Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah in prison because of his message verse 1- 5

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD

in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah

which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar

For then the king of Babylon’s army besieged Jerusalem

and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up

in the court of the PRISON

which was in the king of Judah’s house

For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up – saying

Wherefore do you prophesy – and say

Thus says the LORD

BEHOLD – I will give this city

into the hand of the king of Babylon

and he shall take it

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the

hand of the Chaldeans but shall surely be delivered

into the hand of the king of Babylon

and shall speak with him mouth to mouth

and his eyes shall behold his eyes

And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon

and there shall he be until I visit him says the LORD

though you fight with the Chaldeans

you shall not prosper?

LORD commands Jeremiah to buy a field verse 6- 7

And Jeremiah said

The word of the LORD came unto me – saying

BEHOLD – Hananeel the son of Shallum thine uncle

shall come unto thee – saying

Buy you my field that is in Anathoth

for the right of REDEMPTION

is thine to buy it

Jeremiah buys field from his cousin Hanameel verse 8

So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the PRISON

according to the word of the LORD

and said to me

Buy you my field – I pray you – that is in Anathoth

which is in the country of Benjamin

for the right of INHERITANCE is yours

and the REDEMPTION is yours

buy it for yourself

THEN I knew that this was the word of the LORD

Jeremiah has witnesses to sale verse 9- 12

And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son

that was in Anathoth – and weighed him the money

even seventeen shekels of silver

And I subscribed the evidence – and sealed it – and took witnesses

and weighed him the money in the balances

So I took the evidence of the purchase both that which was sealed

according to the law and custom and that which was open

and I gave the evidence of the purchase unto

Baruch son of Neriah son of Maaseiah

in the sight of Hanameel

mine uncle’s son

in the presence of the witnesses that

subscribed the book of the purchase

before all the Jews that sat in the

court of the PRISON

Sale signified return of people verse 13- 15

AND I charge Baruch before them

saying

Thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel

Take these evidences – this evidence of the purchase

both which is sealed and this evidence which is open

and put them in an earthen vessel

that they may continue many days

For thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel

Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed AGAIN

in this land

Prayer of Jeremiah: Praise verse 16- 20

Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto

Baruch – the son of Neriah – I prayed unto the LORD saying

Ah Lord GOD!

BEHOLD YOU have made the heaven and the earth by

YOUR great power and stretched out arm

and there is nothing TOO HARD for YOU

YOU show loving- kindness unto thousands

and recompenses the iniquity of the fathers into

the bosom of their children after them

The GREAT – the MIGHTY God – the LORD of hosts

is HIS name

Great in counsel – and mighty in work

for YOUR eyes are open upon all the ways of the

sons of men to give every one according to his ways

and according to the fruit of his doings

which have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt

even unto this day in Israel among other men

and have made YOU a name – as at this day

Prayer of Jeremiah: Promise verse 21- 23

And have brought forth YOUR people Israel out of the

land of Egypt with signs – wonders – strong hand

and with a stretched out arm and with great terror

And have given them this land which YOU did swear to

their fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey

And they came in – and possessed it

BUT they obeyed not YOUR voice neither walked in YOUR law

They have done nothing of all that YOU commanded them to do

THEREFORE YOU have caused all this evil to come upon them

Prayer of Jeremiah: Prophecy verse 24- 25

BEHOLD the mounts

they are come unto the city to take it

And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it

BECAUSE of the sword – famine – pestilence

and what YOU hast spoken is come to pass

and – BEHOLD – YOU see it

AND YOU have said unto me – O Lord GOD

Buy you the field for money and take witnesses

For the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans

Reason for judgment given by LORD verse 26- 31

Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah

saying

BEHOLD I am the LORD – the God of all flesh

Is there anything TOO HARD for ME?

THEREFORE

thus says the LORD

BEHOLD – I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans

and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon

and he shall take it – and the Chaldeans

that fight against this city

shall come and set fire on this city

and burn it with the houses

upon whose roofs they have

offered incense unto Baal

and poured out drink offerings

to other gods

to provoke ME to anger

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done evil

before ME from their youth

For the children of Israel have only

provoked ME to anger with the work of their hands

says the LORD

For this city hath been to ME as a provocation of MINE anger

and of MY fury from the day that they built it

even unto this day

That I should remove it from before MY face

Persons responsible for judgment verse 32- 35

BECAUSE of all the evil of the children of Israel

and the children of Judah

which they have done to provoke ME to anger

they – their kings – their princes – their priests – their prophets

the men of Judah – the inhabitants of Jerusalem

And they have turned to ME the back and not the face

though I taught them – rising early and teaching them

YET they have not hearkened to receive instruction

BUT they set their abomination in the house

which is called by MY name – to defile it

AND they built the high places of Baal

which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom

to cause their sons and their daughters

to pass through the fire unto Molech

which I commanded them not

neither came it into MY mind

that they should do this abomination

to cause Judah to sin

Everlasting covenant of hope promised verse 36- 41

And now therefore thus says the LORD – the God of Israel

concerning this city –whereof you say

It shall be delivered into the hand of the

king of Babylon

by the sword – famine – pestilence

BEHOLD I will gather them out of all countries

whither I have driven them in MINE anger – MY fury – MY great wrath

And I will bring them again unto this place

and I will cause them to dwell safely

and they shall be MY people – and I will be their God

and I will give them one heart – and one way

that they may fear ME forever

for the good of them

and of their children after them

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them

that I will not turn away from them

to do them good

BUT I will put MY fear in their hearts

that they shall not depart from ME

YEA – I will rejoice over them to do them good

and I will plant them in this land assuredly with

MY whole heart and with MY whole soul

Promise of future prosperity verse 42- 44

For thus says the LORD

Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people

so will I bring upon them all the good that I have

promised them

AND fields shall be bought in this land – whereof you say

It is desolate without man or beast

It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans

Men shall buy fields for money – and subscribe evidences

and seal them – and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin

and in the places about Jerusalem

and in the cities of Judah

and in the cities of the mountains

and in the cities of the valley

and in the cities of the south

for I will cause their captivity to RETURN

says the LORD

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 16b–17 I prayed to the LORD, saying: ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982).

DEVOTION: Sometimes situations and circumstances threaten our belief in God and His power. Jeremiah knew what lie ahead for the people of Israel! He knew that captivity and long years away from Israel was forthcoming. Yet when God told Jeremiah to buy and record the deed to land he did it because Jeremiah also knew that God kept His word and they would return to the land one day. There is nothing too hard for God (v. 27), He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (All-knowing). If He could lead the children of Israel out of Egypt He could also lead the Israelites out of captivity in Babylon. The people of Israel would have to trust that He was the same God.

CHALLENGE: Just as the children of Israel were called upon to trust the Lord at His word so we are also. We are called to students of His word (Acts17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15) so that we can rest upon the promises that are ours today!

There is nothing too hard for the Lord, even in our technology based culture today! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (6529 “fruit” [pariy] means reward, offspring, result, or harvest.)

DEVOTION: Jeremiah is praying to the LORD after a purchase of property in the land of Anathoth.

Where was he when he purchased this property? He was in prison. Why was he in prison? He delivered a message from the LORD to Zedekiah king of Judah. What was the message? It was a message of captivity for the city of Jerusalem. It was also a message of captivity for the king of Judah which happened to be Zedekiah.

Zedekiah didn’t want to hear this message. He liked what the false prophets were saying. They were promising peace. They were saying it as if the message was coming from the LORD. They were lying. The king would rather believe the lies of the false prophets than the truth from a true prophet of God.

So here we find Jeremiah in prison buying property to show that the LORD was going to restore the land back to the children of Israel in the future. They were going into captivity for seventy years.

Now after the purchase Jeremiah, remember he is in prison, prayed to the LORD. He called God the creator of heaven and earth. He realized that the LORD had great power. He realized that there was nothing TOO HARD for the LORD to do.

Even in prison he felt the LORD’S loving-kindness. He knew that the LORD was great in his counsels. He knew that HE was mighty in HIS work.

Finally, he makes the statement that HIS eyes are on every man, woman and child in the world. HE know every deed of every man, woman and child. Nothing escapes HIS eyesight.

What does HE do with this knowledge? HE gives everyone according to his or her actions. There are consequences to our actions. God knows the motives behind each of our actions.

The New Testament informs us that what we sow we shall also reap. There is a relationship between our actions and HIS actions. We always receive a harvest from our actions.

Today we need to examine our actions to see if they are in accordance with the Word of God. If not, we need to change. We need to move closer to HIM.

CHALLENGE: Check out our own history to see what God is doing in our life. Spot areas that need change and change. HE is going to reward us according to our actions.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not YOUR voice, neither walked in YOUR law; they have done nothing of all that YOU commanded them to do: therefore, YOU have caused all this evil to come upon them (8085 “obeyed” [shama] means to hear, listen, pay close attention to, to understand things heard, receive news, or give heed.)

DEVOTION: God gave the children of Israel the promised land after they stay in Egypt. They were promised the land and the LORD would have blessed them and let them keep it if they had paid close attention to HIS instructions regarding keeping HIS commandments.

However, the didn’t listen or keep HIS commandment, so HE allowed them to go their own way which led to captivity.

HE gives us instructions regarding how we are to live the Christian life today in the New Testament. HE gives the Old Testament to show us what happens when HIS people disobey HIS commands.

However, we read the Old Testament thinking that the God of the New Testament is different and HE will let us live our lives as we please and still bless us. We are not paying attention to the leading of the LORD.

We expect the LORD to forgive us and not judge us if we only disobey a little but that is not what HE does. HE wants us to be obedient in all we do if we are to receive HIS blessings regularly.

Israel didn’t obey and HE sent them into captivity to get their attention. HE will do the same to us today if we are trying to live our life to please ourselves rather than HIM.

We know what HE wants us to do each day. We are to come into HIS presence in worship through the Word of God and prayer and then go out and serve HIM to the best of our ability. HE knows what plan HE has for our life and HE will use us for HIS glory if we are willing to listen and serve.

CHALLENGE: The children of Israel thought they could not obey and still be blessed. They were not happy that the LORD judged them for their disobedience. Sometimes even genuine believers today even think that they can disobey and still be blessed. HE hasn’t changed HIS policy.

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: 42 For thus says the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. (1696 “promised” [dabar] means to speak, to subdue, answer, appoint, command, declare, commune, give, or pronounce.

DEVOTION: The LORD loves to use illustrations because we can understand them better. Here is an illustration regarding the return of the children of Israel from captivity to future blessings.

The illustration is Jeremiah buying a plot of ground in the territory of Benjamin while he is a prisoner of the king because of his preaching. He buys the land and tells his servant to get the document seals to confirm the sale. There is going to be a future for the children of Israel. At the present time it does not seem to be true. However, Jeremiah uses the phrase concerning the power of the LORD: “is nothing too hard for THEE” in his prayer.

The children of Israel and Judah are going to suffer the consequences of their sins. The evil that is being brought upon them was captivity. The city of Jerusalem is going to be burned. The houses are going to be burned because they offered incense unto Baal on their roofs.

Israel was given an everlasting covenant that they would return to the land. When God gives HIS word, HE keeps it.

We need to realize that God will always keep HIS word to us. There are consequences to our sins. One way to lighten the consequences is repentance.

We need to understand that all hard times are not consequences to some sin in our life or the lives of others. Sometimes hard times are just for our good and growth in the LORD. We need to trust that hard times and good times happen at the same time. This life is only a short time in the light of eternity. Keep looking up.

Continue to study the promises of God that are important to us. Understand that these promises are permanent. Chastening is for a limited time for our good. HE continues to be a God of HOPE for the children of Israel. HE is a God of HOPE to us as well.

CHALLENGE: Meditate on the promises in HIS Word. They are ours now and for eternity.

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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 verse 16- 25

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Word of the LORD verse 1, 6, 8, 26

Law verse 11, 23

Commandment verse 23

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 14- 16, 18, 26- 28, 30, 36, 42, 44

Word of the LORD verse 6, 8, 26

LORD of hosts verse 14, 15, 18

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 14, 15, 18, 27, 36, 38

God of Israel verse 14, 15, 36

Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 17, 25

GOD – Jehovah verse 17, 25

Lord GOD verse 17, 25

Creator verse 17

Lovingkindness verse 18

Great verse 18

Mighty God verse 18, 19

Great in counsel verse 19

Wonders verse 21

Strong hand verse 21

Keeps promises verse 22, 42

Judgment of God verse 23, 42

Fulfillment of God’s word verse 24

God of all flesh verse 27

Nothing too hard for God verse 27

Anger of the LORD verse 37

Rejoice over HIS people verse 41

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)

Nebuchadrezzar verse 1, 3, 4, 28

Babylon verse 2, 5, 28, 36

Chaldeans verse 4, 5, 24, 25, 28, 29, 43

Ways of the sons of men verse 19

Land of Egypt verse 20, 21

All flesh verse 27

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Iniquity verse 18

Open not LORD’S voice verse 23

Not walking in Law of the LORD verse 23

Disobey commandments verse 23, 35

Worshiped Baal verse 29, 35

Other gods verse 29

Provoked God to anger verse 29- 32

Evil verse 30, 32, 42

Turned back to God verse 33

Not listened to instruction verse 33

Abominations verse 34, 35

Defile God’s name verse 34

High places verse 35

Fire of Molech (human sacrifice) verse 35

Sin verse 35

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Prophet verse 2

Prison verse 2, 8, 12

Prophesy verse 3

Redemption verse 7, 8

Inheritance verse 8, 23

Prayer verse 16- 25

Loving- kindness of God verse 18

Accountable to God verse 19

Taught verse 33

Promise verse 37, 40, 42, 44

One heart verse 39

One way verse 39

Fear of the LORD verse 39, 40

Good verse 39- 42

Everlasting covenant verse 40

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Jeremiah verse 1, 2, 6

Zedekiah – king of Judah verse 1, 2, 4, 5

Jerusalem verse 2, 32, 44

Hanameel – son of Shalllum verse 7- 9, 12

Anathoth verse 8, 9

Benjamin verse 8, 44

Subscribed the evidence verse 10- 12, 14, 16

Sealed verse10, 11

Witnesses verse 10, 12, 25

Baruch verse 12, 13, 16

Jews verse 12

Israel verse 14, 15, 21, 30, 32, 36

God’s people verse 21, 38

Judah verse 30, 32, 35, 44

Kings – princes – priests – prophets verse 32

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Everlasting covenant verse 40

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QUOTES regarding passage

32:40–41 The new covenant would be everlasting, a phrase found fourteen times in the OT and implied in other verses (e.g., Gen 9:16; 2 Sam 23:5; Isa 55:3; Ezek 16:60; 37:26). God’s love under the new covenant is unconditional. He would “never stop doing good to them,” and they would never again desire to turn away from him. He would take delight in doing them good (cf. 31:28; Deut 30:9; Isa 62:5; 65:19). He would “assuredly plant” (“plant in faithfulness,” MT) them in the land. His promise of restoration is just as sure as his promise of punishment. He would do these things with “all my heart [leb] and soul [nepeš].” This is the only time this dual expression, heart and soul, is used of God. “Soul” is often not the best translation of nepeš. A better translation is often “self” or “being” to avoid association with the Greek concept of soul, which is foreign to Hebrew thought. Humans are nepeš (Gen 2:7), as are animals (Gen 1:30; Lev 24:18). (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 295–296). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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They will be His people and He will be their God (see comments on Jer. 30:22). With singleness of heart they will follow the Lord as He makes an everlasting covenant with them. This “everlasting covenant” is another term for the “New Covenant” (see comments on 31:31–34). It was called “everlasting” (‘ôlām) to stress its duration. Then God will never stop doing good to His people, and they will never turn away from Him. (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. 1174). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The Lord then affirmed to Jeremiah that the situation wasn’t lost, for He would gather His people and bring them back to their land (vv. 36–44). This promise seems to apply to the end times when Israel will be gathered “out of all countries” (v. 37) and the New Covenant will be in force, for the people will have a changed heart toward the Lord. Next, Jeremiah heard the word that gave him joy: “And fields shall be bought in this land” (v. 43). The day would come when Jeremiah’s purchase would be validated and his “action sermon” vindicated!

The application of this Scripture for today’s believer is obvious: The world laughs at us for our faith and our investments in the future, but one day God will keep His promises and vindicate us before people and angels. Instead of living for the sinful pleasures of this present world, we seek the joys of the world to come. We refuse to sacrifice the eternal for the temporal. The unbelieving world may ridicule us, but ultimately God will vindicate His people. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 136–137). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Kings, princes, priests, prophets, and the commonalty of Judah and Jerusalem, had all been of one heart to do evil in His sight. They had turned their backs upon Him; and though He gave them instructors who would fain have recovered them to Himself, they had refused to heed their messages. Even in His own house they had set up their abominable idols, thus defiling its sacred precincts, while unmentionable idolatrous practices (of which He could say, “which I commanded them not, neither came it into My mind”) had they perpetrated (vers. 32–36).

Therefore there was no remedy; He would give them up until His chastisement had yielded “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” In that day He will “give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear [Him] forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them” (vers. 37–39). When, in true repentance, they turned back to Himself, He would “make an everlasting covenant with them,” and never more turn away from them, but would put His fear in their hearts, that they should not depart from Him (ver. 40). With His “whole heart and soul” He will rejoice over them to do them good. How touchingly human the language used! (ver. 41.) (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 172). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

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Ver. 41. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, &c.] His covenant-people, to whom he gives one heart and one way, and who have his fear implanted in them, and shall never depart from him, but persevere to the end: these he loves with a love of complacency and delight; he rejoices over them, not as considered in themselves, but as in Christ; he rejoices over them, as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride; and which does not merely lie in expression, but appears in fact; he does them good, and with the utmost joy and pleasure; he delights in shewing mercy to them, beautifies them with salvation, and takes pleasure in their prosperity; he has taken up good thoughts and resolutions concerning them in his heart; has promised good things to them in his covenant; has provided good things for them in his Son, and bestows them on them in regeneration; and constantly supplies them with his grace, and will withhold no good thing from them, till he has brought them to glory; all which he does cheerfully and with the utmost delight. The Targum is, “my Word shall rejoice over them;” the essential Word, Christ; he was rejoicing in them, and his delights were with them from eternity; he rejoices over them, as his lost sheep found at conversion; and they’ll be his joy and crown of rejoicing to all eternity; and it was for the joy of having them with him that he endured so much for them in the redemption of them: and I will plant them in this land assuredly; or in truth, or in stability and firmness; for it does not seem so much to relate to the truth of the promise, and the assurance that may be had of the fulfilment of that, as to the reality and constancy of the blessing itself. A Gospel church-state was first planted in Judea, and from thence has been spread into other parts, and has never been rooted out of the world since; and when the Jews, upon their conversion, are settled in their own land again, they will never more be removed: with my whole heart and with my whole soul. Grotius thinks these clauses are to be connected with the former part of the verse, that God will rejoice over them to do them good with all his heart and soul; but this the accents will not admit of; but the meaning is, that he will do this particular good for them, as well as all others, in the most cordial and respectable manner, even planting and establishing them in their own land. The Targum is, “by my Word, and by my will.” (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 589). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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41. assuredly] Lit. in truth, i.e. in verity, in reality. It refers to God’s firm purpose, rather than to the safety and security of the people. The new Covenant is one of grace, indicated by God’s rejoicing over His people, and “planting them with His whole heart.” (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel. (F. C. Cook & J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (pp. 229–230). London: John Murray.)

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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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Last week, lawmakers in Georgia passed H.B. 481 – one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country – despite threats from Hollywood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The bill bans abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is typically around the 6th week of pregnancy.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, Hollywood was not supportive of the bill. “[H.B. 481] would make Georgia an inhospitable place for those in the film industry to work, including our members,” a statement from the Writer’s Guild of America explained. Nearly 50 TV and film stars also signed a letter to the governor, threatening to no longer work in the state should the bill pass. Several major movies and TV shows have been produced and filmed in Georgia.

“We want to continue to support the wonderful people, businesses and communities we have come to love in the Peach State,” the letter read, as reported by the New York Times. “But we will not do so silently, and we will do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women if H.B. 481 becomes law.”

However, lawmakers were not deterred. The bill passed 92 to 78, according to CNN. Women were previously allowed to abort up until 20 weeks of their pregnancy.

“We have really taken great lengths to balance the legitimate interests of women with the basic right to life of the child,” Rep. Ed Setzler said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This bill is a response, for some, to a New York law that increased access to abortion earlier this year. “We are not like New York or Virginia,” Senate Science and Technology Chairwoman Renee Unterman said. “We will not throw away children who aren’t perfect because all children are perfect in the eyes of God.”

ACLU will pursue legal action against the state. “[The legislation] would ban safe, legal abortion and criminalize the most intimate decision women and couples make,” a statement from the group said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the bill has given fire to the Democrats. “Come 2020, this bill will help elect more women,” said freshman state Sen. Sally Harrell, an Atlanta Democrat. “Vote yes for this bill and we’re coming for your seats because that’s how democracy works.”

The bill does allow a few exceptions for women to abort, in cases of a “medically futile” pregnancy, where the child will not be able to live after birth, and in cases of rape or incest when a police report has been filed. Georgia Right to Life, a pro-life group, could not support the bill with those exceptions. Genevieve Wilson, a spokeswoman for Georgia Right to Life, said to the New York Times, “While H.B. 481 contains some strong personhood components, such as declaring babies in the womb natural persons, we are very saddened that it also denies equal justice and equal protection for subclasses of children in the womb.”

The debate surrounding this bill has been explosive. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the vote had “the largest police presence in recent memory” with bomb dogs searching the rooms before the hearings and police escorting Renee Unterman, who shepherded the bill, to her car.

The New York Times reported that the bill is a continuation of several states attempting to pass restrictive abortion laws. Mississippi and Kentucky have signed fetal heartbeat measures into law; Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas are planning to do the same this year. However, in Kentucky, Iowa and North Dakota, the bills were stopped in court.

Despite that abortion is legal because of the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, these restrictive bills are still becoming law. Abortion opponents hope this allows them to “land a new case before the Supreme Court” to destroy or weaken Roe v. Wade, according to the New York Times.

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Mark 15

After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph’s own tomb.

INSIGHT

Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.

With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn’t have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn’t that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us. (Quiet Walk)

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PREACHING ABOUT THE CROSS OF CHRIST

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14

The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles, and there is nothing I know of that is more important than that every one of us should realize that this is still the heart and the center of the Christian message. In order to emphasize that, let me put it negatively first. What is the message of the Christian gospel and of the Christian church? Now at the risk of being misunderstood I will put it like this: It is not primarily the teaching of our Lord. I say that, of course, because there are so many today who think that this is Christianity. They say, “What we need is Jesus’ teaching. He is the greatest religious genius of all times. He is above all philosophers. Let us have a look at His teaching, at the Sermon on the Mount and so on. That is what we want. What the world needs today,” they say, “is a dose of the Sermon on the Mount—a dose of His ethical teaching. We must preach this to people and teach them how to live.”

But according to the apostle Paul, this is not their first need. And I will go further. If you only preach the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only do you not solve the problem of mankind, but in a sense you aggravate it. You are preaching nothing but utter condemnation, because nobody can ever carry it out. So they did not preach His teaching. Paul does not say, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Sermon on the Mount” or “God forbid that I should glory save in the ethical teaching of Jesus.” He does not say that. It was not the teaching of Christ, nor the example of Christ either. What they preached was His death on the cross and the meaning of that event.

A Thought to Ponder The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles. (From The Cross, pp. 18-21, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Sodom and Gomorrha

“Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” (Jude 1:7)
These cities provide two stern examples of God’s judgmental wrath. Their sin had reached such an intensity and had become so widespread that the entire region suffered the “vengeance of eternal fire.” Just like the awful misuse of human sexual potential distorted by the angelic beings cited in the previous verse, these cities had become so perverted that God’s longsuffering and mercy had ended.
“But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13). Whatever they were involved with had become so heinous and so completely a distortion of everything God created man for that God appears to have reached the limit of human vocabulary to describe it. Their character (wickedness) and their deeds (sins) were “too much” for God.
Two classifications are listed. The first, fornication, is cited nearly 100 times in the Old Testament and is referred to over a dozen times in the New—always as a condemnation of sexual behavior outside of the intimate relations of husband and wife. The other classification is going after “strange flesh.” Genesis 19 makes it perfectly clear that this “exceedingly” awful sin was homosexual perversion.
For these sins—especially the homosexual cravings—God rained down “brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven” (Genesis 19:24). The Scripture is precisely clear: Vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19), and He made Himself absolutely clear about His view of widespread fornication and homosexual behavior. This example is a sobering warning for those societies who promote such lifestyles. (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

“Increasingly optional.” That’s the phrase the Barna Group uses to describe the attitude many evangelicals have about sharing their faith. According to their 2018 study, only 64 percent of evangelicals agree with the statement that every Christian bears the responsibility to share their faith. Twenty-six years ago, in 1993, nearly 89 percent of those polled believed they had a responsibility to share their faith. That’s a drop of 25 percent.

As I mentioned on BreakPoint earlier this year, though nearly all American Christians believe that “the best thing that could ever happen to someone is for them to know Jesus,” 47 percent of practicing Christian millennials believe it’s “wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes they will one day share the same faith.”

Now, I think there are a number of reasons for these low numbers, including the way some of the questions were phrased. But there’s also the reality that many Christians suffer from poor catechesis; they’re intimidated by the difficulty of swimming against the cultural tide of relativism, and they fear insulting or hurting someone’s feelings.

And, I’d guess that many just fear sharing their faith poorly. That’s why many of us, even when we’re asked some of the common tough questions about God and Christianity, are quick to find a conversational exit strategy. We just don’t have the answers for tough questions people like to pose—not only about the existence of God in general, but about specific claims about Jesus and Christianity.

Well, there are two things you should know. First, this is the Golden Age of answers. What I mean is that Christian apologists, philosophers, speakers and writers have produced an amazing amount of material in just the last few decades that tackle almost every tough question for Christianity that there is. The answers are there. But second, those answers haven’t always made it to Christian discipleship and personal study. Which is a shame.

That’s why we’re tackling the “Four Big Objections to Christianity” in our next Colson Center online short course. Beginning Wednesday April 10, Sean McDowell, associate professor in Christian Apologetics at Biola University, will walk us through four questions that leave too many Christians stumped, and will teach us how to respond in grace and truth.

Two of the big objections that Sean will cover are ancient ones, and two are more modern.

The first question goes back as far as you can in human history: If there is a God—and this God is all powerful and all good—why is there evil? Pat answers to such a deep question won’t work these days. Sean will offer a framework for dealing with this problem.

The second question is one that went mostly unasked for about 1700 years: Can we trust the New Testament? But near the turn of the 20th century in particular, due to higher biblical criticism and skepticism of the supernatural, even many self-proclaimed Christians began to doubt the veracity of Scripture, especially those books that describe what Jesus said and what Jesus did.

(By the way, this question re-emerges with vengeance each Christmas and Easter because of those National Geographic and TIME magazine exposés on so-called “biblical scholarship.”)

The third question is one of increasing importance (just ask the United Methodists): Can you be gay and Christian? This question arose only because of the very modern innovation of the category of sexual orientation. Sean will explain the premises behind the question—what identity is and where we derive it from, and the difference between orientation and behavior, all in light of what the Scripture says about these things.

Finally, there’s the question Pilate asked of Jesus that is as old as humanity: What is truth?

This course will take place online four consecutive Wednesday nights starting April 10 and will be moderated by my Colson Center colleague Warren Smith. Every session will be presented live, with a question and answer period. If you have to miss a session, no problem. The recordings will be available to all who are registered for the course. (BreakPoint)

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