TODAY’S READING: JEREMIAH 44-49
OVERVIEW:
God’s condemnation through Jeremiah of the remnants idolatry in Egypt (44:1-4); the people blatantly confess their affection for idols (44:15-19); God’s last word concerning the faithless remnant (44:20-30); God’s exhortation to Baruch (45:1-5); God’s judgment upon Egypt (46:1-28); God’s judgment upon Philistia (47:1-7); God’s judgment upon Moab (48:1-47); God’s judgment upon Ammon (49:1-6); God’s judgment upon Edom (49:7-22); God’s judgment upon Damascus (49:23-27); God’s judgment upon the lesser nations (49:28-33); God’s judgment upon Elam (49:34-39).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
When we ended yesterday’s reading, the remnant chose to rebel against the word of the Lord through Jeremiah in spite of their extravagant promises not to do so, and went to Egypt to hopefully find a place of refuge against the wrath of the Babylonians. Not content to simply go themselves, they forced Jeremiah and Baruch to go with them. Perhaps they thought that God would not exercise judgment against them if these two men of God were with them. Regardless of what they thought, Jeremiah’s preaching against them was anything but over! Nor was God’s judgment! Jeremiah walked them through the wickedness and idolatry of Judah, despite God’s cry to them through the prophets, “Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate” (44:4), and promised that just as surely as God’s “fury” and “anger” was poured out on their cities and in the streets of Jerusalem, leaving them “wasted” and “desolate,” God’s judgment would fall on them in Egypt. It is indeed amazing how after watching the effects of sin on people’s lives, and observing the pain people endure as a result of incurring the chastisement of Almighty God, that we can deceive ourselves into thinking that “it’ll be different for us,” or that “we’ll be the exception.”
Rather than cause the people to repent, they somehow concluded that their problem was that they had not served other gods enough! They resort back to worshipping the queen of heaven (Ashtoreth), reasoning that life turned for the worse when they stopped worshipping her (44:17-19). Excuse me, but have I mentioned how utterly stooooooopid sin can make us? And before we think that this idolatry “shoe” certainly doesn’t fit us, remember that in the New Testament, God identifies covetousness as idolatry (Col. 3:5). He doesn’t say that it’s like idolatry, He says that it IS idolatry!!!!!! And do note that at least three times in the New Testament covetousness is specifically referring to the desire for illicit sexual fulfillment. What happens in that whole sexual sin world is no different than what was happening to this remnant inEgypt. People know how sexual sin has destroyed thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of homes before them, but deceive themselves into thinking it won’t destroy theirs. Oh God, deliver us from ourselves!
Chapter 45 is a short chapter with God’s Word for Baruch. Baruch was one of only two people (Ebedmelech being the other one) in Jeremiah’s entire 40 year ministry who had ever responded in any kind of positive way. God wants Baruch to realize that though he was bummed at how things had shaken down forJerusalem, the reason he was bummed was because of how it had affected him, not how it had affected God. Again, with God saying that the chief characteristic of our day is that we love ourselves (II Tim. 3:1-2), we must be careful that we don’t deceive ourselves into thinking we’re “spiritual” because of how we’re repulsed by the condition of our country, and, yea, the world. Do we hurt because God hurts, or do we hurt because of how the sin of the world has affected our lives?
In the remaining chapters in today’s reading, God details His judgment upon the Gentile nations: •His judgment uponEgypt(46:1-28). •His judgment upon Philisita (47:1-7). •His judgment uponMoab(48:1-47). •His judgment upon Ammon (49:1-6). •His judgment uponEdom(49:7-22). •His judgment uponDamascus(49:23-27). •His judgment upon the lesser nations (49:28-33). •His judgment uponElam(49:34-39).
The nations listed encompassed basically all of the nations of the known world at that time. It seems that God’s message through Jeremiah was that there is no nation who can defy Him and not inflict upon themselves His judgment. If that be true, our nation is on a collision course with disaster!
SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO “THE DAY OF THE LORD”:
46:10 – “The day of the Lord God of host, a day of vengeance.” 48:41 – “At that day.” 48:47 – “In the latter days.” 49:22 –“At that day.” 49:39 – “In the latter days.”
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through GOD’S SERVANTS, THE PROPHETS – Jer. 44:4 (Jesus was God’s “chosen Servant” – Matt. 12:17-18; Acts 3:20-21).