Author: missionspaul

Jeremiah 45

To the Baruchs of this life.
To those who serve God.
To those who’s frontline is sacrificial.
To those who cry in secret.
To those in sorrow and pain.
To those tired from life’s journey.
Resist the temptation of self-improvement.
Do not seek what others seek.
But hold on to your Saviour who will forever continuously, unconditionally save you.

Jeremiah 44

Being a people of God but worshipping other gods is bad enough, v5.
Worse still was their defiance that to do so carried greater benefits, a message which said to turn your back on God brings a happier life, v17.
But the final straw was the fact that all the people went to Egypt. No one was left behind (43:4).
The remnant of Judah was a sign to other nations that God had not finished with them. Though it looked impossible, they could become somebody again. But now Judah is deserted because the people told God He would not do what He was more than capable of doing.
Never close the door on what God can do because He may well do it without you.
And so God ended their choices and told them it was over, He passed judgment on them, v11.
Except (and beautifully so) for the touches of His grace, which can easily be missed.
V14 None will return … except a few fugitives
V28 Those who escape … will be very few.
And with the fugitive and the escapee He would begin again. And with us who have made so many wrong turns in life, beaten, bruised and needing a Saviour … He will begin again.

Jeremiah 43

Long-suffering and patient. This is Jeremiah.
Do you know someone who easily flies off the handle?
It may not be going the way they want it to and so they tip up the board game, they storm off, slamming the door etc.
We all know people like that.
But this is not the description that can be given to Jeremiah.
In an incredible picture of commitment we see Jeremiah refusing to give up on these people.
V7-8 Having rejected God’s word to stay, all the people enter Egypt against God’s will as far as Tahpanhes .. “In Tahpanhes the word of the Lord came to … Jeremiah.”
The sign of long-suffering is:
1. Love for the people
2. Willingness to go where you would not go by choice in order to be with the people and be a spokesperson for God
3. The availability to keep on seeking God for people.

TEN DAYS

Jeremiah 42
A lot can happen in ten days.
Johanan and his officers who had killed Ishmael, the king of Babylon’s appointed governor in the land were en route to Egypt with many people.
Stopping at Bethlehem they enquired of Jeremiah regarding their future and they promised obedience no matter how difficult God’s guidance was.
That was ten days ago.
How is it possible that we can be at one moment passionate and surrendered to God but a few days later reject the word of God?
1. Past blessing can blind us from God’s direction.
a. We fall in love with the blessing not the blesser.
40:12 the people had known a great harvest.
2. Past grievances can tempt us to be free from any more tensions in life.
a. We fall in love with peace not the giver of peace.
Gedaliah was assassinated, they slaughtered Ishmael and now they are heading to Egypt for a peaceful life, v14.
3. Present fear will narrow the options down of what is possible and the fear becomes all-comsuming.
a. We fall in love with fear and not fear who we love.
God tells them what He would continue to tell generations of people: Do not be afraid for I am with you and will save and deliver you, v11.

Ten days ago they sounded committed to God. But no matter your words and intentions it is what’s in your heart that will determine what you do.

Jeremiah 41

Grief can cause you to lose good judgment
v5 they came with shaved beards, torn clothes, bodies cut and blinded to the approach of the enemy.

Holding onto the past can cause you to lose good judgment.
v5 they brought offerings to the house of the Lord which had actually been burnt down.

Tears from the important can cause you to lose good judgment.
v7 Ishmael was known as one of the kings officers and he is now weeping with them.

Invitations to be somebody can cause you to lose good judgment.
v6 Gedaliah was in charge of the remaining Jews and they we asked to visit this important man.

Beware of the circumstances and keep your head.

Jeremiah 40

Nebuzaradan released Jeremiah at Ramah
and Christ released you at Calvary.

He found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives
and Christ found you trapped in sin and disobedience.

He freed Jeremiah from the chains on his wrists
and because of Christ you can also sing, “my chains fell off”.

He set before Jeremiah a wide open space
and Christ has set before you an open door that no man will shut.

Jeremiah 39

It all begins with fear.
v1 they marched and Jerusalem saw them

There will be relentless attack in order to bring despair.
v1 a siege

The attack is simply in order to get in.
v2 the city walls were broken through

They came to take their seats of authority.
v3 they took the seats

The enemy is only a pawn in the overall plan of God
v16 all this was God’s intention.

Wisdom to remain

Jeremiah 38

“Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard” 37:21; 38:13,28

Know you are always in God’s hands.
v5 the King said to the officials ‘he is in your hands ‘ but Jeremiah was in God’s hands.

Live your life in such a way that when you are no longer around people talk about you lovingly.
v7 Ebed-Melech heard that they put Jeremiah in the cistern

The way out of a predicament needs adjustment from how you went into it.
v6 he was lowered into the mud; v12 rags and old clothes protected him from the ropes as they pulled him from the mud.

The root of disobedience is fear.
v19 Zedekiah feared the Jews and that’s why he would not surrender to Babylon.

The captain of the ship goes down with the ship.
v28 Jeremiah was the true leader trying to bring Jerusalem to surrender to God. It never did but Jeremiah remained nevertheless. Don’t give up because those you love refuse to see the truth.

Wisdom in the calling

Jeremiah 37

Will face a time when it will look like their work is not needed, v7-10.
( it looked like the Babylonians had backed off )
– when circumstances change God will confirm His calling, listen to Him.

Will face an enemy who never forgets and will continue attacking throughout your life, v13
(Irijah in the line of Hananiah, the false prophet who died because he spoke against Jeremiah)
– if the enemy can’t stop you it will try and contain you based on trumped up charges.

Will hold on to the message of God without deviating from it, v16
((After a long time in prison, Jeremiah on asked by the King spoke the same message regarding the Babylonians)

JEREMIAH 36

So Jehoiakim burnt a part of the Bible every time Baruch read from it.
Not the smartest move under the gaze of a holy God.
“Many of us read a certain passage of Scripture and say, “That’s so regressive, so offensive.” But we ought to entertain the idea that maybe we feel that way because in our particular culture that text is a problem. In other cultures that passage might not come across as regressive or offensive. Let me ask you a question: If you’re offended by something in the Bible, why should your cultural sensibilities trump everybody else’s? Why should we get rid of the Bible because it offends your culture? Let’s do a thought experiment for a second. If the Bible really was the revelation of God, and therefore it wasn’t the product of any one culture, wouldn’t it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore, if it’s really from God, wouldn’t it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point? Therefore when you read the Bible, and you find some part of it outrageous and offensive, that’s proof that it’s probably true, that it’s probably from God. It’s not a reason to say the Bible isn’t God’s Word; it’s a reason to say it is. What makes you think that because this part or that part of God’s Word is offensive, you can forget Christianity altogether?” Tim Keller, in the sermon Literalism: Isn’t the Bible Historically Unreliable and Regressive?
Don’t burn part of the Bible just because it offends you.