August 18 - Jeremiah 33-35
I think most of us are familiar with Jeremiah 33:3. If not, I hope you will memorize this wonderful promise of God. However, did you realize the context of the promise? God was promising the Israelites that if they would simply pray to Him, He would restore the people to the land and restore joy in the city of Jerusalem. All of this had been taken away because of their sins. The one thing that was standing between them and the blessings of God was sincere prayer of repentance and faith. Isn't that how it is with us today? How often, we miss God's blessings because we do not pray. We have not, because we ask not, or we ask amiss, as James tells us. I urge you all to be people of constant sincere prayer, and see what God does in response to your prayers. He will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
In chapter 34 there is another specific prophecy from the Lord. This time it was about king Zedekiah not dying by the sword. If this prophecy had not come true, the people would have remembered what Jeremiah said, and they would have known he was not a true prophet. However, it did come true along with all of his other prophecies, because he was a true prophet of God. Then, God gives two examples of why He was so angry with His people. They did not obey His laws of the Sabbath year to let the Hebrew slaves go free every seven years, and they did not even keep their own covenant with Him to let the slaves go free during the siege of Jerusalem. This disobedience was totally unacceptable to the Lord. In chapter 35 Jeremiah used the Rechabites as an example of obedience. They obeyed the commands of their leader Jonadab, not to drink wine. How could people obey a man, but not obey God? This does not make sense to God, but we see it all the time. You might think of ways that you obey what your parents taught you, but you have broken the laws of God. How wise is that? Should we obey fallible men or infallible God? Of course, we should obey God and His laws.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 36-38.
In chapter 34 there is another specific prophecy from the Lord. This time it was about king Zedekiah not dying by the sword. If this prophecy had not come true, the people would have remembered what Jeremiah said, and they would have known he was not a true prophet. However, it did come true along with all of his other prophecies, because he was a true prophet of God. Then, God gives two examples of why He was so angry with His people. They did not obey His laws of the Sabbath year to let the Hebrew slaves go free every seven years, and they did not even keep their own covenant with Him to let the slaves go free during the siege of Jerusalem. This disobedience was totally unacceptable to the Lord. In chapter 35 Jeremiah used the Rechabites as an example of obedience. They obeyed the commands of their leader Jonadab, not to drink wine. How could people obey a man, but not obey God? This does not make sense to God, but we see it all the time. You might think of ways that you obey what your parents taught you, but you have broken the laws of God. How wise is that? Should we obey fallible men or infallible God? Of course, we should obey God and His laws.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 36-38.