So a group of refugees have decided that ANYWHERE is better than conquered Jerusalem. They go to Jeremiah to ask his advice, or more exactly God’s blessing on their journey.
Do you ever pray before starting out on a long trip? I suspect that many (if not most!) serious Christians do. I think this delegation may be about to do something similar – but what they are about to receive is going to surprise them!!
More about that tomorrow, though.
Meanwhile, this is another passage that’ll be difficult to draw a meaning out oft! However, let’s give it a bash.
On the one hand, what the refugees want to do is commendable. They understand that they are not in control, and if they want safety it’s important for them to leave that in the hands of their creator.
He, not they, has the ability and authority to command anything to happen, so it is right and proper for them to ask His opinion on what they should do.
Now, this chapter is very much to be continued tomorrow, and it's hard to draw out a lot of meaning for us until then. I have a lot for tomorrow night, I promise you!
But for today, whether you’re going on a long trip or not, it’s worth asking God’s help for safety. In fact, whatever you’re about to do, if it is in ANY way dangerous (and there are many things in this category), it may be worth asking God for His protection, and for Him to outshine all the other things.
30 April 2011
29 April 2011
Chapter 41
There are times when hope disappears, even as it is arising.
It seems that just when things are looking good for Judah once again, we take a turn for the worse.
Gedaliah, the new governor, is murdered by this character Ishmael.
Now, I will accept that you can forgive a man for being a patriot. But this man goes beyond pure patriotism. I suspect his motives are more Machiavellian than patriotic. In verse 1 we read that he had royal blood and that he had been a high official of Zedekiah. So perhaps he thought he would be able to seize the kingship if he murdered the governor.
It’s hard to know Ishmael’s motive. What we CAN say is that once he’d killed the Governor he had to kill a whole bunch more people to keep his crime a secret – and not just bodyguards or soldiers, either. Verses 7-8 show us how Ishmael brutally killed a group of pilgrims.
A group of former soldiers rally and rescue the prisoners taken by Ishmael and begin a pursuit of the murderer. They catch up with him; but ultimately, despite their best efforts, Ishmael gets away. And as the chapter ends, we see the people of Judah are in a real pickle – if the Babylonians get wind of this situation, there might well be reprisals. So as the chapter ends, these soldiers (as well as the freed prisoners) are about to head down to Egypt.
We’ll learn more about how THAT little adventure went over the next two nights.
Meanwhile, what can this passage from tonight teach us?
Once again, it’s hard to draw deep messages from a passage that is mostly narrative. But still, we’ll give it a shot.
Sin has a way of snowballing.
Ishmael may have thought he was only going to kill the governor. But once he and his men had overpowered and murdered him, they were faced with a problem – there were others in the Palace, who might get suspicious and return to the Babylonians with those suspicions.
Once Ishmael had dsposed of the witnesses, he would have a further incident in whuch he came face to face with a group of innocent (we think!) pilgrims.
And murdered them too!
To cover up his last sin, each time Ishmael has to do more atrocious things.
I think this is why God’s solution to sin is forgiveness followed by grace – any other treatment of sin is likely to result in escalation.
Grace is about breaking sin’s cycle.
It seems that just when things are looking good for Judah once again, we take a turn for the worse.
Gedaliah, the new governor, is murdered by this character Ishmael.
Now, I will accept that you can forgive a man for being a patriot. But this man goes beyond pure patriotism. I suspect his motives are more Machiavellian than patriotic. In verse 1 we read that he had royal blood and that he had been a high official of Zedekiah. So perhaps he thought he would be able to seize the kingship if he murdered the governor.
It’s hard to know Ishmael’s motive. What we CAN say is that once he’d killed the Governor he had to kill a whole bunch more people to keep his crime a secret – and not just bodyguards or soldiers, either. Verses 7-8 show us how Ishmael brutally killed a group of pilgrims.
A group of former soldiers rally and rescue the prisoners taken by Ishmael and begin a pursuit of the murderer. They catch up with him; but ultimately, despite their best efforts, Ishmael gets away. And as the chapter ends, we see the people of Judah are in a real pickle – if the Babylonians get wind of this situation, there might well be reprisals. So as the chapter ends, these soldiers (as well as the freed prisoners) are about to head down to Egypt.
We’ll learn more about how THAT little adventure went over the next two nights.
Meanwhile, what can this passage from tonight teach us?
Once again, it’s hard to draw deep messages from a passage that is mostly narrative. But still, we’ll give it a shot.
Sin has a way of snowballing.
Ishmael may have thought he was only going to kill the governor. But once he and his men had overpowered and murdered him, they were faced with a problem – there were others in the Palace, who might get suspicious and return to the Babylonians with those suspicions.
Once Ishmael had dsposed of the witnesses, he would have a further incident in whuch he came face to face with a group of innocent (we think!) pilgrims.
And murdered them too!
To cover up his last sin, each time Ishmael has to do more atrocious things.
I think this is why God’s solution to sin is forgiveness followed by grace – any other treatment of sin is likely to result in escalation.
Grace is about breaking sin’s cycle.
28 April 2011
Chapter 40
There are times when hope arises, even when it seems lost.
Take, for instance, chapter 40 of Jeremiah.
Perspective – all this is happening just after the walls have been broken down and the king of Judah has been dragged off to Babylon (blinded, humiliated and deprived of his sons and heirs). Surely this is a fairly bleak time in Judah’s history!
And yet the tone of this chapter is optimistic – sunny, even.
Jeremiah is released by the conquering Babylonians. The Babylonians are quite happy to use the talents of bright people (see how Daniel got on, if you’re in any doubt!), and they even invited Jeremiah to come with them. But Jeremiah saw his place as being with those not considered worth stealing, so he chose to stay with the new governor.
And suddenly everything looks good! The people begin to return, and the harvest is startingto look good. It appears that the bad times are behind the people of Israel, and that the punishments are over.
(Oh the pathos – you know the cheerful tone can’t last!)
Indeed, this chapter doesn’t end with any disaster (although you know that this is likely to come in the next chapter!).
What can we learn here?
It’s often hard to draw lessons from parts of the scriptures that are mostly narrative, and I might just be drawing a long bow here. But let’s give it a try.
Bad things happen to people. Sometimes, as in the case of Judah in this book, it’s a result of judgement; maybe it isn’t.
Either way, sooner or later you have to come to a point where you get on with life. And actually, that’s what God wants you to do!
Adam and Eve sinned, but eventually (after the fall, after they were driven from Eden), they settled down, lived their lives and had kids. They found God’s purpose for their lives.
Moses sinned (in killing the Egyptian), but eventually he lived his life, became a shepherd, got married, had a family. Then one day he saw a burning bush. He found God’s purpose for his life.
David sinned (with Bathsheba). But after the death of his son, he got back to living. He found God’s purpose for his life.
And here too – the people of Judah have been punished. But after the punishment comes the point of acceptance and moving on.
This is important because it’s the nature of Grace. If God has forgiven you by grace, you no longer have to carry the burden of that guilt. It’s time to move on past that.
This is a lesson I have to learn time and time again. There are some secrets in my past that have so embarrassed me that I can’t admit them even today to others. Oh, don’t look at me like that. Not THAT kind of secret. In fact, they are all really little things. Moments of immaturity. Incorrect words. Stupid actions. Less of them as I have gotten older, but they’re still accumulating.
God has forgiven me for them. In fact, He’s not the only one; I’d be surprised if the people involved in these situations still remember them (as I said, they’re trivial). But if God has forgiven me, why do I still hang on? I need to let them be in the past.
It’s time for me to (metaphorically) start harvesting olives and preserving Summer Fruit again.
But of course, I’m the only one who does stuff like this. Nobody else has a collection of secret sins they’ve never let God fully forgive, right?
. . . Right?
Take, for instance, chapter 40 of Jeremiah.
Perspective – all this is happening just after the walls have been broken down and the king of Judah has been dragged off to Babylon (blinded, humiliated and deprived of his sons and heirs). Surely this is a fairly bleak time in Judah’s history!
And yet the tone of this chapter is optimistic – sunny, even.
Jeremiah is released by the conquering Babylonians. The Babylonians are quite happy to use the talents of bright people (see how Daniel got on, if you’re in any doubt!), and they even invited Jeremiah to come with them. But Jeremiah saw his place as being with those not considered worth stealing, so he chose to stay with the new governor.
And suddenly everything looks good! The people begin to return, and the harvest is startingto look good. It appears that the bad times are behind the people of Israel, and that the punishments are over.
(Oh the pathos – you know the cheerful tone can’t last!)
Indeed, this chapter doesn’t end with any disaster (although you know that this is likely to come in the next chapter!).
What can we learn here?
It’s often hard to draw lessons from parts of the scriptures that are mostly narrative, and I might just be drawing a long bow here. But let’s give it a try.
Bad things happen to people. Sometimes, as in the case of Judah in this book, it’s a result of judgement; maybe it isn’t.
Either way, sooner or later you have to come to a point where you get on with life. And actually, that’s what God wants you to do!
Adam and Eve sinned, but eventually (after the fall, after they were driven from Eden), they settled down, lived their lives and had kids. They found God’s purpose for their lives.
Moses sinned (in killing the Egyptian), but eventually he lived his life, became a shepherd, got married, had a family. Then one day he saw a burning bush. He found God’s purpose for his life.
David sinned (with Bathsheba). But after the death of his son, he got back to living. He found God’s purpose for his life.
And here too – the people of Judah have been punished. But after the punishment comes the point of acceptance and moving on.
This is important because it’s the nature of Grace. If God has forgiven you by grace, you no longer have to carry the burden of that guilt. It’s time to move on past that.
This is a lesson I have to learn time and time again. There are some secrets in my past that have so embarrassed me that I can’t admit them even today to others. Oh, don’t look at me like that. Not THAT kind of secret. In fact, they are all really little things. Moments of immaturity. Incorrect words. Stupid actions. Less of them as I have gotten older, but they’re still accumulating.
God has forgiven me for them. In fact, He’s not the only one; I’d be surprised if the people involved in these situations still remember them (as I said, they’re trivial). But if God has forgiven me, why do I still hang on? I need to let them be in the past.
It’s time for me to (metaphorically) start harvesting olives and preserving Summer Fruit again.
But of course, I’m the only one who does stuff like this. Nobody else has a collection of secret sins they’ve never let God fully forgive, right?
. . . Right?
27 April 2011
Chapter 39
Well, Johno’s Commentary returns! I hope you’re ready!
The sadness is once again palpable. In Chapter 39 and verse 1, Jeremiah baldly and bleakly records the date that the Babylonians finally broke through the wall of Jerusalem and captured Zedekiah.
The prophecy that Zedekiah would not be killed comes true, but in a horrendous and disturbing way – the Babylonians force him to watch the execution of all his children; then they blind him and take him as a captive to Babylon.
Throughout the years, Jeremiah has been trying to persuade the king to surrender and go quietly. Evidently the Babylonians have got wind of this, because in verses 11 and12, they grant him his freedom. So now Jeremiah wanders the damaged walls. He must have wondered about the irony here; he is freed by the very people he told his people to surrender to, yet I doubt that it made him feel good about it!
Finally, Ebed-Melek (the Ethiopian who has devoted much time to keeping Jeremiah away from his enemies) is told that his faithfulness will be rewarded, and he will not be killed.
A fairly short chapter, to be honest. How can we gain something out of it?
I think the answer is to look at this scenario here. As I write, the Fukishima Nuclear Plant disaster enters its third month. And we have seen it many times on the news. One general consensus relating to this is that people are describing this even as “The worst-case scenario”. Similarly Jeremiah 39 is where you’d have to admit that the people of Judah have reached their low point. Where to from here?
And yet, God is still looking after His own. Jeremiah and Ebed-Melek are promised that their safety will not be compromised despite the circumstances.
When we face times of trouble, it is important for us to realize that God hasn’t been taken out of the picture. Nothing there has changed. God still loves us. God is still watching out for us. God does not fail!
So if you feel yourself to be going through the tough times, remember that He is still there, and He is the one who will be with us and never forsake us.
The sadness is once again palpable. In Chapter 39 and verse 1, Jeremiah baldly and bleakly records the date that the Babylonians finally broke through the wall of Jerusalem and captured Zedekiah.
The prophecy that Zedekiah would not be killed comes true, but in a horrendous and disturbing way – the Babylonians force him to watch the execution of all his children; then they blind him and take him as a captive to Babylon.
Throughout the years, Jeremiah has been trying to persuade the king to surrender and go quietly. Evidently the Babylonians have got wind of this, because in verses 11 and12, they grant him his freedom. So now Jeremiah wanders the damaged walls. He must have wondered about the irony here; he is freed by the very people he told his people to surrender to, yet I doubt that it made him feel good about it!
Finally, Ebed-Melek (the Ethiopian who has devoted much time to keeping Jeremiah away from his enemies) is told that his faithfulness will be rewarded, and he will not be killed.
A fairly short chapter, to be honest. How can we gain something out of it?
I think the answer is to look at this scenario here. As I write, the Fukishima Nuclear Plant disaster enters its third month. And we have seen it many times on the news. One general consensus relating to this is that people are describing this even as “The worst-case scenario”. Similarly Jeremiah 39 is where you’d have to admit that the people of Judah have reached their low point. Where to from here?
And yet, God is still looking after His own. Jeremiah and Ebed-Melek are promised that their safety will not be compromised despite the circumstances.
When we face times of trouble, it is important for us to realize that God hasn’t been taken out of the picture. Nothing there has changed. God still loves us. God is still watching out for us. God does not fail!
So if you feel yourself to be going through the tough times, remember that He is still there, and He is the one who will be with us and never forsake us.
17 April 2011
A brief thank you to all who have regularly read this blog/email and so kept me honest with my Bible reading life. You have made an enormous (and quantifiable!) difference to my spiritual life.
I promised my family that I'd get away from technology when on holidays, and I intend to follow through on that. Consequently, there will be no commentary until (at the earliest) Tuesday 26th April. I hope this is okay with all of you, and until then, I wish you a very happy Easter!
Johno
I promised my family that I'd get away from technology when on holidays, and I intend to follow through on that. Consequently, there will be no commentary until (at the earliest) Tuesday 26th April. I hope this is okay with all of you, and until then, I wish you a very happy Easter!
Johno
16 April 2011
Chapter 38
Note: This is either the last or the second-last Johno's Commentary before I go away! Please bear that in mind.
--
I pointed out yesterday that Zedekiah was playing a dangerous game by playing both sides of a dispute (in this case the Babylonians and the Egyptians) off against each other. But having read today’s passage, it is possible that I have misjudged the man . . .
. . . Maybe he was just spineless!
Jeremiah gives his customary message, and some of those who were offended (this time!) get up on their high horse and demand that the king execute Jeremiah. Reluctantly the king allows them to do as they wish; in a doctor Evil-esque move, they have Jeremiah thrown into a pit. Brilliant move on their part, NOT – if they’d have had him executed immediately, they could have avoided a lot of trouble (although perhaps God may have judged them more harshly).
In any case, Jeremiah is thrown down the bottom of a dry well, and looks certain to die there, except for the actions of a brave man, Ebed Melech. Pretty much all we know about Ebed-Melech is what we read in this chapter! However, what we DO know is that he was a worshipper of God and determined to see things done properly – so he rescues Jeremiah from said pit.
Here’s where the king’s spinelessness comes into play. The king apparently gets a change of heart and begs Jeremiah to tell him what the Lord has said for him.
Jeremiah pulls no punches and simply tells the King the same thing he’s been telling others for goodness only knows how long!
And here we see this weak and doubtful king asking Jeremiah for help.
I have sympathy for this king – I have been in situations where it’s hard to know what is right.
Further, note that Jeremiah (often a strident critic of peoples’ actions) doesn’t hassle the king, for once!
God doesn’t blame us for doubting. It’s when we make incorrect moral choices that God gets upset. And yes, Zedekiah had made a few bad choices in that area. But he was doing his best in the current situation to make amends with God (for the moment),a nd God honoured that.. God DOES want us to track down answers to our questions. So remember – don’t simply stay as you are, try to work out the answers!
God will love you he precise same amount no matter whether you have found the answers you need or not. He operates by grace! But God gave us minds so that we could work on these answers ourselves. USE THEM!
--
I pointed out yesterday that Zedekiah was playing a dangerous game by playing both sides of a dispute (in this case the Babylonians and the Egyptians) off against each other. But having read today’s passage, it is possible that I have misjudged the man . . .
. . . Maybe he was just spineless!
Jeremiah gives his customary message, and some of those who were offended (this time!) get up on their high horse and demand that the king execute Jeremiah. Reluctantly the king allows them to do as they wish; in a doctor Evil-esque move, they have Jeremiah thrown into a pit. Brilliant move on their part, NOT – if they’d have had him executed immediately, they could have avoided a lot of trouble (although perhaps God may have judged them more harshly).
In any case, Jeremiah is thrown down the bottom of a dry well, and looks certain to die there, except for the actions of a brave man, Ebed Melech. Pretty much all we know about Ebed-Melech is what we read in this chapter! However, what we DO know is that he was a worshipper of God and determined to see things done properly – so he rescues Jeremiah from said pit.
Here’s where the king’s spinelessness comes into play. The king apparently gets a change of heart and begs Jeremiah to tell him what the Lord has said for him.
Jeremiah pulls no punches and simply tells the King the same thing he’s been telling others for goodness only knows how long!
And here we see this weak and doubtful king asking Jeremiah for help.
I have sympathy for this king – I have been in situations where it’s hard to know what is right.
Further, note that Jeremiah (often a strident critic of peoples’ actions) doesn’t hassle the king, for once!
God doesn’t blame us for doubting. It’s when we make incorrect moral choices that God gets upset. And yes, Zedekiah had made a few bad choices in that area. But he was doing his best in the current situation to make amends with God (for the moment),a nd God honoured that.. God DOES want us to track down answers to our questions. So remember – don’t simply stay as you are, try to work out the answers!
God will love you he precise same amount no matter whether you have found the answers you need or not. He operates by grace! But God gave us minds so that we could work on these answers ourselves. USE THEM!
15 April 2011
Chapter 37
Zedekiah was playing a dangerous game.
He’d been placed in the Kingship of Judah in place of Jehoiachin by the Babylonians, who wanted a pliable puppet.
Meanwhile he plotted with the Egyptians to overthrown Babylonian rule.
His treatment of Jeremiah shows a similar bipolarity – on the one hand, both he and his soldiers openly treat Jeremiah’s message with contempt. Privately, however, the King sends a messenger to Jeremiah to ask him to pray for Judah.
God gave Jeremiah a message for the king; before he could give it to the king, Jeremiah had been arrested and thrown into gaol for . .
. . for . .
, , , for looking like he might be deserting to the invading armies. That’s it.
Anyone wondering if Jeremiah was treated badly, please raise your hands!
And in a spectacular display of raw cheek, the King dares to ask him if he has a message from the Lord for him. Which Jeremiah obliges. He informs the king that he is to be himself dragged off to exile.
The king is more surprised than pleased.
The rest of the chapter is about how Jeremiah was kept, at first in a prison cell and later in the guards’ courtyard.
For me, the main lesson one can learn from this passage is perhaps a long bow to draw, but I believe it to be one worth considering. It is this: which side are we on? After all, as Christians we believe that there is an absolute right and wrong in this universe, and that means that sometimes we can end up on the wrong side.
Zedekiah had no desire to repent, yet he sought God’s advice on things. He tried to play both sides of the argument.
God doesn’t go for that. God wants full-hearted service. He wants you to pick the side (obviously he would prefer you to be on his side, but even honest opposition is more appreciated).
Jeremiah and Zedekiah can be easily compared: One had committed himself to God’s long term plan; the other simply tried to privately play both sides. One was a winner, and the other was not.
Which one are you most like?
He’d been placed in the Kingship of Judah in place of Jehoiachin by the Babylonians, who wanted a pliable puppet.
Meanwhile he plotted with the Egyptians to overthrown Babylonian rule.
His treatment of Jeremiah shows a similar bipolarity – on the one hand, both he and his soldiers openly treat Jeremiah’s message with contempt. Privately, however, the King sends a messenger to Jeremiah to ask him to pray for Judah.
God gave Jeremiah a message for the king; before he could give it to the king, Jeremiah had been arrested and thrown into gaol for . .
. . for . .
, , , for looking like he might be deserting to the invading armies. That’s it.
Anyone wondering if Jeremiah was treated badly, please raise your hands!
And in a spectacular display of raw cheek, the King dares to ask him if he has a message from the Lord for him. Which Jeremiah obliges. He informs the king that he is to be himself dragged off to exile.
The king is more surprised than pleased.
The rest of the chapter is about how Jeremiah was kept, at first in a prison cell and later in the guards’ courtyard.
For me, the main lesson one can learn from this passage is perhaps a long bow to draw, but I believe it to be one worth considering. It is this: which side are we on? After all, as Christians we believe that there is an absolute right and wrong in this universe, and that means that sometimes we can end up on the wrong side.
Zedekiah had no desire to repent, yet he sought God’s advice on things. He tried to play both sides of the argument.
God doesn’t go for that. God wants full-hearted service. He wants you to pick the side (obviously he would prefer you to be on his side, but even honest opposition is more appreciated).
Jeremiah and Zedekiah can be easily compared: One had committed himself to God’s long term plan; the other simply tried to privately play both sides. One was a winner, and the other was not.
Which one are you most like?
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