365 Reflections

To be a preacher of the Word is to be wounded in spirit by those who misuse it. That is the heart of Jeremiah 23. Jeremiah 23:9 (ESV) Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and because of his holy words. Jeremiah ministered at a time when many false prophets led most of the nation astray. Jeremiah 23:10–11 (ESV) For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. Their course is evil, and their might is not right. 11 “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. Jeremiah throws down the gauntlet later in the discourse: Jeremiah 23:13–14 (ESV)  In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. 14 But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lie...

James tells us not many of us should be teachers for we will be judged more strictly. Jeremiah 23 makes that very clear. God speaks to the shepherds who have abandoned their responsibilities to the sheep.  Jeremiah 23:1–2 (ESV) “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. The shepherds were scattering when they should have been gathering and protecting. Now who would these people be? Well, in the Old Testament, God uses the term Shepherd to refer to kings. He also uses that term in the New Testament to refer to spiritual leaders such as pastors. Pastors and civil leaders are really two sides of the leadership coin. One bears the sword to punish the evildoer and maintain peace, the...

What is the role of a leader? To look after God's people. Sadly, Judah's kings after righteous Josiah missed the mark on this very badly. Josiah had four sons rule after him, none of them were righteous. And the end of the kingdom was undisputed as a result. In Jeremiah 22, God sends Jeremiah to the house of the King: Jeremiah 22:1–2 (ESV) Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. What is his message to these monarchs? Jeremiah 22:3–5 (ESV) Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the...

Jeremiah 21:1–2 (ESV) This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchiah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all his wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.” Despite all the hatred Jeremiah faced from his contemporary culture when the trouble started, they looked to him. Nebuchadnezzar was marching in; it would be trouble for generations. The Lord's prescription of judgment was coming. What does the king do? He summons Jeremiah for a friendly word from God. They think there may still be some great miraculous salvation in His back pocket. But they were misled. The judgment was to begin.  Jeremiah minces no words in this regard: Jeremiah 21:4–6 (ESV) ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands...

What Christian hasn't been there? You live with those nagging doubts that perhaps you misheard God, perhaps you didn't follow the plan He wanted, perhaps you messed up at some juncture in the past and the pain you presently feel is a sign you're off target.  If you've been there, you're in good company. Jeremiah was there in Jeremiah 20.  Jeremiah 20:7 (ESV)  O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. The first thing we do when our ministry or lives don't go as planned when we have set out to serve God is to question whether or not God actually spoke or even if we misheard him. Jeremiah takes it a step further, he claims God deceived him. What does it mean to be deceived by someone but to consider that your actions were the result of someone deliberately leading you down the wrong path. Jeremiah feels overpowered by God's Word.  Perhaps Jerem...

Paul, the Apostle, informs Timothy that all who wish to walk with Jesus will be persecuted.  2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV) Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, Jeremiah was of course, no exception.  Jeremiah 20:1–2 (ESV) Now Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 Then Pashhur beat Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the upper Benjamin Gate of the house of the LORD. For telling God's people what God wanted them to know, Jeremiah was beaten and imprisoned by the very people who claimed to work for God. Notice it was "Passhur the priest" who instigated this attack on Jeremiah.  Jeremiah responds by changing Pashur's name.  Jeremiah 20:3–4 (ESV) The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The LORD does not call your name Pashhur, but Terror on Every Side. 4 For thus says the LORD: ...

So many of us know about Jeremiah's first visit the the Potter's house in Jeremiah 18. It's a picture of God's ability to restart and renew our lives. Although in context the image spelled disaster for the nation and after that, they would be renewed. But Jeremiah 19 also contains a visit to the potter's house. This time Jeremiah is a customer and he shares a very strong message with those he brings along.  Jeremiah 19:1–2 (ESV) Thus says the LORD, “Go, buy a potter’s earthenware flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests, 2 and go out to the Valley of the Son of Hinnom at the entry of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you. The location of this moment is important. The Valley of the Son of Hinnom was the trash heap of ancient Israel. This will become the place Jesus refers to as Gehenna in the New Testament. It contained trash residing in a smoldering fire that never went out.   Matthew 18:9 (ESV)...