Jeremiah 6
LORD warning of coming judgment verse 1- 5
O ye children of Benjamin – gather yourselves to flee out of the
midst of Jerusalem – and blow the trumpet in Tekoa
and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem
for evil appears out of the north – and great destruction
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman
the shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her
they shall pitch their tents against her round about
they shall feed every one in his place
Prepare ye war against her
Arise – and let us go up at noon
Woe unto us! – for the day goes away
for the shadows of the evening are stretched out
Arise – and let us go by night – and let us destroy her palaces
LORD wants Jerusalem to be instructed verse 6- 8
For thus hath the LORD of hosts said
Hew ye down trees – and cast a mount against Jerusalem
this is the city to be visited
she is wholly oppression in the midst of her
as a fountain casts out her waters
SO she casts out her wickedness
violence and spoil is heard in her
before ME continually is grief and wounds
Be thou instructed – O Jerusalem – lest MY soul departs from thee
Let I make thee desolate – a land not inhabited
LORD warns of second wave of enemy verse 9
Thus says the LORD of hosts
They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine
turn back thine hand as a grape gatherer into the baskets
LORD going to stretch out HIS hand verse 10- 12
To whom shall I speak and give warning – that they may hear?
BEHOLD – their ear is uncircumcised – and they cannot hearken
BEHOLD – the word of the LORD is unto them
a reproach – they have no delight in it
THEREFORE I am full of the fury of the LORD
I am weary with holding in
I will pour it out upon the children abroad
and upon the assembly of young men together
for even the husband with the wife
shall be taken
the aged with him that is full of days
AND their houses shall be turned unto others
with their fields and wives together
for I will stretch out MY hand upon the inhabitants
of the land – says the LORD
LORD discussed with attitude of people verse 13- 15
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is
given to covetousness and from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of MY people slightly – saying
Peace – peace – when there is no Peace
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
Nay – they were not at all ashamed – neither could they blush
THEREFORE they shall fall among them that fall
at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down
says the LORD LORD offers another road verse 16- 17
Thus says the LORD
Stand ye in the ways – and see – and ask for the old paths
where is the good way – and walk therein
and ye shall find rest for your souls
BUT they said – We will not walk therein
ALSO I set watchmen over you – saying
Hearken to the sound of the trumpet
BUT they said – We will not hearken
LORD not accepting sacrifices verse 18- 20
THEREFORE hear ye nations and know – O congregation
what is among them
Hear – O earth – BEHOLD – I will bring evil upon this people
even the fruit of their thoughts
BECAUSE they have not hearkened unto MY words
nor to MY law – BUT rejected it
To what purpose comes there to ME incense from Sheba
and the sweet cane from a far country?
your burnt offerings are not acceptable
nor your sacrifices sweet unto ME
LORD putting stumbling blocks before people verse 21
THEREFORE thus says the LORD
BEHOLD I will lay stumbling blocks before this people
and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them
the neighbor and his friend shall perish
LORD gives second warning of judgment verse 22- 23
Thus says the LORD
BEHOLD – a people comes from the north country and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth
they shall lay hold on bow and spear
they are cruel – and have no mercy
their voice roars like the sea
and they ride upon horses
set in array as men for war
against thee O daughter of Zion
LORD informs people to be distressed verse 24- 25
We have heard the fame thereof – our hands wax feeble
anguish hath taken hold of us – and pain
as of a woman in travail
Go not forth into the field – nor walk by the way
for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side
LORD labels them “rejected silver” verse 26- 30
O daughter of MY people – gird thee with sackcloth
and wallow thyself in ashes – make thee mourning
as for an only son – most bitter lamentation
for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us
I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among MY people
that thou may know and try their way
They are all grievous revolters – walking with slanders
they are brass and iron – they are all corrupters
the bellows are burned
the lead is consumed of the fire
the founder melt in vain
for the wicked are not plucked away
Reprobate silver shall men call them
because the LORD hath rejected them
COMMENTARY:
: 13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely.
(1214 “covetousness” [batsa] means greedy, gain by unrighteous violence, illegal profit, ill-gotten gain, or plunder. The children of Israel were far from the LORD. The LORD sent many messages of warning to them but they didn’t want to listen to HIM. The only thing that they seemed interested in is building up their own personal wealth. It didn’t matter who they hurt as long as they received the money.
This was not just a problem with the rich but also with those who we would consider poor. All classes of people were looking out for number one.
The standard the LORD had set for HIS people was that they were to help one another. Those who were poor were to be helped by the rich. The rich were to be concerned for the needs of their brothers and sisters in the LORD.
To add to the problem was that the spiritual leaders of the nation were to be the ones warning them to act according to the standard of the LORD. This was not happening. They were dealing falsely with the people as well.
There was no place that was not corrupted by the actions of those who were supposed to be working together to bring glory to the LORD. HE wanted them to enter into HIS rest. HE wanted them to follow the path HE had set before them in HIS Word.
Today we face the same problems. There is nothing new under the sun. God has given us instructions through HIS Son, Jesus Christ, as to what our relation should be with one another. If we study the “one another” passages in the Word of God we will find how we are to act toward each other.
This is not happening because even those in our world who are followers of Christ are too busy trying to make a living, please their family and survive. The LORD is put on the back burner.
CHALLENGE: Take the LORD off the back burner and be a giving individual for the LORD. Look out to help those around you. Even the poor can help the rich with the right attitude.)
: 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
(3637 “blush” [kalam] means to wound, to taunt or insult, ashamed, be confounded, be put to confusion, hurt, or shame. The LORD warns of a coming army from the north. The children of Benjamin had joined the children of Judah to form the Southern Kingdom of Israel.
The Northern Kingdom has gone into captivity. The Southern was about to go into captivity in Babylon because of their sin. The people would not listen to the LORD but turned a deaf ear toward HIM.
The LORD was weary of their excuses. They were covetous. Their religious leaders were giving false sermons. They were saying that Peace was coming. They were grievous revolters against the LORD.
This verse informs us that while they were worshiping false gods and confronted by the LORD it didn’t cause them any shame at all. They were happy with their false worship. They were happy with the way things were going. They were happy with their current wealth. They had a false sense of joy. Judgment was coming.
Today we have people who call themselves Christians who are more concerned with the bottom line than in their relationship with the LORD. Today we have many worshiping the gods of this world instead of the LORD of the Bible. Judgment is coming.
Warnings are here already. Are we paying attention to the warnings??? Will we be surprised when judgment hits???? The children of Judah and Benjamin were. They thought they were never going to be judged because the LORD continued to send prophets to warn them. They didn’t realize that HE was long-suffering but it didn’t last as long as they thought.
We continue to be sinners even after we become followers of the LORD but we should be able to be ashamed of our sin and confess it to the LORD and HE will forgive and restore our fellowship with HIM.
CHALLENGE: Understand that judgment is going to begin at the house of the LORD and then move out to those who are outside of Christ. We should be working for HIS glory today!)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
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Chastity (Purity in living)
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Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
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Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
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Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
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Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
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Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
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Frugality (wise use of resources)
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Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
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Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
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Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
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Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
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Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
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Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
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Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
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Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 6, 9– 12, 15, 16, 21, 22, 30
LORD of hosts verse 6, 9
Word of the LORD verse 10
Fury of the LORD verse 11
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)
Evil verse 1, 19
Wickedness verse 7, 29
Uncircumcised ears verse 10
Covetousness verse 13
Deals falsely verse 13
False message verse 14
Abomination verse 15
Not walk in way of the LORD verse 16
Fruit of their thoughts = evil verse 19
Rejected law verse 19
False sacrifices verse 20
Revolters verse 28
Slanders verse 28
Corrupters verse 28
Reprobate verse 30
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Instruction verse 8
Warning verse 10
Good way verse 16
Rest verse 16
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)