Jeremiah 21
So, the time had come. The Israelites had heeded none of the warnings sent through the prophet Jeremiah regarding their impending doom at the hands of the Babylonians. They went along their merry (and wicked) way until the Babylonians were on their doorstep, and then the king sent an envoy to Jeremiah, saying, “Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.” (vs 2)
Jeremiah 20
As we’ve seen from Scripture in the past, God is a fire. One thing is for sure: He is like a fire in some way other than we know fire. He came to Moses in the form of this fire as a burning (but non-burning) bush. His fire consumed Nadab and Abihu, yet their clothes were not even singed. So, however it is that God is fire, it must be somehow different than how we typically think of fire.
Jeremiah 19
This chapter of Jeremiah has quite a tone of finality about it. It seems God has reached the end of His rope, and there is nothing ahead for Israel except doom and gloom. Thus, God tells Jeremiah to go back to the potter and buy a clay pot that he can then smash in a dramatic, prophetic display.
Jeremiah 18
You may have looked at the title of this blog and went, huh? In case you’ve never worked with pottery before, doing what Jeremiah describes in the beginning part of this chapter is known as throwing a pot. “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was working at the wheel. And the vessel that he was making from clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it over, reworking it into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make it.” (vs 3-4)
Jeremiah 16
I was somewhat bemused as I started reading this chapter of Jeremiah. It seems God had some very interesting instructions for His prophet: “Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place’… For this is what the Lord says: ‘Do not enter a house where there is a funeral meal; do not go to mourn or show sympathy, because I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people,’ declares the Lord… ‘And do not enter a house where there is feasting and sit down to eat and drink.’” ( vs 1-2, 5, 8 )
Jeremiah 15
This chapter contains one of several personal prayers by Jeremiah that were written down for posterity. And it comes as no surprise that Jeremiah’s not having a pleasant time of it: “Lord, you understand; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering—do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake… Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.” (vs 15, 18)
Jeremiah 14
This is such a pitiful chapter, detailing the great drought that had come over the land of Israel: “Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads. The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads.” (vs 2-4)
Jeremiah 13
The Israelites were in a predicament. They were on the verge of being captured and carted off to captivity, and that was just their external problem. Their internal problems were far more dangerous. Lust, greed, and idolatry were eating out the very heart of the nation. Everywhere you turned, there was corruption and wickedness.
Jeremiah 12
At the beginning of this chapter, it looks like Jeremiah’s ready to throw in the towel. He’s taken a good look around and seen that he is somewhat (actually very much!) at odds with popular culture. His message is falling on deaf ears. His mission is going to fail. And he’s pretty discouraged by it.
Jeremiah 11
There is a church in town that operates under the slogan, God is still speaking. I like that. A lot. I think it’s so easy for church organizations (denominations) to become set in their ways, stagnant, and no longer open to the progressive understanding of truth. It’s easier for us to believe that we “know all the truth” than it is to believe that God is still speaking.
Jeremiah 10
I’m sitting here, trying to imagine what it would be like to carve a beautiful doll out of wood, paint and decorate it, nail it to a wooden base so it won’t fall over… and then bow down in front of it and say, “Help me. Save me. You’re my god.” I know we humans can be blind to a great many things—but that just seems so obvious.
Jeremiah 9
We all know them: people who brag, boast, and show-off. Often, this isn’t an appealing quality in a person, but I suppose we all do it from time to time. Sometimes, the bragging is “legitimate” (meaning that even though it might not be an attractive character trait, a person like Michael Jordan could brag about being a basketball superstar). Sometimes, it’s just a lot of hot air.
Jeremiah 8
Maybe it’s because, as a musician, I’m so familiar with that great old hymn, There is a Balm in Gilead, but I nearly did a double-take when I read the ending of this chapter: “Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” (vs 21-22)
Jeremiah 7
This chapter mentions one of the great “unmentionables” of the Bible—the pagan practice of burning one’s own children alive in the fire to the god Molech. It is unthinkable that the Israelites—who were supposed to know the God of Love—could ever have gotten caught up in such a detestable practice. God thought so, too:
Jeremiah 6
The ending of this chapter was a white-hot indictment: “They’re a thickheaded, hard-nosed bunch, rotten to the core, the lot of them. Refining fires are cranked up to white heat, but the ore stays a lump, unchanged. It’s useless to keep trying any longer. Nothing can refine evil out of them. Men will give up and call them ’slag,’ thrown on the slag heap by me, their God.” (vs 28-30)
Jeremiah 4
In this chapter, God sends a clear invitation to Israel to repent from their idolatry and return to Him. He wants them to escape the impending invasion by the Babylonians, but it seems they want nothing to do with God and His plan to rescue them. At every turn, they continue to reject His protection.
Jeremiah 3
How do you picture God? Aloof? Distant? Unconcerned with your life? Too many much more pressing things to worry about than to care about what you’re doing? Au contraire. “‘If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?’ says the Lord.” (vs 1)
