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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

 

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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

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+033
 

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

 

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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

 

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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