Jeremiah 22
LORD gives Zedekiah a message verse 1- 5
Thus says the LORD
Go down to the house of the king of Judah – and speak these words
And say
Hear the word of the LORD– O king of Judah
that sits upon the throne of David – thou – thy servants
thy people that enter in by these gates
Thus says the LORD
Execute ye judgment and righteousness
and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor
and do no wrong – do no violence to the
stranger – fatherless – widow
neither shed innocent blood in this place
For if ye do this thing indeed
then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings
sitting upon the throne of David
riding in chariots and on horses
he- his servants – his people
But if ye will not hear these words
I swear by MYSELF– says the LORD
that this house shall become a desolation
LORD gives message regarding royal palace verse 6- 7
For thus says the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah
Thou art Gilead unto ME – and the head of Lebanon
yet surely I will make thee a wilderness
and cities which are not inhabited
And I will prepare destroyers against thee
every one with his weapons
and they shall cut down thy choice cedars
and cast them into the fire
Nations will ask why destruction verse 8- 9
And many nations shall pass by this city
and they shall say every man to his neighbor
Wherefore hath the LORD done thus
unto this great city?
THEN they shall answer
BECAUSE they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God
and worshiped other gods – and served them
LORD gives message regarding King Shallum verse 10- 12
Weep ye not for the dead – neither bemoan him
BUT weep sore for him that goes away
for he shall return no more
nor see his native country
For thus says the LORD touching Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah
which reigns instead of Josiah his father
which went forth out of this place
he shall not return thither any more
BUT he shall die in the place whither they have led
him captive – and shall see this land no more
LORD has message for King Jehoiakim verse 13- 17
Woe unto him that builds his house by unrighteousness
and his chambers by wrong
that uses his neighbor’ service without wages
and gives him not for his work
that says
I will build me a wide house and large chambers
and cut him out windows
and it is ceiled with cedar
and painted with vermillion
Shall thou reign – because thou closes thyself in cedar?
did not thy father eat and drink – and do judgment and justice
and then it was well with him?
he judged the cause of the poor and needy
THEN it was well with him
was not this to know ME? says the LORD
BUT thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness
and for to shed innocent blood – and for oppression
and for violence – to do it
LORD gives judgment of King Jehoiakim verse 18- 19
THEREFORE thus says the LORD concerning
Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah
They shall not lament for him – saying
Ah my brother! Or – Ah sister!
they shall not lament for him – saying
Ah lord! Or – Ah his glory!
He shall be buried with the burial of an ass
drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem
LORD states that no help is coming verse 20
Go up to Lebanon – and cry
and lift up thy voice in Bashan
and cry from the passages
for all thy lovers are destroyed
LORD sent warning to no avail verse 21- 23
I spake unto thee in thy prosperity
BUT thou said – I will not hear
This hath been thy manner from thy youth
that thou obeyed not MY voice
The wind shall eat up all thy pastors
and thy lovers shall go into captivity
surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded
for all thy wickedness
O inhabitant of Lebanon
that makes thy nest in the cedars
how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee
the pain as of a woman in travail?
LORD gives message to King Jehoiachin verse 24- 27
As I live – says the LORD – though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim
king of Judah were the signet upon MY right hand
YET would I pluck thee thence
I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life
and into the hand of them whose face thou fear
even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon
and into the hand of the Chaldeans
I will cast thee out – and the mother that bare thee
into another country – where ye were not born
and there shall ye die
BUT to the land whereunto they desire to return
thither shall they not return
LORD gives reason for judgment verse 28- 30
Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol?
Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure?
WHEREFORE are they cast out – he and his seed
and are cast into the land which they know not?
O earth – earth – earth – hear the word of the LORD
Thus says the LORD – Write ye this man childless
a man that shall not prosper in his days
for no man of his seed shall prosper
sitting upon the throne of David
and ruling any more in Judah
COMMENTARY:
: 13 Woe unto him that build his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and gives him not for his work;
(2600 “without wages” [chinnam] means without cause, for nothing, careless, without cost, freely, gratis, or without compensation. The kings of Judah could force people into labor for free. They built fancy homes at the expense of the people they were supposed to be protecting from evil doers. The problem was that they were the ones doing the evil.
The LORD warned these kings through HIS prophets.They were building their houses on sand. They would not stand up in the times of trials. They were not obeying the LORD. They were not protecting HIS people. They were only thinking of themselves.
The LORD told them to execute proper judgment which protected the poor and needy.HE also told them to act righteously. They only wanted to do what was pleasing in their eyes.
The warning was issued again and again.The kings established the worship of false gods. They had forsaken God’s covenant. They only wanted big houses and a lot of money.
It is sad that a parent can raise a son and he dishonors his father by worshiping a false god. The chapter covers four sons who became king but didn’t honor the LORD.
Now we find that good parents can have bad children. We are raising a generation of children that have been given very little if any discipline in their life. Their teachers tell them they don’t have to obey their parents. The system is teaching the opposite of God’s Word. They want to cause the children to believe that the Bible is an ancient book that doesn’t apply today. We have matured beyond the Bible.
It is a lie that will bring judgment on each nation that teaches these lies. The problem is that the majority of people are blinded by the fact that they are dead in trespasses and sins and can’t see truth when it is presented to them. Jeremiah was presenting truth to the kings but they would not listen. God pronounced judgment and it will happen.
CHALLENGE: Obey the LORD’S commandments regarding our treatment of others. Our ministry is to be encouragers of others.
: 29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. (776 “earth” [’erets] means to be firm, country, field, ground, land, or world.
This chapter challenges four of the kings of Judah. Jeremiah is warning the sons and grandson of the righteous king Josiah. Each one has to answer to the LORD for his actions. Each one didn’t lead his people to follow the LORD. Instead they followed the example of the ten tribes that went into captivity.
The LORD said their captivity was coming. HE advised them to change their ways. They made the choice to not follow HIM. They oppressed their neighbors. They oppressed the fatherless and widows. They did the opposite of what the LORD wanted.
In reading this chapter, we find that the LORD is longsuffering toward HIS people. This verse uses the word “land” three times for emphasis. Some think this is in regard to the three kings that were before Zedekiah. Some think that the LORD is warning the people regarding their leadership. Others think that the LORD is emphasizing HIS reason for judgment on the land. They would not hear HIS words through Jeremiah but nevertheless; they were going to come true.
This is still true today. HE wants us obey HIS word. HE wants us to listen to what has happened because of disobedience in the past. HE wants us to see that if we repent and turn from our wicked ways as a nation, HE can bless us. Our country needs to listen to the LORD. Are our ears open to the LORD? Are we hearing HIS warnings???
The land was promised to the children of Israel since the days of Abraham. It was a land that flowed with milk and honey. The children of Israel had to wait until the iniquity of the Amorites was full before they could take over the land. God judged the land through the nation of Israel. Now HE was judging the land through the king of Babylon because the iniquity of Israel was full. However, there is a promise of a future return of the land to Israel during the Millennial reign of Christ.
CHALLENGE: As we read through the historical books of the Old Testament we are to learn how God works and why HE does what HE does to HIS people when they sin. If we learn, we can avoid judgment. Be a learner.)
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)
- Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
- Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 2, 29
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1- 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 16, 18,
24, 29, 30
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 9
LORD their God verse 9
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)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Forsaking God’s covenant verse 9
Worship false gods verse 9
Served false gods verse 9
Unrighteousness verse 13
Not paying wages to workers verse 13
Covetousness verse 17
Shed innocent blood verse 17
Love wrong verse 20
Obey not verse 21
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Execute judgment verse 3, 15
Execute righteousness verse 3, 16
Deliver out of oppressors verse 3
Do no wrong verse 3
Do no violence verse 3
Hear the Word of the LORD verse 5, 21, 29
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. Also if you can support this ministry through your local church please do so. Thank you. (We continue to work with an accountant and lawyer to correct our status with IRS. Please continue to pray that we can settle this soon. Thank you.)
Bible based ministry that encourages the faithfulness of the local church and their leaders to the LORD