Ezekiel 16-17

The Lord uses another creative way to reach His people.  He has Ezekiel tell them an allegory.  God raises a baby to a beautiful woman...her status increases and everyone reveres her.  God  enters into a covenant with her.  This symbolizes the marraige relationship.  He treasures her, but she turns away and is unfaithful to God...other things attract her and she is curious.  All the provisions that were the Lord's (jewelry, fine clothes, food and refreshment) she gives away.  They were intended for her alone.  She becomes a prostitute.

You adulterous wife!  You prefer strangers to your own husband!

God is going to gather all her lovers and punish them.  However, God will not break His promises..If His wife turns back to Him, He will restore Her.

Two Eagles and a Vine

The first eagle represents King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and he "planted" King Zedekiah....he rebelled and tried to ally with Egypt, the second eagle, to battle Babylonia....Jesus is the shoot from the top of the cedar....again, being prophesied WAY in advance.....I just love it.   Jesus is the true hope....not other nations or sources of comfort.

Ezekiel 13-15

So, do we have false prophets today?  Sadly, we do...God knows their heart, though.  God knows everything.  I like the example of whitewash.  Jesus uses it in the New  Testament with the Pharisees.  Whitewash makes things look clean on the outside, but what is underneath can't be hidden from God.  False prophets are something God hates because they lead His people astray.   His people would certainly rather hear a message of comfort, particularly if they have things they need to deal with.  Even women in that day had magic charms and practiced witchcraft.   Sadly (again), we have people that do that today.  I have a relative that did this growing up.  I'm thrilled to say that she was experimenting, however dangerous that was, and saw that she saw there was no fufillment in this and "changed her ways".  Experimentation can be dangerous and that is why it is so important to have godly guidance.

Chapter 14 deals with hypocrites.   People go through the religous rituals on the outside, but there heart is with other things/idols.  God can see all of that.  People cannot fool God.  He is going to judge all of us because He is a just God....If people are going through rituals just to "hedge their bets", God won't let them escape.  It may seem that they are getting away with it to us....but they are not!  God emphasizes this by saying that 3 great men cannot save Judah from this judgment.

Chapter 15 is short and sweet......if you aren't producing fruit, you are useless.  God has a plan for you and if you choose to ignore his leading you can be pruned.....

Ezekiel 9-12

A man in white linen with a writing kit puts marks on the people to be spared.  Killing of those without the mark begins and  Ezekiel cries out to the Lord wondering if even the remnant will be killed.

Chapter 10 just kills me...the glory of the Lord leaves the temple...remember the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat and the cherubim that sheild the mercy seat?  This is a huge thing....the temple was God's dwelling place on earth.  God is leaving because of all the desecration that was going on in the temple.  Ezekiel recognizesd the figures as those he had seen in his previous vision....the four figures, the wheels and everything.

In Capter 11, God judges the leaders...they had a big responsibility and did not lead the people properly.  They would be judged harshly.  Remember that the Lord is just.  Have you noticed that Ezekiel falls facedown many times....God does tell Ezekiel that Israel will return.  The hearts of stone will be a heart of flesh.....an undivided heart with a new spirit put in them......(Holy Spirit will come at Pentecost into the hearts of all believers)

Chapter 12 is wild because God has Ezekiel symbolize the exile.  He is a sign to the people.  Verse 12 is Zedekiah with his eyes gouged out.    Remember, Zedekiah is the last king and he is taken into exile...he had tried to flee, but the Babylonians caught him and shackeled him with those bronze handcuffs.  6 years later, Jerusalem falls.....God confronted the people who had a proverb that said, "The days go by and every vision comes to nothing."  God hears what everyone says.  He wasn't going to delay the punishment any longer....He had actually given His people time to repent and they refused.  As my study Bible says, Don't dare assume that you have plenty of time to get right with God.

Ezekiel 5-8

Ezekiel shaves his head which symbolizes mourning and he has to divide the hair up into three portions which symbolizes what is going to happen to Israel..the smaller portion was tucked into his robe to symbolize the remnant that would be left...God tells them that they couldn't even keep the laws of the pagan people around them.

My study Bible says that sometime has to break people to bring them to true repentance....I know this first hand.  It is easy to think you know the best way, when there is freedom in surrender....this is against what our culture teaches us.  Note that you will read 65 times in this book:  "then they will know that I am Lord."

Chapter 7 deals with, "The End Has Come" ....God has given all the warning He is going to give....just like a parent warns.....If the parent doesn't follow through, then the warning words are empty threats.  God repeats "The End Has Come" and means business..

God gives Ezekiel a vision in Chapter 8.  God shows  Ezekiel what is happening in the temple....people think they are hidden, but God sees everything..  Literally, the people had turned their backs on the Lord and were bowing to the sun.....How many times do you see the word "detestable" in this chapter?  Does this give you an idea about how God feels towards these things?

Ezekiel 1-4

OK....here comes an entirely different style of writing...it is apocalyptic: very symbolic...Revelation is also in this style......what did you think of Ezekiel's vision of the glory of God?   You'll see wheels again when Daniel has a vision of God on his throne.....Lot's of differing opinion on what the 4 figures represent, so I won't get into that...

Ezekiel is assigned to be a watchman and that job in that time was to warn the people of approaching danger...that is exactly what Ezekiel would do.   He was 30, about the normal age a priest began his duties, and God called him to be a prophet.  Notice how many times God uses the word rebellious in our reading.....a scroll appears with instructions to eat the Word of God.  Ezekiel did and it was sweet....it was life-giving food.

God gave Ezekiel instructions to act out...talk about object lessons.  Looks like God would be creative in getting His people to listen.  Ezekiel had to act out the siege and fall of Jerusalem.   He had to lie on his side for 390 days to show how long Israel would be punished, and 40 days to show how long Judah would be punished.  Each day represented a year.  Ezekiel could speak only when God told him to speak and the people knew it was the word of the Lord.  Ezekiel acted out famine conditions with food in very short supply....the kosher diet would be impossible to follow.....

Ezekiel overview

God loves His people so much!  Ezekiel is a "street preacher" and he preaches during the period of captivity in Babylon.  If you think that Jeremiah used object lessons, "you ain't seen nuthin' yet".  God is going to have Ezekiel do many, what we would perceive to be weird, things to demonstrate and act out what God wants the people to know.  Ezekiel is going to be taken captive in 597BC.....Daniel is already there and we'll be reading about him.

Ezekiel means God is strong or God strengthens.....Do you think you would be able to lay on your side for 390 days?   Ezekiel remains obedient, no matter what God asks him to do.  The main message in this book is that because of the people's sins, God allowed their nation to be destroyed.   There was still hope....God wants people to turn back to Him.  God never forgets those that obey Him.

Ezekiel is a priest by training, and God makes him a prophet.   He is going to have a major calling that changes him forever, just like Isaiah.

Even when things seem crazy out of hand, God is in control.....He is just as much in control today as He was then.  Even with our government, even with earthquakes and hurricanes, God is in control.

We are getting ready to go straight through this book.....almost 3 weeks........hang on, here comes a bumpy ride!  Good  news from my perspective:  no poems!  LOL

Does this next image intrigue you about a vision that Ezekiel has?

Lamentation 3:37-5:22

The "construction" or design of this book is important....many times an Acrostic format is used.


Definition:

a series of lines or verses in which the first, last, or other particular letters when taken in order spell out a word, phrase, etc.

adjective

2.

Also, a·cros·ti·cal. of, like, or forming an acrostic.

 

There are 5 separate poems in this book that correspond to a letter in the Hebrew alphabet and it still amazes me, that to this day it is read out loud to remind the Jews that their great city fell because of their stubborn sinfulness.

 

God's anger is satisfied in Chapter 4 and Jeremiah pleads for restoration in Chapter 5.  Chapter 4 is contrasting the time before the seige to after the seige.  In those days, the people were within a city wall that protected them.  Effectively, they are trapped when under seige.  Jerusalem was under seige for two years.....they ran out of food....Jerusalem watched the enemy take food from their fields and all hope was lost.  In 4: 22, we finally see that punishment will end.

 

God turned away from His people, but He didn't abandon them.  They had to experience deep suffering because of their sin.  God would restore them IF they turned to Him.  

 

How do you think this applies today?  Do you have anything in your life that is under siege?

Lamentations 1-3:36

Thank goodness for Patricia through these parts....I like her perspective, seeing the hope in the midst of all this....

Posted August 25, 2009
Filed under: Lamentations |
Comments (2)

Should I just skip to chapter 3?  Chapter 3 was soooo good. Ok, Ok, I won’t.
Jerusalem is spoken about as a woman.  To read this is very sad, the one scripture that really bolded out for me was

Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
       she did not consider her future. (1:9)

The chapter emphasizes that His people brought all of this on themselves.  God truly had not choice.
Skipping to 3: We all have those handful of scriptures that just make you melt! Well I know when you read this chapter you KNEW I was going to comment on it.  And you are right:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
       for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning;
       great is your faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
       therefore I will wait for him.”
 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
       to the one who seeks him;
  it is good to wait quietly
       for the salvation of the LORD. (3:22-26)

Thanks Patricia.....when it refers to the portion, that refers to inheritence.  The oldest son would get a double portion and the rest of the sons would get their portion..sadly, the women didn't get any portion in those days.

 

Israel was not seeking Him, nor waiting for Him when they were doing as they pleased...thank God His compassions are new every day...

Lamentations overview...

More Jeremiah!   I turn to Patricia because I never knew that this book was read once a year to commemorate this time.....

Posted August 24, 2009
Filed under: Chapter Overviews, Lamentations |
Leave a Comment

Lamentations, Ekha in Hebrew, is a book or wailing and weeping.  Lamentations was written in the time between the fall of Judah and the return of the remnant people after 70 years of captivity,
There are 5 poems in this book, each begin at a new chapter.  Judah is personified as a woman in this book,  but it is important to remember WHY all this is happening to her.  An avoidable tragedy,  all this is, all caused by sin and lack of repenting.  Always read the Bible noting God’s character,His covenant and His Love.  God is Holy, God is Just, God Perfect, and God punishes sin and disobedience in His timing.
In the Bible, Lamentations follows Jeremiah, most likely the author and which gave Jeremiah the name the “weeping prophet”.  You could read the past chapter of Jeremiah as the introduction to Lamentations.  However the Hebrew Old Testament puts Lamentations with a group of books called the Ketubin or “writings”.  The group includes Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Esther and Lamentations.  They are in their own category  (our Bible is grouped by category too, that is why we are jumping around a lot) because these books are read at separate Feasts.  TO this day, this book is read in Synagogues throughout the world on the ninth day of the fourth month, a day of fasting, to remember the fall of Jerusalem.
Jeremiah’s grief ran deep  in his heart for God’s people.  Jeremiah wept for the Jews not just because of the suffering and the exile they would endure, but becasue they had rejected the word of the Lord.  This saddened Jeremiah to a level of tears and sympathy.
I read once somewhere this question…and it really should make us all think…
What makes a person cry says a lot about that person whether they are self-centered or God-centered.

Jeremiah 51-52

Are you glad we are done with Jeremiah?  Try not to skim it, because this is the last time that we are going to get a point of view from someone who observed the captivity......I cannot wait to get to Daniel...he was actually in captivity and Beth Moore does a fabulous study on Daniel.  There are no more Kings to read about.....Jeremiah remains with the remnant....He also warns the people to leave Babylon when the captivity is over in 70 years.  Remember that we read in Isaiah that Cyrus would be the instrument of the release of this captivity.   BY NAME Isaiah spoke of him......The fire of the temple is hard to read about....this is where the Lord had chosen to dwell, it was Solomon's temple and the Jews had begun to defame it and not honor it.....Did you notice that all the treasures were taken from the temple.  Remember when King Hezikiah bragged and showed the Babylonian envoy all "his" treasures instead of witnessing that God had added to his life?   This exposure to the Babylonians is where they got the idea to attack and steal the treasures.   The Lord has a plan that is fitting together here....Buh-Bye, Jeremiah.........but wait....we will have a book of Lamentations that he wrote!  Stay tuned!

Jeremiah 49-50

OK, this was not the most exciting read.  I read a commentary and the guy said, "You will all get an A+ for just making it through".   Loved it!  Then I couldn't resist and read Patricia's blog and even SHE did not think this was exciting and she LOVES all scripture!!!!  I'll just share her comments, and her group didn't make  but one comment....they come alive when it is something controversial...

Posted August 23, 2010 by Patricia in Jeremiah. 1 Comment

How do I read Chapters like this?  I am not going to lie; they are not the most fascinating chapters(for me).  What I do is:  as I read them I circle all the stuff I “get” not that I would never have “gotten” had I not started back from Genesis.  I make a note as to why I understand it because as sharp as my memory is now on remembering: who, what, where, when, and why… I know I will forget!

So here is an example of what I did:

Ch 49 I circled Ammon, and noted they are the birth cousins from Lot to Moab (Gen 19).

Edom (VS 7), from the Esau, Jacob’s brother.  Teman was a city known for its Wisdom and Philosophy, which makes sense since Job’s friend Eliphaz was from there.

Vs 16, the scripture referred to Edom as eagle’s nests, remember from Obadiah the picture of the city built on the side of a red mountain.

Anyway, this is how I creatively get through the not so interesting chapters AND know that when all this escapes my brain, and it will, my homework is done.

Chapter 50 by the way is really important and if you go back and read it in a month it will make a lot more sense.  50:3..A nation from the North will attack Babylon (Medo-Persia WILL attack and conquer Babylon), also when you read these chapters always look for the Remnant spared 

Like

Be the first to like this post.

1. Posted by Penny on August 23, 2010 at 8:35 am

   True, today’s reading was not the most fascinating. Chapter 50 was long. I need to mark my calendar to reread it a month from now.

   I felt like the big idea of the reading was if we worship something else besides God, then we will not be happy. That’s my take on yesterday’s and today’s reading since I combined them.

   
   

Correction!

In the previous post, I typed that the Battle of Carchemish was with Babylon and EGYPT by mistake......it was actually between Babylon and Assyria...the significance being that Assyria was no longer a world power.....God had me check my facts this morning because I was interested in the battle!  Glad I did!!The Battle of Carchemish was fought about 605 BC between the allied armies ofEgypt and Assyria against Babylonia.

Contents  [hide] 1 Background 2 Battle 3 Results 4 Records of the battle 5 Notes

[edit]Background

When the Assyrian capital Nineveh was overrun by the Babylonians in 612 BC, the Assyrians moved their capital to Harran. When Harran was captured by the Babylonians in 610 BC, the capital was once again moved, this time to Carchemish, on the Euphrates river. Egypt was allied with the Assyrian kingAshur-uballit II, and marched in 609 BC to his aid against the Babylonians.

The Egyptian army of Pharaoh Necho II was delayed at Megiddo by the forces of King Josiah of Judah. Josiah was killed and his army was defeated. The dead body of Josiah was delivered to Jerusalem immediately and buried according to the customs of Judah's kings, near the grave of King David.

The Egyptians and Assyrians together crossed the Euphrates and laid siege to Harran, which they failed to re-take. They then retreated to northern Syria.

[edit]Battle

The Egyptians met the full might of the Babylonian army led by Nebuchadnezzar II at Carchemish, where the combined Egyptian and Assyrian forces were destroyed by the Babylonians and the Assyrian Empire collapsed.

[edit]Results

Assyria ceased to exist as an independent power.

Egypt retreated and was no longer a significant force in the Ancient Near East. Babylon controlled the territory up to the Wadi of Egypt and after several subsequent reverses Pharaoh Necho no longer left Egypt to exert any influence in the affairs of the region.^[1]

Babylonia reached its economic peak after 605 BC^[2] and became the dominant military power in the region, from the Battle of Carchemish until the defeat of Nabonidus at the hands of Cyrus the Persian some sixty-five years later. (See Battle of Opis.)

[edit]Records of the battle

The Jerusalem Chronicle, part of the Babylonian Chronicles, now housed in the British Museum, claim that Nebuchadnezzar "crossed the river to go against the Egyptian army which lay in Karchemiš. They fought with each other and the Egyptian army withdrew before him. He accomplished their defeat and beat them to non-existence. As for the rest of the Egyptian army which had escaped from the defeat so quickly that no weapon had reached them, in the district of Hamath the Babylonian troops overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country. At that time Nebuchadnezzar conquered the whole area of Hamath."^[3]

The battle is also mentioned and described in the Bible, in the Book of Jeremiah.^[4]

[edit]Notes

1. ^ II Kings 24:7
2. ^ King, Philip J., 1993 Jeremiah: An Archaeological Companion , Westminster/John Knox Press p.22 [1]
3. ^ Chronicle Concerning the Early Years of Nebuchadnezzar II. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
4. ^ The Bible, Jer. 46:3-12

So you see that Babylon took out Egypt, but that was not the main point.....Assyria had been the actual world power at the time; Egypt was already in a decline......

Jeremiah 46-48

Now, God's judgement is on the Nations.....they might think they are getting away with something, but God sees everything.  Carchemish is a battle that keeps getting repeated..it happened in 605 BC.....Babylon and Egypt passes world leadership from Egypt to Babylon.  It elevates Nebuchadnezzar to power...major poor strategy for  Israel to turn to Egypt.  Look at 46:17...it is now 589 BC and Pharaoh Hophra is marching at King Zedekiah's invitation...Babylon doesn't back down and Hophra retreats.  You remember that Jeremiah predicted Hophra's death in our last read...this happens in 20 years.....God is punishing His people to bring them back to him....God isn't being mean...there is a purpose in His judgement and He is a just God.

The Philistines are next in God's judgement and then Moab(remember that Moab is the result of Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughter?)....apparently putting salt on a city was a symbolic at to show that it was totally destroyed...Chemosh is the Moabite  god in which sacrifice of children was required...the Lord hates this.

This is similar to what Isaiah prophesied about God's judgment on the Nations...

Jeremiah 41-45

OK.....lots going on here.....Ishmael is from the line of David and thinks he should be in charge instead of a Babylonian governor, so he assasinates Gedaliah.......can't do much without a king and no loyalty to God.  The 80 men had come to worship....note that the seventh month was the Feast of the Tabernacles and they were bringing grain offerings.  Now keep in mind that Jeremiah has been freed....he elected to stay with people that hated him and didn't want to hear what he had to say, rather than going to Babylon where he would have been a great deal more comfortable.   Johanan heard about Ishmaell's crimes (he was already on his way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians) and released the captives that Ishmael had taken..they went on to Egypt together, with the previous captives a bit chicken and afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had assasinated the Babylonian minion.

Now the people led by Johanan,  ask Jeremiah to pray for them and he does.   The word from God is that they should stay in the land and God will care for them.   He specifically says not to go to Egypt, or things will be very bad for them.  The people don't want to hear it and go to Egypt.  God is especially mad because they had asked for prayer, gotten an answer and disobeyed anyway.  The remnant didn't trust God to save them and believed more in their idols......oooooo.....this is very bad to mess with God in this way!!!!  Jeremiah is forced to move to Egypt.  God says that He is to give a sign that He was going to punish:  He is going to hand Pharaoh Hophra over to his enemies that seek his life.  History record that Pharaoh Hophra is killed by one of his generals, who was then crowned in his place.  Think about this logic...they were going back to Egypt...the place that God delivered them from in the Exodus.....God told them never to go back there again.....the people had strayed so far from God that their thinking wasn't even clear.   Has this ever happened to you?  None of us are immune to this.....going right back into captivity.....

Remember Baruch?  He was the scribe that served Jeremiah...He gets bummed out and God says for Baruch to quit his pity party....if he focuses on God rather than his circumstances, he'll be OK.

Habakkuk

The best thing about this book is that Habakkuk takes his worries directly to God.  He was not getting why the world seemed upside down and that the wicked were prevailing.  The Lord is coming and He has a grand plan...He has it all under control even when we can't see it.  Ever felt like that with local or federal government?

I never knew that "The Just (righteous) shall live by faith" was from Habakkuk!   It is quoted 3 times in the New Testament and I thought Paul originated it!!!!  Nice little pearl I got from what I thought was an obscure prophet.
Faith IS HARD when things don't seem to be going right and everything is crumbling all around us....but the wicked will not win....we know the end of the story.....2:14 says

But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

God does what He says He is going to do.  Babylon is proud and trusts in her own strength.  What happens when we trust in something other than God?

Habakkuk overview

I like the overview from my NRSV translation:

In dialogue with God, Habakkuk wrestles with the primary question:  Why does the Lord permit the righteous to suffer while the wicked prosper?  As the prophet continues to raise a series of questions, the Lord responds.  The prophet becomes particularly concerned with how a wicked people (the Babylonians) can play a role in God's work.  Anticipating evil's ultimate defeat in the future, the book concludes with an ancient hymn depicting God's triumphs over evil in past times.

In the midst of prevailing evil, Habakkuk's vision declares that those who trust in their own power and might will ultimately experience defeat, but "the righteous live by faith" (2:4).  The apostle Paul uses this affirmation to construct his argument on righteousness by faith (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11) , an argument used by protestant reformers to support the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

For Habakkuk, however, the question at stake is not how one is made righteous but rather how the righteous might fact evil's apparent domination.  The prophet's vision emphasizes trust in God despite circumstances.  The book's concluding poem embodies this vision in which the fruit of trust is not visible, yet the prophet continues his trust in God.

2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36

The temple will be destroyed.   The people won't be able to make sacrifices (like they were doing the evil people much good anyway)......MAJOR...

Patricia sums up our summer nicely:

Posted August 19, 2010 by Patricia in 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings. 4 Comments

What a great way to end both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles (I love checking things off the list…I feel accomplished).  We end with an awesome review of what we sifted through all summer.  We started the Chronicles in April…wow!  So as we read this,  think about how you would explain all this History to someone who has never read the Old Testament.  We don’t need to get caught up on the names and dates and order as much as we keep God’s Patience, Love as well as what angers Him and the punishment we must receive for countless ignoring and disobedience.

So today’s reading flashes back all the way to 612 bc.  Remember a while ago I told you 3 nations were trying to be the World Power, Assyria, Babylon and Egypt (it makes a triangle with the Promise Land right on the middle).  Well, Babylonian first took Assyria then the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish.  After that,  the Babylonians went after Judah, controlling them.  This was attack 1 of 3 on God’s people.  With each invasion captives were taken. (When we read Daniel, we will come back to this first invasion since I think this is when Daniel was taken).

So to put a few names in that paragraph,

• Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon
• Pharaoh Neco was from Egypt
• King Jehoiakim was from Judah (then his son)

The second and third invasion occurred and the temple was raided and most of the leaders, including the king,  were taken captive.  Nebuchadnezzar placed Zedekiah on the throne of Judah, but because the king was in captivity and not dead, the Jews did not respond or recognize Zedekiah as their king.  The Babylonians did however leave a remnant of people behind and did not take all of them into captivity.  Nebuchadnezzar left the poor and the weak  in their land, assuming they would be under his authority.  All in God’s big plan.

Sadly, after Zedekiah had to see his sons killed they gauged out his eyes and took him captive, so Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as a governor over the land since he was faithful to Babylon…but he didn’t last too long, assassinated.

Finally we meet Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Evil-Merodach (nice name) became king in Babylon in 562, 24 years after the captivity began.  He was actually a nice king, even allowing officials to dine with him and releasing Jehoiachim, but his brother in law will  killed him and succeeded the throne. 

Notice God’s patience here.  Judah was attacked 3 times, each time with years of warnings for repentance.  Israel too was not taken in a single swipe, they too were invaded  3 times, God gives the ones He loves so many opportunities to repent before he has no other choice but to exile us in order to get our attention (take it from me, I know personally).

I have to say I think one of the hardest parts about the read today was

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.  He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

When we read Lamentations we are going to read about what it must have been like for Jeremiah to see all this happening.  What would you have written if you were Jeremiah?

In Summary, we started this Summer with the prophet Elijah and we end with Captivity.  The next 40 days will be the ending to the Old Testament.  May I encourage you to dig deep in them as they surly will speak personally to you as a message from God.  Be obedient as to what he is telling you.  As we see, sin ignored will have its consequences.

Jeremiah 38-40

God has had it..there are  no more chances for the people to repent (they have had quite enough) and Babylon is going to become the next world power and God will use Babylon to keep the people in captivity for 70 years.  Incredible amounts of prophecy are covered in these chapters.....here's Patricia's take on it....

Posted August 18, 2010 by Patricia in Jeremiah, Psalms. 14 Comments

This is not a skimmer.  So if you skimmed you have to go back and read it over again. ALSO you will read this account from 2 other book writers tomorrow.  We will read the FALL of JERUSALEM in 2 Kings and 2 Chrons tomorrow.

 What you are reading is the Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon exactly as it has been prophesized.  Don’t worry about the names, I just want you to understand the 5 W’s of the Captivity.  SO ask yourself the Who WHat Where When and WHy (and How). And of you cannot answer one of them…SPEAK UP!  Months and Months of Prophecy of the Captivity and the Remnant (underline the remnant in your Bible) all coming true.

Here is a little recap (you can close out for the day if you the read was clear for you but for me….I need a recap)

Jeremiah was thrown into the cistern.  We could sit and talk about the symbolism and application of this imagery all day…I won’t but make sure you have people in your life willing to pull you ou

See Jeremiah was telling the Hebrews, to surrender to the Babylonians…or die.  Zedekiah was king and he was just so spineless.  He wanted to be on Jeremiah’s side but he the officials were too much peer pressure for him.  However, one official went against the grain for sure. Ebed-Melech.  He risked his job as well as his life rescuing Jeremiah from the cistern. (A man we need to model).

 

Then we read the fall of Jerusalem.  Sad wasn’t it.  Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, who captured him, killed his sons in front of him, blinded him and then took him back to Babylon where he died (Didn’t Jeremiah say that would happen if he made that choice)

 

In chapter 40 Jeremiah was freed,just like the Lord said would happen in the first chapter.  Take a minute to read this part of the first chapter.  This prophecy.  Incredible how detailed and true it all is.

But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.   

  

……..  “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.  Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.  They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

 

Psalm 74. I related deeply to the psalmist on this one.  I may acknowledge all who God is”It was you” but yet I still ask WHY to things the Lord does (I am glad Habakkuk is coming up) and I don’t understand when things are in His time and timing.

 

Psalm 79.  I know many of you are psalmist at heart (Hi Helen) but what an eye opening experience reading them in the context in which they were written.  I will not read the Bible the same after this, I will never take a scripture solo and not know the scenario it was referring to.  How cool is that.

Like

Be the first to like this post.

1. Posted by Patricia on August 18, 2010 at 8:20 am

   I got this e-mailed to me….

   Oh my goodness…I’m right in the middle of Jer 38 where Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern and a guy felt bad for him and got him out with the help of 30 men. (Yes I know that was a run-on sentence, but…) Anyway, I assume that Zedekiah won’t surrender to the Babylonians. Am I the only person left who doesn’t know this story?!

   I wanted to write back…ALMOST NO ONE KNOWS THIS STORY. We need to get people reading ALL of the Bible, not just the “church” told stories. Imagine if we as a Church ACTUALLY read the Bible in this world. WOW. IMAGINE.
2. Posted by Penny on August 18, 2010 at 9:41 am

   Ok, ok, it was me that had never read this story before. I’m so ashamed that I don’t know the Word any better than what I do. I have access to Bibles, I’m in good health, I can read, and no one in the world is going to persecute me if I read God’s Word. Then why have I never studied like this before?! I have NO good excuse. All I know is that I’m ready to absorb everything possible. I can no longer make excuses and say, “Well I don’t have time.” I MUST make time. If everyone studied God’s Word, then I am convinced we’d live in a different world! What if we taught our kids about the Lord? Then our kids might teach their kids and so on. Just think…it would be great. What a gift!!

   I was on pins and needles while I read. God’s Word was fulfilled like always. Jerusalem fell. Why didn’t Zedekiah just surrender? Why didn’t the people repent? I don’t know. I want to explore more about the symbolism of the cistern and the 30 men.

   The big point of the day: Repent and trust in the Lord.

   Another cool thing I figured out this last week is that prosperity means peace. I’d take peace over money any day of the week.

   Now I’m going to read the Psalms.
3. Posted by Elizabeth on August 18, 2010 at 9:48 am

   I am one of those who has never heard of this story. I wonder what was going through King Zedekiah’s mind during these chapters of Jeremiah. I wonder if he was fighting in his mind whether to do what God said to do through Jeremiah, or carry on the way things were going like he could handle it (like a lot of people currently do, including me sadly.). It makes me think that God has placed so many things in my life and is patient with me and keeps showing me that I need to change NOW, but then I keep going on and not put what God wants first. I know better and that I can’t do this with Him. I have been praying about this for awhile and I am striving to do better everyday. 
4. Posted by Anonymous on August 18, 2010 at 11:26 am

   Here’s another hand going up…. I don’t ever remember reading this story either!! Isn’t it crazy that we as Christians haven’t used the one most important and readily available tool to us – the Bible?!?!? I know I’m guilty of skimming and just knowing “stories”, but not really diving in and understanding the W’s. I want to though!!…. and this blog sooooo helps with that!!!!
5. Posted by Anonymous on August 18, 2010 at 11:29 am

   Here’s another hand going up…. I don’t think I’ve ever read this story before either. It’s sad to think that as Christians we don’t use the most important and most readily available tool to us – the Bible!! I’m guilty of skimming and just know “stories”, but not knowing the W’s and I want to!… this blog really helps me do that!!
6. Posted by Anonymous on August 18, 2010 at 11:29 am

   Oooooops….. I thought my first comment didn’t save, so I typed it again. Just ignore the duplicate 
7. Posted by brittany devault on August 18, 2010 at 2:20 pm

   I am another one! And I agree I think there would be a mighty move of God if every “christian” in the world actually read the whole bible in its entirity! There SOOOOOOOOO much more than what we were taught growing up!
8. Posted by Penny on August 18, 2010 at 2:36 pm

   It’s me again…on one hand it’s nice to know I’m not in the boat alone. On the other hand, it’s terrible that sooo many people haven’t read the Bible and received God’s word straight from the source. Again I’ll say that I’m completely and totally ashamed of my lack of study in the past. I didn’t grow up going to Sunday School and never attended a VBS until I was an adult volunteer. However, that’s not a good enough excuse to not read, study, and apply today.

   Why don’t we all start thinking about people that we could invite to read along? I think we’ll start the NT in October. I can testify that the reading the Bible has been a life changing event. I know that I would have said different things and thought different ideas if I had not read. I encourage everyone to invite others to read and study. I’m excited about what else I’ll learn!!
9. Posted by brittany devault on August 18, 2010 at 4:06 pm

   penny i am with you!! i can for sure testify that this read thru has changed my life!! changed my way of thinking everything!!! and all my friends doing the read thru i can tell a drastic change in their lives as well it’s so awesome!!!!!!  i think i’ve told trish this before i just wanna stand on a roof somewhere and yell out “yall need to read thru the bible, you will understand so much more when you do and you’re life will be changed!!!!” people would think i’m nuts tho!! hahaha
10. Posted by Erica on August 19, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Haha, Brittany if you decide to do it let me know so I can be there ; )

    I agree that my life has completely changed this year because of reading the Bible for the first time! It is truly amazing. Penny I’m with you about feeling bad that I’ve never done it before, but I’m trying to put that behind me and just be glad that I’m doing it now. I also pray that this isn’t just a season of studying in my life. I pray that God will continue to give me a hunger for His Word.
11. Posted by brittany devault on August 19, 2010 at 8:14 am

    erica i will definitly let you know if i do!!!! hahahaha
12. Posted by Penny on August 19, 2010 at 8:38 am

    Girls, I have an extension ladder if you want to come over. Only one rule…no jumping off the roof into the pool. 

    Erica, I have thought the same thing. I want to be studying just as much this time next year as I am this year. Let’s remind one another if one of us should ever stop studying, learning, or applying.
13. Posted by Erica on August 20, 2010 at 7:25 am

    You got it Penny! I’ll be checking up on you!
14. Posted by Shannah Creel on August 23, 2010 at 6:34 pm

    That was the coolest thing to read. It was like a novel! I’ve never read or heard that story before. I can’t believe this isn’t a standard preschool story with the cistern and everything. I’m learning so much every day.