He has promised to turn their hearts back to Him. Anyone who went over to king Nebby at this point got resettled on Babylonian terms in digs they could definitely stand... But it was still totally TREASON! Jeremiah was viewed as scum by the rulers and their loyal (power-hungry) subjects...
...so here's Jeremiah in prison (v.1) That's where a lot of these guys end up. That's true. Even dudes like MLKjr. you know? Birmingham Jail? But we're looking at some serious issues here. Jeremiah is in JAIL.
And Jeremiah gets a word that the defenses will not work. Those guys are just gonna die. (v.5)
And God speaks of healing and health for the "Captives", who are taken. The option to leave the city still stands at this point, you know? The king of Babylon is still open to receive anyone who believes Jeremiah. There is a way out. 70 years of exile is non-negotiable, but how you go over (or get killed cos you didn't) are still on the table.
v.8
God is promising to purify and forgive. This is Good news! v.7 said they'd return! God is speaking about putting things right! All of this "judgment" is the setting of the broken bone! Don't you just hate how the doc says, "Let me see that?" then he yanks that thing back "Crack" into place? Well, I'm starting to love it when ol doc jesus reaches out to me and says, "Let me see that."
v.8-14
Promises of restoration
v.15-26
A ton of stuff about the restoration of the eternal promise to David--the coming of Messiah!
please: Discuss
don't you think that the churches of america are a lot like this? Not america proper--that's mostly just a military-industrial complex. I'm talking about the North-american,
English speaking
mostly affluent
churches in America...
Aren't we like Jeremiah's Judah? With our spiffy mega-churches (that frankly ignore, deny, or re-invent scriptural, creed-level doctrines)(all for the sake of "reaching" people)...
immoral
idolatrous...
I'm talking IN the churches!
evil leaders who twist the truth about God
and follow their own fancies?
God will judge it! With trouble! But always with the purpose to bring us to right with HIM. he loves us and won't be deprived of us. He's going to set us right.
2 comments:
1 quick comment (i still haven't even made it to the end of the chapter but i just get too excited!):
isn't it noteworthy that the word of the Lord came in the midst of extreme trial for Jeremiah? He had already received a word before, but I think it's very noteworthy that in this text, it explicity says the word came while he was confined.
many times it's in the hardest of circumstances (the exact circumstances our flesh is tempted to avoid) that Jesus shows up and speaks his peace...similar to the angels encouraging him after the fast in the desert, or elijah meeting with God on the mountain while there is a bounty on his head. it reminds me of paul's comment in 2 timothy 3:12, that all who want to live a godly life WILL be persecuted.
it appears like it's not something we seek to have happen or not happen, but it just simply does happen. part and parcel with godly living comes hatred from those who are opposed to true intimacy from humility with the king. this reminds me of the prophet in 1 kings 13 who spoke against jeroboam's idolatry or hanani the seer who rebuked asa, or especially Jesus who was rejected in nazareth...those who speak against pride and sin will receive hatred, no doubt...
lastly is a really encouraging part: i love how God says to jeremiah, "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name." just before the encouragement that jeremiah would see great and mighty things, God reminds him of who HE is, of who is going to be the revealer. This is HUGE!! In an age of idolatry and open worship of other "gods", the Lord reveals himself by name, juxtaposing himself against these gods as the one and only; THE one who created all (not the other gods), THE one who will reveal "great and unsearchable things." He is YHWH, THE one true Lord and God! Who will save? Not the men! Not the war machines! Not the little golden cows and statues! Not the alliances! Only HE, the One True God; only HE can take the desolate land and turn it into a land of joy and gladness (vs 10-11), only HE can save, only HE can forgive all and redeem, and only HE can swear by a covenant as sure as the sun and moon that He will never forsake David and his "descendants" (Jesus, and ergo all who call on his name!)
Now THAT is amazing! THAT is the Wonderful God we know and love!
1 quick comment (i still haven't even made it to the end of the chapter but i just get too excited!):
isn't it noteworthy that the word of the Lord came in the midst of extreme trial for Jeremiah? He had already received a word before, but I think it's very noteworthy that in this text, it explicity says the word came while he was confined.
many times it's in the hardest of circumstances (the exact circumstances our flesh is tempted to avoid) that Jesus shows up and speaks his peace...similar to the angels encouraging him after the fast in the desert, or elijah meeting with God on the mountain while there is a bounty on his head. it reminds me of paul's comment in 2 timothy 3:12, that all who want to live a godly life WILL be persecuted.
it appears like it's not something we seek to have happen or not happen, but it just simply does happen. part and parcel with godly living comes hatred from those who are opposed to true intimacy from humility with the king. this reminds me of the prophet in 1 kings 13 who spoke against jeroboam's idolatry or hanani the seer who rebuked asa, or especially Jesus who was rejected in nazareth...those who speak against pride and sin will receive hatred, no doubt...
lastly is a really encouraging part: i love how God says to jeremiah, "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name." just before the encouragement that jeremiah would see great and mighty things, God reminds him of who HE is, of who is going to be the revealer. This is HUGE!! In an age of idolatry and open worship of other "gods", the Lord reveals himself by name, juxtaposing himself against these gods as the one and only; THE one who created all (not the other gods), THE one who will reveal "great and unsearchable things." He is YHWH, THE one true Lord and God! Who will save? Not the men! Not the war machines! Not the little golden cows and statues! Not the alliances! Only HE, the One True God; only HE can take the desolate land and turn it into a land of joy and gladness (vs 10-11), only HE can save, only HE can forgive all and redeem, and only HE can swear by a covenant as sure as the sun and moon that He will never forsake David and his "descendants" (Jesus, and ergo all who call on his name!)
Now THAT is amazing! THAT is the Wonderful God we know and love!
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