Jeremiah 32

In 1 corinthians 10, it says that the things we're reading here were written as examples for us, on whom the end times have come (yes, 2,000 years of "end times"). The things we're reading about Israel have happened so that we wouldn't desire evil, like so many of them did back then, and were destroyed.

and here, in Jer. 32, I read about restoration, and the promise of return, even on the eve of destruction.

And we have seen with our own eyes the return of the Israelites to their land, a thing never before seen in the history of mankind: the return of a thoroughly exiled people,and the re-establishment of their own language in the land.

yet, even more striking to me is the promise of an "everlasting covenant". In verses 37-41 a covenant is promised in which God will deal bountifully with his people on a HEART level. He will give them "one heart and one way". He will "put [his] fear in their hearts".
And here we stand, whose hearts brim with the Spirit's voice, bouncing from Romans 6 Conviction to Romans 7 Sorrow to Romans 8 Rejoicing, in a dynamic walk with Jesus. All this was accomplished for us in the Cross! Sealed by the Spirit.

Amazing.

Jeremiah 31

okay, look... i'm going to bottom line it for you... this chapter, like the others, has far too much going on in it to do some quick blog entry about. And this isn't exactly the place to write the three or four books that could be written on the themes of this book...

but I'm tellign you that there's good news here. There's a new covenant promised here, that teh Book of hebrews will tell us is in Jesus... Romans 9-11 will tell us we're grafted into the promises made to Israel. Early Romans will tell us that we are israel who are made God's children by Faith. We are heirs of this covenant, because we believe in Jesus.

We are inheritors of this restoration, comfort (and the disicplines that came before it)... We are comforted and restored by God, in Christ. We are not under the covenant of Moses (although it is indispensable in our instruction and discipleship), but we're in a new one... this is IT.

So think about that.

Jeremiah 30

How good has this been for you? I know there aren't many comments, but people keep mentioning the study to me. I'm glad you're spending a bit of time with us, here...with God, here...

Jeremiah 30 is awesome. Here God explains it all. Why all the evil hordes are victorious over the people of God. Why He is doing it... When it'll all be changed, how the hordes will be judges, how the restoration will come about... Its wonderful! My margin notes on this were copious.

Let me share an observation or two, instead of outlining the whole chapter.

THIS IS WHEN JEREMIAH WROTE IT DOWN:
v.1-3
Here is God's command to write it all down. Some time into his ministry, he sits down and goes over all that has happened. I know that later we'll find out about Baruch (barook)(means "blessed) his scribe, and we'll see a king burning his scrolls, but now we're seeing Jeremiah go through it all and write it out. Awesome. And why write it? "for behold, the days are coming," syays the LORD. "And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it."
The book is there so they'll have hope and guidance in their captivity, believing the promise of God for restoration.

MEN IN LABOR: (not to be confused with "men at work", the australian band from the '80's)
v. 6-7
I once enjoyed a CD from a band called "Jacob's Trouble". Google that, and you'll find its an important literary thingy...term...whatever... This is where that comes from. Jacob's trouble. men in anguish over immanent destruction. Foreign hordes, marauding, pillaging, killing, raping, taking slaves of children... we're talking absolute agony, here... God is destroying them.

please don't forget God's calling them to go over to the King of Babylon all this time. They have all got the opportunity to believe Jeremiah and go out of the city to safety, joining with God's plans of deportation and replanting.
but for those who won't listen to Jeremiah: death after agony.

From v.1-7 so far, God is speaking about the soon future destruction, and the restoration of the remnant, to israel.

in v.8, it turns to the promise of restoration... 70 years...

DO NOT FEAR:
v.10-11
OMG isn't this awesome! a promise of restoration framed in grace and faithfulness. Rest, peace, vindication...

then back to the present time of Jeremiah:

WOUND INCURABLE:
wounding
affliction
disease
adultery
chastisement

Because of SIN's increase.
v. 15 says, "why do you cry about your affliction?" It's like asking, "don't you get it? Stop whining like this is some surprise."

because of their SINNING, they were PUNISHED.

but v.16 and 17 say that He will restore them and punish their punishers.

v.18-20 say he'll bring back, have mercy, build their cities with them, establish the palace, multiply and glorify them, as they worship and thank Him... children will increase as before and he'll establish the congregation of israel...

then in 21, I find something terribly messianic! a prophecy of Jesus:

"...and their governor shall come from their midst; then I will cause him to draw near, and he shall appproach me; for who is this who pledged his heart to approach me?" says the LORD.
"You shall be my people, and I will be your God."

Jesus has made us a people unto God.
Jesus is the one whose heart is fully pledged to God.
who alone can approach God, having no sin, having laid down his very life to ransom us.
Jesus is that "governor from their midst" whom God has caused to draw near, who offered a priestly offering of his own blood for us, once for all, through the cross.

Look at the concept of "Governor/government" in Isaiah 9:7

"Of the increase if His government and peace there will be no end."

Look at Daniel 2:44, prophesying the establishment of a kingdom that will break in pieces all the other kingdoms. read about that rock that smashes the feet of the statue... a rock not cut by hands...
JEsus is that rock,
that governor...
that king of the kingdom...

He has made us a People... we are the people Jesus has made a People unto God: His family. adopted heirs of the King of Kings...
As we read on, don't forget the things that bleed from chapter to chapter. 31 is a continuation of this line of thought....

Jeremiah 29

In the last two chapter there's been a "Prophecy-Off" to the death between Jeremiah and Hananiah. You may recall that Hananiah dies at the end of last chapter, after predicting the return of King Jeconiah and his peeps and some of the temple stuff.

Now, Jeremiah is going to give a word about that stuff and those folks.

v.1-14 70-year promise of return.

v.15-19 a word against false prophets who echo hananiah's "positive" message of Jeconiah's return.

v.20-23 2 false prophets mentioned by name. Not nice.

v.24-32 Shemaiah the Nehelamite (Ne-Hell-am-ight) writes a letter to try to get a handle on Jeremiah. Calling for him to be put in the stocks, he just gets condemned by the Lord's next prophecy through Jeremiah.

Imagine, after the plots against Jeremiah, how this head priest Zephaniah has called Jeremiah in to read this lettter to him (v.29)
Imagine that. And there's Jeremiah, just letting him have it! Wow. He's hearing from God and speakin gwith full integrity.

We all need to press into God, so we have courage in the time of trial. We don't know when its coming. We just have to be ready.

Wow.

come on, let's hear it people.

jeremiah 28

v. 1-4
Dude named Hananiah pushes back on Jeremiah. Totally contradicts. What is Jeremiah's credibility level at this point in his ministry?

v.6-9
jeremiah reiterates the test of true prophecy: it comes true. They're dealing with immanent events, here. The proof will come. What is Jeremiah's credibility with the people at the end of the book?

v.10-11
Hananiah loses it and gets theatrical and violent with Jeremiah's visual aid. Seriously, think of how this went down. How violent it was and how it violated JEremiah. Jeremiah just leaves.

v.12-17
After meekly going away, Jeremiah is given a refresher of the word of the last chapter, and gives a personal prophecy for Hananiah that comes true within 2 months. how is his credibility,now?
I bet people just stilll won't listen, though.

Jeremiah 27

imagine a monarchy. with a king. then imagine Jeremiah in your kingdom. Remember, you're ringed with state-sponsored prophets and priests who support your national pride and political agenda...

imagine messengers coming from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon... imagine the important communiques he's sending with them, hoping through the negotiation of some sort of alliance that he might be able to fend off the onslaught of Babylonian aggression that is swallowing up the whole world...

now imagine this troublemaker, Jeremiah, telling them this stuff...
and telling the king this stuff...

what level of pest was he?
treason/traitor?

how did those messengers see the king after Jeremiah got to them? What did the other priests and prophets think? What credibility test did Jeremiah establish? how do you think they reacted? (read next chapter)

jeremiah 26

Okay, in this chapter, Jeremiah stands, on orders, in the gateway of the court of the temple. He has stood in the gateway of Jerusalem, but now its the very Temple of Yahweh... And here, he prophesies against the cities of the land, gathered there to worship YHVH.

The Priests, the Prophets, and the People in the temple riot on him, seize him, and the Princes from the King's house come and there's an ad hoc trial, right there... deliberations are held,and an example on either side of the argument (some irony in the contrast of the two kings there) leaves them leaning toward killing Jeremiah.

One man's influence rescues Jeremiah, when all is said and done.

Notable in the chapter:

v.2
"...do not diminish a word..." Jeremiah is commanded not to soften the prophecy. This is an example of 1 Cor.14's statement that the spirit of the prophet is under the control of the prophet. Sometimes we get a word that is a "thing" that we must communicate about. Sometimes its a word that must be directly stated...

v.3
"...Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings."
God is being silly, again. These guys are bad to the bone, and we know it, eh? Look what they end up doing to Jeremiah, here.

God is still a hopeless lover of this evil people. He seems to vacillate back and forth... what's up with that? comments? (i love that he does that.)

Jeremiah 25

A word from YHVH for "All the people":

Jeremiah personally involved in this prophecy...
the purpose of all the bitter crying out, to this point was MERCY!
But now (in the first year of Nebby), it's over.

70 years of exile. This is the chapter where we get the 70 year figure, a prophecy fulfilled in the days of Daniel, and the governors of judah...

some of this chapter is for them, in that generation. other parts of it ring with apocalyptic tones, of that great day of slaughter that awaits the unpenitent, during the day of the Lord...

and the last part is a lament over the shepherds. the wicked, unfaithful spiritual leaders whose cowardice, greed and impurity have brought down the guilt of the ages on their heads...

The Lord is likened to a lion leaving it's lair with roars. He is coming to scatter his land of trespassers and hunters...

LIstening to this, do you see how the judgment of God will be on the leaders of the church today who aren't fully committed to preaching the word of the Lord with purity and bravery? Mercy.
if you're a pastor, and you're reading this, or some preacher-type, watch out! Don't compromise the truth about Jesus, even if it means loss of position, power, opportunity, influence, money, home, job, whatever. You need to be brave and teach people to OBEY Jesus in this generation...

Nationally, we should all be praying for the leaders of our country who, thought they aren't the church, are leading the direction of our earthly sojouren. Pray for their wisdom, and protection from Satan, who runs the show too often for lack of our prayers' ascent.

Look at the shepherd passages, again today. Read proverbs, fear the lord, and be amazed by grace.

Jeremiah 24

the last chapter should give anyone who wants to speak on behalf of YaHWeH, you know? Look at that. That generation had a whole slew of folks who just wanted to speak prosperity and comfort from the Lord, but He wasn't on that message. Wow. That's very "today" to us.

The good figs:
the people who were to be taken captive (including those who obeyed Jeremiah and surrendered to King Nebby) would come into a blessing and protection. Their posterity would be established...

The bad figs:
The stiff necked rebels who were going to resist Nebby to the end, and ultimately flee to Egypt with Jeremiah as a hostage, were going to get creamed...

That's the chapter.

do you appreciate that Jeremiah preaching this during a seige was a criminal act?

Jeremiah 23

v.1-6
check out Ezekiel 34 for more words on shepherds
Look at John 10, where Jesus talks about himself as the shepherd
Look at Ephesians 4:11 and following, where the "pastor" is mentioned...
thoughts?

v.6-8
Israel (at Jeremiah's time) had been known as the nation ransomed from sojourn and bondage in Egypt. This passage prophesies their new international identity as the nation ransomed from having been scattered to the four winds.
This week, Mr. Weiss mentioned to me the joy of paying for the plane ride of Jewish settlers from Russia. There are programs set up to do that... the 'aliyah is the term for "going up" to israel...
any thoughts about how this prophecy has come to pass?

v. 9-end
the heart of this condemnation of the false prophets is that they turn people aside from faithfulness to YHVH. You can judge them by fruit: Matt. 7

Judging/Discerning vs. Judging/Condemning
1 Cor. 2:15--spiritual people judge/discern
Matt. 7:15--judgment/discernment is necessary to avoid deception
Matt.7:1--but not a picky, impatient judgment of wrongs. We should be forebearing to each other...

The standard is "...how you want to be judged, so judge..."
Personally, I'd love to have someone confront me about false teaching. Paul told Timothy to "...watch [his] life and doctrine closely, for by so doing [he] will save both [himself] and [his] hearers." If I err in the teaching of the gospel, or if an incompleteness in presentation of teaching leads to confusion of the saints, PLEASE treat that as serious.
I am called to mutual submission to Christ, in His Body, so I'll listen and happily repent, escaping judgment and entering greater humilities... What joy to be rebuked by brethren who love Jesus above all and wouldn't have His word sullied by my too often profane lips.

...so please, brothers and sisters, develop that character in yourself that is described in the book of Hebrews 5:14
"...those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
You are supposed to develop into a mature christian who is able to discern right from wrong, in real time. Not to be confused, but to be able to teach and help each other grow into the likeness of Jesus...

Jeremiah 22

Prophecy to all the People, from leaders down. This is to BELIEVERS--people who have a covenant relationship with God.

v.1-4 offer mercy, again! Contingent on obedience to the hear of the Law!

Then God goes on to lament over a list of the last kings before the deportation.

Jeremiah 21 (Click It)

v.1-2
Look at the incredible CREDIBILTY that jeremiah carries with the King! The king knows that Jeremiah is a prophet!

v.3-7
Jeremiah's answer from the LORD: scathing for the army and leaders.

v.8-10
the answer for the city and the people.

v.11-14
answer for the house of the King...

all of this because of their insincerity in repentance and their obstinacy in rebellion. Remember, if they had, just for a generation, relented in their pursuit of sin and selfish gain, God would have rained mercy on them.

This is how it gets when the people of God (the church, not America) persist in following the god of this world (satan) and his system (self-interest/pride) by his power (mammon).

There's a scripture that says, "It is time for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)

America is a World-System Nation, bathed in blood, with mammon pumping through it's veins. Don't confuse the Jeremiah judgements as being for America. They are for the church, primarily. America is more like Babylon, who is used to persecute the disobedient. Judgment has been set for all the nations.

Check out this scripture on that idea.

Jeremiah 20 (click it)

In the last chapter, Jeremiah prophesies in the gateway, with priests and leaders he has brought with him, that Judah would be crushed by the enemy.

Imagine that in our country, with our presently predominant ideology: that we are a Christian Nation, with the blessing of God on us. Imagine a dude taking his state representative, and some prominent church leaders to the steps of a gov't building and proclaiming that our nation would become a Muslim theocracy within 2 generations.

What would happen to that guy? How far would freedom of speech rights stretch, in our country? how much of that could he do without being considered a traitor?

Well, here we are in Judah, with Jeremiah, and the "chief governor in the house of the LORD" has heard what Jeremiah was prophesying.

This is where Jeremiah gets put in the stocks overnight.

Does Jeremiah apologize? Is he shaken? Look at v.3. He names the guy "Magor-Missabib", which means "Fear on every side". by verse 5, Jeremiah has renewed his prophecy that the city and the land would be taken and subdued by the enemy.

v.6
Look how specific Jeremiah is (I hope you have a Bible open and a notebook out).

And now a shift in v.7
Jeremiah pours out a prayer in disappointment. he has been put in stocks for obedience to the Lord, and now he is feeling the heat.
literally, the word of the Lord is in him, like a fire.

v.10
People are mocking him saying "fear on every side"--the name he prophesied over Passhur the chief leader priest... they are daring him to prophecy more, and are threatening to turn him in: "report!" they say, "and we will report it!"

v.11
but he knows that the Lord is with him. And he proclaims the downfall of his enemies... harsh? bitter? Imagine living in a generation that has forsaken the living god for false idols and mammon! Oh. you do! And harshness and bittterness are on the horizon for every leader and every church that won't return to the Lord with tenderness of heart and fullness of repentance from the mess we've made...

v.12
Look how Jeremiah actually desires to see his vindication. Is that wrong? In what way is that right? Where else do we see this kind of prayer in scripture?

v.13
Here we see that Jeremiah's full-on engagement of God, in his disappointment, has given way to praise!

v.14-18
yet he still carries the sorrow of lamentation over his own life. For those of us who have read this book already ((you should finish it today)) we know that things're going to get more and more difficult around Jeremiah.

Consider the prophet's bitteness, and that of the Lord, Himself, in view of the terrible situation. Remember the days of Noah? That was God who was filled with grief. That was God who regretted even making man. Do you believe that? Yes? Then you believe in a God in whose image we are made--a God whose heart can break, who can be incensed in jealousy over his people's rejection, who will "start over" with a "clean slate" by destroying the falsehood and leaving a faithful remnant.

Consider God's hope: that his people would just LOVE Him back, obeying his commands in trusting faith. Believing tha tHe is Good, we walk obediently.

Throw out the garbage. Get our lives holy. He is coming soon.
Then we'll be fit for the works of the kingdom.
cast down the idols of our hearts, purify our minds of evil and doubt.
then we'll be safe with the power of God.
Then we'll be in the Way.

Jeremiah 19 (click)

The Valley of Ben-Hinnom, or Topeth, is the subject of a prophetic act in this chapter. After going to the potter's house, Jeremiah is commanded to take an earthen vessel and shatter it, at the Valley of ben-hinnom, near the entrance to the "Potsherd Gate".

You can bet that this was a place where old pottery was taken for disposal. I'll bet it was a place of piles of old broken stuff...

This Valley: Ben-Hinnom, Topeth, is later referred to as "Gehenna" and finally as Har-Megiddon. This is the "Valley of Slaughter" where the Judaites will bury their dead in despair, until there's no more room.

Buried dead create an unclean place. Remember that in the Law of Moses you are made unclean for worship or fellowship if you walk over the burial of a dead body, even if youdidn't know.

What do you think of that when you consider the site of a mass grave, with bodies buried three and four deep for lack of room and time, under the conditions of plague and seige?

This place was a trash heap, perpetually burning, inthe days of the Roman occupation. That's what Jesus kept pointing at when he talked about the fiery condemnation of the wicked.

So this chapter is a key to understanding some of that teaching of Jesus...

Why is God going to shatter them like that?
Because they have burned incense to other gods, and poured out drink offerings...

Jeremiah 18 (click here for chapter)

The story of Jeremiah's trip to the Potter--the moral is simple:
God is the Potter. We are the clay. If we're bad, he'll start us over. That means a bit of crushing.

v.11 is interesting: after all this threatening and doom, God calls them to turn from their evil, again. I think of Nineveh in the time of Jonah. They repented (and they were much more wicked) and God spared them.

I am convinced that, at this point in the ministry of Jeremiah, tha if the people had rent their hearts, God would have turned back the Babylonian armies. No kidding. God would have scrapped the whole deportation plan.
But they didn't.
And He didn't.

This morning I woke up very early, unable to sleep,adn listened on my iPod to some new music from a dude who writes songs. There's a link on sam's blog, from our main blog. Anyway, there's this one about "seek the ancient paths..."

Then today, this study says that Judah had forgotten God, burned incense to idols, and "...caused themselves to stumble in their ways,
from the ancient paths,
to walk in pathways
and not on a highway."

this is me.
This is us.
I see myself in this apostate nation, and I cry, "O God, please save! Please forgive! Please rescue from ME, and turn my heart to love you!" And God has always answered with a resounding "YES!!!!!"

Ever since the first day he found me kicking in my blood, Jesus has never failed me. Even when troubles and trials have made me face my worst fears, trusting in him has seen me into his courts to plead my case, and He has seen me through.

This is what God is calling them to in Jeremiah. To admit and repent.

but in v.18
they plot against Jeremiah.
and Jeremiah calls down a curse on them.
a bitter prayer
from a broken heart...

you think Jeremiah was mad and disappointed? How was God's heart in all this?

and Just really quick, how wicked do you think those nations were, that israel displaced inthe exodus and entry?

Jeremiah 17 (click here for chapter)

On their heart...
and on your altars...
while children remember their pagan practises.

So you'll get exiled...

This is the material of the first section of this chapter. Then it shifts into a cursing and a blessing of two different categories of people.

1. those who trust in man and make flesh their strength (v.5)
2. those who trust in the LORD and whose hope is the LORD (v.7)

v.9
Deceitful heart:
YHVH is weighing the heart and minds to repay and reward us.

v.11
on riches unjustly gained.

v.12-13
shame on those who forsake YHVH

At this point, remember that this is a distinctly RELIGIOUS people. This is a confrontation of believers who have gone after the ways of the god of this world.

v.14
...a cry for healing and rescue. This could be that of any honest-hearted person who reads the preceding verses.
Like Isaiah 6 when Isaiah sees the Lord.
Like the woman in John 8, caught in idolatry, confronted ultimately by Mercy, Himself. We lie in the dust, dragged there by the truth about ourselves...

v.15
a return to the present situation of Jeremiah. He has been calling for deliverance from the people who are mocking and threatening him.

v.17
"...do not be a terror to me..." Jeremiah says to God.
v.18
calls for vindication on those who persecute him.
calls for destruction and doom on them. "...double destruction..."(NKJV)

v.19-27
a call to holiness on the Sabbath.
Interesting that in a city soaked in innocent blood, teeming with idols, that the call is simply to honor the Sabbath. Very interesting. This seems like a litmus test to the people's belief and obedience.

Jeremiah pronounces this in the Kings Gate of Jerusalem. This is a big deal. He was a major personality in Judah. They're gonna try to kill him for this kind of thing.

Jeremiah 16 (click link for chapter)

QUICK CHAPTER SYNOPSIS:

No Wife for Jeremiah.
No mourning for Jeremiah.
No feasting for Jeremiah.

The people will all die gruesome deaths, and all celebration will cease.
...and Jeremiah has to tell them so.

"Why?" they will ask.

Because their fathers forsook YHVH, the law, and followed and worshipped idols. And because they themselves have surpassed that wickedness, each one following their own heart and not LISTENING TO YHVH.

Therefore:
Cast out as exiles.
Forced to serve other gods.
...YHVH will not show them favor.

But he will bring them back from that land of the North. "Many fishermen" will bring them back to their land. Many hunters will follow many fishermen.

First:
God will repay double punishment on their sin. Because they have defiled his land and filed his inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.

v.19
Jeremiah says the darndest thing:
"O LORD...My refuge...the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth..." They will renounce their fathers and their fathers' ways, and become subjects of YHVH.

v. 21
He will "...cause them to know [His] hand and [His] might...and...that [His] name is YHVH. a

In this chapter one thing I meditated on was how ultimately, the result of their sin and idolatry was that "...no one listens to Me (YHVH)." This is the result of our unfaithfulness and doing what's in our heart instead of LISTENING to YHVH.

I'm a guy who's going to tell you to listen to God. I've seen even good works/social justice mentality folks go off the straight way of the Lord by doing what was right in their own eyes. I've seen people who listen to God receive gentleness, wisdom, guidance, and a deeper love. I've seen people who are oriented around their own mind's eye, their own heart's wisdom--not people who live in LISTENING to God--get frustrated with the "listening/waiting" people...

But having a heart for God means paying attention to HIM, not just doing good stuff. This chapter is as much written to those who would work for God as for those who work overtly against Him.
In fact, the Judah that Jeremiah is writing to is an inherently religious institution. I am reminded of the rampant prostitution to idols that we find in our mega-churches of today. Mammon, greed, impurity, false doctrine, lukewarmness, pragmatism, humanism: these are the idols of today. Pride and unbelief are at the heart of them all...

Let's admit it. the people of Jeremiah's Judah were devout and spiritual, and engaged in some serious departures from YHVH. So is this generation. So let's also admit that we have some serious corporate repenting to do. let's pray for the church in america, as we speak truth about the real state of affairs...

But look at the verse ab out th egentiles: the punishment of Judah brings the gospel to the gentiles, who believe and are incorporated into the People of God. Salvation is coming. Rescue is on the way for the Gentiles, whether throught the blessing or punishment of God's people. He is faithful and always saving!

comments?

Jeremiah 15 (click link for chapter)

This Chapter has a wholesale condemnation of the residents of Jeremiah's Judah:
1. To Death
2. To the Sword
3. To Famine
4. To captivity
(look at Revelation 22:11)

Four forms of destruction:
1. Sword
2. dogs
3. birds
4. beasts

v.6
God is weary of relenting and his patience is at an end. He is going to destroy them, leaving a remnant...

v.10
Jeremiah laments his birth to his mother. He is a man of strife an contention to the whole earth. (look at jude v.2-4) Everyone curses him.

Then God promises good to the Remnant. It seems like a promise to Jeremiah, himself, in light of his suffering in being the bringer of such bad news. The adversaries will "intercede" for him and his remnant will be blessed. I wonder if any alive today are distant relatives of this man.

Troubling passages, indeed.

Jeremiah prays for God to take vengeance on his persecutors (among the leaders of the peole of Judah).

v. 17
Jeremiah was removed because he loved the Word of God. He was filled with indignation and removed himself! This is that bitterness that the righteous feel in the "days of noah", as destruction looms over the stubbornness of sin in the land and the church.

v. 19
God warns Jeremiah not to return to his people (to let up on the prophetic message) and promises to bless and strengthen him.
"...I will redeem you from th egrip of the terrible."

jeremiah really is going to experience that grip.

This is for us, people. The churches in America are flying headlong into prostitution with wealth and power, just like Jeremiah's Judah. There is stubbornness in compromise and heresy all around us. Justice perishes, and the ways of the Lord are subverted to fulfill men's hunger for power and mammnon.

Don't mess around with this stuff. Join with Jeremiah in faithfulness, and remove your selves, gathering around Jesus. Jeremiah found the word adn ate it (v.16). Will you? Please consider that it is entirely possible...probable...actual...that the churches around us are compromising to an astounding depth with stubbornness...

And God's Judgment on our "nation" has to do with that unfaithfulness. God will strike the church with the very power she has lusted after. It won't be long until the state persecutes every form of church that denies the world and operates in the power of the Spirit...

Matthew 21

Looking into Matt. 21, One of the first things we'll see is that there are a lot of References from the Tanakh (the old testament: Torah, Nebiim, and Kethubim--the Law, the Prophets and the Writings).
In an overview of this Chapter, we'll see that the reader will get the most understanding and depth of understanding by familiarizing themselves with these OT Scriptural highlights... Try to go and get a feel for each of these, asking, "What's up with God putting this reference in THAT part of the NT Scriptures?"

Look for thematic correlations between the Tanakh and Matthew. Look for a lack of thematic correlations.
What does it mean when there isn't a straight up correlation, and it looks like Matthew was "prooftexting"? What does that say about how the Apostles saw "theology"?

Here's a List of OT Scrips in Matt. 21:
v.5--Zech. 9:9
v.9--Psalm 118:26
v.13--Isaiah 56:7
v.16--Psalm 8:2
v.42--Psalm 118:22,23
These are the direct quotations from this chapter. looks like Psalm 118 may be a key psalm to the Prophetic level of what this chapter in the life of Jesus is about.


Once we stew in these references, let's think about finding Thematic References: What are some Scriptures that come to you as you read this chapter? Related portions of Scripture?

Good questions to ask are:
"How did the first readers feel when they read this?"
"How did Matthew feel as he wrote this?"
"How do I read it differently? Culturally? Historically?"
Does it matter entirely if you do have a different culture?
What isn't culturally/historically changed?

Get INTO the text. Use imagination to place yourself at the feet of Jesus, with Matthew, listening to the master... Imagine the day they walked next to Jesus, leading the donkey and the colt... Meditate on the image: what it means to you. Meditate on the image: what it meant to the Jewish people...

take TIME with the text, today. Let the text be the diving board into an experience of the presence of Jesus.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
He loves you.
and on...
and on...
and on...