The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
7 When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will dwell at Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.”11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in Moab and among the Ammonites and in Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance. 13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.” Meditation Love for a people and a place leads God’s servants to live among the people. Love led Jesus to come and live among humanity, to “move into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, the MSG). Love is present and love restores. Love is personal and love lives among the people and places we call home. Jeremiah’s ministry was difficult and included death threats, prison, beatings, starving, rejection, and mocking. When Jeremiah’s prophecies proved true and the people were taken to exile, the prophet had a choice to go to Babylon in peace and protection or stay and live with the poor left in the land. Love makes the hard choice to live in the land. Imagine Jeremiah’s temptation, to receive Babylonian protection while the people who rejected and beat him were in bondage. The sweet taste of revenge! Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian governor, offered the prophet protection and promised provision, saying “If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well” (4). But Jeremiah trusted a higher authority and followed God’s call not only to foretell of the tearing down but to foresee the building up and replanting (1:10). Love sees things through in the place God calls us to love. Jeremiah “lived among the people left in the land” (6), and together they experienced an awesome autumn harvest (12). Love leads to fruitfulness. The prophet’s choice to stay points to Jesus, who shows the way of true love, choosing to live with people while enduring great personal cost. Richly Dwelling -What surprises you about either Nebuzaradan’s offer or Jeremiah’s choice? Why? -Does your love endure personal cost to live among people in a place, pointing to Christ and His incarnation? Or does your life lift resources for yourself, using people and a place for your own personal gain? -How does the incarnational love of Jesus lead you to lay down your life to love and live with others, going to serve and give yourself away? Take a moment to name a specific person you can move towards and genuinely love. Key Verse 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land. In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. 5 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him. 6 The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. 7 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. 8 The Chaldeans burned the king's house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. 10 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.
The Lord Delivers Jeremiah11 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, 12 “Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the chief officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and took Jeremiah from the court of the guard. They entrusted him to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, that he should take him home. So he lived among the people. 15 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’” Meditation God’s judgement is difficult to digest because His holiness is beyond our comprehension and His justice is purer than we can process. Yet in God’s wrath He remembers mercy (Habakkuk 3:2). God is not mentioned in today’s reading but He is not absent, either. God predicted the devastation (34:3) and proclaimed His sovereignty over the suffering (25:8-11). God “does not willingly bring affliction or grief” (Lamentations 3:33) and “takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezekiel 33:11). God cannot bear to see the trajedy. The judgement of Judah is recorded in more detail in 2 Kings 25. Like the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the perishing of the wilderness generation, and the conquest of Canaan; God’s judgement is pierced by mercy. In a redemptive reversal, the poor of the land “who had nothing” received vineyards and fields (10). Jeremiah was promised protection (11-14) and Ebed-melech the Ethiopian was secured in salvation (15-18). God saves those who are dependent on Him for Divine deliverance. Jerusalem was judged for their sins through the rod of Babylon. Jesus Christ was judged for our sins, the rod of God used for the satisfaction of God’s just wrath against sin. As Zedekiah’s eyes were gouged out after seeing the death of his sons, so the Father turned His face away from the death of His Son that through Christ’s death believers may have a new day dawn. Richly Dwelling -Why is God’s just judgement difficult to digest? Are you surprised to see daylight breaking forth from the darkness? -How does God remembering mercy and saving those whose faith is in Him fuel your faith? -Who do you know that needs to encounter Christ freshly for salvation from God’s just judgement against sin? When will you share the hope of salvation in Christ with them? Key Verse 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’” Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people: 2 “Thus says the Lord: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. 3 Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” 4 Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5 King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
Jeremiah Rescued from the Cistern7 When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— 8 Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, 9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.”10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah Again14 King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the Lord. The king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me.” 15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.” 16 Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the Lord lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.” 17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live. 18 But if you do not surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city shall be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape from their hand.” 19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.” 20 Jeremiah said, “You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the Lord in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is the vision which the Lord has shown to me: 22 Behold, all the women left in the house of the king of Judah were being led out to the officials of the king of Babylon and were saying, “‘Your trusted friends have deceived you and prevailed against you; now that your feet are sunk in the mud, they turn away from you.’ 23 All your wives and your sons shall be led out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself shall not escape from their hand, but shall be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city shall be burned with fire.” 24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die. 25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,’ 26 then you shall say to them, ‘I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’” 27 Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard. 28 And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. Meditation God’s grace meets us in our failures and recommissions us for His mission. The redemption of Christ compels Christians to give everything for Christ, prioritizing serving the King. Jeremiah’s efforts to save the life of king Zedekiah, his family, the nobles, and the citizens of Jerusalem was the catalyst for problems in his own life. Through continued suffering, the prophet stays on course for his call but finds himself in a pit, left to die. An unnamed Ehtiopian titled, “servant of the king” (Ebed-Melech) orchestrates a rescue of Jeremiah, lifting the prophet out of the pit, out of the mire and clay, so he could continue his call for another day. King Zedekiah served himself, not listening to God’s Word from Jeremiah because, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans… (who may) deal cruelly with me.” (19). The king served himself and feared others, priorities that lead to more problems than we can imagine. The persevering prophet and Ethiopian servant of the king point to the person and work of Jesus who, for the joy set before Him, endured the suffering of Good Friday. Jesus is the ultimate servant of the King who prayed, “not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42) before dying on the cross to pay for the sinful cowardice in hearts like ours. Like Peter, our failure to endure is not the end of the story. The grace of God meets us and recommissions us to give everything for God’s glory, enduring in witness as servants of the King. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you from today’s reading? The conflict in the heart of king Zedekiah? The problems of the prophet? The steadfast service of the Ethiopian? -Where do you fail in serving the King of Kings, caring more about people’s opinions and personal comfort than listening to the word of God and obeying no matter what the costs? -How does the grace of Jesus meet you and recommission you? Where do you need to respond to God’s grace through faithfully serving Jesus? Be specific. Key verse 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. 13 Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. 2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lordthat he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the Lord our God.”4 Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 The army of Pharaoh had come out of Egypt. And when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. 6 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:7 “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Thus shall you say to the king of Judah who sent you to me to inquire of me, ‘Behold, Pharaoh's army that came to help you is about to return to Egypt, to its own land. 8 And the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city. They shall capture it and burn it with fire. 9 Thus says the Lord, Do not deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely go away from us,” for they will not go away. 10 For even if you should defeat the whole army of Chaldeans who are fighting against you, and there remained of them only wounded men, every man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.’” Jeremiah Imprisoned11 Now when the Chaldean army had withdrawn from Jerusalem at the approach of Pharaoh's army, 12 Jeremiah set out from Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin to receive his portion there among the people. 13 When he was at the Benjamin Gate, a sentry there named Irijah the son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are deserting to the Chaldeans.” 14 And Jeremiah said, “It is a lie; I am not deserting to the Chaldeans.” But Irijah would not listen to him, and seized Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 And the officials were enraged at Jeremiah, and they beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for it had been made a prison. 16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” 18 Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land’? 20 Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there.” 21 So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Meditation God’s prophet can be put in prison but it will not stop the Word of God from being proclaimed. As redemptive history reinforces, God’s word will not be stopped by problems, persecutions, prison, plague, or any opponent (Acts 12:24). Jeremiah did not retire from his prophetic call in comfort. The prolonged suffering of the prophet points to the greatest prophet- Jesus Christ. The foreshadowing from today’s reading should fuel our faith and fortify our commitment to communicate God’s word. There is a new king but the same routine- God graciously spoke through Jeremiah, offering renewal if the people repented and returned for relationship. But Judah refused to listen (1-10). King Zedekiah’s heightened hostility intended to silence Jeremiah failed. Jeremiah was unjustly arrested, falsely accused, and a victim of malice from leaders in the land. Faced with the prospect of a horrible death, the prophet had a steadfast refusal to be silenced so much so it confused the king (11-21). In secrecy the king sought Jeremiah to hear God’s word (16-17). In the light of life, God’s word will prove true (Jeremiah 39). Jesus is the greater prophet whose suffering was exponentially more than Jeremiah’s. The Word of God became flesh and took the sin of His people’s rejection and rebellion to make them righteous so we can return to relationship. Jesus’ steps of suffering took Him to the cross with joy (Hebrews 12:1-2) so all who believe can be justified and reconciled to the Lord. Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about the problems for the prophet in today’s reading? -How does the suffering of Jeremiah point to the work of Jesus for me and you? -God’s work through His greater prophet should fuel our faith as the window into the suffering of God’s servants should fortify our desire to share His word. What does it look like in your life to center God’s word more- personally, in relationships, your labor, and love? Be specific. Key Verse 16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.” In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord that he had spoken to him. 5 And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the Lord, 6 so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord's house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. 7 It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the Lord, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the Lord has pronounced against this people.” 8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord's house. 9 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. 10 Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house. 11 When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the king's house, into the secretary's chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. 13 And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 14 Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. 15 And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” 18 Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” 19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.” 20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. 21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. 22 It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. 24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. 25 Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them. 27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. 29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” 30 Therefore thus says the Lordconcerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.’” 32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. Meditation You can burn the paper containing God’s Word but you can’t stop God’s Word. My favorite story of book burning turned blessing is the story of Thomas Johnson, a slave in Virginia who came to Christ when he found an unburned page of a Spurgeon sermon in a pile of papers being burned by local slave owners, including his master. Johnson came to Christ and spread God's word as far as he could. Chapter 36 is the story of writing and sharing chapter 25, revealing resistance to the message of God’s wrath. The king and his leaders not only rejected God and His word, but also burned the scroll column by column. Hard hearts reject and remove God’s revelation. God’s Spirit spoke God’s word through the prophet Jeremiah (2 Peter 1:20-21), as Jeremiah’s call promised (1:9). The word of the Lord (6, 8, 11) spoken to and through Jeremiah (2) were Jeremiah’s words (10, 18) recorded by Baruch but unable to be removed by the king through book burning. Truly, the word of our God will endure forever (Isaiah 40:6; 1 Peter 1:24). God’s word will accomplish that which God purposes and will succeed for the reason it was spoken and sent (Isaiah 55:11). This is true for Jeremiah as the Babylonians will soon capture the city (chapter 39), it was true for Paul in prison (Acts 28:31; 2 Timothy 2:9), and it is true today. No one and nothing can stop the word and work of God! Richly Dwelling -What stands out to you about the resistance and rejection of the king? -Where do you identify in ways you seek to remove and reject God’s revelation, maybe not through book burning but through picking and choosing what applies from His word? -God’s word endures forever! And the work of God’s word made flesh, Jesus Christ, frees us to be forgiven for the sin of rejecting God and His word to begin again. Where do you need to receive grace to begin again to embrace God’s word from your heart? Be specific. Key Verse 27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. 4 I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. 5 Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. 7 You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.’ 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, 10 but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.’ So we are living in Jerusalem.”
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord. 14 The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. 15 I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.” 18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.” Meditation Grace awakens our hearts to hear God’s word and obey God’s will. James commands disciples to be doers of the word and not hearers only, that we may discover the blessing of becoming more like Christ (James 1:19-27). Refusing to listen to the Lord furthers ruin. Restoration and renewal come when God’s children respond to God’s love by listening to God’s word and obeying God’s will. Listening is the key issue in today’s reading, hearing and obeying God’s word. The verb shema occurs seven times, climaxing with God’s question: Will you not…listen to my words? The Rechabites were a nomadic sect living on the frontier outside Jerusalem. Tracing their lineage back to Jehonadab (verse 6, an ally of Jehu (2 Kings 9-10)), the Rechabites listened to the command to remain set apart by not drinking wine, building houses, sowing seed, or planting (6-11). Nebukadnezzar forced them into Jerusalem as he conquered Judah (11). Jeremiah tested them with his invitation for them to drink wine in the temple (2-5). The Rechabites obedience to the direction they had received led to blessing (18-19) as it highlighted Judah’s refusal to listen to and obey the Lord (17). Listening to the Lord leads to restoration. Refusing to listen leads to ruin. The disciple whom Jesus loved invites believers to discover the blessings of obedience. Christ paid the penalty for our sin and His grace invites us to be born again, knowing the love of the Father and living for His glory by hearing His voice and walking in His ways (1 John 5:1-4). Richly Dwelling -What jumps out at you from today’s reading- the test? The promise keeping? The indictment? -What are reasons you do not listen to God’s word and obey God’s will? What have the consequences been? -How does God’s grace in Christ not only give us firm foundation to stand and hear God’s word but also strength to walk forward in obedience? Where do you need to be more obedient to the word of God? Key Verse 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.” |
AuthorPastor Mitchell celebrates twenty-four years of marriage with Lisa and together they have four adventurous children. Mitchell is a pastor at First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, TX. |