Despising the Word of the Lord

Despising the Word of the Lord
Jer 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Jehudi's mistreatment of the Word of God. (He did this on behalf of King Jehoiakim)

1. He only read 3 or 4 leaves and had had enough.
The Word of God must be taken, and understood as a whole. Taking a portion out of context does more harm than good. There is no way the king could have understood how jealous God was over his people by having only 4 pages read to him.

2. He cut it with a penknife, no doubt removing the parts he didn't like.
Religious people included, many gladly accept the milk and honey of the Word but reject the dire warnings concerning sin and idolatry.

3. He burned it in the fire, such was his rage and anger.
Our generation just misplaces the Bible, for a year or 10. “Out of sight, out of mind.”

4. He went after the messenger.
If you don't like the message, give the preacher what for. This is nothing new, is it?

As to how people went after the messenger, see 38:6, Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

Oh, Lord, that people's eyes would be opened that they may see your Word as life and truth!

An Expected End

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Today's verses, realized in context, speak of the purposed, 70 year Babylonian captivity of Israel. This was determined by God upon His people Israel because of their refusal to walk in His statutes.

In His wisdom and foreknowledge, and through the preaching of His faithful prophet, Jeremiah, God would see them through to an expected end and restoration in the Promised Land.

But that account holds secondary application for us. True, God allows us to see persecution, testing and trials. However, He has great purpose for those problems. Chiefly, that we might be brought closer to Him, that our faith be increased and our sins left behind.

Know that your problems are not a product of a cosmic roll of the dice, but they are a precise calculation of God, working in you His perfect plan to bring you to a much better place.

Work with His plan today, not against it.

Transcendent, Personal God

Jer 23:23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Deism was all the rage a couple of hundred years ago. Many of America's
founding fathers are accused of being Deists, but I am not convinced.

A Deist is one who believes that God created the universe and then
abandoned it. He would think that God is not at all involved in personal
affairs.

But we are assured here in the Word that our God is one who is always near
and never afar off. He knows our situation and is interested in the affairs of
men. When Israel was enslaved in Egypt of old, the Lord said to Moses that
He saw their affliction, heard their cries and is come down to deliver them.

All that to say that the mighty Creator of the universe cares for you in your
most intimate struggles.

Frank Graeff wrote it this way:

1. Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

* Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

2. Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

3. Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?

4. Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
* Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Good Figs, Bad Figs

Jer 24:2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
Jer 24:3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
Jer 24:4 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Jer 24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
Jer 24:6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

Here, the Lord distinguishes between good figs and rotten figs.

The good ones represent the Jews to be taken to Babylon and purged, then brought back to the land.

The bad figs speak of the jews who would remain behind in the land, and those who escaped down into Egypt. The Lord counts them as so corrupt as to not even be counted as redeemable.

I often wonder about the folks who are greatly used of God, those who are shelved for a time, and those who are so reprobate that the Spirit of the Lord no longer strives with.

Then I contemplate my own existence. How that God, in His grace, has not allowed me to fall into that third category. I have definitely felt worthy of being shelved for a time and, truthfully, have felt deserving of being cast off like the rotten figs. But, and oh, thank God, He continues to allow me to serve Him, pouring out His rich blessings.

Oh, glory to God, my cup runneth over. He sees me as a redeemable fig!

Name Calling: You, You... Magormissabib!

Jer 20:1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
Jer 20:2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
Jer 20:3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.
Jer 20:4 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.
Jer 20:6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

Due to the actions of this man against the prophet of God, Jeremiah, fresh out of the shackles of his stocks, has this to say to him, "God says that you are no longer 'liberated' but are an 'afright all around'!"

Now that's some heavy duty name-calling. Nanny, nanny boo boo!

Searching, Trying, Giving.

Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

It is true that every step you take today, every thought that passes through your cranium, every action you take is being carefully audited by heaven.

The fact is that God is looking for someone to bless! He delights in rewarding His own, not just in glory at the judgment, but even as we pass through this vale of sorrows.

We are assured in Psa 34:15 that "The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry."

Furthermore, we know, because of Pro 5:21, that "the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings."

Pro 15:3 assures us that "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

Concerning the heart, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Pro 21:2

1Pe 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

So, dear friend, know that our wonderful Lord is watching you this day, trying your reigns, and giving rewards according to the deeds we do for Him.

Walk with the King today and be a blessing!

A Sermon by Bing Crosby

Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish
A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish

And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it's all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin' on a star