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Jeremiah 43 (ESV)

¹ When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lord their God had sent him to them, ² Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ ³ but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” ⁴ So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. ⁵ But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— ⁶ the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. ⁷ And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.

 

REFLECTION:

Johanan and others were afraid to obey God’s instructions, insisted on continuing to go to Egypt, and forcing Jeremiah to go with them, thinking that being with Jeremiah God would not bring harm to them. Jeremiah has been a prophet for forty years, and many of his prophecies have been fulfilled. He even gave up the opportunity to enjoy a comfortable life in Babylon and was willing to return to his fellow countrymen to share their suffering. However, his compatriots still stubbornly rejected his words from the heart, and did not listen to a word. The purpose of Johanan and his group’s coming to Jeremiah was not to ask God for guidance, but they had already had their own ideas and hoped that God would approve of them. If there is no obedient heart in prayer, it is no different from asking idols and fortune-tellers, using the almighty God as one’s own tool. We should be wary of making the same mistakes – requesting God to grant us the things that we wish, instead of seeking His will and guidance. We should fear God and not despise His sovereignty. Unless we are willing to let God lead, all plans are in vain; unless we are willing to accept God’s answer, all prayers are useless.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, ask God to give you a heart of obedience, and be willing to be led by God throughout your life and live in God’s word; imitate the Lord Jesus’ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and pray to God for the difficulties in your heart; ask God to grant or not grant your request according to His will, not your own will.

 

HYMN:

Your Will Be Done – www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt-29pGIw1k

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+042
 

Jeremiah 42 (ESV)

¹ Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near ² and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— ³ that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”…

⁷ At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, ⁹ and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: ¹⁰ If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. ¹¹ Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. ¹² I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. ¹³ But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God ¹⁴ and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ ¹⁵ then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, ¹⁶ then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. ¹⁷ All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them.

 

REFLECTION:

Johanan and others decided the answer in their hearts before asking God. They promised Jeremiah verbally that they were willing to listen to what God said to them, good or bad, but they only wanted to listen to what they wanted, and their falsehood finally became a curse on themselves. Jeremiah described in detail the retribution they would receive if they did not listen to God, but they still did not believe it. The final outcome, as Jeremiah had forewarned, was that they all died in Egypt and no one remained. There are two mistakes made by Johanan and others: One is pride and rebellion, disobeying God’s will; the other is falsely asking God’s will and deceiving God. We should be vigilant and not make the same mistakes. Asking for God’s guidance without having the heart to obey it is really wrong. In addition, do not pray to God for things that go against God’s will and divine nature. Instead of making fake prayers, it is better not to pray. We should understand that God cannot be deceived. If you deceive God, you will be severely punished.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to examine your heart and let you see how many false elements in your prayers; each of us who is in sin has some falsehood, confess your falsehood to God and repent of your falsehood; dedicate to God that you are willing to pursue faith more sincerely, more obedience to God’s will, and willing to accomplish everything according to God’s will instead of your own will.

 

HYMN:

I Surrender – youtu.be/jgsqfjRslzA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+041
 

Jeremiah 41 (ESV)

¹⁶ Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt ¹⁸ because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

 

REFLECTION:

The remnants of Judah lost the Law and faith in God in the desolate cities. Johanan and others fled to Egypt because they were afraid of the Chaldeans. They traveled south from Gibeon, stopped at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, and pretended to go to Jeremiah to ask for God’s will, but as Jeremiah said later, they didn’t really ask him for God’s will, but they had their own opinions in their hearts, and they only wanted to hear what they agreed with. Today, our fear will also cause us to lose confidence, so that we can make our own decisions and no longer want to follow God’s guidance. We should ask ourselves what we are afraid of. As Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35, ESV). May we imitate Paul, without fear in our hearts, and in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly and tell God the fear in your heart; ask God to make you attracted by His love and willing to make sacrifices because you love God, because there is no fear in love; God has given you the courage not to fear of anything in the future, more than conquering through the Lord who loved us.

 

HYMN:

Whom Shall I Fear – youtu.be/qOkImV2cJDg

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+040
 

Jeremiah 40 (ESV)

¹ 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.

 

REFLECTION:

Although Nebuzaradan, the captain of Babylon’s guard, did not know God, he admitted that Babylon’s victory was given by God. Some people acknowledge the existence of God and know that He performs miracles, but they are unwilling to personally accept Him, know Him, and experience God’s salvation, because doing so will have to pay a great price, giving up the way of life they have been accustomed to and the values ​​that gain them great benefits before. Jeremiah can choose where he reside at will. In Babylon, he can enjoy a comfortable life and have a certain amount of power; in Judah, he will continue to suffer. He may be loved by the Babylonians in Babylon, but he will be spurned by his exiled compatriots; in Judah it means living a life of poverty and loneliness, but it can show that he is not a perfunctory traitor. In the end Jeremiah chose to return to Judah and live in Mizpah. Mizpah is located a few kilometers north of Jerusalem. This place was not severely damaged during the war. So after the fall of Jerusalem, many remnants of Judah sought refuge here. Jeremiah chose to continue to serve these survivors, but also to serve God and experience God’s deeper edification. This past event warns us that knowing God is not only having knowledge about God and acknowledging His power, but also confessing sins and repenting, changing the old self-centered lifestyles and values, and throwing into God’s embrace without hesitation. Establish an intimate and deep relationship with God, and be constantly edified by God throughout our life.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you so that you can understand at what stage your knowledge of God stays? Is it just cognition in the mind, or you have established an intimate relationship with God and follow His guidance in everything? Pray that God will enable you to see where you are still imperceptibly influenced by the world’s values, and give you the strength to overcome your old self in those areas and renew your life.

 

HYMN:

Loving My Jesus – youtu.be/OnJFGtAXxGs

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+039
 

Jeremiah 39 (ESV)

¹ 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.

 

REFLECTION:

Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, was the last king of Judah. ​​He ruled Judah for eleven years from 597 to 586 BC. The king of Judah before him were his two elder brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, and his nephew, Jehoiachin. When Jehoiachin was taken into captivity in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, who was only 21 years old, king of Judah and renamed him Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17), which means “The Lord is my righteousness” . However, Zedekiah’s life’s deeds are contrary to his name. Zedekiah was unwilling to be the puppet king, and because of his failure to resist Babylon, he fled at the end. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar captured him, killed his sons in front of him, gouge out his eyes, and took him to Babylon. Soon, Zedekiah died in Babylon, ending a sad and deplorable life. We should take the tragic fall of Zedekiah’s kingdom and his death as a lesson, rely on God in everything, live out God’s justice, and manifest God’s glory. Otherwise, God’s discipline may not be delayed. In the newly conquered places, Babylon used the method of combining grace and power to rule the people, taking all the wealthy and powerful away, leaving only the poor in place to win the gratitude of the remnants. This was Babylon’s trick to win over people’s hearts, but God used this to protect the remnants of Judah and make them realize that God is still looking after them in the tragic fate of subjugation.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more vigilance, take history and people as a mirror. In your life, try to take God’s will as the standard for your actions; you should understand that while you are looking at the predecessors, the future generations are also looking at you; ask God for help for you to have a beautiful testimony in this life, set a godly example to your descendants, and inspire them to return to God. It is the blessings that God has given you to pass on from generation to generation.

 

HYMN:

May The Lord Find Us Faithful – youtu.be/pQ7VWKKgpLU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+038
 

Jeremiah 38 (ESV)

¹ 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.

 

REFLECTION:

Zedekiah, king of Judah, did not have his own opinion. He listened to everyone’s opinions, and his administration was chaotic. He not only obeyed Jeremiah’s request and transferred Jeremiah from the dungeon cells to the court of the guard (37:21), but also allowed everyone to kill Jeremiah, and he finally saved Jeremiah’s life (v16). Jeremiah was very unpopular at the time. His remarks kept hitting the morale of the army and the people. It was very frustrating at first but in fact what he conveyed were divine warnings and good advice. The leaders of Judah threw Jeremiah into prison, trying to put him to death. The “prison” is actually a cistern, an underground hole used to collect rainwater. The bottom of the cistern was dark and damp, with thick mud. Jeremiah faithfully preached God’s message, but he was persecuted and framed time after time by the leaders of Judah. For 40 years he has served God faithfully, but he has not been appreciated, loved or supported by anyone. Instead, he has been beaten, intimidated, and thrown into jail until he is expelled. Only the Gentile Babylonians still have a little respect for him. God never promised His servants to be free from oppression, and even loyal servants are not immune. However, God promised that He would be with them and give them the strength to face the difficulties and dangers. When you serve God, you sometimes seem to be trapped in a thick mud. You must remember that you are serving God, not pleasing people. God is with you and will lead and build your life. Zedekiah is difficult to choose between public opinion and God’s will. Reflect in your daily life, is it the opinion of others or the will of God that has more influence on you?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you a pair of sharp ears so that you can distinguish the voice of God among the voices of the world, and a pair of bright eyes that can focus on the holiness and glory of God in filthy and dark places; pray that God will strengthen your heart so that you will not be shaken by the vanity of the world, even if it seems so attractive to people.

 

HYMN:

To Be Pleasing You – www.youtube.com/watch?v=klQglFxPDDM

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+037
 

Jeremiah 37 (ESV)

¹ 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 Lord that 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.’”

 

REFLECTION:

King Jehoiakim died on the way to Babylon. His son Jehoiachin (Coniah) was appointed king of Judah, but he was taken captive to Babylon three months later. Afterward Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, set the puppet king Zedekiah as a tool to rule Judah, and Zedekiah became the last king of the kingdom of Judah. King Zedekiah and the officials did not want to listen to Jeremiah’s warning, but wanted him to pray for them. What they want is a superficial faith that does not have to pay any price. King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem in 589 BC, and Zedekiah was like a drowning man clutching at a straw. He asked the Egyptian Pharaoh Hophra (44:30) for help and asked for the help of the army. The civil and military officials and the people in Jerusalem did not listen to Jeremiah’s warning, and looked forward to the Egyptian army’s help to relieve them from the crisis in Jerusalem. However, when the Chaldean army attacked again and confronted the Egyptian army head-on, the Egyptian army retreated and did not defend Jerusalem, fully fulfilling Jeremiah’s warning. Today, God is equally displeased with those who only crave for profit without establishing a deep relationship with Him. If we ourselves will not accept that our relationship with others is purely based on seeking benefits, of course we should not expect God to accept such relationship between us and Him.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to enlighten you and enable you to examine the foundation on which your relationship with God is based; pray that God will make you immune to the “prosperity theology” that is flooding us like a virus today, so that you can build a deeper relationship with God, experience His presence in everything you do.

 

HYMN:

Jesus Draw Me Close – youtu.be/kvKQZBH5rZU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+036
 

Jeremiah 36 (ESV)

¹ 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.”…

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 Lord concerning 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.

 

REFLECTION:

In ancient times, most people were illiterate, so scholars were very precious and respected. The status of the scribes is even loftier, and their knowledge and learning are highly respected. Baruch was the scribe of Jeremiah. At that time, most people used lambskin and papyrus to record text, and then sewed or glued sheets of lambskin and papyrus into a volume of books, called scrolls. After the Israelites were taken into captivity, the scribes became law teachers, explaining the Old Testament law. In the New Testament era, the scribes became powerful political organizations. God ordered Jeremiah to write His words on a scroll, but because Jeremiah himself was not allowed to enter the temple, he called Baruch the scribe to write down what he was going to say on the scroll, and then read it to the people in the temple. As a result, when the rebellious King Jehoiakim heard God’s words, he not only turned a deaf ear to God’s words, but also burned the scrolls that recorded God’s words with resentment. Although he burned the scrolls, he could not destroy God’s words, nor could he escape God’s judgment. Today, many people still turn a deaf ear to God’s words and even become hostile, or say that the Bible contains many errors and is not worth believing. People can refuse to listen to what God says, but they cannot destroy it, because His words are powerful and will stand forever.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to strengthen your faith, make you believe that the Bible is infallible and be in awe of it, and be willing to live according to the way of life revealed in the Bible; pray for God to give you the courage, love and wisdom to face the stiffness and even hostility shown after people hearing God’s words, do your best to guide people to God.

 

HYMN:

Show Us Christ – youtu.be/uLIi5SAVMRw

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+035
 

Jeremiah 35 (ESV)

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.”

 

REFLECTION:

The rules of the Rechabites are somewhat similar to those of the Nazirites, who are those who make certain special vow to God (see Numbers Ch.6). For two hundred years, the Rechabites have abided by the legacy of their ancestors and never touched any alcohol. Although all Judah and the whole country had abandoned the covenant with God, these people still adhered to the covenant and did not waver. There is a sharp contrast between the Rechabites and the Israelites: the Rechabites can persist in the precepts of the leader who will make mistakes, but the Israelites have abandoned the covenant with the infallible God. Jonadab only once told them that drinking was not allowed, the Rechabites obeyed. God repeatedly ordered the Israelites to leave their sins, but they resisted and refused to obey Him. The regulations that the Rechabites obeyed were only of temporary significance, but they still stick to it, and the Israelites violate God’s eternal law. The Rechabites have kept the commandments for hundreds of years, but the Israelites have disobeyed God for hundreds of years; the Rechabites have been blessed, and the Israelites have caused misfortune. God hopes that the remaining people will be able to keep the covenant made with Him just as the Rechabites kept their father’s command. The same is true today. In the ever-changing world, some people think that adapting to change is the way to survive. However, God wants us to keep His word. In many cases, we will follow traditional customs. God’s word is based on His faithfulness, far superior than all traditional customs, and will never change. It contains a beautiful will for our life. Isn’t it more worthy of our observance and practice?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to strengthen your heart so that you can hold on to the truth and unwaveringly in the changing world. Pray for wisdom and strength when your heavenly values conflict with the values of the world, especially when the conflict comes from your relatives, friends or traditional customs. Pray that God will enable you to stand firm and at the same time have the dexterity to resolve contradictions, and guide people to the truth of life.

 

HYMN:

Your Words – youtu.be/kn4svfphyGE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+034
 

Jeremiah 34 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: ² “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. ³ You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ ⁴ Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. ⁵ You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

This chapter describes the fulfillment of many of Jeremiah’s prophecies. In the Book of Jeremiah, many prophecies were soon fulfilled. God used Jeremiah’s mouth to warn Zedekiah, king of Judah, that even if the outcome was miserable, he must “hear the word of the Lord” (v4). Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the whole city was in danger. Finally, Zedekiah, who was disobedient, finally decided to obey Jeremiah and calm God’s anger. He liberated slaves, thinking that by doing good deeds, he could please God, but in fact what he really needed was sincere repentance, which would bring about a change and renewal of life. The people of Judah did not abide by God’s law from the beginning. When the disaster of the siege was temporarily eased, the people returned to their previous behaviour, and even worsened and committed blatant crimes, as did Zedekiah himself. If there is no real renewal of the soul, and only hurriedly call upon God in danger, it seems to have obeyed God’s words, in fact, there is no real repentance, and defeat cannot be saved. Today, do we rush to pray to God only when we are at a critical juncture or desperate?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to enable you to learn from the defeat of Zedekiah, to be vigilant every day, and to walk with God at all times, so that you will not be far away from God in normal days, but only pray to God in times of trouble. Ask God to enlighten you so that you have a deeper understanding of your sins and a more thorough repentance, which will bring transformation and renewal in your life.

 

HYMN:

Renew My Life Lord Jesus – youtu.be/2RGPePnJe0k