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Jeremiah 33 (ESV)

¹ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: ² “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: ³ Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known…

¹⁴ “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

¹⁷ “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, ¹⁸ and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

 

REFLECTION:

God will rebuild Jerusalem, not because of the cry of the people, but because this is the work of His eternal plan. The disaster brought by Babylon could not change God’s will for His people at all. Although Jerusalem will be destroyed, there must be a day of reconstruction. God assured Jeremiah that as long as he calls to God, God will answer him. God is always listening to our prayers. The problem is that you have to pray to Him and ask Him for help. It is true that even if we do not ask Him for help, He will take care of our needs. However, we prayed to Him to admit that He alone is God, and that we cannot accomplish things that belong to God by our own strength. The Davidic Covenant was finally fulfilled in Christ. Christ not only fulfilled the role of king, but also fulfilled the role of priest, becoming the mediator between the people and God, maintaining the communion relationship between God and His people. Through the blood that He shed for us, all believers today are priests of God, so we no longer need the Levites to sacrifice for us, but can come directly to God and pray to Him. When we pray to Him, we must be humble, let go of our will and worries, and obey His will wholeheartedly. Prayer is never in vain, but not many people have truly experienced the power of prayer, so that they do not cherish the right to pray to God. As children of God, have we grasped the right to pray to God?

 

PRAYER:

Let go of all your burdens and worries and come pray to God. Pray for God to make you cherish the right to pray directly to God and spend more time in prayer every day to get close to God. Pray for God to make your prayers more deep and powerful. This depth and power come from letting go of all your mind and thoughts. Discern God’s will wholeheartedly and live in God’s will.

 

HYMN:

Sweet Hour Of Prayer – youtu.be/sLV-imJxyo4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+032
 

Jeremiah 32 (ESV)

³⁶ “Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: ³⁷ Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. ³⁸ And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

⁴² “For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. ⁴³ Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ ⁴⁴ Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

God’s purpose in allowing the Israelites to suffer disaster is to make them know God better and live a life that is pleasing to God, so that they can receive all the blessings that God has promised. Just as a stern and loving father spanks his own child in order to make the child have an upright and good character, so as to conform to the father’s good intentions and receive the father’s blessing, God will also use His righteous power to supervise and command His people to fulfilled His will, even if it means His people will suffer pain. Today, God also won’t let you do whatever you want to do, but will let you do what He wants, even if doing so will make you feel painful and difficult. We must realize that the meaning of trusting God is not in asking God to grant your wishes, but in taking God’s will in everything. Today, as God’s children, God also wants us to have “one heart and one way” (v39) and be focused on Him. We must understand that everything is done according to God’s will, and we should strive to love God more than anything else with all our heart.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to strengthen your soul so that you can concentrate on looking to God’s will in all the adversities of life. Pray to God for your current difficulties, not to ask God to get you out of trouble immediately, but to ask God to make you discern and perceive God’s will in troubles, so that you will have the confidence to act according to God’s will. Moreover, ask God to make all your plights an opportunity for your growth and a path to blessing.

 

HYMN:

You Will Be Done – youtu.be/thsu0VeXd7I

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+031
 

Jeremiah 31 (ESV)

¹ “At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

² Thus says the Lord:
“The people who survived the sword
found grace in the wilderness;
when Israel sought for rest,
³     the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
⁴ Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
⁵ Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit.
⁶ For there shall be a day when watchmen will call
in the hill country of Ephraim:
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
to the Lord our God.’”

 

REFLECTION:

God wants all peoples to be His people, not limited to one nation and one tribe. This promise of God is not only to the tribe of Judah, but to the tribes of Israel, including all those who trust in the Lord. They will return and rebuild. God’s love will never change. Today, when we encounter all kinds of hardships and difficulties, do we still have faith in His promise? God always treats His people with deep love and kindness, and as long as we are willing to accept it, He will give us the best. Jeremiah has repeatedly proclaimed warnings about sin, but here he speaks of God’s deep and wide love, which is undoubtedly like a breath of fresh air, rejuvenating and refreshing the soul. The message of God that Jeremiah wanted to convey was that God’s justice and mercy should go hand in hand. When we think of God, we should not only be in awe and trembling, but we must also carefully observe how God draws us to Him with love on the path of our growth. God’s will is to build up our lives, so that we can enjoy abundance. May we be able to appreciate God’s will every day, live happily in God’s justice and love, and bear the fruit of life.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God with a grateful heart, review your journey of faith, and count the blessings of God especially for your experience of being led by God’s cords of kindness and bands of love when you are far away from Him. Ask God to give you spiritual vitality and alertness so that you will be more sensitive and alert to sin, and desire for God’s guidance and enlightenment.

 

HYMN:

The Lord’s My Shepherd – youtu.be/pN4tPkX0MG0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+030
 

Jeremiah 30 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. ³ For behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”

⁴ These are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

⁵ “Thus says the Lord:
We have heard a cry of panic,
of terror, and no peace.
⁶ Ask now, and see,
can a man bear a child?
Why then do I see every man
with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?
Why has every face turned pale?
⁷ Alas! That day is so great
there is none like it;
it is a time of distress for Jacob;
yet he shall be saved out of it.

⁸ “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. ⁹ But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

¹⁰ “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord,
nor be dismayed, O Israel;
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
¹¹ For I am with you to save you,
declares the Lord;
I will make a full end of all the nations
among whom I scattered you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

 

REFLECTION:

This passage records the message of comfort and hope that Jeremiah conveyed. God always has mercy in judgment, and there is no lack of comfort in His wrath. One day, the people will return to their native land from the exile, and make a new covenant with God to replace the broken old covenant. They will also repent from their sins and be converted and obey God. When we read it, it’s like looking at the mountains from afar. The summits are close to each other. When we get closer, we will see that there is actually a great distance between the summits. As far as Jeremiah’s prophecy is concerned, people often think that what is about to happen is only a short distance away from the end, but in fact it is not. Jeremiah not only saw the doom of Judah’s impending exile, but also saw the scene of Christ’s eternal rule over all things in the future. The King David here (v9) does not really refer to David, but refers to his descendants, the Messiah whom everyone admires. Today, we have passed the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus for more than two thousand years, His promise of return seems that it is about to be accomplished, but it also seems to be far away indefinitely. We should be encouraged from this past of the Israelites returning from captivity, with good hope in our hearts, and watchful waiting for the Lord’s return.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God quietly, pour out to God what you hope He will accomplish for you, but has not yet been accomplished. Ask God to comfort you, and make you understand that what God is willing to accomplish will be accomplished, but God has His own time. Ask God to give you more patience to wait, just like the farmer to wait for the early and the late rains until there is a fruitful harvest.

 

HYMN:

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death – youtu.be/OibIi1rz7mw

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+029
 

Jeremiah 29 (ESV)

¹ These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. ² This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. ³ The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said: ⁴ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

 

REFLECTION:

Jeremiah wrote to the Judahites in Babylon (v4 to 23 is the content of the letter), instructing them to continue to live and to pray for the peace of the Gentiles who took them captive. Life should not be stopped due to hardship. Despite the harsh living environment and poor circumstances, God’s people should try their best to adapt and live actively. You may find it too difficult to pray for tyrants or unrighteous people, but this is what you need to learn. God’s salvation is for all nations and peoples, no matter who, as long as they are willing to come to God and repent sincerely, God is willing to accept them. Therefore, we should pray for all people, especially those in positions and powers, because God also wants them to be saved (see 1 Timothy 2:1-6). In addition, when you encounter difficulties or suffer sudden changes, don’t give up hope because of fear or uncertain prospects. Instead, pray more persistently, live more actively, try your best to bear a good testimony to God, and attract the non-believers to return to God.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, pray for an unrighteous ruler in your eyes, ask God to make him/her repent, give him/her more justice and mercy, and do good things for everyone. Ask God to make you understand that His grace and love do not want anyone to perish. He allows the sun to shine on the righteous as well as the unrighteous. Ask God to enable you to imitate the love of Christ and try your best to preach the gospel of repentance, so that more people will receive God’s salvation.

 

HYMN:

Let Your Kingdom Come – youtu.be/3Rh8I0r9glA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+028
 

Jeremiah 28 (ESV)

¹ In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, ² “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. ⁴ I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the Lord, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”…

¹⁰ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke-bars from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke them. ¹¹ And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.” But Jeremiah the prophet went his way.

¹² Sometime after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke-bars from off the neck of Jeremiah the prophet, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³ “Go, tell Hananiah, ‘Thus says the Lord: You have broken wooden bars, but you have made in their place bars of iron. ¹⁴ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” ¹⁵ And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. ¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”

¹⁷ In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

 

REFLECTION:

No one likes to listen to the truths told by Jeremiah, but Hananiah’s lies give people illusory hope and comfort. God has clearly stated that the characteristics of a true prophet are that his prophecies will be fulfilled and will not be inconsistent. Although Hananiah’s death and Babylon’s repeated invasions fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy, the people preferred to believe sweet lies rather than listen to truths that caused them pain. Today we often say that God’s will be done. Once God’s will is not in line with our expectations, we are not willing to see God’s will be done. We will not find out the reasons from ourselves, and we don’t want to know why God’s will is inconsistent with our expectation. We should be wise and willing to listen to unpleasant but kind-hearted advices. These advices are usually given to us by God through people around us. They can make us see our own sins more clearly and enable us to confess and repent more humbly. In addition, we should also have integrity, especially as leaders in the church. We should speak directly what God has moved us to say without covering up or embellishing it. It may be unacceptable for a while or even cause trouble for ourselves, but ultimately it can edify people and is acceptable to God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to enlighten you and make you understand how much of your inner peace and joy is based on false lies. Pray that God will remove these lies and open your spiritual ears and eyes so that you can hear God’s truth and see God’s glory, receive the true peace and joy that God bestows.

 

HYMN:

God Of All My Days – youtu.be/ZYkZE8AogDE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+027
 

Jeremiah 27 (ESV)

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. ² Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. ³ Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. ⁴ Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: ⁵ “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. ⁶ Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. ⁷ All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.

 

REFLECTION:

The yoke on the neck (v2) is a sign that King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah for the first time in 593 BC and took a large number of Judahites abducted. The yoke is a wooden frame used to put livestock on the rake. Jeremiah’s yoke symbolizes that Judah must obey Babylonian rule or they will be destroyed. God can appoint rulers of other countries who do not worship God to be His “servants” and impose judgments on Judah. ​​This method is really unimaginable. God did not actually ask King Nebuchadnezzar to preach His word, but through Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled the prophecy that God would judge sin. God’s power is in charge of everything. Today, He can still choose anyone at will, including those who do not believe in God, to accomplish His will, and even discipline us through unexpected methods. Therefore, we should be ready to receive God’s discipline at any time, even if it is a way beyond our expectations. At the same time, we should also know that for those who love God all things work together for good. As long as we love the Lord faithfully and obey God’s will in all things, we will be led and edified by God. Not only do we need to be fearless before God, but we must also rejoice and receive His rewards.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to make you more humble and obey God’s sovereignty in all things; for God to enlighten you so that you can see clearly what you have offended God, confess your sins to Him, and repent sincerely. At the same time, pray for God to make you understand that God is loving, and for those who love God all things work together for good. Whether it is smooth or difficult, you are willing to obey God and benefit from God.

 

HYMN:

Give Me Faith – youtu.be/SjFIhTNDyz0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+026
 

Jeremiah 26 (ESV)

¹ In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: ² “Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word. ³ It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds. ⁴ You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, ⁵ and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened, ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.’”

⁷ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. ⁸ And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord…

²⁴ But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah so that he was not given over to the people to be put to death.

 

REFLECTION:

Shiloh was the place where the tabernacle was set up after the Israelites occupied Canaan, and was destroyed by the Philistines in 1050 BC. “I will make this house like Shiloh” (v6) refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. God wanted Jeremiah to “not hold back a word” (v2) and speak His words as they were. It is possible that Jeremiah was weak and thought that some words were too harsh and could cause everyone to become enemies and bring him great danger, so he wanted to cut some of the content. However, God ordered Jeremiah not to change His words to suit Jeremiah’s own wishes, the tastes of the audience, and the environment he is in. Sure enough, the priests and false prophets were furious when they heard this, because the temple is the source of their power. People respect the temple, and they are also revered. Jeremiah said that the temple would be destroyed, undoubtedly challenging and shaking their power. Therefore, a mob of rebellious and foolish people was gathered to kill Jeremiah. Of course the almighty and righteous God will protect Jeremiah from harm through human hands. Today, when we preach the truth in the Bible to unbelievers, we may also feel that some messages are too harsh and may offend others. We always want to express or omit some messages euphemistically. We should understand that God is with us and He will add to our courage and strength, and we cannot change the word of God in order to please anyone.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more courage to not be afraid to offend people when preaching the truth of God, not to delete, add, or change any of God’s words, but to clearly preach all the truths that God has entrusted us to communicate. Pray that God will enable you to have more commitment, so that you can live a holy and abundant life, not only in words, but also with your own practical actions to manifest the glory of God.

 

HYMN:

By Faith – youtu.be/fXB8ihepUpE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+025
 

Jeremiah 25 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), ² which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: ³ “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. ⁴ You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, ⁵ saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. ⁶ Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ ⁷ Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

 

REFLECTION:

This message from Jeremiah was preached in 605 BC, the year when King Nebuchadnezzar officially took power. Jeremiah’s mission as a prophet began in 627 BC, and he had preached for a full 23 years before the seventy years of exile. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to keep preaching the same message for 23 years and being rejected constantly. This is what happened to Jeremiah. Because he dedicated his life to God, no matter how others reacted, he insisted on continuing to preach the message that God wants him to preach: “Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds.” (v5) Today, God also calls us to participate in His Great Commission, and we are often rejected in the process of preaching the gospel. Are we discouraged? May we be inspired by Jeremiah’s unswerving loyalty to God, no matter how others react, we will be faithful to bear witness to God and answer His call.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to fix your eyes on His abundance and power, and make Him a source of your strength, so that you can continue to serve Him faithfully. If you are rejected or even laughed at because of being a testimony for God, pray that God will grant you a brave and firm heart, no matter how others react, you can do what you should do, not to please people, but to please God.

 

HYMN:

Facing A Task Unfinished – youtu.be/zOpt_bulJxY

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+024
 

Jeremiah 24 (ESV)

¹ After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. ² One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, but the other basket had very bad figs, so bad that they could not be eaten. ³ And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁵ “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. ⁶ I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

⁸ “But thus says the Lord: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat Zedekiah the king of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. ⁹ I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a reproach, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. ¹⁰ And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they shall be utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.”

 

REFLECTION:

“Good figs” represent the Judahites who were taken captive to Babylon. This does not mean that they are good citizens themselves, but their hearts still respect God, so God will take care of them and bring them back to their homeland. “Bad figs” represent those who remain in Judah or fled to Egypt. They are self-righteous and think that they will be blessed if they stay in Judah or fled to Egypt. This is exactly the opposite of their thoughts. God wants to refine His people through the process of exile, take care of them, and bless them. We may think that a smooth life is a blessing, and a bad life is a curse. However, if hardships and difficulties can make us more persevere, adversity is also a blessing; if we leave God in good times, it becomes a curse. Therefore, when you are in trouble, ask God to strengthen you for Him; when your life is going well, ask the Lord to teach you how to use the opportunities to serve Him.

 

PRAYER:

Thank God for making you a “good fig.” This is not because you behave better than others, but because of God’s love and grace. Make a resolution to God, you are willing to take more practical actions to be grateful in the future, live in His words every day, obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, work hard to share the gospel, manifest Christ’s character of “loving others as yourself,” so that your life can be improved and bear more fruit.

 

HYMN:

Oceans – youtu.be/6GGFb6LcX3U