Now, this part is not chronological...Chapter 26 happens before Chapter 25. Jeremiah had to preach AND NOT OMIT A WORD of God's message in the temple courtyard. If the people didn't listen, they would become like Shiloh (remember Joshua :1 when the tabernacle set up in Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines) and Jeremiah was branded a traitor because he talked about destruction of the city and the temple.
Another object lesson of a wooden yoke put on Jeremiah's shoulders...This was the people putting themselves under Babylon's yoke. If the people served Babylon while they were in captivity, they would live. If not they would be destroyed. Jeremiah called on Zedekiah to surrender to Babylon..
We meet Hananiah, the false prophet. He claimed God sent him to break the yoke in two years. The Lord told Jeremiah He wasn't having it and that because of Hananiah, the yoke would be heavier and of iron, and that Hananiah would die within the year....yep, 7 months later, it happened. A true prophet always has his words come true, and his words never contradict a previous revelation.
Chapter 29 contains a beloved verse that people use today: For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. This is in a letter that Jeremiah sends to the exiles. God did not forget His people and had plans for them to prosper...He needed to prepare His people. Jeremiah tells the people to make the best of their captivity.
Shemiaiah tried to accuse Jeremiah of being a false prophet and the Lord will punish him, as He does all false prophets.
Is there anything holding you captive today? Could God be using it to prepare you?
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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I like 29:10-14 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and fin Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity, i will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive."
ReplyDeleteThat lets me know that know matter what, God is thinking good thoughts for me, not bad. He is not wanting to cause harm or evil on me to get back at something, but wants me to have a future and hope. But He waits for me to turn to him....to go to Him with all my heart. THEN He will be with me and help me through the hard times.
I just love to read your response and see how totally you are "getting" this stuff!!! You go, Girl!
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