7: Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8: Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10: Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11: So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13: But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14: For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15: While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16: For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17: But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19: So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
The writer says to these Hebrews The Holy Spirit says to you, Today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts (like you did when your fathers provoked the Lord in the wilderness) Then they tempted the Lord and proved him over forty years. The Lord said l was disgusted with that generation and said they are always going off the path in their minds and they do not know my ways. Therefore l swore an oath saying that, they will never enter into my rest. Now says the writer it’s the same with you Hebrews. Listen to what l am saying brethren, uncase an evil mind of unbelief should cause you to leave off listening to the living God. Encourage each other while you have an opportunity lest any one of you become hardened through the trick of sin to lead you astray. Because we will become part of what Christ is going to do if we believe in him right on to the end. Even though the Lord warned Israel in the wilderness yet they still rebelled against him – yet not all. Those who rebelled fell in the wilderness. Do you think that Gods curse - that they would not enter into his rest – was to those who believed or those who believed not? And then the writer answers his own question – Israel could not enter into rest because of unbelief.
Steve
29/10/2010
28/10/2010
Evening Bible reading October 28th Jeremiah, 16
1: The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying, 2: Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. 3: For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land; 4: They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 5: For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies. 6: Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them: 7: Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother. 8: Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink. 9: For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. 10: And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? 11: Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; 12: And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: 13: Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour. 14: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 15: But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. 16: Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. 17: For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes. 18: And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things. 19: O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. 20: Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? 21: Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.
Jeremiah, 17
1: The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; 2: Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3: O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4: And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 5: Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6: For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8: For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 11: As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 12: A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13: O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 14: Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 15: Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. 16: As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. 17: Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18: Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. 19: Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20: And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: 21: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22: Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23: But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. 24: And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; 25: Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. 26: And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD. 27: But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
Jeremiah, 18
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3: Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7: At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8: If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9: And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10: If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. 11: Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12: And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. 13: Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. 14: Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? 15: Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; 16: To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. 17: I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. 18: Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19: Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 20: Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. 21: Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. 22: Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. 23: Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.
The next instruction from the Lord is that Jeremiah is not to marry. The Lord explains that the mothers, daughters and sons born in Judah will die terrible deaths. And the Lord says you must not mourn for them, because he says, l have taken away my peace - my loving kindness and my mercies. Great and small will die in this land and they will remain unburied and unmourned. Nor is Jeremiah to go to a funeral meal. The sound of joy and happiness will cease in the land and none shall marry. And the Lord says when you bring this message to the people they will say to you, what have we done wrong? Then you will tell them that they have forsaken me, says the Lord, and gone after idols to worship them. And that is why you will be thrown out of this land in fact a day will come when men will not say the Lord who brought us up out of Egypt but the Lord who brought us out of the north country and from all lands where we were scattered. This was fulfilled when Judah returned from Babylon but it will be fulfilled fully when the ten tribes will be gathered from every nation, in the future – before the kingdom. The Lord will send his ‘fishers’ and ‘hunters’ to find every Israelite living in every nation and on every Island. In that day every son of Jacob will know that Gods name is The LORD. (Jehovah) The prophet declared that the sins of Judah are written with an iron pen with a diamond tip. And it is engraved on the memory of Israelites. The Lord curses the man who trusts in men and relies on the strength of the flesh whose heart has departed from the Lord. However blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and those hope is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by waters, whose roots reach the river. He will be evergreen and fruitful. The Lord warns that the mind of men of terribly deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know how wicked it is? The Lord searches the minds of men and tries his motives so that he will punish or bless according to his actions. The rich man is like a partridge who sits on dead eggs and they do not hatch so is he that gets rich by evil methods. He will leave them in the middle of his life and in the end he will find that he was a fool. Jeremiah is sent to go and stand in the gate of the city. (This location gives him the best opportunity of meeting most people. It is the judicial and social centre of the city) It is through this gate that the king enters and leaves the city. Jeremiah brings a message to the Kings of Judah. He is to tell the Kings not to break the Sabbath day. (The Sabbath day is symbolic of all the Mosaic Law.) if they keep this law then This will be a token obedience that will turn away the wrath of God. It will be the beginning of a spiritual revival. The Sacrificial system will follow, whereby Israel will have their sins covered. But if they will not keep the Sabbath then a fire will burn the gates and it will burn until everything is consumed. Next the Lord sends Jeremiah to the Potter’s house. Jeremiah sees a vessel that is being formed but in the hands of the potter collapsed and so he took the heap of misshapen clay and made a new vessel. And so this was the message to the house of Judah. The Lord says that every men will walk by and shake their heads in disbelief. The men of the city instead of being smitten by his words begin to argue with Jeremiah. Jeremiah calls on the Lord to judge Judah with slaughter. He says do not forgive them and do not blot out their sin.
Steve
Jeremiah, 17
1: The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; 2: Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3: O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4: And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 5: Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6: For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8: For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10: I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 11: As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 12: A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13: O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 14: Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 15: Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. 16: As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. 17: Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18: Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. 19: Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20: And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: 21: Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22: Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23: But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. 24: And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; 25: Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. 26: And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD. 27: But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
Jeremiah, 18
1: The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3: Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4: And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5: Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 6: O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7: At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8: If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9: And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10: If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. 11: Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12: And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. 13: Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing. 14: Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken? 15: Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; 16: To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. 17: I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. 18: Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19: Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 20: Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them. 21: Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle. 22: Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet. 23: Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.
The next instruction from the Lord is that Jeremiah is not to marry. The Lord explains that the mothers, daughters and sons born in Judah will die terrible deaths. And the Lord says you must not mourn for them, because he says, l have taken away my peace - my loving kindness and my mercies. Great and small will die in this land and they will remain unburied and unmourned. Nor is Jeremiah to go to a funeral meal. The sound of joy and happiness will cease in the land and none shall marry. And the Lord says when you bring this message to the people they will say to you, what have we done wrong? Then you will tell them that they have forsaken me, says the Lord, and gone after idols to worship them. And that is why you will be thrown out of this land in fact a day will come when men will not say the Lord who brought us up out of Egypt but the Lord who brought us out of the north country and from all lands where we were scattered. This was fulfilled when Judah returned from Babylon but it will be fulfilled fully when the ten tribes will be gathered from every nation, in the future – before the kingdom. The Lord will send his ‘fishers’ and ‘hunters’ to find every Israelite living in every nation and on every Island. In that day every son of Jacob will know that Gods name is The LORD. (Jehovah) The prophet declared that the sins of Judah are written with an iron pen with a diamond tip. And it is engraved on the memory of Israelites. The Lord curses the man who trusts in men and relies on the strength of the flesh whose heart has departed from the Lord. However blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and those hope is the Lord. He will be like a tree planted by waters, whose roots reach the river. He will be evergreen and fruitful. The Lord warns that the mind of men of terribly deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know how wicked it is? The Lord searches the minds of men and tries his motives so that he will punish or bless according to his actions. The rich man is like a partridge who sits on dead eggs and they do not hatch so is he that gets rich by evil methods. He will leave them in the middle of his life and in the end he will find that he was a fool. Jeremiah is sent to go and stand in the gate of the city. (This location gives him the best opportunity of meeting most people. It is the judicial and social centre of the city) It is through this gate that the king enters and leaves the city. Jeremiah brings a message to the Kings of Judah. He is to tell the Kings not to break the Sabbath day. (The Sabbath day is symbolic of all the Mosaic Law.) if they keep this law then This will be a token obedience that will turn away the wrath of God. It will be the beginning of a spiritual revival. The Sacrificial system will follow, whereby Israel will have their sins covered. But if they will not keep the Sabbath then a fire will burn the gates and it will burn until everything is consumed. Next the Lord sends Jeremiah to the Potter’s house. Jeremiah sees a vessel that is being formed but in the hands of the potter collapsed and so he took the heap of misshapen clay and made a new vessel. And so this was the message to the house of Judah. The Lord says that every men will walk by and shake their heads in disbelief. The men of the city instead of being smitten by his words begin to argue with Jeremiah. Jeremiah calls on the Lord to judge Judah with slaughter. He says do not forgive them and do not blot out their sin.
Steve
27/10/2010
Morning Bible reading October 28th Hebrews, 3
1: Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2: Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. 3: For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4: For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. 5: And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; 6: But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
The writer to the Hebrews builds his thinking point by point. Here he says, because of what l have previously said, l want you - holy brethren (Israelites). You who are designated to be partakers of the heavenly calling, (The Messianic Kingdom) to consider ‘The Anointed One’ ‘The High Priest of our confession’ – Christ Jesus. He was faithful to the one who called him – just as Moses was, who was faithful in his house. Christ is much more glory than that which Moses had, because the person who builds the house is more honourable than the house. Every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God. Moses was a faithful servant in the house but Christ is the Son and Heir of the house and we will belong to his house if we hang on believing and rejoicing in the hope of the Kingdom of heaven to the end.
Steve
The writer to the Hebrews builds his thinking point by point. Here he says, because of what l have previously said, l want you - holy brethren (Israelites). You who are designated to be partakers of the heavenly calling, (The Messianic Kingdom) to consider ‘The Anointed One’ ‘The High Priest of our confession’ – Christ Jesus. He was faithful to the one who called him – just as Moses was, who was faithful in his house. Christ is much more glory than that which Moses had, because the person who builds the house is more honourable than the house. Every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God. Moses was a faithful servant in the house but Christ is the Son and Heir of the house and we will belong to his house if we hang on believing and rejoicing in the hope of the Kingdom of heaven to the end.
Steve
Evening Bible reading October 27th Jeremiah, 14
1: The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. 2: Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. 3: And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. 4: Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. 5: Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass. 6: And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass. 7: O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. 8: O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? 9: Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not. 10: Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. 11: Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. 12: When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. 13: Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. 14: Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. 15: Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. 16: And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them. 17: Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow. 18: If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine! yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not. 19: Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul lothed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble! 20: We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. 21: Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. 22: Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
Jeremiah, 15
1: Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 2: And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. 3: And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 4: And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 5: For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? 6: Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 7: And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. 8: Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 9: She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD. 10: Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me. 11: The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. 12: Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? 13: Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. 14: And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you. 15: O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 17: I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18: Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? 19: Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20: And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 21: And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Jeremiah receives a prophesy from the Lord that there is coming a great dearth. A dearth is a drought followed by a famine. The significance of this dearth is seen in 1 Kings 17v1 when Elijah predicted a dearth in the reign of Ahab. This dearth was a continuation of the previous judgment of God in Elijah’s life and is understood to be the discipline of God on Israel according to the Palestinian Covenant Deu 28v23-24. In the Palestinian covenant God promised rain and crops and blessing on all stock if Israel remained faithful but he also promised a dearth if they forsook him. Now the Lord brings up this judgment as a discipline on Israel’s backslidings. Jeremiah graphically describes what this dearth will be like. The plowmen will be ashamed. The hind will forsake her calf. The wild asses will stand on the hill tops sniffing for wind and rain. This is very serious its impossible for us to imagine the horror of these events. Worse still false prophets are sending false messages to the people. People are dying in the streets and there is no-one to bury them. Everywhere he goes Jeremiah sees the slain of the Lord. It is a terrible sight. The people plead with the Lord for help. Then the Lord says to Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him he would not hear them. These two men are singled out as men who can plead with God. The Lord says the people are appointed to death and destruction. And four instruments of destruction, the sword, the dogs, the fowls and the beasts of the earth. The Lord says l am weary of repenting – l will destroy them.
Steve
Jeremiah, 15
1: Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 2: And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. 3: And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 4: And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 5: For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest? 6: Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 7: And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. 8: Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 9: She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD. 10: Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me. 11: The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. 12: Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? 13: Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. 14: And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you. 15: O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16: Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 17: I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18: Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? 19: Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20: And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 21: And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
Jeremiah receives a prophesy from the Lord that there is coming a great dearth. A dearth is a drought followed by a famine. The significance of this dearth is seen in 1 Kings 17v1 when Elijah predicted a dearth in the reign of Ahab. This dearth was a continuation of the previous judgment of God in Elijah’s life and is understood to be the discipline of God on Israel according to the Palestinian Covenant Deu 28v23-24. In the Palestinian covenant God promised rain and crops and blessing on all stock if Israel remained faithful but he also promised a dearth if they forsook him. Now the Lord brings up this judgment as a discipline on Israel’s backslidings. Jeremiah graphically describes what this dearth will be like. The plowmen will be ashamed. The hind will forsake her calf. The wild asses will stand on the hill tops sniffing for wind and rain. This is very serious its impossible for us to imagine the horror of these events. Worse still false prophets are sending false messages to the people. People are dying in the streets and there is no-one to bury them. Everywhere he goes Jeremiah sees the slain of the Lord. It is a terrible sight. The people plead with the Lord for help. Then the Lord says to Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him he would not hear them. These two men are singled out as men who can plead with God. The Lord says the people are appointed to death and destruction. And four instruments of destruction, the sword, the dogs, the fowls and the beasts of the earth. The Lord says l am weary of repenting – l will destroy them.
Steve
26/10/2010
Morning Bible reading October 27th Hebrews, 2
1: Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2: For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4: God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? 5: For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6: But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7: Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10: For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11: For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12: Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13: And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. 14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. 17: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18: For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
The writer of this marvellous book says, we Hebrews should listen carefully to the things which we have heard in case we let this message slip through our fingers. Because if the Mosaic law which we received by angels was prove to be true and every breaking of the law brought about a just punishment then how will we escape the judgment of God if we allow this message of salvation to pass us by. This message was first preached to us (Israel) by the Lord and was proven to be true to us by those who heard him. And God also bore witness to their message by sign and wonders and different types of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. God did not put the world to come, which we tell you about, into the hands of angels. One man bore witness saying, ‘what is man, that you are mindful of him? or the son of man, that you came to be with him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour, and did set him over the works of your hands: You have put all things in subjection under his feet’. Because everything is put under the feet of Christ there is nothing that is not put under his feet. However we do not yet see everything put under his feet. But we do see Jesus who became a little lower than the angels so that he might suffer death – crowned with glory and honour so that he might by the grace of God taste death for every man. (No limited atonement here!) It was the right thing to do for Christ, who is the creator of everything thing, to suffer in order that he might he might bring many sons to glory. Christ has already gone on before us to glory and has made everything complete and he has made all believers holy in himself. So he is not ashamed to call them his brethren. Then the writer quotes three passage all related to this truth of believers being brethren and children of God. Because we are men in the flesh so he took part in out humanity so that through death he might render ineffective the work of Satan who has the power of death and set free all who through fear of death are all their lives in bondage. Christ did not take the body of an angel but he took to himself the flesh of Abraham. In every way Christ has become like his brethren so that he might be a compassionate and faithful high priest before God to a sacrifice for sins of men which satisfies the holiness of God. And because Christ suffered temptation he is able to secure those who are being tempted.
Steve
The writer of this marvellous book says, we Hebrews should listen carefully to the things which we have heard in case we let this message slip through our fingers. Because if the Mosaic law which we received by angels was prove to be true and every breaking of the law brought about a just punishment then how will we escape the judgment of God if we allow this message of salvation to pass us by. This message was first preached to us (Israel) by the Lord and was proven to be true to us by those who heard him. And God also bore witness to their message by sign and wonders and different types of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. God did not put the world to come, which we tell you about, into the hands of angels. One man bore witness saying, ‘what is man, that you are mindful of him? or the son of man, that you came to be with him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour, and did set him over the works of your hands: You have put all things in subjection under his feet’. Because everything is put under the feet of Christ there is nothing that is not put under his feet. However we do not yet see everything put under his feet. But we do see Jesus who became a little lower than the angels so that he might suffer death – crowned with glory and honour so that he might by the grace of God taste death for every man. (No limited atonement here!) It was the right thing to do for Christ, who is the creator of everything thing, to suffer in order that he might he might bring many sons to glory. Christ has already gone on before us to glory and has made everything complete and he has made all believers holy in himself. So he is not ashamed to call them his brethren. Then the writer quotes three passage all related to this truth of believers being brethren and children of God. Because we are men in the flesh so he took part in out humanity so that through death he might render ineffective the work of Satan who has the power of death and set free all who through fear of death are all their lives in bondage. Christ did not take the body of an angel but he took to himself the flesh of Abraham. In every way Christ has become like his brethren so that he might be a compassionate and faithful high priest before God to a sacrifice for sins of men which satisfies the holiness of God. And because Christ suffered temptation he is able to secure those who are being tempted.
Steve
Evening Bible reading October 26th Jeremiah, 11
1: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3: And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, 4: Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God: 5: That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD. 6: Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. 7: For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. 8: Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not. 9: And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10: They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. 11: Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. 12: Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13: For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal. 14: Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble. 15: What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. 16: The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken. 17: For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal. 18: And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings. 19: But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered. 20: But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause. 21: Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand: 22: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine: 23: And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.
Jeremiah, 12
1: Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? 2: Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. 3: But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4: How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end. 5: If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? 6: For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee. 7: I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. 8: Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 9: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. 10: Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11: They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. 12: The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 13: They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. 14: Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15: And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16: And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. 17: But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah, 13
1: Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2: So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4: Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5: So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6: And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7: Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10: This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11: For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 12: Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13: Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14: And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 15: Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. 16: Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17: But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive. 18: Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. 19: The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. 20: Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 21: What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? 22: And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. 23: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24: Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. 25: This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26: Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. 27: I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
Jeremiah is called upon to pronounce the curse of God on those who do not obey the commandments of the Lord. The Lord commands Jeremiah to preach this message in all the cities and streets of Israel. the chief complaint against Israel is that they have descended into the grossest of sins based on the worship of Baal. Jeremiah is warned by the men of Anathoth not to prophesy anymore for fear of assassination. God acted to judge them and their families. Jeremiah calls out to the Lord in praise for his justice on evil men. Yet in all Gods judgments there is a sign of Hope. Then the Lord told Jeremiah to take a linen girdle and put it on and then to take it to the river Euphrates and hide it in a hole in a rock. Then the Lord told him to go and find it again but he found it spoiled. Then the Lord said this girdle will be like Israel they will become good for nothing. Then the Lord said fill every bottle with wine because every man will be filled with drunkenness. And l will dash them to pieces one against another. Then Jeremiah has a message for the King and Queen saying that they will be humbled by the Lord. the Lord says can Israel repent? Can the black man change his skin and can the leopard change his spots then you will be able to do good when you are used to doing evil. The Lord says l will make you go into captivity naked. I have seen all your immorality your sexual ecstasy, lewdness, prostitution and abominations.
Steve
Jeremiah, 12
1: Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? 2: Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. 3: But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4: How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end. 5: If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? 6: For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee. 7: I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. 8: Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 9: Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. 10: Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11: They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. 12: The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 13: They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. 14: Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15: And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16: And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. 17: But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah, 13
1: Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2: So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4: Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5: So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6: And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7: Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9: Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10: This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11: For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 12: Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13: Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14: And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 15: Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. 16: Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17: But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive. 18: Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. 19: The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. 20: Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 21: What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? 22: And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. 23: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24: Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. 25: This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26: Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. 27: I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
Jeremiah is called upon to pronounce the curse of God on those who do not obey the commandments of the Lord. The Lord commands Jeremiah to preach this message in all the cities and streets of Israel. the chief complaint against Israel is that they have descended into the grossest of sins based on the worship of Baal. Jeremiah is warned by the men of Anathoth not to prophesy anymore for fear of assassination. God acted to judge them and their families. Jeremiah calls out to the Lord in praise for his justice on evil men. Yet in all Gods judgments there is a sign of Hope. Then the Lord told Jeremiah to take a linen girdle and put it on and then to take it to the river Euphrates and hide it in a hole in a rock. Then the Lord told him to go and find it again but he found it spoiled. Then the Lord said this girdle will be like Israel they will become good for nothing. Then the Lord said fill every bottle with wine because every man will be filled with drunkenness. And l will dash them to pieces one against another. Then Jeremiah has a message for the King and Queen saying that they will be humbled by the Lord. the Lord says can Israel repent? Can the black man change his skin and can the leopard change his spots then you will be able to do good when you are used to doing evil. The Lord says l will make you go into captivity naked. I have seen all your immorality your sexual ecstasy, lewdness, prostitution and abominations.
Steve
Morning Bible reading October 26th
8: But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 9: Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 10: And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12: And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 13: But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Here we have a statement of the deity of Christ. God says to the Son – Christ, thy throne O God is for ever and ever, a rule of righteousness is the rule of thy kingdom. When Christ establishes his kingdom it will be a rule of righteousness. God says of him that, you love righteousness and hate crookedness. Therefore God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your brethren. And you Lord (Christ) have laid the foundation of the earth and all the universe is the word of your hands. The universe will cease but you will remain. The Universe will become old and like a coat you will roll it up. It will be changed but you will be the same you will continue for ever. To which of the angels did God say at anytime Sit on my right hand until l make all your enemies a place of rest for my feet. Aren’t all these angels servant-spirit sent into the world to serve those who are saved?
Steve
Here we have a statement of the deity of Christ. God says to the Son – Christ, thy throne O God is for ever and ever, a rule of righteousness is the rule of thy kingdom. When Christ establishes his kingdom it will be a rule of righteousness. God says of him that, you love righteousness and hate crookedness. Therefore God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your brethren. And you Lord (Christ) have laid the foundation of the earth and all the universe is the word of your hands. The universe will cease but you will remain. The Universe will become old and like a coat you will roll it up. It will be changed but you will be the same you will continue for ever. To which of the angels did God say at anytime Sit on my right hand until l make all your enemies a place of rest for my feet. Aren’t all these angels servant-spirit sent into the world to serve those who are saved?
Steve
25/10/2010
Evening Bible reading October 25th Jeremiah, 9
1: Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2: Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3: And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 4: Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5: And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. 6: Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8: Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9: Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. 11: And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. 12: Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? 13: And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; 14: But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: 15: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16: I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them. 17: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: 18: And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19: For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. 20: Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. 21: For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. 22: Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them. 23: Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 25: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; 26: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
Jeremiah, 10
1: Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3: For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4: They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5: They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6: Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7: Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 8: But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 9: Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10: But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 11: Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. 12: He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13: When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 14: Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15: They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16: The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. 17: Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18: For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. 19: Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20: My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21: For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22: Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons. 23: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25: Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
Jeremiah longs for tears to weep day and night for Jerusalem. He says the men of the city are full of lies they are not ‘Valiant for truth’. Jeremiah paints such a bad picture of the faithless men of the city that it is no wonder that the Lord forsook them. God himself ponders whether he will destroy the people. He says shall not my soul be avenged for such a people as this? The question is asked Who is the wise man that can understand this? And the answer comes back they have forsaken my law – and have not obeyed my voice. They have lived according to their own ideas and gone to idol worship. The Lord says because of this l will feed them with bitter water and scatter them among the heathen. The Lord speaks and says, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glories glory in this, that that he understands me and knows me, that l am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, because in these things l delight. The Lord spoke again saying do not learn the ways of the heathen. He describes a man who cuts a tree from the forest and they deck it with silver and gold. They fix it with nails. It is a dumb tree and an idol. Jeremiah contrasts the skill of men in fashioning idols with the everlasting God King of all the earth. Jeremiah says it is not in man that walks to direct his own path. God himself is to be the guide of his people.
Steve
Jeremiah, 10
1: Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3: For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4: They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5: They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6: Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7: Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 8: But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 9: Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10: But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 11: Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. 12: He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13: When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 14: Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15: They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16: The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. 17: Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18: For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. 19: Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20: My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21: For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22: Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons. 23: O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25: Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
Jeremiah longs for tears to weep day and night for Jerusalem. He says the men of the city are full of lies they are not ‘Valiant for truth’. Jeremiah paints such a bad picture of the faithless men of the city that it is no wonder that the Lord forsook them. God himself ponders whether he will destroy the people. He says shall not my soul be avenged for such a people as this? The question is asked Who is the wise man that can understand this? And the answer comes back they have forsaken my law – and have not obeyed my voice. They have lived according to their own ideas and gone to idol worship. The Lord says because of this l will feed them with bitter water and scatter them among the heathen. The Lord speaks and says, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glories glory in this, that that he understands me and knows me, that l am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth, because in these things l delight. The Lord spoke again saying do not learn the ways of the heathen. He describes a man who cuts a tree from the forest and they deck it with silver and gold. They fix it with nails. It is a dumb tree and an idol. Jeremiah contrasts the skill of men in fashioning idols with the everlasting God King of all the earth. Jeremiah says it is not in man that walks to direct his own path. God himself is to be the guide of his people.
Steve
Morning Bible reading October 25th Hebrews, 1
1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2: Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3: Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4: Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5: For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6: And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7: And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
There is much debate about who this letter was written by and who it was written to and what it is about. We do not know who wrote this letter but think that Paul wrote it and that he wrote it not to christians as his other letters are but he wrote it to ‘the Hebrews’. The Hebrews are the Jews of Israel. Some of them were believers like himself, but this letter is specifically aimed at unbelieving Hebrews. The writer is calling on Israel to go on from adherence to the law to faith in Jesus their Messiah. He thinks in terms of Israel’s past and future – The Messianic Kingdom. The writer uses the word ‘us’ to refer to ‘us Hebrews’ rather than us Christians. The writer begins by reminding the Hebrews that God had appeared many times and in various ways to ‘the fathers’ through the Jewish prophets but now has appeared unto us (Israel) by his Son. And he says God has appointed him to be the heir of everything because through him he made the whole universe. He Christ is the outshining of the glory of God and the exact representation of his person, and he upholds all things by the power of his word, and when he had all by himself cleansed the blot of our sins he sat down on the right hand of the majesty in heaven. Christ has solemnly and formerly taken the dignity and authority over everything and everyone. This is because in his being he was so much better than angels because he has inherited and come into a more excellent name than they have. (It is really necessary to explain that the creator is greater than those that he created, May be not but the writer needs to emphasise this point) the writer characteristically asks a question to make his point. He asks, to which of the angels God say did, you are my Son, This day l have begotten you. This quote is from Psa 2v7 which addresses the king of Judah and in which the king becomes his ‘son’ in a special way when he recognised as King. The same point applies to Christ. He will one day take the throne in his kingdom and then he will be the recognised King over the whole earth. The quotation continues I will be to him a Father and he will be to me a son. The word ‘son’ is used of angels collectively and of Israel collectively but never of one individual. This has nothing to do with origins but sonship and authority. he quotes again, when he brings in the first begotten into the world God said let all the angels of God worship him. Yet of the angels he said he makes his angels’ spirits and his servants a flame of fire. In this first section the writer has declared his subject in this book to be Christ and his pre-eminence over all things and everyone. In this passage he is over all angels.
Steve
There is much debate about who this letter was written by and who it was written to and what it is about. We do not know who wrote this letter but think that Paul wrote it and that he wrote it not to christians as his other letters are but he wrote it to ‘the Hebrews’. The Hebrews are the Jews of Israel. Some of them were believers like himself, but this letter is specifically aimed at unbelieving Hebrews. The writer is calling on Israel to go on from adherence to the law to faith in Jesus their Messiah. He thinks in terms of Israel’s past and future – The Messianic Kingdom. The writer uses the word ‘us’ to refer to ‘us Hebrews’ rather than us Christians. The writer begins by reminding the Hebrews that God had appeared many times and in various ways to ‘the fathers’ through the Jewish prophets but now has appeared unto us (Israel) by his Son. And he says God has appointed him to be the heir of everything because through him he made the whole universe. He Christ is the outshining of the glory of God and the exact representation of his person, and he upholds all things by the power of his word, and when he had all by himself cleansed the blot of our sins he sat down on the right hand of the majesty in heaven. Christ has solemnly and formerly taken the dignity and authority over everything and everyone. This is because in his being he was so much better than angels because he has inherited and come into a more excellent name than they have. (It is really necessary to explain that the creator is greater than those that he created, May be not but the writer needs to emphasise this point) the writer characteristically asks a question to make his point. He asks, to which of the angels God say did, you are my Son, This day l have begotten you. This quote is from Psa 2v7 which addresses the king of Judah and in which the king becomes his ‘son’ in a special way when he recognised as King. The same point applies to Christ. He will one day take the throne in his kingdom and then he will be the recognised King over the whole earth. The quotation continues I will be to him a Father and he will be to me a son. The word ‘son’ is used of angels collectively and of Israel collectively but never of one individual. This has nothing to do with origins but sonship and authority. he quotes again, when he brings in the first begotten into the world God said let all the angels of God worship him. Yet of the angels he said he makes his angels’ spirits and his servants a flame of fire. In this first section the writer has declared his subject in this book to be Christ and his pre-eminence over all things and everyone. In this passage he is over all angels.
Steve
24/10/2010
Evening Bible reading October 24th Jeremiah, 6
1: O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. 2: I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman. 3: The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. 4: Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. 5: Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces. 6: For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. 7: As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. 8: Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. 9: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. 10: To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11: Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. 12: And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. 13: For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14: They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 16: Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17: Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. 18: Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19: Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. 20: To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. 21: Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. 22: Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. 23: They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. 24: We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 25: Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. 26: O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. 27: I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. 28: They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. 29: The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 30: Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Jeremiah, 7
1: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5: For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6: If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8: Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10: And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11: Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. 12: But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13: And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14: Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15: And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16: Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. 17: Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. 19: Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? 20: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 21: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22: For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24: But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25: Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27: Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28: But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. 29: Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. 30: For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31: And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 32: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33: And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. 34: Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Jeremiah, 8
1: At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3: And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. 4: Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 5: Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6: I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. 7: Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. 8: How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9: The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? 10: Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 11: For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 13: I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. 14: Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. 15: We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! 16: The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. 17: For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. 18: When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. 19: Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? 20: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21: For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 22: Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Jeremiah calls on the tribe of Benjamin to flee out of Jerusalem because of the army that will come from the north. Jerusalem is likened to a young woman and the enemy as rough shepherds who come and camp against her. God says who will hear me? The Lord has fully come to the end of his patience with this people. The people cry ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace. The people have no shame in their abominations. They refuse to walk in the old paths. And they blatantly refuse to listen to the Lord. The Lord calls on the nations to witness what he will do to this nation. Their sacrifices are refused by the Lord. Their religion is a sham. The enemy that will come are cruel, they have no mercy and infantry cannot stand against an army on horseback. The Lord has rejected this people. Jeremiah says that the Lord told him to go to the gate of the Temple to proclaim the message of God. He says that even if at this late stage, if you turn from your wicked lives then God will spare you. It is difficult for us to imagine a whole nation given over to the worship of Baal while pretending to serve God. In the end the prophet is told not to pray for the deliverance of the city. Their whole lives are dedicated to ‘The Queen of Heaven’. Jeremiah reiterates the Mosaic covenant explaining its conditions. The place where Israel burnt their children in sacrifice to gods will be the place of unburied bodies of the slain of Jerusalem. Jeremiah says the harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not delivered. Is their no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is the daughter of the people sick?
steve
Jeremiah, 7
1: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2: Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4: Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5: For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6: If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8: Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10: And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11: Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. 12: But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13: And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14: Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15: And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16: Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee. 17: Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18: The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. 19: Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? 20: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 21: Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22: For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24: But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25: Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27: Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28: But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. 29: Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. 30: For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31: And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. 32: Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. 33: And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. 34: Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.
Jeremiah, 8
1: At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3: And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts. 4: Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? 5: Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6: I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. 7: Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. 8: How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9: The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? 10: Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 11: For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 13: I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. 14: Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. 15: We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! 16: The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. 17: For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD. 18: When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. 19: Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? 20: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21: For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 22: Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Jeremiah calls on the tribe of Benjamin to flee out of Jerusalem because of the army that will come from the north. Jerusalem is likened to a young woman and the enemy as rough shepherds who come and camp against her. God says who will hear me? The Lord has fully come to the end of his patience with this people. The people cry ‘peace, peace’ when there is no peace. The people have no shame in their abominations. They refuse to walk in the old paths. And they blatantly refuse to listen to the Lord. The Lord calls on the nations to witness what he will do to this nation. Their sacrifices are refused by the Lord. Their religion is a sham. The enemy that will come are cruel, they have no mercy and infantry cannot stand against an army on horseback. The Lord has rejected this people. Jeremiah says that the Lord told him to go to the gate of the Temple to proclaim the message of God. He says that even if at this late stage, if you turn from your wicked lives then God will spare you. It is difficult for us to imagine a whole nation given over to the worship of Baal while pretending to serve God. In the end the prophet is told not to pray for the deliverance of the city. Their whole lives are dedicated to ‘The Queen of Heaven’. Jeremiah reiterates the Mosaic covenant explaining its conditions. The place where Israel burnt their children in sacrifice to gods will be the place of unburied bodies of the slain of Jerusalem. Jeremiah says the harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not delivered. Is their no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is the daughter of the people sick?
steve
Morning Bible reading October 24th Philemon
1: Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, 2: And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: 3: Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4: I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, 5: Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; 6: That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. 7: For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. 8: Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, 9: Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10: I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: 11: Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: 12: Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: 13: Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: 14: But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. 15: For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; 16: Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? 17: If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. 18: If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; 19: I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. 20: Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. 21: Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. 22: But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you. 23: There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus; 24: Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. 25: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
This little letter is included in the NT Canon by the Holy Spirit to show the effectiveness of the Gospel among the slaves of the empire. Paul begins by taking the lowest place calling himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ and he writes it with his co-worker Timothy. It is addressed to Philemon who is a dear brother of Paul and a partner in the work of God. He probably lived in Colossae. This man has a slave called Onesimus. This slave ran away from Philemon and came into contact with Paul who led him to Christ. And so Paul is now sending Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter. Paul begins in the usual way with greetings and with an assurance of his prayers. Eventually Paul gets around to the point of his letter. He says I am writing to you on behalf of my son in the faith Onesimus (whose name means helpful or profitable) who l have made a convert while l was a prisoner. Here Paul makes a play on words which Jews loved to do. He says he was ‘un-profitable’ Un-Onesimus to you but now he is ‘profitable’ Onesimus both to you and me. Paul says simply – l am sending him back to you – receive him as if you were receiving me. This is very interesting because Paul never undermined the practise of slavery which was very common in the Roman Empire. We do not have any opinion expressed by Paul one way or the other except that he says if a slave can be free then he should try to be free. Rome never came into conflict with Christianity over slavery. Paul says l would have kept him with me but l did not want to do anything without your permission. I want you to do what l had in mind, willingly and not grudgingly. Paul says he might have left you for a while but now he is restored to you forever but not just as a slave but as a brother, loved and especially loved by me. (In the empire slaves had no rights whatsoever they were not classed as citizens at all and could be beaten or killed by the master with impunity. But they could be also treated well and trusted a great deal and some masters married their slaves as concubines. But the children were slaves too and had no right to sonship or the inheritance. They wore no shoes – this was a sign of slaves. Slavery was permitted in Israel of Jews. If a Jew was bankrupt he could sell himself into slavery, although on the jubilee (ever 50 years) all Jewish slaves were all set free and all land leased was returned to the rightful original owner. All land in Israel was bought on lease. And every family had an inheritance of land.) Paul next comes to his appeal. He says; if you count me a partner receive him as myself. Paul never spoke against slavery but he did something wonderful, he showed that slavery was no barrier to blessing and that not only could slaves be saved but when they did they became as much a child of God as any other believer. Paul is saying to Philemon, he may still be your slave but he is now also your brother. Then Paul goes on to say, if he owes you anything – (as he did,) then put his debt on my account. (Isn’t this what the Lord Jesus did for us?) This is not just tokenism. Paul really did expect to have to pay the debt of Onesimus. Paul says, I am writing this in my own handwriting – l will repay his debt. And he says l will not remind you of the debt you owe me, because you owe me your whole life. So Paul says, Let me have joy in the Lord, in your response and may my love for you be refreshed in the Lord. I am confident in your acquiescence to what l have written, because l know that you will go beyond what l ask. Please prepare me lodgings because l trust that through your prayers l will be able to visit you. Lastly Paul ends with personal greetings and blessings.
Steve
This little letter is included in the NT Canon by the Holy Spirit to show the effectiveness of the Gospel among the slaves of the empire. Paul begins by taking the lowest place calling himself a prisoner of Jesus Christ and he writes it with his co-worker Timothy. It is addressed to Philemon who is a dear brother of Paul and a partner in the work of God. He probably lived in Colossae. This man has a slave called Onesimus. This slave ran away from Philemon and came into contact with Paul who led him to Christ. And so Paul is now sending Onesimus back to Philemon with this letter. Paul begins in the usual way with greetings and with an assurance of his prayers. Eventually Paul gets around to the point of his letter. He says I am writing to you on behalf of my son in the faith Onesimus (whose name means helpful or profitable) who l have made a convert while l was a prisoner. Here Paul makes a play on words which Jews loved to do. He says he was ‘un-profitable’ Un-Onesimus to you but now he is ‘profitable’ Onesimus both to you and me. Paul says simply – l am sending him back to you – receive him as if you were receiving me. This is very interesting because Paul never undermined the practise of slavery which was very common in the Roman Empire. We do not have any opinion expressed by Paul one way or the other except that he says if a slave can be free then he should try to be free. Rome never came into conflict with Christianity over slavery. Paul says l would have kept him with me but l did not want to do anything without your permission. I want you to do what l had in mind, willingly and not grudgingly. Paul says he might have left you for a while but now he is restored to you forever but not just as a slave but as a brother, loved and especially loved by me. (In the empire slaves had no rights whatsoever they were not classed as citizens at all and could be beaten or killed by the master with impunity. But they could be also treated well and trusted a great deal and some masters married their slaves as concubines. But the children were slaves too and had no right to sonship or the inheritance. They wore no shoes – this was a sign of slaves. Slavery was permitted in Israel of Jews. If a Jew was bankrupt he could sell himself into slavery, although on the jubilee (ever 50 years) all Jewish slaves were all set free and all land leased was returned to the rightful original owner. All land in Israel was bought on lease. And every family had an inheritance of land.) Paul next comes to his appeal. He says; if you count me a partner receive him as myself. Paul never spoke against slavery but he did something wonderful, he showed that slavery was no barrier to blessing and that not only could slaves be saved but when they did they became as much a child of God as any other believer. Paul is saying to Philemon, he may still be your slave but he is now also your brother. Then Paul goes on to say, if he owes you anything – (as he did,) then put his debt on my account. (Isn’t this what the Lord Jesus did for us?) This is not just tokenism. Paul really did expect to have to pay the debt of Onesimus. Paul says, I am writing this in my own handwriting – l will repay his debt. And he says l will not remind you of the debt you owe me, because you owe me your whole life. So Paul says, Let me have joy in the Lord, in your response and may my love for you be refreshed in the Lord. I am confident in your acquiescence to what l have written, because l know that you will go beyond what l ask. Please prepare me lodgings because l trust that through your prayers l will be able to visit you. Lastly Paul ends with personal greetings and blessings.
Steve
Evening Bible Reading October 23rd Jeremiah, 4
1: If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. 2: And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. 3: For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4: Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 5: Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. 6: Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 7: The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. 8: For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us. 9: And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. 10: Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul. 11: At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, 12: Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them. 13: Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled. 14: O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? 15: For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim. 16: Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah. 17: As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD. 18: Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. 19: My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. 20: Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. 21: How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22: For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. 23: I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24: I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25: I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26: I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. 27: For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. 28: For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. 29: The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. 30: And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. 31: For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Jeremiah, 5
1: Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. 2: And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. 3: O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. 4: Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. 5: I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. 6: Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. 7: How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. 8: They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 9: Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD's. 11: For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD. 12: They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: 13: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. 14: Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15: Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 16: Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 17: And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword. 18: Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. 19: And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. 20: Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21: Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: 22: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? 23: But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24: Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25: Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26: For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27: As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28: They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. 29: Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30: A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
In Ch 4 Jeremiah calls on Judah in the name of the Lord to make a full repentance in returning to the Lord in heart and in practical action. The Lord calls on Judah to dig deep in the land that has been left idle and circumcise their minds. The Lord is going to bring judgment from the north and a great destruction. Men are to cloth themselves in sack cloth and cry to the Lord. The Lord calls on Jerusalem to wash their minds. He foretells total destruction and a land spoiled by the enemy. The mountains will shake and at the presence of the Lord cities will crumble. Yet the Lord will not completely destroy everything. In their foolishness that will seek to decorate themselves but will be murdered by those who are their lovers. In Ch 5 Jeremiah talks about to inability to find one righteous man in Jerusalem, one who speaks the truth. They say ‘The Lord liveth’ but it is just words having no meaning. They do not know the Lord. The Lord will bring righteous judgment on a nation that is full of adultery and who lie against the Lord and whose prophets they refuse to hear. The Lord will bring a nation from afar whose language they do not understand. Who are strong and have mighty men. They will eat harvest, the flocks, the vines and the figs. The nation is foolish, they have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear.
Steve
Jeremiah, 5
1: Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. 2: And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. 3: O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. 4: Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. 5: I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. 6: Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. 7: How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. 8: They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife. 9: Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10: Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD's. 11: For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD. 12: They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: 13: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. 14: Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15: Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 16: Their quiver is as an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 17: And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword. 18: Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, I will not make a full end with you. 19: And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours. 20: Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21: Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: 22: Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? 23: But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24: Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25: Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. 26: For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 27: As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. 28: They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. 29: Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 30: A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
In Ch 4 Jeremiah calls on Judah in the name of the Lord to make a full repentance in returning to the Lord in heart and in practical action. The Lord calls on Judah to dig deep in the land that has been left idle and circumcise their minds. The Lord is going to bring judgment from the north and a great destruction. Men are to cloth themselves in sack cloth and cry to the Lord. The Lord calls on Jerusalem to wash their minds. He foretells total destruction and a land spoiled by the enemy. The mountains will shake and at the presence of the Lord cities will crumble. Yet the Lord will not completely destroy everything. In their foolishness that will seek to decorate themselves but will be murdered by those who are their lovers. In Ch 5 Jeremiah talks about to inability to find one righteous man in Jerusalem, one who speaks the truth. They say ‘The Lord liveth’ but it is just words having no meaning. They do not know the Lord. The Lord will bring righteous judgment on a nation that is full of adultery and who lie against the Lord and whose prophets they refuse to hear. The Lord will bring a nation from afar whose language they do not understand. Who are strong and have mighty men. They will eat harvest, the flocks, the vines and the figs. The nation is foolish, they have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear.
Steve
23/10/2010
Morning Bible reading October 23rd
8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 9: But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 10: A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11: Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. 12: When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter. 13: Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them. 14: And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. 15: All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Again Paul recites a faithful saying. And he says l want you to constantly affirm the truth of these trustworthy sayings. It is that those who have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works. In the previous passage Paul has declared justification by grace but now he emphasises the importance of good works. Doing good works is good and profitable to all men. But don’t get caught up in pointless questions, endless genealogies (The Jews were absorbed in issues regarding their genealogy - which were very complex) and issues that are debateable and the endless point scoring of lawyers, they are unprofitable and pointless. A man that sectarian is to be rebuked twice but after that he is to be told to stand aside. This sort of man turns men inside out and sins and becomes condemned by his own sin. Lastly Paul ends this letter with a few personal remarks and instructions.
Steve
Again Paul recites a faithful saying. And he says l want you to constantly affirm the truth of these trustworthy sayings. It is that those who have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works. In the previous passage Paul has declared justification by grace but now he emphasises the importance of good works. Doing good works is good and profitable to all men. But don’t get caught up in pointless questions, endless genealogies (The Jews were absorbed in issues regarding their genealogy - which were very complex) and issues that are debateable and the endless point scoring of lawyers, they are unprofitable and pointless. A man that sectarian is to be rebuked twice but after that he is to be told to stand aside. This sort of man turns men inside out and sins and becomes condemned by his own sin. Lastly Paul ends this letter with a few personal remarks and instructions.
Steve
22/10/2010
Evening Bible reading October 22nd Jeremiah, 1
1: The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 2: To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3: It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. 4: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. 6: Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. 7: But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. 8: Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 9: Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 11: Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. 12: Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. 13: And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. 14: Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15: For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. 16: And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. 17: Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18: For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19: And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Jeremiah, 2
1: Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2: Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 3: Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD. 4: Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5: Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? 6: Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7: And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. 8: The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. 9: Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead. 10: For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. 11: Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. 12: Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. 13: For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. 14: Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? 15: The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. 16: Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head. 17: Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way? 18: And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? 19: Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. 20: For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. 21: Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? 22: For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. 23: How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; 24: A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. 25: Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. 26: As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, 27: Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. 28: But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. 29: Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD. 30: In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. 31: O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? 32: Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 33: Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. 34: Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. 35: Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. 36: Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. 37: Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.
Jeremiah, 3
1: They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2: Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. 3: Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4: Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5: Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. 6: The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7: And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8: And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9: And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10: And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 11: And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12: Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13: Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14: Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 15: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16: And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 17: At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 18: In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. 19: But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. 20: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. 21: A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. 22: Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. 23: Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. 24: For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25: We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Jeremiah began his ministry about 60 years after the dead of Isaiah and he prophesies for about 41 years. Zephaniah and Habakkuk were is fellow prophets in his earlier ministry and Daniel in his latter ministry. When the children of Judah were taken away by the Babylonians Jeremiah remained with the poor and in this way the poor inherited the earth. Later the poor left for Egypt followed by Jeremiah, were he died. (2 Kings 24v14) In his book Jeremiah records a number of visions in which he sees the Babylonian captivity, the return after 70years, the world wide-dispersion of the Jews and the final re-gathering again, the millennial kingdom, the judgment of God on the Gentiles and the remnant who will remain faithful to the Lord. Jeremiah introduces himself in the first three verses telling us that he came from the priestly line, but lived in Anathoth in the portion of Benjamin. And he says that he writes the word of the Lord that came to him in the time of the kings Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. When the Lord first spoke to Jeremiah he told him that he knew him and ordained him a prophet before he was born. Jeremiah is overwhelmed by this but the Lord encourages him telling him not to be afraid of the faces of men. Then the Lord touched his mouth saying l have put my words in your mouth. His first vision is of a rod of an almond tree. Then he sees a boiling pot facing north. Then the Lord tells him of the coming of a people from the north who will come to destroy Jerusalem. He tells him not to be afraid to tell the people this prophecy and that he will protect him completely. In Ch 2 Jeremiah records the word of the Lord to Judah. The message is that the Lord remembers their early days when they were faithful to the Lord but he now sees great evil that has come on the hearts of all the people. The Lord calls on the heavens to witness that Judah has committed two evils they have forsaken the Lord and they have hollowed out broken cisterns (Holes in rock for holding water) that can store no water. The Lord gives a long description of their backslidings. Judah pleads innocence and faithfulness yet they are full of murder and wickedness. In Ch 3 Jeremiah records the message that Judah is full of the grossest sexual immorality - the whole land is polluted. The Lord has responded with withholding the spring and autumn rains. Then the Lord comes to Jeremiah again with the message Return unto the Lord your God. (This substantially the same message of John the Baptist, Christ and his Apostles) The Lord promises Pastors who will feed them with knowledge and understanding. The Lord also promises a full spiritual restoration based on a full confession and repentance.
Steve
Jeremiah, 2
1: Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2: Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. 3: Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD. 4: Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: 5: Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? 6: Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? 7: And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. 8: The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. 9: Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your children's children will I plead. 10: For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. 11: Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. 12: Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD. 13: For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. 14: Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? 15: The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. 16: Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of thy head. 17: Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he led thee by the way? 18: And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? 19: Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. 20: For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. 21: Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? 22: For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. 23: How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; 24: A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. 25: Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. 26: As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, 27: Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. 28: But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. 29: Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD. 30: In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion. 31: O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? 32: Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. 33: Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. 34: Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these. 35: Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. 36: Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. 37: Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.
Jeremiah, 3
1: They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2: Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. 3: Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4: Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5: Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. 6: The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7: And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8: And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9: And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10: And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 11: And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12: Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13: Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14: Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 15: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16: And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 17: At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. 18: In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. 19: But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. 20: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. 21: A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. 22: Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. 23: Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel. 24: For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25: We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Jeremiah began his ministry about 60 years after the dead of Isaiah and he prophesies for about 41 years. Zephaniah and Habakkuk were is fellow prophets in his earlier ministry and Daniel in his latter ministry. When the children of Judah were taken away by the Babylonians Jeremiah remained with the poor and in this way the poor inherited the earth. Later the poor left for Egypt followed by Jeremiah, were he died. (2 Kings 24v14) In his book Jeremiah records a number of visions in which he sees the Babylonian captivity, the return after 70years, the world wide-dispersion of the Jews and the final re-gathering again, the millennial kingdom, the judgment of God on the Gentiles and the remnant who will remain faithful to the Lord. Jeremiah introduces himself in the first three verses telling us that he came from the priestly line, but lived in Anathoth in the portion of Benjamin. And he says that he writes the word of the Lord that came to him in the time of the kings Josiah, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah. When the Lord first spoke to Jeremiah he told him that he knew him and ordained him a prophet before he was born. Jeremiah is overwhelmed by this but the Lord encourages him telling him not to be afraid of the faces of men. Then the Lord touched his mouth saying l have put my words in your mouth. His first vision is of a rod of an almond tree. Then he sees a boiling pot facing north. Then the Lord tells him of the coming of a people from the north who will come to destroy Jerusalem. He tells him not to be afraid to tell the people this prophecy and that he will protect him completely. In Ch 2 Jeremiah records the word of the Lord to Judah. The message is that the Lord remembers their early days when they were faithful to the Lord but he now sees great evil that has come on the hearts of all the people. The Lord calls on the heavens to witness that Judah has committed two evils they have forsaken the Lord and they have hollowed out broken cisterns (Holes in rock for holding water) that can store no water. The Lord gives a long description of their backslidings. Judah pleads innocence and faithfulness yet they are full of murder and wickedness. In Ch 3 Jeremiah records the message that Judah is full of the grossest sexual immorality - the whole land is polluted. The Lord has responded with withholding the spring and autumn rains. Then the Lord comes to Jeremiah again with the message Return unto the Lord your God. (This substantially the same message of John the Baptist, Christ and his Apostles) The Lord promises Pastors who will feed them with knowledge and understanding. The Lord also promises a full spiritual restoration based on a full confession and repentance.
Steve
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