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?
14 April 2011
Chapter 36
Quick note for readers:
Johno’s Commentary will pause on Monday evening and return the following Monday or Tuesday. This is so I can have a holiday with my kids without bringing a computer!
--
Jeremiah, as we have seen all the way through this book, was passionate. Very passionate.
You can tell, because he just can’t stop telling people God’s words.
Case in point: Chapter 36.
Now, God has given him another message to take to the people, with a back story of what God has done for Israel and Judah as well as YET MORE warnings of catastrophe. The idea is obviously to provoke the king and the public into repentance.
So Jeremiah dictates a long scroll to his secretary Baruch. So far so good.
There’s a problem, though. Jeremiah has been blacklisted and isn’t allowed into the Temple.
Now, that might have stopped some people. But did I mention that Jeremiah was passionate? He wasn’t going to let a little thing like being blacklisted stop him getting this message to the people! So he needed a plan B . . .
. . . Which turned out to be as simple as sending his secretary in with the message.
The key time was during a fast day, when pretty much anyone who was anyone was at the Temple. Baruch chose that time to read the scroll aloud.
As luck would have it, a bunch of officials are in the Temple at that time. They correctly discern that it was Jeremiah’s words, and naturally weren’t pleased at all. Most especially, once word reached him, the KING was very upset. So upset that he burned the scroll as it was read to him, and ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be arrested (fortunately for them, God was hiding them).
God comes to Jeremiah again, and Baruch writes another scroll (poor guy). Oh, and a letter with some very pointed messages to the King!
Okay, so what do we get from THIS one?
To me, the big message is in Jeremiah’s actions in getting the news to the people. He’s so motivated to get this message out that the people at the Temple that he is willing to overcome problems like being blacklisted, being hated by the King etc.
His message is THAT important to him.
Compare that with us. We have what Peter once described as “the words of eternal life!”
Magician Penn Jillette is a well-known atheist, so militant that on his TV program of unfortunate name he once described Christianity (and the Bible on a different episode) as . . well . . cattle droppings. And yet, this anti-Christian guy has said something that the Church needs to take notice of: “If you really believe in a heaven and a hell, both of which are supposed to be eternal, how much would you have to hate someone to not tell them?”
There’s the crux, right there. Like Jeremiah, we have a vital message (in fact, a message that is more important that his – it is about ETERNAL matters!). If we take it seriously, we should be at least as motivated as Jeremiah to get it out to everyone we meet!
Johno’s Commentary will pause on Monday evening and return the following Monday or Tuesday. This is so I can have a holiday with my kids without bringing a computer!
--
Jeremiah, as we have seen all the way through this book, was passionate. Very passionate.
You can tell, because he just can’t stop telling people God’s words.
Case in point: Chapter 36.
Now, God has given him another message to take to the people, with a back story of what God has done for Israel and Judah as well as YET MORE warnings of catastrophe. The idea is obviously to provoke the king and the public into repentance.
So Jeremiah dictates a long scroll to his secretary Baruch. So far so good.
There’s a problem, though. Jeremiah has been blacklisted and isn’t allowed into the Temple.
Now, that might have stopped some people. But did I mention that Jeremiah was passionate? He wasn’t going to let a little thing like being blacklisted stop him getting this message to the people! So he needed a plan B . . .
. . . Which turned out to be as simple as sending his secretary in with the message.
The key time was during a fast day, when pretty much anyone who was anyone was at the Temple. Baruch chose that time to read the scroll aloud.
As luck would have it, a bunch of officials are in the Temple at that time. They correctly discern that it was Jeremiah’s words, and naturally weren’t pleased at all. Most especially, once word reached him, the KING was very upset. So upset that he burned the scroll as it was read to him, and ordered Jeremiah and Baruch to be arrested (fortunately for them, God was hiding them).
God comes to Jeremiah again, and Baruch writes another scroll (poor guy). Oh, and a letter with some very pointed messages to the King!
Okay, so what do we get from THIS one?
To me, the big message is in Jeremiah’s actions in getting the news to the people. He’s so motivated to get this message out that the people at the Temple that he is willing to overcome problems like being blacklisted, being hated by the King etc.
His message is THAT important to him.
Compare that with us. We have what Peter once described as “the words of eternal life!”
Magician Penn Jillette is a well-known atheist, so militant that on his TV program of unfortunate name he once described Christianity (and the Bible on a different episode) as . . well . . cattle droppings. And yet, this anti-Christian guy has said something that the Church needs to take notice of: “If you really believe in a heaven and a hell, both of which are supposed to be eternal, how much would you have to hate someone to not tell them?”
There’s the crux, right there. Like Jeremiah, we have a vital message (in fact, a message that is more important that his – it is about ETERNAL matters!). If we take it seriously, we should be at least as motivated as Jeremiah to get it out to everyone we meet!
13 April 2011
Chapter 35
Humans excel at missing the point.
Jeremiah chapter 35 contains a superb example of this, but you have to go back to 1920s Methodists to understand this particular example.
Let’s get straight into it. In one of the object lessons that is a hallmark of this book, God asks Jeremiah to go to some of the guys who worked at the Temple, the Recabites. He’s told to bring wine. And as soon as he gets there, he’s to pour them a glass of wine.
A Recabite informs him that they never drink . . wine. In fact, their ancestor Jonadab (obviously enough, the son of Recab!) commanded them never to drink wine (or, oddly enough, to live in permanent homes). And the Recabites have honoured this vow for many years.
My grandmother has always described herself as a Recabite. If you ask her why, she’ll explain that the Recabites were commended for their refusal to drink wine, and so the modern day Recabites[1] chose to swear off alcohol. Though curiously they were all okay with living in permanent homes . . .
Now, I don’t drink . . wine[2]. Or beer, or any other alcoholic drink; and clearly, I believe there’s much that’s good about avoiding alcohol. But here’s where missing the point comes in. See, if you read this passage, it’s actually not telling Jeremiah that he’s to avoid the Demon Drink. You may notice that Jeremiah has wine, so he’s not a teetotaler[3]. That’s not what God is asking for!
Remember yesterday’s passage was about Judah’s failure to keep their promises? Well, this is following on from that. God has sent Jeremiah to talk to the Recabites for the simple reason that THEY KNOW HOW TO KEEP A PROMISE.
Jeremiah is brought to these people to observe them as a case study in how to do it right.
Each of us can think about people of integrity, and one of the features of people of integrity is that they keep their promises.
So the cash value of this passage for each of us is that we need to become persons of integrity, and there are others around us who can help by showing us good examples.
[1] When I say Modern Day, we’re talking 1920s. Which is a long time ago for us, but it’s pretty recent compared with the 2500 years ago that Jeremiah wrote . . .
[2] That joke just never gets old, does it?
[3] In fact in a pre-refrigeration world, forswearing alcohol made your life quite difficult. Fruit juice couldn’t be preserved except in the form of wine, so this puts the Recabites’ vow in a different light!
Jeremiah chapter 35 contains a superb example of this, but you have to go back to 1920s Methodists to understand this particular example.
Let’s get straight into it. In one of the object lessons that is a hallmark of this book, God asks Jeremiah to go to some of the guys who worked at the Temple, the Recabites. He’s told to bring wine. And as soon as he gets there, he’s to pour them a glass of wine.
A Recabite informs him that they never drink . . wine. In fact, their ancestor Jonadab (obviously enough, the son of Recab!) commanded them never to drink wine (or, oddly enough, to live in permanent homes). And the Recabites have honoured this vow for many years.
My grandmother has always described herself as a Recabite. If you ask her why, she’ll explain that the Recabites were commended for their refusal to drink wine, and so the modern day Recabites[1] chose to swear off alcohol. Though curiously they were all okay with living in permanent homes . . .
Now, I don’t drink . . wine[2]. Or beer, or any other alcoholic drink; and clearly, I believe there’s much that’s good about avoiding alcohol. But here’s where missing the point comes in. See, if you read this passage, it’s actually not telling Jeremiah that he’s to avoid the Demon Drink. You may notice that Jeremiah has wine, so he’s not a teetotaler[3]. That’s not what God is asking for!
Remember yesterday’s passage was about Judah’s failure to keep their promises? Well, this is following on from that. God has sent Jeremiah to talk to the Recabites for the simple reason that THEY KNOW HOW TO KEEP A PROMISE.
Jeremiah is brought to these people to observe them as a case study in how to do it right.
Each of us can think about people of integrity, and one of the features of people of integrity is that they keep their promises.
So the cash value of this passage for each of us is that we need to become persons of integrity, and there are others around us who can help by showing us good examples.
[1] When I say Modern Day, we’re talking 1920s. Which is a long time ago for us, but it’s pretty recent compared with the 2500 years ago that Jeremiah wrote . . .
[2] That joke just never gets old, does it?
[3] In fact in a pre-refrigeration world, forswearing alcohol made your life quite difficult. Fruit juice couldn’t be preserved except in the form of wine, so this puts the Recabites’ vow in a different light!
12 April 2011
Chapter 34
One of the problems with understanding the book of Jeremiah is that it’s not written in chronological order. It’s written in thematic order.
You remember that I talked about a chiasm? A chiasm is like a set of brackets – you have a beginning, something (which may be unrelated) in the middle, then the end. And you can have nested chiasms.
Jeremiah is a set of nested chiasms, so you get things like this – Jeremiah’s letters to the King DURING THE SIEGE. Yet just a couple of chapters ago we get the letters he sent to the people AFTER the exile.
Anyway, let’s look at this passage on its own merits.
People are often convinced that the Bible condones slavery. I would hold that it accepts slavery as a reality (as it was during the time it was written) but doesn’t particularly like it, and if you want proof of that, note that God says that fellow jews are NOT to be slaves.
Right there you see that Slavery certainly isn’t a harmless and universal thing. It’s something God tolerates, not something He likes. He puts up with it because at this time it is seen as a necessary evil, but He ensures that there are laws (in the book of Leviticus) for how a slave is to be treated; and you have this rule that fellow Jews are not to be slaves. God’s communication is basically “I really don’t want this slavery thing, but I can see I’m not going to get anywhere by commanding you not to do it; so can we at LEAST have no fellow Hebrews kept as slaves? Oh, and even the others; can you treat them properly please?”
Of course, people being what people are, the Jews fail to keep it. So when God calls them to account, one of the things He has accused them of is keeping each other slaves.
There is a promising part early in the chapter (verse 10) when the leaders and elders of Israel sign a contract for releasing of all Jewish slaves. But wouldn’t you know it, as soon as God’s metaphorical back is turned, not only do they go back to keeping slaves from among their own, the People even track down and re-enslave the same people as before!
God is angry. He is angry because Slavery exists in the first place. He is angry because people have kept brothers and sisters as slaves. He is even angry because the people have broken their word and reneged on their agreement.
God has a lot to be annoyed about, so He declares once again that there will be judgement as a result.
In amongst all this gloom, the King of Judah is told that he too will be exiled!
Another thing that confuses people a little is this: What was walking through the animals cut in half meant to represent?
That’s easy enough. It’s the generally accepted signal of an agreement from that era. The two people who agreed were to take a prescribed list of animals and divide them in half. Then they were to walk through the avenue formed by the separated animals – then the agreement was made.
In this case, they walked through the avenue with God – yet they didn’t end up keeping their commitment. Bad move.
But before you hassle them about it, I want to ask you : How many times have you made an agreement of some sort with God? And how many times have you totally ignored it afterwards?
We needn’t be smug. We too are guilty of the same thing, and we need to be aware that God wants us to follow our commitments. This is why God says repeatedly to think twice before making a vow; once you have made a promise, as a Christian, it is important to keep it totally.
No wonder God got upset with them – that thing about slavery was just one area where Judah failed to follow through.
How are WE doing for following our promises to God?
You remember that I talked about a chiasm? A chiasm is like a set of brackets – you have a beginning, something (which may be unrelated) in the middle, then the end. And you can have nested chiasms.
Jeremiah is a set of nested chiasms, so you get things like this – Jeremiah’s letters to the King DURING THE SIEGE. Yet just a couple of chapters ago we get the letters he sent to the people AFTER the exile.
Anyway, let’s look at this passage on its own merits.
People are often convinced that the Bible condones slavery. I would hold that it accepts slavery as a reality (as it was during the time it was written) but doesn’t particularly like it, and if you want proof of that, note that God says that fellow jews are NOT to be slaves.
Right there you see that Slavery certainly isn’t a harmless and universal thing. It’s something God tolerates, not something He likes. He puts up with it because at this time it is seen as a necessary evil, but He ensures that there are laws (in the book of Leviticus) for how a slave is to be treated; and you have this rule that fellow Jews are not to be slaves. God’s communication is basically “I really don’t want this slavery thing, but I can see I’m not going to get anywhere by commanding you not to do it; so can we at LEAST have no fellow Hebrews kept as slaves? Oh, and even the others; can you treat them properly please?”
Of course, people being what people are, the Jews fail to keep it. So when God calls them to account, one of the things He has accused them of is keeping each other slaves.
There is a promising part early in the chapter (verse 10) when the leaders and elders of Israel sign a contract for releasing of all Jewish slaves. But wouldn’t you know it, as soon as God’s metaphorical back is turned, not only do they go back to keeping slaves from among their own, the People even track down and re-enslave the same people as before!
God is angry. He is angry because Slavery exists in the first place. He is angry because people have kept brothers and sisters as slaves. He is even angry because the people have broken their word and reneged on their agreement.
God has a lot to be annoyed about, so He declares once again that there will be judgement as a result.
In amongst all this gloom, the King of Judah is told that he too will be exiled!
Another thing that confuses people a little is this: What was walking through the animals cut in half meant to represent?
That’s easy enough. It’s the generally accepted signal of an agreement from that era. The two people who agreed were to take a prescribed list of animals and divide them in half. Then they were to walk through the avenue formed by the separated animals – then the agreement was made.
In this case, they walked through the avenue with God – yet they didn’t end up keeping their commitment. Bad move.
But before you hassle them about it, I want to ask you : How many times have you made an agreement of some sort with God? And how many times have you totally ignored it afterwards?
We needn’t be smug. We too are guilty of the same thing, and we need to be aware that God wants us to follow our commitments. This is why God says repeatedly to think twice before making a vow; once you have made a promise, as a Christian, it is important to keep it totally.
No wonder God got upset with them – that thing about slavery was just one area where Judah failed to follow through.
How are WE doing for following our promises to God?
11 April 2011
Chapter 33
A brief note – at this stage it looks like I’ll be starting my break from the commentary on Tuesday week. I will let you know of the exact dates closer to the time.
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The ultimate reality humans face is death. No matter who we are, rich or poor, black or white, male or female, to use Robin Williams’ words from “Dead Poets’ Society”: “One day each one of us is going to turn cold, stop breathing – and die.”
It’s one of the harsh moments of childhood – that time when for the first time you experience the loss of someone close to you. For me, it was my grandfather, but I didn’t really understand that. It wasn’t until many years later, when I was in my early teens, that the loss of a good friend truly brought it home to me, at least in emotional terms. But by then, rest assured, I was already aware that my body had a use-by date, and that sooner or later I’d go too[1].
One thing that I have observed as a father is that the irreversibility of death is something that kids understand quite early. My seven-year-old and my five-year-old have both commented on things with lines like “When you die, you don’t come back.”
It may make you a little curious when you read this passage. What has it got to do with the final reality of death? There’s a couple of references to dead bodies in the street, but most of it is about the city of Jerusalem.
I might be drawing a long bow here, but it is my contention that as well as being a prediction of events which definitely were going to happen in Jerusalem (after all, for us they are ancient history – we know they did!), the destruction and re-birth of Jerusalem as described in Jeremiah are in fact a word picture of death and resurrection.
You see, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. Oh, a few people were left in the rubble, but make no mistake – the city was dead. It was killed when the people were exiled. The fact that some were left behind didn’t change that; in fact, it made it all the more obvious, because those left behind were really the dregs, the people that the Babylonians couldn’t use. The real social leaders of Judah had been taken as part of the exile. So the city of Jerusalem was destroyed to such a deep level that I’d imagine that the surviving citizens would have struggled to even visualize the city ever returning.
Yet here God says it very clearly – one day in the future, the exiles will return, the city will be re-built, and Jerusalem will once again be the place where God is worshipped.
We know that this happened. Not only did the walls get rebuilt under the guidance of Nehemiah, the Temple rededicated by Ezra and rebuilt by Herod, both history and archaeology confirm the bustling city that Jerusalem became. We even know this from the story of the Crucifixion – by the time Jesus walked its cobbled streets, the exile of Jeremiah was a very distant memory.
But for our passage tonight, Jeremiah 33, this is all in the future; and Jeremiah’s readers will just have to take his word for it. After all, they’re looking at a dead city.
A dead city. Not resting or pining for the fjords, or even stunned; their beloved city was dead.
Jerusalem wasn’t merely re-built. Jerusalem was raised from the very dead. And without God’s intervention that certainly wouldn’t have happened.
Again, perhaps sticking my neck out here, but – God’s not really all that fussed about the city itself. Sure, it’s a nice city, with some nifty architecture. But what God really cares about is its inhabitants.
God wants them to realize that no matter what is going wrong in their lives, He can fix it. If the problem is sin, He can forgive it and restore them. If the problem is sickness, He can heal it. And ultimately, if the problem is death, then the Author of Life can overcome it.
Here we have the first glimmerings of what would ultimately become the driving theology of the Pharisees. And among those Pharisees would come some extremists – one called John the Baptist, and his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth. They too would preach of the coming time when the dead shall be raised in glory.
One of those two would demonstrate that this would happen, not by talk or fancy theology, but by demonstrating that he himself could not be held down by death.
God hasn’t changed. God is still capable of raising the dead. And when we face the loss of friends or family, we can grieve with hope – for alone of people, we Christians know that death isn’t the end it appears to be.
[1] It still didn’t prepare me for the shock of facing the loss of that friend. It’s one thing to talk about death in the abstract. It’s another thing entirely to face it in its ugly, cankered reality.
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The ultimate reality humans face is death. No matter who we are, rich or poor, black or white, male or female, to use Robin Williams’ words from “Dead Poets’ Society”: “One day each one of us is going to turn cold, stop breathing – and die.”
It’s one of the harsh moments of childhood – that time when for the first time you experience the loss of someone close to you. For me, it was my grandfather, but I didn’t really understand that. It wasn’t until many years later, when I was in my early teens, that the loss of a good friend truly brought it home to me, at least in emotional terms. But by then, rest assured, I was already aware that my body had a use-by date, and that sooner or later I’d go too[1].
One thing that I have observed as a father is that the irreversibility of death is something that kids understand quite early. My seven-year-old and my five-year-old have both commented on things with lines like “When you die, you don’t come back.”
It may make you a little curious when you read this passage. What has it got to do with the final reality of death? There’s a couple of references to dead bodies in the street, but most of it is about the city of Jerusalem.
I might be drawing a long bow here, but it is my contention that as well as being a prediction of events which definitely were going to happen in Jerusalem (after all, for us they are ancient history – we know they did!), the destruction and re-birth of Jerusalem as described in Jeremiah are in fact a word picture of death and resurrection.
You see, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. Oh, a few people were left in the rubble, but make no mistake – the city was dead. It was killed when the people were exiled. The fact that some were left behind didn’t change that; in fact, it made it all the more obvious, because those left behind were really the dregs, the people that the Babylonians couldn’t use. The real social leaders of Judah had been taken as part of the exile. So the city of Jerusalem was destroyed to such a deep level that I’d imagine that the surviving citizens would have struggled to even visualize the city ever returning.
Yet here God says it very clearly – one day in the future, the exiles will return, the city will be re-built, and Jerusalem will once again be the place where God is worshipped.
We know that this happened. Not only did the walls get rebuilt under the guidance of Nehemiah, the Temple rededicated by Ezra and rebuilt by Herod, both history and archaeology confirm the bustling city that Jerusalem became. We even know this from the story of the Crucifixion – by the time Jesus walked its cobbled streets, the exile of Jeremiah was a very distant memory.
But for our passage tonight, Jeremiah 33, this is all in the future; and Jeremiah’s readers will just have to take his word for it. After all, they’re looking at a dead city.
A dead city. Not resting or pining for the fjords, or even stunned; their beloved city was dead.
Jerusalem wasn’t merely re-built. Jerusalem was raised from the very dead. And without God’s intervention that certainly wouldn’t have happened.
Again, perhaps sticking my neck out here, but – God’s not really all that fussed about the city itself. Sure, it’s a nice city, with some nifty architecture. But what God really cares about is its inhabitants.
God wants them to realize that no matter what is going wrong in their lives, He can fix it. If the problem is sin, He can forgive it and restore them. If the problem is sickness, He can heal it. And ultimately, if the problem is death, then the Author of Life can overcome it.
Here we have the first glimmerings of what would ultimately become the driving theology of the Pharisees. And among those Pharisees would come some extremists – one called John the Baptist, and his cousin, Jesus of Nazareth. They too would preach of the coming time when the dead shall be raised in glory.
One of those two would demonstrate that this would happen, not by talk or fancy theology, but by demonstrating that he himself could not be held down by death.
God hasn’t changed. God is still capable of raising the dead. And when we face the loss of friends or family, we can grieve with hope – for alone of people, we Christians know that death isn’t the end it appears to be.
[1] It still didn’t prepare me for the shock of facing the loss of that friend. It’s one thing to talk about death in the abstract. It’s another thing entirely to face it in its ugly, cankered reality.
10 April 2011
Chapter 32
A brief note here – Thank you to my readers for helping me stay on track – today marks 100 consecutive days of reading and understanding God’s word!
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It’s weird how life goes. Jeremiah was for years the one voice of God, predicting disaster when nobody else would believe the truth.
Now things are the other way around. Disaster is on the horizon, and people are really nervous. Suddenly – imagine the drama here! – Jeremiah comes into the Town Hall, as all seems lost, and plops a bag of cash down. He is intending to buy his cousin’s field.
Now, let’s be sure we understand this. Jeremiah has been preaching the warning of the Exile from Israel since early chapters. Finally, the city is under siege, and its fall becomes inevitable.
God wants to explain to the people of the city that one day this city will be back; so he uses a vivid picture. He buys a field.
That doesn’t seem like much, but remember that the people are under siege and scared witless here. So God wants to explain to His people that they will be back.
How to do that? Let’s see – loudspeakers haven’t been invented. Likewise we can’t ring their cellular phones. What are we going to do?
God’s solution is to tell Jeremiah to go and buy his cousin’s land. This is significant in their culture; land was preferentially sold to others in the family, so that none of the parcels of land would ever permanently leave the tribe to which it had been given.
This was a powerful statement. Jeremiah was willing to put aside the siege that was currently happening so that people would see a return in the future. There would have been no more definite way of communicating that Jeremiah saw this exile as having an end.
How does this connect with us?
Well, aside from being a pretty cool story, it’s a good picture to us of God’s promises. When God makes a promise, it is something you can rest on – it is guaranteed to come true.
Sometimes we find it difficult to believe God. Often this is because of our own experiences and/or hurts.
Since God has been Human, He understands that; but He does not fail to keep His promises, no matter what we do.
We have many promises in the Bible. Some of these are universal – that is, they are available to us any time (e.g. Salvation). Others are situational – that is, they don’t happen to everyone, just certain people (e.g. If you are in court for following Him, Christ promises that you will know what to say).
Every single one of these promises is something you can trust. God NEVER forgets one, never breaks one.
--
It’s weird how life goes. Jeremiah was for years the one voice of God, predicting disaster when nobody else would believe the truth.
Now things are the other way around. Disaster is on the horizon, and people are really nervous. Suddenly – imagine the drama here! – Jeremiah comes into the Town Hall, as all seems lost, and plops a bag of cash down. He is intending to buy his cousin’s field.
Now, let’s be sure we understand this. Jeremiah has been preaching the warning of the Exile from Israel since early chapters. Finally, the city is under siege, and its fall becomes inevitable.
God wants to explain to the people of the city that one day this city will be back; so he uses a vivid picture. He buys a field.
That doesn’t seem like much, but remember that the people are under siege and scared witless here. So God wants to explain to His people that they will be back.
How to do that? Let’s see – loudspeakers haven’t been invented. Likewise we can’t ring their cellular phones. What are we going to do?
God’s solution is to tell Jeremiah to go and buy his cousin’s land. This is significant in their culture; land was preferentially sold to others in the family, so that none of the parcels of land would ever permanently leave the tribe to which it had been given.
This was a powerful statement. Jeremiah was willing to put aside the siege that was currently happening so that people would see a return in the future. There would have been no more definite way of communicating that Jeremiah saw this exile as having an end.
How does this connect with us?
Well, aside from being a pretty cool story, it’s a good picture to us of God’s promises. When God makes a promise, it is something you can rest on – it is guaranteed to come true.
Sometimes we find it difficult to believe God. Often this is because of our own experiences and/or hurts.
Since God has been Human, He understands that; but He does not fail to keep His promises, no matter what we do.
We have many promises in the Bible. Some of these are universal – that is, they are available to us any time (e.g. Salvation). Others are situational – that is, they don’t happen to everyone, just certain people (e.g. If you are in court for following Him, Christ promises that you will know what to say).
Every single one of these promises is something you can trust. God NEVER forgets one, never breaks one.
09 April 2011
1 Corinthians 7,8
Hey everyone!
Once again, in lieu of my normal commentary I present my sermon for church tomorrow. You know the drill - if you're likely to be there, consider this a SPOILER WARNING. Everyone else: if you see an asterisk in the text, that's there as a signal for to advance the slides (which I might see if I can put into the text tomorrow evening).
Last time I spoke on 1 Corinthians, I believe I had one of the most difficult passages to speak on that I’d ever approached, simply because of the distastefulness of the topic. Nobody EVER wants to talk about casting out another believer!
This week’s topic is challenging too, but for very different reasons. As I see it there are two reasons that this is difficult.
1) We are dealing with two chapters that are very diverse, and contain a stack of information of various kinds.
2) As it happens, many translations of the Bible (including the NIV, which we prefer to use when preaching at Sanctuary) can be a little tricky on this passage. When reading them it can be hard to figure out exactly what Paul thinks you should do!
It is for this reason that, whilst I am really happy to examine two chapters with you today, I wish to stress that everyone needs to give them a good going over themselves. I wish to state straight out that the best I can do today is to pick the eyes out of the two chapters, and give you a simple overview of some of the important themes.
From the outset, though, I can see a theme running through the whole thing, and it is this: Now that I know myself to be free in Christ, how do I actually live that out? In what ways should that freedom spill over into my everyday life? In what ways should I still discipline myself?
Part of the problem with tying these chapters together into a coherent sermon is that they’re really not intended to be read this way. Whilst it’s sometimes difficult to discern a writer’s intention with a particular section of text, that is not the case here. Paul even starts the section with “Now for the matters you wrote about.” In other words, when the Corinthian Christians wrote to Paul, they asked his advice on a number of matters.
We have a problem here, in that we don’t have their letter; so the best we can do is to do what the technical people like to call “Reverse engineering”. When you engineer something, you create it from scratch, leading to a finished product; reverse engineering is taking the finished product apart so that you can build copies. Just after WW2, the Russians were really good at this – when three American B-29 bombers, like * this one, force-landed in the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin gave his engineers the instruction to copy them precisely. The result was the Tupolev Tu-2 which you * see here. Apparently the engineers doing the copying were so meticulous that as a joke they even carefully drilled bullet holes in parts of the wings where one of the American planes had been damaged and put patches over them!
In a similar way, we’re going to * try to use the passage to reverse-engineer the questions that Paul was asked in 1 Corinthians. * And it’s actually not too hard to get the general shape of the questions. We know right away that in chapter 7, Paul is answering a question about Marriage, and in chapter 8 he is talking about meat sacrificed to idols.
Being more specific than that is tricky, but it’s fairly safe to suggest that the first question was something along the lines of * “Should a Christian be married?”
Now it might puzzle us to ask where a question like that might come from, but when you consider the religious attitudes around at the time, there’s no real difficulty there. Especially among Greeks, many philosophical and religious groups taught that the physical world was somehow evil, or at least unimportant; to them, marriage (or any other physical or emotional attachment) was considered to be incorrect.
*Among the Jews, Pharisees and Saducees would generally marry, but there were even some jews (for example the Essenes) who viewed marriage as an unhealthy focus on the physical world rather than the spiritual.
So it isn’t really surprising that people were asking about this issue. There was also an added complication – *the first Christians (including Paul, by the looks of things!) had believed that Jesus was coming back very soon – perhaps within a couple of years. And indeed, it was only just becoming apparent that the second coming of Christ wouldn’t be for a while. So for some there was a question of whether or not there was enough time for marriage to be meaningful.
So it is with all these questions buzzing around that Paul comes in and starts trying to make some sense of everything.
Despite the fact that these questions were perhaps a digest of what was bothering people in a random church, we’re fortunate (or perhaps blessed, depending how you see it!) to have some really good, solid and applicable teaching on marriage.
Now, in this room we have a mixture. We have some people who are currently married. To us, this passage could serve as a reminder about how you should be operating. We have some who have been married in the past, and may be married again in the future. To you, this could be seen as a reminder of how to operate, or perhaps a remedial course to prevent repeats of past mishaps – it’s your business to work out which it is for you! And, of course, there are some who have never been married, for whom this is seemingly theoretical right now – but there may come a time when the theory needs to become practical, so make sure you pay attention as always!
We’ll go through this in the order Paul treats it.
* Firstly we have a general principle – verses 1 – 7 tell us that Paul believes that staying single is a good deal.
Much is made of Paul’s attitude towards marriage from this – some people even make him out to be some kind of intolerant misogynist from just this. But I think that’s a long way off base. Paul DOES see * singleness as a blessing, one which allows him the ability to concentrate more on one’s work for God. But he certainly sees marriage as something * honourable and worthy. In any case, he sets out the principle that sexually, a man and wife belong to each other, and are responsible for the * fulfillment of each others’ sexual needs. This is at odds with many of the philosophers and rabbis of the time, some of whom even taught the concept of a celibate marriage as being ideal. By contrast, Paul suggests that whilst a married couple may * abstain from sex for a time for purposes of prayer and fasting, this shouldn’t be the normal way that a marriage operates.
* Verses 8 – 11 take this further: unmarried people shouldn’t be in a hurry to get married, but once again there’s absolutely * no problem with marriage. In fact, if someone is sitting there obsessing about their state of singleness or * struggling with sexual temptation, verse 9 suggests that marriage may well be the best option.
In any case, Paul reveals part of his caution for marriage here – Marriage is * intended to be permanent, “Till death do us part.” This is something that is definitely counter-cultural today, and even many Christians find it a hard teaching; although I may suggest that people who have been through a divorce would be the first to tell you that there’s logic to this idea! The objective here isn’t to say “If you’re stuck in an abusive marriage, tough luck, you can’t get out”; it’s more to do with a healthy attitude going in to a marriage. If someone goes into a marriage with an “escape hatch,” it is likely that it will be used. Yes, bad things can happen to good people. Yes, they do happen to Christians. Yes, Christians sometimes DO end up divorced. We know that. We’re not trying to deny reality. We’re simply talking about the attitude someone needs to have when they get married.
Verses * 12 – 16 talk about the case of the person who becomes a Christian when married to someone who is not a believer. What Paul suggests in this case is that it should be evaluated on its merits. * If the unbelieving spouse is willing to cope with this change, then the believer is still bound by their marriage vow. But Paul also acknowledges that this is a * big change, and for some non-believers it could even be a deal breaker. In that circumstance, Paul suggests that the Christian should let them go.
People often get a bit worried about what Paul is saying in the next passage, from *17 – 28. Some have suggested that they show Paul to be Anti-semitic (which is very odd, considering that he’s a Jew himself!), or even in favour of the slave trade. But that’s * not what he’s saying at all. What he is saying is that becoming a Christian doesn’t give anyone the right to opt out of whatever situation they are in in life. If you’re legally a slave, suddenly becoming a Christian doesn’t * overturn that legal situation. When we become a Christian, we are * STILL RESPONSIBLE.
Paul is using slavery as an example, here, so it’s not the main point. However, it is worth mentioning that Paul doesn’t counteract another principle here – if a slave can achieve their release, then they can certainly do so. And it is my belief that Paul would enthusiastically support the end of slavery brought by brave Christians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Paul finally wraps all this up by talking about WHY he has this view. His view is that * time is short (he still probably believes that Christ will return in his own lifetime). Therefore, he summarises all that he has said by repeating that for the unmarried and for widows or widowers, it is perfectly acceptable for them to marry, but given the situation in which they find themselves, remaining single could well be a good option.
As I said at the beginning, this is a very brief summary of Paul’s teaching. It’s worth reading and studying carefully.
Turning to chapter 8, we have the second question: * “Are we allowed to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols?”
This was an important question in any Greek town. Much of the meat that was sold in the market place was *sourced from the local temples, who needed to kill animals for their ceremonies. Obviously, they didn’t need the carcass once the ceremony was over, so it was common practice to sell it off to the public.
This was therefore a ubiquitous question among followers of any non-Greek religion.
However, when Paul is answering it, he seems to start with a little bit of a stern reminder. It’s hard to know the context, but at a guess, I’d say that there was some hint of *defiance in the question. Maybe it was pointed at the fact that Paul ate at someone else’s home where such meat was served.
We don’t know the context, but Paul provides us with two answers. The first * (verses 4-6) is that the eating of food sacrificed to idols is of * no consequence – the idols aren’t * real, so who cares? *But he then takes it further than that. On the other hand, there are some * new Christians for whom those idols have for years been symbolic of their gods. For these people, something which may be of no concern to others may well be a big problem. So Paul’s statement here is that we need to consider the conscience of the newer brother as being most important. As Paul says, rather than cause a * newer brother to sin (i.e. by eating meat that he fervently believes to be cursed), he would never eat meat again. (* This doesn’t mean that Paul turned vegetarian, and those who say it does have completely missed the point!).
* An important thing to grasp here is that Paul is saying to carefully avoid CAUSING SIN in the * weaker, or newer, believer. He is NOT demanding that we bend over backwards to avoid UPSETTING established believers! So if a new Christian believed that this meat was “polluted”, then the experienced Christian should stay clear. But there is no requirement for that person to bow before criticism of a person who has been a Christian for as long or longer, although in one’s freedom they may choose to do so.
Now, the issue of meat sacrificed to idols isn’t really a big deal today! But there are * issues that are similarly divisive – issues ranging from cigarettes to Swearing, from Cards to Koran burning and from Homosexual marriage to Harry Potter. And when we deal with those issues, it is most important that we take care of the consciences of the most vulnerable Christians. Don’t worry so much about the grizzled veterans; they can take it! But do take care that the exercising of your freedom doesn’t lead someone else to sin.
It’s time to wrap up here, and I’ll say again – read this passage! But let’s make sure we know * what it’s telling us, and I’ll go backwards here.
* Firstly, the passage tells us that our freedom is not to be abused. We are free to do all kinds of things, but that doesn’t mean we just go crazy. Rather, we need to take care to preserve the consciences of the weakest of us.
* Secondly, the chapter’s import to us depends on where we are on the chart from single to married. If you are married, check out your marriage in comparison with what Paul describes here. Are you committed to each other in the ways he says?
* On the other hand, unmarried people, there is something for you to consider too. Before you end up marrying, it’s always a good idea to do a careful costs/benefits analysis. Are you better off single or married? And if it’s hard to answer, ensure that you discuss it with other Christians you respect!
(pray)
Once again, in lieu of my normal commentary I present my sermon for church tomorrow. You know the drill - if you're likely to be there, consider this a SPOILER WARNING. Everyone else: if you see an asterisk in the text, that's there as a signal for to advance the slides (which I might see if I can put into the text tomorrow evening).
Last time I spoke on 1 Corinthians, I believe I had one of the most difficult passages to speak on that I’d ever approached, simply because of the distastefulness of the topic. Nobody EVER wants to talk about casting out another believer!
This week’s topic is challenging too, but for very different reasons. As I see it there are two reasons that this is difficult.
1) We are dealing with two chapters that are very diverse, and contain a stack of information of various kinds.
2) As it happens, many translations of the Bible (including the NIV, which we prefer to use when preaching at Sanctuary) can be a little tricky on this passage. When reading them it can be hard to figure out exactly what Paul thinks you should do!
It is for this reason that, whilst I am really happy to examine two chapters with you today, I wish to stress that everyone needs to give them a good going over themselves. I wish to state straight out that the best I can do today is to pick the eyes out of the two chapters, and give you a simple overview of some of the important themes.
From the outset, though, I can see a theme running through the whole thing, and it is this: Now that I know myself to be free in Christ, how do I actually live that out? In what ways should that freedom spill over into my everyday life? In what ways should I still discipline myself?
Part of the problem with tying these chapters together into a coherent sermon is that they’re really not intended to be read this way. Whilst it’s sometimes difficult to discern a writer’s intention with a particular section of text, that is not the case here. Paul even starts the section with “Now for the matters you wrote about.” In other words, when the Corinthian Christians wrote to Paul, they asked his advice on a number of matters.
We have a problem here, in that we don’t have their letter; so the best we can do is to do what the technical people like to call “Reverse engineering”. When you engineer something, you create it from scratch, leading to a finished product; reverse engineering is taking the finished product apart so that you can build copies. Just after WW2, the Russians were really good at this – when three American B-29 bombers, like * this one, force-landed in the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin gave his engineers the instruction to copy them precisely. The result was the Tupolev Tu-2 which you * see here. Apparently the engineers doing the copying were so meticulous that as a joke they even carefully drilled bullet holes in parts of the wings where one of the American planes had been damaged and put patches over them!
In a similar way, we’re going to * try to use the passage to reverse-engineer the questions that Paul was asked in 1 Corinthians. * And it’s actually not too hard to get the general shape of the questions. We know right away that in chapter 7, Paul is answering a question about Marriage, and in chapter 8 he is talking about meat sacrificed to idols.
Being more specific than that is tricky, but it’s fairly safe to suggest that the first question was something along the lines of * “Should a Christian be married?”
Now it might puzzle us to ask where a question like that might come from, but when you consider the religious attitudes around at the time, there’s no real difficulty there. Especially among Greeks, many philosophical and religious groups taught that the physical world was somehow evil, or at least unimportant; to them, marriage (or any other physical or emotional attachment) was considered to be incorrect.
*Among the Jews, Pharisees and Saducees would generally marry, but there were even some jews (for example the Essenes) who viewed marriage as an unhealthy focus on the physical world rather than the spiritual.
So it isn’t really surprising that people were asking about this issue. There was also an added complication – *the first Christians (including Paul, by the looks of things!) had believed that Jesus was coming back very soon – perhaps within a couple of years. And indeed, it was only just becoming apparent that the second coming of Christ wouldn’t be for a while. So for some there was a question of whether or not there was enough time for marriage to be meaningful.
So it is with all these questions buzzing around that Paul comes in and starts trying to make some sense of everything.
Despite the fact that these questions were perhaps a digest of what was bothering people in a random church, we’re fortunate (or perhaps blessed, depending how you see it!) to have some really good, solid and applicable teaching on marriage.
Now, in this room we have a mixture. We have some people who are currently married. To us, this passage could serve as a reminder about how you should be operating. We have some who have been married in the past, and may be married again in the future. To you, this could be seen as a reminder of how to operate, or perhaps a remedial course to prevent repeats of past mishaps – it’s your business to work out which it is for you! And, of course, there are some who have never been married, for whom this is seemingly theoretical right now – but there may come a time when the theory needs to become practical, so make sure you pay attention as always!
We’ll go through this in the order Paul treats it.
* Firstly we have a general principle – verses 1 – 7 tell us that Paul believes that staying single is a good deal.
Much is made of Paul’s attitude towards marriage from this – some people even make him out to be some kind of intolerant misogynist from just this. But I think that’s a long way off base. Paul DOES see * singleness as a blessing, one which allows him the ability to concentrate more on one’s work for God. But he certainly sees marriage as something * honourable and worthy. In any case, he sets out the principle that sexually, a man and wife belong to each other, and are responsible for the * fulfillment of each others’ sexual needs. This is at odds with many of the philosophers and rabbis of the time, some of whom even taught the concept of a celibate marriage as being ideal. By contrast, Paul suggests that whilst a married couple may * abstain from sex for a time for purposes of prayer and fasting, this shouldn’t be the normal way that a marriage operates.
* Verses 8 – 11 take this further: unmarried people shouldn’t be in a hurry to get married, but once again there’s absolutely * no problem with marriage. In fact, if someone is sitting there obsessing about their state of singleness or * struggling with sexual temptation, verse 9 suggests that marriage may well be the best option.
In any case, Paul reveals part of his caution for marriage here – Marriage is * intended to be permanent, “Till death do us part.” This is something that is definitely counter-cultural today, and even many Christians find it a hard teaching; although I may suggest that people who have been through a divorce would be the first to tell you that there’s logic to this idea! The objective here isn’t to say “If you’re stuck in an abusive marriage, tough luck, you can’t get out”; it’s more to do with a healthy attitude going in to a marriage. If someone goes into a marriage with an “escape hatch,” it is likely that it will be used. Yes, bad things can happen to good people. Yes, they do happen to Christians. Yes, Christians sometimes DO end up divorced. We know that. We’re not trying to deny reality. We’re simply talking about the attitude someone needs to have when they get married.
Verses * 12 – 16 talk about the case of the person who becomes a Christian when married to someone who is not a believer. What Paul suggests in this case is that it should be evaluated on its merits. * If the unbelieving spouse is willing to cope with this change, then the believer is still bound by their marriage vow. But Paul also acknowledges that this is a * big change, and for some non-believers it could even be a deal breaker. In that circumstance, Paul suggests that the Christian should let them go.
People often get a bit worried about what Paul is saying in the next passage, from *17 – 28. Some have suggested that they show Paul to be Anti-semitic (which is very odd, considering that he’s a Jew himself!), or even in favour of the slave trade. But that’s * not what he’s saying at all. What he is saying is that becoming a Christian doesn’t give anyone the right to opt out of whatever situation they are in in life. If you’re legally a slave, suddenly becoming a Christian doesn’t * overturn that legal situation. When we become a Christian, we are * STILL RESPONSIBLE.
Paul is using slavery as an example, here, so it’s not the main point. However, it is worth mentioning that Paul doesn’t counteract another principle here – if a slave can achieve their release, then they can certainly do so. And it is my belief that Paul would enthusiastically support the end of slavery brought by brave Christians in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Paul finally wraps all this up by talking about WHY he has this view. His view is that * time is short (he still probably believes that Christ will return in his own lifetime). Therefore, he summarises all that he has said by repeating that for the unmarried and for widows or widowers, it is perfectly acceptable for them to marry, but given the situation in which they find themselves, remaining single could well be a good option.
As I said at the beginning, this is a very brief summary of Paul’s teaching. It’s worth reading and studying carefully.
Turning to chapter 8, we have the second question: * “Are we allowed to eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols?”
This was an important question in any Greek town. Much of the meat that was sold in the market place was *sourced from the local temples, who needed to kill animals for their ceremonies. Obviously, they didn’t need the carcass once the ceremony was over, so it was common practice to sell it off to the public.
This was therefore a ubiquitous question among followers of any non-Greek religion.
However, when Paul is answering it, he seems to start with a little bit of a stern reminder. It’s hard to know the context, but at a guess, I’d say that there was some hint of *defiance in the question. Maybe it was pointed at the fact that Paul ate at someone else’s home where such meat was served.
We don’t know the context, but Paul provides us with two answers. The first * (verses 4-6) is that the eating of food sacrificed to idols is of * no consequence – the idols aren’t * real, so who cares? *But he then takes it further than that. On the other hand, there are some * new Christians for whom those idols have for years been symbolic of their gods. For these people, something which may be of no concern to others may well be a big problem. So Paul’s statement here is that we need to consider the conscience of the newer brother as being most important. As Paul says, rather than cause a * newer brother to sin (i.e. by eating meat that he fervently believes to be cursed), he would never eat meat again. (* This doesn’t mean that Paul turned vegetarian, and those who say it does have completely missed the point!).
* An important thing to grasp here is that Paul is saying to carefully avoid CAUSING SIN in the * weaker, or newer, believer. He is NOT demanding that we bend over backwards to avoid UPSETTING established believers! So if a new Christian believed that this meat was “polluted”, then the experienced Christian should stay clear. But there is no requirement for that person to bow before criticism of a person who has been a Christian for as long or longer, although in one’s freedom they may choose to do so.
Now, the issue of meat sacrificed to idols isn’t really a big deal today! But there are * issues that are similarly divisive – issues ranging from cigarettes to Swearing, from Cards to Koran burning and from Homosexual marriage to Harry Potter. And when we deal with those issues, it is most important that we take care of the consciences of the most vulnerable Christians. Don’t worry so much about the grizzled veterans; they can take it! But do take care that the exercising of your freedom doesn’t lead someone else to sin.
It’s time to wrap up here, and I’ll say again – read this passage! But let’s make sure we know * what it’s telling us, and I’ll go backwards here.
* Firstly, the passage tells us that our freedom is not to be abused. We are free to do all kinds of things, but that doesn’t mean we just go crazy. Rather, we need to take care to preserve the consciences of the weakest of us.
* Secondly, the chapter’s import to us depends on where we are on the chart from single to married. If you are married, check out your marriage in comparison with what Paul describes here. Are you committed to each other in the ways he says?
* On the other hand, unmarried people, there is something for you to consider too. Before you end up marrying, it’s always a good idea to do a careful costs/benefits analysis. Are you better off single or married? And if it’s hard to answer, ensure that you discuss it with other Christians you respect!
(pray)
08 April 2011
Chapter 31
Chapter 31 is a long chapter, and it has much to say.
We are still in the part of the book of Jeremiah where the prophet talks of the hope Judah can have for the future. Yesterday’s chapter focused on the redemption side of the equation - how God would bring Judah back from exile.
This chapter goes a little further. It is about how God will RESTORE to Judah what was there before their sin.
Verses 2- 6 talk about the new start that Judah would have. Check out the words that are used – the concept of virgin Israel, playing a tambourine. Now, this takes a little bit of explanation – the tambourine is an instrument mostly associated with young girls. Taken with the use of the word “Virgin”, we are talking about a real new beginning. I think Jeremiah is very careful in his use of this term. We all know that you can’t go back to being a virgin once innocence has been lost; but that is exactly what God promises to His people after the exile! God, after all, is the creator; and words like “can’t” just don’t apply to Him.
There is a Hebrew poetry concept called a “Chiasm”. In this, you have concepts “echoing” in a particular pattern – ABCBA. I think you would find that this passage in Jeremiah is part of a chiasm – just as the early part of Jeremiah refers to the tragedy of the exile on pregnant women, so this passage speaks of their restoration. And there are other examples in which the same sort of thing happens.
Verses 10 – 14 continue this theme, proclaiming God’s promise that this time he will not be letting go of His people. But then, verses 15 – 16 are a little shocking. They don’t seem to fit here, although they are very familiar to Christians – the passage Matthew quotes when he talks about the slaughter of the innocents at Bethlehem.
Why are these verses here? Because God is contrasting! He talks about how these terrible things have happened in the past – then it’s a matter of “BUT NOW . . .”.
There is much more in this chapter, but there was one more thing that I wanted to mention. Verses 33 and 34 talk about God’s new covenant. “They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Instead of giving the people the Law, this new covenant is in the blood of Christ. Rather than being a secondhand acquaintance of Judah, God is intending to connect with them directly to avoid the problems of hearsay.
So what can we get out of this? Tonight’s lesson is incredibly simple, yet complex. God wants you to be one of His, so simply LISTEN TO HIM. His message for tonight is easily understood – that God isn’t content just to bring His people back.
God wants to actually restore us back to what we were originally intended to be. He loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way! We know ourselves to be sinners, and in need of Grace. The message of today’s chapter is simple – that no matter what you have done and where you are, God will take you back; but not only that. God will actually go all the way and make you better than you once were.
God doesn’t just REDEEM – He also RESTORES.
We are still in the part of the book of Jeremiah where the prophet talks of the hope Judah can have for the future. Yesterday’s chapter focused on the redemption side of the equation - how God would bring Judah back from exile.
This chapter goes a little further. It is about how God will RESTORE to Judah what was there before their sin.
Verses 2- 6 talk about the new start that Judah would have. Check out the words that are used – the concept of virgin Israel, playing a tambourine. Now, this takes a little bit of explanation – the tambourine is an instrument mostly associated with young girls. Taken with the use of the word “Virgin”, we are talking about a real new beginning. I think Jeremiah is very careful in his use of this term. We all know that you can’t go back to being a virgin once innocence has been lost; but that is exactly what God promises to His people after the exile! God, after all, is the creator; and words like “can’t” just don’t apply to Him.
There is a Hebrew poetry concept called a “Chiasm”. In this, you have concepts “echoing” in a particular pattern – ABCBA. I think you would find that this passage in Jeremiah is part of a chiasm – just as the early part of Jeremiah refers to the tragedy of the exile on pregnant women, so this passage speaks of their restoration. And there are other examples in which the same sort of thing happens.
Verses 10 – 14 continue this theme, proclaiming God’s promise that this time he will not be letting go of His people. But then, verses 15 – 16 are a little shocking. They don’t seem to fit here, although they are very familiar to Christians – the passage Matthew quotes when he talks about the slaughter of the innocents at Bethlehem.
Why are these verses here? Because God is contrasting! He talks about how these terrible things have happened in the past – then it’s a matter of “BUT NOW . . .”.
There is much more in this chapter, but there was one more thing that I wanted to mention. Verses 33 and 34 talk about God’s new covenant. “They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Instead of giving the people the Law, this new covenant is in the blood of Christ. Rather than being a secondhand acquaintance of Judah, God is intending to connect with them directly to avoid the problems of hearsay.
So what can we get out of this? Tonight’s lesson is incredibly simple, yet complex. God wants you to be one of His, so simply LISTEN TO HIM. His message for tonight is easily understood – that God isn’t content just to bring His people back.
God wants to actually restore us back to what we were originally intended to be. He loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way! We know ourselves to be sinners, and in need of Grace. The message of today’s chapter is simple – that no matter what you have done and where you are, God will take you back; but not only that. God will actually go all the way and make you better than you once were.
God doesn’t just REDEEM – He also RESTORES.
07 April 2011
Chapter 30
One curious thing that I have noticed in the last couple of days: Somehow some songs that I remember hearing a long time ago have come back to mind. Here is a youtube link to one that somehow seems appropriate for today’s passage. According to this page, the structure of Jeremiah has turned a bit of a corner. Chapters 29-33 refer to the great hope of Israel. He hasn’t finished declaring doom by a long stretch, but at least we receive a bit of a rest from the constant doom and gloom! Whereas previous chapters have been about God’s promise to bring judgement, this chapter is about God promising to bring His people back. Let’s have a look at the list of promises: God will: • Turn everything around (v3) • Bring them back to the land He gave their ancestors (v3) • Bring his people out alive (v7) • Free them from slavery (vs 8-9) • Save them from faraway places (v10) • Bring their children back from exile (v10) • Give ‘Jacob’ a good life(v10) • Be with them and save them (v11) • Punish them, but fairly (v11) • Bring vengeance to those who hurt them (vs 16 – 17) • Compassionately rebuild homes (v18 – 21) • Be their God as they are His people (v22) • Sweep up the evil like a dust devil (v23) That’s a lot of promises, right there . . . The big thing is that over all, God is promising , now that the people have been exiled, to bring them back, and to be their God. It’s all about redemption.
06 April 2011
Chapter 29
I have actually been looking forward to writing on this chapter for a while.
For many Christians, Jeremiah is simply too hard to read. And, well, I can’t blame them – even after my commitment to write on whatever book my readers selected, I have been finding Jeremiah heavy going.
But even then, most of us kind of know little popular snippets of many books, and one of the commonly lifted passages is Jeremiah 29:11. ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”’
And yet . . .
I have to admit that I was almost afraid to read this. I have found that many of the proof texts that we so love as Christians, if read in context, are actually not saying what we think they are saying. I was afraid of what this wonderful passage might say in context.
I needn’t have worried. The circumstances in which Jeremiah wrote were, of course, less than ideal; by the time he wrote this part of the book, the Exile had already begun. The Babylonians had already invaded and taken the cream of the people of Israel back to serve them (incidentally, Daniel was one of those taken, and if he’s typical of the quality, you can see why they were keen to put them to work!). Jeremiah has been left behind (which kind of emphasizes the “ordinariness” of Jeremiah seen in the introduction of this series!), and he sends a letter to the exiles to encourage them.
This passage is a little confusing in the Message. That is because this chapter actually represents 2 letters, one to the Exiles and the other to a person named Shemaiah. The Message doesn’t really show the separation very well, so for this chapter I recommend you switch back to the NIV or some other translation.
For me, this chapter is fasicinating because it really reveals the heart of God. At this time, Judah is experiencing what it is like to be left behind in a desolate place as a result of her disobedience. She’s at her lowest ebb. And remember that of the 28 previous chapters, most are further condemnation.
But now it’s all happened, God is singing a different tune. Before He was warning of exile: now exile has happened. The other shoe has dropped, sort of. So God can now step in and be merciful. It is in this context that we read Joshua 29. God has just spent some time encouraging His people to plant gardens, learn to live in Babylon – the exile will last 70 years!
And then the famous line comes in.
God is encouraging people in the midst of (possibly) the worst moment of their lives so far. At times like that it is more important than any other time to acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
When you go through bad times, it can be tempting to assume God has dropped the ball. It’s at that time that you most need that message – that there IS a plan, that God DOES want to prosper you and not to harm you. God loves you at all times, but sometimes it pays to remind ourselves of that.
This passage is specifically intended for a group of people who are feeling like God has abandoned them. Maybe that’s you right now. If so, Jeremiah 29:11 is for you, even in context!
For many Christians, Jeremiah is simply too hard to read. And, well, I can’t blame them – even after my commitment to write on whatever book my readers selected, I have been finding Jeremiah heavy going.
But even then, most of us kind of know little popular snippets of many books, and one of the commonly lifted passages is Jeremiah 29:11. ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”’
And yet . . .
I have to admit that I was almost afraid to read this. I have found that many of the proof texts that we so love as Christians, if read in context, are actually not saying what we think they are saying. I was afraid of what this wonderful passage might say in context.
I needn’t have worried. The circumstances in which Jeremiah wrote were, of course, less than ideal; by the time he wrote this part of the book, the Exile had already begun. The Babylonians had already invaded and taken the cream of the people of Israel back to serve them (incidentally, Daniel was one of those taken, and if he’s typical of the quality, you can see why they were keen to put them to work!). Jeremiah has been left behind (which kind of emphasizes the “ordinariness” of Jeremiah seen in the introduction of this series!), and he sends a letter to the exiles to encourage them.
This passage is a little confusing in the Message. That is because this chapter actually represents 2 letters, one to the Exiles and the other to a person named Shemaiah. The Message doesn’t really show the separation very well, so for this chapter I recommend you switch back to the NIV or some other translation.
For me, this chapter is fasicinating because it really reveals the heart of God. At this time, Judah is experiencing what it is like to be left behind in a desolate place as a result of her disobedience. She’s at her lowest ebb. And remember that of the 28 previous chapters, most are further condemnation.
But now it’s all happened, God is singing a different tune. Before He was warning of exile: now exile has happened. The other shoe has dropped, sort of. So God can now step in and be merciful. It is in this context that we read Joshua 29. God has just spent some time encouraging His people to plant gardens, learn to live in Babylon – the exile will last 70 years!
And then the famous line comes in.
God is encouraging people in the midst of (possibly) the worst moment of their lives so far. At times like that it is more important than any other time to acknowledge God’s sovereignty.
When you go through bad times, it can be tempting to assume God has dropped the ball. It’s at that time that you most need that message – that there IS a plan, that God DOES want to prosper you and not to harm you. God loves you at all times, but sometimes it pays to remind ourselves of that.
This passage is specifically intended for a group of people who are feeling like God has abandoned them. Maybe that’s you right now. If so, Jeremiah 29:11 is for you, even in context!
05 April 2011
Chapter 28
When you’re trying to tell something unpleasant to someone (particularly if that someone has trouble believing you, it can really be offputting when a third party – someone not directly involved – starts contradicting you.
It’s bad enough when you’re not sure about the facts of the matter. But it is a thousand times worse when you know exactly what the facts are, and your opponent is talking nonsense.
This is the scenario Jeremiah is facing in this passage. He is trying to get the people of Judah to listen to his truthful (but unpopular) message from the Lord – that they be exiled, and that God plans to fight against Judah on the side of their enemies.
Another “Prophet”, Hananiah, has seen Jeremiah walking around with his yoke (see chapter 27), and sees an opportunity. He grabs Jeremiah’s yoke, picks it up and smashes it. He declares that just like this, God would smash the armies against Judah.
Note this – God didn’t say anything of the sort to Hananiah. His desire to smash the yoke was to cost him his life. We don’t know why he wanted to smash it. Maybe he was trying to be nice to Jeremiah, but I suspect not. For all we know, perhaps it was effectively a piece of performance art! My own idea, however, is that he was somehow threatened by people listening to Jeremiah, and wanted to counteract the attention that he’d been getting lately.
People always think they know better. Younger people especially (I say as a teacher!).
The problem is simple, though – Hananiah’s comment came from him, and not from God. And as a result, God orders for him to die by the time the year is over. This may sound harsh, but remember – prophets have a lot of influence, and for people to pretend that God speaks through them is a serious matter. Consider how easily people could be fooled by that into doing something disastrous?
In fact this is what I wanted us to concentrate on this evening. Simply this – Given that it’s presumptuous for a person to speak words as God’s words when he or she has not been spoken to, I wonder how many times this might be thought to apply to our own conversations.
Two questions: 1) Do you ever say or imply that you believe God to be directly speaking through you? Sometimes He may, and that’s great. But we need to be absolutely certain that He is speaking through us, and it’s worth remembering the lesson of Hananiah.
2) What is your source of authority? Is it God’s word? or is it you yourself?
It is a serious thing to speak on God’s behalf, and we need to ensure that we do it in a correct and righteous manner.
It’s bad enough when you’re not sure about the facts of the matter. But it is a thousand times worse when you know exactly what the facts are, and your opponent is talking nonsense.
This is the scenario Jeremiah is facing in this passage. He is trying to get the people of Judah to listen to his truthful (but unpopular) message from the Lord – that they be exiled, and that God plans to fight against Judah on the side of their enemies.
Another “Prophet”, Hananiah, has seen Jeremiah walking around with his yoke (see chapter 27), and sees an opportunity. He grabs Jeremiah’s yoke, picks it up and smashes it. He declares that just like this, God would smash the armies against Judah.
Note this – God didn’t say anything of the sort to Hananiah. His desire to smash the yoke was to cost him his life. We don’t know why he wanted to smash it. Maybe he was trying to be nice to Jeremiah, but I suspect not. For all we know, perhaps it was effectively a piece of performance art! My own idea, however, is that he was somehow threatened by people listening to Jeremiah, and wanted to counteract the attention that he’d been getting lately.
People always think they know better. Younger people especially (I say as a teacher!).
The problem is simple, though – Hananiah’s comment came from him, and not from God. And as a result, God orders for him to die by the time the year is over. This may sound harsh, but remember – prophets have a lot of influence, and for people to pretend that God speaks through them is a serious matter. Consider how easily people could be fooled by that into doing something disastrous?
In fact this is what I wanted us to concentrate on this evening. Simply this – Given that it’s presumptuous for a person to speak words as God’s words when he or she has not been spoken to, I wonder how many times this might be thought to apply to our own conversations.
Two questions: 1) Do you ever say or imply that you believe God to be directly speaking through you? Sometimes He may, and that’s great. But we need to be absolutely certain that He is speaking through us, and it’s worth remembering the lesson of Hananiah.
2) What is your source of authority? Is it God’s word? or is it you yourself?
It is a serious thing to speak on God’s behalf, and we need to ensure that we do it in a correct and righteous manner.
04 April 2011
Chapter 27
In this chapter, Jeremiah is asked to give an object lesson to the people of Judah.
Now, up to this point, God has provided Jeremiah himself with object lessons (the kettle, the potter and the pants, for example[1]), but he has yet to give the people anything other than words as far as we can tell.
This time God has changed tactics. He really wants these people to listen!
Spare a thought for how God must feel here – He knows how set in stone the future is (something that you and I don’t really know), and whether or not the people of Judah can really alter their fate; either way, He knows what they will choose, and He knows that it won’t be good.
As God is feeling, so is Jeremiah. After all, Jeremiah is acting as God’s messenger throughout this whole thing. Like God he can see the peoples’ headalong rush towards destruction; but he can’t influence anyone, and he can see that peoples’ decisions don’t favour him.
There is much pathos in what we see. Jeremiah’s future is our past. History tells us that Nebuchadnezzar came in, defeated Zedekiah and dragged his nobles into exile. So we know that ultimately Jeremiah was not successful, at least in the macro scale.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for the guy.
This message God gives is, apart from giving the opportunity for people to escape, largely unaltered. Doom is coming on the city unless you 1) escape or 2) Bow down before the next ruler.
So what do WE learn from this gloomy piece of Scripture?
We learn that God is gracious, and even in situations like this where there there seems to be no hope at all for people, He gives second chances – even if, as in this case, there is likely to be little or no uptake of said second chance. But in order to ensure that this chance gets through to people, we also learn that God is willing to change His tactics, and go to extraordinary lengths to get His message through.
This is another example of how we can see that Jeremiah worships the same God as we do. The God who is willing to get someone to run around town wearing a yoke, in an attempt to trigger people into thinking “Hey, maybe I should listen to that Jeremiah guy” is a God who is willing to use anyone who makes themselves available.
More than that, He’s a God who is not particularly going to surprise you when hundreds of years later, He volunteers to take the punishment for sinners who are yet to repent.
This is the God we worship. It’s time for us to express our gratitude to Him, for being willing to go to such extreme legths – for you and I.
Now, up to this point, God has provided Jeremiah himself with object lessons (the kettle, the potter and the pants, for example[1]), but he has yet to give the people anything other than words as far as we can tell.
This time God has changed tactics. He really wants these people to listen!
Spare a thought for how God must feel here – He knows how set in stone the future is (something that you and I don’t really know), and whether or not the people of Judah can really alter their fate; either way, He knows what they will choose, and He knows that it won’t be good.
As God is feeling, so is Jeremiah. After all, Jeremiah is acting as God’s messenger throughout this whole thing. Like God he can see the peoples’ headalong rush towards destruction; but he can’t influence anyone, and he can see that peoples’ decisions don’t favour him.
There is much pathos in what we see. Jeremiah’s future is our past. History tells us that Nebuchadnezzar came in, defeated Zedekiah and dragged his nobles into exile. So we know that ultimately Jeremiah was not successful, at least in the macro scale.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for the guy.
This message God gives is, apart from giving the opportunity for people to escape, largely unaltered. Doom is coming on the city unless you 1) escape or 2) Bow down before the next ruler.
So what do WE learn from this gloomy piece of Scripture?
We learn that God is gracious, and even in situations like this where there there seems to be no hope at all for people, He gives second chances – even if, as in this case, there is likely to be little or no uptake of said second chance. But in order to ensure that this chance gets through to people, we also learn that God is willing to change His tactics, and go to extraordinary lengths to get His message through.
This is another example of how we can see that Jeremiah worships the same God as we do. The God who is willing to get someone to run around town wearing a yoke, in an attempt to trigger people into thinking “Hey, maybe I should listen to that Jeremiah guy” is a God who is willing to use anyone who makes themselves available.
More than that, He’s a God who is not particularly going to surprise you when hundreds of years later, He volunteers to take the punishment for sinners who are yet to repent.
This is the God we worship. It’s time for us to express our gratitude to Him, for being willing to go to such extreme legths – for you and I.
03 April 2011
Chapter 26
So once again Jeremiah is given God’s message to speak. This time he’s commanded to go straight to the Temple, and to preach to the worshippers there.
But his message is once again controversial (I think most genuine prophets have that problem sooner or later!). This time God has shown a little crack to His resolve – He goes as far as saying that if the people repent, he’ll relent! But the people are as hard as nails, and they simply get angry.
Ironically, in verse 11, we read that the people who are the most vehement in their criticism of Jeremiah – demanding his death, no less! – are the prophets and priests. What this says about their mandate from the Lord is interesting. At the very BEST, these people are ignoring God in their jealousy of Jeremiah; at worst, God was never speaking through them, and they were frauds all along – frauds who are desperate to avoid being found out!
Jeremiah’s answer to these guys?
Firstly he restates the danger. He has a captive audience, so he makes the most of it. Finally, he tells the people that if they wish to kill an innocent man, go right ahead – but if they do, they’re going against God.
Jeremiah is found not guilty of any wrongdoing, and he discovers he has an ally – one Ahikam, son of Shaphan. This man hasn’t yet declaired himself to be in favour of Jeremiah’s message; rather, he has heard enough that he believes Jeremiah to have a valid point, and wishes to protect him against further attacks.
So what do we get out of this one today?
I think it’s mainly the contrast between the way we often are – frightened of standing up for God – and the way Jeremiah is, completely unfazed. I think this is mostly about faith.
If one has genuine faith in God, it makes it easier to stand out there in before the angry crowd, and just say “Repent”. After all, this life isn’t everything. It would mean that you’re genuinely more concerned with what God thinks than what humans think.
Given that, what is our attitude like? Are we like Jeremaiah, unafraid? Or are we like those opposing him in the temple?
It’s up to us.
But his message is once again controversial (I think most genuine prophets have that problem sooner or later!). This time God has shown a little crack to His resolve – He goes as far as saying that if the people repent, he’ll relent! But the people are as hard as nails, and they simply get angry.
Ironically, in verse 11, we read that the people who are the most vehement in their criticism of Jeremiah – demanding his death, no less! – are the prophets and priests. What this says about their mandate from the Lord is interesting. At the very BEST, these people are ignoring God in their jealousy of Jeremiah; at worst, God was never speaking through them, and they were frauds all along – frauds who are desperate to avoid being found out!
Jeremiah’s answer to these guys?
Firstly he restates the danger. He has a captive audience, so he makes the most of it. Finally, he tells the people that if they wish to kill an innocent man, go right ahead – but if they do, they’re going against God.
Jeremiah is found not guilty of any wrongdoing, and he discovers he has an ally – one Ahikam, son of Shaphan. This man hasn’t yet declaired himself to be in favour of Jeremiah’s message; rather, he has heard enough that he believes Jeremiah to have a valid point, and wishes to protect him against further attacks.
So what do we get out of this one today?
I think it’s mainly the contrast between the way we often are – frightened of standing up for God – and the way Jeremiah is, completely unfazed. I think this is mostly about faith.
If one has genuine faith in God, it makes it easier to stand out there in before the angry crowd, and just say “Repent”. After all, this life isn’t everything. It would mean that you’re genuinely more concerned with what God thinks than what humans think.
Given that, what is our attitude like? Are we like Jeremaiah, unafraid? Or are we like those opposing him in the temple?
It’s up to us.
02 April 2011
Chapter 25
The pattern established in previous chapters, of Jeremiah preaching a message of doom on the hard-hearted people of Judah, continues here.
Verses 1 – 7 tell us of how Jeremiah (in company with many other prophets) has been preaching God’s warning to the people of Judah – only to be disappointed when they do not listen, when they do nothing.
In verses 8 – 11, Jeremiah expands on this by proclaiming the consequences that will occur – that Babylon will successfully invade and conquer the people of Judah, and that Judah will be taken captive.
Verses 12 – 14, however, tell us something new – that God will eventually put the Babylonians on trial for their own sins. So God’s wrath isn’t JUST reserved for the people of Judah – his anger burns against all who do evil, wherever they are. But He is particularly angry at Judah because JUDAH SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.
We finish off by looking at God’s plans for the various nations around, including (but not limited to) Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Arabia and the like. Short version: God is rather cross.
So how do we make sense of this chapter?
I think the best thing to draw out of it is the position of the Nations in God’s economy. The key thing is something we need to ensure we understand. It is this:
God sees all peoples’ sufferings as important. Therefore, He wants to put a stop to it. And as far as God is concerned, the problem behind the problem is SIN.
We are coming up on Easter Sunday at the time I write this, and that celebration stands as a stark and solemn reminder of how seriously God takes sin. It is a fact that God sees sin as sufficiently awful that He chose to die painfully rather than live with it. We often say that God can do anything, and He can. But generally He chooses to separate Himself from sin as widely as possible. The cross is a case in point – when God’s beloved Son is facing His worst ever moments, God Himself chooses to turn away!
The consequences for sin are extreme. Some people ask if God is being harsh by punishing people for it. I say otherwise – God isn’t harsh, because He’d far rather we didn’t receive eternal separation from Him. God wants to be connected with all His people.
Needless to say, He won’t be connected to everyone. Some will reject Him, but we need to recognize that this is not us – and as a consequence, we are now responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus on to as many people who will listen.
Verses 1 – 7 tell us of how Jeremiah (in company with many other prophets) has been preaching God’s warning to the people of Judah – only to be disappointed when they do not listen, when they do nothing.
In verses 8 – 11, Jeremiah expands on this by proclaiming the consequences that will occur – that Babylon will successfully invade and conquer the people of Judah, and that Judah will be taken captive.
Verses 12 – 14, however, tell us something new – that God will eventually put the Babylonians on trial for their own sins. So God’s wrath isn’t JUST reserved for the people of Judah – his anger burns against all who do evil, wherever they are. But He is particularly angry at Judah because JUDAH SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.
We finish off by looking at God’s plans for the various nations around, including (but not limited to) Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Arabia and the like. Short version: God is rather cross.
So how do we make sense of this chapter?
I think the best thing to draw out of it is the position of the Nations in God’s economy. The key thing is something we need to ensure we understand. It is this:
God sees all peoples’ sufferings as important. Therefore, He wants to put a stop to it. And as far as God is concerned, the problem behind the problem is SIN.
We are coming up on Easter Sunday at the time I write this, and that celebration stands as a stark and solemn reminder of how seriously God takes sin. It is a fact that God sees sin as sufficiently awful that He chose to die painfully rather than live with it. We often say that God can do anything, and He can. But generally He chooses to separate Himself from sin as widely as possible. The cross is a case in point – when God’s beloved Son is facing His worst ever moments, God Himself chooses to turn away!
The consequences for sin are extreme. Some people ask if God is being harsh by punishing people for it. I say otherwise – God isn’t harsh, because He’d far rather we didn’t receive eternal separation from Him. God wants to be connected with all His people.
Needless to say, He won’t be connected to everyone. Some will reject Him, but we need to recognize that this is not us – and as a consequence, we are now responsible for sharing the good news of Jesus on to as many people who will listen.
01 April 2011
Chapter 24
I have to admit that the temptation to make today some kind of April Fools joke is strong. However, I intend to resist.
One of the curious little oddities of the English language is how words change. Words which once held one meaning somehow meander until they hold another.
Case in point: Tonight’s passage. In his vision, Jeremiah sees “A basket of naughty figs,” in the King James Version! Of course, in modern English, it’s usually translated as “rotten figs,” or even more precisely, in The Message, “Rotten figs, so rotten they cannot be eaten.”
Here once again we see God’s promise for redemption of His people. Even here, at Israel and Judah’s lowest Ebb, God still cares about them. He wants to rescue them.
Yet the country is not what He had in mind. God desires to show mercy, but He also wants to show that Justice is to be done.
“Catch 22” perhaps?
Thankfully no, because there is a way for God to do both.
What He can do is to set before His people a choice, just as He did back in the days of Joshua – “I have set before you blessings and curses.”
Then, as now, God granted the people free choice.
It’s really up to the people whether they’re going to be “Good figs” or “Naughty figs.” And the way they choose is how they respond to God’s instructions!
Just in case you’ve forgotten along the way, God said that if anyone wishes to survive what is coming – the invasion of Jerusalem – they will need to surrender to the invading armies. They will be taken away (as were Daniel and his friends – they were exiles to Babylon from this period!) and their talents used, but they will survive; and one day God will bring them back to here. Not them personally, of course; their children, or maybe their childrens’ children. Meanwhile, the exiles have God’s promise of protection.
We face a choice like that in Jeremiah’s vision today. God has granted us too the opportunity to choose blessings or curses.
Needless to say, we must choose carefully.
One of the curious little oddities of the English language is how words change. Words which once held one meaning somehow meander until they hold another.
Case in point: Tonight’s passage. In his vision, Jeremiah sees “A basket of naughty figs,” in the King James Version! Of course, in modern English, it’s usually translated as “rotten figs,” or even more precisely, in The Message, “Rotten figs, so rotten they cannot be eaten.”
Here once again we see God’s promise for redemption of His people. Even here, at Israel and Judah’s lowest Ebb, God still cares about them. He wants to rescue them.
Yet the country is not what He had in mind. God desires to show mercy, but He also wants to show that Justice is to be done.
“Catch 22” perhaps?
Thankfully no, because there is a way for God to do both.
What He can do is to set before His people a choice, just as He did back in the days of Joshua – “I have set before you blessings and curses.”
Then, as now, God granted the people free choice.
It’s really up to the people whether they’re going to be “Good figs” or “Naughty figs.” And the way they choose is how they respond to God’s instructions!
Just in case you’ve forgotten along the way, God said that if anyone wishes to survive what is coming – the invasion of Jerusalem – they will need to surrender to the invading armies. They will be taken away (as were Daniel and his friends – they were exiles to Babylon from this period!) and their talents used, but they will survive; and one day God will bring them back to here. Not them personally, of course; their children, or maybe their childrens’ children. Meanwhile, the exiles have God’s promise of protection.
We face a choice like that in Jeremiah’s vision today. God has granted us too the opportunity to choose blessings or curses.
Needless to say, we must choose carefully.
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