Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire — Jeremiah 19-21

Posted on October 5, 2011 by parklinscomb

Are you beginning to feel bad for Jeremiah? There’s no doubt that he has a “pretty tough row to hoe” as the saying goes. Today’s reading gives us some insight into the prophet’s heart and mind as he’s going through the prophecies and persecutions that followed. I think it’s important to read and feel Jeremiah’s struggle, because sometimes we are called upon to be Jeremiah’s in our own world. The prophets were not these granite-jawed, angry, iconoclasts without ordinary human sensitivities that we sometimes caricature them as. It’s hard to be rejected, reviled, shunned, made out to be the bad guy, be the guy of whom King Ahab said, “…There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah…” ( 1 Kings 22:8). And Jeremiah is showing signs of the strain.

Jeremiah 19:10, 11 “Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.'”” — The destruction was going to be a complete shattering — not a crack or a chip or broken into large pieces that might be mended; rather an irreparable shattering. Have you ever watched or perhaps been the child (I was) that received warning upon warning, but disregarded the warnings, until the parent had enough, picked the child up, and went to the “woodshed”? I would often try to make quick amends on the way to the place of my punishment, but it never cut any ice with my mom or dad. Have you ever watched a marriage disintegrate? Warnings passed back and forth between spouses, but pridefully ignored, until one day divorce papers get served and someone gets dumped forever? Heartbreakingly, it was to be like this in Jerusalem. Heartbreakingly, it will be this way on the last day with many.

Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it.” — Jeremiah is saying this after having shattering the pottery for a point (see above) and after being consequently arrested by Pashur the priest to be beaten and put into the stocks (public humiliation). When Jeremiah is released from the stocks, he is ready to quit his calling as a prophet, “O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived…I have become a laughingstock all day long…the word of the LORD has resulted in reproach and derision all day long.” But then Jeremiah remembers the urgency of the message, that these warnings are his people’s only hope, and he is, therefore, compelled by his own heart to continue to warn. Jeremiah is between the proverbial “rock and a hard place”. He is weary (to the point of profound depression — 20:14-18) of the contempt he suffers at the hand of God’s deaf people, but he loves them too much to quit. He weeps about their condemnation, he aches over their coming doom, and he cannot but burst out in warnings — really pleadings — with his hard-hearted nation. Do we care as much as Jeremiah? There was a political bumper sticker that used to be popular, but seems to fallen out of popular favor: “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention!” It needs to be applied religiously: If you’re not broken-hearted and feeling the urgency over the lost world, you’re not paying attention to either the spiritual condition of the world around us or God’s words of warning.

Jeremiah 21:8, 9 ““You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. “He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty.” — Here’s a classic example of what God often calls His people to do — swim UPstream, go AGAINST the grain. If you want to preserve your life, leave the safety of the walls of Jerusalem and walk into the captivity of the Babylonians. It sounded like utter folly, like treason, like insanity! But as things turned out, it really was the only way that any citizen of Jerusalem would survive. God still asks us to leave the safety of the wall and walk into what may seem like foolishness, like disloyalty, or even insanity; but in the end, it is always the faithful who survive — and better than survive, triumph.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed — Jeremiah 16-18

Posted on October 4, 2011 by parklinscomb

In today’s reading poor Jeremiah continues to wrestle with his situation. He is loyal to the LORD, yet he also is broken-hearted over the nation, because such terrible things are going to be happening to them. Though we may certainly be tempted to tire of Jeremiah’s message of judgment and destruction, we still need to read carefully and reflectively, because every generation is tempted to stray from the LORD. Do you see this generation in these passages? Do we see ourselves?

Jeremiah 16:1, 2 “The word of the LORD also came to me saying, “You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.”” — On the surface of it, God’s command to Jeremiah sounds too hard — no wife, no children, no family. What loneliness and heartache and emptiness! But the context tell us why — would you rather watch your wife and children starve or get butchered by the invaders? Sometimes we don’t understand God’s obvious will for our lives; some things just seem so unfair. Others enjoy a happier existence, enjoy the things we’d like — things that are not wrong to want or have; things that are normal and natural; things our hearts may ache for. But keeping in mind that God may have a very, very good reason. Doubtlessly Jeremiah’s arms still ached for a family, but knowing that God had his best interests at heart was surely some consolation and great encouragement.

Jeremiah 17:1 “The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus; With a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart And on the horns of their altars,” — Was Judah deep into sin? Oh yeah, as if an iron stylus had chiseled it into their stony hearts. This was slavery, addiction, pride, and self-will. Hard-heartedness is spiritually fatal, and self-inflicted.

Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; Save me and I will be saved, For You are my praise.” — Doctors may find drugs and therapies and surgeries to correct a lot of stuff, but to be really healed, God is the real answer. Armies may have great weapons of war and defense, but to be really saved, God is the real answer. Psychological therapists may have a lot of good things to say, but the real answers to our most basic problems of mind and heart, of body and spirit, of individual and society is the LORD. If the LORD heals you, you are healed indeed!

Jeremiah 18:6 ““Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” — The larger context of this verse has a huge impact on a lot of things — I would have quoted the whole thing, but didn’t want to quote half a chapter. The essence of it is that many of God’s promises (or prophecies) are CONDITIONAL. He says that He could prophecy and intend good for a nation (like Israel) but be caused to change His mind, because of their sinful disobedience. Conversely, He could prophecy and promise judgment and destruction for a nation and change His mind, if they repented. This answers many of the very serious questions that some have about what seem to be unfulfilled promises that God has made — about Israel, Aaron’s family and the high-priesthood, and others. God’s promises are conditional. This puts a nail in the Calvinistic doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved”. It also is sobering to Christians who live their lives carelessly, thinking that they are under grace and “untouchable” by God’s condemnation. Israel was mistakenly thinking that they were untouchable, because they were Israel, God’s people; but in this passage God informs them otherwise. Let us be careful not to make this mistake.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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The ruined waistband — Jeremiah 13-15

Posted on October 3, 2011 by parklinscomb

It’s a tragedy, but it’s also a fact that sometimes we human beings go beyond the point of no return, become irredeemable. Much of Israel had arrived at that point in Jeremiah’s time and that is the theme of a lot of today’s reading

‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’ (Jeremiah 13:11) — This inspired parable revolves around a waistband, which to folks like us, from a different time and society, loses a little of it’s punch; but let me explain just a bit.There are two proposals for what the waistband is: 1) some believe it to be a form of ancient underwear, a loincloth, worn next to the skin, but 2) others believe it to be something like a sash to be worn like a belt, for binding the flowing robes tightly to the body but also for show. My personal opinion is that since God described it as representing Israel at first for “renown, for praise and for glory” (v.11) that what Jeremiah had in mind here is a sash worn on the outside of the clothing. Jeremiah was to buy and wear this sash. It was to be linen (v.1), the type of cloth associated with the holy priesthood and possibly point to the original holiness of Israel. The wearing of the sash, its tightness to the body was to represent Israel’s closeness with the LORD (v. 11). This sash, however, was not to be put in water or washed (v. 1). This would doubtlessly make the sash dirty — even filthy — after a few weeks or months. The dirtiness was to represent Israel’s dirtiness. But Jeremiah was then told to take this dirty waistband to the Euphrates (v. 4). There are commentators who locate Jeremiah’s “Euphrates” at a smaller stream much closer to Jeremiah’s home with a similar name. But seems to take some of the meaning out of the parable to go someplace other than the real Euphrates to let it rot — dirty Israel would be taken off to Babylon (the Euphrates being the major river traveling through it) and ruined — just like the waistband was. The point? Wash up (repent) and get clean before you have to rot in Babylon (or “you know where”).

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil. “Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw To the desert wind. (Jeremiah 13:23, 24) — Some things are just unchangeable. We don’t want to believe that; I don’t want to believe that. I’d like to think that I’ll always have the chance to change, but there apparently does come a time when we are so enslaved that there is no redemption possible. The thing that I’d like you to make special note of here, however, is that it is God who is making such a call. I must be careful, we all must be careful not to write-off people that we think are “beyond the pale”. There have been people in my life that I thought incorrigible, a waste of my time to teach or work with — who really surprised me. And there have been people who’ve surprised me the other way, too. The important thing is to “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NAS95).

Then the LORD said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! “And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’ (Jeremiah 15:1, 2) — This is saying something! If Moses and Samuel (the most influential intercessors Israel ever had) were to stand before God together and ask for God to change His mind about Israel, it would do no good. That’s how far these folks had gone from God’s grace.

We must ourselves be careful lest we reach a point of becoming irredeemable: For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. (Hebrews 10:26, 27, NAS95).

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Running with horses — Jeremiah 10-12

Posted on October 2, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, happy Lord’s Day to you. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I get up about 5:15AM and study, pray, preach, fellowship, meet, write, prepare, and discuss until about 8:30 or 9PM in the evening. I may be physically worn out at the end of it all, but I’m spiritually energized! I hope your Lord’s Day goes great!

Today’s reading from Jeremiah is about the opposition and frustration that Jeremiah, not to speak of God Himself, felt at Israel’s stubbornness and deafness. Let’s dive in.

“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good.” Jeremiah 10:8 — What a great picture and metaphor! Pagans are scared of scarecrows! Empty clothes, an empty wooden carving, a lump of clay, a lump of metal! So helpless that it has to be carried around. It can’t do us any good or do us any harm. It’s part of the creation, not the Creator. It can’t manipulate the spirits or the gods. So why do men make them; worship them; and rely on them?

“I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself. Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23 — This is sometimes referred to as the “Illumination that leads to righteousness”, and I thing that it’s a pretty apt description. It is not our wit or learning or insightfulness that lead to righteousness; it is God. Yes, there are philosophers that have led men far down the road toward knowing God better, but they always fall short in both righteousness and in proper motivation. Listen to God; marinated your heart and spirit in His wisdom, grace, and example.

“Therefore, do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster.” Jeremiah 11:14  — What? Don’t bother praying them? Is it possible that God would say such a thing? As horrific as the thought may be, we need to realize that God’s patience — although it is very, very long — is not infinite. We can, and some do, reach a point where there’s nothing that can be done: For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. (Hebrews 10:26, 27, NAS95). May none of us ever reach that threshold.

“If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5 — It was certainly not what Jeremiah wanted to hear, but it was true; God is telling poor ol’ Jeremiah that if he thinks that things are bad now, just wait. I wonder if Jeremiah every considered that running with the footmen was training for running with the horses? Have you?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Temple of the LORD — Jeremiah 7-9

Posted on October 1, 2011 by parklinscomb

“Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, (Jeremiah 7:4, 5, NAS95) — The people of Jeremiah’s day trusted in safety from the wrong things. In their defense, it should be noted that it is a common error today as well. Despite their disobedient lives (7:8-11), they were convinced that with God’s Temple in their midst, they were going to be physically safe. The Temple had become like a charm or amulet, protecting them from any harm. But they were greatly mistaken, because Shiloh, the former place of the Tabernacle (the ancient tent form of the Temple), had been destroyed (7:12-15), because of the people’s disobedience; Jerusalem and the Temple would be no different. It was foolish for them to live like pagans and then come to the Temple for protection. Today, some still trust in the wrong things: in being associated with a particular church, in claiming the “grace of God”, or in reading their Bible and praying daily. These things are certainly all good; but they won’t save us, if we’re living unrepentantly like the rest of the world. It remains foolish for us to live like the rest of the world and then expect a pass from God on judgment day, because our name’s on a church roll, or we want to claim God’s grace, or we read our Bible’s and prayed.

“Do they spite Me?” declares the LORD. “Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?” (Jeremiah 7:19, NAS95). — Just a brief comment here: My observation has been that most of the folks who claim atheism are mostly merely angry with God (for a variety of reasons). Their response is largely like an angry child toward its parent — make a pouty lip, fold the arms, frown, and refuse to cooperate. But we’re not children, and this is serious stuff; throwing a fit toward God, refusing to acknowledge Him, because of anger WILL hurt you more than Him. It is the classic “cutting your own nose off to spite your face” thing.

“Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons; And the turtledove and the swift and the thrush Observe the time of their migration; But My people do not know The ordinance of the LORD. (Jeremiah 8:7, NAS95) — Sometimes people don’t have as much sense as animals. Which is the intelligent creature and which one is not? The God that gave the birds their instinct to migrate, also gave us laws to govern our lives that are also good for us. You don’t see birds rebelling because they liked the nest they’d built, or because they feel like God is restricting their freedom of choice by declaring that they fly south in the fall.

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “that I will punish all who are circumcised and yet uncircumcised– (Jeremiah 9:25, NAS95) — Could there be such a thing? Yes. Circumcision was a physical mark in the flesh as a sign of being in covenant with God. But having a mark in the flesh of the covenant is not the same as living the covenant. Many of the Jews who had been circumcised were living as if they had never been circumcised — and this is God’s point (through Jeremiah) here. They would be punished. There are also those who have been baptized, who live as if they had never been baptized (Romans 6:1-8). There are those who meet with the church, who live as if they never attended (1 Corinthians 5). The Hebrew writer warns us, Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:28-31, NAS95).

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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“Peace, peace,” but there is no peace — Jeremiah 4-6

Posted on September 30, 2011 by parklinscomb

The book of Jeremiah is amazing! Have you noticed? So much is so relevant to today — scary so. The chapters in today’s reading are so chock full of great passages that there’s a number I had to pass over just to help make today’s posting short enough to be readable!

“If you will return, O Israel,” declares the LORD, “Then you should return to Me. And if you will put away your detested things from My presence, And will not waver, And you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ In truth, in justice and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.”” Jeremiah 4:1, 2 — The thing that struck me most about this passage is the fact that one of the world’s greatest blessings or curses is the behavior of God’s people. When God’s people are living out God’s commands, the world is a better place, the wisdom of God’s way becomes increasingly evident, and the sinful world is drawn to the light. Conversely, when the people of God are being hypocritical and sinful themselves, the world becomes darker and God’s great wisdom for mankind is veiled and often held in contempt. What is your life doing to the world — blessing or cursing?

“For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know.”” Jeremiah 4:22 — Pretty hard language, no? But sometimes the truth is pretty hard. Foolishness in the Bible refers more to sinful moral choices; it’s called foolishness, because sinful behavior always ends badly. Worse still, they didn’t know their own God; not that they didn’t know about Him generally, but they didn’t know Him — His power to know every evil thing they did, and store up punishment for their wickedness. Like stupid children, no matter how many times God had told them what was right, no matter how many times He had told them the consequences, no matter how many times He had punished them, they still had no understanding. They were excellent, talented, and sharp as a tack, when it came to doing evil; but they didn’t even know where to start, when it came to doing good. Sadly, some things never change.

““An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” Jeremiah 5:30, 31 — And here’s more, Judah’s prophets and priests had become more interested in being popular or getting paid than in being faithful mouthpieces and representatives of God. Tell people what they want to hear, bend the rules, overlook the sin and subpar sacrifices brought to the Temple; go along to get along. Who’ll complain? The people love it! The problem was the God DID NOT. Modern preachers often have more interest in getting paid than in being faithful, and that’s why it’s always best to check what might be preached or taught with the faithful Word of God, the Bible.

“To whom shall I speak and give warning That they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed And they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the LORD has become a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10 — The word of the Lord had become a reproach to them? Something to be embarrassed about? Something to shun and hold in contempt? Who could believe such a thing? Except it still happens. How true of modern western civilization in all its secular irreligion.

““They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. “Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD. Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:14-16 — Telling people what they want to hear (“Peace, peace” — or “Saved, saved”) will draw a big crowd and will doubtlessly make people feel better, more comfortable. But it’s like giving aspirin to a cancer patient; it may take the edge of pain off (healing superficially), but the patient dies without the real medicine. Without the strong medicine of the truth, men will continue their sinfulness — without embarrassment, without blushing. Jeremiah’s “medicine” is as relevant today as it was 2600 years ago, “Ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls.” Tragically, Judah’s answer is too common today — “We will not walk in it.”

The Restoration Plea has often used this verse as a plea to men today. Although it comes from an Old Testament prophet, the wisdom remains sound for New Testament men. Turn from sinful ways; turn from false teachings (non-biblical teachings), return to the ancient path of the New Testament; become a Christian like people in the 1st century became Christians; hold to New Testament standards of worship, morality, good deeds, and church organization; and look forward to the same eternal reward given to Peter, Paul, James, and John. Please don’t be among those who say, “We will not walk in it.”

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Forgotten days without number — Jeremiah 1-3

Posted on September 29, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, today, dear daily Bible readers, we begin reading the prophecies of Jeremiah. One of the things that you’ll notice about prophecy — we’ve noted this briefly before — is that it is not all about the future. Prophets are mouthpieces for God. Sometimes the mouthpieces speak of the future, what God intends to do, but even more often it is what we might call old-fashioned preaching — often of the Hell-fire and brimstone variety. Prophets were usually called to call God’s people to repent of their sin and unfaithfulness; and sometimes that included promises of punishment, if they refused to repent. Much of Jeremiah’s prophecy is like this

Jeremiah is sometimes called the “Weeping Prophet”, because of passages like this: “Oh that my head were waters And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!” Jeremiah 9:1, NAS95. Of course, we can readily understand why, when we consider his life. Jeremiah experienced the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem by Babylon, a later siege of Jerusalem, and also the final razing of Jerusalem and the Temple. Imagine the heartache of watch your country sink to irresistible defeat before her enemies — and more than defeat, exile of her people and burning destruction of her cities. Jerusalem and Judah became a nation wiped clean like a dish (2 Kings 21:13). His life also included the persecution that usually accompanies bringing a prophetic message, including imprisonment and near starvation. This was Jeremiah’s tragic life and ministry.

Anyway, the first three chapters have a lot to say to us — so much that I’d like to simply point out the themes in these chapters and some of the best (in my humble opinion) verses in that theme…

The call of Jeremiah:

 

  • “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10
  • “The word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ And I said, ‘I see a rod of an almond tree.’ Then the LORD said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.’” Jeremiah 1:11, 12 (The Hebrew for”almond” sounds like the Hebrew word for “watch”. God will always make sure His word comes to pass.)
  • “Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them.” Jeremiah 1:17

The moral pollution of Judah

  • ““How well you prepare your way To seek love! Therefore even the wicked women You have taught your ways.” Jeremiah 2:33
  • “God says, ‘…But you are a harlot with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,’ declares the LORD. ‘Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see; Where have you not been violated? …’” Jeremiah 3:1, 2

The stubbornness of Judah

  • “’Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,’declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:10
  • “’Why do you contend with Me? You have all transgressed against Me,’ declares the LORD. ‘In vain I have struck your sons; They accepted no chastening. Your sword has devoured your prophets Like a destroying lion.’” Jeremiah 2:29, 30

God’s incredulity about Judah’s stubbornness

  • “Has a nation changed gods When they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory For that which does not profit.” Jeremiah 2:11
  • “Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals,… Thus says the LORD, ‘What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness and became empty?’” Jeremiah 2:1-5
  • “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number.” Jeremiah 2:32
  • “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13

God’s intentions regarding Judah 

  • “From this place also you will go out With your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, And you will not prosper with them.” Jeremiah 2:37
  • “The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.… “I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:13-16
  • “’Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘they will no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. At that time they will call Jerusalem “The Throne of the LORD,”and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.” Jeremiah 3:15-18
  • ““Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to forsake the LORD your God, And the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.” Jeremiah 2:19

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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And a rousing finale — Isaiah 65,66

Posted on September 28, 2011 by parklinscomb

When I read the last couple of chapters of Isaiah, I always feel like I’ve been to a great musical concert, where the last piece ends with a great swell of volume, virtuoso performances, soaring melody, perfect and complex harmony, and a great cymbal crash at the end — leaving the audience with no option but to immediately rise as one to give a standing ovation! I feel this way not just because Isaiah is a wonderful wordsmith, but because of the content of these last two chapters.

“I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I,’ To a nation which did not call on My name. I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts,” Isaiah 65:1, 2 — This is a passage that Paul quotes in his explanation of what had happened with regard to Israel’s status with God: God, though He still loves Israel, has now called the Gentiles (the nations), and now included them in the Chosen. Not all of Israel turned away, of course; Paul himself was Jewish, as were the rest of the apostles and all the early converts. However, as a general rule, the Jews (following the lead of their leaders) rejected the Cornerstone, the Messiah,  sadly and ironically clinging to a covenant which can only condemn…

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” Romans 7:6-12, NAS95.

“We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Galatians 2:15, 16, NAS95.

…and rejecting the covenant that thoroughly forgives and cleanses:

“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:23-29, NAS95.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. … And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. …The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.” Isaiah 65:17-25 — If some of this sounds like something that came out of Revelation, you’re doing well — Revelation’s description is close…

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” Revelation 21:1, NAS95.

“and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”” Revelation 21:4, NAS95.

And the reference at the end of the serpent’s food being dust is nothing more or less than a reference to the ultimate defeat of Satan, mentioned in Genesis 3:14, 15 and again in Revelation 12:9,13-17; 20:10. It is nothing less than paradise regained!

“Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.” Isaiah 66:7 — Here’s an interesting passage that speaks of the suddenness of the Messianic appearance and His kingdom. The fulfillment (especially the birth of a nation in one day part) happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), when Jewish believers in Jesus became the new Zion, the new Israel. Interestingly enough, Rabbi Samuel Ben Nahman notes in Babylonian Sanhedrin folio 97:1 that the Messiah would be born before a great tribulation (for example, Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70) by citing this very verse.

““Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.”” Isaiah 66:24 — This passage is clearly quoted by Jesus in Mark 9:48 as Jesus speaks about the punishment awaiting those who fail to make the hard choices in favor of the Kingdom — Hell. The allusion to the worm and the fire is to the valley of Hinnom, just south of the city. This valley had not only had been the location of many of the most heinous acts of pagan idolatry, and therefore a place of profound impurity; but had also become the city garbage dump — a place of perpetual rottenness, decay, and burning. There aren’t many references in the Old Testament to Hell, but this is a clear one. Clearly the point here is to make sure that we are among the remnant, the new nation, the Chosen composed of all nations.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing

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A divine romance — Isaiah 62-64

Posted on September 27, 2011 by parklinscomb

I was slightly amused a few years ago, when reading a Biblical Archaeology Review. Many of the writers for the magazine and archaeologists working in Israel are not believers. Often they are Israeli academics who are mostly irreligious and not overly familiar with the Bible. In an ironic twist, some even consider knowing much about the Bible to be prejudicial to their work. But the source of my amusement was an article title, which was clearly intended to grab the reader’s attention — something to the effect of “Was God Married?” It was an article about how some of the idolatrous Israelites sometimes tried to merge the two major religious streams of the region, the worship of the true God and the worship of Asherah. But the truth was of course that God does consider Himself to be betrothed — to His people, Israel. Today’s readings speak of this.

“The nations will see your righteousness, And all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate.” Isaiah 62:2 — New names in biblical times were not just vanity matters, like the modern Chad Ochocinco. They reflected a change in life, a change in who you were: Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Naomi to Mara, and Saul to Paul. This new name given to God’s people would reflect not their faithlessness and stubbornness, but rather a new character of righteousness and glory. Verses 4,5 tell us that it will be essentially a “married” name — no longer “forsaken” or “desolate”, but “My delight is in her” and “married”. This promise found its fulfillment in the New Testament designation of God’s people, (Romans 16:16) the church of Christ — the called out belonging to Righteousness and Glory incarnate!

“For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5 — So this redemption of the remnant will be like a marriage. Interestingly enough, the first and most common example of covenants in the ancient world was marriage itself, and the renewal of the covenant with Israel is directly symbolized here with a marriage or perhaps a remarriage. In the New Testament fulfillment there is a new covenant prophesied (Jer. 31:31) and fulfilled (Luke 22:20) with the last few chapters of Revelation carrying a theme of the great wedding consummation of the Lamb and His people. The Lord is married (betrothed), but her name isn’t Asherah, it is the church (Ephesians 5:22-33).

“I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment.” Isaiah 63:3 — Lest anyone be deceived into a false sense of security, however, that God will now be a God of all-love-all-the-time, we are reminded here of the God who does not change and who demands justice. His justice is satisfied in Jesus, His Son on the cross; but for those who refuse to believe in Him, there is only the wine trough. Jesus, in Revelation 19:13 the Lamb is shown to also be a Lion. Like the figure in Isaiah 63:3, the robes of the Word of God are dipped in blood of the enemies of God.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Consequences and Promises — Isaiah 59-61

Posted on September 26, 2011 by parklinscomb

One of the things that God is to be praised for is His parental patience. Good parents know how to properly use both sticks and carrots, as it were. Consistent consequences for bad behavior and faithful promises for good behavior — and the patience not blow up in a mushroom cloud after the thousandth misbehavior. And in today’s reading we can see our patient God working with seemingly incorrigible Israel — telling them of the consequences coming their way, but promising redemption for a righteous remnant — a remnant which has a double fulfillment, as we’ve talked about before.

“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:1, 2 — So, Israel, you want to know why your prayers aren’t being answered? Why your enemies aren’t being beaten back? It isn’t because God isn’t capable, because He is limited in what He can do, or because He can’t hear your cries. It’s because your sins have separated you from God! That’s what sin has always done, separated men from God. It puts us at odds with the Lord; our relationship is broken; we have offended our great Friend. Mankind becomes so insensitive to the offensiveness of sin that many often cop that blank look and say “What?” from things like selfishness, pride, and lust to theft, homosexuality, and prostitution. But just in case we ever wonder, What happened to God? Why isn’t He saving us? Where is your God now? Well, it’s happened before that sins have hidden His face from men, so that He does not hear. If we don’t listen to Him, we don’t get heard by Him.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.” Isaiah 60:1, 2 — Israel’s future would include a pretty dire consequence for the really hideous and faithful way that they had behaved toward God, but there was also a time coming when the righteous remnant would be once again taken into His arms, forgiven, and blessed in such a way as to make the heathen world around them envy them. And this passage reminds older Christians to be careful never to forget something very important — how bad it really is outside the circle of redemption. Some of us, having been raised in the church, have had little or no experience with the really dysfunctional reality of the world without God. But it is. Big house or not, gaudy jewelry or not, big smiles and big bank accounts or not; the world without God is not a nice place — it just looks that way. And this is why when we live a consistent, happy, godly life in front of others that it attracts notice, and sometimes questions. The darkness is interested in the light.

“Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you.” Isaiah 60:10 — This had to have been the most preposterous promise imaginable on the ears of the Israelites — foreigners will build our walls? But it happened just that way. Never call God’s promises crazy, preposterous, or impossible. Making the impossible and preposterous happen are His specialties.

““No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory. Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over.” Isaiah 60:19, 20 — Light, as a metaphor, can be used in lots of ways: as a symbol of revelation and wisdom, as a symbol of security from fear, and (as in this case) a symbol of joy (the opposite of mourning). This may sound familiar to you, if you’ve read through the end of Revelation lately — the part about the new Jerusalem:

“And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:23)

“they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:4, 5).

…and this may help us to understand the Revelation reference a bit more — the Old Testament helps interpret the New.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,” Isaiah 61:1, 2 — Early in Jesus’ ministry, after His baptism and temptations in the wilderness, He came to the synagogue in Nazareth, where He’d been brought up. When He stood up to read from the Scriptures, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was passed to Him. Jesus opened the scroll to this passage — a very deliberate act, since this prophecy is found at the end of the book — and read this Messianic prophecy. He then handed the scroll back to the attendant, sat down (all eyes on Him), and told them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” When we understand all that these two verses are telling us, it is really good, good news. It’s good news to: the afflicted (suffering) because of the hope of Heaven, the heartbroken because there is forgiveness, the prisoners because there is freedom from sin, to the captives (slaves) because they need no more be slaves to darkness, to those looking for the Messianic age because it has arrived, to the oppressed because God’s vengeance is near, to those who mourn because they will be comforted in the promise of immortality!

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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