desolate,
        a dry and desert land,
    a land where no one lives,
        through which no one travels.
    44 I will punish Bel in Babylon
        and make him spew out what he has swallowed.
    The nations will no longer stream to him.
        And the wall of Babylon will fall.
    45 “Come out of her, my people!
        Run for your lives!
        Run from the fierce anger of the Lord.
    46 Do not lose heart or be afraid
        when rumors are heard in the land;
    one rumor comes this year, another the next,
        rumors of violence in the land
        and of ruler against ruler.
    47 For the time will surely come
        when I will punish the idols of Babylon;
    her whole land will be disgraced
        and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
    48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
        will shout for joy over Babylon,
    for out of the north
        destroyers will attack her,”
    declares the Lord.
    49 “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
        just as the slain in all the earth
        have fallen because of Babylon.
    50 You who have escaped the sword,
        leave and do not linger!
    Remember the Lord in a distant land,
        and call to mind Jerusalem.”
    51 “We are disgraced,
        for we have been insulted
        and shame covers our faces,
    because foreigners have entered
        the holy places of the Lord’s house.”
    52 “But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
        “when I will punish her idols,
    and throughout her land
        the wounded will groan.
    53 Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens
        and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
        I will send destroyers against her,”
    declares the Lord.
    54 “The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,
        the sound of great destruction
        from the land of the Babylonians.
    55 The Lord will destroy Babylon;
        he will silence her noisy din.
    Waves of enemies will rage like great waters;
        the roar of their voices will resound.
    56 A destroyer will come against Babylon;
        her warriors will be captured,
        and their bows will be broken.
    For the Lord is a God of retribution;
        he will repay in full.
    57 I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
        her governors, officers and warriors as well;
    they will sleep forever and not awake,”
        declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
    58 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
    “Babylon’s thick wall will be leveled
        and her high gates set on fire;
    the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,
        the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”59 This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiahking of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. 60 Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61 He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62 Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.’ 63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. 64 Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’”The words of Jeremiah end here.

    Go Deeper

    The chapter concludes with “The words of Jeremiah end here” (v. 64). The question, then, is where does this story end? The prophecy here continues from Jeremiah 50 with what will become of Babylon and their inhabitants. Babylon has been a golden cup, a rich and glorious empire, a golden city (Isaiah 14:4), a head of gold (Daniel 2:38), filled with all good things, as a cup with wine. Specifically, she had been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand. (Matthew Henry). The Lord had allowed Babylon to force the nations around it to drink from this golden cup. Now Jeremiah’s word from God continues in describing two main ideas, the utter destruction of Babylon and the vindication of the remnant of Israel (v. 10).

    The description is replete with not only the details of who will come as the “destroyer” but how utter the destruction will be. There will be nothing left of any worth, including the inability to use any stone in the land as a cornerstone. In this final piece of poetic prophecy, even the elements of the earth, water, wind, and fire, will be summoned to add to the destruction caused by the armies of the north. Babylon falls from being a golden cup in God’s hand that brought correction to Israel for breaking its covenant with the Lord to a mockery, where no man or bull or crop or water will be left behind.

    Israel has finally reached the end of its time in captivity and is commanded to return home. They are literally told to “Run for your lives and return home (v. 45).” They are described as sheep who had lost their way (and their shepherd) and are to return to the hills and fields– where they can eat their fill and finally be satisfied.

    There is a new covenant coming for this remnant. It will begin with a new shepherd. God’s plan is to restore hope amongst His people by giving them more than a return to the land. He is going to provide them with a living cornerstone, one that is not formed from a stone of the earth and is above the decay and corruption of the world. He is proving, once again, that He is the one true God and the promise keeper who delivered correction and now delivers hope.  

    As Jeremiah’s words end, they still remain. His prophecies and actions continue to teach us that we are to serve the only living God and that He is not only the God of creation but also the God of the future. This God of eternity has once again kept good on his promises, delivered forgiveness of sins. More importantly, in this book, He has paved a way for a new covenant, not written on stones, but written on the hearts of man in all nations.

    Questions

    1. What is God bringing you through right now to bring you back to His will?
    2. What is your hope for your future walk with Christ?
    3. The world offers us cornerstones of all shapes and sizes. How do you keep your faith focused on your living cornerstone?

    Pray This

    Father God,

    Thank you for the prophet Jeremiah and the testimony of his life. Help me to be steadfast to my faith, and to grow it, through the tests and trials I am currently facing. Help me see the light of your love through the lens of hope. Allow me to be satisfied that your grace is sufficient and I will find true happiness through your plans and not my own. I pray this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

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  • Jeremiah 50

    Jeremiah 50

    Read Jeremiah 50

    A Message About Babylon

    50 This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:

    2 “Announce and proclaim among the nations,
        lift up a banner and proclaim it;
        keep nothing back, but say,
    ‘Babylon will be captured;
        Bel will be put to shame,
        Marduk filled with terror.
    Her images will be put to shame
        and her idols filled with terror.’
    3 A nation from the north will attack her
        and lay waste her land.
    No one will live in it;
        both people and animals will flee away.

    4 “In those days, at that time,”
        declares the Lord,
    “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together
        will go in tears to seek the Lord their God.
    5 They will ask the way to Zion
        and turn their faces toward it.
    They will come and bind themselves to the Lord
        in an everlasting covenant
        that will not be forgotten.

    6 “My people have been lost sheep;
        their shepherds have led them astray
        and caused them to roam on the mountains.
    They wandered over mountain and hill
        and forgot their own resting place.
    7 Whoever found them devoured them;
        their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty,
    for they sinned against the Lord, their verdant pasture,
        the Lord, the hope of their ancestors.’

    8 “Flee out of Babylon;
        leave the land of the Babylonians,
        and be like the goats that lead the flock.
    9 For I will stir up and bring against Babylon
        an alliance of great nations from the land of the north.
    They will take up their positions against her,
        and from the north she will be captured.
    Their arrows will be like skilled warriors
        who do not return empty-handed.
    10 So Babylonia will be plundered;
        all who plunder her will have their fill,”
    declares the Lord.

    11 “Because you rejoice and are glad,
        you who pillage my inheritance,
    because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain
        and neigh like stallions,
    12 your mother will be greatly ashamed;
        she who gave you birth will be disgraced.
    She will be the least of the nations—
        a wilderness, a dry land, a desert.
    13 Because of the Lord’s anger she will not be inhabited
        but will be completely desolate.
    All who pass Babylon will be appalled;
        they will scoff because of all her wounds.

    14 “Take up your positions around Babylon,
        all you who draw the bow.
    Shoot at her! Spare no arrows,
        for she has sinned against the Lord.
    15 Shout against her on every side!
        She surrenders, her towers fall,
        her walls are torn down.
    Since this is the vengeance of the Lord,
        take vengeance on her;
        do to her as she has done to others.
    16 Cut off from Babylon the sower,
        and the reaper with his sickle at harvest.
    Because of the sword of the oppressor
        let everyone return to their own people,
        let everyone flee to their own land.

    17 “Israel is a scattered flock
        that lions have chased away.
    The first to devour them
        was the king of Assyria;
    the last to crush their bones
        was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.”

    18 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

    “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land
        as I punished the king of Assyria.
    19 But I will bring Israel back to their own pasture,
        and they will graze on Carmel and Bashan;
    their appetite will be satisfied
        on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead.
    20 In those days, at that time,”
        declares the Lord,
    “search will be made for Israel’s guilt,
        but there will be none,
    and for the sins of Judah,
        but none will be found,
        for I will forgive the remnant I spare.

    21 “Attack the land of Merathaim
        and those who live in Pekod.
    Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,”
    declares the Lord.
        “Do everything I have commanded you.
    22 The noise of battle is in the land,
        the noise of great destruction!
    23 How broken and shattered
        is the hammer of the whole earth!
    How desolate is Babylon
        among the nations!
    24 I set a trap for you, Babylon,
        and you were caught before you knew it;
    you were found and captured
        because you opposed the Lord.
    25 The Lord has opened his arsenal
        and brought out the weapons of his wrath,
    for the Sovereign Lord Almighty has work to do
        in the land of the Babylonians.
    26 Come against her from afar.
        Break open her granaries;
        pile her up like heaps of grain.
    Completely destroy her
        and leave her no remnant.
    27 Kill all her young bulls;
        let them go down to the slaughter!
    Woe to them! For their day has come,
        the time for them to be punished.
    28 Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon
        declaring in Zion
    how the Lord our God has taken vengeance,
        vengeance for his temple.

    29 “Summon archers against Babylon,
        all those who draw the bow.
    Encamp all around her;
        let no one escape.
    Repay her for her deeds;
        do to her as she has done.
    For she has defied the Lord,
        the Holy One of Israel.
    30 Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets;
        all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
    declares the Lord.
    31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,”
        declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    “for your day has come,
        the time for you to be punished.
    32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall
        and no one will help her up;
    I will kindle a fire in her towns
        that will consume all who are around her.”

    33 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

    “The people of Israel are oppressed,
        and the people of Judah as well.
    All their captors hold them fast,
        refusing to let them go.
    34 Yet their Redeemer is strong;
        the Lord Almighty is his name.
    He will vigorously defend their cause
        so that he may bring rest to their land,
        but unrest to those who live in Babylon.

    35 “A sword against the Babylonians!”
        declares the Lord—
    “against those who live in Babylon
        and against her officials and wise men!
    36 A sword against her false prophets!
        They will become fools.
    A sword against her warriors!
        They will be filled with terror.
    37 A sword against her horses and chariots
        and all the foreigners in her ranks!
        They will become weaklings.
    A sword against her treasures!
        They will be plundered.
    38 A drought on her waters!
        They will dry up.
    For it is a land of idols,
        idols that will go mad with terror.

    39 “So desert creatures and hyenas will live there,
        and there the owl will dwell.
    It will never again be inhabited
        or lived in from generation to generation.
    40 As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah
        along with their neighboring towns,”
    declares the Lord,
    “so no one will live there;
        no people will dwell in it.

    41 “Look! An army is coming from the north;
        a great nation and many kings
        are being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
    42 They are armed with bows and spears;
        they are cruel and without mercy.
    They sound like the roaring sea
        as they ride on their horses;
    they come like men in battle formation
        to attack you, Daughter Babylon.
    43 The king of Babylon has heard reports about them,
        and his hands hang limp.
    Anguish has gripped him,
        pain like that of a woman in labor.
    44 Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
        to a rich pastureland,
    I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant.
        Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
    Who is like me and who can challenge me?
        And what shepherd can stand against me?”

    45 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Babylon,
        what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians:
    The young of the flock will be dragged away;
        their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
    46 At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will tremble;
        its cry will resound among the nations.

    Go Deeper

    Today’s passage has a serious mood. The complete and utter destruction that Jeremiah prophesied about is immense and unthinkable! God, through Jeremiah, spends a lot of detail specifying the way in which this will take place, even going as far as to compare Babylon’s destruction to Sodom and Gomorrah. Prior to this, Sodom and Gomorrah have been used as the standard for what is considered as complete and utter destruction! 

    The devastation would be so great that the city “will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate”, despite being a major thriving city! The fact that this was prophesied so many years ahead of the actual event and the absurdity of the level of destruction, just gives further evidence of God’s handiwork. It would be unimaginable to have that sort of declaration given today over one of our major cities and see it come to fruition. To this day, the area that we suspected used to belong to Babylon is still unoccupied. Each year that passes and Babylon remains unoccupied proclaims God’s sovereignty. 

    On another note, this passage should come as a warning that even though God is using us, it does not mean we are following His will. God used  Babylon to enact His will, but ultimately He punished them since they were only a tool and not a follower. The seriousness of sin still requires punishment! God holds to His promises and will not let sin go unpunished! Although the punishment may not be immediate or the way we would expect, it will surely come. 

    However, it should bring us great comfort to know the extreme measures that God will go to in order to retrieve His people, and He is a promise keeper. To give even more credence to His worthiness, this chapter showed proof of His ability to see thousands of years into the future! This is the God that deserves our hearts! For this reason, be careful what or who takes your heart captive. As with Judah and the Israelites, what started off as their hearts becoming captive led to them physically becoming captive.

    Questions

    1. What consistently gets more attention than our time with God?
    2. When you spend time with God what are you normally distracted by or thinking about?
    3. Think about the answers above. Are these things holding your heart more than God?

    Watch This

    Check out this video from The Bible Project called “Three Ways to Choose to Live in Babylon.”

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  • Jeremiah 49

    Jeremiah 49

    Read Jeremiah 49

    A Message About Ammon

    49 Concerning the Ammonites:

    This is what the Lord says:

    “Has Israel no sons?
        Has Israel no heir?
    Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad?
        Why do his people live in its towns?
    2 But the days are coming,”
        declares the Lord,
    “when I will sound the battle cry
        against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
    it will become a mound of ruins,
        and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
    Then Israel will drive out
        those who drove her out,”
    says the Lord.
    3 “Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed!
        Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
    Put on sackcloth and mourn;
        rush here and there inside the walls,
    for Molek will go into exile,
        together with his priests and officials.
    4 Why do you boast of your valleys,
        boast of your valleys so fruitful?
    Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,
        you trust in your riches and say,
        ‘Who will attack me?’
    5 I will bring terror on you
        from all those around you,”
    declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
    “Every one of you will be driven away,
        and no one will gather the fugitives.

    6 “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
    declares the Lord.

    A Message About Edom

    7 Concerning Edom:

    This is what the Lord Almighty says:

    “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
        Has counsel perished from the prudent?
        Has their wisdom decayed?
    8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
        you who live in Dedan,
    for I will bring disaster on Esau
        at the time when I punish him.
    9 If grape pickers came to you,
        would they not leave a few grapes?
    If thieves came during the night,
        would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
    10 But I will strip Esau bare;
        I will uncover his hiding places,
        so that he cannot conceal himself.
    His armed men are destroyed,
        also his allies and neighbors,
        so there is no one to say,
    11 ‘Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive.
        Your widows too can depend on me.’”

    12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cupmust drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”

    14 I have heard a message from the Lord;
        an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
    “Assemble yourselves to attack it!
        Rise up for battle!”

    15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,
        despised by mankind.
    16 The terror you inspire
        and the pride of your heart have deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rocks,
        who occupy the heights of the hill.
    Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s,
        from there I will bring you down,”
    declares the Lord.
    17 “Edom will become an object of horror;
        all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
        because of all its wounds.
    18 As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown,
        along with their neighboring towns,”
    says the Lord,
    “so no one will live there;
        no people will dwell in it.

    19 “Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets
        to a rich pastureland,
    I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
        Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
    Who is like me and who can challenge me?
        And what shepherd can stand against me?”

    20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,
        what he has purposed against those who live in Teman:
    The young of the flock will be dragged away;
        their pasture will be appalled at their fate.
    21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;
        their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
    22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down,
        spreading its wings over Bozrah.
    In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors
        will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

    A Message About Damascus

    23 Concerning Damascus:

    “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed,
        for they have heard bad news.
    They are disheartened,
        troubled like the restless sea.
    24 Damascus has become feeble,
        she has turned to flee
        and panic has gripped her;
    anguish and pain have seized her,
        pain like that of a woman in labor.
    25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
        the town in which I delight?
    26 Surely, her young men will fall in the streets;
        all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
    27 “I will set fire to the walls of Damascus;
        it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.”

    A Message About Kedar and Hazor

    28 Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon attacked:

    This is what the Lord says:

    “Arise, and attack Kedar
        and destroy the people of the East.
    29 Their tents and their flocks will be taken;
        their shelters will be carried off
        with all their goods and camels.
    People will shout to them,
        ‘Terror on every side!’

    30 “Flee quickly away!
        Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,”
    declares the Lord.
    “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you;
        he has devised a plan against you.

    31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
        which lives in confidence,”
    declares the Lord,
    “a nation that has neither gates nor bars;
        its people live far from danger.
    32 Their camels will become plunder,
        and their large herds will be spoils of war.
    I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places
        and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
    declares the Lord.
    33 “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals,
        a desolate place forever.
    No one will live there;
        no people will dwell in it.”

    A Message About Elam

    34 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah:

    35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:

    “See, I will break the bow of Elam,
        the mainstay of their might.
    36 I will bring against Elam the four winds
        from the four quarters of heaven;
    I will scatter them to the four winds,
        and there will not be a nation
        where Elam’s exiles do not go.
    37 I will shatter Elam before their foes,
        before those who want to kill them;
    I will bring disaster on them,
        even my fierce anger,”
    declares the Lord.
    “I will pursue them with the sword
        until I have made an end of them.
    38 I will set my throne in Elam
        and destroy her king and officials,”
    declares the Lord.

    39 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam
        in days to come,”
    declares the Lord.

    Go Deeper

    As we near the end of Jeremiah, in this chapter we read of several of Jeremiah’s oracles and prophecies that he spoke over certain nations regarding the judgment by God that was headed their way. Jeremiah addresses (in order) the Ammonites, the Edomites, those living in Damascus, two tribes that had previously been attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar, and Elam. While each of these judgments might seem random or disconnected, there was a purpose behind each of them. 

    For example, the Ammonites’ sin was their desire for self sufficiency. They wanted to operate separate from God, as if they needed nothing to do with Him. The Ammonites took pride in their natural resources, so they thought of themselves as invincible. Instead, they would be attacked and brought low. The Edomites’, however, had a different sin struggle. These descendents of Esau could trace their dislike of Israel all the way back to the sibling rivalry between Jacob and Esau.Charles Feinberg, a twentieth century scholar, said their “cardinal sin was its pride manifested in its unrelenting and violent hatred of Israel and its rejoicing in her misfortune.” Damascus, like the others, had cursed Israel and now God was cursing them, just as he had promised.

    Reading this passage, you can see the different ways different sins lead entire groups of people to death. As we read this today, we can try and personalize this text and see which group of people we most identify with. Are we prideful? Do we seek security in our money or earthly wisdom? Do we think we’re able to outrun God and his judgment? Each one of us will see safety or security in someone other than God. Let this passage serve as a reminder to love and pursue God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

    Questions

    1. What stuck out to you on your first read through this chapter? Why?
    2. Did you learn anything new about any of the nations/tribes described in this chapter? 
    3. If you were to personalize this chapter and identify how you’re prone to sin like the Ammonites, Edomites, etc., which one would you choose and why?

    A Quote

    “Wealth did not save the Ammonites. They were not able to buy their way out of judgment. Wisdom did not save the Edomites, nor did their military might. Fame did not save the Arameans because God is no respecter of persons. Independence did not save the Bedouin; God found them in the wilderness and destroyed them just the same. Weapons did not save the Elamites.”–Philip Ryken 

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  • Jeremiah 48

    Jeremiah 48

    Read Jeremiah 48

    A Message About Moab

    48 Concerning Moab:

    This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:

    “Woe to Nebo, for it will be ruined.
        Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured;
        the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered.
    2 Moab will be praised no more;
        in Heshbon people will plot her downfall:
        ‘Come, let us put an end to that nation.’
    You, the people of Madmen, will also be silenced;
        the sword will pursue you.
    3 Cries of anguish arise from Horonaim,
        cries of great havoc and destruction.
    4 Moab will be broken;
        her little ones will cry out.
    5 They go up the hill to Luhith,
        weeping bitterly as they go;
    on the road down to Horonaim
        anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
    6 Flee! Run for your lives;
        become like a bush in the desert.
    7 Since you trust in your deeds and riches,
        you too will be taken captive,
    and Chemosh will go into exile,
        together with his priests and officials.
    8 The destroyer will come against every town,
        and not a town will escape.
    The valley will be ruined
        and the plateau destroyed,
        because the Lord has spoken.
    9 Put salt on Moab,
        for she will be laid waste;
    her towns will become desolate,
        with no one to live in them.
    10 “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!
        A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed!
    11 “Moab has been at rest from youth,
        like wine left on its dregs,
    not poured from one jar to another—
        she has not gone into exile.
    So she tastes as she did,
        and her aroma is unchanged.
    12 But days are coming,”
        declares the Lord,
    “when I will send men who pour from pitchers,
        and they will pour her out;
    they will empty her pitchers
        and smash her jars.
    13 Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh,
        as Israel was ashamed
        when they trusted in Bethel.
    14 “How can you say, ‘We are warriors,
        men valiant in battle’?
    15 Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded;
        her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,”
        declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
    16 “The fall of Moab is at hand;
        her calamity will come quickly.
    17 Mourn for her, all who live around her,
        all who know her fame;
    say, ‘How broken is the mighty scepter,
        how broken the glorious staff!’
    18 “Come down from your glory
        and sit on the parched ground,
        you inhabitants of Daughter Dibon,
    for the one who destroys Moab
        will come up against you
        and ruin your fortified cities.
    19 Stand by the road and watch,
        you who live in Aroer.
    Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping,
        ask them, ‘What has happened?’
    20 Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered.
        Wail and cry out!
    Announce by the Arnon
        that Moab is destroyed.
    21 Judgment has come to the plateau—
        to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath,
    22     to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim,
    23     to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon,
    24     to Kerioth and Bozrah—
        to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
    25 Moab’s horn is cut off;
        her arm is broken,”
    declares the Lord.
    26 “Make her drunk,
        for she has defied the Lord.
    Let Moab wallow in her vomit;
        let her be an object of ridicule.
    27 Was not Israel the object of your ridicule?
        Was she caught among thieves,
    that you shake your head in scorn
        whenever you speak of her?
    28 Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks,
        you who live in Moab.
    Be like a dove that makes its nest
        at the mouth of a cave.
    29 “We have heard of Moab’s pride—
        how great is her arrogance!—
    of her insolence, her pride, her conceit
        and the haughtiness of her heart.
    30 I know her insolence but it is futile,”
    declares the Lord,
        “and her boasts accomplish nothing.
    31 Therefore I wail over Moab,
        for all Moab I cry out,
        I moan for the people of Kir Hareseth.
    32 I weep for you, as Jazer weeps,
        you vines of Sibmah.
    Your branches spread as far as the sea;
        they reached as far as Jazer.
    The destroyer has fallen
        on your ripened fruit and grapes.
    33 Joy and gladness are gone
        from the orchards and fields of Moab.
    I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses;
        no one treads them with shouts of joy.
    Although there are shouts,
        they are not shouts of joy.
    34 “The sound of their cry rises
        from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz,
    from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah,
        for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up.
    35 In Moab I will put an end
        to those who make offerings on the high places
        and burn incense to their gods,”
    declares the Lord.
    36 “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe;
        it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth.
        The wealth they acquired is gone.
    37 Every head is shaved
        and every beard cut off;
    every hand is slashed
        and every waist is covered with sackcloth.
    38 On all the roofs in Moab
        and in the public squares
    there is nothing but mourning,
        for I have broken Moab
        like a jar that no one wants,”
    declares the Lord.
    39 “How shattered she is! How they wail!
        How Moab turns her back in shame!
    Moab has become an object of ridicule,
        an object of horror to all those around her.”
    40 This is what the Lord says:
    “Look! An eagle is swooping down,
        spreading its wings over Moab.
    41 Kerioth will be captured
        and the strongholds taken.
    In that day the hearts of Moab’s warriors
        will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
    42 Moab will be destroyed as a nation
        because she defied the Lord.
    43 Terror and pit and snare await you,
        you people of Moab,”
    declares the Lord.
    44 “Whoever flees from the terror
        will fall into a pit,
    whoever climbs out of the pit
        will be caught in a snare;
    for I will bring on Moab
        the year of her punishment,”
    declares the Lord.
    45 “In the shadow of Heshbon
        the fugitives stand helpless,
    for a fire has gone out from Heshbon,
        a blaze from the midst of Sihon;
    it burns the foreheads of Moab,
        the skulls of the noisy boasters.
    46 Woe to you, Moab!
        The people of Chemosh are destroyed;
    your sons are taken into exile
        and your daughters into captivity.
    47 “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab
        in days to come,”
    declares the Lord.
    Here ends the judgment on Moab.

    Go Deeper

    In this chapter we read of God’s judgment on the people of Moab for their trust in themselves and their god Chemosh (v. 7). 

    The people of Israel have a storied history with the Moabites, their cousins to the east of the Dead Sea. We first see the Moabites mentioned in Genesis 19. Abraham’s cousin Lot escaped God’s judgment on Sodom. Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and conceived two children respectively, Moab and Ben-ammi. These boys would be the descendants of the Moabites and the Ammonites. In Number 21, while in the wilderness, the Israelites camped in the plains of Moab. King Balak summons Balaam to curse the nation of Israel. God doesn’t allow this to happen, but instead speaks a curse over Moab through Balaam (Numbers 24:17). This chapter in Jeremiah shows us that Balaam’s prophecy against Moab will come to fruition. 

    The reasons for this judgment are still applicable to us today. We see in verse 7 that they trusted in their “own works and treasures”. It says in verse 29 that the Moabites exhibited great pride and haughtiness. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. God has gifted us with wisdom to avoid the same pitfalls as those that have gone before us. We are so easily tempted to do the things that lead to death. Some of us tend to take pride in our cars, clothes, or our children. Others of us in our job title, neighborhood, or our abilities. Tim Keller once said, “Idolatry happens when we take good things and make them ultimate.”

    These same sins of pride and self reliance can take us out just as it did to Moab and we can become a “horror to all that are around him” (v. 39). The antidote to this is to humbly come before Jesus and ask Him to reveal any sin that is within us, confess those things, and repent. 

    Amidst all of the judgment to come to Moab, God’s mercy is still evident. In verse 47, He promises that He will restore the fortunes of Moab. He offers us the same grace and mercy. While we were still sinners Christ died for us and because of that we have newness in life and can live in a right relationship with God. 

    Questions

    1. How do you trust in your own works and treasure? 
    2. What sins do you need to confess to your community? 
    3. What did you learn about God in today’s passage?

    Keep Digging

    What is the significance of Moab in the Bible? Check out this article from GotQuestions.org!

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  • Jeremiah 47

    Jeremiah 47

    Read Jeremiah 47

    A Message About the Philistines

    47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

    2 This is what the Lord says:

    “See how the waters are rising in the north;
        they will become an overflowing torrent.
    They will overflow the land and everything in it,
        the towns and those who live in them.
    The people will cry out;
        all who dwell in the land will wail
    3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,
        at the noise of enemy chariots
        and the rumble of their wheels.
    Parents will not turn to help their children;
        their hands will hang limp.
    4 For the day has come
        to destroy all the Philistines
    and to remove all survivors
        who could help Tyre and Sidon.
    The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,
        the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.
    5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;
        Ashkelon will be silenced.
    You remnant on the plain,
        how long will you cut yourselves?

    6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,
        how long till you rest?
    Return to your sheath;
        cease and be still.’
    7 But how can it rest
        when the Lord has commanded it,
    when he has ordered it
        to attack Ashkelon and the coast?”

    Go Deeper

    Today’s short chapter reveals the second foreign nation surrounding Judah to receive God’s judgment: the Philistines, who notoriously were a thorn in the side of God’s chosen people. Remember Goliath, the giant warrior who taunted Israel and was killed with David’s slingshot? He hailed from Philistia, a nation that  gloated and celebrated Israel’s demise thinking they were immune to God’s wrath. Numerous prophets along with Jeremiah pronounced God’s judgment on the Philistines, including Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos and Zephaniah. Here are some examples:

    • Isaiah: “Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks” (14:31).
    • Amos: “I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my head against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord (1:8).
    • Zephaniah: “No one will be left in the city of Gaza, and the city of Ashkelon will be destroyed. Ashdod will be empty by noon, and the people of Ekron will be chased away” (2:4).

    The prophet Amos once announced that God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. God forewarned and gave opportunity for people to repent. It’s Jeremiah’s prophecy, however, that gives the reader a sensory overload of unforgettable images: “The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Parents will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp” (v. 2-3). Crying, wailing, galloping and rumbling resound as God’s judgment falls, so much so that crippling fear debilitates the natural protective instincts of parents for their offspring.

    Fear immobilized them, as they experienced what the Hebrew writer proclaimed “what a dreadful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). Although God used foreign nations to discipline his chosen people, He ultimately did not overlook the evil ways of these pagan nations, as numerous prophets foretold. Regardless of who commits it, sin is an affront to holy God and a day of reckoning is sure to come.

    Many times it seems we are swimming upstream against evil in our present culture. Let’s be challenged to remain alert to what Jeremiah declares as the sword of the Lord. The Enduring Word commentary says, “The sword of the Lord has a work to do among God’s people today, and will not be stopped until it finishes that work.” Scripture reminds us “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives” (Hebrews 12:6). Herein lies the proof that we belong to God. Be encouraged that nothing can usurp, supplant, or overthrow God’s sovereign authority. What He declares He will accomplish.

    Questions

    1. What is your first response as you encounter evil in our culture? Are you able to trust God’s omnipotence over all things, or does fear creep in and overtake you? Take a moment and read Isaiah 43:1-2.
    2. When life is challenging, how have you used the word of God as a powerful weapon to fight the enemy? How are you investing in building a solid foundation of trust and obedience in the daily rhythms of life?
    3. Are you devoted to praying for our nation to repent and turn from wickedness so God may hear and heal our land?

    A Quote

    “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human experience over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”–Abraham Kuyper

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