A time to unsheathe the Sword

 Read Jeremiah 47.

"For I the LORD do not change."  (Malachi 3:6)  A foundational understanding of the God of the Bible is that His character is, has always been, and forever will be the same.  1 John 4:8 states: "God is love."  Exodus 15:3 declares: "The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name."  This not a contradiction or a change but a complete picture of His nature.  He hates sin and will bring justice.  In His love, He provides every opportunity for people to respond to His grace.

God's judgment against the surrounding Gentile nations turned to the Philistines.  These were a coastal people who had migrated from Crete.  Throughout most of the Old Testament the Philistines were a consistent enemy of Israel.  The battle scene of the Babylonians coming in from the north is described as a rushing flood of water overtaking them faster than they can run from it.  Though it outwardly appeared to be nation against nation, verses 6 and 7 refers to it as the "sword of the LORD."

A sword is a personal offensive weapon.  When, in the timing of God, He has had enough of a nation’s sin, the LORD inflicts His judgment, using a powerful enemy nation, pestilence, or withholding needed resources.  God's "sword" of justice comes at His command.  As He spoke creation into existence by the power of His word (Hebrews 11:3), so He metes out His justice by command.  This is true from Genesis to Revelation.  Direct references are made to the sword of the LORD no less than 29 times in 16 books of the Bible.  Here are few examples:

The first mention is in Genesis 3:24, God positioned His sword in judgment to guard the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned.

Balaam saw that sword in the hand of the angel of the LORD; a preincarnate appearance of Christ. (Numbers 22:31)

Joshua saw the angel of the LORD with that sword in Joshua 5:13, as he prepared to inflict God's judgment on Jericho.

God commanded Gideon to defeat the Midianites and in doing so shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" (Judges 7:20)

When David sinned, it was the sword of the LORD that responded in the death of thousands. (1 Chronicles 21:12-30)

In Ephesians 6:17, the Apostle Paul explained "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."  This is piece of the spiritual equipment every believer is to put on and the only offensive weapon issued to us.

As Jesus is revealed in Revelation 1:16, the words coming from His mouth are described as a two-edged sword.  And, in 19:15 at the return of Jesus to earth, that commanding word of God will strike down all the nations that have opposed Him.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)

 

3 promises in an awful Time

 Read Jeremiah 46.

From chapter 46 to chapter 51, God addressed the surrounding nations.  He began with Egypt.

The Egyptians seemingly worshiped anything but the true and living LORD.  Spiritually, they tried everything and nothing worked.  Even the famous balm of Gilead could not help them.  "In vain you have used many medicines; there is no healing for you." (v.11b)  Their sin had reached full measure (v.12) and now God was poised with their earthly punishment.

The battle described here took place in 605 B.C. and is confirmed by Babylon's own historical records.  In their pride, the Egyptians marched all the way to the Euphrates River.  But when they arrived, the Babylonian army overwhelmed them.  The Egyptians fled but none escaped. 

God took full credit for the defeat.  "Why are your mighty ones face down?  They do not stand because the LORD thrust them down." (v.15)  In fact, He called this His day of vengeance on the Egyptians as His enemies (v.10).  The land of Egypt fell to the control of the Babylonian Empire.

Then, in the closing verses the LORD turned to address His chosen people.  During this awful time of war and exile, twice He encouraged them with the words "fear not."  Were they not experiencing His discipline?  Yes.  But, reassurances came through His promises.
"I will save you..."
"I am with you."
"I will by no means leave you..."

Compare those statements with some well-known verses in the New Testament.  These are the exact same promises the Lord Jesus has given to those who turn to Him.  “…for he said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’  So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5)

 

A hope that does not Change

 Read Jeremiah 45.

How would you respond if you knew your dreams would never come true?  Would you still trust the LORD?  Dr. Crawford Loritts asked such haunting questions in a Sunday morning sermon. 

According to the details found in chapter 36, God gave direct messages to Jeremiah.  Then, Jeremiah's assistant, Baruch, took dictation to record what God said.  Repeatedly, listening to and writing down words of impending judgment became a burdensome task.  Even more, Baruch personally experienced the loss of everything.  He watched as God's word came true.

"What about me?"  He faithfully served God and Jeremiah.  And, now what did he have to show for it.  The emotional and spiritual pain caused him to "find no rest."

If our hope is in the circumstances of our lives going well, we will live in disappointment and disillusionment.  People will let us down.  Money will be spent.  All things will eventually change.  And, at best, this life is only temporal.  When the world around us is falling apart, we must have a hope that does not change and may be found eternally trustworthy.

God reminded Baruch that He is sovereign.  The world is His creation and He can do as pleases Him.  He has a plan and He is working that plan.  Through it all, including the war, Baruch's temporal reward will be the sparing of his life.  This was meant to encourage this faithful man and bring him joy in midst of adversity.

Looking down will always be depressing.  Looking up to see life from God's perspective revives our faith.

 

3 things God Wants

 Read Jeremiah 44.

The remnant from Judah fled to Egypt to escape the Babylonians.  They forced Jeremiah to go with them.  It apparently did not take long for those from Judah to quickly assimilate into Egyptian idolatry. 

One of the idols had been worshiped previously (see chapter 7).  They gave full credit to a female goddess for their blessings.  Then, they blamed lack of offerings to her as the cause for their great losses.  Their prayers and sacrifices were in the name of the so-called queen of heaven.  Giving credit, glory, praise, sacrifices, and offerings to anyone but the One, True and Living God is termed here as "evil deeds", "abominations", sin, and disobedience (vv.22-23).
 
After all they had experienced and been taught, they failed to learn the lesson.  One of God's questions to them was, "Have you forgotten?" (v.9).  Jeremiah delivered the message straight from the LORD and their response was, "We will not listen to you" (v.16).

Many today will pray to themselves in self-affirmations, look to the stars and universe for guidance, bow before statues, or call upon others in heaven to help them.  The Scriptures could not be clearer.
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." (1 Timothy 2:5)  

What should the people have done instead?  What does God want from us?
The answer is in verse 10.
1. Dependence on God.
The root problem was that these folks pridefully thought that they knew better than the LORD who created them.  God requires a humble heart that is totally submissive to Him.

2. Reverence of God.
There was no respect for who God is, what He has done, or what He has said.  They had no fear of the consequences.  The results were disastrous for them.  Fearing God is the starting point of wisdom and real life (Proverbs 1:7). 

3. Obedience to God.
Enjoying His blessings is the benefit of fellowship with the Lord.  Walking with Him moment by moment throughout each day is personal, not philosophical.  We become what He wants us to be and we do what He wants us to do.
"When we walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word what a glory He sheds on our way!  While we do His goodwill, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey."
J. H. Sammis

The foundation of Faith

 Read Jeremiah 43.

Johanan asked Jeremiah to pray and to tell them what God had to say.  But when God's word was delivered, Johanan refused to accept it as the truth.  He blamed the messenger.  This is very much like those today who only want to accept the parts of the Bible that agree with them.  They dismiss the rest as the writer's personal opinion.  Such irrational thinking sets up every person as their own pride-filled authority of truth.

Against all that God had said, Johanan took the people he rescued, including Jeremiah, to Egypt.  They settled in Tahpanhes.  This was a fortified city near the Nile River in northeast Egypt.  Here, they would be safe from the Babylonians.  Or, so they thought.

God had warned them that going to Egypt would be no escape but would result in their death.  Not only did Nebuchadnezzar bring his army to avenge the murders of his representatives (chapter 41), but God had had enough of Egypt's idolatry.  He would use Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant" (v.10) to accomplish His judgment.

In dramatic fashion, the LORD instructed Jeremiah to foretell exactly what was about to take place.  He even marked the spot where the king of Babylon would sit when Egypt would be destroyed and taken.

The foundation of faith is embracing the answer to "What is the Bible?"  Is it just a collection of lore with some historical value or is it in fact the word of God?  If it is the very truth from God, then it is infallible and inerrant.  

Throughout the Bible the Scriptures make claims that cannot be dismissed.
"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." (Psalm 119:160)
"...for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." (Psalm 138:2b)
"Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." (Proverbs 30:5)

 

Did you really mean what you Prayed?

 Read Jeremiah 42.

Prayer is not just saying the right words.  Prayer involves submission of our will to God's will.

The courageous Johanan rescued the people of Mizpah who had been taken by Ishmael.  With the murder of the governor of Judah and some of the Babylonian representatives, Nebuchadnezzar would surely retaliate.  To avoid any more battles, Johanan was leading the group in an escape to Egypt.  On the way, they stopped to ask Jeremiah to pray for them.

Their requests in verses 2-3 have all the appearances of sincerity and godliness.
1. Mercy.
God had inflicted His judgment upon Judah.  Now, this remnant desired His compassion.  Food was in extreme short supply.  They were frightened by the prospect of the Babylonian revenge, even though these people were innocent.  They wanted God's intervention.

2.  Direction.
Should we go or stay?  If we go, will God bless us in Egypt?  If we stay, where should we settle?  They asked for God's will and His leadership.

3. Wisdom.
They wanted to know what God wanted them to do.  In the truest sense, this was an opportunity for a brand new start.  Everything was in front of them.  Decisions needed to be made.

These prayer requests were followed by strong words of commitment, even before they knew the answers.  They promised to obey God no matter what.  "Good or bad, whether we like it or not, we will do what God wants done." 

God did answer them.  They were to stay in the land of Canaan.  There would be no need to fear.  God promised He would take care of them.  However, if they disobeyed and journeyed to Egypt, they would die and experience the very things they were trying to avoid.

But, they had already made up their minds to go to Egypt.  Their words to Jeremiah proved empty.  Their plans were set; they just wanted God to bless their disobedience.  They willfully marched headlong into disaster.  Isaiah 53:6 states that wanting to go our own way is the essence of sin against God.

How God desires for us to cast our total dependence upon Him.
"All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live."
J.W. Van DeVenter

A key to a leader's Survival

 Read Jeremiah 41.

A leader's success and survival most often depend on those closest to him.  Listening to the right voices and knowing who to trust is crucial.

Gedaliah was a good man who had been appointed to govern Judah under Babylonian rule.  His closest advisers warned him of the murder plot from the rebel Ishmael.  But Gedaliah ignored the threat and in a demonstration of unity, he invited Ishmael and his men to dinner.  It cost him his life and the lives of all those present, including the representatives of Babylon.

Ishmael was a descendant of David's royal family and surely thought he had a right to rule.  But he was a rebel.  He rebelled against God and would not listen to Jeremiah's messages.  He rebelled against the Babylonians and fled to the Ammonites to mount a fight against the invaders.  Here, he deceived Gedaliah only for the purpose of mass murder.  He had no qualifications or character to lead anyone, let alone Judah.

A leader needs to listen to everyone so he knows what people are thinking.  But decisions must be made wisely.  First and foremost, the character of the person who seeks to influence the leader must be considered.  Ulterior motives must be exposed.  Tolerating lack of character and wrong motives will lead to disaster.

1. Do not trust a rebellious person.
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft." (1 Samuel 15:23)
"An evil man seeks only rebellion." (Proverbs 17:11)

2. Do trust the wisdom of God and godly people.
"The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." (Proverbs 12:15)
"The counsel of the LORD stands forever." (Psalm 33:11)

The difference may be life and death.