Jeremiah 21:6

 "And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast:  they shall die of a great pestilence."

Continued 2nd section of 4 sections in this chapter, verses 3 - 7;

And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast:  they shall die of a great pestilence.   -  word/phrase study - I will's of God; word study - all the words that begin with "P", pestilence;  This verse continues with God speaking against the cities of Judah and their rebellion to submit to the king of Babylon.  And God is setting Himself against them, with His, "I will's'.  God will smite the people of the cities and the animals of these places by a great pestilence.  All things proceed from God.  There is nothing under the sun that did not come from God.  Satan and men corrupt the good things of God, and God is able to use even those things to accomplish His purposes and will.  The people that do not surrender to the king of Babylon,, God will set Himself against them.  God will smite them, God will send the pestilence, God will kill them.  God had forewarned of the 4 judgements against them, war, pestilence, famine and wild animals.  EAch of these will bring about the loss of life of Judah.  The wages of sin is death.  

God gives life, God takes life.  God gives healing and health, God gives sickness and death.  All things proceed from Him.  Thus one should understand that we are in need of God's mercy and graces.  Only God can give and send blessings of life and health, and our choices and decisions are a great factor in what we receive from Him.  A nation, people, individual are set to receive justly and rightly from the Lord.  God does not smite nor send pestilence without cause or justification.  Sins against Him and without Him brings forth these things of life and death, health and sickness.  A nation, a person, a city cannot move forward without God and not expect to receive from the Lord, their just rewards.  And mostly what we see happening upon our land and people, is out of the same spirit of rebellion and disobedience against God.  And as they reaped, what they sowed, so we will reap what we have sowed.  The reminder again, is to understand that God raises up and establishes kings and governments and rulers for His purpose and will.  We are to receive those truths and respond rightly.   

  

Started:   August 12, 2022

Finished:

Jeremiah 21:5

 "And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath."

Continued 2nd section of 4 sections in this chapter, verses 3 - 7;

And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.   -  word/phrase study - I will's of God;  The two descriptions of God's forms of God's body, HIs arm and His hand.  We know that God is Spirit, yet we are made in His image, after His likeness.  We see through Scriptures, the images of eyes, mouth, ears, hands, and arms of God.  God will use His arm and His hand to fight against Judah.  Judah had been warned not to go against Babylon, and God has warned that He will set Himself against them for such disobedience and rebellion.  Thirdly, let us look at the other 3 descriptions of God:  His anger, His fury and His wrath.  

First, "I will fight against you".  When God declares "I will", it is an absolute.  But how awful the consequences, and the impact when God has set Himself against a person, a nation, or in this case, His Own people, Judah.  God fights against His enemies; but must He fight against His Own as His enemy?  Why else would God need to fight against anyone, except they had made themselves His enemy.  A nation that seeks to undo and go against all of God's works and word, this is the enemy of God.  And how many of those that profess they are His children, yet they do not His commands or ways.  Everything and anything that is set against God's word, will and ways, is the anti-Christ.  And choices, lives, and time reveals whose we really are.  But there is no certainty for any to survive or go on when God declares He will fight against them.  God will bring them to their final end.  Any hopes of survival will be found that they acknowledge their sins against Him and that they have openly defied Him and seek mercy.  

Secondly, God's strong arm and outstretched hand is against them.  Those same two thing of God's strong arm and hand can be in blessings and help.  But in this context it is against them.  

Started:   August 11, 2022

Finished:

Jeremiah 21:4

 "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel,; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city."

Continued 2nd section of 4 sections, verses 3 - 7;  Conclusion of one sentence, verse 3& 4;

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands -  word study - And God said/spoke;  word study- behold;  word/phrase study - I will's of God;  This begins through this 2nd section several of God's "I will's".  God had spoken and decreed that they was submit to the king of Babylon and not engage nor fight against him.  God had spoken and revealed through Jeremiah, the prophet, the plans of God, for the world at this time.  The prophecies of Daniel confirm this.  And because God had ordained the king of Babylon, that he would rule the world, they were to submit to God's order.  God raises kings up and God removes them (Dan. 2) according to His will and way.  Men of thte nations are to submit to God's rules of governments.  They are accomplishing his agenda and plans.  And when they don't obey, but seek to resist, take matters into their own hands, God sets Himself against them.  God states clearly, I will turn back their weapons of war for disobeying His will.  God can help, or God can undo them.  

wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.   -  word/phrase study - I will's of God; 

Started:  August 10, 2022

Finished:

Jeremiah 21:3

 "Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:"

Beginning of 2nd section of 4 sections in this chapter, verses 3 - 7;  Beginning of one sentence, verses 3 - 4;

Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:   -  King Zedekiah had instructed Jeremiah, the prophet of the Lord, to enquire of God for them.  The king of Babylon was coming against them and they were now seeking the mercy of God to deliver them and help them.  They did not want the prophet of the Lord when he was speaking the word of the Lord in regards to their abominations and sins.  But now that calamity was coming, they needed God.  God had been gracious and merciful to them by sending His prophet, rising up early and sending them.  But the people and the king and rulers refused to obey and give heed to the words of the Lord.  God had warned them that for their disobedience, the sword was one of 4 judgement that God, in His wrath, would send against them and the land.  They were now reaping what they had sowed.  But despite this, none of that mattered, they only sought the Lord for His hand of help to rid them of their enemies.  And Jeremiah, fulfills the request of king Zedekiah to go unto the Lord and hear the word of the Lord for the people of the Lord.  God's instruction and warning, found in this phrase, is not what they want to hear, nor will they regard it either.  

God is speaking to Jeremiah.  It is a Divine word because it comes from the Lord.  And that which Zedekiah and the people were seeking, which was a word from the Lord, is be given.  God instructs Jeremiah to give a certain word to the king and to the people.  But it will not be the word that they wanted, and they will not give ear to it either.  We are supposed to seek the Lord for HIs word.  We have been given His word and His promises and to hold fast to them.  Know the Word of God, and know the God of the Word.  But be ready to hear and receive whatever the Lord says and directs.  Sometimes it is a hard word.  Sometimes it is difficult situations and one must be ready and able to say, 'the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.'   

Started:   August 7, 2022

Finished:

Jeremiah 21:2

 "Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from us."

Conclusion of 1st section of 4 sections in this chapter, verses 1 - 2;  Conclusion of sentence, verses 1 & 2;

Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us;  -  word study - all the words that begin with "P", pray;  word study - Make, maketh;  Jeremiah is the prophet of the Lord for this time to God's people.  Zedekiah is the king of Judah, and it is noted of him that 'he did evil in the sight of the Lord.'  But, as in most places and times, when catastrophe strikes, men will seek the hand and ear of God.  Babylon has come against the land and nothing is stopping them.  So the king send Jeremiah to God to enquire, to pray for the people.  It is the old adage of men, they only seek the hand of God to get them out of the trouble.  But they largely have no interest in serving the Lord.  For a great while, the kings of Judah have done evil in the sight of the Lord, and the people followed them in this sin.  The land was defiled in filth of wickedness of idolatry and abominations.  The people are defiled and have forsaken and forgotten the Lord.  But now war has come and they need God.  But does God need them?  And it is the prophets job to enquire and pray before God for help, answers and direction.

'enquire' 

if so be that the Lord will deal with us according to all HIs wondrous works, that he may go up from us.   -  word/phrase study - I will's of God; word study - all; word study - go;   Jeremiah is the prophet of the Lord.  He is being sent to ask of God for help and mercy against the king of Babylon and his army.  This is a specific request from the king of Judah for the Lord to do, what only the Lord can do.  He is asking the Lord to deal with this situation and take care of it.  He gives recognition of the things that God has done before with all their wondrous works.  And the final result which the king is seeking from the Lord is that God would make him to go away from the city and the land.  Even though God has already spoken through Jeremiah that God was allowing and bringing the king of Babylon as a judgement against them for their great iniquities against Him.  Now, God is able to do what the king is requesting, but the sins of the people had not been repented of, nor dealt with.  

WE are taught in prayer and in our life situations, 'the will of the Lord be done.'  God's will is right.  God's will is to be sought.  So that when evil things happen and come about, we seek His will to help, lead and guide.  And as this verse phrase shows us, we should remember the accounts of Scripture, the history of the church and our own experiences of all of God's wondrous works.  Set time aside and remember what the Lord has done, is doing and has said HE will do.  God changes not, and HIs will and ways are the same.  The same wondrous works of old, can be as new as today.  But understanding and discerning why things and what things are happening according to HIs will is necessary.  God was going to judge Judah for their gross abominations.  God must judge, this is consistent upon nations, churches, families.  And through God's wondrous works, consider how He has done this.  God raises up kings and putteth down kings.  God blesses in the affairs of life;  God curses that same life to the people that sin against Him.  God adds, multiplies and makes fruitful;  God takes away, removes and undoes the things of the land, people and their existence.  Nothing is too hard for God.  See wherein HIs wondrous works has been done in direct relationship of a people and how they followed Him took heed to Him or withdrew from Him and forsook Him.  According to our responses, God response is reciprocal.  

'That he may go up from us'.  What a needful prayer is found here for our current plights of life.  Our enemy has come down and is working with great vengeance against the church, our families and our nation.  And even though Christ said, 'upon you I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it'; we see the enemy wining far too many victories.  It is not because the ear of the Lord is deaf or His hand shortened, but because our sins and our iniquities have separated us form Him.  God is the same, HIs wondrous works are still possible and present.  Yet, we have changed.  WE have not gotten more holy and faithful, but less.  We have not drawn closer to Him, but further.  And now the enemy has come and is doing his worst work on the souls of men.  To seek God for mercy and help.  And as much as we may seek for our enemy to go up from us, at the same time, may we seek that the Lord not go up for us.  Survival and its importance has never been more than this that God be with us and among us in power and Presence.  May the enemy go up from us, but Lord stay Thou with me at all times.  And the reciprocal, may we not go up from Him, and go to the world or selfish sins.  Far too many have left their first love and departed from that good and right way of life.  

Started:   August 6, 2022

Finished:

Jeremiah 21:1

 "The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,"

Beginning of new chapter;  there are 4 sections in this chapter;  Beginning of first section of 4 sections, verses 1 - 2;  Beginning of one sentence, verse 1 & 2;

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the Lord,   -  word/phrase study - And God said/spoke; word study - Come, came; The word of the Lord to the prophet of the Lord, for the people of the Lord.  Two actions of God's word, which is descriptive, God's word comes, God's word comes from the Lord.  God sends His Word to His prophet.  We note in this verse, particular happenings that are directly related to God's word coming to them.  The time, happenings, the king are all issues that we will acknowledge in the second phrase.  God's word is sent from His throne, His thoughts, HIs mouth speaking it to accomplish His purpose in His people.  The blessed scenario in regard to God's word coming to them, is for them to hear and obey.  But we have seen that this has not been the way of Judah or the kings.  

How blessed is the Word of God!  How gracious and merciful is it that God sends His Word to His people.  'Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by God's Word.'  How precious is the one, as Jeremiah, who has ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.   God's word from the Lord unto us for our greatest needs and petitions.  And as we are to hear and fear and obey, may we not be obstinate and rebellious as they was.  God's word is preached and taught of the Lord in the house of the Lord.  Thus, to hear God's word to know proper instruction one must be in attendance with ears to hear this message.  God's word is precious and we are to know the ways in which it comes from Him to us.  And we are to utilize all these ways that we may know, grow and follow Him.  Ignorance and abstinence of the Word is a major issue among the church today and in individual Christians disciplines.   Recognize and discern those that claim a word from the Lord has come to them, to know and see if it is a true word from the Lord or a false word.  There is much falsehoods today among us.  The greatest need of the church is an Authentic Word from God to come unto us.  'Thus saith the Lord' is a hard thing to find today.  

when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,     -  word study - sent;  word study - all the words that begin with "P", priest;  word study - And God said/spoke;.  God's word has come from the Lord.  And this word to the prophet Jeremiah was sent from God to him, in response to the petition of the king.  Zedekiah is king and the Babylon's have come against Judah and Jerusalem.  It is the judgement that God had forewarned about.  The king knew enough to send the prophet to the Lord to receive a word from Him.  The men involved were priests to ask of Jeremiah to enquire of the Lord regarding their plight and situation.  The issue and the problem with sending and receiving the prophet for a word from the Lord is what good does it do to receive if you don't obey and follow His instructions.  And this is contrast of them receiving God's word as God's people, but not obeying and following the word given to them.

Men have ears to hear the word of the Lord.  And it is good that the king and rulers seek the Lord's word from the Lord's prophet.  But what good is it if you have no desire no interest to obey?   This is the reference, "You have ears to hear, but you refuse to hear.'  The Word has gone forth, but men refuse to hear it.  God's has sent His Word, through Jesus Christ.  Christ is 'The Word of God'.  Come before His throne and seek the Word for your life, for His kingdom, on behalf of others.  God has spoken and is speaking, oh that we had ears ot hear what the Spirit is saying.  Is this not the warning that Christ emphasized over and over in His last words to the church in Revelation.   Divine promises, Divine directives are before us to help, edify, correct, reprove, save, heal, lead and bring glory to His Name.  Do you have a word sent from you from the Lord?  Hold fast to that, it is precious.  God give us ears to hear.  God give us hearts to obey.  God bless Thy Word, for You have said, 'It will not return to me void.'  

Started:  August 5, 2022

Finished:    August 5, 2022

Jeremiah 20:18

 "Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?"

Conclusion of chapter;  conclusion of 3rd section of 3 sections, verses 14 - 18;  Jeremiah's cry;

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?    -  Great Questions of the Bible; word study - Come, came; word study - see;  word/phrase study- labour & sorrow, L&S; word study - Day, days; Jeremiah closes his sorrowful cry unto the Lord in his continued complaint of life.  Jeremiah is the prophet of the Lord, and there is not many others mentioned at this time that stood with him or for him.  Now God always has His remnant, but we are not privy to that stat as when God told Elijah that He had 7,000 that had not bowed to Baal.  But largely Jeremiah was to usher forth the word of God, to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.  And largely the priests, leaders rejected and would not hear Him.  They rejected the Lord, and refused to obey, continuing their spirit of rebellion and disobedience against the Lord.  And they took their rage out against Jeremiah, as he was the representative of God.  Great was his affliction, persecution.  And no matter how much the Spirit willing, that flesh is weak and crumbles with doubt, unbelief, complaints, murmurs and anguish.  Jeremiah's cry here in this passage was largely against life.  He cursed almost all those involved with his birth into this world.  And his rational thought process deduced that had he never been born, he would not have such sorrow and grief.  And granted that thinking seems right, but consider now, the error of what his question poses.

The question of Jeremiah provides us with some truths and in need of understanding.  The most needful point of this verse and this question, that should be answered, 'Wherefore came I forth out of the womb?'   Now Jeremiah goes on to answer with his complaint of saying, 'I came forth out of the womb only to see labor and sorrow.'   And there is not a life lived that does not see these things as well.  And there are many that have faced and experienced great sorrows and labors of great testing.  But go back to the question, 'why was I born?"  Do you have an answer? I find that most, especially among the Christian faith, that do not know why they was born, or why they are here.  We were born and given life as a gift from God.  We are God's creation, Who gives life and will receive that spirit of life to return to him at our death.  But that soul inside us is given with this living experience to prepare and get ready for eternity.  IN Christ and with Christ, a heavenly eternal home; without Christ, an eternal home in hell.  We are given life to get ready for eternity.  

Secondly, Revelation 4 tells us that all of God's creation is for His glory.  The first rule of the catechism that churches used to teach their children that they may have a foundation of the Biblical truth, was 'the answer to 'why'.  We are created, born and living for God's glory.  "All of God's creation is to bring HIm glory'.  Now I know that goes against the teaching and mind set of most in this present day, but its not about us, its about Him.  Life is given by God and supposed to be filled with God.  How few understand and seek for this?  This is largely due to false teachers and humanistic values of theology that is in error in our modern churches.  Return to the Scriptures and understand why there is this life and means of living.  

Thirdly, this life is filled with much labour and sorrow.  There are the days that are consumed in shame.  These are the things that refine and reveal in us the things for God's purposes.  Such things, have historically made men to do what they have done and are remembered for such great exploits.  It is not the easy, blissful life that makes men excel, but the trials and tribulations.  It seems that this life is a life of sorrows in order to rid us of pride and self.  The ones who learn this lesson and adapt are the ones who excel and prevail.  It is those that crumble and collapse under the weight that they seem to sink in despair, depression and difficulties.  a life of sin and self causes these things of shame.  And it is the wonderment of God's grace that annuls this shame.  He was shamed and became our shame if we will turn to Him.  Learn these things and impart them, it is a recurring error among our churches today that cannot answer this question or deal with these things.

Started:  August 4, 2022

Finished:   August 4, 2022