AM Oct 27th Heb 2

October 27^th      Hebrews 2         Better Testimony than Angels

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?

Christ lower than Angels,

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.

PM Oct 26th Jer 11

October 26^th      Jeremiah 11      The Covenant broken

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.

A plot to murder Jeremiah

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      Jeremiah’s question

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      The Linen undergarment

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.

Bottles of wine

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.

AM Oct 26th Heb 1

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 work 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 your feet. Aren’t all these angels servant-spirit sent into the world to serve those who are saved?

PM Oct 25th Jer 9

October 25^th      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.

Jerusalem’s plea for rescue

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      The Lord and Idolatry

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.

Judah laid desolate

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 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.

AM Oct 25th Heb 1

October 25^th      Hebrews 1         A. Christ better than the Old Religion – Doctrinal             Superior to the Prophets

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;

Superior to Angels

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. We do not know who wrote this letter but my opinion is, 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 Hebrew speaking Jews of the first century. 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 did God say, 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.

PM Oct 24th Jer 6

October 24^th      Jeremiah 6        Trapped in Jerusalem

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        Jeremiah speaks to the people

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.

Jeremiah’s sorrows

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?

AM Oct 24th Philemon 1

October 24^th      Philemon 1        A. Prologue      Greetings from Paul & Timothy

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.

Thanksgiving to God

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.

B. Paul’s plea for Onesimus       My request regarding Onesimus

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.

C. Epilogue       Farewell & Personal messages

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.