August 8–Jeremiah 47-49

“Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs. . .therefore behold, the days are coming. . .when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars”(48:1-12).

All nations belong to God. Not just Israel. All people are created by God and subject to His righteous government. Ancients believed a different god governed every nation. Polytheism. The prophets knew better. God is one. He is Lord over all nations.

In chapter 48, Jeremiah speaks to Moab. Along the eastern shore of the Dead Sea, with a long history of animosity toward Israel, Moab was a proud and stable kingdom. Proud because they were stable.

For years, they had been undisturbed. Safe. Like wine on its dregs (solid particles that fall to the bottom of the jar during fermentation). When wine is left to rest on the dregs it becomes stronger, more pungent. When it is left TOO LONG, it becomes bitter and undrinkable. Change, challenge and adversity are necessary. For wine. For people.

Most of us dream of life without struggle. “Take it easy” is our goal and hope. Unwise ambition. Without challenge or adversity, we become proud, soft and self-indulgent. Ease is not a context conducive to character development! Paul later testified of God’s deliberate plan to make him weak (off-balance, empty of strength or solutions) with the higher goal of making him stronger. See 2 Corinthians 12.

Are we at ease? Resting on dregs? When God sends a disturbing situation into our lives, a circumstance that tips us over, we should recognize His love and His unrelenting desire for our holiness. When He does not make life easy (and He doesn’t!), it is because He has in mind the high goal of our sanctification.

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about”(Haruki Murakami).

” Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have it perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”(James 1:2-4).

August 7–Jeremiah 44-46

” ‘O Jacob My servant, do not fear,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, for I will make a full end of the nations where I have driven you, yet I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you properly and by no means leave you unpunished’ “(46:28).

It is an expression from medieval Europe. A scot was a tax levied on citizens of a city, usually for the relief of the poor. To be “scot free” was to be exempt from the tax.

It is a false idea that sometimes seeps into Christian thought. Once forgiven in Christ, we falsely believe that we are EXEMPT from any penalty or consequence of sin. “There is no condemnation,” says Romans 8. Therefore, we reason (falsely), we are in no danger of God’s discipline. There is no need for appropriate fear.

In the sad aftermath of Jerusalem’s defeat, Jeremiah reveals this mistaken thinking with great skill. While Israel is unique to God, and will never be completely destroyed (“I will not make a full end of you”), this uniqueness does not equal an exemption from painful discipline. “I will BY NO MEANS leave you unpunished,” says the Great One.

It is an interesting sentence in Hebrew! The word for innocent or unpunished is nagah. In an attempt to appropriately emphasize the idea, God says (and Jeremiah writes) the word three times! No nagah, nagah, nagah! By no means, under no circumstances, never! (Please note, the Hebrews tended to repeat an idea in order to emphasize it. See Isaiah 6, where the seriphim shout Holy! Holy! Holy!)

Christians are NOT exempt from the painful discipline that comes from God for sin. While He will not abandon us or destroy us, we should never grow lax or unconcerned. God is not mocked. “They themselves will suffer loss,” Paul warned the people in 1 Corinthians 3:15 of their saved-and-sinning friends.

We are NOT scot free, not exempt from the danger of sin. May this truth send us toward God with reverent fear, honest confession and grateful love!

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay,” says the old axiom.

“If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged”(1 Corinthians 11:31).

August 6–Jeremiah 39-43

“Pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us and we will do it”(42:20).

It is a common mistake. We all tend to over-estimate our spiritual loyalty. Like Peter on the night of the crucifixion, we pledge faithfulness, no matter what! Only later do we discover (to our great shame), the fickleness of our own hearts.

After Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed, the people who remained were very anxious. Rumors of more violence to come spread like a virus. The provisional government faltered.

Asking Jeremiah to pray for them, the people desperately promised to do “whatever” the Lord said. They saw themselves (self-perception) as completely surrendered people. Soft clay. Ready to obey. It was not, however, an honest picture.

Days later, when the answer from God came, and when it contradicted their own ideas, the old problem of every human heart resurfaced in all of its ugly pride. See chapter 43. When God called them to stay in Judah, to face their fears rather than run for secular safety in Egypt, they refused! The loyalty they pledged just days before evaporated!

How do you respond when the Spirit gives an assignment that is contrary to your own wisdom? Do you trust and obey, or insist on your own will? Most of us, even believers, see ourselves as much more obedient than we actually are. Surrender of the stubborn heart is a process. Over time, and often through great sorrow, the True Discipler teaches us to actually do what He says.

“Only those who believe, obey. Only those who obey, believe” (Bonhoeffer).

“Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets”(Luke 5:5).

“Whatever He says to you, do it”(Mary to the servants, John 2:5).

August 5–Jeremiah 36-38

“Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin”(36:3).

It is an extraordinary word. Worthy of our meditation. Great benefit here.

The Hebrew word is uwlay (u-lah’e). It meant “perhaps, or suppose, or what if?” Even after judgement was declared, even after years of ingratitude and rebellion from the people, the loving heart of God declared the possibility of repentance and rescue. “Perhaps,” says the Lord of all possibilities.

The God who created all things is very loyal. To us. To His original purpose for us. He does not give up easily. To the very last, He holds out the opportunity of mercy! This does not mean that He cannot or will not judge. Eventually He does so, but He makes this sad decision reluctantly.

In this hope, the prophet is instructed to write down the prophecies God has given him over the years. Predictions of judgement. Calamity coming. Originally spoken, the words are now to be written down and read in the temple on a day when great crowds are assembled. “Perhaps,” says the Lord, “they will listen and repent.”

Amazing! Even as judgement begins, when foundations begin to crumble, when consequences come, the great heart of God commands mercy to be preached. Like the thief on the cross, to the very last moment, IT IS NOT TOO LATE!

Friend, have you given up on people? Lost hope? Stopped praying? Stopped communicating God’s offer of mercy? With stubborn hope, Eternal Love calls men to repentance and faith and salvation and blessing in Himself. It may seem hopeless to us, but the Unconquered One looks at the world and says, “Perhaps!”

‘He (God) has a single relentless stance toward us: He loves us. He is the only God man has ever heard of who loves sinners” (Brennan Manning).

“The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished”(Exodus 34:6-7).

August 4–Jeremiah 33-35

“Call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know”(33:3).

When the Bible says that “God is light,” it refers to His willingness to communicate Himself. He is not stingy with truth! Generous with revelation! “The heavens DECLARE the glory of God. Night after night they POUR out their testimony.”

As Jeremiah sat in a Jerusalem prison, the word of the Lord came to him. See chapter 32. It was a word of confirmation and encouragement. Despite the furious opposition from the offended people in Jerusalem, Jeremiah had been correct about the coming judgement. The Father communicated with Jeremiah, commended Him!

The surprise (chapter 33) comes when God tells Jeremiah to pray AGAIN. There are great and mighty things God still wants the prophet to know. No retreat for him. No retirement. Forward! Upward!

If God offers more, is it right for me to be content with less? The great danger for most of us is to seek SAFETY rather than SPIRIT, the FAMILIAR rather than the infinite possibilities of FAITH. Particularly when life is hard, when opposition comes, I am tempted to “circle the wagons”, to take the “path of least resistance.” You?

How challenging it must have been for Jeremiah to hear the Holy One call him back into service! Don’t quit! Don’t retreat! Call to Me! says the Spirit. I have much to tell you.

Maybe Jeremiah felt like he deserved a break! He had suffered much. Endurance, however, is the Spirit’s call. Every child of God has a cross to carry. We should not be surprised when God commands us to voluntarily, gladly pick it up and continue on the path with Christ.

Friend, do you hear the Holy One calling you? “You trusted me yesterday. Trust me today. You prayed yesterday. Today, pray again!”

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us” (Joseph Campbell).

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

August 3–Jeremiah 31-32

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines and go forth to the dances of merrymakers”(31:3-4).

The love of God never changes. Infinitely renewable. Indestructible. Will you consider this powerful truth, dear friend?

As humans, we live in a world of constant change. There is never a moment when we are not changing! Birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middle age, senior years. To makes things even more complicated, the world is changing, too! “One never steps into the same river twice.” It is not the same river. You are not the same person.

It is difficult, then, to conceive God’s steadiness. His love is EVERLASTING. The Hebrew word is owlam. Literally “vanishing point.” (That moment when a traveler or ship moves over the horizon and out of sight.) God’s love is a FIXED reality, continuing even into a world we cannot see. Things change. His love doesn’t.

As he considers this steady love of God, Jeremiah sees a New Covenant coming. See chapter 31. In this confidence, he finds courage to buy land in a city that will eventually be rebuilt. See chapter 32.

Nothing prepares us for this Love. God reveals it and faith (only) takes hold of it. In Christ we build on solid rock! We lean on everlasting arms! Unlike anything else we know, God is steady, unchangeable, everlasting love! What great confidence this brings us! Even when we are uncertain of the immediate, we are very certain of the ultimate.

“O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure–the saints and angel’s song!”(Frederick Lehman).

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever. He has rescued us from our enemies. His love endures forever”(Psalm 136:1,24).

August 2–Jeremiah 28-30

“Listen now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie”(28:15).

It is distinction that some people never understand. Optimism and faith are not synonymous. “Being positive” or “hoping for the best” is not always true faith in the true God. Often, it is the very opposite.

For months, Jeremiah had been wearing a yoke around his neck. It was an object lesson with prophetic purpose. It symbolized enslavement coming for the Jewish nation.

One day, with an eye to his own approval ratings, the false prophet Hananiah publicly confronted Jeremiah and broke the yoke. “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon,” Hananiah declared as if speaking for God. “Within two years, I (God) will bring Jerusalem back from exile,” he declared to the nodding heads of the gathered observers.

A very positive word! Very hopeful! No question about it. Trouble is, it wasn’t true. It would cost Hananiah his life. See v. 16-17.

Those who speak for God must do so with great loyalty to the Spirit. No political correctness allowed. When mercy is offered by God, the prophet must make clear the terms and the kindness of it. When judgement is threatened, he/she must be equally clear as to the harsh certainties. When the word of God is sharp like a sword (Hebrews 4:12), only a FALSE prophet softens the intended blow.

Is good news good if it isn’t true? Being optimistic is a plus only so long as the hope being offered rests on the certain and sure word of the Lord.

“Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it” (George R. R. Martin).

August 1-Jeremiah 24-27

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. . .but like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness. . .so I will abandon Zedekiah. . .and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain. . . and ones who dwell in Egypt’ “(24:5,8).

It is a common mistake of the secular mind. The world assumes that all men have the same standing with God, that we all are equally His children. Scripture denies it. We are not ONE nation under God. No nation ever is. After the disaster on the Titanic, there were two groups. Saved. Lost. So with the human race.

Years later, Paul will make the same assertion. Not everyone who belongs to national Israel was (is) a member of Spiritual Israel. (See Romans 9). True Israel (see Philippians 3:3) is a deeper designation. A Spiritual reality. Invisible identity known to God.

As the long-predicted destruction of Jerusalem began, God revealed this truth to Jeremiah. Looking at Judah, God saw two nations. One group represented by over-ripe, to-be-thrown-away figs. Another group (those sent into exile early) represented by the just-ripe, still useful figs. The Great Judge had different verdicts for these groups. They were not the same in His eyes.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was reminded of this reality. Even in a nation that for years had drifted toward immorality and unbelief, God still had, “8000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal.” Same truth in Genesis 18. God told Abraham that His eyes were on the righteous, even as He reached a decision for wrath on the sinful city.

National, racial, language distinctions are superficial. The only truly significant thing about a man is his standing with God.

Friend, are you a citizen of God’s nation?

“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”(Matthew 25:32).

“The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgement”(2 Peter 2:9).

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!”(2 Corinthians 13:5).

July 31–Jeremiah 22-23

” ‘What does straw have in common with grain?’ declares the Lord. ‘Is not My word like fire, like a hammer that shatters a rock?’ “ (23:28-29).

False prophets are a problem in every age. Particularly dangerous in moments of God’s wrath when accurate information from God is most vital.

Through Jeremiah, God confronted the false prophets of Israel. Having not stood in God’s counsel (23:22), having not been sent by His Spirit (23:32), they spoke a message that was not God’s word. Empty people, leading others into emptiness.

With urgency and clarity, God called His people to consider the difference between straw (the words of the false prophets) and grain (true food, from a true prophet). He urged people to look for fire that challenged sin and cleansed the conscience, for a hammer-like quality that shattered the pride of man and restored the soul to God. These qualities are true marks of God’s word. Always.

In a nation where thousands of sermons are preached every Lord’s Day (in person and online) we are wise to hear this warning. Not words, but power is the real need. Sermons are not enough. We need the food, the fire, the hammer of God’s Spirit. We need God’s word!

Friend, when you listen to a sermon, does it shatter and move you toward justice and righteousness? Does it bring you into an encounter with God? Will you pray for your Pastor? For your own ears and heart?

“My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God”(1 Corinthians 2:4).

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

July 30–Jeremiah 18-21

“I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity”(18:17).

“I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation”(21:5).

“If God be for us,” wrote Paul in his famous encouragement in Romans 8. With precise logic and genuine joy, he verbalized the confidence of those redeemed in Christ. If God is working for our advantage (blessing us, protecting us, guiding us), we can (and should) live without fear!

In Jeremiah 18-21, the prophet makes the OPPOSITE argument. He proposes the real possibility of God turning against people in their sin. “Your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear,” says Isaiah to shocked Israel. See Isaiah 59:2. “On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?”(Jeremiah 5:29).

It is a moment to be feared. In righteous anger, God begins to oppose a nation, a church or an individual. He “gives them over.” See Romans 1. He removes His protection, begins to actively oppose.

In the last book of Scripture, we hear similar warnings. “I will war against them with the sword of My mouth,” says Revelation 2:16. The Lamb becomes the Lion. Fierce in wrath. Unbending in judgment. A God not mocked.

Certain signs warn us before this terrible moment comes. Visible circumstances point to it. Military defeat. Natural disasters. Anxiety as a norm. Moral drift. God’s prophets declare it. Spirit-inspired spokespeople declare His warning.

Will you consider the terrible possibility? Jeremiah 19 describes a clay jar so hardened that it was destroyed without hope of repair. In a more hopeful moment, Jeremiah 18 describes clay still soft enough to be reshaped by the potter’s hand. If repentance is still possible, should we not urgently seek it?

“Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

“When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring on them. He did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).