God Speaks
The LORD Teaches His People Through Object Lessons
Verse of the Day: “‘. . . This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then the kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. But if you do not obey these commands, declares the LORD, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.'” (Jeremiah 22:3-5 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 224
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Jeremiah 18-22:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Jeremiah 18
1. God makes (and remakes) human beings and nations as He chooses, just as a potter makes or remakes a clay vessel according to what he has in mind.
2. People frequently continue to live as they want to, stubbornly following their own evil desires, totally disregarding what God may have to say on the matter.
Jeremiah 19
1. God sometimes has His prophets act out an illustration of what He has planned. By directing Jeremiah to buy and smash a clay jar, God was illustrating that He was about to smash Judah and Jerusalem for their wickedness.
2. The people of Jeremiah’s time were turning their backs on the true and living God and worshiping pretend gods, burning their children in the fires of Molech. America is doing the same thing with abortion.
Jeremiah 20
1. God never misleads people; they mislead themselves by misinterpreting what He says. God takes vengeance on the enemies of those who commit their cause to Him.
2. People who fear the LORD need to commit their concerns to Him and praise the LORD for rescuing them from their oppressors.
Jeremiah 21
1. God is very patient, but He will eventually rise up against His own people if they continue to disobey and disrespect Him. He gives them the choice of life or death.
2. People, especially those in authority, are to give justice (and mercy), help those who have been robbed (not the robbers), and rescue people (especially children) from their oppressors.
Jeremiah 22
1. God commands His people, “Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat [the vulnerable] –foreigners, orphans, and widows [women who have no one to care for them or their young children].”
2. People have repeatedly violated their covenant with the LORD their God by worshiping false gods, not paying employees fairly, starving people while building fabulous, cedar-paneled palaces for themselves.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Jeremiah 18-22?
O LORD God, You are the great creator; I am Your work in progress. Like the clay in the hands of the potter, I don’t form (or reform) myself. I simply must yield to You, doing or becoming what You design. That is true of every created creature or nation. As we obey and do what is right in Your eyes, we will overcome the evil schemes Your enemy and ours, Satan, has in mind. People are continuing to live as they want, stubbornly following their own evil desires, totally disregarding what You, LORD God, may have to say on the matter. You sometimes have Your prophets act out an illustration of what You have planned. By directing Jeremiah to buy and smash a clay jar, You were illustrating that You were about to smash Judah and Jerusalem for their wickedness. In 2020 Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn performed a similar prophetic act on the Mall in Washington D.C. This was to warn the people of America what will happen if we don’t repent and stop wicked actions like abortion. The people of Jeremiah’s time were turning their backs on You, the true and living God, and worshiping pretend gods, burning their children in the fires of Molech. In our day, people are turning their backs on You and Your commandments and principles and killing their babies before they are born. We are misleading and mutilating our own children in the name of tolerance and sexual freedom. O LORD God, You never mislead people; we mislead ourselves by misinterpreting what You say in the Bible. In Your time and in Your way, You will take vengeance on the enemies of those who commit their cause to You. Please don’t give up on Your people but help us to repent and turn back to You. LORD, You have been very patient, but You will eventually need to rise up against even Your own people if we continue to disobey and disrespect You and each other. You have given us the choice of life or death. Help us choose life. People, especially those in authority, have the responsibility to dispense justice (and mercy), help those who have been robbed (not the robbers), and rescue people (especially children) from their oppressors. LORD God, You command us, Your redeemed people: To be fair-minded and just! To do what is right! To quit our evil deeds! To not mistreat [the vulnerable] –foreigners, orphans, and widows [women who have no one to care for them], or the elderly. But we Your people have repeatedly violated our covenant with You, the God that we say we are united under, by worshiping false gods, by not paying employees or treating foreigners fairly, or by starving people while building fabulous palaces for the elites who think they are better than everyone else. Please Father, forgive us on the basis of what Jesus has done on our behalf and fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can be all that You intend. Then we will bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Jeremiah 18-22? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will willingly yield to the LORD as He reshapes my life as He designed it.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to remove the evil desires from my heart and replace them with a holy fear of God.
- I will study to get a clear understanding of God and His word as He intended.
- I will spiritually (with prayer), physically (with action), and/or financially support organizations that are ministering to the vulnerable in society.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.