July 28

Lamentations 2
In January of 1995 I moved from a suburb of Oklahoma City to North Carolina. In April of 1995 Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice left a rental truck filled with fertilizer in front of the Murrah building in Oklahoma City. When it exploded, it shook the nation. As I watched the destruction on the news and the internet, I was absolutely aghast. I knew one person whose office was located in the building. As far as I know, his body was never found. My mind immediately landed in Lamentations. “Young and old lie on the ground in the streets.” Jeremiah was familiar with such devastation inflicted by humans against humans. In what way does destruction and death reveal the glory of the Lord?
Jeremiah lays the blame for the destruction of Jerusalem at the feet of the Lord. He does not blame the Babylonians. Time and again he charges the Lord with the authorization of the destruction of His people. But in the midst of the charge against Him, Jeremiah introduces a rationale for the Lord’s judgment. Speaking to Israel the Lord says, “Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.” One of the roles of a prophet is to act as a prosecuting attorney on behalf of the Lord. He is to denounce the sin of the people so that they may repent and return to the Lord. Jeremiah had spoken clearly in that role, but the leaders and people would have nothing to do with it. Instead they listened to false prophets who proclaimed a message they wanted to hear. It is the glory of the Lord to warn a people of their sin and to judge them if they do not repent. It is the glory of the Lord to warn a people of their sin and to grant them mercy if they repent.
Was there a particular sin of which Oklahoman’s needed to repent when the Lord permitted the OKC bombing? Maybe, maybe not. But more importantly, when events like these happen, we need to come to the Lord and ask, “Lord, how are you speaking to us through this event?” What about the USA right now? Our economic system seems to be on the brink of economic disaster, and our congress cannot agree on how to address it. Is this a time when perhaps we should be corporately calling out to the Lord and asking, “Lord, how are you speaking to us through these events?” Our churches in America are dying. Every year we close more churches in the USA than we open. There is not a single county in the USA where percentage of church attendees in the county is on the increase. Yes there are churches that are growing, but the statistics would seem to indicate that overall, the shift is just from one church to another. Is it not a time when we should begin asking, “Lord, how are you speaking to us through these events.”
The Lord will glorify Himself in one of two ways. He will glorify Himself in His great justice. He will glorify Himself in His great mercy. In His glory, He lets us choose which one in which we will participate! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 27

Jeremiah 52
Why does Jeremiah revisit the destruction of Jerusalem for the final chapter of his book? Why does he spend time mentioning the bronze sea, bulls, pillars and capitals that were broken up and carried away? Why does he mention the utensils of gold and bronze that were carried away? Why does he not mention any of the inner furniture of the temple, particularly the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat? Why does he not mention the destruction of the bronze altar? Why are these things so important?
Maybe the bronze altar was not mentioned because it had been replaced by Ahaz with a model of a pagan altar and then that altar was replaced with altars for Baal by Manasseh. Josiah destroyed the pagan altars. No mention is made of the remaking of an altar of bronze. The bronze furniture that Solomon made, the altar and the sea were types of judgment. The pillars marked the entrance into the holy place. The whole original typology was that entrance into the presence of a holy God is only accomplished through judgment where our sin punished. The Sea in particular signified the washing away of sin before entering His presence. The gold lampstand, table of presence, altar of incense, Ark of the Covenant and mercy seat (none of which are mentioned) all speak of the presence of God and communion with Him. The thrust of Jeremiah’s ministry was to call the people to repentance so that they might escape the judgment of God. They did not repent. Thus, judgment was carried out. The record of the breaking up of the bronze furniture signifies the accomplishment of judgment. No mention of the interior furniture implies that the path to the presence of and communion with God is temporarily closed. Jeremiah’s ministry is finished. He proclaimed the judgment of God. Yes, he introduced us to the New Covenant, but the New Covenant would not be inaugurated for 620 years.
Jeremiah closes with this final look at the judgment upon Judah for their forsaking the Lord. In less than 23 years following the death of one Judah’s most righteous kings, Josiah, the nation is judged and broken and hauled off to Babylon. How do we see the glory of God in this? He is indeed a God of judgment. The wicked do not go un-judged. Isaiah put it well, “Call out to her! Her warfare is ended! Her iniquity is removed! For she has received of the Lord, double for her sin! . . . Comfort my people!” There is a promise of mercy in the New Covenant. I consider myself to be dead with Him on the cross. Judgment has taken place. I have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life and His righteousness. Instead of having my eyes put out and my sons killed and being placed in chains of bondage, I have His spiritual sight. I have life! I have freedom because of Him! I will cling to this glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
P.S. What happened to the Ark? My seminary prof’s personal opinion was that it was melted down by Nebuchadnezzar. The Ethiopian Coptic church claims that Solomon gave it to their queen, so it was never present when the walls of Jerusalem were breeched. There are a few Rabbinical traditions that it was hidden by Jeremiah in the closing hours of Jerusalem’s life before the breeching of the walls. Some suggest that it is hidden in the Labyrinth of tunnels and cisterns underneath the temple mount. Some suggest other locations.

July 23

Jeremiah 48
Through the end of Jeremiah 51, Jeremiah brings prophecies of the Lord against the enemies of Israel. Now that the Lord has dealt with His people (judgment begins with the household of God. 1 Pt 4:7), He is dealing with the nations who have dealt ill with His people. Moab, descendants of Lot, had a long standing history of enmity with Israel. As early their journey to the east side of the Jordan, the king of Moab hired Balaam to prophesy against Israel. When they couldn’t curse Israel, Balaam advised the king to get the young women of Moab to seduce the young men of Israel. The intermarriage would open the door to sharing the same gods and ultimately bring a curse upon Israel. It almost worked. Centuries ill will existed between them. David’s grandmother, Ruth, was a converted Moabitess.
Beside their enmity with Israel, what did the Lord have against Moab? He says this, “Because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity.” They trusted in their works and treasures and worshiped Chemosh. Who is Chemosh?
Chemosh (Judg. 11:24; 2 King. 23:13) was the national god of the Moabites. This deity was apparently compounded with Athtar, the Venus star, and so is thought to be a pagan god associated with the heavenly bodies. Chemosh has been identified with Baal of Peor, Baal-Zebub, Mars, and Saturn, as the star of ill-omen. Dibon (Num. 21:30), a town in Moab north of the River Arnon, was the chief seat of its worship.
Like Molech, Chemosh was worshiped by the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings, but scholars believe it is incorrect to identify Chemosh directly with Molech. Solomon sanctified Chemosh as a part of his tolerance of pagan gods (1 Kin. 11:7), but Josiah abolished its worship (2 Kin. 23:13). Human sacrifice was made to Chemosh, according to 2 Kings 3:27, which reports that Mesha, king of Moab, offered his oldest son as a burnt offering on the wall of Kir Hareseth, the ancient capital of Moab.
Wow, sounds like the present day United States. We trust in our works and treasures, and we worship a sexual god that calls for the abortion of our children. It would be easy to rant and rave about abortion at this point, but notice what is mentioned first. They trusted in their works and treasures. What we trust in ultimately defines what we worship and what we do. Is there any hint in our churches that we worship our works and treasures? As I read books like Radical and Radical Together, both by David Platt, I am becoming more convinced that the reason that the American church is so anemic is because we trust in our works and our treasures, not the Lord’s. Because the Lord is longsuffering, He took 800 years before the final death blow came to Moab. Why did He take so long? I believe that He was waiting for Moab to repent. He does not desire that any should perish, but He will not wait forever. How long will the Lord wait upon a church before he removes its lamp? I don’t know, but why do I even ask the question? Shouldn’t want to forsake everything for this glorious God who gave His own Son to save us? Lord, pour your grace upon me and your church that we might forsake trusting in our own works and treasures and trust only in You! Help Lord! You are merciful, longsuffering and full of grace, but You will not strive with us forever. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 22

Jeremiah 47
The Philistine city areas of Gaza and Ashkelon were ancient enemies of Israel. Jeremiah pronounces their just judgment for their history of defying the Lord. An eight-hundred-year history of opposition is now finally avenged. Indeed, the Lord is longsuffering. “O you, sword of the Lord, how long until you are quiet? , , , How can it be quiet seeing the Lord has given it a charge?” Clearly this passage proclaims the justice and faithfulness of the Lord. Clearly, Lord, You are longsuffering! But do not let me presume upon Your longsuffering such that I should, by my own imaginations, think that I will escape your judgments. You are faithful! I can only escape your judgments as I die with your Son upon the cross and am raised to walk in newness of life with Him! Keep me from self deception so that I may sow the crucified life and reap the life of the Spirit! O Longsuffering One, how I need Your Spirit! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 21

Jeremiah 46
We live in the zenith of the military might of the USA. There are few who can genuinely rival our military power. Even now we are waging warfare on three different fronts. A major reason we are not finished in Iraq and Afghanistan is because the enemy is not a traditional nation, but rather the enemies are connected groups of guerilla fighters. Traditional armies are never effective against guerilla warfare. History has demonstrated that over and over. In the days of Josiah, Egypt was in the zenith of its military might. As Pharaoh Necho traveled the way by the Sea through Israel to face off with Nebuchadnezzar, Josiah led his army out to oppose the military movement. He was a mere flea on a dog as he challenged the might of Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s army appeared to move up the coast like the Nile in flood season. Josiah was easily drowned in the flood.
It would have been easy for the Israelites to despair. Indeed, many did despair. Where is the glory of God when the King who led the nation in revival is so easily defeated? Where is the justice? But what the nation does not recognize is that the Lord is in control of the kings of the nations. He will defeat Pharaoh through Nebuchadnezzar. Pharaoh fell before him. Pharaoh passed by the appointed time like nothing more than a noisy gong. The only reason that Nebuchadnezzar did not immediately sweep down through Palestine to Egypt is that his father died. Nebuchadnezzar had to return home to bury his father and to shore up his rule as head of state of Babylon. His coming was merely delayed a few years. Yes, God was in control. He was shaping the nations to use them as a tool to discipline Israel. Israel still had an idolatrous heart, even though Josiah’s revival had slowed its demonstration for a season.
And the USA? We too can quickly be swept away in the history of the world to become a ‘has been’ in the annals of the world. Once we have ceased to fulfill the purpose for which He raised us up, we will fade like the grass is fading in our current drought. And what is that purpose? He has raised us up to be a light of the glory of God to the nations. As we are gradually abandoning that task, we will fade into oblivion. Why? God raises up nations for His own glory. When that nation ceases to reveal His glory through obedience to Him, like Egypt, He removes their place of prominence in the world. The central issue is His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 20

Jeremiah 44
We enjoy singing I’m Trading My Sorrows, but when we get right down to it, do we really trade them? Sometimes our sorrows are actually our joys, and in reality, we hang on to them. At least that was true of the Israelite remnant that fled to Egypt. This passage is almost unbelievable. For all these years Jeremiah has been preaching to them to give up what they have in order to gain what cannot be taken away. Each step of the way from the death of Josiah through the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah and finally the Governorship of Gedaliah, he has preached, “Return to the Lord.” Each time that the people rejected the message, their political, social and economic situation became worse. Now they are refugees in Egypt because they rejected the Word of the Lord. Even as refugees they still worship the queen of the heavens. When Jeremiah brings the Word of the Lord to them, one more time the women respond, “Since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” Not only is their focus on their creature comforts, but they are attributing their decrease in creature comforts to the revival of Josiah shortly before his death. Their sorrows were found in their creature comforts or lack thereof. They traced their history and observed that their economic decline began with Josiah’s revival and his subsequent death. They attribute their problems to his calling the nation to Yahweh and away from the queen of heaven.
So, were they ready to trade their sorrows for the joy of the Lord? No indeed, they were ready to blame their sorrows upon Him. It is interesting to me that this complaint came from the women. The worship of the Canaanite Queen of Heaven seems to have included in some cases ritual prostitution as a means of exciting the fertility of the queen of heaven in order to receive the blessing of the riches of the land. Oh the depths of self-deception! Matthew Henry has this to say of this problem:
Those creature-comforts and confidences that we promise ourselves most from may fail us as soon as those that we promise ourselves least from, for they are all what God makes them, not what we fancy them.
We don’t worship the queen of heaven, but do we worship our creature-comforts? Would we lay down our creature-comforts for the glory of God? A more poignant question is, “Do we lay down our creature-comforts for the glory of God?” I think one of the reasons that it is so vital for us to spend time everyday looking at the glory of God and sharing what we have found with someone else is because if we don’t, we will become just as deceived as the women of Judah. Our creature-comforts become more important that His glory. I find that if I don’t gaze upon His glory, I forget. When I forget, the creature-comforts become more enticing. He is a God that is more glorious than all the comforts of which I can dream, and I can dream a lot! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 19

Jeremiah 43
You can run, but you can’t hide! It is an old saying, but true. Johanan and others did not like the Word from the Lord, which they received in Jerusalem from Jeremiah. So they ran and forced Jeremiah to come with them. They ran to Egypt. Egypt was arguably one of the world’s greatest powers at the time. Surely Nebuchadnezzar could not touch them there. You can run, but you cannot hide! The Lord sent word through Jeremiah that Nebuchadnezzar was coming! Right from the very spot where Jeremiah gave the word, Nebuchadnezzar would set up camp! Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary says:
Josephus tells us that in his twenty-third year, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt, slew the Pharaoh, set up another, and carried the Jewish remnant to Babylon (Antiq. x, ix. 7). A fragmentary inscription, now in the British Museum, records that Nebuchadnezzar actually invaded Egypt in 568 B.C. when Amasis (570–526 B.C.) was Pharaoh. Amasis seems to have heeded the warning and thereafter remained on good terms with the Babylonians.
It is the glory of the Lord that we can run, but we cannot hide! So, why do we run? It is nothing but pride that keeps us running. Lord, enable me to lay down my pride and embrace Your Word. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 18

Jeremiah 42
A friend of mine recently left town. He ran away from his problems. It is a life-long pattern that he has had. He is 54, so the pattern is pretty ingrained. He just feels that a change of location is the answer to the problems. The problem with running is that eventually we encounter a similar problem. So we end up running again.
“Is there any Word from the Lord?” Zedekiah is long deported to Babylon (maybe as much as 5 years), but those remaining in Jerusalem still follow his habit of asking but not obeying. After Gedaliah’s unfortunate demise, and Johanan’s rescue of the people, he represents them in seeking instruction about what to do. The Lord graciously gives them assurance about staying, but He also sees through the ruse of their asking. The Lord calls them hypocrites. They asked but not with a view to obedience. Normally when we ask without a view to obedience, the Lord does not answer at all. The classic New Testament passage on the subject is James 1:5-7. James tells us to ask for wisdom in faith. Faith is not believing God will answer, but faith is trusting in such a way that when the answer comes we obey. He says that one who doubts is double minded. In other words, he weighs God’s answer against human wisdom and the does the one which seem most pleasing. What a perfect description of Joahanan and his people!
So where is the glory of the Lord Jesus in all of this? Even when we waffle in our obedience He offers mercy! Look at verse 11 & 12:
Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the LORD, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’
It is so easy to run from our problems. If we have to run, it ought to be toward the mercy of the Lord, not away from it! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 15

Jeremiah 39
“Is there any Word from the Lord?” Zedekiah’s question still echoes down through the ages to us. Two days ago we read the question, when Zedekiah secretly inquired of Jeremiah. There was a word, but it was not what Zedekiah wanted to hear. That Word came true. Zedekiah’s eyes were put out. The last thing he saw was the execution of his sons in front of him. He was put in chains and hauled off to Babylon. He lived the rest of his life with that vision in his mind and with the knowledge that according to the word of the Lord, it could have been different. In sharp juxtaposition Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech are rewarded with their lives. It is the glory of the Lord that He ALWAYS keeps his Word. For Jeremiah and Ebed-Melech, it is what C.S. Lewis called, “A severe mercy.” For Zedekiah it was judgment. It could have been different, but Zedekiah would not receive it. The result is that we see the severe mercy of the Lord and the severe judgment of the Lord. Lord, enable me to hear your word and do it! I receive your mercy. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 14

Jeremiah 38
In Matthew 10:39 Jesus says, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Zedekiah is an interesting case study in this principle in life. Zedekiah desperately wanted to remain king. He wanted that more than obedience to the Lord. He had a choice, hang on to what he wanted, or let go and submit to the king of Babylon. If he were to let go, the Lord promised him life. If not, well we will soon see what happened to Zedekiah. Ultimately, he hung on to his life and lost it.
As I write, I have a friend who is struggling with this same issue. We worked with him to get him to a point where he was almost on his own feet again. Then, in a desperate attempt to provide his own companionship, he lost most of the headway that he had made. You see, he wasn’t willing to lose his life. Now he is struggling with the depression over another failure and again waffling with losing his own life. Do we not do the same thing? Our choices are just more culturally acceptable than his were. It is the glory of the Lord that He should enable us to lose our lives in HIM! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 13

Jeremiah 37
“Is there a word from the Lord?” What a question! It is a question that we all have! It is a kind of a haunting question. Why would Zedekiah ask such a thing secretly of Jeremiah? I think that deep down inside, Zedekiah knew that Jeremiah was right. Deep down inside he knew that Jeremiah spoke for the Lord. But his throne was more important than anything else. Hoping against hope, he hoped that the Lord would forgive him and permanently send Nebuchadnezzar away. His political supporters were such that if he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, he would lose their support and his throne. If Nebuchadnezzar returned, they would be crushed. The only chance for him was some kind of miracle of God. He hoped God would change His mind.
It is the glory of God that His character never changes. The Lord gave Jeremiah the strength to speak the unpopular truth to Zedekiah, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” Not only that but Jeremiah boldly pointed out Zedekiah’s own waffling spirit. And then he asked to not be sent back to the dungeon. How could Jeremiah be so strong? He knew the glory of the Lord. The glory of the Lord was more important than where Jeremiah lived. Jeremiah could have eased his own suffering by coming in line with the false prophets. But the Glory of the Lord was too important to him. Is the glory of the Lord more important than my own comfort? Hmmmm. . . Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 12

Jeremiah 36
With the exceptions of Satan, Adam and Judas, in my opinion, this is one of the most flagrant acts of rebellion recorded in Scripture. A day of fasting had been called by someone. The people were gathered in Jerusalem to fast over their national crisis (under the thumb first of Egypt and now of Babylon). It was day of fasting or humiliation when one humbles one’s self before the Mighty God to seek His forgiveness for one sin. A public day of fasting is for public repentance. Jehoiakim had been repeatedly warned by Jeremiah. Remember 22:13-23? Jehoiakim was specifically warned about abusing the poor, but he would not listen. Jeremiah was detained by authorities at the court, probably because of his warnings against Jehoiakim. Now was the time for Jehoiakim to repent. It was appropriate for the day of fasting. If this whole day were not just a pretense, now was the time for Jehoiakim to publicly humble himself. Jeremiah dictated the prophecies given to date to Baruch. He had them delivered to the public celebration. Note that the king was not in attendance. After the reading, the officials warned Baruch and Jeremiah to go hide while they took the message to Jehoiakim.
It was a moment of great tension. Everyone present knew what was at stake. Would the king humble himself, or would he respond inappropriately. Everyone sensed what would happen and no one really wanted to oppose the king. The king listened intently; at some point, he rose and took the scroll. It was evident what he was about to do. Three men implored him not to, but their pleas were not strong enough. The king took the very words of God in his hands and threw them in the fire! And yet, no one expressed dismay at such flagrant disrespect against the Lord! There was not enough passion with in their lives to drive them to fall to their knees and cry for mercy for themselves and their nation when such pride had filled the leadership.
Our country writhes in the filth of our pride. Our president has declared that we are not a Christian nation. You know what? He is descriptively correct. Maybe our nation was once founded upon Christian principles, but the issue is that we no longer function that way! And none of us really has the passion to cry out before God and beg His forgiveness for our sin! Why? The fault is not the presidents; it is ours! Look at our churches! We are more concerned about running our programs in a way that is more attractive to people than we are about gathering together to humble ourselves before God to listen to what He has to say about us, repent and proclaim His glory! Why would we want to attract more people rather than call them to repentance? Even if we did gather to listen, would we truly hear His voice, or would we be like Jehoiakim and burn the word of the Lord in the nearest fire? I fear that the glory of the Lord has become so sullied among us that all the world can see is our sin. Why would the world want our Lord, when all that they can see is our sin, our lack of passion for Him? That is all that could be seen of Jehoiakim. Lord, uncover our sin! Bring a spirit of repentance upon us! Remove our sin as far as the east is from the west! Humble us! Unveil your glory once again! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 11

Jeremiah 35
Jonadab, the son of Rechab, was the founder of the Rechabites. He recognized the value of obeying his glorious Lord. He also knew the corrupting influence of cities and wine. In the days of the Kings, Israel excelled in the production of wine. They exported wine all over the world. Of course, if there is something that a nation produces a lot of, the nation is usually first a consumer of it. Israel was surely a consumer of their product. The Canaanite religions were excessive in their use of wine. We can safely assume that as Israel picked up the worship of the Canaanite Gods, they also picked up their drinking habits. Centuries before Jeremiah, Jonadab charged his sons to live the life of nomads and not drink wine for the purpose of avoiding the corrupting influences of cities and wine. According to the KJV Commentary, “During the reign of Jehu (841–814 B.C.) the Rechabites assisted in the eradication of the Baalim from Israel (II Kgs 10:15–23). Obviously, the Rechabites had been holding true to their tradition.
As an object lesson to the nation, Jeremiah tests the Rechabites who are now living in Jerusalem because of the Babylonian invasion. He sets wine before them and asks them to drink. They passed the test. They refused to drink the wine out of obedience to their fathers. The Lord points out how much He appreciated their obedience and His desire for Israel to be equally obedient to Him. There is One who was totally obedient, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians tells us that he was obedient to the Father even to the point of death, even death on a cross. It is the glory of our Lord that He is obedient to the Father. He wants us to share in His glory. Will we obey? If we do we may share in His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 9

Jeremiah 33
Yesterday, Jeremiah 32, could be summed up by saying, “When you are in the pits, it is time to look at the long term work of God, not your momentary distress. What is God seeking to accomplish?” Today, Jeremiah 33, we continue in sort of the same vein. Jeremiah is still in the court prison for speaking in the name of the Lord. If the choice were left to me, I wouldn’t want to be a prison Inmate anywhere. Yet it is in this prison that the Lord challenges Jeremiah, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” The KJV Commentary describe Mighty as: “Mighty. Inaccessible, hidden. The mysteries of eternity are available to the believer only through a call unto the Lord. “ Inaccessible—how many times have felt like the situation was hopeless only to find later that the Lord was working through the situation to produce a result which was far better than I thought the situation would lead? How could Jeremiah ever be delivered out prison? He was in the court prison because he was preaching a message that was tantamount to sedition and treason. If the Chaldeans were not effective in their siege, then Jeremiah would remain in prison. If they were effective, the nation would surely perish and become nothing on the face of the earth. It is literally the old saying of, “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
So what is this inaccessible, hidden thing that the Lord shows Jeremiah? It is simply the goodness and the mercy of the Lord. He will raise up out of the rubble a nation that will properly respond to the Lord. How will He do it? It will be a man, a God-man, the descendant of David. He will be called a righteous branch. While Israel was destroyed because of its unrighteousness, He will provide One who will make them righteous. While Israel was destroyed because of its unrighteous kings, He will provide a righteous King who will rule over them. You see, He had made two covenants one with the Levites and one with David. The Levites, which technically included the priests, were the family that was supposed to bring the people to the temple, and cover their sin. The line of David was supposed to rule in such a way that it led the people in righteous living. Both families had failed. Could God no longer keep His covenant? He would keep His covenant because He is good and full of mercy. He kept it in the God-man, Jesus Christ. Jesus, through the sacrifice of Himself, makes us righteous when we yield to Him. Jesus, through His eternal Spirit, empowers us, rules in us, when we yield to Him. When He returns, He will also establish a nation where He will be the true King. He would like to see that happen in His church right now. The availability of the New Covenant makes it possible. Will we yield? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 7

Jeremiah 31
What kind of love is this?:
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. 4Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel!
An everlasting love, it is a love that called in conquerors to defeat the nation and city. It is a love that has caused famine and pestilence. It is a love that demands purity in its object. It is a love that will stop at nothing to refine its object. It is a love that never lets go. It is a love that desires its object to return the love by being satisfied with His goodness. It is a love that yearns for its object. It is a love that yearns for faithfulness in its object. It is a love that satisfies its object. It is a love that even required the death of His own Son in order to purify its object. It is a love that uses that death to write His law upon the heart of the one He loves. It is a love that forgives iniquity, and sin. It is a love that chooses to never bring to mind again the sin that its object committed against Him. What kind of love is this?
I have been receiving about 3 calls a day M-F from people wanting help with rent/utilities/food/ gasoline. What kind of love either permits or designs for those things to happen to those people? I usually ask a series of questions. One is, “Do you have a church home? “ If they do, I want their church home to help them. If they do not, I usually tell them, “We prefer to help people with whom we have relationships. We would like to get to know you by you coming to our worship service or one of our Bible Studies.” That weeds out some of those who are not willing to think about a love that would permit or design a hardship in order to draw them to Himself. When they come it gives us an opportunity to speak the word into their lives. It gives opportunity to reveal the love that Jesus really has for them. It is not the candy store variety of love. Yes, His love is sweet, but it is also as hard as nails. It molds; it disciplines; it demands perfection. But it also does what it takes to provide perfection. That love is passionate. This is that of which this chapter of Jeremiah speaks. Wow! What a glorious love! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 6

Jeremiah 30
I have been with my wife each time that she birthed one of our five children. I have also passed a kidney stone. I know enough that I know that I do not ever want to be in a position where I have to give birth, especially since I do not have the physical apparatus to accomplish this feat. Yet Israel’s hard time is likened to a man delivering a baby—a lot of pain but nothing is going to happen. What a miserable existence! But when we take a yoke that God has not designed for us, that is what it leads to! The good news is that He is a deliverer! If we turn to Him, He delivers! He breaks the yoke and gives us His. He is a indeed a Savior! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

June 5

Jeremiah 29
Days ago I asked, “Are you a good fig or a bad fig?” Yesterday I asked about the yoke you were wearing. The Lord through Jeremiah returns to both of those ideas today. He writes a letter to the exiles in Babylon and tells them to pursue the peace of Babylon and that the Lord will give them peace. Their yoke was to seek the Lord and to seek the peace of Babylon. In contrast those who stayed in Jerusalem were very bad figs which could not be eaten. They would have no peace. It is the glory of the Lord that He wants us to have peace while we bear His yoke.
We all bear a yoke. It is just a matter of whose yoke. Bob Dylan during his so-called Christian days wrote a song, You’ve Gotta Serve Somebody! We will either serve sin, Satan, self or the Lord. Can you imagine if your yoke was that your country had been defeated in war, and as a result, your conqueror was forcing you to start your life over in his country as a servant to him? What would you think of the thoughts of the Lord then? Would you believe:
11For 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.
Yet God engineered this so that they might seek Him. He follows this up with:
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 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.
He often leads us into a yoke that looks impossible, but He will lead us through it and enable us to bear it. And the reward is Himself. The other yoke that might look easier leads to death. It is His glory to lead us into life and enable us to perform impossible tasks. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 4

Jeremiah 28
When the signal was given the pair of draft horses immediately sprang into action. They were bred for this. They were trained for this. They were eager for this. Often times their eagerness to pull the burden is so great that they fault at the start and lose the competition. If you have ever been to a draft horse pulling contest, you know exactly what I am talking about. Laura loves to watch the beauty of the horses as they are yoked to pull together in competition. Consequently, I often take her to the county fair to watch this event. It always amazes me that these horses have such a strong desire to pull these awesome amounts of weight. They are eager to do it. They are passionate about it. Are you passionate about the work of the Lord Jesus?
The Lord had clearly stated through Jeremiah that the nation was to submit to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar and that Jeconiah would never come back from Babylon. But in the wave of nationalism in Jerusalem, Hananiah could not resist the thought that Jeremiah was not speaking for the Lord. He announced that within a few short years, Coniah would be returned and the yoke of Babylon would be broken. Hananiah was making the people trust in a lie. He died within the year as a punishment for speaking that lie. What was wrong with the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar? It just did not square with their nationalism.
There is a yoke that the Lord has called us to. It is recorded in Matthew 11:28-30. He said,
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
When a rabbi called a young man to be his disciple, he would call him to take his yoke upon him. For those of you who are not familiar with the agrarian setting, a yoke is an apparatus used to link a beast of burden to a plow or some implement or wagon for the purpose of accomplishing a laborious task. Often two or more beasts of burden would be yoked together in order to perform tasks greater than which one beast could perform. When training a new animal, it would be yoked to a stronger well trained animal until the new animal was fully trained. Before we find Jesus we were under the burden of sin. When we find Jesus, He sets us free from the burden of sin order that we can share in His yoke. He does not save us from work but for work. It is a work in which we are yoked with Him, for Him and by Him. He enables us to do our part and trains us. His burden is easy, and His yoke is light.
This July 4th I wonder, “Are we eager to be in the yoke to which He calls us? Or like Hananiah do we prefer the yoke of nationalism?” Are the comforts and values of our country more important to us than the job to which He has called us in the establishment of His kingdom? It would seem that there are many voices that beckon us to lay aside the yoke of the Lord. Some of the voices even come from trusted spiritual leaders. Are we more passionate about our nation than we are His work? It is the glory of the Lord to yoke us together with Himself to accomplish the work of His Kingdom. Are we passionate about our part in that Kingdom? After all it is for His glory! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

July 2

Jeremiah 26
Observe the mercies of our Lord! He sends messenger after messenger to us warning us of His wrath against sin. How is it that so many are so adept at resisting His mercy? He sent Micah to Hezekiah warning of the wrath that was coming. Hezekiah repented! The destruction of the temple was postponed! He sent Urijah to Jehoiakim to proclaim the need for repentance. Jehoiakim sent his special ops people down to Egypt to kidnap Urijah and bring him back to Jerusalem to execute him. The Lord sent Jeremiah to Jehoiakim to proclaim the wrath and mercy of the Lord. The people arrested Jeremiah immediately. Why were they so intent on resisting the mercy of the Lord? The Lord raised up one to intercede for Jeremiah, but He raised up no one to intercede for Urijah, why? Urijah was executed; Jeremiah lived on. By the way, Ahikam, who interceded for Jeremiah, was part of the delegation that Josiah, decades earlier, had sent to the prophetess, Huldah, to inquire of the Lord concerning the possibility of revival. Ahikam was also the father of Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed Governor of Jerusalem after its destruction and protector of Jeremiah. Gedaliah was assassinated by Jewish nationalists led by Ishmael. Talk about resisting the mercy of God!
It is easy to point at Jehoiakim or Ishmael and talk about them resisting the mercy of God, but what about us? Do I resist the mercy of God? Hmmmm. . . . maybe that is hitting too close to home. If someone points out my sin, do I welcome their pointing it out? If you are like me, probably not. Hardly anyone wants to be told that he is wrong, but if one is really wrong, should he not welcome correction? Is it not a mercy to be told I am wrong so that I might have opportunity to correct the wrong? God in His mercy sends us correction through His word and through others. It is all about His mercy. Can I see the mercy of God even when I am corrected? I probably need correction more than I am willing to admit. When the correction comes, do I see it as the mercy of God. When I see the mercy of God revealed, do I see it as part of his glory? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john