My eyes fail

(Lamentations 2:11)
My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within,my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Jeremiah’s tears were sincere and full of compassion.  Sorrow does not mean that we lack faith or strength.  There is nothing wrong with crying – Jesus himself felt sorrow and even wept (John 11:35).  How do we react to the tearing down of our society and to moral degradation?  This may not be as obvious as an invading enemy army, but the destruction is just as certain.  We too should be deeply moved when we see the moral decay that surrounds us.

Reflection

What do the people around you think when prominent ministers or ministries fail?  Is God’s reputation tarnished, or polished when such ministries are put through the fire?  Or is God’s reputation separate from the reputation of men and their institutions?  How should we react when Christianity receives such “bad press”?

Habakkuk 3:19“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices. – Laurence J. Peter

 

No visions

(Lamentations 2:9)
Her gates have sunk into the ground; their bars he has broken and destroyed.  Her king and her princes are exiled among the nations, the law is no more, and her prophets no longer find visions from the LORD.

Four powerful symbols and sources of security were lost; the protection of the gates, the leadership of the king and princes, the guidance of the law, and the vision of the prophets.  With those four factors present, the people were lulled into a false sense of security and felt comfortable with their sins.  But after each was removed, the people were confronted with the choice of repenting and returning to God or continuing on this path of suffering.  Don’t substitute symbols, even good ones, for the reality of a living, personal relationship with God himself.

Reflection

In this chapter, the poet indicts the “false” prophets who did not expose the sins of Judah.  Who are the false prophets we tend to “give ear” to: Politicians?  Media stars?  University profs?  Commercials?  Peer pressure?  Psychologists? “Health and wealth” ministers?

1 Thessalonians 5:11“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
Get the facts, or the facts will get you. And when you get them, get them right, or they will get you wrong. – Dr. Thomas Fuller

 

Rejected his altar

(Lamentations 2:7)
The Lord has rejected his altar and abandoned his sanctuary.  He has handed over to the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have raised a shout in the house of the LORD as on the day of an appointed feast.

Our place of worship is not as important to God as our pattern of worship.  A church building may be beautiful, but if its people don’t sincerely follow God, the church will decay from within.  The people of Judah, despite their beautiful temple, had rejected in their daily lives what they proclaimed in their worship rituals.  Thus their worship had turned into a mocking lie.  When you worship, are you saying words you don’t really mean?  Do you pray for help you don’t really believe will come?  Do you express love for God you don’t really have?  Earnestly seek God and catch a fresh vision of his love and care.  Then worship him wholeheartedly.

Reflection

What characteristic of God is most strikingly displayed by his treatment of us?  What does it mean to lose the”ear of the Lord”?  In what ways have you become casual about sin?

1 Chronicles 29:11“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance. – Ray Bradbury

 

Why I weep

(Lamentations 1:16)
”This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with tears.  No one is near to comfort me, no one to restore my spirit.  My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed.”

God is the comforter, but because of the people’s sins, he has to turn away from them and become their judge.

Reflection

If God in His righteousness brought Judah low, what warning is here for us?

Proverbs 15:1“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
You cannot slander human nature; it is worse than words can paint it. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

Sins into a yoke

(Lamentations 1:14)
”My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together.  They have come upon my neck and the Lord has sapped my strength.  He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand.

At first sin seems to offer freedom.  But the liberty to do anything we want gradually becomes a desire to do everything.  Then we become captive to sin, bound by its “yoke.”  Freedom from sin’s captivity comes only from God.  He gives us freedom, not to do anything we want, but to do what he knows is best for us.  Strange as it may seam, true freedom comes in obeying God – following his guidance so that we can receive his best.

Reflection

With what rationalizations do people often presume upon God’s favor and goodness?  How do nations do the same?

Hebrews 9:28“so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect. – Esther Dyson

 

Two kinds of figs

(Jeremiah 24:2-10)
”One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten.”  Then the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”  “Figs,” I answered, “The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.”

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians.  My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land.  I will build them up and not tear them down;  I will plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

‘But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten.’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt, I will make them abhorrent and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a reproach and a byword, and object of ridicule and cursing, wherever I banish them.  I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.’”

The good figs represented the exiles to Babylon – not because they themselves were good, but because their hearts would respond to God.  He would preserve them and bring them back to the land.  The poor figs represented those who remained in Judah or ran away to Egypt.  These people may have arrogantly believed they would be blessed if they remained in the land or escaped to Egypt, but the opposite was true because God would use the captivity to refine the exiles.  We may assumed we are blessed when life goes well and cursed when it does not.  But trouble is a blessing when it makes us stronger, and prosperity is a curse if it entices us away from God.  If you are facing trouble, ask God to help you grow stronger for him.  If you are facing trouble, ask God to help you grow stronger for him.  If things are going you way, ask God to help you use your prosperity for him.

Reflection

1. If you lived in Jeremiah’s day, would you prefer exile in Babylon, or life in your homeland?  Why?
2. Are you at ease with things as they are in your native country under its present leaders, or do you feel “in exile”, waiting for a return to things as they should be?  How “at home” should the Church be in this world?
3. What looks like harsh punishment can turn out for our good.  When has that happened for you?

Revelation 21: 2-4“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. – Ralph W. Sockman

 

False Oracles

(Jeremiah 23:33-40)
”When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ say to them, ‘What oracle?  I will forsake you, declares the LORD.’  If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD.’ I will punish that man and his household.  This is what each of you keeps on saying to his friend or relative: ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’  But you must not mention ‘the oracle of the LORD’ again, because every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God.  This is what you keep saying to a prophet:’What is the LORD’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’  Although you claim, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD,’ this is what the LORD says:  You used the words, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is the oracle of the LORD.’  Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your fathers.  I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace – everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”

People mocked Jeremiah by saying sarcastically, “What is the oracle of the LORD?”  (oracle meaning “utterance” or “burden”).  The people mocked Jeremiah and God because it seemed that Jeremiah brought nothing but God’s sad news of condemnation.  But this sad news was the truth.  If they had accepted it, they would have had to repent and turn to God.  Because they did not want to do this, they rejected Jeremiah’s message.  Have you ever rejected a message or made fun of it because it would require you to change your ways?  Before dismissing someone who brings sad news, look carefully at your motives.

Reflection

For what do you have a “burden” today?  Do you have a message to give?  An action to take?  A situation to remedy?  In what way is that burdensome?

Psalm 103:17-18“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
The greatest mystery is not that we have been flung at random between the profusion of matter and of the stars, but that within this prison we can draw from ourselves images powerful enough to deny our nothingness. – Andre Malraux

 

Prophets say

(Jeremiah 23:25-32)
”I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name.  They say, ‘I had a dream!  I had a dream!  How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?  They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forget my name through Baal worship.  Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully.  For what has straw to do with grain?”  declares the LORD.  “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD.  “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

“Therefore,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me.  Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The LORD declares.’  Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the LORD.”They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them.  They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the LORD.

True prophets and false prophets are as different as straw and grain.  Straw is useless for food and cannot compare to nourishing grain.  To share the gospel is a great responsibility because the way we present it and live it will encourage people either to accept it or reject it.  Whether we speak from a pulpit, teach in a class, or share with friends, we are entrusted with accurately communicating and living out God’s Word.  As you share God’s Word with friends and neighbors, they will look for its effectiveness in your life.  Unless it has changed you, why should they let it change them?  If you preach it, make sure you live it!

Reflection

What does it mean for you to “stand” in that council of the Lord: What is involved, where, when, and whom?

 

LORD says

(Jeremiah 23:16-24)
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes.They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.  They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The LORD says: You will have peace.’  And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’  But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word?  Who has listened and heard his word?  See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.  The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart.  In days to come you will understand it clearly.  I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.  But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?  Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?”  declares the LORD, “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”  declares the LORD.

“In days to come you will understand it clearly” means that the people will see the truth of these prophecies.

Reflection

Regarding “the Lord’s council” and the shape of the future, do you think God: (a) Knows all?  (b) Controls all?  © Both?  (d) Neither?  What difference does it make to you?

Acts 20:24“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved.

Quote of the day:
After I’m dead I’d rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one. – Cato the Elder

 

Lying prophets

(Jeremiah 23:9-15) Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me: all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine. because of the LORD and his holy words. The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the desert are withered. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly. “Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness,” declares the LORD. Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished,” declares the LORD. Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people astray. And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty says concerning the prophets: “I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” How did the nations become so corrupt? A major factor was false prophecy. The false prophets had a large, enthusiastic audience and were very popular because they made the people believe that all was well. By contrast, this message from God is unpopular because it shows the people how bad they are. There are four warning signs of false prophets – characteristics we need to watch for even today. (1) They may appear to speak God’s message, but they do not live according to his principles. (2) They water down God’s message in order to make it more palatable. (3) They encourage their listeners, often subtly, to disobey God. (4) They tend to be arrogant and self-serving, appealing to the desires of their audience instead of being true to God’s Word. Reflection Are there “prophets” (false or true) today? If not, why not? If so, how does one discern the modern true prophet? What is the message of the modern false prophet? John 3:17“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved. Quote of the day: It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. – Krishnamurti