Tag: Jeremiah 34-36
Slash and burn theology!
Scripture reading for August 13th: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah the prophet dictated what God had revealed to him concerning the judgment coming on Jerusalem to his secretary, Baruch. Baruch took a pen and ink and wrote the words down on a papyrus scroll. (Jeremiah 36:18) He was told by Jeremiah to read the words to the people in the temple of the Lord. (Jeremiah 36:8) As he read the words of coming destruction and God’s wrath against the people because of their sins, officials of the king heard the message. They decided that the king must be notified. They warned Baruch and Jeremiah to hide.
The king was sitting by a fire and had a scribe’s knife in his hand as the scroll was being read. As he heard the words of a portion of the scroll, the king cut it off, threw it into the fire and burned it up. (Jeremiah 36:23-24) He showed no fear or respect for what the Lord had said! In fact, the king gave orders to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch!
As I read this account, I can see that God’s people are still doing this same thing today. When some who claim to be Christians read the command “you shall not murder“, they don’t believe that it applies to them or their politics and simply ‘slash and burn’ the word of God! They vote to keep murder legal by supporting abortion. When some read that no homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of God, they ‘slash and burn’ and sanction gay marriages and ordain gay pastors and priests. Still others cut out the verses concerning salvation by grace through faith and continue to teach a righteousness based on good works.
The ‘slash and burn’ mentality is bad theology and yield’s God’s wrath and judgment. King Jehoiakim lost his future place in the messianic line as well as a decent and honorable burial. (Jeremiah 36:30-31) All that was written by Jeremiah and Baruch would come to pass because God watches over His word to perform it! (Jeremiah 1:12) It is a fire and a hammer that will burn and smash those who try to oppose it! (Jeremiah 23:29) Take time today to reflect on your treatment of God’s word. Make a fresh commitment to read, believe, and obey the word of God.
Slash and burn!
Scripture reading for August 11th: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah 36 gave us a record an early process of recording Scripture. Jeremiah the prophet dictated to his secretary, Baruch, what God had revealed to him concerning the coming judgment of Jerusalem. Baruch took a pen and ink and wrote the words down on a papyrus scroll. (Jeremiah 36:18) He was told by Jeremiah to go and read the words to the people in the Temple. (Jeremiah 36:8) As he read the words of coming destruction and God’s wrath against the people because of their sins, the King’s officials heard the message. They asked him to read it again to them and decided that the king must be notified. They warned Baruch and Jeremiah to go and hide!
The king was sitting by a fire and had a scribe’s knife in his hand as the scroll was being read. As he heard the words of a portion of the scroll, the king cut it off, threw it into the fire and burned it up. (Jeremiah 36:23-24) He showed no fear or respect for what the Lord had said or for the written word of God. In fact, the king gave orders to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord had hidden them already!
As I read this account, I wonder if God’s people are still doing this same thing today? When some who claim to be Christians read the command “you shall not murder”, they don’t believe that it applies to them or the politicians they support. They simply ‘slash and burn’ the word of God! They vote to keep murder legal by supporting murderers. When some who claim the name of Christ hear that no homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of God, they ‘slash and burn’ and sanction gay marriages and ordain gay pastors and priests. Still others cut out the verses concerning salvation by grace through faith and continue to teach a righteousness based on good works.
The ‘slash and burn’ mentality is bad theology and yield’s God’s wrath and judgment. King Jehoiakim lost his future place in the messianic line as well an honorable burial! (Jeremiah 36:30-31) All that was written by Jeremiah and Baruch came to pass because God watches over His word to perform it! (Jeremiah 1:12) Take time today to reflect on your treatment of God’s word. Make a fresh commitment to read, believe, and apply the word of God to your life.
Covenant Breakers Reward
Scripture reading for August 13th: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah had an interesting life and a difficult message. He was sent by God to God’s people with a message of judgment and rebuke. He was told up front that they would not listen. (Jeremiah 1:19) In today’s reading, Jeremiah gives a final warning to the last king of Judah before the fall of Jerusalem and captivity. He urged King Zedekiah to go peaceably into captivity and told him that God would take care of him there. (Jeremiah 34:2-5)
Zedekiah was desperate when he received this message from Jeremiah. Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian army and only two other cities of Judah were holding on. Zedekiah made a vow and covenant before the Lord to free all the Hebrew slaves in the city. The law of God commanded them to do this every seven years so they were only doing the will of the Lord. They initially obeyed, but then changed their minds and took back all the slaves. (Jeremiah 34:10)
God doesn’t look favorably on covenant breakers. He sent Jeremiah with another word for Zedekiah. “Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant before Me in the house that bears my Name. But now you have turned around and profaned My Name; each of you has taken back his male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become slaves again.” (Jeremiah 34:15-16) Repentance is choosing to do what is right in God’s sight. Turning back to the old way when you promised to go another is profaning God’s Name!
The Lord carefully marks vows we make before Him. (Ecclesiastes 5:2-7) When we make a covenant with God and others, God expects us to keep that agreement. In that day, the agreement was made by killing an animal and splitting it in half. The covenant makers would walk between the pieces and swear that God could do to them what was done to the animal if they broke the covenant. (Jeremiah 34:18-19) It was a visual reminder of the cost of keeping a covenant. God’s decree over these covenant breakers was strong: ” The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, . . .I will hand over to their enemies who seek their lives. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the air.. .” (Jeremiah 34:20)
Slash and burn theology!
Scripture reading for August 13th: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah 36 gives us a record of the process of recording scripture in written form. Jeremiah the prophet dictated to his secretary, Baruch, what God had revealed to him concerning the judgment coming on Jerusalem. Baruch took a pen and ink and wrote the words down on a papyrus scroll. (Jeremiah 36:18) He was told by Jeremiah to go and read the words to the people in the temple of the Lord. (Jeremiah 36:8) As he read the words of coming destruction and God’s wrath against the people because of their sins, officials of the king heard the message. They had him read it again to them and they decided that the king must be notified. They warned Baruch to tell Jeremiah to go and hide both of them.
The king was sitting by a fire and had a scribe’s knife in his hand as the scroll was being read. As he heard the words of a portion of the scroll, the king cut it off, threw it into the fire and burned it up. (Jeremiah 36:23-24) They showed no fear or respect for what the Lord had said or for the written word of God. In fact, the king gave orders to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord had hidden them! God knows how to protect his people!
As I read this account, I could not help but wonder if God’s people are still doing this same thing today. When some who claim to be Christians read the command “you shall not murder”, they don’t believe that it applies to them or their politics and simply ‘slash and burn’ the word of God! They vote to keep murder legal by supporting abortion. When some who claim the name of Christ hear that no homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of God, they ‘slash and burn’ and sanction gay marriages and ordain gay pastors and priests. Still others cut out the verses concerning salvation by grace through faith and continue to teach a righteousness based on good works.
The ‘slash and burn’ mentality is bad theology and yield’s God’s wrath and judgment. King Jehoiakim lost his future place in the messianic line as well as a decent and honorable burial. (Jeremiah 36:30-31) All that was written by Jeremiah and Baruch would come to pass because God watches over His word to perform it! (Jeremiah 1:12) No word of God is void of power. It is a fire and a hammer that will burn and smash those who try to oppose it! (Jeremiah 23:29) Take time today to reflect on your treatment of God’s word. Make a fresh commitment to read, believe, and obey the word of God. Good theology puts the fire in your bones!