The Bible Study Companion
Reflections, questions, and observations on God’s Holy Word
August
More than a Bible reading plan, the Bible Study Companion goes beyond a mere reading of the Word. The Bible Study Companion asks difficult questions about the text. It searches for a deeper meaning behind the stories and events in the Bible. In addition, it helps bring clarity to some confusing passages in the Bible. The Bible Study Companion is a series of 365 daily readings that walks you through the Bible in Chronological order. How to use the Bible Study Companion: Read the daily scripture using the translation of your choice. For insight, observations and questions about each day’s passage refer to the study notes in this guide. Make notes and ask questions as you study the Bible as well.
Presented by Gregory L. Jones, Pastor West York Church of the Brethren http://www.westyorkcob.org
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August August 1: 2 Kings 23, Nahum 1-3 2 Kings 23 •
2 Kings 23:1-2 Josiah didn’t wait for the Temple renovations to be completed. He went straight to the Temple and called a meeting.
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2 Kings 23:3 Please note that Josiah, who had heard the Word and was convicted by the Word, read to the people from the Word. He didn’t make a clever speech. He didn’t design unique banners or write some new song. There was no candle lighting ceremony so the people could ponder the presence of the Spirit. He read from the Word. Some people miss this. They’re so busy trying to make their worship Spiritual that they never take the time to proclaim the Word.
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2 Kings 23:4-11 When a good man hears the Truth of the Word and is transformed by the Word he has within him what he needs to change an entire nation. A wicked man ignores the Word when it is read. A good man lets the Word change him. Wouldn’t it be great to have a leader in our Government like Josiah?
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2 Kings 23:12 Ahaz had built an upper room near one of the gates to the Temple. He apparently used this in astrological worship (zodiac signs, stars, the sun, and moon).
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2 Kings 23:13 King Solomon had built places to worship false gods on the southern hill of the Mount of Olives. This pagan shrine (just outside the city of Jerusalem) was tolerated by every king of Judah since it was built, and certainly it influenced many within the city.
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2 Kings 23:16-18 This is the event that is recorded in 1 Kings 13:2-3.
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2 Kings 23:19-20 This purification extended north into the forgotten land of Israel. Remember that Assyria had taken the 10 northern tribes captive years earlier.
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2 Kings 23:21-23 That’s shocking news. There had not been a Passover celebration this detailed since the time of the Judges. 2 Chronicles 35:18 says that even a small remnant
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of people from Israel came to Jerusalem to celebrate together. And all of this took place because one man (Shaphan) took the time to read God’s Word to his king. That’s the power found in this book we call the Bible. •
2 Kings 23:26-27 In spite of the significant reforms and the great revival that took place under Josiah’s reign, God would not let the nation’s sin go unpunished. Judah would be punished because of Manasseh’s sin.
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2 Kings 23:34-35 Jehoiakim was a puppet king, put in place by Pharaoh Neco II. He ruled under the authority of the Pharaoh. Either way, he was not a good and righteous man like his father.
Nahum 1 •
Nahum 1:1 No one is sure where Elkosh was. Jerome, (347-420 AD) the man who translated the Bible into Latin, says it was Galilee. Some place it near the Tigris River just outside of Nineveh, some say it was Capernaum while others place it east of the Jordan River. However, considering Nahum’s concern for Judah, this town was probably in the southern part of the kingdom.
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Nahum 1:2-6 Nahum spoke against Nineveh, the same city God warned to repent through the prophet Jonah. Why would God change His mind now? The history of this city is long and filled with trouble. Back in Genesis Nineveh is one of the towns founded by Nimrod, the world’s first megalomaniac (Genesis 10:8-11). Inscriptions in the ruins of the city say it was established in 2300 BC. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Nineveh was the capital of one of the cruelest, vilest, most powerful, and most idolatrous empires in the world. For example, writing of one of his conquests, Ashurnaṣirpal II (883859) boasted, “I stormed the mountain peaks and took them. In the midst of the mighty mountain I slaughtered them; with their blood I dyed the mountain red like wool… The heads of their warriors I cut off, and I formed them into a pillar over against their city; their young men and their maidens I burned in the fire” (Luckenbill, Ancient Records of Assyria
and Babylonia, 1:148). Regarding one captured leader, he wrote, “I flayed [him], his skin I spread upon the wall of the city … ”. He also wrote of mutilating the bodies of live captives
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and stacking their corpses in piles.”
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It appears Nineveh’s repentance didn’t last very
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Nahum 1:7-11 Diodorus (Greek historian from 60-30 BC) wrote that in the third year of the siege against Nineveh torrential rains caused a nearby river to flood part of the city and break part of the walls. Another Greek historian, Xenophon (430-354 BC) referred to terrifying thunder (presumably with a storm) associated with the city’s capture. There’s your overwhelming flood (Nahum 1:8). Archeological excavations at Nineveh have revealed charred wood, charcoal, and ashes. “There was no question about the clear traces of burning the temple (as also in the palace of Sennacherib), for a layer of ash about two inches thick lay clearly defined in places on the southeast side about the level of the Sargon pavement” (R. Campbell Thompson and R.W. Hutchinson, A Century of
Exploration at Nineveh. London: Luzac, 1929, pp. 45, 77). See Nahum 1:10 for this prophecy. •
Nahum 1:14 R. Campbell Thompson and R.W. Hutchinson reported that the statue of the goddess Ishtar lay headless in the debris of Nineveh’s ruins (“The British Museum Excavations on the Temple of Ishtar at Nineveh, 1930–1,” Annals of Archeology and
Anthropology. 19, pp. 55–6). Nahum 2 •
Nahum 2:1-2 Although Israel and Judah had been destroyed, their splendor will return, but not Nineveh’s.
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Nahum 2:3-10 Nahum said the destruction would be severe. He was right. Nineveh was never rebuilt. So complete was its destruction that when Xenophon passed by the site about 200 years later, he thought the mounds were the ruins of some other city. And Alexander the Great, fighting in a battle nearby, did not realize that he was near the ruins of Nineveh.
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Nahum 2:13 How fearful it must be to find yourself as God’s enemy. The people are lucky that God didn’t destroy them even worse. They only faced a human opponent
1 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). Vol. 1: The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1494). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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driven against them by God. If God had been the one to face them, none would have survived.
Nahum 3 •
Nahum 3:1-7 Beneath all the beauty and majesty, Nineveh was truly a vile place. Oh, I know its not politically correct to say this. The people of the city would insist they were not all that bad. However, this land had a long history of cruelty.
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Nahum 3:8-10 The fall of Thebes (to Ashurbanipal) is mentioned here. Since that event occurred in 663 BC, the book was written after that date. Then the fall of Nineveh, predicted in Nahum, occurred in 612 BC. So the book was written between 663 and 612 BC.
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Nahum 3:14 A. T. Olmstead reported: “To the south of the gate, the moat is still filled with fragments of stone and of mud bricks from the walls, heaped up when they were breached” (History of Assyria. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951, p. 637).
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Nahum 3:18-19 These final verses may be spoken to Sin-shar-ishkun, the king who was ruling Nineveh when it was destroyed in 612 BC, or, perhaps more likely, to King Ashur-
uballiṭ (612-609 BC) who tried to hold together the Assyrian Empire in the city of Haran, until it finally crumbled completely in 609, three years after Nineveh’s fall. As he looked at his devastated empire, he would realize that his leaders were dead and that people who were not taken as captives were scattered, never again to be gathered. This empire that for centuries had been invincible would be totally disintegrated.
August 2: Habakkuk 1-3 Not much is known about Habakkuk. His name means “to fold one’s hands” or “Embrace”. Recently a name very similar to his was found in Akkadian literature around the Mesopotamia region, so perhaps his parents had been influenced by the Assyrian or Babylonian culture. 6
Jewish Rabbis have held the tradition that Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite woman mentioned in 2 Kings 4, whom Elisha restored to life. They base this on his name and Elisha’s words to the woman, “You shall embrace a son” (2 Kings 4:16). He may have been a Temple musician from the tribe of Levi (See Habakkuk 3:19) Habakkuk was probably written sometime between 606 and 604 BC, sometime around Babylon’s victory at the battle of Carchemish (605 BC). At this point in history, Babylon had Assyria on the run. The Assyrian army had retreated to the city of Carchemish. Looking for help, Assyria partnered with Egypt in order to defeat the Babylonian army. But Egypt was delayed by Josiah at Megiddo, where Josiah is killed (see 2 Kings 23:29). Josiah’s son Jehoahaz becomes king, but only lasts three months. Meanwhile, the Egyptian army (lead by Pharaoh Neco II) and the Assyrian army are soundly defeated by Nebuchadnezzar II in the battle at Carchemish. On their way back to Egypt, Pharaoh Neco invades Jerusalem, captured Jehoahaz and places his brother Jehoiakim on the throne. But he is a puppet king. He was also a wicked and evil king. It is in the midst of this cultural upheaval that Habakkuk writes his Psalm of Lament; lamenting the evil in the world, and wondering where God was in the middle of this chaos. Habakkuk 1 •
Habakkuk 1:2-4 Unlike the other prophets we’ve looked at (who spoke about God’s judgment), Habakkuk pleads for God’s judgment. This is a conversation between a perplexed man and his God. As Habakkuk looked at this world, he cried out to God “Can’t You see this injustice? How long will You let this go on?”
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Habakkuk 1:5-11 Habakkuk asked “Why.” God’s answer was “Watch”. God was going to do something that no one expected. God was going to use the wicked to punish His people. No one in Israel expected this. No one figured God would use such a violent and cruel people to discipline His very own. This is what they didn’t expect.
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Habakkuk 1:12-17 This thought even surprised Habakkuk. Surely a righteous God would not allow such an unholy nation to prevail. Habakkuk understood exactly what God intended to do, and God’s plan made him pause.
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Habakkuk 2 •
Habakkuk 2:1 The answer this prophet was waiting to hear was why God would use such a wicked nation to discipline Jerusalem and Judah.
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Habakkuk 2:2-3 These are comforting words for Habakkuk, and for you and me as well. We too are awaiting a promised delivery. We too are waiting for “the end of our captivity”. Just as God’s promise would be fulfilled to Habakkuk, so will His promise be fulfilled to us (see Hebrews 10:37). Jesus will return. He will put an end to the corruption and the wickedness and the injustice that fills this earth today. We may not see it in our lifetime, but His promise has been recorded for those yet to come. His promise will be carried from one place to the next, heralded until the day He comes again.
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Habakkuk 2:4-20 This long list of woes is spoken about Babylon. Any nation that suffers under their harsh rule will witness her destruction. The sad part is that this “dirge” would describe just about any country today. Have things changed at all? Do not the wicked seem to prosper? Is there not corruption in the courts even today? Do the powerful not suck the very life out of the poor just so they can become even wealthier? Yet in spite of this, God places a few words of hope in the middle of this list of “Woes”’ Like a shining lamp in the midst of a dark world there is that one sliver of hope found in verse 4. The righteous will live by their faith in God. Three times this message of hope is mentioned in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
Habakkuk 3 •
Habakkuk 3:1 This word shigionoth, found at the end of this verse, is somewhat obscure. It is the plural form of a word used only in the title of Psalm 7. It seems to be related to a verb meaning “to reel to and fro”. Apparently it is a musical or liturgical reference.
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Habakkuk 3:2 As the Prophet learned of God’s plans to discipline Judah and destroy Babylon, he was awed by the Lord’s work. This teaches us something about Habakkuk. He apparently knew when he was hearing from God. This was more than an inclination or a feeling about things. God must have spoken openly and plainly to Habakkuk so the man did not have to “guess” the words came from God. I’ve had this happen to me, and so have others as well. There is something decidedly unusual about hearing from God. It
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is far more than a thought that suddenly pops into your head. When God speaks His voice thunders and roars; His presence leaves a taste of holiness. •
Habakkuk 3:3-7 Where God walks, the world trembles. Had Jesus not come clothed in flesh, I fear the world would have been ripped apart by His presence. I suspect humanity has witnessed only the tiniest amount of God’s power. It is His pinky which has passed to and fro upon this earth. The rest of Him has remained hidden beneath His righteous robe. God is the only One who can straighten out what has been made crooked. And I’m not talking about a twisted piece of metal. I’m talking about the wickedness of the human heart. When God walks among us, that which is bent becomes straightened. I think this is what Habakkuk began to realize in his vision, and it made him tremble. On the day you and I stand before the Father and our Savior, there will be no whooping and shouting; no high-fives with Jesus. There will be knees bent and heads buried face first on the floor when we finally see Him face to face.
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Habakkuk 3:8-11 And yet this is the same God who showed tenderness and love to His people. It was with the arms of a shepherd the Father guided His people across the wilderness. This echoes back to what is found in Isaiah 40:11. This is what God will do for those who humble themselves before Him; who admit their sin and repent for their actions. But for the wicked, the proud, and the stubborn, they need to read Habakkuk 3:12-15.
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Habakkuk 3:16-19 As Habakkuk cried out to God because of all the wickedness and injustice, God answered clearly that this will all be dealt with according to His timing. He will use a wicked nation to punish Judah. But that corrupt nation will itself be destroyed. It’s obvious that God’s answer lifted Habakkuk’s spirits. He was comforted to know that God indeed was watching what was going on. God had not detached Himself from creation. God was still involved in the affairs of humanity. Perhaps we can draw comfort in this as well.
August 3: Zephaniah 1-3, 2 Chronicles 35 Zephaniah 1 9
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Zephaniah 1:1 Tracing his lineage back 4 generations was a sign that Zephaniah was someone of prominence, perhaps part of the royal family, considering that Hezekiah is mentioned. It may not be the same Hezekiah who ruled while Isaiah was a prophet, but since they took his ancestry back that far, it seems probable that Zephaniah was a cousin of Josiah. Zephaniah spoke these words during the reign of Josiah (640-609 BC).
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Zephaniah 1:2-6 It seems that Zephaniah’s prophecies began shortly after the Book of the Law was found and read to King Josiah (622 BC). This book begins after the nation’s revival, but before the fall of Nineveh (612 BC). The sad part is that although there seemed to be a revival under Josiah’s reign, it was superficial, and God knew this. He knew that this revival would not last. Although the places to worship these false gods were removed, deep in their hearts the people still thought about this worship. There was still the desire to practice the sexual activity of Asherah worship. It would not take much for the people to be lured back into these pagan practices. People do not realize that the flesh has a very ravenous appetite.
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Zephaniah 1:7-9 In an interesting comparison, God says He will sacrifice those wicked people who themselves had been sacrificing their children to Molech. Isn’t it strange that a person who offered their child on an altar of fire could also claim to worship God (Zephaniah 1:5). So God is prepared to slaughter them by the hand of Babylon.
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Zephaniah 1:10 The Fish Gate was located in the Northern section of the city, close to the fish market. Nebuchadnezzar actually entered the city through this gate.
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Zephaniah 1:12-18 It’s important to note that just because someone was taken into captivity did not mean they were guilty. Some within Jerusalem were aware of their sin and the sin of the nation. We need to keep in mind that judgment did not necessarily come in the circumstances. Judgment for a person’s sin would also come when the entire human race stands before the judgment seat of God. This is the trap that ensnared the wicked in Judah. At this point in history, Assyria was beginning to weaken. Josiah was actually able to institute religious reforms all the way north to the region around Galilee. And Babylon had not risen to her full power just yet. So the wicked, thinking all is well, truly did not repent in their hearts. And in those dark, secret corners of their
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hearts, the wicked felt it was okay to worship both God and Baal (or Molech). Because they were prosperous, they felt God didn’t mind. But Zephaniah warns them that God does indeed see what’s going on. This is a lesson we need to keep in mind for ourselves. We sin, but seemingly pay no consequences for that sin. Therefore it must be okay, right? Not so, says God. Judgment is coming, and it may not happen through circumstances in this life. In contrast, we may be very righteous yet endure difficult times. This is why I say that a person must not view their circumstances as judgment from God.
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous 2 (Matthew 5:45).
Zephaniah 2 •
Zephaniah 2:1-3 These are the same words God’s prophets have been saying for generations. They still say them today. Repent today before it’s too late. Repent of your sin while there is still time. The judgment is coming, and one day it will be too late. Isn’t it marvelous how God’s words keep speaking from one generation to the next? Isn’t it amazing that the same words of God which spoke to your Great Grandfather can speak to you today? That’s the power found in the Word of God.
2 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 5:45). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. 11
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Zephaniah 2:4-7 This area of Philistia would initially be devastated by the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco II (609-594) as he attempted to ward off any Babylonian attack (compare Jeremiah 47). And when the remnant returned from Exile, they would shepherd this land next to the Mediterranean Sea.
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Zephaniah 2:8-11 Those nations east of the Jordan would suffer because of Babylon as well. Actually the Babylonian Empire would encompass a great deal of the land.
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Zephaniah 2:12-15 As seen on the map, Ethiopia and Assyria will fall to the Babylonians as well.
Zephaniah 3 •
Zephaniah 3:1-5 Literal translations do not use the word “Jerusalem” in verse 1, but based on the rest of these verses it’s not hard to figure out who God is talking about. In spite of Jerusalem’s wickedness, God was still present; a point you and I need to keep in mind. Although we think we’ve kicked God out of our schools, trust me, He’s still there. I seriously doubt God is going to stand out in the parking lot because of some School Board’s decision.
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Zephaniah 3:6-7 Judah should have learned from God’s example with the 10 Northern Tribes. But, unfortunately, they didn’t. They were actually eager to disobey. This is the Master that has enslaved humanity. We are trapped in bodies that hunger for the sins of the flesh. Feed the flesh once and a person will find the body longing for more. That’s
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why it is so difficult to stop doing those things that are so addictive. It’s better to never start than to try and quit. For those who are redeemed, we will one day be free of this battle; this war we wage within ourselves. One day we will be given new bodies that are in harmony with our spirit. And we will at last be at peace. •
Zephaniah 3:8-13 This is what it will be like when evil is handcuffed; when the tempter is thrown in prison. If I am on earth when this happens (and I doubt I will be), it certainly will be nice to sleep at night with doors unlocked and be able to walk safely in the streets. What a welcome change that will be.
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Zephaniah 3:14-20 It is sections like this that made it difficult for many to believe Jesus truly was the long awaited Messiah. How did He shame Rome? Where was all this promised peace the Prophets kept talking about? Many of the Jews in Jesus’ time were looking at this text from an earthly perspective. Israel did return from exile, and they were reestablished as a nation. But none of the promises happened like the ones they read here from Zephaniah. The point is they expected things to happen right away. But God asked them to be patient (Zephaniah 3:8). These things will happen in due time.
2 Chronicles 35 •
2 Chronicles 35:1-19 When Josiah was 26 years old, he instructed the people to participate in the Passover, a time of remembrance and sacrifice that probably had not been celebrated since Hezekiah’s two week celebration mentioned in 2 Chronicles 30:15. But according to the Chronicler, the Celebration under Josiah’s leadership was greater than Hezekiah’s, matching the kind of ceremony that took place under the guidance of Samuel the Prophet. When you think about the legacy of wickedness Josiah inherited, this was an incredible feat. And it all began with the hearing of the Word.
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2 Chronicles 35:20-27 Oddly enough, Pharaoh Neco had been called by God to march against Babylon. By this time Assyria had become weak and defenseless against the army of Babylon, and Egypt was on its way to defend Assyria at Carchemish. So the Pharaoh was right; don’t interfere. Josiah and Neco met in battle upon the flat plains of Megiddo where Josiah is fatally wounded. Armageddon (literally The Mountain of
Megiddo) is where Christ will fight His final battle at His second coming (see Revelation 13
16:16). The Songs of Lament that Jeremiah wrote for Josiah’s funeral (see 2 Chronicles 35:25) is probably not what we read in the Book of Lamentations.
August 4: Jeremiah 47-48, 2 Chronicles 36 Jeremiah 47 •
Jeremiah 47:1 The date and event Jeremiah mentions here is not precisely known. It could have been in 609 B.C when Pharaoh Neco marched north through Palestine to meet the Babylonians (2 Kings 23:29-30).
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Jeremiah 47:2-7 Caught in the middle between Egypt and Babylon, the five cities along the coast would be trampled beneath the feet of both armies. It seems they suffered first in 609 B.C. and then again in 604 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar marched through in November or December of that year. Again, I wonder if this prophecy was given for Philistia or if it was a lesson for the people of Judah. If they thought about running to Egypt and hiding, they would only find themselves facing Babylon there. If they thought about running to Philistia and hiding, they would find themselves facing both Egypt and Babylon there as well.
Jeremiah 48 •
Jeremiah 48:1 The Nebo mentioned here is not the mountain Moses climbed to see the Promised Land. This was a city inhabited by the tribe of Reuben (Numbers 32:37-38) and later captured by Moab. The same can be said about Kiriathaim.
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Jeremiah 48:2 Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, during the Exodus (Numbers 21:25-30). It was given to the tribe of Reuben who then rebuilt it (Joshua 13:17). The Moabite Stone (now in the British Museum, London) implies that Heshbon was later occupied by individuals from the tribe of Gad.
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Jeremiah 48:6-10 The people who would destroy Moab are not named, but according to Ezekiel, Moab was destroyed by nomadic desert tribesmen from the East (see Ezekiel 25:10).
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Jeremiah 48:11-12 The comparison to wine that has been left in the same jar is not a compliment, but a rebuke. In making wine, first the grapes were stomped, then the juice was placed into bottles and allowed to ferment. During this time, the sediment would settle to the bottom. After 40 days, the fermented wine was carefully poured into another container to separate it from the dregs. If the dregs were allowed to remain, the wine became too sweet and thick and was spoiled. Moab had become complacent and spoiled.
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Jeremiah 48:13 Bethel was where Jeroboam had erected one of the Golden Calves that the Northern Kingdom worshiped (see 1 Kings 12:26-30). Just as Israel learned too late that these idols could not save them, so too would Moab learn that Chemosh would be just as impotent.
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Jeremiah 48:18-25 Jeremiah listed the cities on the plateau east of the Jordan River that would be destroyed. Although we don’t know the location of
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some of these towns, it seems he followed a general movement from north to south. His point in naming these 11 cities was to show that all the cities of Moab, both far and near, would be destroyed. •
Jeremiah 48:26-31 Moab had continually rejoiced every time Israel or Judah would stumble. They sneered and jeered when Assyria came and attacked. They probably looked at Jerusalem with contempt because she had fallen. But the nations around Judah and Israel needed to keep in mind that God was just as disappointed with them.
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Jeremiah 48:34 The cities here range from those in the north to those in the south. The entire nation will be destroyed (see map on page 14).
2 Chronicles 36 •
2 Chronicles 36:1 Josiah had at least 4 sons, three of whom become Kings of Judah.
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2 Chronicles 36:3 It’s not expressly stated why Pharaoh Neco decided to take control of Judah. Perhaps he saw an opportunity to strengthen his own nation by controlling Judah and her king. Perhaps Jehoahaz was a strong ruler and stood his ground against Egyptian rule, so Neco removed him from office and place his brother in charge. Eliakim may have been a bit more irenic; easily swayed and controlled, which can be seen in allowing his name to be changed to Jehoiakim. Eliakim means who God will raise up. Jehoiakim means who God has set up. And considering that Pharaohs were often recognized as gods, the insult to Eliakim is apparent. His name reminded everyone that the god of Egypt (Neco) established this man as king.
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2 Chronicles 36:6 The Chronicler only mentions this portion of history briefly because most of the exiles would know what had happened. There is far more detail mentioned in 2 Kings 24. It was during this time period that Daniel is taken captive and transported back to Babylon.
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2 Chronicles 36:9-10 After only a little more than 3 months, Nebuchadnezzar returns to Jerusalem and removes this young king from the throne. 2 Kings 25:27-30 gives more detail about Jehoiachin’s life back in Babylon, and indicates that he was freed after 37
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years, perhaps because of Daniel’s influence. What’s interesting is that this can be confirmed in Babylonian Texts (according to James Pritchard from Princeton University). •
2 Chronicles 36:11-16 The last of the Kings of Judah is a sad testimony to a once glorious and blessed people. Zedekiah will be the last king Israel has ever had. Even today Israel does not have a king; they have a President. They are still waiting for their new King. However, I know their King has already come, and will come again someday.
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2 Chronicles 36:17-21 The Chronicler points out that since Israel had not observed the Sabbath Year as prescribed by God in Leviticus 25:1-7, God would enforce it Himself. The Chronicler notes that just as Jeremiah has prophesied, the nation was in exile for 70 years (see Jeremiah 29:10). But long before Jeremiah spoke his words, God had declared this would happen. Read what God says in Leviticus 26:24-25 and see if you don’t get this eerie feeling that God really does know what’s going on and what’s going to happen. From the first exile in 605 BC to the day the remnant begins to rebuild the Temple in 536 BC, we count off 70 years.
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2 Chronicles 36:22-23 As Isaiah had spoken years before (Isaiah 44:28), the people of Judah and any from Israel who may still be alive are allowed to go home and rebuild the Temple. Ironically, most of Israel’s kings and some kings from Judah failed to obey the Lord. But this pagan king had his spirit stirred by God, and he obeyed. What Cyrus did was no small thing. Through his obedience to God, he enabled these exiled Judeans (Jews, for short) to return home and reestablish their nation. And out of the nation our Savior was born.
August 5: 2 Kings 24, Jeremiah 25-26 2 Kings 24 •
2 Kings 24:1 Nebuchadnezzar had succeeded his father Nabopolassar as king of Babylon in 605 BC. Earlier that year Nebuchadnezzar had led his father’s army against the Egyptians and had defeated them at Carchemish in northern Aramea. Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land of Judah later the same year (605 BC) in order to bring Judah securely under his rule. At that time, he took some captives to Babylon including
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Daniel and others (see Daniel 1:1-3). Jehoiakim submitted to Nebuchadnezzar for three years, but then Jehoiakim revolted and unsuccessfully appealed to Egypt for help. He was eventually taken prisoner to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:6), but apparently was released or escaped because he died in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 22:19). •
2 Kings 24:2 The prophets who warned about this coming destruction were Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk.
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2 Kings 24:5 The prophet Jeremiah despised Jehoiakim because of his wickedness. Jehoiakim died in 598 BC.
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2 Kings 24:10-12 Because of Jehoiakim’s constant rebellion against Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar himself came to lay siege against Jerusalem. By the time he arrived in 597 BC, Jehoiakim had already died, and his son Jehoiachin was ruling as king.
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2 Kings 24:13-16 This deportation of nobles (597 BC) fulfilled God’s words spoken in 1 Kings 9:6-9. In this second deportation, 10,000 people are taken captive, including Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 1:1-3).
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2 Kings 24:17 Jeremiah had predicted that none of Jehoiachin’s sons would sit on the throne (Jeremiah 22:30). Instead, his uncle Mattaniah was installed as king. This was the third son of Josiah to rule Judah. How sad that such a righteous king did not have sons with his same devotion to the Lord. There is no guarantee that a godly parent will raise a godly child, but it happens, probably more often than we realize. In comparison though, the chances of an ungodly parent having a godly child are almost nonexistent.
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2 Kings 24:18-20 Nebuchadnezzar places Mattaniah on the throne (597-586 BC), but Judah does not recognize him as king. Inscriptions from the time period list Jehoiachin as Judah’s last king. Mattaniah (or Zedekiah) reigned obedient to Babylon for a while, but because of pressure from the people, he eventually made an allegiance with Pharaoh Hophra (589-570 BC) who hated Babylon as well.
Jeremiah 25 •
Jeremiah 25:1 Keep in mind that some parts of Jeremiah are not in chronological order. So Jeremiah’s prophecy was given sometime between September 7, 605 BC when
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Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne and April 2, 604 BC when the first full year of his reign officially began. The point he is trying to make here is that he had been warning about Nebuchadnezzar and his attack from Babylon years before Jerusalem fell. •
Jeremiah 25:2-11 Yes, there are consequences for sin. We hear this from God time and time again. Yet God’s punishment for this disobedience will be an eye for an eye. His punishment will not be greater than the crime, as seen in the promise of only 70 years in exile. This will not be total destruction but a purging of evil from the land. But why would God punish them for only 70 years (605-536 BC)? According to 2 Chronicles 36:21 God chose 70 years because that’s the number of Sabbath Years the nation had ignored. Every 7 years the land was not to be worked or tilled, but the entire nation ignored this command completely (Leviticus 25:3-5). God would remove them from the land if they failed to observe this command (Leviticus 26:33-35). This is why God chose 70 years.
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Jeremiah 25:12-14 Notice what God says about Babylon. In contrast to what He said about Jerusalem (70 years), Babylon will be a wasteland forever.
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Jeremiah 25:15-29 In this vision God said that other nations would also be judged and punished. If God would not spare His own people, why should those other nations feel they will escape His wrath? In the vision, Jeremiah gave all these nations a drink from God’s cup, but God will also give Jeremiah something to say.
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Jeremiah 25:30-28 Jeremiah is given these words to speak to the nations. No one will miss God’s judgment; no one. Not a single country nor a single person will be able to escape God’s judgment. And the wicked will be punished. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled with the Babylonian Empire because even that nation was given the cup to drink (Jeremiah 25:26). When did or when will this prophecy be fulfilled? We could say that it was a reference to Cyrus the Mede, but how was Judah judged through him? Perhaps it was the Roman Empire? But the Romans were not destroyers. They assimilated people into their culture (I am Caesar of Borg. You will be assimilated). It just seems to me that this is a reference to God’s Great Judgment at the end of time.
Jeremiah 26
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Jeremiah 26:1 This section should be associated with the Temple address in chapters 710; sometime between 609 to 608 BC. There Jeremiah focused on the content of the message. Here he focuses on the events that took place after the message. Again, this is a clear indication that much of Jeremiah is organized by content, not by date.
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Jeremiah 26:4-6 This is a summary of what Jeremiah said in his Temple address (compare Jeremiah 26:6 with Jeremiah 7:14).
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Jeremiah 26:7-11 Back when we first read the Temple address in chapters 7-10, it made you wonder how the people responded to Jeremiah’s words. Well, now we know.
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Jeremiah 26:14 The mark of a truly godly man. He places his life into the hands of the court, but he does warn them that his blood would be on their hands. He was innocent. This, it seems, made them stop and think. They were outraged at what he said, but apparently wondered if Jeremiah’s words truly were from God. If they were, then what? You can see the wheels spinning in their heads.
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Jeremiah 26:16-19 See what happens when people start thinking with their heads instead of with their emotions? Sure the words were hard, but it was not the first time they had been spoken. Christians would be wise to learn from this. Yes, sometimes what we hear can be hard, and it upsets us. The truth can do that, you know. But if we will just listen and think for a moment, we might be able to hear the whisper of God in what is being said. This happened to me years ago. I had a non-Christian coworker say something hurtful. But when I could set my feelings aside, I realized there was truth in what he said. God had been trying to speak to me, but I was too bullheaded to listen. I could not hear from God until I stopped thinking with my emotions and started thinking with my heart.
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Jeremiah 26:20-23 Sometimes we get the impression that the prophets in the Bible were a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but often times God sent many people with the same message. We are just aware of only one person because of only one book. Here we see that God had been sending others with the same message as Jeremiah. There is a lesson for us to learn today. When God is trying to get our attention about something, you can be sure He will send plenty of messengers, and their messages will be the same.
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Nothing else is known about Uriah except what is mentioned here. Elnathan was one of the officials who heard Jeremiah’s scroll read (see Jeremiah 36:11-12). His father (Acbor) may have been an official under King Josiah (2 Kings 22:12-14). •
Jeremiah 26:24 Remember Shaphan? He was the court secretary who read the Book of the Law before Josiah. Shaphan had at least four sons, three who were godly (Ahikam, Gemariah, and Elasah), and one (Jaazaniah) who was the “black sheep” of the family. His presence among the idol-worshipers in the temple caught Ezekiel by surprise (see Ezekiel 8:11). Ahikam’s son, Gedaliah, was appointed governor of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC.
August 6: Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah 45-46, Daniel 1 Jeremiah 36 •
Jeremiah 36:1-3 The events of this chapter began in the fourth year of King Jehoiakim (605-604 BC). One purpose for recording these prophecies was so they could be read aloud to the people. The hope was that the people would hear about every disaster threatened by God and would turn from their wicked ways. If the people would repent, God promised to forgive their wickedness.
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Jeremiah 36:9 Regular fasts were not held, only during times of national emergency.
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Jeremiah 36:8-20 This reading before all these Temple officials seem to have been well received. It appears that some of the religious leaders actually did listen to Jeremiah. Jeremiah and Baruch were told to hide; wise counsel considering Jehoiakim’s prior reaction against Uriah the prophet (see Jeremiah 26:20-23).
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Jeremiah 36:20-22 Jeremiah’s scroll is read before the king sometime between th
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November 24 and December 23 , 604 BC. •
Jeremiah 36:23-26 What a contrast between Jehoiakim and Josiah. Josiah heard the Law read and repented. Jehoiakim threw the word into the fire.
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Jeremiah 36:32 For thousands of years people have been trying to destroy God’s word or discredit God’s word. Yet try as they might, it just keeps coming back. For a time, people will twist God’s word to suit their personal agenda. But eventually the truth wins out and faith is restored. It’s almost funny to think someone imagines they can erase the Word of God from the world simply through human effort or cunning. If a mere human could cast the Word of God aside and restrain it from touching a heart, then a mere human would have more power than God. This action by people down through the ages says more about themselves than it does about God.
Jeremiah 45 •
Jeremiah 45:1-3 This chapter was written in the fourth year of Jehoiakim (605-604 B.C.) after Baruch had recorded Jeremiah’s message on a scroll. The event in view was recorded in Jeremiah 36:1-8. Evidently Baruch was discouraged because of the content of the message.
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Jeremiah 45:4-5 Baruch is given a promise to hold onto. These words, this promise, become Baruch’s source of hope, especially as he is taken captive to Egypt.
Jeremiah 46 •
Jeremiah 46:1-6 Jeremiah’s message was directed against the army of Pharaoh Neco. This king of Egypt killed King Josiah of Judah in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29). Jeremiah penned his prophecy after the army of Egypt was defeated at Carchemish; that city along the Euphrates where Nebuchadnezzar had just scored a major victory. The battle took place in 605 B.C., the fourth year of Jehoiakim.
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Jeremiah 46:7-12 According a Babylonian history scroll, this described Egypt’s hopeless confusion and defeat. The Egyptian army “withdrew” before the Babylonians, but the Babylonians “overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country” (Donald J. Wiseman, Chronicle of Chaldean Kings (626-556 B.C.).
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Jeremiah 46:13-19 Although Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish in 605, he did not invade the land of Egypt until approximately 571-567 B.C.
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Jeremiah 46:18-24 This criticism of Egypt may not necessarily have been directed at the country of Egypt. It may have been directed toward the Judean refugees hiding there. If Egypt could not stand against Babylon at Carchemish, why would anyone think they could now?
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Jeremiah 46:27-28 There is a beautiful phrase here is verse 28, and you should notice it in just about any Bible translation you read. “I will discipline you, but with justice.” This is significant. Yes God punishes, but He punishes in a way that does not diminish His character. God is slow to anger, filled with compassion and unfailing love. If this describes God, then any punishment He gives must maintain these characteristics.
Daniel •
The early events in Daniel’s life were happening while Ezekiel was speaking his prophecies. Daniel must have been a young man when he was taken into captivity, perhaps no older than 16, considering he lived until the third year of Cyrus (Daniel 10:1). Of noble birth, he was taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC.
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Daniel’s book is not exactly prophetic. He is not listed as a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. His book is grouped into what is simply known as the Writings (along with Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ruth, and others of a similar nature). What Daniel shares is more apocalyptic; an unveiling, disclosing, or revelation of things to come, specifically God’s plan for the future of His people. Therefore, much of what is written is by an individual who is trying to make sense out of what God has revealed. Daniel will often use descriptive words in an attempt to describe something that he cannot comprehend. We saw Ezekiel use this as he tried to explain things he could not understand (for example, the four-faced Cherubim, who surrounded the throne of God).
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The Book of Daniel is unusual because it is written in two different languages. Daniel 12:4a along with Daniel 8-12 are in Hebrew. Daniel 2:4b-7:28 are written in Aramaic. Hebrew was the language of God’s people. Aramaic was the language of the Gentile
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world. This becomes significant because Daniel 2:4b-7:28 are directed at the Gentile people. These chapters address God’s plan for them. Of course chapters 8-12 are directed to the Hebrew people, so Daniel uses his native language. Also in Daniel we find an occasional Greek and Persian word. This is not unusual considering that there was trade taking place with these nations during the sixth century BC. And young Daniel might have picked up a word or two that he incorporated into his vocabulary. Daniel 1 •
Daniel 1:1-2 By placing some of the sacred objects in a temple to a Babylonian god, this would signify that their god (probably Marduk) was able to conquer the God of Israel. But the God of all creation will soon be teaching Babylon an important lesson. The God of Israel, the God of all creation, will not be defeated. He will, however, humble Himself for a time in order to accomplish His purpose. We even see Jesus doing this upon the cross. The guards did not keep Jesus there. The nails did not keep Jesus there. Jesus kept Himself upon the cross because it would accomplish God’s will.
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Daniel 1:3-6 In a similar way, Nebuchadnezzar summoned a few of Israel’s noble young men to stand in his court symbolizing that he had conquered their nation. He wanted the best of the best so that he could flaunt his superiority to any visiting dignitary. Pointing to these healthy young men, Nebuchadnezzar could arrogantly say that these represent the nation of Israel, whom he had conquered. And the visitors would say, “Wow Chad, you really are a great and powerful king, yes you are, yes you are.” And Nebby would throw out his chest in pride saying “Yes I am, yes I am.”
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Daniel 1:7-20 Oh, you can change their names and change their clothes and change their language, but you can never change the heart of a person wholly committed to God. That’s what we see in Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Nebuchadnezzar may have taken them out of their land, but he could not take God out of their heart. Watch these four young men and learn from them. They actually do represent the best of the best, for they would not be molded and shaped by any king. Only the Lord God held sway over their hearts. I find the story of their faith rather encouraging. After reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, we kind of develop a poor image of the people of Israel.
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But these four men should let us know that not everyone had turned away from God. There were still some who remained active in their commitment to God.
August 7: Jeremiah 19-20, Daniel 2-3 Jeremiah 19 •
Jeremiah 19:1-13 What a beautiful sermon illustration. Jeremiah takes the leaders to the city dump and says the rest of the town will become just like this. He says the dump will be filled not just with bodies of those sacrificed, but those slaughtered as well. It was in this dump the bodies of children were thrown after being sacrificed to Baal and Molech. He looks at the leaders and says they will find themselves lying here as well. And he wonders why the people got irritated with his sermons.
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Jeremiah 19:14-15 Standing in front of the Temple, Jeremiah says that even it would be destroyed. The whole city would be destroyed. Oddly enough, this will not be the last time the city and the Temple are destroyed. It will be destroyed at a point in the future for much of the same reason; a refusal to listen to God. And the next Man to say this will get in trouble as well.
Jeremiah 20 •
Jeremiah 20:1-6 So the son of a priest comes out and has Jeremiah arrested. Since when did the son of a priest have that much authority? But even after being whipped and put in stocks for all to see, Jeremiah didn’t change his message. Remember what God had said to him early on in his ministry (see Jeremiah 12:5). This is the backbone God was looking for. This is the man God needed him to be. You can beat the messenger, but it will not change his message.
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Jeremiah 20:7-9 Overcome with his persecution, Jeremiah wrestles with his calling. He wonders what it would be like to just remain silent and live an ordinary life. But if he did, his heart would burst. This is one of my memory verses. I keep it in mind for those days when, like Jeremiah, I am tempted to turn in my badge and go home. However, I realize that I would be miserable once again, just like I was in the past before I accepted the
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Lords call. Oh, I know exactly what Jeremiah is talking about here. Many Pastors know exactly what he means. The Word just doesn’t sit quietly in the corner of your heart. It pounds away at the very fibers of your soul. And if you don’t let His Word out, you feel like you’re ready to burst. •
Jeremiah 20:10-13 Jeremiah found his strength in the Lord’s calling. He knew that the Lord had been by his side. And yet even though he knew this, there was still this longing to live an ordinary life; a desire to be blind and deaf like all those around him. Facing this conundrum, cursed if he did and cursed if he doesn’t, Jeremiah became depressed. So depressed that he wished he had never been born (Jeremiah 20:14-18). Yes, this is alarming, but it illustrates the depth of his anguish. Can you imagine being given a word from God, to speak that word, and then be hated for it? And what’s worse, the rest of the church is calling for your resignation. No one, not even your Bishop (or District Executive) supports you. You speak alone without anyone to assist you. Doubt would fill your mind as well.
Daniel 2 •
Daniel 2:1-11 Don’t miss what Nebuchadnezzar was asking these “wise men” to do. He wasn’t just asking them to interpret the dream; he wanted them to tell him what his dream was. They were supposed to something that only a god can do. But get this; these astrologers didn’t believe any god lived among them. Yet compare their thinking with what we recently read from Ezekiel. He reported seeing the throne of God moving to any place it desires among the earth. He witnessed the presence of the Lord leaving Jerusalem. So, perhaps no Babylonian gods lived among the people, but The Lord God certainly does. On another note, I also find their answer a little self-condemning. It sounds like they just admitted that they had been deceiving Nebuchadnezzar all along.
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Daniel 2:12-13 Daniel and his friends were apparently considered to be wise men by this time, since they were included in the list to be killed, but they were not included in the group summoned by the king. The text says that he called the mystics, the sorcerers, the astrologers, and the magicians. Apparently the four young Hebrew men did not fit into
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any of these categories. And that’s actually a good sign. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t see them as such. But he did apparently see them as men filled with wisdom. •
Daniel 2:14-23 So no false god could interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Hearing this, Daniel says, “God can! God can interpret this dream”. So he runs to the king to buy some time. Then he asks God to interpret the dream. Now, do you see the chain of events here? God did not come to Daniel first with the answer and then tell him to go speak to the king. Daniel rightly discerned that indeed God could interpret the dream, but God didn’t tell him that He would. So Daniel displays an incredible amount of faith here; faith that God would not miss an opportunity to demonstrate His power before this pagan king. That’s the kind of faith I want to have; faith that takes a step without knowing where it will fall; faith that God will not abandon those who place their trust in Him.
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Daniel 2:24 Did you notice this? Daniel intercedes for these wise men that worship and serve false gods. Too often the church today prays for people like this to be destroyed. I wonder what difference it would make if we interceded on their behalf. Keep in mind that this section was written in Aramaic, so any Gentile reading this would be able to read what Daniel hadjust done.
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Daniel 2:25-43 Here is what we know based on God’s interpretation of the dream. The Babylonian Empire, Nebuchadnezzar in particular, is the Golden head (the first kingdom). Next (the chest and arms) would represent the two kingdoms of the Medes and the Persians, led by King Cyrus. They conquer Babylon in 539 BC. Although the MedoPersian Empire lasted 200 years, it was inferior to the rule of Babylon. The belly and thigh of bronze would represent the Greek Empire. Alexander the Great would conquer the Medo-Persians in 334 BC. The Greek Empire reached as far as India, seemingly across the whole earth. The fourth kingdom (legs of iron) represents the Roman Empire, who conquered the Greeks in 63 BC. Although initially quite strong, the Roman Empire divided in 285 AD into two empires, and eventually became weak and insignificant. Unlike Babylon, where people were forced to become part of the Empire, Rome allowed people to remain separate. They could be their own people and keep their own customs. But they were ruled by Rome. This mixing of people made it weak.
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Daniel 2:44-45 The Time of those King in verse 44 probably refers to the alliance made by the ten toes (verse 41-43), since it is during that time when God will establish a kingdom that will crush them. The other kingdoms did not exist together. In scripture, a Rock is often used to depict Christ (see Psalm 118:22, or Isaiah 8:14). A mountain often represents a kingdom. So in God’s vision, Nebuchadnezzar was shown that the Lord Jesus, the striking Stone, will one day come and bring all kingdoms under His authority. And that the kingdoms of this earth will not be overthrown by human hands. Many scholars debate when this will happen. Some say that it happened during Christ’s first Advent, and the Church has become that mountain (these are called Amillennialists). Others point out that the Church is not a political institution and that in Rome there were not ten kings at the time Jesus first came. If Christ is the rock, then they point out that He did not destroy Rome. Rome fell a long time after Jesus left the earth. All of these things point to a future time when Christ comes again. Then He will subdue the kingdoms of the earth all at once. The church cannot and will not destroy kingdoms, as some suggest because we have human hands. People who hold to a future rule of Christ are called premillennialists.
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Daniel 2:46-49 I don’t think Nebuchadnezzar was worshiping Daniel here because he gave honor to Daniel’s God. The Hebrew word segeed means to hold someone in high regard, not necessarily to call them a god.
Daniel 3 •
Daniel 3:1 It seems this action was in response to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. And either this statue was that of a human which stood on a large pedestal, or perhaps it was an obelisk depicting the conquests of the king. Whatever it was, it was certainly impressive. Scholars doubt it was made of solid gold, but probably overlaid in Gold (remember that Nebuchadnezzar was depicted as the golden head in the dream). Excavations in a plain about six miles south of Babylon have uncovered a large brick square. Considering that this statue would have been the size of a present-day 8 story building, the people in the city would have been able to see this thing that far out of town.
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Daniel 3:2-7 It’s difficult to say what Nebuchadnezzar was hoping to accomplish through this worship. If it was in his likeness, then his response to Daniel in chapter 2 seems out of place. However, if it represented the Babylonian Empire, that might make a little more sense. Babylon was depicted with a gold head in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Or perhaps this was his way of worshiping the God of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar was a pagan gentile who knew nothing of the God of Israel. In chapter two he confessed that Daniel’s God was greater than any other. So naturally a huge statue would be a fitting representative of this God. However, Nebuchadnezzar was about to be taught another lesson.
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Daniel 3:8-15 Looking to regain some prestige, these astrologers tell on Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And in Nebuchadnezzar’s rant we get a glimpse into what he was trying to accomplish with this statue in the first place. It seems that he was attempting to institute a new religion in Babylon. This image was to be worshiped, as if this image represented something close to Nebuchadnezzar’s heart. This was something he felt deeply passionate about, and he took their refusal personally. Now, I’m not saying this is true, but I’m just speculating. The last time we saw this man, he was kneeling at Daniel’s feet acknowledging that the God of Israel was the greatest of all gods. And like many who have their eyes opened for the first time, it seems he developed a pious selfrighteousness; where no one else worships God the right way. And like many of us who once had this attitude, God will use an unusual circumstance to knock him down a bit; to teach humility. This, it seems, is what Nebuchadnezzar needed.
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Daniel 3:16-18 Best words in the Bible; God can, but even if He doesn’t. Now that’s faith. Superman holds nothing over these guys. They’re the real men of steel. Notice once again that these three echo Daniel’s earlier words. God did not tell them they would be rescued, but they knew He could if it were His will. So they took the step without knowing what might happen. They would not compromise just because some loud-mouthed politician said they must. That’s the kind of man I want to be. I want to have enough faith that I show a little backbone.
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Daniel 3:19 I wonder who stood there taking measurements with the thermometer. “Billy Bob, it is hot enough yet?” “Don’t know Hank. Watcha think we should do?” “I dunno
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Billy Bob. Why don’t we just tell him it’s ready? Don’t matter how hot it is. Fire’s fire, ya know”. •
Daniel 3:20-30 This is a very familiar story, one that children learn early in Sunday School. Most of the time a person will teach about God’s protection while among the fires of testing. And that’s what happened in this event. It was God’s presence among the flames that saved Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (sorry, I just like their Hebrew names better). And although Nebuchadnezzar was taught another lesson about the power of Israel’s God, the man did not change. He was still willing to destroy anyone who spoke poorly of this God. It’s the whole “Join us or die” mentality that still dominates that culture today. But what I want you to see is that the Lord was with these three young men before they fell into the fire. He didn’t just show up at the last minute. The Lord was with these young men even before they found themselves in the flames. Did you notice what happened to the healthy men who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace? The fire was so hot outside the furnace that they died without even going in. But not our three faithful boys. They were spared even before going into the fires of testing. I want you to remember this; that God is near to you even before you are facing a time of testing or conflict. He is guarding and protecting you even now during a time of peace.
August 8: Jeremiah 7-11 Jeremiah 7 •
Jeremiah 7:1-7 Nice sermon Jeremiah. Actually it really is. He pleads with the people to repent. But I can’t help but wonder how it must have felt to plead with people who would not listen. What must it be like to preach to a people who choose to be blind and deaf?
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Jeremiah 7:8-11 “Of course I’m saved. I go to church!”. If that excuse sounds lame, that’s because it really is. And it is this kind of hypocrisy God hates. God was repulsed by Judah’s hypocrisy. They pretended to be righteous at the Temple but acted wicked in the town. This is not just God’s anger against Judah; this is God’s anger against all who pretend to believe; against anyone who acts one way in church but completely opposite
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at work. It would be like talking to someone new at church, worshiping together that Sunday, getting a friend request on Monday, then being shocked at their Facebook posts through the week. Actually this really happens. Some Christians who post on Facebook are demonstrating this same kind of mentality we see from Judah. •
Jeremiah 7:12-15 Shiloh is where the tabernacle of God had first dwelt (see Joshua 18:1). God told Judah to go out and see what’s left of that city. The Bible does not mention what happened to Shiloh; but after the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:10-11) the priests evidently fled to Nob (1 Samuel 22:11) and Shiloh was abandoned as Israel’s central worship center (compare Psalms 78:56-61). Archeological studies also indicate that the village of Shiloh was destroyed about 1050 BC, probably by the Philistines.
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Jeremiah 7:18 The Queen of Heaven was probably Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility.
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Jeremiah 7:22-23 God did not institute the sacrificial system to be a mode of worship. He did not command the people to observe the festival celebrations as rituals to be followed. What he desired most was obedience to His Laws; to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as they loved themselves. However, these attitudes were not found in the hearts of the people. They felt God was worshiped because they followed prescribed rituals. My, oh my, do I meet a lot of people like this today. We must keep in mind that this is what God desires from us as well. He does not look for mechanical obedience and empty worship. He desires that we pour out ourselves before Him so that He can pour Himself into us. We breathe out our life and breathe in God.
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Jeremiah 7:27-29 That indeed is sad. No wonder Jeremiah wept. He had to preach to a people who would not listen. His words would not bear fruit. But, he was speaking words that would have an effect later on. How faithful this man truly was. He spoke the Word of God yet never had a chance to see the fruit of those words. I’ve had dry spells in my pastorate, but they are broken by times of fruitfulness. I can’t image how Jeremiah did it.
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Jeremiah 7:32 This Valley of Hinnom was located just southwest of Jerusalem. This is where the people burned their trash. There was a constant fire, its smoke continually rising into the sky. The Hebrew word for this place was gê’ehinnōm. The Greek later called it geenna, or Gehenna. New Testament writers used this location to illustrate the fires of Hell (see Matthew 5:22; 2 Peter 2:4).
Jeremiah 8 •
Jeremiah 8:1-3 Just to clarify this scattering of the bones, it’s those who worship other gods who would be desecrated in this way; “those who worshiped these gods” (verse 2).
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Jeremiah 8:4-7 It’s almost sad isn’t it? The pagan nations who worship their false gods were more devoted to their gods than Judah was to the one true God. I just don’t get it. It’s the same today. It really is. I see more devotion in a Jehovah Witness than I do in a Christian. They spend more time and effort evangelizing than most Christians I know.
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Jeremiah 8:8 Oooh how true Jeremiah, how true. I don’t know what Bible some people are reading, but it sure isn’t the one I’ve been reading. “Oh, we need to disregard that passage of scripture,” some people say. “The people who wrote it were not as enlightened as we are today. We have more scientific knowledge”. Give me a break!
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Jeremiah 8:18-22 God gave Judah every opportunity to repent, but she continued to rebel. Jeremiah 8:20 recorded the mournful cry of those who learned the consequences
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of sin too late. The harvest, representing God’s opportunities to repent, was past. By not taking advantage of God’s provision for deliverance from judgment when it had been available, the people were now without hope (“we are not saved”). Jeremiah 9 •
Jeremiah 9:3-9 While reading this section I began to wonder what lies the people were telling. Did they actually kill their neighbors? What kind of society would let people get away with such things? This mindset is so foreign to us today; this idea that lying and murder are acceptable. And yet even today in certain parts of the world these things are practiced and accepted. The Koran actually grants a Muslim permission to scheme (or lie –see Qur'an 3:54). “And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against
them): and Allah is the best of schemers.” The Arabic word used here for scheme (or plot) is Makara, which literally means deceit. If Allah is deceitful toward unbelievers, then there is little basis for denying that Muslims are allowed to do the same. There are circumstances when a Muslim may be “compelled” to deceive others for a greater purpose. This idea of deceit and murder was not unique to Muhammad. As we can see from this passage in Jeremiah, deceit (or lying) was a common practice for personal advancement. But God was calling His people to be different than the world, which is why He was angry with Judah. •
Jeremiah 9:17-22 God makes two pronouncements here. He pronounces the death of children and young men, and He pronounces the great heap of dead bodies. Both will happen as a result of the Babylonian invasion.
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Jeremiah 9:23-24 These verses remind me of what Paul says to the Corinthian church (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-27), and is actually quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:31.
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Jeremiah 9:25-26 Here is the central problem facing these people. Just because they went through religious rituals did not mean they were part of the family of God. People from other lands who worshiped other gods went through similar rituals. What God has always desired is a heart that has its foreskin removed. In other words, God is looking for a heart that is exposed to Him, not hidden beneath or behind things. God’s greatest desire is not that we worship Him, but that we allow Him to transform us. To worship God
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is one thing. To come to Him asking for your sin to be removed is something entirely different. It’s time people stop hiding behind modes of worship and allow God to strip away the sin which so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1). Jeremiah 10 •
Jeremiah 10:1-5 In words that are similar to what Isaiah spoke (Isaiah 40:18-20), Jeremiah reminds Judah to not act like those nations around her. A solar or lunar eclipse is not a sign of a god’s anger. Nor is a comet.
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Jeremiah 10:8-10 Truly it is the mark of an idiot to worship something that he has created. It is even a mistake to worship an image of something. That would be like a Christian worshiping a painting of Jesus. That’s just foolish, agreed? Well then let me ask this, why is it that we have allowed certain things in a church building to become so important that we would split a congregation in two rather than compromise. The thing has become more important than the maker.
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Jeremiah 10:11 This is the only verse in the book written in Aramaic instead of Hebrew. Aramaic was the trade language of the day. Probably this verse is in Aramaic because it was directed to the pagan idolaters surrounding Israel.
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Jeremiah 10:16 You would expect a god to have supernatural powers, specifically power over life and death. What did these people think as their carvings and sculptures were destroyed in the flames? This is why some people cannot see Jesus as God. They believe that He was killed. But what Jesus did three days later would be similar to finding that old wooden lamp your Aunt Kathrin gave you standing on the End Table after you accidentally burned it in the trash.
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Jeremiah 10:19-22 This will be Jerusalem’s lament. But they had been warned. God had tried many times to get her to stop doing evil. But like a child punished, the tears only fall once the discipline starts. By then it is too late.
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Jeremiah 10:23-25 As Jeremiah concluded this address in the Temple, he pleaded that Judah would receive God’s punishment, not His wrath. As I’ve said several times before,
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there is a significant difference between the Lord’s discipline and the Lord’s wrath (anger). Jeremiah 11 •
Jeremiah 11:1-17 Although King Josiah brought an external revival to the land, it did not change the hearts of the people. Truthfully, it seems nothing could. They had been stubborn all along. Their problem was that they had tasted the lust of the flesh. Many of the gods they worshiped indulged the senses. And, unfortunately, it was an addiction the people could not overcome.
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Jeremiah 11:18-23 I’m not sure what Jeremiah’s tone must have been like as he spoke in the Temple. It seems to read as a message of sadness, not anger. But it would have been spoken with authority. Well, you can imagine that the people would become upset and angry. Certainly they would not have felt conviction and remorse. But who would have expected this plot to come from Jeremiah’s own hometown?
August 9: Jeremiah 12-15 Jeremiah 12 •
Jeremiah 12:1-4 In frustration, Jeremiah turns to God and complains about the wickedness in the land. Jeremiah preaches and no one listens. Jeremiah gives up his life to be in the Lord’s service, yet this is the thanks he gets. Jeremiah has crucified his own life so that he can be the Lord’s servant, and in appreciation for his service he is slandered, ridiculed, and hated. People plot to have him murdered. Pastors, do you ever feel like this? God called you. You didn’t come asking Him to let you serve. And yet those you serve hurl insults at you, spread gossip about you, make you feel worthless; criticize not just what you do but who you are. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. Jeremiah knows what you are facing, and more!
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Jeremiah 12:5 God’s answer is surprising. I didn’t expect this. Basically, God is telling Jeremiah that if he thinks times are tough now when there is peace, how will he be able to hold up when troubles actually come! I have this verse memorized so I will be reminded
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that things could be worse than they are now in my present situation. What knocks me down today will keep me down if I choose to let it. But if I get back up on my feet today, I can face this same thing tomorrow with strength and fortitude. •
Jeremiah 12:6 Apparently even Jeremiah’s own family joined in the plot to have him killed.
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Jeremiah 12:14-17 Gentile nations will come and live in Israel, the land of God’s people. But later, God would uproot the house of Judah from those other countries and bring her home. God will also show compassion on those other Gentile nations, giving them an inheritance if they will learn the ways of the Lord. We can see this happening to those people and those nations which accept Jesus as Lord. They have received the same promise that Jacob received. Today, even a Gentile like me can share in the promises of God through my faith in God’s Son.
Jeremiah 13 •
Jeremiah 13:1-7 Often times the piece of linen in these verses is translated as underwear, but actually the word is best translated as a waistband; a linen sash, of sorts, that was tied around the waist. Also, it’s unlikely Jeremiah walked the 700 mile round trip to the Euphrates just to bury this waistband. It’s possible that Jeremiah’s destination was
Perah, a village 3.5 miles northeast of Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin. The Hebrew spelling for “Parah” and “to Euphrates” is identical ( perāṯâh). •
Jeremiah 13:8-11 It’s interesting that God wanted to make the people of Israel something special. He was hoping they would be His people; that even the name “Israel” would give God praise and glory. (See Jeremiah 13:11).
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Jeremiah 13:12-14 With the command to fill the wine jars, we can assume they were empty; not being used for the reason they were created. Israel was the same. The people were empty, not being used for why God rescued them in the first place. So like empty jars, God would dash them against each other. Of course, a wine jar is to be filled with wine. Well, God expects the same from those who are called by His name. He expects us to be filled with righteousness.
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Jeremiah 13:18 The king was probably Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah) and the queen mother was Nehushta, the widow of Jehoiakim (see 2 Kings 24:8, 12, 15). Since they went into captivity in 597 BC after his reign of just three months (2 Kings 24:8), this prophecy must have been written during that three-month period.
Jeremiah 14 •
Jeremiah 14:1-10 God had warned long ago that disobedience to His laws would bring drought upon the land (Leviticus 26:18-19). Finally, now that life begins to get difficult, the people admit they had sinned against God. Isn’t this the way things go? The minute the punishment starts, the tears begin to flow. Why didn’t Judah feel remorse before God withheld the rains? Of course, God saw right through this charade. He knew they were not tears of repentance but tears of sorrow; sorry that they had to endure the punishment, not sorry they deserved the punishment.
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Jeremiah 14:11-16 Jeremiah had been telling the people one thing while other prophets and teachers were telling the people something else. As a bystander who might be listening to Jeremiah and these other prophets banter back and forth, how would I be able to tell who was right? Time proved Jeremiah right, but today it doesn’t seem that time proves the truth. Given time it seems we drift farther away from the truth. How can a Christian know what God is saying? How can a person tell who is speaking for the Lord and who is speaking lies? Should I let majority rule? In my own denomination, it is called “Discerning the mind of Christ” which is religious speak for “Majority Rules.” But clearly the majority was wrong in Jeremiah’s time. Here is the problem with the “Majority Rules” mindset. Let’s say I feel the Lord is speaking something while another person feels different. So I try to get enough people swayed to my opinion. Through petitions and pleading, I get a majority of people to agree with me and then conclude that my opinion must be God’s will or God’s Word. Apparently the other person must have been mistaken. They clearly did not know God’s will or speak God’s word. But somehow that practice seems more like politics rather than “Discerning the mind of Christ”. What then is a person to do? How then should we determine the truth? The answer is found in God’s Word. God’s Word becomes the standard by which His will is measured. If, for instance, I say God is going to do something or God feels a particular way about something, and if
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what I say contradicts what God has already said, done, or displayed in the past, then I am mistaken. I know the popular opinion is to say homosexuality is okay, but God has already spoken against it. It makes no difference if we spend weeks, months, or years trying to “Discern the mind of Christ”. God has already spoken His mind, and anyone whose words contradict His is mistaken. •
Jeremiah 14:19-22 God told Jeremiah not to pray for Judah anymore (Jeremiah 14:11). But this did not stop Jeremiah from confessing the nation's sins, and pleading with God to not destroy His people completely. This is an unusual prayer. Jeremiah doesn’t deny the sin, and he doesn’t ask God to withhold punishment. But he does ask God to remember His covenant with Israel; to keep in mind His promise, and not utterly destroy His people. There is a lesson to be learned here. I think even a church should gather for a time of confession every now and then. I think the entire church should stand before the Lord’s mercy. It just might be the healthiest thing a church could do.
Jeremiah 15 •
Jeremiah 15:1-4 In response to Jeremiah’s confession and plea, God says that not even Moses or Samuel could stop His punishment. A person living in Jerusalem will face one of four fates: Death, War, Famine, or Captivity. And honestly, I don’t know which option is the best. Based on Jeremiah 14:12 it’s clear that death is the result of the first three: death by plague, the sword, or by famine. But would captivity be any better?
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Jeremiah 15:10-21 In a conversation with God, Jeremiah opens his heart and confesses his fatigue. Not once did he participate in the drunken revelry or compromise on doing what was right. Yet he was hated and persecuted by his own people. Would God step in and help? Would God do something to get these people off his back? God’s reply was shocking. He told Jeremiah to stop feeling so sorry for himself; to stand up and show some backbone. Jeremiah was supposed to influence the people, not let the people influence him. And apparently God was hearing a bit too much of the people in Jeremiah’s complaint. Jeremiah was God’s representative to this wicked and corrupt land. So God was not about to let him fail. This reminds me of what Peter and John said to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:18-20. There is a lesson here for the church today. Today the
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wicked tell the church to sit down and shut up. It is then that the church needs to show a little backbone instead of running off with its tail between its legs.
August 10: Jeremiah 16-18, Jeremiah 35 Jeremiah 16 •
Jeremiah 16:1-4 This is the first of three restrictions God gives Jeremiah during this terrible time of suffering. First, He was not supposed to marry. This was not just an example for the people but probably also a way to spare Jeremiah some pain.
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Jeremiah 16:5-7 Jeremiah was not supposed to show grief by attending a funeral. He was not supposed to show comfort for those who mourn. Actually, shaving your head or cutting yourself was forbidden by God (see Deuteronomy 14:1). Truthfully, the loss of life would be so great that it would be impossible to even bury the dead.
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Jeremiah 16:8-9 The third restriction on Jeremiah was to avoid going to parties and happy gatherings. This pointed to a time when there would be no joy or happiness in the land.
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Jeremiah 16:10-13 Jeremiah was supposed to tell people why he avoided these things. But look how naïve these people were. “What sin” they innocently ask. So God reminds them that they are even worse sinners than their ancestors. And that He was going to throw them out of the land. God had reached a breaking point with these people. Do you think He will with us? God threw Satan out of Heaven. God threw Adam and Eve out of the garden. God is about to throw Judah out of the land (although He did promise to redeem the righteous). The same thing will happen as humanity stands before Him on Judgment Day. The wicked will be thrown from His sight. They will be cast out where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). God is not unjust or unfair. It is the person’s sin and wickedness that sends them away.
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Jeremiah 16:14-15 Just so the people do not misunderstand, God will bring them home again one day; those who were spared death by plague, sword, and famine. The righteous ones will return. And God will rebuild Israel. He had to because there was
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more yet to be done through these people. The One promised needed to come from Israel. The redeemer of humanity would arise from this nation, so the time of punishment would be limited. •
Jeremiah 16:16-18 But in the meantime Judah would be punished. God would send hunters and fishermen to find the wicked and remove them from Judah. In a way, through Babylon God would circumcise Judah, cutting off those filled with wickedness and sin.
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Jeremiah 16:21 Isn’t it interesting that God desired to show Himself to the nation through this period of suffering? Most people look at a time of suffering as God’s absence. But here God says that He is in the suffering. I wonder if anyone ever stopped to consider that in times of trial God might be closer than we think.
Jeremiah 17 •
Jeremiah 17:2 Did you notice that? Even the children joined their parents in the fertility worship beneath the Asherah poles. That’s disgusting. Children involved in sexual orgies! No wonder God was outraged.
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Jeremiah 17:9-10 People might be able to deceive others and they might even be able to deceive themselves (justifying their actions), but God is able to look through all the deception and see what is truly in a person’s heart. And He is the only one able to do this. I think you and I will be surprised at who God might judge as innocent and who He might judge as guilty. Sometimes the most wicked person is not the one behind bars.
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Jeremiah 17:14-18 In light of the wicked people living in Jerusalem, Jeremiah reminds God how righteous he has been. He has been faithful to God, continuing his work while facing ridicule and criticism. Remember how his own hometown treated him (see Jeremiah 11:21-23)?
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Jeremiah 17:19-27 This section seems oddly out of place. God had told Jeremiah to not even pray for these people. Now here He is telling Jeremiah to speak to the people about observing the Sabbath. If they kept it holy, they would be spared. If not, they would be destroyed. Although it seems pointless to correct these people, it still did not stop God
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from expressing His expectations. Actually, by telling the people what He expected, God’s judgment becomes just and fair. They cannot claim innocence, for God spoke quite clearly here. Jeremiah 18 •
Jeremiah 18:1-6 In the illustration of the Potter and the Clay, it’s clear that God is speaking against Israel and Judah. They did not become what God had intended, so He would crush the clay back together and begin reforming it all over again. The Assyrian and the Babylonian Exile become that crushing moment. The purpose for the clay has not changed, but the Potter begins his work anew. This is the straightforward application of this text. Now if we want to make a different application, one that would fit an entirely different set of circumstances, I suppose we could compare it to a church as well. If a church does not become what God had intended, He can bring conflict upon that church so that what rises from the ashes is more in line with what God intended. But can we apply this passage to an individual? Can this be applied to a Christian who wanders away in disobedience, suffers a crushing blow in their life, and then is remolded and reshaped by God? I’m just not so sure this illustration fits when we look at individuals. When it comes to people, the image of a refining fire seems much more likely. God burns away the dross through periods of testing and trials. I know we like to think that God makes us new when we are born from above, but truthfully we are still the same individual, just better. To look at myself and hate who I am is to ask God to throw me back and mold me into something new. But God does not change who we are; He refines us, He polishes us.
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Jeremiah 18:12-17 Judah would not listen. The people were too entrenched in their ways. So God would bring disaster. And out of this disaster He would discard those who were wicked. However, those He spared would be given an opportunity to rebuild the nation, and become a nation that once again gives glory to God. The nation is remodeled by the righteous remnant. And the righteous remnant has been refined over the period of testing.
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Jeremiah 18:18-23 Jeremiah had been pleading with God up till now to spare the nation. He asked God to remember His covenant with this nation. But not now. Now Jeremiah has a change of heart. He had learned of a plot against him, and it truly disturbed him. It was with love for his people that Jeremiah spoke God’s words. It was from a heart of compassion that Jeremiah warned these people. But in spite of the sacrifices he made for these people, they still turned against him. So he hands them over to God. Jeremiah steps out of the way and gives God permission to do as He promised. I wonder if this is a lesson for pastors. I know many a pastor who speaks the Word of God to their church only to have that church lie, slander, and gossip about him. At what point should the pastor stand aside and let the Church fall? Should a pastor do this at all?
Jeremiah 35 •
Jeremiah 35:1 This prophecy was given during the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC.), at least11 years (and possibly 20 years) earlier than the prophecies in chapter 34. Jeremiah placed the section here to contrast the faithfulness of the Recabite family with the unfaithfulness of the people of Judah. The Recabites were a nomadic clan (Jeremiah 35:7-10) descended from “Jonadab [or Jehonadab] son of Recab” who assisted Jehu in exterminating Baal worship from Israel (2 Kings 10:15-27). They were related to the Kenites (1 Chronicles 2:54-55) who descended from Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Judges 1:16).
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Jeremiah 35:5-11 The point here is not that we should refuse wine or never own a home. The lesson is that here was a group of people who obeyed the laws of a man. To their shame, Israel would not obey the laws of God. There is a lesson here for us. Just because we obey the laws of Men does not mean we will obey the laws of God. But, when we obey the laws of God, it becomes easier to obey the laws of Men.
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Jeremiah 35:12-16 Of course Jeremiah knew this about the Recabites. He was using them as a visual aid. And because of their obedience they would continually be able to worship and serve the Lord.
August 11: Jeremiah 49, Jeremiah 22-23 42
Jeremiah 49 •
Jeremiah 49:1-3 When the Northern tribes of Israel had fallen in 722 B.C. the Ammonites took control of the land that belonged to Gad (they were one of the tribes that settled east of the Jordan river). This city of Ai is not the one in Israel.
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Jeremiah 49:4 If you’ll recall, both Reuben and Gad chose this land because it was quite fertile (Deuteronomy 33:21).
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Jeremiah 49:5-6 Ammon’s problem was just like Moab’s. They both were overcome by pride. And their pride led to complacency. Once again I can’t help but wonder who these prophecies were for. Yes, the nations needed to hear these, but so did the small remnant of Judeans who were looking to escape God’s judgment elsewhere.
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Jeremiah 49:7 Remember Job’s friend Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11)? He was supposedly a sagacious man. He came from this city in Edom. Teman was in central Edom, about 3 miles from the town of Petra (the city carved into the rocks).
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Jeremiah 49:12 Remember that Edom was Israel’s brother. Edom came from Esau, Israel from Jacob. If nations unrelated to Judah were to be punished for their mistreatment of her, then nations closely related to Judah deserved greater condemnation (compare Obadiah 10).
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Jeremiah 49:16 Edom prized itself on its well-fortified cities, many carved right into the rock. Petra was one of these cities. It was used in an Indian Jones movie if you’ll recall.
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Jeremiah 49:23-27 Damascus was one of the major cities of Syria, just north of Israel. It lay between Babylon and Israel. It was sure to be conquered as Nebuchadnezzar marched through.
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Jeremiah 49:28-33 God summoned Nebuchadnezzar to attack even these remote desert placed. They figured they had nothing to fear. Truthfully, there wasn’t too much that would attract anyone to the land. The people built cities without walls or gates
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Jeremiah 49:34-29 Elam was east of Babylon in what is now the country of Iran. This prophecy was given early in the reign of Zedekiah, about 597 B.C. There is some evidence that Nebuchadnezzar defeated Elam about 596 B.C. Once again, why was Jeremiah given these prophecies? I can’t help but wonder if they were given to show Judah and Jerusalem how extensive the conquest and destruction would be; to convince these Judeans to just obey the word of the Lord and surrender to Babylon.
Jeremiah 22
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Jeremiah 22:1-5 This time Jeremiah speaks directly to the king. And I find it incredible that God is still trying to turn this man away from his wicked ways. He still, even now, is offering grace for those who are obedient to His commands. My, oh my, how patient our Lord truly is.
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Jeremiah 22:6-9 I’ve often wondered why it was necessary for God to destroy the city when it was the people who were actually wicked. The only answer that seems to make sense is that part of their idol worship involved the worship of their great city and glorious Temple. Oh, they did not bow down before the city and the palace, but their pride in their buildings stood between them and God. Idol worship could be a thing or a place; anything that stands between you and God. And if there was more love for the city in their hearts than love for God, then the city became an object of idol worship. And God was looking to destroy all their idols, right? Do you think some churches struggle with this as well? Do you think pride in the building has come between the people and God? Is the facility more important than who is worshiped in the facility? I believe that this is a problem in some churches today, and I wouldn’t be surprised if God didn’t step in like He did here in Jerusalem.
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Jeremiah 22:10-12 Jehoahaz reigned for only 3 months. He was taken prisoner by Pharaoh Neco and thrown into prison back in Egypt. This prophecy was spoken in 609 BC. As I said in the beginning, certain portions of Jeremiah are not in chronological order.
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Jeremiah 22:13-19 Judah needed a firm hand to guide her, but instead Jehoiakim was a petty king who cared only for personal gain. Jehoiakim died in late 598 BC as Nebuchadnezzar was advancing on Jerusalem. Perhaps, as some suppose, Jehoiakim was assassinated in an attempt to appease Nebuchadnezzar and spare the city.
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Jeremiah 22:20-23 This passage should be dated in late 598 BC, or early 597 BC. It focused on the coming Babylonian invasion brought on by Jehoiakim’s rebellion.
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Jeremiah 22:24-27 Jehoiachin (son of Jehoiakim) became the next king of Judah. But only after a three-month reign he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was deported to Babylon where he lived the rest of his life (see Jeremiah 52:31-34).
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Jeremiah 22:28-30 According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, “This prophecy also helps explain the genealogies of Christ in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. Matthew presented the legal line of Christ through his stepfather, Joseph. However, Joseph’s line came through Shealtiel who was a son of Jehoiachin (Jeconiah, Matthew 1:12; see 1 Chronicles 3:17). Had Christ been a physical descendant of Joseph and not virgin-born, He would have been disqualified as Israel’s King. Luke presented the physical line of Christ through Mary, who was descended from David through the line of his son Nathan (Luke 3:31). In that way, Christ was not under the “curse” of Jehoiachin.
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Jeremiah 23 •
Jeremiah 23:1-4 Judah’s leadership had failed. They failed to lead the people (the flock) toward righteousness. They led them astray. They guided them away from God’s laws and God’s words. For this, they would be judged. So God says the He would step in and lead the people; the remnant. He would take charge. Often times I wonder what God will do with those pastors and teachers who guide people away from God’s word and away from His teachings. They replace the Word of the Lord with the Wisdom of men. When will God step in again to Judge those who fail in their leadership responsibilities?
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Jeremiah 23:5-6 Jesus becomes the King Israel and Judah needed. He is the One who steps in and leads the remnant. I think a good pastor needs to keep in mind that we are not working for the church but for Christ. And as His workers we serve His church. Sometimes we pastors are tempted to do things that appease the church. But we need to be working and serving and leading as Christ has commanded. When our King speaks direction, a good pastor leads the church in that direction, even if the church moans and complains the whole way.
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Jeremiah 23:9-12 The prophets and priest believed in God. They were quite religious. But God’s accusation against them was that their worship of Him had become polluted. They went so far as to profane the very Temple of God. For this reason, they were being judged. Theirs was a sin of contamination. I wonder if God would pass the same judgment against those who have contaminated Christianity.
3 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Je 22:28–30). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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Jeremiah 23:13-15 I have to work real hard not to be angry with those “Christians” who make claims about God or about His word that are not true. I just want them to go away. I wish they wouldn’t be so deceptive. I wish they would just wear some sign on their chest that says “corruption.” But they won’t go away and they will not make their deception clear. That’s why a believer today needs to know the truth so they can recognize deception for what it is.
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Jeremiah 23:21-27 Truthfully there is a difference between a person being sent by God and a person who desires to speak for God. I have always believed that anyone who serves as a pastor should be someone called and sent by God. But frequently I meet those who simply have a desire to speak for God. Granted, God can be the one who placed the desire within a person’s heart, but that still does not negate the need to feel called. Those who have been called are those who have been sent with a message from the Lord. Those who have only the desire are those who practice spirituality.
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Jeremiah 23:28-29 Oh how I love these verses. The best way to counteract those who have contaminated Christianity and those who deceive with their lies is for the godly to just speak the truth. Even though many have taken the Truth and blended it with deception, and although many speak a contaminated truth, I need only speak The Truth found in the word of God. His Word is a hammer that has shattered many rocks. Some of the best preachings come from those who just speak God’s Word and let it do its work.
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Jeremiah 23:30-33 How can someone living today tell when a preacher is telling lies? How can someone today know if their pastor is deceiving them? The only way is for the people to know the word of God. A pastor should never give a “new” revelation or a “new” interpretation that contradicts what God has already said. The Holy Spirit will not lead you into a “New Truth”. The Holy Spirit helps you discern Truth. A pastor must preach the whole word, not just bits and pieces here and there. To say that God desires wealth and prosperity for everyone contradicts what we have seen God do in other instances in scripture. None of the first Apostles saw wealth and prosperity. Why should I assume God desires something for me that He is not willing to do for others? Why should I disregard one passage that calls something a sin just so I will not be offended?
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The greatest goal in life is not personal happiness, but personal holiness. As Jeremiah says, the only way to refute those who are trying to feed you straw is to know the Word. •
Jeremiah 23:34-40 As I read through this whole section I couldn’t help but wonder if God still feels the same way today. I suppose this whole section could be likened to those who insist that “God told me to say”, or “God told me to do.” I become skeptical when someone uses those words, especially when what they say or do contradicts what God has already said.
August 12: Jeremiah 24, Jeremiah 29-31 Jeremiah 24 •
Jeremiah 24:1-3 Sometime in 597 BC, just after Zedekiah had begun to reign, Jeremiah had this vision.
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Jeremiah 24:4-10 Reflecting back on what God said in Jeremiah 21:8-10, this truly was His intent. He intended to save those who were still listening to Him. As strange as it seemed, when God said to surrender to Babylon, He was looking to save those who still obeyed His commands. These were the figs that would be spared.
Jeremiah 29 •
Jeremiah 29:1-3 These people were deported to Babylon in 597 BC.
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Jeremiah 29:4-7 This is wise counsel even for you and me today. A believer should do all they can to improve the community in which they live. A Church should do all it can to make a difference in the community as well. A Christian does not just live for themselves; they also live for others. It is through them that others might see and hear and come to know Christ as Lord. If a church ceases to exist, would the community even notice? Would the city or the town or the neighborhood around that church be adversely affected if that church would close its doors? This is the thought that should drive the work and the ministry of any church.
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Jeremiah 29:10-14 Let’s get one thing clear; these words of hope were spoken to the exiled people of Judah, not to every human who has ever lived or those who are alive today. I hear the words in verse 11 misapplied so often. We cannot take a promise God made to these people and apply it to ourselves. If it applied to everyone, God would have said so.
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Jeremiah 29:18-19 When you think about the Jews who were scattered all over the world, those living in Europe come to mind. And indeed they were despised and held in contempt. Were they the ones God drove out of the land, as mentioned here in Jeremiah? It’s an interesting question to think about. Were the Jews living in Europe during the 1930’s and the 1940’s descended from those who received the curse mentioned here?
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Jeremiah 29:24-32 After Jeremiah’s letter was read to the exiles in Babylon, some religious leader named Shemaiah wrote back and instructed those still in Jerusalem to arrest Jeremiah and put him in shackles. However, Zephaniah (who apparently believed Jeremiah) showed the letter to Jeremiah. So Jeremiah writes a second letter to the exiles in Babylon and delivers God’s message to Shemaiah. It must have been refreshing for Jeremiah to know that at least someone in Jerusalem believed he spoke for the Lord. However, Zephaniah is eventually captured and killed by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 52:24-27).
Jeremiah 30 •
Jeremiah was to write these words on a scroll so it would become a source of hope for those exiled to Babylon. It reiterates the promise God made all the way back in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. The discipline was hard but necessary. God had to punish these people. To let them get away with their sin diminishes the holiness of God. If God does not punish those who disobey His commands, He is then not a holy and righteous God. If He cannot be trusted to fulfill His word in this case, then He cannot be trusted to fulfill His other promises.
Jeremiah 31
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Jeremiah 31:1 The promise God gave in the previous chapter spoke of Judah’s restoration. But here God say all of Israel will be restored. There will come a time in Israel’s history when even those lost tribes from the North will be returned to the land. Did this event happen yet? Take a look at Ezra 2. There you will find a list of names, and significantly there are those who cannot trace their lineage back to anyone from the record books. Perhaps these were exiles from the Assyrian invasion. But at best this represents maybe three of the Northern Tribes. Some say that they were returned when Israel became a nation once again. But were those Jews who returned descended from those 10 northern tribes, or just those who were dispersed by Rome in 70 AD? I do not believe this event has happened yet.
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Jeremiah 31:2-6 Significant here is the reference to Samaria. God will one day bring the people back to this place as well. Who lives in Samaria today? Well, Jews try to, but this territory called The West Bank is highly contested. Read the article at http://followingtheancientpaths.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/judea-samaria-whats-legal/ A day is coming though when this land will no longer be a hotbed of conflict. And God’s people will be able to live here in peace.
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Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah was a town five miles north of Jerusalem. Rachel was Joseph and Benjamin’s mother. Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, who became the two principal tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. So Jeremiah was picturing the weeping of the women of the Northern Kingdom as they watched their children being carried into exile in 722 BC. However, Jeremiah could also have had the 586 BC invasion of Judah in mind because Ramah was the staging point for Nebuchadnezzar’s deportation. But as the women of Israel and Judah wept for their exiled children, God offered a word of comfort. There was hope for their future because their children would return to their own land. God would bring about a restoration. Why then does Matthew link this with Herod’s slaughter of babies? We frequently see Old Testament prophecies displaying dual meanings; both immediate and future. With Herod’s brutality, the future meaning of this passage was realized.
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Jeremiah 31:16-22 Not only will a remnant return, but they will return dedicated to God. The time of discipline will work. People of other faiths abandon their god when things
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don’t go their way. False worshipers of God abandon Him when things don’t go their way. The righteous receive His discipline and turn from their wicked ways. •
Jeremiah 31:29-30 God’s discipline will eventually silence a proverb that was common in Jeremiah’s day (compare Ezekiel 18:2-4). Those facing judgment in Jeremiah’s day felt they were unfairly punished by God for their ancestors’ sins. Though the fathers had eaten sour grapes, it was the children who experienced the effects of having their teeth set on edge. This proverb was false because it implied that God was unrighteous. God’s justice will guarantee that each guilty person will die for his own sin.
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Jeremiah 31:31-34 The earlier covenant mentioned here was the Mosaic Covenant contained in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. God had announced two times that Israel would be punished for violating His Law (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). The final judgment would be a physical deportation from the land of Israel. This was fulfilled when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 BC. God had given them Laws to follow, written in stone. But because of their sinful hearts they could not keep those laws. God’s New Covenant will be written in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones. Ezekiel indicated that this change will come because of the Holy Spirit (see Ezekiel 36:24-32). Granted, it took some time for this to happen after the remnant returned, but still it did happen. Also buried in this passage about the New Covenant is how God will deal with sin. The sins of the people resulted in the curses of the Old Covenant. However, as part of the New Covenant, God will forgive Israel’s wickedness and remember their sins no more. But how could a holy God overlook sin? The answer is that God did not “overlook” sin. The penalty for sin was paid for by a Substitute (see Isaiah 53:4-6). In the Upper Room, Jesus announced that the New Covenant would begin through the shedding of His blood (see Luke 22:20). Forgiveness of sin would happen only because God provided a Substitute to pay the required penalty.
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Jeremiah 31:38-40 Interesting. God says Jerusalem will be rebuilt even before it is destroyed. This promise was not fulfilled when the exiles returned and rebuilt the city. Jerusalem was again destroyed by Rome in 70 AD. This prophecy speaks of a future time.
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August 13: Jeremiah 50-52 Jeremiah 50 •
Jeremiah 50:1-3 Okay, now Jeremiah says Babylon will also fall. This nation that was being used by God to punish the land would not just be punished herself but destroyed. At first glance, we might be tempted to say this speaks about Cyrus and the Medes. But the Medo-Persian army came from the east, not the north. Cyrus did not lay waste to the land. And Daniel stayed in the city (see Daniel 6:1-3). One day, Babylon will be completely destroyed. This city represents those Gentile nations that oppose the people of God. One day the righteous will rejoice that Babylon has fallen (Revelation 18:2).
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Jeremiah 50:6 To their shame, the religious leaders in Judah and Israel are to blame. For centuries, the people have sinned and rebelled against the Lord. Where were the priests who should have been calling the people to repent from their wicked ways? Where were the kings God anointed to watch over these people? When Judah is exiled, who will lead them back home? Who will lead them in the ways of God? Who will instruct them about His commands?
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Jeremiah 50:11-13 Babylon was used by God to punish Judah, but Babylon sinned by letting pride control her. God used Babylon, but she carried things too far. Babylon went overboard in its destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. I wonder if they lost control when they conquered the other nations as well.
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Jeremiah 50:23 See what happens when you get too big for your britches? God has a way of dishing out some humble pie from time to time. A nation would be wise to keep a humble opinion about itself. A nation would be wise to keep in mind that they are beneath God; that its people are subject to Him.
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Jeremiah 50:28 Although God said the Temple would be destroyed (Jeremiah 26:9), did that mean He desired its destruction? Was this the result of Nebuchadnezzar getting carried away? I wonder how many religious temples he destroyed in the other nations he conquered.
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Jeremiah 50:31 Not too much has changed. Arrogant leader rises to power in Babylon every now and then, even all over the world. There will always be people who somehow feel they are beyond the law or above the law - doing as they please and killing any who oppose them.
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Jeremiah 50:39-40 Of course, this prediction has not come true, yet. Although, Iraq has lately been rebuilding portions of the old city, calling this effort a National Duty.
Jeremiah 51 •
Jeremiah 51:5 “I am convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:38). Paul could utter those words because of what God said here through Jeremiah. If Israel and Judah’s sin could not separate them from God, then what can? We become God’s children because He has chosen to make us His children.
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Jeremiah 51:11-14 This King of the Medes could refer to Cyrus and his attack on Babylon in 539 B.C. However, Cyrus did not destroy the city. It was not crushed into piles of rubble. So perhaps this prophecy refers to a future time when a future King from the land (named Iran today) destroys Babylon.
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Jeremiah 51:17-19 Today we don’t put our trust and faith into a piece of wood or stone. The idol we often worship is ourselves. What we can scientifically understand or imagine overrules God. He takes a back seat to all our brilliance. Although it is not a carefully crafted wooden stick, the premise is the same. We worship what we can conceive. We worship what we can understand. We worship what makes sense. Truly, humanity is foolish. If we do not have the ability to create life; if we cannot make something out of nothing, then why would we place our ingenuity above the One who can?
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Jeremiah 51:24 So what exactly did Babylon do in Jerusalem that was wrong? If Babylon was God’s war club, then how did they step out of line?
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Jeremiah 51:34-35 This was the complaint the Judeans made against Babylon, but it seems to me this was their own fault. If they had obeyed God, none of this would have happened. So what more did Babylon do in Jerusalem that made God so upset with
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them? It seems that the Temple was defiled. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar did something gross and disgusting before he tore it down. •
Jeremiah 51:45-50 God called His people to leave Babylon. He’s been telling them to do this off and on for the past two chapters. Why did God need to tell them this? It’s because some people became quite comfortable living in this land. Some people didn’t want to go back to Israel.
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Jeremiah 51:59-64 Seraiah would have been the brother of Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch. He traveled to Babylon with King Zedekiah. But why would Zedekiah go to Babylon? In 595 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar had to deal with an uprising; a revolt from one of the nations under the Babylonian rule. So a year later (594 B.C.) he summons all his puppet kings to Babylon and makes sure they are loyal. This is probably the event recorded in Daniel 3.
Jeremiah 52 •
Jeremiah 52:1-11 This is the summary of Jerusalem’s last king, and the fall of Jerusalem. Although these events had already happened, Jeremiah places them here as a final testimony to the words that God had been speaking all along. This is what God said He would do. He would punish Jerusalem for her sin. If He were faithful to this promise, a person should be sure that God will be faithful to His other promises as well.
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Jeremiah 52:17-23 To understand why this event is recorded in such detail, we need to remember Jeremiah’s confrontation with Hananiah (see Jeremiah 28:3-4). This additional chapter proves that Jeremiah was right. This, perhaps, is why God was so angry with Babylon. It’s one thing to punish the people for their wickedness, but here it seems Babylon was trying to extinguish the last flicker of godliness within their hearts. God had intended the exile to be for only a short while. Eventually, Judah would return, and hopefully ready to worship God once again. But the place they could worship had been destroyed. Maybe this is what angered God.
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Jeremiah 52:24-27 Jeremiah was still in the city when all of this happened. He had been in shackles in the Temple Courtyard. Had it not been for Nebuzaradan, Jeremiah may have been executed as well (see Jeremiah 39:11-14).
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Jeremiah 52:28-30 In 597 B.C. about 10,000 people were taken (2 Kings 24:14). These numbers are not recording in 2 Kings. Here, Jeremiah mentions other deportations. The last group taken from the land happened after Gedaliah’s assassination (compare Jeremiah 41).
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Jeremiah 52:31-34 Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he became king; the last direct heir to Judah’s crown. He was king for 100 days before he was captured and imprisoned in Babylon. There he stayed for 37 years. Think about this; the only thing this man would have known was captivity until Nebuchadnezzar’s son took the throne. Evil-Merodach (Literally Merodach’s Man) was perhaps influenced by Daniel, and Jehoiachin is finally shown some kindness. Jeremiah ends on this positive note. God would one day restore the rest of the nation just as He had restored Jehoiachin. (Sadly, Evil-Merodach only reigns for two years. He is murdered by his brother-in-law Neriglissar.)
August 14: Jeremiah 37-38 Jeremiah 37 •
Jeremiah 37:1-5 The current events, especially the temporary reprieve of the siege, cause these weak leaders to surmise that things were now going to change.
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Jeremiah 37:6-10 Needless to say, Jeremiah’s reply infuriated these men. They didn’t want to hear from God, they wanted their ears tickled.
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Jeremiah 37:11-12 This trip home is not to be confused with the land purchase made in chapter 32. By then he had already been arrested and imprisoned in the courtyard. These verses tell of the events leading up to his arrest (remember that Jeremiah is not a chronological book). Perhaps he was headed home just to get his affairs in order
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Jeremiah 37:15 These rooms were probably cisterns that had been converted into prison cells. I used to live in a house with a cistern – an underground tank than held captured rainwater. They are dark and smelly. I image these would have been just as moldy. Not the nicest place to spend “quite some time”. However, even though his life was unpleasant, his message would not change. What did these guards hope to accomplish by treating Jeremiah this way? Did they think he might change his story? I suppose he might have retracted his statement had these been Jeremiah’s words. But since they were God’s, only God could change the message. If they wanted the message to change, why torment the messenger? God was the one they needed to throw in a well (not that it would work, but it kinds helps make the point). I have had several people complain that they will never listen to another one of my sermons. They simply didn’t like what I had to say. But since I preach the Word, they need to talk to God, not me. I merely point out what He has said.
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Jeremiah 37:20-21 Probably in his 60’s by now, Jeremiah asks for better prison arraignments. This is how he ended up imprisoned in the courtyard. Not the best life, but better than what would happen down in that holding cell.
Jeremiah 38 •
Jeremiah 38:1-3 While confined to the courtyard, Jeremiah took the liberty to speak to anyone about God’s warning. It still wasn’t too late to surrender to Babylon. I wonder how many people listened. Did some soldiers surrender as well? Of course, the four leaders mentioned here took offense to what Jeremiah said; the same message he gave earlier (see Jeremiah 21:3-10).
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Jeremiah 38:5 Do you see how weak King Zedekiah was? Earlier he seemed to be on Jeremiah’s side. Now here he tells these officials to do as they see fit. Show a little backbone Zedekiah! Of course you can stop them, you’re the king.
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Jeremiah 38:6 This cistern was not converted to be a prison, it was just a dry tank. We are given the impression that the mud was still moist though, enough for Jeremiah to sink up to his knees. If he had passed out, he would have probably died in there.
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Jeremiah 38:7-9 Isn’t it sad that his fellow countrymen wanted Jeremiah to die, yet some eunuch from Ethiopia intercedes on Jeremiah’s behalf.
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Jeremiah 38:10 Do you see how wishy-washy this king was? Some king. He was more a puppet than a king. He was like a pastor who gives in to pressure from those who make the most noise instead of truly leading his church. A real leader will do what is right, not what keeps the peace.
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Jeremiah 38:14 This “Third Entrance” is not mentioned elsewhere. Perhaps it was a private entrance that led from the Palace to the Temple.
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Jeremiah 38:17-23 What a fearful king. He was untrustworthy and typically not a man of his word. Yet Jeremiah speaks one more time about surrendering. But even then, Zedekiah worries about what he might have to face if he surrenders. He lived more out of fear than by faith. Truly he was unfit for leadership.
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Jeremiah 38:24-26 How about we keep this meeting our little secret, okay Jeremiah? I don’t want to get in trouble, and neither do you. Oh, give me a break! You’re king, for crying out loud, how will you get in trouble?
August 15: Ezekiel 1-3 Ezekiel •
Like Jeremiah and Zechariah, Ezekiel was a priest turned prophet. God called this man th
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during the 5 year of the Judean exile (Ezekiel 1:2) and ended in the 25 year (Ezekiel st
40:1). Some Bible translations will actually begin dating Ezekiel’s prophecy on July 31 , th
593 BC. Older translations simply say “On the 5 day of the fourth month.” But with modern excavations of Babylon, and cross references with ancient tablets, many dates in Ezekiel can be pinpointed to within a day or two of our modern calendar (see Babylonian
Chronology: 626 B.C.-75 A.D. Richard A. Parker and Waldo H. Dubberstein, Providence, R.I.: Brown University Press, 1956). If we believe this date is accurate then the time mentioned in Ezekiel 29:17 would be March 26, 571 BC.
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As we begin reading through Ezekiel, you may pick up on a noticeable shift in his writings. We need to keep in mind that the Babylonian exile began before Jerusalem fell. In our study of Judah’s kings, remember that when Jehoiachin was taken prisoner and deported to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar installed Mattaniah as king (see 2 Kings 24:12-17). Mattaniah’s name is changed to Zedekiah. Ezekiel, it is assumed, was part of Jerusalem’s elite (2 Kings 24:15). Jerusalem itself would not be destroyed until nine years later (2 Kings 25:1). That’s why there is a shift in the feeling of Ezekiel’s writings (dividing after chapter 24). When Ezekiel received word of the Temple’s destruction, his emphasis shifted from Judgment to Restoration. Had Ezekiel not been taken captive, he would have been serving in the Temple as a priest. He had just reached the age (30 years old) when he would have been called into service (Numbers 4:3).
Ezekiel 1 •
Ezekiel 1:1-3 The Kebar River (see map at http://bibleatlas.org/full/erech.htm) runs parallel to the Euphrates river. The exiles may have been staying in the town of Nippur.
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Ezekiel 1:4-11 I want you to notice that before this vision took place, the hand of God had already taken hold of Ezekiel. God was preparing him to see these things of significance. So it’s important to keep in mind that Ezekiel was prepared ahead of time to see these things and understand their importance. The significance was not in what these living beings were like. Unfortunately, this is what many people do. They try to find the significance of the living beings (Why four wings, why the hoofed feet, why the four faces, etc.). Ezekiel merely mentioned these things descriptively; giving us an idea of what they looked like to him. But the point is that these living beings were God’s attendants. And if the beings that attended God were so majestic, what must God be like. One of the sins that trap many of us is to diminish the holiness and majesty of God. We picture God with human characteristics in order to fully grasp who He is. But in doing so, we diminish His grandeur. This was a problem with the people of Jerusalem. They had lost their reverence for God. And since God was going to use Ezekiel to resurrect a little respect from Judah, He presents Himself in a grand way. That’ll get their attention.
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Ezekiel 1:12-28 God revealed His throne to Ezekiel as being mobile, not stationary. His throne was at the center, surrounded by these four living beings, resting upon a platform supported by four wheels. The wheels were covered with eyes, and the wheels could move in any direction. Once again someone will try to paint a picture depicting this scene as if the image is what was important. But I want you to see the significance of what is said. This is the Throne of God. The living beings are described as Cherubim (see Ezekiel 10:2). Their outstretched wings covered the Throne of God; the Mercy Seat. To Israel, this would bring to mind an image of the outstretched wings of the Cherubim over the Ark of the Covenant. To a Jew, that Throne was fixed and permanent. It was the place that God dwells. But in this vision, God demonstrates that He is not confined to a place, and His eyes see all that is happening in this world. God was aware of what was going on outside of the Temple. There was no place to hide from Him. Also important was the fact that God could be wherever He desired to be. Where the Spirit was about to go, the wheels would move in that direction. Naturally, when Ezekiel saw this, he fell facedown on the ground; which is entirely appropriate. Reverence and awe are what will happen to all of us when we see Him face to face. I’d say we better start practicing right now.
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Ezekiel 1:20 I wanted to single out this verse because of its significance. When I am making plans for the ministry of the church, I try to see where God is headed already, following the leading of the Spirit. It says that where the Spirit was about to go, this throne of God would lead in that direction. One of the best ways to make sure God is involved in your ministry is to find out where the Spirit is headed; to look for the presence of the Lord. If we want to be working with God, then look for where God is already working, and get involved.
Ezekiel 2 •
If these words seem powerful to us, can you image how Ezekiel must have felt! Now, I’m reading this as a pastor; a man sent to lead a group of God’s people. I speak with the hope that the people will hear and will listen; that the words given to me by God will have the desired effect on those who hear. But what if a pastor has been sent to speak the final warning? What of the pastor who serves a church while it is taking its last breath?
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How must a pastor feel when he is the last one in leadership? What is a man of God to do when his words fall on deaf ears? Our answer is found here. A man called by God must give the people the Words of God, even though the people (or church) refuse to listen; even if he is the last pastor that church will ever have. If a pastor remains true to his calling and faithfully preaches the Word of God, at least that church will know they had a man of God in their midst, even though they tore that man to pieces. Ezekiel 3 •
Ezekiel 3:1-15 Although these words were bitter words of judgment for Judah, they were still the words of God. For that reason, they were sweet. Even David (Psalm 19:10), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 15:16), and John the Apostle (Revelation 10:9-11) said the same thing. The challenge God gives Ezekiel is one all messengers of God need to keep in mind. He told Ezekiel to let the words sink into his own heart first (Ezekiel 3:10). I wonder why God needed to say this. Perhaps there were some issues Ezekiel needed to deal with as well. Perhaps he did not treat God with the reverence He deserved. Maybe Ezekiel was just like me; needing to hear the message before he could preach the message. It’s awfully difficult share the Word of God with passion if those words have not first affected you. A wise pastor will take the words God has given and let them stew a while. Let them convict and cause repentance in his heart first.
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Ezekiel 3:16 It’s obvious that Ezekiel was a man convicted. He spent seven days coming to terms with what he had seen and what he had heard. This happens to me frequently. I’ll study something or the Spirit will convict, and then I mope around for a couple of days wondering why God would choose such a sinful and wicked person; why He would ask me to speak for Him when I’m no better than anyone else. But this is a lesson all people need to learn. If God was looking for the perfect person to do ministry here on earth, He’s in trouble. The only person who is perfect is with Him in Heaven (Jesus), so His choices are limited to the rest of us who are far from perfect.
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Ezekiel 3:17-21 What part of this conversation would make Ezekiel agree to be God’s messenger? And was Ezekiel given a choice in that at all? It sure seems to me that if this warning were placed before all potential pastors, many would simply back out. Only
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those who are called and compelled to lead would agree to such a responsibility. I guess the logical question here is whether this accountability given to Ezekiel is also given to those who Pastor a church. Is a calling to the ministry the same as what Ezekiel experienced? Do the words here and the words in James 3:1 mean the same thing? •
Ezekiel 3:22-27 Ezekiel was told to stay in his house, probably because what he was about to say would make him an enemy of many people. No one likes to hear the painful truth. These people of Judah had believed a lie for too long. They would not listen to Isaiah or Jeremiah before the exile. They certainly would not like what Ezekiel would say during the exile. So he stayed in his home. And he was struck dumb, unable to speak until the Lord gave him a message. The only words that would proceed from his mouth were the words of God.
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This is Ezekiel’s commissioning. He would be held accountable for his obedience in speaking the Word of God. He would be frowned upon, despised, and rejected by his own people because of the words he would speak. And his tongue would be restrained from speaking anything but the Word of God. And people think the clergy have an easy job.
August 16: Ezekiel 4-5, Jeremiah 27-28 Ezekiel 4 •
Although Ezekiel was confined to his home (Ezekiel 3:24), God still expected him to pass along messages to the people. Perhaps in the courtyard or at the entrance to his house, Ezekiel was to give the following signs. He was supposed to play with Legos (okay, so it was a clay tablet), and depict the siege against Jerusalem. He was supposed to lay on his side. First on his left with his head facing North (depicting the Northern Tribes), then on his right with his head facing south (depicting the Southern Tribes), showing God’s judgment for their years of sin (reasoning for the length of years is hard to pinpoint). He was to measure out his food indicating the severity of the siege (a Babylonian siege would cut off a city’s food and water supply), and use human dung for fuel to cook the food. Although it was a common practice in the middle-east to mix cow dung with straw
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and let it dry into a brick (yes, the smoke smelled really bad), and use that for fuel, human dung would have been an even greater defilement (see Deuteronomy 23:12-14). Trees were very scarce at the time, and there would be very little wood within the city to burn. Ezekiel 5 •
The fourth sign Ezekiel was to give involved a strange haircut. So, after Ezekiel demonstrated the fact of the siege (first sign), the length of the siege (second sign), and its severity (third sign), he concludes with the result of the siege (fourth sign). One-third are destroyed by disease and famine, one-third are destroyed by the sword outside the city walls, and one-third will be scattered to the wind. These are the same ratios that are given in Jeremiah 15:2.
Jeremiah 27 •
Jeremiah 27:1-7 Sometime between May and August of 593 BC there was a meeting in Jerusalem with the leaders of the nations mentioned here. Most likely they were discussing a united revolt against Babylon. Babylonian history records that a year earlier there was civil unrest in Babylon, and Nebuchadnezzar had to defend himself against a coup. This would have encouraged the nations under his rule to seize an opportunity to break free. Jeremiah is sent to warn these leaders that a rebellion is against God’s command. God will actually punish any nation that refuses to submit to this pagan rule (Jeremiah 27:8). This whole Babylon thing is really strange. It goes against everything that seems rational and sane. Sometimes trusting God involves doing what does not make sense. Sometimes trusting God involves ignoring what we would call common sense.
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Jeremiah 27:12-15 How would America respond to a message from God to bow our necks to some foreign leader? Even I would have a hard time obeying this message . . . unless, of course, I was certain this message had come from God. It’s easy to read this section and judge the King of Judah for not listening to Jeremiah. We know the end of the story. But consider for a moment that you didn’t. How would you react if some seminary student showed up at the White House and told the President to allow Muslim
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control of America? You’d be indignant too! The only way I would be inclined to listen is if God authenticated this man’s message; if God spoke through more than one person. •
Jeremiah 27:16-22 Babylon had already plundered some of the treasure during the first deportation under Jehoiachin. If the people didn’t submit to Nebuchadnezzar, the rest would be taken away as well.
Jeremiah 28 •
Jeremiah 28:1 This event occurred sometime between August and September of the same year mentioned in Jeremiah 27:1 (593 BC). It was important that Jeremiah keep accurate records of these events because of what will soon happen.
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Jeremiah 28:2-4 Hananiah’s message directly contradicted what Jeremiah had said to the Kings, to the priests, and to the people in the spring of that year. Hananiah was probably from a priestly family, considering he was from Gibeon. This was a town Joshua had given to the priests (Joshua 21:17-18).
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Jeremiah 28:9-11 Jeremiah is right. This is the only way to test who is speaking for God and who is speaking on their own. Time will tell. That’s why Jeremiah recorded accurately when this even took place. Hananiah said peace would come in two years. And he broke the yoke that had been around Jeremiah’s neck to prove his point. Okay, let’s wait two years and see what happens.
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Jeremiah 28:15-17 Apparently God is more patient than I am. I would have had him die on the spot, not wait two months. But, if we think about it, Jeremiah was given an opportunity to speak a prophecy that would shortly come true. If their encounter happened in September, then Jeremiah said that within 3 months Hananiah would be dead. Two months later he was. This would validate Jeremiah as a man who does indeed speak for God.
August 17: Ezekiel 6-9 Ezekiel 6 63
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Ezekiel 6:1-7 To speak God’s judgment against Israel’s mountains and against her valleys only makes sense if we keep in mind the Canaanite worship that had permeated the land. God was to be worshiped in the Temple, but for too long His people had been worshiping all the Canaanite gods, both in the valleys and in the hills (see Jeremiah 17:13 and Jeremiah 32:35). These High Places had been in the land before Israel came, and she was supposed to destroy them (Numbers 33:52).
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Ezekiel 6:8-14 Just because God was passing judgment against Israel did not mean He was abandoning Israel. Some of His people would be spared, and they would grieve because of their sin. They would recognize that what they had done was wrong, and they would turn and repent for their sin, which is exactly what God was trying to do. This was punishment, not destruction. The day for the destruction of the wicked is yet to come. I am reminded of the times some radical evangelist proclaims that God was passing judgment when a city or a group of people suffered calamity. These people only proclaim their ignorance, not the Word of God. Judgment and destruction are reserved for a time in the future. Today is the time for discipline; the time for salvation. And sometimes God uses calamity to get the attention of stiff necked people like me. I wish He would do the same for some others.
Ezekiel 7 •
What is striking about this message is that Ezekiel would have been silent except for times when he would speak words like these. Can you imagine how shocking they would have sounded? People didn’t get a “Hi, how are you” from the man, but just an “End is near” message. I know how we treat people like this today. I’m sure Ezekiel was treated the same way. He was seen as some fanatical eccentric who is one fry short of a Happy Meal.
Ezekiel 8 •
Ezekiel 8:1-18 Even though Ezekiel was confined to his home, others could come and go as they pleased. So one day as the elders of Judah were meeting with him, God opened his mind to a vision of the Temple in Jerusalem. Either the Lord revealed things Ezekiel did not know, or He reminded him of what he had seen before he had been taken
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prisoner. Whichever way the Lord did this, it is still evident that the Lord appeared to Ezekiel. And the Lord made it quite clear that He was deeply troubled by what was happening in Jerusalem. •
Ezekiel 8:6 The Idol that offended God was just by the gate that led to the inner courtyard, right by the Bronze Altar where sacrifices were made. This was probably an Asherah Pole. Manasseh had placed a carved image there during his reign (2 Kings 21:7), but later he removed it (2 Chronicles 33:15). After his death, that pole found its way back into the Temple, only to be removed and destroyed by Josiah (2 Kings 23:6). Apparently a replacement was made when Josiah was killed. It seems this idol continued to find its way back into the Temple. A righteous King would have it removed, but soon the people brought it right back into the sanctuary. Sometimes it seems the church is just as guilty. A righteous Leader will cleanse the church of anything that receives more honor than Christ. But as soon as he is gone, the people bring it right back into the sanctuary. I don’t want you to miss what God says here. If this idol was going to be present in the Temple, then God was going to leave. This is significant because Jesus threatens to do the same thing to a church that does not honor His name (Revelation 2:5). Are there things within the church that receive more honor than Christ? If so, they are idols and they do not belong. If you must, get rid of them. Do it now before the Spirit of the Lord departs from the presence of your church.
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The second half of Ezekiel’s vision is quite interesting. In an event strikingly similar to the Egyptian Passover, people who hunger and thirst for righteousness are marked to be spared. Those not marked are punished by the Babylonian Army (represented here by the six men carrying a weapon). One has to wonder if God’s justice and God’s punishment is truly this precise and calculated all the time. The only thing different about the Babylonian destruction of Israel and, say the World Trade Center attacks, is that God had repeatedly been warning that He would punish Judah. I’m not aware of any warning provided by God on the days leading up to the 9/11 attacks. So it’s important to draw that distinction. If things were to happen today like they did in Ezekiel’s time, then judgment would begin first with the church (compare Ezekiel 9:6). Truthfully, if we want to draw any modern day analogy out of this event, it would compare with The Great Day of Judgment. Those who are believers are marked by the Spirit of God and spared judgment. All others will be punished.
August 18: Ezekiel 10-13 Ezekiel 10 •
Ezekiel gives us a glimpse of what happened inside the cloud when the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple. The same four Cherubim carried the Throne of the Lord. This time we are told about the many eyes present on these creatures. God was preparing to leave the Temple and leave the city, but first God would heap burning coals upon Jerusalem (Babylon would destroy Jerusalem by fire). The image here is of God getting ready to leave, but pausing for a moment, looking back at this city with sadness in His heart. Jesus would do the same in Jerusalem centuries later, looking out across the city with tears in His eyes (see Luke 19:41-44).
Ezekiel 11 •
Ezekiel 11:1-13 There is a slight possibility that Jaazaniah, son of Azzur is the same Azzur mentioned in Jeremiah 28:1. If so, then this Jaazaniah is the brother of the man who opposed Jeremiah and delivered the same false message of hope. How strange it must have been for these 25 men to compare Jerusalem to an iron cooking pot, and then
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hear Ezekiel take those words and turn them around. God knew what they were thinking and revealed this to these men through Ezekiel. Maybe this is what caused Pelatiah to die. He felt his thoughts were unknown, but God heard his thoughts and turned them into judgment. •
Ezekiel 11:14-21 God speaks words of assurance to those living in exile. God assured them that they would not be forgotten or abandoned. As a matter of fact, they will return to Jerusalem with a new heart and a new passion for God. I know I’ve said this before but the idea that those exiled are the ones who are being made righteous just doesn’t seem to make sense, at least according to the world’s standards. We expect it to be those spared. People who preach a prosperity gospel must hate this lesson.
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Ezekiel 11:22-24 What a sad image this must have been; to see the Lord leave. I wish some churches today could see this image. Perhaps it would help them get things straightened out. Perhaps it would open their eyes to the things they are doing that drive God away. God was leaving because that’s what He chose to do. It was His way of disciplining the nation. But the people did not kick Him out. People do not have the power or the ability to tell God where He is allowed. Our Government may tell God He is not allowed in schools, but that certainly will not keep Him away. But, if a church defiles and defames the name of God enough times, God will make a choice to leave that church; giving it over to Satan, so to speak; allowing him to “Sift them like wheat” (see Luke 22:31) for the purpose of discipline.
Ezekiel 12 •
Ezekiel 12:1-20 I can’t help it. It just seems funny to me that God would use play acting to teach Judah a lesson. And we thought teaching through drama was some new tool used by the church. I wonder if the people gathered just to watch Ezekiel play out these messages from God. But truthfully, this drama ministry was entirely accurate. Zedekiah did crawl through a hole in the wall and try to escape (2 Kings 25:1-7). He would be blinded and never see his country again. Like the other prophets before him, Ezekiel had a message given to him by God; it’s just that the way it was delivered was different.
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Some of these prophets spoke through miracles (Elijah), some through words (Isaiah), some through songs (Jeremiah), and some through drama (Ezekiel). •
Ezekiel 12:21-28 Prophets had been warning of this coming destruction ever since Uzziah was king (through Isaiah). Where was this great terror known as Babylon? Where was Jerusalem’s destruction? Where were the death and disease and the famine? The people began to doubt it would ever happen. And if it were going to happen, it wouldn’t be for a long, long time. But God said that the time for waiting is over. These smart-mouthed Judeans would be silenced as their sacred city fell to the ground. Then they would know that God said what He meant and meant what He said. Our Creator is faithful, 100 percent.
Ezekiel 13 •
I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of a bystander here. Picture yourself standing in Jerusalem with men like Jeremiah or Ezekiel saying one thing, and the other prophets saying another. One group is preaching peace and the other is preaching destruction. How would you choose who was right? How would you be able to tell which man is actually speaking for God? I have an idea, but it’s just an idea. So don’t hold me to this. On the one hand, you have a city and a nation that have turned their backs to God. They have not followed His laws and His commands. They even put an idol to a false god right inside the Temple. So if that’s the spiritual condition of the nation, what do you suppose God might be saying? Will He be speaking loving words of peace and prosperity even though the people sin, or words of correction and reproof? My guess is that the prophet who holds people accountable for their sin is the one who speaks for God. That prophet may speak of peace and restitution after the people repent, but they will not tell people God is looking for ways to bless them no matter how they live. He can’t. For God to look upon the sinful and yet grant eternal life is to diminish His character. Eternal life is not granted to the sinful. Eternal life is granted to the redeemed. And who are the redeemed; those whose sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus. How does the sin become covered? By admitting we sin and are in need of a Savior.
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August 19: Ezekiel 14-16 Ezekiel 14 •
Ezekiel 14:1-11 The practice of Idolatry was out in the open back in Jerusalem, but in Babylon is was hidden in the people’s hearts. There was no pole or shrine to worship, just another god in the hearts of these religious leaders in exile. God asks Ezekiel if it was right for Him to answer these men while another god was erected in their hearts. That’s a good question. I think God already knew the answer; He was just trying to make a point. Of course He should not answer them; He should rebuke them for what does not belong in their heart. This sort of goes back to what I said earlier. God’s first desire is to make us holy, not happy. Like these exiled leaders, we come asking the wrong question far too often. The blessings come when we ask God to make us more like Christ, not to make us healthy, wealthy, and wise.
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Ezekiel 14:12-23 Maybe you caught the same thing I did in these verses. The reference to Noah I can get, he was able to save his own family. And the reference to Job I was able to understand, he prayed for his friends who were then spared. But Daniel? We haven’t even started studying that book yet. How could God speak of a man that has not even entered into the picture? Well, that’s because even though we have not studied Daniel, he and his friends were already in Babylon, and apparently already did the whole fiery furnace routine. They would have been well known in Babylon because of this. In all three cases, these men were able to spare others because of their righteousness. But even if all three would be present and prayed for God to save Jerusalem, He would not relent. The only people these three Champions of the Faith could spare would be themselves. Lest those already in exile think God’s judgment is unfair, some people will escape the destruction of Jerusalem and make their way to Babylon. When those in exile meet these new prisoners, they will understand why God allowed the city to be punished. These people will display the depth of their depravity.
Ezekiel 15 •
The comparison to a vine is also used by Jesus (John 15:2). But in Christ’s analogy the importance was fruit, not necessarily the vine. Here God points to the vine and compares
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it to wood. Although the vine is not valuable for much except for fire, what that vine produces is worthwhile. The problem was that Judah had become a dead vine. Nothing of spiritual value was growing in Jerusalem. The people of Judah, however, thought they were of value simply because of who they were; a problem that continued for many generations. Ezekiel 16 •
Ezekiel 16:1-34 God said that Jerusalem’s father was an Amorite and her mother was a Hittite. Now, either He meant that to simply be slanderous or it was fact. Israel (Jacob) was a descendant of Noah’s son Shem (Genesis 10:21-31). However, the original inhabitants of Jerusalem were Jebusites (who were Canaanite), descended from Noah’s son Ham. It seems they were part of the same family when we compare Genesis 10:1516. But didn’t David defeat these people and drive them out of the Land? Didn’t he conquer Jebus and later change its name to Jerusalem? Although David did conquer Jerusalem, the people living in the land were not completely destroyed. And those Canaanite people continued their sensual religious practices. Eventually, these practices begin to entice Israel. And from the time of Solomon until the day of Nebuchadnezzar, first Israel, then Judah began to embrace the religious practices of these other nations. Ezekiel says here that Judah was the worse. And the people of Jerusalem became even more warped and defiled than the nations around her; even worse than Samaria and even worse than Sodom. Any and all religions were practiced; sexual prostitution beneath the Asherah Pole, child sacrifice to Molech, Baal worship, worship of the sun, moon, and stars, and a little bit of God thrown in for good measure. Naturally God is broken hearted. The people began to worship any god they could find, even in the city that He had rescued from death, and at the place that He had adorned in splendor (see 1 Kings 10:1-5). Jerusalem embraced any and all religions. They were the original people to Coexist.
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Ezekiel 16:35-52 Blended worship is not an option for an individual who wants to be called a Christian. It’s that plain and simple. God would not tolerate it from Jerusalem, and He will not tolerate it from us. Nowhere in scripture, and I mean nowhere, does God condone mixing religions together and gleaning the truth from each different one. Yes,
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there will be elements of truth in just about any religion (Truth is truth no matter where you are or who you are), but a person dare not play the mix and match game. There may be some truth in other religions, but in them there is no life. A person might think they are strong enough in their faith to go ahead and worship alongside a Buddhist or a Hindu, but what they must consider is how that fellowship would affect God. How would He feel when a Christian kneels beside a Muslim and prays in the name of Allah just so he doesn’t ruffle any feathers? If God is offended, should the child of God be offended as well? I was at a Community Worship Service once where all religious institutions were invited to attend. We sang “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”, but skipped verse two. Do you know what verse two of that song says? “Were not the right man on our side, the
man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be, Christ Jesus it is he .” Tell me, why do you suppose that one particular verse was omitted? It was omitted because the name of Jesus makes it difficult for us to Coexist. And if these other religions cannot coexist with Jesus, why do we think we should coexist with them? •
Ezekiel 16:53-63 Jerusalem has taken her vows lightly. She didn’t consider the sacred oath she had made with God. But even though she had forgotten, God had not. And He will show Jerusalem mercy and grace. This, of course, just goes to show that He alone is the God worthy to be worshiped and praised. There isn’t any other god that man has created who demonstrates these characteristics.
August 20: Ezekiel 17-19 Ezekiel 17 •
This is a clever riddle that apparently the nobles in Babylon did not understand. That’s why God gives them a clear explanation. Yes, Nebuchadnezzar had weakened Jerusalem, but as long as Zedekiah remained submitted to Babylonian rule, there would be no trouble. But Zedekiah felt the right thing to do was to revolt, even though he had been told not to do it. When Ezekiel wrote these words, Zedekiah was still ruling in Jerusalem. He had not raised his fist against Babylon. So Ezekiel utters these words about three years before this event. In this riddle, there are three eagles. One is
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Nebuchadnezzar, who plucks a shoot and transplants it along a river to grow (most exiles lived between the Euphrates and the Kedar river). The other eagle tried to lure them away (Egypt). Neither Eagle was able to truly offer protection and security. The third eagle is God. When He plants, the tree stays put. When He plants, the tree provides protection. When He plants (or cuts down), everyone knows that it was Him. Ezekiel 18 •
Hidden within this proverb was a speck of truth. Yes, God did say that He would punish the wicked for their sins even to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7). But what Jerusalem was doing here was passing the blame. What the people were saying by quoting this proverb was that they were unjustly punished because of their parent’s sin, not because of their sin. Yes, the effects of sin are severe and last a long time. But God does not maliciously punish the innocent for the sins of their ancestors. This proverb is another example of how Jerusalem was refusing to admit her own sin. They blamed someone else for their problems, a sin still prevalent today. Few are willing to admit that the mess they are in just might be their own fault. But the godly turn to God and say “I really messed up.” The lesson here is obvious: the people were being punished because of their sin. But if they would confess that sin and repent, God would forgive them and restore them. He did not want to see the people suffer or die (Ezekiel 18:32). Nowhere in the Bible do we see God acting unjustly. He does not strike down the innocent. He punishes those He loves, but it is punishment, not destruction. He has no desire to see anyone die. He has no desire to see someone end up in hell (and we’ll save that last topic for a later discussion).
Ezekiel 19 •
At the time of this funeral song for the “Princes of Israel” (her kings), Zedekiah was still on the throne. Ezekiel wrote this in 592 BC, five years before Jerusalem would fall. Two great Lions are mentioned in this song, one being Jehoahaz who ruled for only three months before being captured by Pharaoh Neco and taken to Egypt (2 Kings 23:31-34), and the other being Jehoiachin who ruled for only three months before being taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:8-17). The mother of the cubs was Israel, who is
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also taken captive; uprooted and placed in Babylon. In another analogy, Israel is compared to a vine, but the vine becomes so withered that it is no longer able to produce fruit (Ezekiel 19:14). No ruler from the line of David will arise from her ever again. Not until Christ returns to reign on the earth will Israel have another king.
August 21: Ezekiel 20-22 Ezekiel 20 •
Ezekiel 20:1-3 Apparently the leaders of Israel came to hear a word of blessing from God, not a word of instruction or reproof. But instead God begins to point out why He was justified to punish the people.
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Ezekiel 20:4-26 It’s interesting what God admits about Himself in this brief history lesson. Yes, He is pretty miffed at Israel right now, but He’s been just as angry in the past. And in the past He relented from utter destruction in order to protect His reputation (or His Name). Instead of destroying Israel (and He had every reason to do so), He simply stepped aside and allowed the people to follow the lusts of their flesh. And when God did not intervene, their apostasy became even worse.
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Ezekiel 20:27-44 The wickedness of their hearts could be seen in the way they acted when God was not around. Therefore, just as He did in the past, God plans punishment. But it was justified punishment, as can be seen through their actions. However, it would not be destruction. We need to keep this in mind. All of this was God’s way of disciplining Israel and purging the evil from their heart. And truthfully, does He not do the same for us today? The Spirit was given to us as a gift from God for our faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit restores us and washes us as white as snow. We become marked as a child of God. But the Spirit also convicts and rebukes us for the sin we permit in our lives. It is through the Spirit that we learn just how wicked we truly are. However, God does all this not to destroy us but to purge the evil from our hearts.
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Ezekiel 20:45-49 God tells Ezekiel to stand and face south, then to gesture with his right hand. Teman may refer to that city in Edom, but the word literally means what is in on
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the right hand. As Ezekiel looked south, he said that in God’s hand was a fire that will consume and destroy. Probably not a literal fire, but one never knows for sure. The Negev is a barren wasteland today, but it sounds like there were trees and forests there at one time. Ezekiel 21 •
Ezekiel 21:1-5 This time God tells Ezekiel to stand and face Jerusalem. God says He will destroy (or “cut off”) the righteous and the wicked, something that seems out of character for God, especially when we consider what God had said in Ezekiel 18. Actually, this passage was so perplexing that the people who translated the Old Testament into Greek replaced this word with unrighteous just so it would make sense. One possible solution is that this was given from the people’s perspective. As Jerusalem is destroyed, it would appear to them that God was just indiscriminately killing people left and right. But from God’s eyes, outward forms of righteousness do not equate inward righteousness. Another solution might be that the words “Cut off” (as used in the NASB translation) may refer to captivity.
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Ezekiel 21:6-8 This lesson is acted out when Ezekiel groans because of the news he had heard. And when everyone else learns of this, they will groan as well. Imagine if you had received news from God about the World Trade Center attacks. The news would alarm you, and you would warn people about the impending disaster night and day. But image how you would feel if people called you an idiot and a madman. Surely this will never happen, the experts would say. Yet you know beyond doubt that it was real. The groans would come from your own loss, for those who would be killed, and because no one takes your words seriously. This probably made Ezekiel’s cries even louder.
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Ezekiel 21:9-17 In another dramatic illustration, Ezekiel takes a sword and slashes at the ground several times. The sword had been sharpened and prepared for destruction. I wonder if the people gathered around Ezekiel’s house each day just to watch his latest dramatic prophecy.
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Ezekiel 21:18-23 Three countries were trying to free themselves from Babylon in 588 BC; Tyre, Ammon, and then Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar first marched northwest into Riblah
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(north of Damascus in Syria) then needed to decide who to attack first. He could head west and attack Tyre, or he could go south along one of two “highways” leading to Judah and Ammon. Since Tyre was the most difficult, Nebuchadnezzar decided to head south. But then which city should be first? This was the choice he needed to make; follow the coast and attack Jerusalem, or take the Transjordan highway and attack Rabbah (the capital of Ammon). At the fork in the road, they draw straws. But apparently no one could agree on which direction to go. God says He will direct the lots to fall against Jerusalem. •
Ezekiel 21:24-27 This prophecy recalls what was spoken in Genesis 49:10. The line of David would not be restored until the righteous One God had ordained returns to Jerusalem. An image of Christ riding into the city on a donkey comes to mind (Matthew 21:1-11), and yet this same city that longed for a king rejected the One God had sent to redeem.
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Ezekiel 21:28-32 Ammon was relieved that Babylon attacked Jerusalem. Actually they were thankful and saw this as an opportunity to take the land for themselves (see Jeremiah 41:1-3). However, Ammon would not be spared the same fire that consumed Israel.
Ezekiel 22 •
Ezekiel 22:1-16 In today’s world there are people who call themselves by a name which represents Christ. They identify themselves as Christian because of an association they have with an institution (we call that a church), or a group of like-minded individuals (we call them denominations). Some have gone so far as to identify themselves as Christian because they adhere to a set of political beliefs (pro-life, for example). But the lesson we need to learn from this rebuke of Jerusalem is that none of these external things truly identify us as Christian. A person is a Christian because of what resides in their heart; a confession of sinfulness, an attitude of repentance, an acceptance of His sacrifice (Jesus), and obedience to HIs commands. Some of these Judean people felt they were God’s special people just because they lived in Jerusalem and they traced their heritage back to Jacob (Israel). No one can become Christian by association.
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Ezekiel 22:23-31 God once again reminds the leaders in Judah that they were to be the ones guiding, guarding, and protecting the people of the nation. When the people wandered away from God, it was the leaders (Kings, Priests, and Levites) who were given the responsibility to lead the sheep back into the fold. They were to intercede on behalf of the people and live a life that modeled righteousness. But as God looked upon Jerusalem’s leaders, no one was found who could stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30). Finding no one, God would eventually send His Son. Well, God expects the same thing from Christians today. We are the ones God has called to Stand in the Gap. Men and women who are Christians stand before this world as voices for righteousness, and as models of righteousness. Actually, it is the presence of Christianity in this world that shows the world just how wicked it really is. If it were not for the church, would the people of this world really know what love looked like?
August 22: Ezekiel 23-24, Jeremiah 39, Jeremiah 34 Ezekiel 23 •
Ezekiel 23:1-21 Okay, this is quite a graphic description of both Israel and Judah. The point God is trying to make here is that even though Judah watched what happened to Israel, these southern tribes didn’t learn a thing. They ignored the consequences and instead pursued the same immoral ways as the tribes to the north. And God says that Judah was even worse (with a description that is quite unusual, to say the least). On a side note, the Black Obelisk of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (dated around 841 BC.)
mentions “Jehu son of Omri” and pictures him bowing down to the Assyrian monarch. This is not mentioned in the Bible, but it probably resulted from the Syrian threat to Israel. Syria was expanding into Israel’s land in the Transjordan during Jehu’s reign (2 Kings 10:32-34). To counter that threat Jehu allied Israel with Assyria and submitted himself as a vassal. The obelisk pictures Jehu and his servants bringing tribute to the Assyrian king. 4 4 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Eze 23:5–10). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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Ezekiel 23:22-35 Why in the world did Jerusalem think she could escape God’s punishment? Didn’t she realize that she was just as disobedient as Israel? Well, probably not. See, Judah had eyes that refused to see and ears that refused to hear. Judah was not convicted because of her sin, and without conviction there will be no repentance. Have you ever tried to convince a really nice person that they are a sinner? When they compare themselves with the world around them, they seem awfully good in their own eyes. “What sin,” they protest.
Ezekiel 24 •
Ezekiel 24:1-2 This is the day Babylon besieged Jerusalem, a day Ezekiel had been warning about for four years; January 15, 588 BC.
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Ezekiel 24:3-5 In contrast to what the false prophets had said in Ezekiel 11 (about Jerusalem being as secure as a cooking pot), God gives this image of a fire cooking everything in the pot.
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Ezekiel 24:6-14 Ezekiel was supposed to put some mighty fine meat in this pot and begin cooking. At first it must have had a magnificent aroma. The crowd may have gathered thinking they could enjoy a feast. But Ezekiel cooked it until it was not fit for consumption, then threw it all on the fire; wasting something that seemed to be so good.
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Ezekiel 24:15-24 What a difficult lesson here. Ezekiel’s wife would die, yet he needed to remain strong. And his reaction was to be an example for those living in exile. They were not to mourn publicly, only privately. This would have been very hard to do. Why did God give this command? God did not want people to mourn their loss. He wanted them to consider their sins. The destruction of Jerusalem was a punishment for sins, and a person needed to heed the Lord’s rebuke and understand what part they played in causing His punishment. They were to search their heart and find the wickedness that did not belong. Then, in their sorrow, turn to God seeking forgiveness, and repent of their sin. This is what God desired, not to mourn and feel sorry for their loss.
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Ezekiel 24:25-27 At last Ezekiel will be given back his voice, or better, his freedom of speech. Ezekiel could talk, but only when God said he could speak, and only the words
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God gave him (Ezekiel 3:25-27). But when this messenger comes, Ezekiel would finally be able to talk freely according to his own will. Jeremiah 39 •
Jeremiah 39:1-2 This event was so traumatic that it was recorded three other times in the Old Testament, even noting the day of the month (compare 2 Kings 25:1; Jeremiah 52:4; Ezekiel 24:1-2). The siege began on January 15, 588 BC and lasted until the ninth day of the 4th month of Zedekiah’s 11th year. Using the Hebrew method of counting years, the entire siege lasted just over 30 months, from January 15, 588 to July 18, 586 BC.
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Jeremiah 39:10 No doubt he believed that these poor people would be grateful to the Babylonians for their newfound prosperity and would be unlikely to rebel. In return, Babylon would receive income by taxing what the land produced.
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Jeremiah 39:11-14 Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar had heard of Jeremiah through the letters he sent to those already captive, or through the testimony of those who surrendered (“Jeremiah said this would happen”). They sent him to live with the grandson of Shaphan. Shaphan, if you will recall, was the court secretary who reads the Book of the Law for King Josiah (2 Kings 22:3-13).
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Jeremiah 39:15-18 While Jeremiah watched and waited for Jerusalem to fall, the Lord gave him a message of peace from the man who rescued him from the Cistern. Interesting message to receive in the middle of destruction.
Jeremiah 34 •
Jeremiah 34:1-6 I find it incredible that God would do this for Zedekiah (or Mattaniah as he was originally named – son of Josiah). This king did evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 24:19). I wonder what comfort this brought the king. “Hey, you’re going to be captured, your children will be killed, your eyes put out, and you will die in a foreign land, but the people will mourn your death.” Were these words even supposed to comfort?
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Jeremiah 34:8-11 Does anyone see what’s wrong with this picture? Oh sure, in the middle of this crisis, slaves are freed. But these were Hebrew slaves. Hebrews were enslaving Hebrews. If you were paying attention when we studied God’s Laws, you'd
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know that this was a big no no (see Exodus 21:2-11). Jeremiah has given us a snapshot of this culture, and it’s no wonder God was furious with these people. •
Jeremiah 34:17-20 By walking through the parts of the animal, they were symbolizing the judgment that should befall them if they violated the agreement. They were to be hacked to pieces like the calf. What is significant is that when God made His covenant with Abraham, the patriarch did not pass between the parts of the animal. Only God did (apparently the blazing torch symbolized God - Genesis 15:4-18). The Abraham Covenant rested on God’s character, not on man’s obedience.
August 23: Jeremiah 21, Ezekiel 25, Ezekiel 29-31 Jeremiah 21 •
Jeremiah 21:1-2 Sometime between 588 and 586 BC, these two officials are sent to speak with Jeremiah. Pashhur was a high-ranking court official and Zephaniah was the second-highest religious leader in Jerusalem. What they wanted to hear was that God would perform some great miracle against Babylon like He did against Assyria. But Jeremiah would simply speak God’s truth; Jerusalem would not be spared. This angered Pashhur so much that he would petition to have Jeremiah executed (Jeremiah 38:1-4).
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Jeremiah 21:8-10 The people are given an unusual choice. Either stay and die or surrender and live. That’s not the sort of answer one expects to hear from God. And yet in these words we see God’s mercy at work. I think this command from God was so unusual that only those who still listened to the word of God would obey it, which makes this an interesting way to save those who still listened and destroy those who refused to hear.
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Jeremiah 21:11-14 We still see God holding the leadership responsible for the spiritual decay of the people. God is still demanding much from those who have been given much. Even today, God has higher expectations from those who are involved in Church Leadership. People need to keep this in mind before they agree to serve. By being a leader they are not just responsible for their own holiness, but the holiness of those they
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have agreed to lead. And if their actions lead others astray, the Lord will call them to account one day. Ezekiel 25 •
Jeremiah 25:1 Keep in mind that some parts of Jeremiah are not in chronological order. So Jeremiah’s prophecy was given sometime between September 7, 605 BC when Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne and April 2, 604 BC when the first full year of his reign officially began. The point he is trying to make here is that he had been warning about Nebuchadnezzar and his attack from Babylon years before Jerusalem fell.
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Jeremiah 25:2-11 Yes, there are consequences for sin. We hear this from God time and time again. Yet God’s punishment for this disobedience will be an eye for an eye. His punishment will not be greater than the crime, as seen in the promise of only 70 years in exile. This will not be total destruction but a purging of evil from the land. But why would God punish them for only 70 years (605-536 BC)? According to 2 Chronicles 36:21 God chose 70 years because that’s the number of Sabbath Years the nation had ignored. Every 7 years the land was not to be worked or tilled, but the entire country ignored this command completely (Leviticus 25:3-5). God would remove them from the land if they failed to observe this commandment (Leviticus 26:33-35). This is why God chose 70 years.
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Jeremiah 25:12-14 Notice what God says about Babylon. In contrast to what He said about Jerusalem (70 years), Babylon will be a wasteland forever.
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Jeremiah 25:15-29 In this vision God said that other nations would also be judged and punished. If God would not spare His own people, why should those other countries feel they will escape His wrath? In the vision, Jeremiah gave all these nations a drink from God’s cup, but God will also give Jeremiah something to say to these nations.
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Jeremiah 25:30-28 Jeremiah is given these words to speak to the nations. No one will miss God’s judgment; no one. Not a single country nor a single person will be able to escape God’s judgment. And the wicked will be punished. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled with the Babylonian Empire because even that nation was given the cup to drink (Jeremiah 25:26). When will this prophecy be fulfilled? We could say that it was a
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reference to Cyrus the Mede, but how was Judah judged through him? Perhaps it was the Roman Empire? But the Romans were not destroyers. They assimilated people into their culture (I am Caesar of Borg. You will be assimilated ). It just seems to me that this is a reference to God’s Great Judgment at the end of time. Ezekiel 29 •
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Ezekiel 29:1 This day, January 7 , 587 BC, was a year after the siege against Jerusalem had begun. Hophra was the Pharaoh at that time.
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Ezekiel 29:2-7 Judah had depended upon Egypt during times of trouble. But Egypt was nothing more than a staff of reeds for the house of Israel (Ezekiel 29:6). When Israel began her revolt against Babylon, she had looked for support from Egypt but received none. And, according to Ezekiel, Egypt enticed Israel to give them their trust, proving once again that they were an unreliable ally (see 2 Kings 18:20-21).
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Ezekiel 29:8-16 Although no archeological evidence supports an Egyptian captivity, it only makes sense that Nebuchadnezzar treated Egypt the same way he did all the other nations he conquered. 33 years after his attack on Egypt, Cyrus would rise to power. He probably sent Egypt home just as he did Judah. But Egypt would return home weak, never able to fully recover from the Babylonian destruction. Greece, Syria, and Rome would keep Egypt in check throughout the rest of biblical history.
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Ezekiel 29:17-20 This prophecy was written shortly after Tyre surrender to Babylon (April 26, 571 BC). The soldiers of Babylon had their heads wore bare because, for the past 13 years, they were constantly wearing battle helmets. Their shoulders were worn from carrying timber and rocks to build the land-bridge to build siege towers. Unfortunately, they really didn’t find much plunder when Tyre surrendered. God promised they would find plenty in Egypt.
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Ezekiel 29:21 It’s unlikely that Ezekiel returned to Israel when the Jews were freed by Cyrus. He would have been 83 at the time. Only after the man died would the people come to see that God was speaking through this prophet.
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Ezekiel 30:1-9 Egypt had allies as well (mentioned here in Ezekiel 30:4); Ethiopia (Cush), Libya (Put), Lydia (a nation on the west coast of Asia Minor), and Arabia (literally “All the Mixed People”). This last ally (Arabia) may refer to the people who tried to escape Babylon by fleeing to Egypt, or it may actually refer to a nation called Cub (the Hebrew word used here). I doubt it is a variant spelling for Lub, the usual Hebrew word for Libya. It just might be a nation we have never heard of before.
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Ezekiel 30:10-19 As I was reading this section, I was amazed at how clear and precise Ezekiel’s word are. I know I’ve said it before, but there is just something unusual about biblical prophecy when compared to the prophecies we read from other cultures. Ezekiel says “who”, and gives a name (Nebuchadnezzar). He says where this will happen (Egypt). He says what effect it will have on the nation. Compare these words with the pointless ramblings of Nostradamus or Edgar Cayce. There is no clarity. They are ambiguous, meaning whatever a person wanted them to say. I think this is why some liberal scholars have a hard time believing that these prophecies were given before the events because they are so accurate and correct. They wrongly assume the words were written after the fact (this liberal view of prophecy is actually being taught in our seminaries). But for me it is words like this that authenticate the Word of God. He spoke the words and guided men to write the words long before the events took place. Only God could do such a thing. Consequently, the Bible is the Word of God.
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Ezekiel 30:20-26 Ezekiel’s point in this section is to show that Egypt had her one arm broken when she failed in her attempt to intervene in Babylon’s attack against Jerusalem. Now, April 29, 587 BC, Ezekiel warned Egypt that she would have her other arm broken as Babylon turned to attack.
Ezekiel 31 •
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On June 21 , 587 BC, this word (or prophecy) against Egypt was given to Ezekiel. Pride in herself, pride in her strength, and pride in her accomplishments blinded Egypt to the reality marching toward her from Babylon. Egypt, who overflowed with national pride, would soon find herself cut down just as Assyria had been cut down. Like Assyria, Egypt developed a bit of National Superiority that caused her to exalt herself above all the other
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nations. Those nations who are weak, those that are wicked, and those that are poor would inevitably be destroyed, but not Egypt. Why, Egypt is the great savior of the world! She would be the one to guard and protect all those poor unfortunate nations that just can’t seem to care for themselves. But Ezekiel reminds Egypt that this was the very attitude that corrupted Assyria. And that nation, great as it was, was not able to stand against the army God sent against them. Egypt will fare no better. I worry that America has become just as proud and arrogant, suffering from a savior complex. Sometimes it seems to me that our nation has too much pride in itself; as if America is the great savior of the world. I’m not saying that America should stop doing what it can to help other nations, but I’m afraid too much pride in who we are will keep us from seeing the value of those countries around us; that we will eventually look at the rest of the world with smug superiority. And if God did not hesitate to humble Egypt (or Assyria, or Babylon, or Israel, or Rome, or Spain, or France, or England), I doubt He will hesitate to humble America. Perhaps instead of chanting “God Bless America”, maybe America should start blessing God.
August 24: Jeremiah 32-33, Ezekiel 26 Jeremiah 32 •
Jeremiah 32:1-2 The 10th year of Zedekiah would have ended on October 17, 587 BC (using the Judean Tishri-to-Tishri year) while the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar began on April 23, 587 (using the Babylonian Nisan-to-Nisan year) . Thus, this prophecy occurred sometime between April 23 and October 17, 587 BC. During this time, Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, a siege that lasted from January 15, 588 until July 18, 586.
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Jeremiah 32:6-12 Apparently Jeremiah’s cousin was trying to sell some land in order to get money for food. This was during the siege of Jerusalem. It seems foolish to buy a piece of land that is currently occupied by a foreign army. But this was done to make a point. The point was that after a period of time people would return and buy land once again (Jeremiah 32:15). Jeremiah never got a chance to use this land, but perhaps one of his grandchildren used it when they came back to Judah.
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Jeremiah 32:26-35 What a lovely speech to make while you’re in prison for making speeches just like this one. But with Babylon laying siege against the city, do you think people started listening at last?
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Jeremiah 32:39 Read Acts 4:32 and see if you don’t find Jeremiah’s words quite interesting.
Jeremiah 33 •
Jeremiah 33:1-5 While still confined to the courtyard (see Jeremiah 32:2), another message comes to Jeremiah. Apparently the people were dismantling even the palace in order reinforce the walls of the city and to craft weapons of war. Jeremiah says it is a waste of time because God has turned His back. He has hidden His face from the city. Okay, this raises a question; at least it does to me. How much of what we experience in life is because God is no longer watching over us? And does He even protect us at all? Based on several scriptures, I get the impression that God grants Satan permission to cause us hardship (see Job 1 and Luke 22:31). I am also aware that most of the hardships we face are simply life smacking us alongside the head. Other times we experience God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:10). In each of these cases though, I believe God is still watching over us. But is there ever a time when God would completely abandon us? Would He ever wash His hands and walk away leaving us to die? Would He do that to a Christian? I don’t think so. I don’t believe He did this with Jerusalem either. He chooses to not intervene here until Jerusalem was disciplined and punished. He used Babylon to punish Judah, but He only permitted that nation limited power. When God said “that’s enough,” the punishment stopped.
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Jeremiah 33:6-9 See the first word in verse 6? It says that even though God is presently not helping Jerusalem, behold, a day is coming when He will again. So it’s pretty clear that He didn’t entirely abandon the city. He didn’t pack up and move to New York.
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Jeremiah 33:10-14 Mark Twain visited this region back in 1867. In his assessment, he said, “Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has
withered its fields and fettered its energies… Palestine is desolate and unlovely… It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land… [a] desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but 84
is given over wholly to weeds – a silent mournful expanse… A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action… We never saw a human being on the whole route… There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country…” However, of you tour the are today, the land is teeming with life. Interesting. I wonder what that means? •
Jeremiah 33:15-16 Several times in this section Jeremiah used the words “a time is coming”. He was looking ahead to a time in the future where (a) the nation will be restored from captivity, (b) the righteous descendant of David will be King over all the nation, (c) there will be peace and prosperity, (d) the New Covenant will wash away Israel’s sin, and (e) Jerusalem will be rebuilt, never to be destroyed again. In Israel’s long history, she has never experienced these things, but she placed her hope in these promises of God. When Israel met the promised Messiah during His first advent, she expected all of these to come true right away. When they didn’t, they could only conclude that Jesus was not the Messiah they had been looking for.
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Jeremiah 33:17-22 It’s not that these things would never be interrupted, but that a king one day could trace his family line back to David. Matthew traces Jesus’ legal line back through Joseph and Luke traces His physical line back through Mary (see Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-31). The only way this covenant could be broken is if “time” came to an end.
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Jeremiah 33:23-26 There is a big difference between God punishing His children and God abandoning someone. If you are a child of God, you will be punished, but you will not be abandoned. You will not be cast out into the street where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Ezekiel 26 •
Ezekiel 26:1-14 The city of Tyre was the center of trade along the sea. Israel (and Judah) held the land that covered the major trade route across the land. With Jerusalem not fallen, Tyre saw this as a great opportunity for her trade to increase along the sea coast. Tyre did not mourn the fall of Jerusalem. She gloated over its destruction and
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viewed the whole scene with greedy eyes. It’s sad that the relationship between Jerusalem and Tyre had fallen this far. This is the nation that helped David and Solomon build the Temple! Not only will the mainland cities be destroyed but so will Tyre’s island that lay about a half mile off the coast. •
Ezekiel 26:15-21 About three years after this prophecy against Tyre, Nebuchadnezzar begins a siege against this city that lasts for 13 years. When they finally entered the city, they found it almost entirely abandoned. The people had fled to their island fortress. The mainland city was never rebuilt, but the people of Tyre began to thrive on their island, continuing to be just as insular (narrow-minded) as before.
August 25: Ezekiel 27-28, 2 Kings 25 Ezekiel 27 •
Ezekiel 27:1-25 Wow! The trade that took place in Tyre was amazing. And if this was the level of her trade while still competing with Jerusalem, why in the world would she get itchy hands, lusting for even more trade because Jerusalem had fallen. Even though Tyre was this wealthy, she desired even more; a sin that would eventually lead to her destruction. This is the way greed operates. It hardens the heart toward the distress of others and blinds the eye to the needs of others. Perhaps it was greed that caused King Hiram to view the towns around Galilee as worthless (Solomon had given him these towns in payment for Tyre’s material for the Temple. See 1 Kings 9:12).
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Ezekiel 27:26-36 In poetic form, Ezekiel speaks of a coming day when Tyre will exist no more. Years after Babylon destroyed the coastal city, Alexander the Great would lay siege against the island of Tyre. When Alexander came to power, he passed by the Island town of Tyre on his way to Egypt. He sent an ambassador to the island urging them to accept a peace treaty, but they killed him. They also insulted Alexander’s favorite god Heracles. What’s sad is that Alexander would have left Tyre alone had they not been so arrogant. So Alexander set his sights on the conquest and destruction of Tyre. He had his men take the rubble from the destroyed city and throw it into the sea, in effect
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building a causeway to the island. Some records indicate that it was 60 feet wide and a half-mile long. •
This aerial view of Tyre vividly shows the land-bridge that Alexander created. A lot of silt and sand has accumulated over the years to widen the area of the original causeway.
Ezekiel 28 •
Ezekiel 28:1-10 This time Ezekiel speaks directly to the King of Tyre, Ethbaal, who ruled from 590 to 572 BC. His greatest sin was pride; pride in his wealth, pride in his wisdom, and pride in himself. He actually thought he was a god. In a bit of irony, he even felt wiser than Daniel. By this time, Daniel’s reputation had spread outside of Babylon. Ethbaal accredited his wisdom to himself. Daniel gave credit to God (Daniel 2:27-28).
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Ezekiel 28:11-19 Ezekiel makes a shift in this section by addressing the King of Tyre (Melek) instead of the Ruler (Nagid), as in verse 2. In the first ten verses, he rebuked the governor for thinking that he was a god. But in this section the king is described in ways that could not apply to any man. He had appeared in the Garden of Eden, had been a guardian (Cherubim), had access to God’s holy mountain, and had been sinless since the time he had been created. Was Ezekiel comparing Ethbaal to Adam; where both had such potential yet failed? It’s doubtful because Adam had never been a Cherub. The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan, the actual “king” of Tyre. Ironically, the sin that caused Ethbaal to fall is what caused Satan to fall; pride. Striped of his honored role, God expelled Satan from the Mountain of God. For the time being, he is still allowed access to God, but will be cast out and restricted to the earth during the
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Tribulation. Then in the Millennium he will be thrown into the pit, freed for a time, and then expelled to the Lake of Fire forever. •
Ezekiel 28:20-24 Sidon was not too far from Tyre, about 20 miles up the coast. This city had close ties with Tyre and exhibited many of the same sins, most notably being a thorn or briar to the nation of Israel. Jezebel, queen of Israel, was a Sidonian (1 Kings 16:31).
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Ezekiel 28:25-26 It’s interesting that up to this point, no other nation is promised restoration. Only Israel is given this promise by God. Later we will read that Egypt will be allowed to return to their home, but she will not reestablish herself as a prominent nation like Israel will.
2 Kings 25 •
2 Kings 25:1 Some events in 2 Kings can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Babylonian records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This day was January 15, 588 BC.
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2 Kings 25:6 Nebuchadnezzar was in a town north of Damascus (60 miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee) because he was also involved in a campaign against Tyre and other Judean cities.
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2 Kings 25:8-15 Truthfully, if God was not going to be worshiped in this place, why have a Temple? Honestly, the Temple had become nothing more than a shrine. Based on our readings through this period in Israel’s history, it doesn’t seem the Temple had been used very often anyway. But by destroying this Temple and this city, the heart of Israel was crushed. All that they held close to their heart was destroyed. God had been on their side for a long time. He had protected them time and time again. But now the monument that assured them of His protection was gone. The city was destroyed. It’s no wonder some of the Psalms that lament this event are so very depressing.
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2 Kings 25:18 Seraiah was an ancestor of Ezra (see Ezra 7:1).
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2 Kings 25:21 This action by Nebuchadnezzar will come back to haunt him later on. It’s one thing to kill a soldier while in battle, but to kill a priest who only dealt in spiritual things
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was going a bit too far. God will not forget this event. Oh sure, from a political standpoint it makes sense. You don’t want a leader to remain and instigate a revolt. •
2 Kings 25:22 Gedaliah was a friend of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 39:14), and actually listened to the prophet’s counsel. It's a shame the others who visited him did not. Truthfully, had Judah lived peacefully under the Babylonian rule, things wouldn’t be all that bad. But they were stubborn and rebellious against God, so why should they be different against Babylon.
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2 Kings 25:27-30 Jehoiachin is shown kindness by Babylon’s new king. This former King of Judah is shown incredible kindness after spending 37 years in prison. It’s important that this chapter ends like this. In spite of their circumstances, God is reminding them that His anger will not last forever.
August 26: Jeremiah 40, Lamentations 1-2 Jeremiah 40 •
Jeremiah 40:1-6 How did this Chaldean commander know God was punishing Judah? Don’t forget that Jeremiah’s prophecies were written down, and perhaps the Babylonians had a chance to read them. But I get the impression Nebuzaradan missed the second half of these predictions. Sure, Judah was presently being punished through Babylon. But eventually Babylon will be punished through the Medes and the Persians. I can almost hear a certain amount of smugness in this Chaldean’s voice. “You poor, pathetic man” he seems to say to Jeremiah. “Here are a couple of bucks to get yourself back on your feet.” And with that he sends Jeremiah off, feeling good about himself for helping a poor innocent Hebrew. I know the text doesn’t actually say this, but it just feels like it to me.
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Jeremiah 40:8 The only significant member of this group was Ishmael. He was from the royal line of David (see Jeremiah 41:1) and had served as one of King Zedekiah’s officers.
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Jeremiah 40:11 Some of the people from Judah had fled to these foreign countries. They didn’t stay and fight, nor did they surrender to Babylon. They ran away. What does that tell you about their character?
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Jeremiah 40:13-14 Perhaps the following commentary will help answer why the king of Ammon would want Gedaliah dead. The answer lies in understanding the relationship
between Judah and Ammon. Both nations were vassals to Babylon and had participated in a secret meeting of nations in 593 B.C. to evaluate their prospects of uniting in rebellion against Babylon (see Jeremiah 27:1-11). That meeting did not produce any definite action; but in 588 B.C. Egypt’s new Pharaoh (Hophra) persuaded Judah, Ammon, and Tyre to revolt against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had to decide which nation to attack first, and God directed him to Judah instead of to Ammon (compare Ezekiel 21:18-23). Judah and Ammon were still allies when Jerusalem fell, and Zedekiah was probably heading for Ammon when he was captured (Jeremiah 39:4-5). But in spite of their union as allies, Judah and Ammon did not care for each other. Their union was a “marriage of convenience.” Ammon rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall because she knew that if Nebuchadnezzar committed his army against Jerusalem he would not be able to attack Ammon. Thus Gedaliah’s commitment to Babylon was unsettling to Ammon. If Judah did submit to Babylon, then after Nebuchadnezzar finished his siege of Tyre (see Ezekiel 29:17-18) he would probably attack Ammon next. But a destabilized Judah could force Nebuchadnezzar to commit large numbers of troops there to maintain order, which would improve Ammon’s chances for survival. So it was to Ammon’s advantage to replace proBabylonian Gedaliah with an anti-Babylonian leader like Ishmael. 5
Lamentations •
Chuck Swindoll (my favorite preacher) has said that Lamentations is a “reminder that sin, in spite of all its allurement and excitement, carries with it heavy weights of sorrow, grief, misery, barrenness, and pain. It is the other side of the “eat, drink, and be merry coin” (Charles R. Swindoll, The Lamentations of Jeremiah, “Introduction”).
5 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Je 40:13–16). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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If you’ll recall, Jeremiah was imprisoned in the courtyard while Jerusalem fell. Bit by bit, stone by stone, the city was torn apart, and Jeremiah had a front row seat (Jeremiah 39:1-14). And his sadness over this destruction became this book of Lamentations.
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Jeremiah would have written these feeling quickly, sometime after the fall in 586 B.C. but before being taken to Egypt once Gedaliah was assassinated (583 – 582 B.C.). Considering the amount of pain evident in his writings, it probably happened right after Jerusalem’s destruction.
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Before you read Lamentations, you should familiarize yourself with Deuteronomy 28. The curses there are strikingly similar to what Jeremiah says in Lamentations. Compare, for example, Lamentations 1:3 with Deuteronomy 28:65, or Lamentations 1:5 with Deuteronomy 28:32. The troubles facing Jerusalem were all predicted 900 years earlier by Moses.
Lamentations 1 •
In Jeremiah’s first lament, we see the central theme of the book; mourning. Only after Babylon began destroying Jerusalem did the Judeans start calling out to God. Their confession came too late (Lamentations 1:18). By then God would not listen to their cries. It was Jerusalem’s sin that destroyed the city. The sins of the people were so great that they could not go unpunished. The Lord chose to punish Jerusalem, and like any discipline, it is hard. The Lord was attempting to change a behavior; a destructive behavior. And anytime God works to change us from the inside out, it is a painful experience (Lamentations 1:17). It’s clear that this punishment needed to happen; for Judah was filled with stubborn and stiff-necked people. Even while being punished by God, they tried to remind Him that there are plenty of other wicked nations in this world, and He should punish them as well (Lamentations 1:22). It’s clear that their cries for help and their confession of sin was not genuine, for even while being punished they cried out “not fair”. There was no humbleness in their heart. If they were going to be punished, then others should be held accountable as well.
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Lamentations 2 •
In response to Judah asking God to punish the other nations as well, God says Judah is being punished because of her sins. She brought this upon herself. By destroying Jerusalem, God is taking away Judah’s crutch. In a way, Judah had felt that as long as the Temple and the city remained, the people could act any way they wanted. All week long they acted any way they pleased, but on the Sabbath they came to the Temple and felt so good about themselves. But here God was taking these things away. These people had the audacity to think that they could behave wickedly all week long, yet still come to the Temple and worship (Jeremiah 7:8-11). This angered God, so He took away the Temple, the palace, and anything that made the people feel secure in His love.
August 27: Lamentations 3-5 Lamentations 3 •
Jeremiah laments his own circumstances in this chapter. Even he suffered because of Jerusalem’s sin. What he has lost and what he has endured through the fall of Jerusalem is too bitter for words. It’s not like some other city has fallen. It’s not like other people have lost loved ones. This is personal. Even though Jeremiah was God’s obedient messenger, it was his hometown that was destroyed. Yes, even the innocent suffered because of Judah’s sin. But in the midst of his loss Jeremiah held on to one eternal hope; a “hope” everyone still alive needed to hear. “ The faithful love of the Lord never
ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him !” 6 (Lamentations 3:22-24). In the middle of this great lament comes the greatest source of Hope. The One who brought the destruction and the time of punishment is the same One who can show mercy and unfailing love. We too need to keep in mind that no matter our circumstances here on earth (even if our circumstances are the Lord’s discipline), we can still find hope in the Lord our God. This is what the people of Judea needed to remember 6 Tyndale House Publishers. (2007). Holy Bible : New Living Translation. (3rd ed.) (La 3:22–24). Carol Stream, IL 92
from this day forward. They needed wait patiently while the Lord disciplines (Lamentations 3:25-27). His discipline will not last forever (Lamentations 3:31). The Lord disciplines those He loves, but His discipline matches His character. A no point does God’s discipline become hateful, vengeful, or spiteful. These are not characteristics of our Creator. Just as Jeremiah was rescued out of the pit (an old cistern – see Jeremiah 38:7-13), so too would Jerusalem. Lamentations 4 •
Lamentations flows from sin to redemption. Chapter 1 is Judah’s sin, chapter 2 is God’s anger, chapter 3 is Jeremiah’s hope, and here in chapter 4 we read that God’s punishment for that sin will be satisfied. Jerusalem’s punishment will end (Lamentations 4:22).
Lamentations 5 •
Lamentations 5:1-7 On her knees, Jerusalem prays to God. I know it is too late, God is going to punish. But isn’t this what God desired, that Judah finally recognize her sin?
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Lamentations 5:8-18 If the things mentioned in these verses actually happened, then it’s no wonder God was infuriated with Babylon. It’s one thing to conquer a nation, but here it seems Babylon raped a nation.
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Lamentations 5:19-22 It’s important for us to remember that if God’s character is consistent in His discipline, God’s Word and His promise will be just as consistent in spite of that discipline. It seems Judah was wondering about God’s promises, especially as they were dealing with their present desecration. It’s important that we remember that no matter what God asks us to endure, no matter what hardship or discipline we face, God’s promises to us remain. Although we sin and although we are disciplined by God, we are still His children. The promise of eternal life still remains for those whose sins have been forgiven through Christ.
August 28: Obadiah, Jeremiah 41 Obadiah 93
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Obadiah means “Worshiper of God”, and when you read this shortest book of the Old Testament, it will be easy to see that this man lived up to his name. Obadiah was a common Hebrew name, mentioned as an officer in David’s army (1 Chronicles 12:9), Ahab’s servant (1 Kings 18:3), a Levite in the days of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:12), and a leader who returned from Exile with Ezra (Ezra 8:9). Since no clear indication is given, it’s difficult to assign a date to this book. It could have been written after the destruction of Jerusalem (see “destruction” Obadiah 12, and “Exiles” in Obadiah 20). Many of the verses in Obadiah are similar to Jeremiah 49, suggesting that perhaps Obadiah quoted from Jeremiah. However, other references make it seem that Obadiah was written before the prophet Joel. Joel quoted from Obadiah 17 (Joel 2:32) and dates it by saying, “As the Lord has said.” That’s why some scholars date this book during the reign of Jehoram (848-841 BC). Conservative scholars are divided on these two views. It was either written right after the destruction of Jerusalem, or at an earlier time.
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Obadiah 1-4 The Lord was speaking against Edom, Israel’s perpetual enemy. Edom’s sin was one of pride and arrogance. Edom felt no one could conquer her. But her destruction would illustrate the Wisdom of Solomon who said “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18)
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Obadiah 5-9 Edom prided herself in great wealth and prided herself in her great wisdom. But she would not be wise enough to see this destruction coming. It’s interesting that much of Edom’s wealth came from raids as they preyed on weaker victims. But soon she would be the victim, and nothing would be left behind. Her plunder would be carried th
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away. In the late 6 or early 5 century, the Nabateans (nomadic people from the Arabian Peninsula, situated around the city of Petra), came to Edom and were treated like family. Indeed they were. The Nabateans were descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham. Edomites were descended from Esau, grandson of Abraham through Ishmael’s half-brother Isaac. But these people turned against Edom and killed the guards. Once the Nabateans drove Edom out of her own land, the refugees settled in southern Judah. Eventually, they became known as Idumeans (the Greek name for southern Judah). Later (120 BC) John Hyrcanus, a Maccabean, forced them to be circumcised and to follow Judaism. Herod the Great, king of Judea from 37-4 BC was an 94
Idumean, meaning he was a descendant of Esau, not Jacob. It’s no wonder the people rejected him as king. •
Obadiah 10-14 It’s sad that Edom was ready to treat the Nabateans as family, but not Israel. Esau and Jacob were brothers. Esau’s father (Isaac) would have been the halfbrother to Ishmael. Whatever that makes them does not matter. What matters is that Edom gloated and plundered Israel when she should have been coming to her aid. This is why Edom was being punished.
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Obadiah 15-21 Like the other prophets, Obadiah speaks of a future day of restoration. The exiles will return. Mt. Zion will be a place of honor, and other nations will give tribute to Jerusalem. Again I think we need to remind our leaders about this. America should not stand against Israel. Oh, I know we will one day. The Bible says we will. But that doesn’t mean the church should remain silent about this.
Jeremiah 41 •
Jeremiah 41:1-3 About 3 years after Gedaliah becomes governor, he is assassinated by Ishmael and his men. In response, Nebuchadnezzar sends troops back to Jerusalem to restore order and deports another 750 Judeans (compare Jeremiah 52:30).
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Jeremiah 41:4-8 Why did Ishmael kill these people? It seems he was motivated solely out of greed. A caravan of 80 pilgrims would be quite large, especially considering they had been traveling from the Northern part of what used to be Israel. Sure the Temple was destroyed, but the people still came to the area to worship.
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Jeremiah 41:9 This cistern was 300 years old. It’s hard to believe that many years have passed since we read about this conflict between Asa and Baasha.
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Jeremiah 41:10 Do you know who else had been left under Gedaliah’s care? That’s right, Jeremiah. Jeremiah was probably in this group of people who were held captive by this selfish man.
August 29: Jeremiah 42-44, Ezekiel 33 95
Jeremiah 42 •
Jeremiah 42:1-6 I find it significant that Jeremiah must have been praying for 10 days until God gave him an answer. Now I don’t know about you but that shows pretty good patience. Most times I want an answer after a mere 30-second prayer. Would I be willing to pray for 10 days asking God what I should do? Would I be willing to wait for God to answer? Somehow I picture myself packing up and moving to Egypt about two days after asking. That’s how impatient I can be.
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Jeremiah 42:20-22 This is an interesting revelation. It seems the people asked Jeremiah to pray but had already made up their minds. Why pray in the first place if you’re just going to ignore God’s answer anyway? Good point. Why ask for a sin to be forgiven if you’re just going to commit that sin again anyway? Why come to the altar and repent if you’re going to go back to your sinful ways as soon as you leave the church? It seems to me that a person needs to be praying with a certain attitude in their heart. It seems that before a person begins praying they first need to replace stubbornness with humbleness. Too often we come to God in prayer looking for assurance that we’ve made the right decision instead of looking for guidance.
Jeremiah 43 •
Jeremiah 43:1-7 This is evidence of people who are not really willing to listen to God. Why pray when you’re just going to disobey God’s leading anyway. It wasn’t Jeremiah they were calling a liar, it was God. So Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch were literally taken prisoner by their fellow countrymen. And I wonder how many others didn’t want to go. Funny, they hunted down Ishmael for doing this same thing (Jeremiah 41:10); taking people to a foreign land against their will.
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Jeremiah 43:8-13 This is why God told the people not to travel to Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar was on his way there next. They were running from one battle zone right into another.
Jeremiah 44
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Jeremiah 44:1-10 God spoke to Jeremiah a second time while this group of refugees was hiding in Egypt. Based on what God says here, it seems these Judeans were worshiping Egypt’s idols while they were there (Jeremiah 44:8). God reminds His people that what He had said through His prophets did come true back in Jerusalem. So why wouldn’t they understand that God’s word will come true again? They wouldn’t believe because they didn’t think Jeremiah spoke for God. Earlier they called him a liar (Jeremiah 43:2). Now they have closed their ears and hardened their hearts (Jeremiah 44:16).
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Jeremiah 44:17-19 Did you just catch that confession? This is how wicked these people were. This is the group that God intended to kill by sword, by plague, or by famine. The righteous, on the other hand, were those who were taken captive to Babylon (think Daniel). These people we such idiots that they actually believed the reason the rain stopped was because they had stopped offering sacrifices to these gods. Did they not know their history? It seems odd that stories like this are in the Bible; descriptions of such boneheaded people. But when I stop and think about it, it’s stories like this that set the Bible apart from any other religious book ever written. Here, God’s people are behaving quite badly. And their actions were recorded in a book of their history. Religions that are fake do not paint this kind of image in their religious writings. Everyone is just so perfect. Go read one sometime.
Ezekiel 33 •
Ezekiel 33:1-9 In words reminiscent of Ezekiel’s first commissioning, God reminds him that he has been appointed as a watchman for the people (see Ezekiel 3:16-27). The same stipulation is made here as before. Up until this point, Ezekiel was called to speak judgment to the people and warn them of coming disaster. Now things change. Now he is to speak of Israel’s restoration.
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Ezekiel 33:10-16 There is something comforting in this passage; something all who have sinned need to hear. From the point a person repents, their past is no longer held against them. God is not looking for ways to destroy us; He is looking for ways to help us see our wickedness. Then He desires that we would turn from our sin and do what is righteous. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of times my past rises again to haunt me. This
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is Satan’s version of the Resurrection of the Dead; bringing to life those sins that had already been forgiven. •
Ezekiel 33:17 This is an important verse. The big complaint I frequently hear is that why would God send anyone to hell. Why would a loving God do this? Actually, God doesn’t send anyone to hell. We are the ones guilty of this. God has laid out the rules. To simplify it, God said, “Here are my commandments and decrees. Obey them and you will be rewarded. Disobey them and you will be punished”. The Law was given, and we make the choice to obey the Law or disobey the Law. So if we find ourselves punished or condemned, it’s because we made a decision to ignore God’s commands. God was not being unfair to Israel. She had been warned, frequently.
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Ezekiel 33:21 For seven years Ezekiel had been silent, except on those occasions God had given him words to proclaim. At last he was free to speak on his own. After traveling th
for several months, the promised messenger finally arrived (January 9 , 585 BC). •
Ezekiel 33:23-29 Ezekiel reminds those still back in Judah that they are being punished because of their many sins. Just because they have descended from Abraham does not mean they could live any way they pleased. They will not find salvation in their heritage, only in obedience to God. The biggest difference between Abraham and these people is that Abraham was righteous while these people were wicked.
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Ezekiel 33:3-33 I’m pretty sure Ezekiel would have preferred not that the people liked what he had to say, but that they allow what he said to change their lives. Ezekiel did not measure success by the number in attendance. He was looking for lives to be transformed. Wow, do these few verses ring true. Pastors, have you ever felt like this? I confess to watching numbers, but what I’m most interested in is transformed lives. However, just like Ezekiel, thousands of pastor’s will preach a powerful, challenging sermon on a Sunday morning, and the people will shake hands and comment on how meaningful the words were. But few, if any, will allow those words to transform their lives. Some days I want to look at those people who tell me how wonderful my message was, and say “Don’t just like it, live it!”
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August 30: Ezekiel 34-36 Ezekiel 34 •
Ezekiel 34:1-10 Typically when God talks about a Shepherd He means the kings and religious leaders. God rebukes these leaders for placing their own interests ahead of the people. Israel’s leaders grew wealthy and fat at the expense of the people. They saw the people as a source of wealth rather than a flock to be protected and cared for. They ruled harshly and without mercy, selfishly placing their needs ahead of those they had been called to watch over. And not once did these leaders provide guidance and instruction to the flock. As long as they were well fed and well financed, the leaders of Israel didn’t care what god these people worshiped. To these shepherds, the people existed for their benefit. But in contrast . . .
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Ezekiel 34:11-16 God would one day become the Shepherd of the people. He would gather them under His care, protect them, and provide for them. This Shepherd would guide them into righteousness. In an interesting prophecy, God says the Shepherd would call the lost sheep back to the land. Now, this might refer to the return of the exiles from Babylon, but Jesus uses this analogy in His reference to being the Good Shepherd (John 10), as if it had not yet happened until He came along. Jesus also said that He had come for the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24), but we did not see the nation return under His watchful care. Not long after Jesus ascended, the nation fell apart and was scattered once again. And that scattering has lasted nearly 1900 years. It seems that this is a reference to the Millennial reign of Christ; an event that has yet to happen. But for the time being He is our great Shepherd, who feeds us and cares for us and guides us spiritually. And for the time being, that’s good enough for me.
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Exodus 34:17-24 God said He would separate the sheep from the goats; the righteous from the wicked. God would not only judge the wicked shepherd but the wicked sheep as well. Jesus used this same language about an end time event (Matthew 25:32). Ezekiel says those in exile had been removed from Jerusalem and were spared destruction. And those in exile would return purged of wickedness. But in a broader sense, Jesus says this is what will happen when He sets upon His Throne in glory. I wonder if God still
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works this way, allowing hardship and persecution to strengthen the righteous and purge the wicked. •
Exodus 34:23 The David mentioned in verse 23 if often been seen as a reference to Jesus, but Ezekiel doesn’t seem to imply this. It appears he thinks that David would be resurrected at some point to lead the people once again. He calls David a prince here, and later says that this prince will offer sacrifices for himself and the people (Ezekiel 45:22). I doubt that the sinless Jesus would need to provide a sacrifice for His sins. Maybe the reference means something similar to what we see in Elijah and John the Baptist.
Ezekiel 35 •
I understand that Esau would have been upset with Jacob for stealing his birthright (actually, Esau sold it for some food), but why did this hatred continue for so many generations? I mean it just seems to me that once the children died off, so too would the hatred. Yet God says that Edom continually hated Israel (Ezekiel 35:5). One day, several hundred years after Esau and Jacob had died, a young Edomite asks his father “Why do we hate Israel daddy?” And dad says, “We just do, that’s why.” This kind of prejudice seems pointless to me; to hate someone just because. This appears to be a problem many people deal with even today. It’s not nice being the recipient of that unmerited hatred. The cruel words and the cold shoulder can make a person feel miserable. But somehow I think harboring undeserved hatred can make a person miserable as well. I’ve seen the faces of those who allow hatred to fester in their heart. They are not happy people at all.
Ezekiel 36 •
There is a repetitive theme through this section of Ezekiel where God says He will bring Israel back. Only this time He reminds Israel that they will be brought home not because they deserve it, but because it will glorify the name of God before all the other nations. However, as I was reading this, I kept thinking about Israel’s fate since Cyrus sent them home. It wasn’t too long until they were once again ruled or governed by a foreign nation. And then I thought about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by Rome. God keeps
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talking as if when they come home they will stay home and be at peace. But history doesn’t indicate very much peace, at least from an earthly perspective. So either this coming home is something that is yet to happen, or God’s promise had more of a spiritual undertone.
August 31: Ezekiel 37-39, Ezekiel 32 Ezekiel 37 •
Ezekiel 37:1-14 From the world’s perspective, Israel had died. She was broken and scattered among the nations. No force of nature or scheme of man could restore Israel. But God used this vision to encourage the nation that although she had fallen, through God’s power she would live again. He would be the one to restore life to those who felt they had died. I think this is the way some congregations feel when they face a devastating crisis. There is no life. There is no hope. Something has happened to that congregation, and its members see nothing but lifelessness. But just as God could bring a valley of dry bones to life, Jesus can bring life back to a church; to any congregation that seems to be beyond hope. Even in death, a congregation needs to realize that through Christ they could be restored to life.
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Ezekiel 37:15-28 When Israel is restored she will not just return to her previous state (a nation divided and filled with wickedness), but she will be rebuilt into the nation she should have been all along. This raises a question about church health and church vitality for today’s culture. Over the years, I have watched God allow conflict and schisms within a church to become His instrument of discipline. Much like Israel, God uses hardship (in the way He used Babylon) to discipline those whom He loves. But it is discipline that is on God’s mind, not destruction. Like Israel, God uses these times of strife to purge evil, to show people the error of their ways and to bring them back to righteousness. And a church would be very wise to ask itself several difficult questions when facing strife, conflict, and divisions. It is a wise congregation that asks itself what they might have done to cause the conflict, what wickedness have they tolerated that allowed the schism to fester, and what lesson God is teaching the church through that crisis. You see, God is not looking for ways to destroy a congregation, that’s what Satan
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desires. But God wants to strengthen a church, to build it up and make it into the church He had planned all along. However (and here’s the important part), that church cannot simply return back to the way things used to be. Things must change, because if they do not, then that church never learned the lesson God was trying to teach in the first place. When God breathes life back into a church (one as lifeless as a valley of dry bones), it must become something new; something different than it was before. Ezekiel 38 •
This chapter and the next speak about a future conflict that will happen in Israel after she has been called home, after she has been restored, and after a period of peace. Unexpectedly, an adversary will come against Israel, an opponent Ezekiel calls Gog. But the Lord says quite bluntly that although Israel is seen as an easy target, God will display His holiness against that nation. Now, many scholars (and some who think they are) try to point out exactly who this nation might be. The traditional thought is to name Russia for several reasons. The army will come from the distant north, and some of the cities mentioned in this chapter were located in what is modern-day Russia. Other scholars say that this was Rome, considering the alliance formed by Paras, Cush, and Put, or in modern day language Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya. They say this will happen in the middle of the Tribulation, 3 ½ years into the 7-year period mentioned in Daniel 9:27. Well, perhaps all their theorizing may be correct, but it seems to me the main point here is that God wants Israel to know that He will be with them and for them in spite of what may come. Even if distant armies come to attack, God will be there providing and protecting. I mean, if I were living in jail, and God came along and told me that next week I would go free, I’d be pretty happy, but also a bit worried that something might go wrong, and I’d just end up back in jail all over again. So the judge turns to me and says, I’ll make sure you don’t get thrown in prison again, no matter who tries to have you arrested, even if it happens years from now. I think I would be more interested in the judge’s promise than what state the arresting officer might be from. Anyway, that’s just my two cents worth on this whole Gog mystery.
Ezekiel 39 102
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Ezekiel 39:1-20 It almost seems as if Ezekiel was mentioning a nation familiar to the people in his time. There appears to be a sense of familiarity with this land of Gog. He doesn’t use words that allude to some unknown country. He doesn’t say “In the distant future a nation named Gog will arise.” He simply says that Gog will rally other nations against Israel, and that seems to be enough to cause fear in the hearts of those presently in captivity. But God assures Israel that once again He will battle for His people. He speaks of earthquakes and floods; of hail, fire, and landslides. He says that these armies will become confused and turn against one another. But in all of this, it seems, the people of Israel will be spared. The hail will fall on their enemies. The mountains will crush those against Israel, not the people of Israel; a miracle itself. The devastation will be so great that the plunder will be used as fuel for seven years. And it will take 7 months to bury the dead. Through this, Israel will know God, and the world will come to know God as well.
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Ezekiel 39:21-29 Now, before I give the impression that I have this all figured out, let me add one other item that confuses me. Even though it seems Ezekiel has mentioned Gog as if Israel would know who he is talking about, history offers no help in identifying this nation. Also, history does not show a battle like this taking place once Israel was sent home by King Cyrus of Persia. The destruction by the Roman Empire scattered the Jews throughout the known world (70 AD). And even since Israel was allowed to come home (1946), she has faced several battles by the Arab nations bent on her destruction. Although they have all failed, none of those battles matches the description given by Ezekiel. So it seems that this is an event that is yet to happen (sometime during the first half of the tribulation experts say). If that is accurate, then can someone please explain to me why Ezekiel says this battle will answer why Israel was sent into Exile? My best explanation is that this might not be speaking of the Babylonian Exile or the scattering by the Roman Empire. Perhaps Israel will face yet another exile because of disobedience.
Ezekiel 32 •
Ezekiel 32:1-16 Two months after the news of Jerusalem’s fall reached the captives in Babylon (March 3, 585 BC), God gave Ezekiel this message. Although Egypt had not yet fallen, the funeral song had already been written. The words here do not speak that it
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“might” happen, but that it “will”. The fall of Egypt will shock the world. No one expected her to fall to the armies of Babylon. But Egypt’s destruction is inevitable •
Ezekiel 32:17-21 Two weeks after his last prophecy (verses 1-16), Ezekiel is given these words from God. His words remind me of what Jesus said to Peter on the night He was arrested. All those to take up the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:52).
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Ezekiel 32:22-32 A list of conquering nations is given here; nations that lived by the sword. All of these nations (except Edom) are said to have terrorized those they attacked. Suffering in the Pit of Despair are nations that seemed prideful; nations that exerted their power upon the weak and poor around them. Pride destroyed Assyria. Elam, that warlike people that lived east of Babylon, was destroyed, showing little mercy and dignity for the people of other nations (there is a difference between conquering a nation and terrorizing people). Perhaps Shutruk Nahhunte was there, that man who once was sovereign of all Elam. Meshech and Tubal were two nations probably located in the northern part of modern-day Turkey. They battled Assyria for control of the land south of the Black Sea. It seems they were involved in the slave trade as well (see Ezekiel 27:13). There is nothing noble in that. Edom is mentioned, who had already received God’s judgment (Ezekiel 25:12-14), along with the Phoenicians and the Sidonians. Their mighty exploits and their ruthlessness against all enemies could not save them from the grave. Ezekiel warns Egypt that all these nations anxiously await their arrival, and that Pharaoh will find comfort in that he is not there alone. This becomes an interesting section because it talks about those who have died waiting for others to arrive. Ezekiel gives us an image of people, kings, and nations retaining their memories of things from this life. Now, it might just be a figure of speech; Ezekiel merely painting a descriptive image in our minds. Or maybe it is literal. It’s hard for me to take this figuratively because there is no reference that leads me to that conclusion. We don’t see the word “Like” anywhere. Ezekiel doesn’t say “As if they were waiting for you.” It appears to me that Ezekiel assumed that the soul of a person remains even though the body dies. And there are certain memories that are retained by those who dwell in Sheol.
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