Jeremiah 17
Loss of inheritance verse 1- 4
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron
and with the point of a diamond
it is graven upon the table of their heart
and upon the horns of your altars
While their children remember their altars and their groves by the
green trees upon the high hills
O MY mountain in the field
I will give your substance and all your treasure to be spoil
and your high places for sin – throughout all your borders
AND you – even yourself
shall discontinue from your heritage that I gave you
and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land
which you know not
for you have kindled a fire in MINE anger
which shall burn forever
Loss of confidence in mankind necessary verse 5- 6
Thus says the LORD
Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm
and whose heart departs from the LORD
For he shall be like the heath in the desert
and shall not see when good comes
BUT he shall inherit the parched places
in the wilderness
in a salt land and not inhabited
Fruitful people trust in the LORD verse 7- 8
Blessed is the man that TRUSTS in the LORD
and whose HOPE is in the LORD
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters
and that spreads out her roots by the river
and shall not see when heat comes
BUT her leaf shall be green
and shall not be careful in the year of drought
neither shall cease from yielding fruit
LORD searches hearts verse 9- 11
The heart is deceitful above all things
and desperately wicked
Who can know it?
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
As the partridge sits on eggs – and hatches them not
so he that that gets riches – and not by right
shall leave them in the midst of his days
and at his end shall be a FOOL
LORD fountain of LIVING WATER verse 12- 13
A glorious high throne from the beginning
is the place of our sanctuary
O LORD – the hope of Israel
all that forsake YOU shall be ashamed
and they that depart from me
shall be written in the earth
BECAUSE they have forsaken the LORD
the FOUNTAIN of LIVING WATER
Jeremiah states complete trust in LORD verse 14- 15
Heal me – O LORD – and I shall be healed
save me and I shall be saved
for YOU are my PRAISE
BEHOLD – they say unto me
Where is the word of the LORD?
let it come now
Jeremiah prays for grace verse 16- 18
As for me – I have not hastened
from being a pastor to follow YOU
neither have I desired the woeful day
YOU know that which came out of my lips
was right before YOU
Be not a terror unto me – YOU are my HOPE in the
DAY of EVIL
Let them be confounded that persecute me
BUT let me not be confounded
let them be dismayed
BUT let me not be dismayed
bring upon them the DAY of EVIL
and destroy them with
DOUBLE destruction
Jeremiah warns against work on Sabbath verse 19- 23
Thus said the LORD to me
Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people
WHEREBY the kings of Judah come in
and BY THE WHICH they go out
and in all the gates of Jerusalem
And say to them
Hear you the word of the LORD – ye kings of Judah
and all Judah – and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
that enter in by these gates
Thus says the LORD
Take heed to yourselves
and bear no burden on the Sabbath day
nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem
Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses
on the Sabbath day – neither do you any work
BUT hallow ye the Sabbath day
as I commanded your fathers
BUT they obeyed not
neither inclined their ear
BUT made their neck stiff that they might not hear
nor receive instruction
LORD promises restoration with repentance verse 24- 26
And it shall come to pass
If you diligently hearken to ME – says the LORD
to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the
Sabbath day – but hallow the Sabbath day
to do no work therein
THEN shall there enter into the gates of this city
kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David
riding in chariots and on horses
they – their princes
the men of Judah
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and this city shall remain for ever
And they shall come from the cities of Judah – places about Jerusalem
and from the land of Benjamin – plain – mountains – south
bringing burnt offerings – and incense
and bringing SACRIFICES of PRAISE
to the HOUSE of the LORD
LORD states if no repentance no blessing verse 27
BUT if you will not hearken to ME to HALLOW the Sabbath day
and not to bear a burden – even entering in at the
gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day
THEN I will kindle a fire in the gates thereof
and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem
and it shall not be quenched
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). 1288 בָּרַךְ, בָּרַךְ [barak /baw·rak/] translates as “bless” 302 times, “salute” five times, ) to be blessed, be adored.
DEVOTION: A person and church that knows and trusts Jesus are truly blessed. Unlike the person in the previous verses (5-6), a blessed person will flourish like a tree beside the water (Ps.1:3) Despite the difficulties like a drought or heat, a tree will remain green and bear fruit. It will spread its roots by the water and continue to grow. A blessed man is like that as well and this abundant life is what Jesus spoke of in John 10:10 when he stated, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Regardless of what difficulties come against a believer when they are next to Jesus they can continue to experience blessings even when uncertain conditions exist. Trust and hope in the Lord!
CHALLENGE: As believers, each of us have gone through periods where it is scorching hot with adversity or a drought where no rain of revival pours down. Be thankful that the Lord knows how to provide rivers of waters to the roots of our spiritual lives as we stand. Go deep into God’s water sources (The word of God and the Holy Spirit) and be refreshed today. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (6121 “deceitful” [‘aqob] means crooked, polluted, sly, insidious, slippery, marked by deliberate deceptiveness, uneven, fraudulent, crafty, or to betray.)
DEVOTION: Here we find a definition of all of our hearts when we are born. There is not a human being that is born that doesn’t have this type of heart when they are born. It is hard to believe this is true but from the time we begin crying after birth until our death we are individuals who are sinners in the sight of God.
The LORD stated that every human being, including the children of Israel, are born with a heart that is prone to wander from HIM and HIS commands. HE states it many times through the mouths of HIS prophets. HE sends angels to tell the people that they need to repent of their sins or be judged.
Here we find Jeremiah giving the same message to the children of Israel but for some reason the warning were not heeded. This was true then and it is true today of every human being that is born.
There is only one escape from the judgment of hell for eternity and that it to give our hearts over to the LORD because of the death of Christ on the cross for our sins. Once we genuinely turn our life over to the LORD: we will confess our sins daily and listen to HIS WORD that is found in the Bible daily, so that, we know what our actions should be that would honor the LORD.
If we think that we don’t need to confess our sins, even after we have said the prayer of repentance, we have not learned the message of salvation. It is a daily walk with the LORD to receive blessings.
Each day is a new day with the LORD even for believers. HE wants us to stay in fellowship with HIM through our reading of the Bible and prayer and habits.
We can deceive ourselves into thinking that once we have said the prayer of repentance we can do as we please. The children of Israel thought that because they were the chosen of God they could do as they pleased. This is a deception of the devil.
CHALLENGE: Whose voice are we listening to today? Israel was to listen to the voice of Jeremiah. We are to listen to the voices of the New Testament writers and the Holy Spirit each day. What is HE saying to you today?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 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. (6529 “fruit” [pariy] means results, offspring, motives, reward, attitudes, or harvest.
DEVOTION: The New Testament informs us that “what we sow we will also reap.” If we sow wild oats we will reap the consequences of our actions. There is a relationship between our walking away from the LORD and our walking toward HIM. It is a good relationship if we are walking in HIS ways. It is a poor relationship if we are walking away from HIM in disobedience.
The LORD is the one who determines what happens to us each day. It is HIS determination that makes eternity special to us. HE is recorded throughout the Old Testament as one who searches the hearts of the people of the world. HE knows that outward appearance can fool people walking beside us but our heart or inner life is what HE examines to see if our motives are right or wrong.
It is from HIS observation of our inner motives that HE establishes what HE will do next with us. If we have a heart that is willing to serve HIM, HE will give us further instruction as to how we can please HIM. We know that faith pleases HIM. HE wants us to trust HIM explicitly.
The verse above this one informs us that our hearts are naturally wicked. We are a deceitful people. It may not show on the outside but without the LORD helping us it is there on the inside daily. HE knows our frame. HE knows that we are selfish and lazy all of our life. HE is the only one who can give us strength to honor HIM and others with our actions. HE is the only one who can give us energy to face each day.
Our hope has to be in HIM alone. Our prayers have to be daily praying for his strength to be unselfish and the strength to serve HIM with our actions.
CHALLENGE: The LORD is the one who throws all our actions into a fire and checks out the ones that don’t get burned. How many of our actions today will be burned on the day of our appearance at the Judgment Seat of Christ?
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: 14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for YOU are my praise. (8416 “praise” [tehillah] means adoration, thanksgiving, laudation or hymn)
DEVOTION: The sins of the children of Israel are recorded with a pen of iron. They are on the hearts of the people. Jeremiah warns that the anger of the LORD is real. The message sent to the children of Israel is that they need not trust in man but they need to trust in the LORD. The only ones who are blessed are those who trust in the LORD. The rest of the people are cursed. The ones who are blessed with be like a tree planted by the waters and it will prosper. [Psalm 1]
We also find in Psalm one that there is healing in the leaves of the trees. What do we need healing from? Is it just physical healing? Or is it a spiritual healing that the children of Judah need at this time. If we look at the context of the passage, we find that they need healing from sin in their lives.
Not only do they need healing from sin but they need deliverance from their enemies. The first enemy we face each day is the enemy of our flesh. We want what we want when we want it.
The second enemy we face each day is the world system or worldview of the nation we are living in. Our nation presently has a worldview that we don’t need Jesus. They don’t want our military or police chaplains to pray in Jesus name. They want to be politically correct instead of Biblically correct. They will answer to the LORD for their decision.
The third enemy we face each day is the devil and his other fallen angels that tempt us to sin. We have to resist the devil daily. We have to put on the armor of God daily to fight off his fiery darts.
The LORD wants the people to know that their hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked if left to itself. The LORD tests the heart of each individual to see what is going on.
The children of Judah are under HIS examination. HE wants to see what direction they are headed. HE knows which way they are headed. Those who have forsaken HIM are forsaking the fountain of LIVING WATER. They are heading the wrong way.
Jeremiah realizes that he is part of the children of Judah and needs to act. So he asks the LORD to heal him. He wants his life to honor the LORD. Remember he has called the LORD a liar. He needs to confess his sin and ask the LORD to forgive him. Once he is forgiven, he can be delivered from the judgment of God.
At this point Jeremiah prays a praise prayer. He knows what the LORD is capable of in his life. He wants healing and deliverance in the time of trouble that is on its way to Jerusalem.
The LORD gives Jeremiah a message to give at the gates of Jerusalem. They are to honor HIS Sabbath. If they honor HIS Sabbath, HE will spare them. However, they are not listening to Jeremiah or the LORD’S message.
Jeremiah in the midst of all his problems realized that God was the answer. He realizes that even through others are not following the LORD, He can. We need to realize the same truth.
We need to be praying for revival in the hearts of God’s people. The LORD is longsuffering. Judgment must come to those who are not willing to confess their sins and follow the LORD. People were giving him a hard time because of his prophecy of judgment but God was giving him courage.
We are to sing hymns to HIM at all times. We need to offer our SACRIFICES of PRAISE. Remember one of the signs of the filling of the Holy Spirit is SINGING. Are we singing daily? Are we praising HIM? When people meet us do they consider us, people that have a THANKFUL heart or one that is grumbling most of the time? HE is the fountain of LIVING WATER!!!
CHALLENGE: Once we know we are forgiven of the LORD is our first reaction singing? If we are not singing, we need to be praying for a singing spirit within us.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Jeremiah’s prayer of hope verse 12- 18
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sanctuary verse 12
Praise verse 14
Sabbath day verse 22, 24, 27
Burnt offerings verse 26
Sacrifices verse 26
Meat offerings verse 26
Incense verse 26
Sacrifices of Praise verse 26
House of the LORD verse 26
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 15, 20
Commandment verse 22
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God them Judah an heritage verse 4
I will cause you to serve your enemies verse 4
Anger of the LORD verse 4
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 5, 7, 10, 13- 15, 19- 21, 24, 26
Cursed be the man that trust in man
I the LORD search the heart verse 10
I try the reins, even to give every man
according to his ways
and according to the fruit of his doings verse 10
Hope of Israel verse 13
Fountain of Living Water verse 13
Word of the LORD verse 15, 20
Thus said the LORD verse 19- 25
Go and stand in the gate of the children
Of the children of the people,
whereby the kings of Judah come in
and by the which they go out, and
in all the gates of Jerusalem
And say to them, Hear you the Word of
the LORD- ye kings of Judah
Take heed to yourselves and bear no
Burden on the sabbath day
Nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem
Neither carry forth a burden out of your
Houses on the sabbath day, as I
commanded your fathers
Promises Jeremiah that if Israel diligently
Hearten to HIM to bring in no burden through
the gates of this city on the sabbath day,
but hallows the sabbath day, to do
no work therein
THEN shall there enter into the gates of this city
kings and princes sitting upon the throne
of David riding in chariots and on horses,
they, and their princes, the men of Judah,
and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this
city shall REMAIN FOR EVER
House of the LORD verse 26
Kindle a fire in Jerusalem that
will not be quenched verse 27
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Enemies verse 4
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sin verse 1, 3
Graven on heart verse 1
Altars to false gods verse 1, 2
Groves of false worship verse 2
High places for false worship verse 3
Cursed of the LORD verse 5
Trust in man verse 5
Trust in own strength verse 5
Heart departs from the LORD verse 5
Heart is deceitful verse 9
Heart is desperately wicked verse 9
who can know it?
Give every man according to his ways verse 10
Gets riches and not by right verse 11
Fool verse 11
Forsaken the LORD verse 13
Evil verse 17
Persecute genuine believers verse 18
Not confounded verse 18
Not dismayed verse 18
Burden on Sabbath verse 21, 22, 24, 27
Working on Sabbath verse 22, 24
Disobeying the LORD verse 23
Not listening to the LORD verse 23, 27
Stiff neck – that they might not hear
neither receive instruction verse 23
Not hallow the Sabbath day verse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Heritage verse 4
Good verse 6
Blessed verse 7
Trust in the LORD verse 7
Hope in the LORD verse 7, 17
Obedience: like a tree planted by the waters verse 8
Fruitful verse 8, 10
Heart searched by LORD verse 10
Hope verse 13, 17
Healed verse 14
Saved verse 14
LORD is my praise verse 14
Pastor verse 16
Follow the LORD verse 16
Speaking right verse 16
Keep Sabbath Day verse 21, 22, 24, 27
Diligently listen to LORD verse 24
Promise of the LORD verse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Judah verse 1- 27
Sins of Judah is written with a pen
of iron and with the point of
a diamond
It is graven on the table of their heart
and on the horns of your altars
Discontinue from your heritage
Serve their enemies in a land they
knew not
They kindled a fire in MINE anger
which shall burn forever
Like an heath in the desert
Inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness – in a salt land and
not inhabited
All that forsake LORD shall be ashamed
They that depart from ME
shall be written in the earth
Where is the word of the LORD?
let it come now
Israel verse 13
Jerimiah states: I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow YOU
neither have I desired the woeful day
YOU know
That which came out of my lips
Was right before YOU verse 16
Be not a terro to me: YOU are my hope
in the day of evil verse 17
Let them be confounded that persecute
me, but let not me be confounded
Let them be dismayed, but let not me be
dismayed: bring upon them the
day of evil , and destroy them with
double destruction verse 18
Jerimiah to go to gate to preach verse 19
Inhabitants of Jerusalem that enter in
by these gates verse 20, 25
Kings of Judah verse 19, 20
Jerusalem verse 19- 21, 25- 27
Keep Sabbath Day verse 21, 24, 27
Throne of David verse 25
Men of Judah verse 25
Cities of Judah verse 26
Places about Jerusalem verse 26
Land of Benjamin verse 26
Gates of Jerusalem verse 27
Palaces of Jerusalem verse 27
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
He that gets riches not by right- shall leave
them in the midst of his days verse 11
Woeful day verse 16
Day of evil verse 17, 18
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QUOTES regarding passage
Do these lines meet the eye of a tried and distressed saint who has been tempted by Satan to believe that God has forgotten and cares not for him? Surely the words are as true of every Christian as of every Israelite, “Mine eyes are upon all their ways.” Oh, look up, dear doubting one, and faint not beneath the chastening of the Lord! for His eyes never lose sight of you for one moment, and His heart is ever concerned about you. He is taking careful note of all your circumstances, and “He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Sweet it is to trust where all is dark, and to sing with childlike faith, “My times are in Thy hand!” (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 82). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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17:21–23 The people were warned not to carry a load on the Sabbath, either through the city gates or out of their houses. Nor were they to do work of any kind. What appears to us to be an overemphasis on the Sabbath may have been an important indicator of one’s relationship with God, and whoever refused to keep the Sabbath thereby demonstrated his rebellion against God (Num 15:32–36). The person who kept the Sabbath revealed his willingness to obey God in every area of life. It also gave an opportunity for him to worship God. Sabbath laws, as well as all the Mosaic laws, if observed, were evidences of trust in God, whether or not the person understood the reasons for the commands. The true spirit of obedience does not ask God why but accepts his commands as good.
Judah’s response to the Sabbath regulations was indicative of the people’s attitude toward all God’s commands. They did not listen or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and would not respond to his discipline. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 178). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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17:20–24. His message to those who passed through these gates was to keep the Sabbath Day holy. In contrast with their forefathers who disobeyed, they were to honor the day God had set aside by not doing any work on it. This was one visible test of their faithfulness to God’s covenant. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1152). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Profaning the Sabbath (vv. 19–27). God had given the Sabbath to the Israelites as a special token of their relationship with Him (see Ex. 16:29; 20:8–11; 31:13–17). It was to be a day of rest for the people, their farm animals, and the land. The people, however, repeatedly disregarded the Law and treated the Sabbath like any other day. Their sin was evidence that their hearts were devoted to material gain and not to the Lord.
A mechanical obedience to the Sabbath law wasn’t what God wanted, but obedience that came from their hearts because they loved and feared the Lord. If this were the case, then they would obey all His Law, and God could then bless the people, their kings, and their city. If they continued to disobey the Law and desecrate the Sabbath, however, God would have to punish them by destroying their city and their temple.
Jeremiah faithfully and courageously delivered his sermons to the people; he lifted his supplications to the Lord; he poured out his grief over the sins of the nation; and yet the people only hardened their hearts and stubbornly resisted God’s truth.
In an age of unconcern and indecision, Jeremiah was burdened and decisive, and God honored him. Humanly speaking, his ministry was a failure, but from the divine perspective, he was an outstanding success. We need men and women of Jeremiah’s caliber serving in the church and the nation today. There’s a price to pay, but there’s also a crown to win. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 80–81). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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It may seem, at first sight, like a break in the chain of thought as we pass from what has just been claiming our attention to the paragraph relative to the Sabbath with which this portion of the prophecy is concluded. It should be remembered, however, that the Sabbath was the weekly memorial of Israel’s covenant relation with Jehovah. It was to be kept sacred as a perpetual reminder of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:15); and it pointed forward to the final rest, when, all man’s labor ended, the redeemed should enter into the undisturbed bliss of the new creation (Lev. 23:3). Therefore, the state of the people was ever manifested by the estimation in which they held Jehovah’s holy day. If they “called the Sabbath a delight,” and rejoiced in its privileges, there was good evidence that their hearts were true to Himself. If on that day they did their own pleasure and neglected the ordinances of the law relative thereto, no further proof need be sought as to their wretched state.
In order to bring this out beyond controversy, Jeremiah is bidden to go and stand in the gate (the place of judgment) and cry in the hearing of the king and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as they passed in or out of the city, “Hear ye the Word of the Lord.… Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers” (vers. 19–22). This summons as to the Sabbath would be a reminder of God’s past deliverance and future promise. But man prefers his useless labor. “They obeyed not, neither inclined their ear,” but deliberately turned away from hearing the message and refused the instruction. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 87–88). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
….
It is easy enough to censure them; but oh, reader, let us examine our own ways, and ask ourselves whether we too may not be refusing Him who now speaks to us both by their example and by His Word. Departure from God and coldness of heart are the order of the day. The last great apostasy is fast hastening on. The Scriptures of truth are being readily surrendered at the behests of a host of veneered infidels who, parading as Christian ministers, are decrying every fundamental truth of the Bible. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 88–89). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 20. And say unto them, hear ye the word of the Lord, &c.] Concerning the sanctification of the sabbath; for this was not of human, but of divine institution: ye kings of Judah; which must be understood, either, as Kimchi thinks, of the then present king and his sons, so called because they would reign after him; for there was but one king at a time; and who, perhaps, at this time, was Josiah: or else the king and his nobles, the princes of the land, are meant: and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates; the people in the several parts of the land of Judea, that came to Jerusalem either for trade and merchandise, or for worship, and all that dwelt in the metropolis; for the business the prophet had to charge them with concerned them all.
Ver. 21. Thus saith the Lord, take heed to yourselves, &c.] That ye sin not against the Lord, by breaking the sabbath, and so bring wrath and ruin upon yourselves: or, to your souls; to the inward frame of them, that they be in disposition for the work of that day; and that they be wholly engaged therein, even all the powers and faculties of them; and that they be not taken up in thoughts and cares about other things; and bear no burden on the sabbath-day; as no worldly thoughts and cares should cumber the mind, and lie heavy thereon, to the interruption of spiritual exercises of religion; so neither should any weight or burden be borne by the body, or carried from place to place; as not by themselves, so neither by their servants, nor by their cattle, nor in carts and waggons, nor by any instrument whatever; in short, all servile work was forbidden: nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; to be unloaded and sold there, as wine, grapes, figs, and fish, were, in the times of Nehemiah, Neh. 13:15, 16, 19.
Ver. 22. Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses, &c.] Not of dirt and soil only, as some restrain the sense; but of any ware or merchandise, in order to be sold in the city or elsewhere: neither do ye any work; any servile work, any kind of manufacture, either within doors or without; or exercise any kind of trade, or barter and merchandise, or do any sort of worldly business; nothing but what was of mere necessity, for the preservation of life; see Exod. 20:10: but hallow ye the sabbath-day; or, sanctify it; by separating it from all worldly business, and devoting it to the worship of God in public and private, spending it wholly in acts of religion and piety: as I commanded your fathers; not Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; but those that came out of Egypt, to whom, and to their posterity after them, this commandment was enjoined, Exod. 20:8, 9, 10 and 31:13–17 so that this was not a novel injunction, but what was commanded from the beginning of their civil and church state; from the time of their coming out of Egypt, and becoming a separate people and nation, under a theocracy, or the government of God himself; being chosen and set apart to be a special, peculiar, and holy people to himself, of which the sanctification of the sabbath was a sign; and was to be observed unto the Messiah’s coming, the sum and substance of it, Col. 2:16, 17. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, pp. 501–502). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Perhaps the strongest antidote for optimism or for misplaced faith in our fellow man is watching the news. Of course, much of the media we consume is voyeuristic, so in a sort of supply-and-demand scenario, bad news makes headlines more than good news. At the same time, this is more than a problem of clickbait filling our newsfeeds. A series of events in recent years suggests that our cultural center cannot hold much longer.
Not decades but just a few days ago, prominent novelist Salman Rushdie was stabbed, not in some “shady” part of the world, but in public at a lecture in upstate New York. Also, dogs in San Francisco are becoming hooked on meth. Apparently, human excrement is so common in public areas, pets have learned where to go for a quick high from the residue of addicted residents. Radical ideologies continue to dominate headlines, which few outside of ivory towers had heard of until a few years ago. They are now compulsory at some schools. And, those who challenge the new orthodoxy are often ostracized from what is an increasingly impolite society. Healthcare now involves practices that, until yesterday, would’ve rightly been considered abuse, including children having otherwise healthy organs turned inside out.
Clearly, the state of our world is largely rotten. For some Christians, this indicates that the end is nigh. Particularly in the last century or so, many books and sermons have declared that we are living in the last days, so the best we can hope for is to go down fighting this increasingly fallen world.
It’s easy to forget in all these headlines that things have been bad before, in some ways even worse than today. In that time and place, God called His people to keep the faith, commit to the tasks at hand, and steward the time they were given by remaining faithful. Sometimes they won against the forces of darkness and death. Sometimes they lost. Either way, their calling remained the same, and God’s Kingdom marched on.
William Wilberforce was among those followers of Christ who faced down great obstacles. He deserves all of the recognition he receives as an archetype for faithful Christian engagement in the world. Eventually, because of his efforts, he won a long battle over the entrenched power of slavery in the British Empire, what he called one of the great aims that God had set before Him. But none of it happened in a day.
Wilberforce began his fight against human bondage in the late 1780s, but he did not see the fruit of his work for decades. The slave trade wasn’t banned until 1807 across the British Empire and was not fully brought to an end until 1833, just days before he died. How often must he have wondered at his impossible task? How often did he consider giving up?
Closer to our own time and less well known is a story out of Russia. Detailed in a new book by Matthew Heise, The Gates of Hell: An Untold Story of Faith and Perseverance in the Early Soviet Union tells of the trials of Lutheran Christians living under the newly founded Communist tyranny. The book is encouraging and heartbreaking at the same time. The constant determination of these Christians to be faithful to their Lord in the midst of some of the 20th century’s most intense persecution is encouraging. Yet, by all earthly terms, their resistance absolutely failed. They fought to retain their freedom and their faith, but few managed to even retain their lives. (Break Point)
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Amos 9
Israel’s sin must be judged, but God offers hope of restoration.
INSIGHT
God reveals a warning of judgment on Israel through visions to Amos. One vision is a plumb line which God says He will hold up against the “wall” of Jerusalem, and it will be demonstrated that the wall is leaning and will fall (Amos 7:7-9). Another vision is of summer fruit in a basket which, left unattended, will rot and be good only for throwing out (chapter 8). Famine, military conquest, and pestilence are among the consequences of judgment. Israel does not repent and judgment comes, but Amos holds out the promise of eventual restoration. (Quiet Walk)
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THE NAMES OF THE DEVIL
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Ephesians 2:2
What does the Bible tell us about the devil? First of all, let us consider some of the names that are applied to him in the Scriptures. He is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.” He is also referred to as “the devil,” and devil means “slanderer.” He is also described as “Beelzebub,” which means that he is the prince of the devils. He is described as “Apollyon” and as “the angel of the bottomless pit.” He is called “the prince of this world” and “the god of this world.” He is described as “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). He is referred to as “the dragon,” as a lion, as “Lucifer, that old serpent,” and, perhaps one of the most significant names of all, as “the evil one.”
Now you will often find in the New Testament that whereas in the King James Version the word “evil” is sometimes used, it is probably true to say that it should be “the evil one.” Sometimes you will find “wicked” when it should be “the wicked one.” There are those who say that when we pray, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), it should be, “deliver us from the evil one.” And when John, in the last chapter of his first epistle, says that the “whole world lieth in wickedness,” he is undoubtedly saying that the whole world lies in “the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).
In the same way in John 17 when our Lord prays in His high priestly prayer, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil,” it should be translated “from the evil one” (verse 15). It is a most important term–the evil one.
A Thought to Ponder: The devil is referred to as “Satan,” and the word Satan means “adversary.” by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
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Brethren, We Have Met to Worship
“We do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9)
The first verse of a moving hymn titled “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” reads:
Brethren, we have met to worship
And adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power,
While we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit
Of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna
Will be showered all around.
In many of yesterday’s churches, certain leaders would gather while the pastor was preaching to pray for power and clarity in his words, and for responsive listeners and souls changed for eternity. Even a spiritually mature preacher can accomplish nothing of lasting worth without empowerment of the Holy Spirit: “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
As God’s Word is preached in purity and with spiritual power, we can expect His blessings. The hymn writer used manna, the miraculous provision of food for the Israelites in the wilderness, to symbolize God’s answer to the church’s prayers. How we long for such manna, this all-sustaining provision for every need, this solution to every problem in the ministry, and the fruit that is borne of our labors. How our churches need to return to dependence on intercessory prayer, not on people and programs, for lasting fruit.
God is still in the prayer-answering business. Dare we ask God for manna such as this? (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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“SANCTIFY THEM”
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
What does our Lord mean when He prays, “Sanctify them through thy truth” or “in thy truth”? We need to be very careful at this point in our definition of the term sanctify, because we must interpret it bearing in mind that the same word is used in John 17:19: “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” In verse 19 our Lord uses exactly the same word about Himself as He uses with regard to His followers here. So we must start by arriving at a true definition of what is meant by “sanctify.”
Now it is generally agreed that there are two main senses in which this word is used throughout the Bible. The first sense of“sanctify”—and we must always put this one first because it is the one most emphasized in Scripture—is to set apart for God and for God’s service. So you will find that this term sanctify is not only used of men—it is used even of a mountain, the holy mount on which the law was given to Moses. Mount Sinai was sanctified, it was set apart for a special function and purpose, in order that God might use it to give His revelation of the law.
The word is used, too, of buildings and of vessels, instruments and utensils, and various things that were used in the Tabernacle and the Temple. Anything that is devoted to or set aside for God and for His service is sanctified. So there is a double aspect to this primary meaning of the word. It means, first, a separation from everything that contaminates and perverts, and the second, positive aspect is that something or someone is devoted wholly to God and to His use.
A Thought to Ponder: To sanctify is to set apart for God and for God’s service. (From Sanctified Through the Truth, pp. 8-9, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Jesus casts demons out of a Gadarene man and raises a girl from the dead.
INSIGHT
When Jesus takes over a life, He makes a difference. The worse the life, the greater the change.
When the demoniac from Gadarene rushes at the disciples with evil intent, Jesus exercises divine power, banishing Satan’s minions from their victim’s soul. Later, the man who had run naked among the tombs, howling and cutting himself, is sitting beside Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the Lord will continue the work He has begun. He will keep changing us, ever into the image of Christ. (Quiet Walk)
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