Aug. 9, 2009 - Jeremiah 25-29

We had 7 for Wordlisteners and some new faces. We covered Chapter 25-29 and had a lively discussion. Chapter 29 is one of those that shows an example of how much God loves us.

Chapter 25
This chapter starts out with a very specific date reference message during reign of Jehoiakim. Jeremiah is asked by God to speak to the people (again). He reminds them that he has been speaking to them for 23 years and they haven't listened yet, seemingly not to one word.

Its not been just a refusal to listen to Jeremiah, but God has sent a steady stream of prophets that have been ignored by the people. They said turn back (repent) and live in the land God promised them, but they would not. They chose to follow the god fads of the day, which made God angry.

He is sending for Nebuchadnezzar His servant and he will destroy everything. A horror to top all the horrors in history. Judah will serve Babylon 70 years, and then God will punish Babylon- making it a wasteland.

The nations will drink the wine of God's wrath, becoming drunk and staggering. All the kingdoms on earth are included with Babylon being last. The invasion of Judah by Babylon seems to be a glimpse of end times. Israel is slated for massacre, the catastrophe will start in Jerusalem- its the sword and nothing but.

God roars from heaven and everyone everywhere hears it, God makes His case against godless nations and is going to put the human race on trial, with death to the guilty.

Prepare for doomsday, disaster is spreading from nation to nation, a huge storm is about to rage all across planet earth. Those killed by God's judgment will stretch from one end of the earth to the other (22.8 million 5'8” people laid end to end to go around the earth- following land masses and shortest distances across oceans would mean more). They will not be buried.

Shepherds and leaders will wail- there will be no escape. God will come out in the open.

Chapter 26
This chapter starts out with God telling Jeremiah to preach yet again to the people. Jehoiakim- same king as Chapter 25 and maybe earlier. Say everything God tells him, hold nothing back. “just maybe they will listen and turn back (repent) from their bad lives. What a heart God has for us. He wants us to turn to Him, He calls us. He wants to reconsider the disasters that our evil behavior brings about. He wanted Moses to talk Him out of destroying Israel. He does want what is best for us, and sometimes that is to let us flounder in our own way.

Even though up to this point they have never listened and there is no rational belief that they will begin now- the offer is still there. Otherwise a promise of destruction is given. What happened – they wanted to kill the messenger, they had made the Temple their idol and God's promise to destroy it if they did not listen was not well accepted.

A trial was held, Jeremiah was accused of preaching against the city. Actually they were putting God on trial because He wasn't willing to give up His sovereignty to them. Jeremiah responded that his message of temple destruction was based on their actions, and therefore they were in control of their own destiny. God had called them- what was their response? He then said he was at their mercy, but it was God that spoke through him. They acquitted Jeremiah, they recognized that he spoke with the authority of God.

Then they reviewed the history, a similar thing had taken place under king Hezekiah. Micah of Moresheth preached and Hezekiah heeded it. They listened to Micah's message, heeded it, and the Lord changed His mind about the disaster He was planning. Seems God gives new leaders a chance to heed His message,

Another prophet Uriah had preached the way Jeremiah did, was threatened and fled to Egypt. The king in Jerusalem had him captured and returned where he was killed and his body dumped. Nobody stood up for him.

In Jeremiah's case one man Ahikam stood up with Jeremiah. What a difference when one man stands up. When nobody is willing to agree with the prophet of God, the prophet is killed (murdered may be a better term). When one man agrees murder is prevented. It does not mean they heeded the message. Jeremiah had asked for protection, God had promised it to him, and He only needed one man to prevent a lynching. Later all Jesus disciples would abandon Him too during and after trial.

Chapter 27
Another visual, make a yoke. Then send messages to surrounding kingdoms. Isn't it neat that God gets His message spread. The one who made earth, man and woman, all the animals, and did it on His own without asking, and He gives it whichever created being He chooses. In this case it is Nebudchadnezzar's turn, for a while anyway. Either submit to Babylon or take on a yoke that will bring about war starvation and disease until they do submit. Interesting – not submitting to authority is a result of pride, and God allows war, starvation and disease to make us submit to His will. How does this fit in with follow leaders as they follow God? Only in submitting to Babylon will nations keep their sovereignty. Now the advisors in these nations are foretelling the “future” and saying to resist Babylon. All their advice is lies, only God's is trustworthy.

His message is also for Judah – serve Babylon or suffer. His advisors are telling him wrong. Then he goes to the priests and the people at large with the same message. Some temple treasures had been taken to Babylon already. Since the king is Zedekiah – the best of Jerusalem along with some of the temple treasures had already been taken to Babylon (this would include Daniel). The audience of this message is the “bad figs” of chapter 24. God is giving them a chance to repent, to obey His voice after saying in Ch 24 they would be destroyed- what a mercy offer. Zedekiah is promised a long life if he submits to Babylonian authority. He wants to change His plans, He wants relationship. The treasures left in the Temple will stay- if they submit- even though He had previously said the rest would go and the city would be destroyed. He will eventually see that the treasures come back when God makes it happen.

Chapter 28
Hannaniah a prophet from Gibeon confronted Jeremiah in the Temple and stated his message was from God. The Temple furnishings will come back, the exiles will return within 2 years. Right prophecy wrong time frame. Jeremiah said it would be wonderful if it were true, he said prophets from old spoke of war, judgments, plagues and disasters in general so a prophecy of good news – everything is well should be suspected. Time will tell- if it happens we'll know its from God, if not then it isn't.

Jeremiah was calm, Hannaniah was emotional and passionate. He smashed Jeremiah's yoke and repeated his prophecy. Jeremiah quietly left. We have to be careful with passion, just because we want something very strongly or very badly as Hannaniah did doesn't mean it will happen, it has to agree with God's will.

Later AFTER Jeremiah got a message from God concerning Hannaniah's actions he went to him and told him what God had said. The wooden yoke was broken, and the iron yoke replaced it. The nations would be at the whim and will of Nebuchadnezzar. Hannaniah's “prophecy” since it was more desirable than what Jeremiah had given them (submit), maybe led them to choose badly. Hannaniah talked the country into believing a pack of lies- so God sent him to his death. Not suddenly- he gave him time to say goodbye.

Chapter 29
This chapter shares the letter sent to the exiles- the first group. This was the bulk of the exiles taken to Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar's first trip). The letter said live life, build houses, marry and have kids, work for the country's welfare, Pray for the country's well being. We're in exile from God's kingdom of sorts so it is an outline of how we're supposed to live. It is also confirmation of what God said- in this case that Jerusalem would fall to Babylon. God will tarry a while before bringing the exiles back, like He tarries prior to bringing us home.

This is somewhat in contrast to the message earlier in Jeremiah where He tells Jeremiah not to marry or have kids- Jeremiah is in Jerusalem, these exiles are in Babylon. Furthermore he tells Jeremiah not to pray for this people. God's judgment is imminent in this case. Another indicator that when God acts, people know about it.

God says 70 years in Babylon - then He will take them home. God has plans for His people, plans for a future. Wait through 70 years of exile and then plans to give them the future they hope for. Some will die in exile, the future they hoped for was not realized fully after the exile- how do we understand God in that? Obviously the reward He is promising isn't necessarily in this life.

When we seek Him we WILL find Him- He does want us to be serious about it. He'll turn things around - after we're serious with Him and only then. It will not be as a result of any of our own efforts acting without Him .

Those that were missing home (Jerusalem in this case) - hard times are coming for Jerusalem. They will hear news that God is sending catastrophe - evidence His word is true. Hard times will come to Jerusalem because they didn't listen to God.

Now the story of Shemaiah - he said "God set him up as priest" - didn't we discuss a few chapters back the dangers of saying God told me this? Well here is an example. God can make His desires known without using people. In other words if Shemaiah was in fact God's chosen for priest, someone other than Shemaiah would know. "God said" does still apply to the reading of the scripture- however even a scripture passage can mean different things to different people as God shows Himself through them.

Shemaiah tried to take authority that God did not grant to him, and he was called on it. He claimed he had locked up prophets, but he hadn't done anything about Jeremiah - still proclaiming God's message. This lie Shemaiah told exposed him as not being sent by God. Shemaiah and his family were punished over his actions. It is important to note that families are definitely affected by the actions of a family member. It was true then and is today. It seems God picks those He chooses for positions, rather or not they ever get any recognition.