Jeremiah 51-52
Are you ready Bobby June and Martha to finish Jeremiah!!! click here
Chapter 51: The end of Jeremiah, tempting to skim it off? Don’t. You need to underline a few things 
Before Jeremiah tells of the Fall of Jerusalem from his vantage point (we have heard it several times already) he will Prophesize the Fall of Babylon in DETAIL…even to WHO they will fall to. First, underline 51:7-8. Jeremiah is warning the people to Leave Babylon when they are released. Then underline vs.22, the Medes. The Medes will destroy Babylon in 539 B.C. just as said. Finally 17-23….Ummm WOW.
Chapter 52: Its’s not redundant, it is IMPORTANT. THe details of the fall of Jeremiah from another vantage point. Read it one last time from the “outside” because we are going to start this week reading the Captivity from the “Inside”. Jeremiah tells of the Captivity from never being captured, Ezekiel and Daniel will tell us what the captivity looks like from the Inside.
In Chapter 52 Underline Verse 6: By the Ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city… This is the day on the calendar in the synagogues that the book of Lamentations today by the Hebrews. A reminder of the result of sin in our lives. A reminder of their captivity. This marks the day of destruction.
Verse 13 made my heart drop..picturing all the beauty of the temple. All that David has planned and Solomon had built. Josiah, a great king, had it restored, and now just as it predicted, it is destroyed by Babylon.
Verse 16…very important. The remnant people, the ones that Jeremiah chose to stay with and finally Verse 27:
So Judah went into captivity away from her land.
Jeremiah 49-50
This was a hard read. I just oncentrated on teh who, what, where, when and why.
So here is an example of what I did:
Ch 49 I circled Ammon, and noted they are the birth cousins from Lot to Moab (Gen 19).
Edom (VS 7), from the Esau, Jacob’s brother. Teman was a city known for its Wisdom and Philosophy, which makes sense since Job’s friend Eliphaz was from there.
Vs 16, the scripture referred to Edom as eagle’s nests, remember from Obadiah the picture of the city built on the side of a red mountain.
Chapter 50 by the way is really important and if you go back and read it in a month it will make a lot more sense. 50:3..A nation from the North will attack Babylon (Medo-Persia WILL attack and conquer Babylon), also when you read these chapters always look for the Remnant spared
Day 233~Jeremiah 46-48
The last few chapters of Jeremiah are regarding the judgment of other nations. At this point they think they are completely free from judgment but like Habakkuk said
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us. (Hab 3:16)
The other day we spent a few Chapters of the Fall of Jerusalem. All that anticipation for a one day read. It really made me think. The Bible, although known to any who have never read (that was me recently) it is a book of judgment and wrath, but now that we have read it we see that the Lord spent 99% of the old testament saving his people from the enemy, providing for them, encouraging them, and warning them, I feel he minimized the actual discipline in the Bible because it is not what we should think about when it comes to the Lord.
On the other hand the next 7 chapters are written about God’s judgment on evil people, who have persecuted His people, plundered them, and taught them their pagan and idol worshipping ways. This leaves us knowing He is our Defender, our Conqueror. He is a God of Justice. No one escapes His Perfect Judgment.
Ch 46 Egypt, this goes back to when Egypt fell at the battle of Carchemish in 605 and then was invaded by Nebuchadnezzar in the middle of Jeremiah’s life. (If you are skimming go back and read 46:27-28)
Ch 47 Philistines (I always think of veggie tales) A foretelling of the destruction of the Philistines to the Babylonian. This prophecy is noted in many books including Isaiah, Amos, Ezekiel, Zephaniah and Zechariah.
Ch 48 Moab (think back to Genesis 19, Lot having sex with his daughters…started the Moabites) The Moabites helped Babylon take Judah. Did they think the Lord would let that slide?
Did the last verse make you think??
Jeremiah 41-45
I found this read to be so good. I actually read half of it and couldn’t recall what I had read so I put it down, came back to it and the whole thing wowed me. What we are reading here is about 2 things (for me anyway) Political chaos and continued disobedience.
First let me point out in case it slipped by you that Jeremiah was FREED. He also had a decision to make. He could live in Babylon, and live a very comfortable life, or he could return to the Judeans, who hated him, and live in misery. Jeremiah was a vessel for God to speak through to His people. Jeremiah chose to live among the very people that hated him. But this would prove that he was not a traitor.
Gedaliah was appointed governor of the remnant that was left behind. Well, he was assassinated and this Ishmael guy was clearly mad at everyone. Ishmael came from the line of David and maybe he felt like he should be in charge. Without a king and loyalty to God there is anarchy (relate that to a modern application…cool huh) Anyway, 80 men were headed to worship in Jerusalem when Ishmael had them robbed and killed.
Jeremiah 42 is in my top ten favorite chapters. It really really spoke to me. (By the way, be thankful none of you are my accountability partner on reads like this…I bug her ALL day breaking these versus down word by word…I drive her nuts) Anyway first I read verse 3
Pray that the LORD your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.
and I was like Ohhhh yeah! I PRAY THAT ALL THE TIME. Ummmm then the same people who asked for direction and guidance from the Lord, went to Egypt anyway! It was just soooo much easier. God was so angry. Here is the deal: Don’t ask the Lord for answers, guidance or direction in life or circumstances, if you are going to do what you want to do anyway. Cleary God does not like this.
Finally God never leaves us guessing or scratching our head. IN Chapter 44 AGAIN, the Lord describes the sins of his people, the countless warnings, the punishment they occurred and then again how He is ignored. It is like He is saying: What else can I do?? I love you, I free you, I give you all you need, I forgive you, I warn you, I bring you back each time you call out….and you never Honor me, you worship everything else around you. What else can I do to make you see I love you!
Was letting his Son die on the Cross enough Love for you?
Jeremiah 38-40; Psalm 74 and 79
This is not a skimmer. So if you skimmed you have to go back and read it over again. ALSO you will read this account from 2 other book writers tomorrow. We will read the FALL of JERUSALEM in 2 Kings and 2 Chrons tomorrow.
What you are reading is the Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon exactly as it has been prophesized. Don’t worry about the names, I just want you to understand the 5 W’s of the Captivity. SO ask yourself the Who WHat Where When and WHy (and How). And of you cannot answer one of them…SPEAK UP! Months and Months of Prophecy of the Captivity and the Remnant (underline the remnant in your Bible)
Jeremiah was thrown into the cistern. Here is a little recap (you can think of the symbolism of being pulled out if the custern)
See Jeremiah was telling the Hebrews, to surrender to the Babylonians…or die. Zedekiah was king and he was just so spineless. He wanted to be on Jeremiah’s side but he the officials were too much peer pressure for him. However, one official went against the grain for sure. Ebed-Melech. He risked his job as well as his life rescuing Jeremiah from the cistern. (A man we need to model).
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.…….. “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 35-37
OK. I just read 35. Ummmm WOW. The Recabites were nomads with a commitment. Their forefathers told them 200 years ago not to drink wine, never build a home, and never plant a vineyard. They must live in tents. And they listened. Are you getting this? A man told them….and they listened. God tells us…we ignore. Their forefather told them once, God has told the Israelites constantly. The Recabites are going to be rewarded, the Israelites are going to be punished.
Soo many lessons here of obedience and faithfulness here but the idea of God’s children being shamed by Nomads was so sad. I think of all the false religions in the world that people FAITHFULLY OBEY and we, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to discern right from wrong, that voice inside that makes us rationalize our behavior and we disobey the Lord. What do they have? John Smith? Muhammad? Oprah? Benedict (Joseph Ratzinger) And yet these people are more dedicated to them than we are for the Lord. By the way are you aware that in a lot of countries, me even writing that could have me persecuted or killed. Ever think about that? Sorry…quite the bunny trail there!
Chapter 35 is an amazing Chapter. It may have spoken to you on so many levels. Being obedient to “deeds” does not make you faithful to the Lord. Don’t be fooled by someones actions. Just because all is right with the Lord on the outside might still mean they are a wandering nomad on the inside. The Lord does not ask us for Deeds to make us a Christian, we do deeds BECAUSE we are a Christian.
Chapter 36 and 37. If I were a Pastor I would totally preach on these 2 chapters. Can you picture Jeremiah is prison, his scribe writes down what the Lord tells Jeremiah to write. It is then read at the temple, then read to the officials, and then read to the King. The King has the scroll burned verse by verse, as if that could stifle the Word of the Lord? Ha! Let me put it this way, if people want to take the 10 commandments out of the court architecture, that does not erase God’s commandments for how we are to live. And then to top it off in Chapter 37, the very people that ignored Jeremiah and aided in burning the scroll are the very ones that say “does the Lord have advice for us right now, because we are under attack”. Ohhhhhhh you want to ignore the Word of God but you want it in times of trouble, you want the blessing from the Lord? ohhhhhhhh. (Ouch) Oh how I fall away and then out of my rotten lips I call a friend and say “Will you pray for>>>>”
Jeremiah 32-34
The reading seemed long so I will keep this super short today. Does anyone have any questions?
Jeremiah buys a field, because the Lord told him too. Seeming ridiculous to all, including himself, but he does it. IF I had more time today I would get into the whole land law that we learned in Leviticus, but unfortunately we are backed day to school to today. But know this,
‘The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. (Lev 25:23-24)
The land is redeemed just like we are redeemed in Christ. Everything is owned by the Lord, and everything is given an opportunity to come back to him. This land purchase is a promise that He will bring His people back, and rebuild and restore His people, just as promised. It may seem impossible to everyone, the captives, the soldiers, even to Jeremiah, but in verse 26 it ways “Is anything too hard for me?” and in verse 37 is says “I will bring them back to this place and let them live in Safety. They will be my people and I will be their God”.
Chapter 33. Awesome chapter. There HAD to be scriptures that just stood out to you. Had to be. I love reading about all the prophecies of the Messiah and what is cool is that I think we can all pick them out now without question. SO I am sure we all saw this in verse 15 and 16 (go underline them and Write JESUS next to them)
but the scripture that I just fell on for what I needed today was
“This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
I like this in older version because they say Jehovah “The One True God, The Existing One” instead of typing Lord.
Chapter 34, this chapter has many many layers to it. We could be cross referencing this one for days from Genesis to Revelations but for today’s purpose I will just stick with history. This chapter describes the fulfilment of many of Jeremiah’s predictions. Babylon had laid siege on Jerusalem and the city is about to fall. Zedekiah panics and as a last resort decides to appease God, so he frees the slaves which we know from Deuteronomy and Leviticus that these laws were established by God and ignored for a long time now. So after that, the siege was lifted (as God faithfully does) but the people got back to their old ways (people are we looking in the mirror or do you need to tell this story to someone you love…do it). The people would go to the Temple and make promises to the Lord and then get back to their land live the way they want. (sounds like any given Sunday here at my church).
34 ends with the setting free of the Slaves. God’s Word says once you are set free you are not to be slaves again, you are free indeed!
Gotta run. Love you guys. Pray for me. (uhhhh was that short?)
Jeremiah 30-31
This is beautiful scripture. The scripture was very personal for me today and I am not sure what to write so I will just say to sit quietly. Read intentionally. Know that He is speaking to you whether about you or someone you are praying for.
There is one part I can’t not point out. The wonderfully scripted Messianic Prophecy in Chapter 31:31. The Promise of a New Covenant for all the people. Christ is the foundation of that Covenant.
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them, “
declares the LORD.“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-36)
Jeremiah 26-29
We are half way done with the Book. Reading all this really makes me think about Jesus coming into our lives, and how privileged we are and most of us are still living like the days of Jeremiah, and it really saddens me.
The time here is actually 609-608 (we went back a little), before chapter 25. Jehoiakim was a terrible king, who persecuted innocent people so for God to give this message for Jeremiah to say was TOUGH! (I am humbled greatly today at the tasks I deem as hard…are you kidding me! This story happens everyday in this world, Christians and their families are severely persecuted for spreading the word of the Lord). Anyway, the Lord says DO NOT OMIT A WORD. I am not saying we should jam scripture down people’s throat when we need to tell them what is in the bible without being kind and gentle BUT I am saying, DO NOT OMIT A WORD, you will be politically incorrect, but you will be obediently correct.
Anyway, I am trailing off….back to History. Jeremiah was spared his life but the people missed the whole point of the lesson. They spared his life but not their own. 
Chapter 27 was 593 BC and Nebuchadnezzar had already invaded Judah once. Jeremiah used an ox yoke over his shoulders to preach more effectively (nothing else was working I suppose). His message was probably one they did not expect, he told king Zedekiah and his people to surrender and be a servant to Nebuchadnezzar in order to spare their lives. God needs to fulfill his promises and He promised judgment if they did not turn their ways. I am sure it was really hard for Zedekiah, a king to even consider humbling himself to bow down and surrender (get where I am going here?)
Chapter 28. Consider this chapter closely. Who do you listen to? False advice that makes us feel better or Truth that sometimes stinks to hear? I think we seek advice from certain people depending on what we need or want to hear. Just like in this chapter Hananiah spoke a good message but Jeremiah said Only if it were true.
Chapter 29. I have read this chapter 100 times. Because I always need to be reminded that God has a plans for me. THIS time it is a completely different read. This letter is to the exiles.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD,
This verse is very popular but when we hear it, quote it, read it somewhere in the world what does it meant to us? The word prosper in this whole Chapter is PEACE in Hebrew. Let’s put the Scripture in its context, When you are in a trial that even I have ordained for you, call out to me and I will give you peace during that time. You need to call out to me with your heart and I will be found.
I think if we know the Lord personally the above scripture speaks volumes to you!
How did we get to Jeremiah
- Why did Sin enter the World?
- Why did God put an Angel to Guard the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden?
- In Genesis 3:21, why did God make a garment for them?
- Why is Noah spared? What does the word Remnant mean in the Bible?
- When Abraham brought Isaac up to Mt. Moriah in Genesis 22, what was God showing Abraham a foreshadow of?
- How did the Family of Jacob become “slaves” in Egypt? Why were they even in Egypt? What Sin led them there?
- How did God Redeem the Hebrews out of Slavery? What was the cost?
- What is the Purpose of the Book of the Law?
- How come the Hebrews were denied access into the Promise Land?
- Why did the Hebrews have to sacrifice an animal on the Alter in the Tabernacle?
- When the Hebrews did get into the Promise land, what was their first Priority? Did they do it?
- What is the Purpose of the Book of Deuteronomy?
- Why was Moses denied access into the Promise Land? Who was the Leader into the Promise Land?
- In the book of Judges, when did God raise up a Judge to help the Hebrews?
- Was Ruth a Hebrew?
- After Judges, the Hebrews were given to the reign of kings. Why? Was this the Will of God?
- Why was it Unwise for Jeroboam to divide the Kingdom?
- How long did God raise up Prophets with a message of Repentance?
- What were the Hebrews to repent from?
- What are the Prophets warning will be their consequence if they do not Repent?
Reading the Bible in 365 