Jeremiah 44
LORD states what HE did to Jerusalem and why verse 1- 3
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which
dwell in the land of Egypt – which dwell
at Migdol – Tahpanhes – Noph
and in the country of Pathros – saying
Thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
You have seen all the evil that I have brought
upon Jerusalem
and upon all the cities of Judah
And – BEHOLD – this day they are a desolation
and no man dwells therein
BECAUSE of their wickedness which
they have committed to provoke ME
to anger in that they went to burn incense
and to serve other gods whom they knew not
neither they – you – nor your fathers
LORD states that HE sent prophets to warn verse 4- 6
HOWBEIT I sent unto you all MY servants the prophets
rising early and sending them – saying
Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate
BUT they hearkened not
nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickednenss
to burn no incense unto other gods
WHEREFORE MY fury and MINE anger was poured forth
and was kindled in the cities of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem
and they are wasted and desolate
as at this day
LORD states they are still provoking HIM to wrath verse 7- 10
THEREFORE now thus says the
LORD – the God of hosts – God of Israel
WHEREFORE commit you this great evil against your souls
to cut off from you man and woman – child and suckling
out of Judah – to leave you none to remain
In that you provoke ME to wrath with the works of your hands
burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt
whither you be gone to dwell
that you might cut yourselves off
and that you might be a curse
and a reproach among
all the nations of the earth?
Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers
and the wickedness of the kings of Judah
and the wickedness of their wives
and your own wickedness
and the wickedness of your wives
which they have committed
in the land of Judah
in the streets of Jerusalem?
They are not humbled even unto this day
neither have they feared
nor walked in MY law
nor in MY statutes
that I set before you
and before your fathers
LORD states Egypt isn’t a safe place for them verse 11- 14
THEREFORE thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
BEHOLD – I will set MY face against you for evil
and to cut off all Judah
And I will take the remnant of Judah
that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt
to sojourn there – and they shall all be consumed
and fall in the land of Egypt
They shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine
they shall die – from the least even unto the greatest
by the sword and by the famine
and they shall be an execration and a
astonishment – curse – reproach
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt
as I have punished Jerusalem – by the
sword – famine – pestilence
so that none of the remnant of Judah
which are gone into
the land of Egypt to sojourn there
shall escape or remain
that they should return into the land of Judah
to the which they have a desire to return
to dwell there
for none shall return but such as shall escape
People continue to burn incense to false gods verse 15- 18
THEN all the men which knew that their wives
had burned incense to other gods
and all the women that stood by – a great multitude
even all the people that dwelt
in the land of Egypt – in Pathros
answered Jeremiah – saying
As for the word that you have spoken to us
in the name of the LORD
WE WILL NOT HEARKEN to YOU
BUT we will certainly do whatsoever thing goes forth
out of our own mouth
to burn incense unto the queen of heaven
and to pour out drink offerings unto her – as we have done
we – our fathers – our kings – our princes
in the cities of Judah
in the streets of Jerusalem
for then had we plenty of victuals
and were well – and saw no evil
BUT since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven
and to pour out drink offerings unto her
we have wanted all things
and have been consumed by the sword
and by the famine
Women independent of husbands worshiping false gods verse 19
AND when we burned incense to the queen of heaven
and poured out drink offerings unto her
did we make her cakes to worship her
and pour out drink offerings unto her
WITHOUT OUR MEN?
Jeremiah states LORD knows everything verse 20- 23
THEN Jeremiah said unto all the people – to the men – women
all the people which had given him that answer
saying
The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem
you – your fathers – your kings
your princes
the people of the land
DID the LORD remember them
and came it not into HIS MIND?
SO that the LORD could no long bear
BECAUSE of the evil of your doings
BECAUSE of the abominations
which you have committed
THEREFORE is your land a desolation – an astonishment
a curse – without an inhabitant – as at this day
BECAUSE you have burned incense
BECAUSE you have sinned against the LORD
and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD
nor walked in HIS
law – statutes – testimonies
THEREFORE this evil is happened unto you
as at this day
Jeremiah laments continual worship of false gods verse 24- 25
MOREOVER Jeremiah said to all the people – and all the women
HEAR the word of the LORD
all Judah that are in the land of Egypt
Thus says the LORD of hosts – the God of Israel
saying
You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths
AND fulfilled with your hands – saying
We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed
to burn incense to the queen of heaven
to pour out drink offerings unto her
You will surely accomplish your vows
and surely perform your vows
LORD states only a remnant will return to Judah verse 26- 28
THEREFORE hear you the word of the LORD
all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt
BEHOLD – I have sworn by MY great name – says the LORD
that MY name shall no more be named
in the mouth of any man of Judah
in all the land of Egypt – saying
The Lord GOD lives
BEHOLD – I will watch over them for evil – and not for good
and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall
be consumed by the sword and by the famine
until there be an end of them
YET a small number that escape the sword
shall return out of the land of Egypt
into the land of Judah that are gone
into the land of Egypt
to sojourn there and shall KNOW
whose words shall STAND
MINE – or theirs
LORD wants people to know that HIS word stands verse 29- 30
And this shall be a SIGN to you – says the LORD
that I will punish you in this place
that you may KNOW that
MY words shall surely stand
against you for evil
thus says the LORD
BEHOLD – I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt
into the hand of his enemies
and into the hand of them that seek his life
As I gave Zedekiah king of Judah
into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar
king of Babylon – his enemy
and that sought his life
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 Howbeit I sent unto you all MY servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. (8130 “hate” [sane’] means to dislike intensely, decrease in status, feel an aversion toward, unwilling to put up with, abhor, detest, loathe, or be an enemy.)
DEVOTION: Here we have the people of Judah offering sacrifices to a false god. The leaders of this worship were the wives of the men of Judah. They thought that they seemed to be blessed more with the worship of the Queen of Heaven rather than to worship the Creator of the world.
God had sent the prophet to inform them that HE was displeased with this worship of this false god over HIM. HE sent warning after warning but they didn’t listen and preferred to worship other gods instead of repenting and returning to HIM.
So we find that this is happening now in many churches today. They say that they are obeying the Word of God yet are teaching things that are against the Word of God. They are promoting many beliefs and practices that are against the Word of God. They are trying to be politically correct rather than Biblically correct on many social issues. This is sin and they have been warned by many Biblical leaders to no avail.
God has sent many modern day prophets to inform those who claim Jesus to change their ways but to no avail in many churches in our nation. This cannot continue without the judgment of God hitting our nation and many of our religious leaders. So many false prophets or pastors are going to have to face the LORD in judgment. The New Testament tells us of those who are standing before the LORD and HE states to them who claim doing many wonderful works in HIS name and yet HE states that HE never knew them. They will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
Watch who you are listening to and supporting. If they are not doing things and teaching things that are found in the Word of God they are leading you away from the LORD and as the Pharisees did in Jesus day making you twofold more a child of hell then themselves.
CHALLENGE: Check everything you are being taught by the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will warn you if you are a genuine believer.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. (1792 “humbled” [daka] means to crush, be broken, or be contrite.)
DEVOTION: Arrogance is what this chapter is about. The LORD informs those in Egypt that HE has judged the people in Jerusalem for their wickedness. One of their evils was worshiping other gods.
HE told them that HE sent HIS servants the prophets to warn them of coming judgment but they would not listen. HIS servants the prophets got up early and preached all day to no avail. They didn’t want to stop sinning against the LORD.
Now HE moves from the past to the present. They didn’t want to stop sinning either. They didn’t want to be contrite before the LORD. They didn’t want to fear the LORD. They didn’t want to walk in the law of the LORD. HE gave them commandments through Moses for them to obey but they didn’t care. They were going to do what they wanted when they wanted.
As the chapter continues the women confronted Jeremiah with the fact that they were going to continue to offer sacrifices to the queen of heaven. They even bragged that their husbands knew what they were doing and said nothing. They bragged that they were going to do whatever they wanted to do. They considered their actions good because they thought that while they were offering sacrifices to the queen of Heaven they had food on the table. They thought this false god was giving them the food for their family.
The destruction of Jerusalem should have made an impression on the people of Judah. It did not. It should have caused them to realize that what they were doing back in Judah was wrong in the sight of God. It did not. They should have turned to the LORD and repented of their sins. They did not.
In fact, in this chapter Jeremiah brings them a message from the LORD and they told him that they would not obey the LORD. They told him that they were going back to the gods they worshipped in Judah. The one god in this chapter is called the “queen of heaven.” They told Jeremiah that they were going to burn incense and offer drink offering to her. They were so arrogant.
Would we ever tell God that we are going to worship our own gods and not HIM? Do we try to do it behind HIS back? Or at least think that we can?
The men of Judah thought God didn’t know what they were doing in Judah. Jeremiah informs them that that is the reason for their judgment. Do we tend to worship at our leisure and give God our leftover time? Would it surprise us to find out that only five percent of Americans that go to church on a regular basis lead others to the LORD? While ninety five percent of Americans only go to church and sit in the pews thinking that all they have to do is give God a little time and a little effort and HE should be pleased with these actions. Many of those thinkers never lead someone to the LORD.
The next twenty people we meet in the next seven days ask them if they attended church last week. Let me know what you find out.
Are we willing to be contrite before the LORD? Are we willing to be led by the Word of God or by our own feeling?
CHALLENGE: Humility it hard. Pride is something that comes easy to most of us. Look into your life for false gods that you might think are providing for your daily needs. Do you ever think of yourself as a god?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 22 So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. (8441 “abominations” [tow‘ebah] means discussing things, idolatrous practices, detestable, or repulsive.)
DEVOTION: The LORD is long-suffering with HIS people. HE warns and warns and warns. HE allows those who claim to follow HIM show by their actions that they are not really followers of HIS commandments.
HE sends HIS prophets to repeat, repeat, repeat their messages from HIM. HE gives them object lessons to show that HE understands what they are doing is wrong.
There comes a point of no return. In the book of Romans chapter one HE states that HE gives them over to their own wishes. If they wish to disobey HIS commands long enough HE says that the only thing HE can do is judge them for their actions.
Once judgment comes it not only affects the individual but the nation, the land, and the animals. Their cities are empty. Their possessions are gone.
Do they repent? NO!!! They continue to worship false gods to see if they can get their time of blessing back. They don’t even realize that they are repeating their same sins and therefore will never receive the blessings they think they deserve.
Satan continues to deceive them into thinking that if they worship false gods long enough good things will happen. Wrong!!
What was true of the children of Judah can be true of us as well. We can continue to do things that are displeasing to the LORD and HE finally gives us the judgment that we deserve.
We end this chapter with a statement that there will be a remnant that will return to Jerusalem but only a remnant. Are we part of the remnant that remains faithful to the LORD?
CHALLENGE: Sin is easy. Living according to the Word of God is harder but worth every effort we put into it. God honors our actions with blessings.
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: 27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and the men of Judah that are n the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. (8245 “watch over” [shaqad] means keep watch, to be concerned about, to be or become focused and determined on a goal or action, or keep vigilant)
DEVOTION: There is a point of no return with the LORD concerning the children of Israel. HE sent Jeremiah to warn them but they would not listen to him. They thought that they could go someplace and the LORD would leave them alone to do as they pleased. They forgot that they were the people of God and HE was going to judge them no matter how far away from the land of Judah they ran.
They thought that they were safe from the judgment of God and they were wrong. This happens even today with people who think they can run away from God and not face HIS punishment of them because of their sin.
There is no place that God cannot reach anyone. There is no hiding from God. There is no escape from HIS judgment of sin.
Too many think that they are outside the reach of the LORD. It is wrong thinking and one day they will stand before the LORD and HE will judge them for eternity. There is only one way to escape the judgment of hell and that is to make the LORD their Savior and King. Anything short of this position means eternity in hell.
CHALLENGE: As you study the Old Testament and hear and see what the LORD has planned for those who disobey – what are your thoughts regarding eternity. Repentance is the only answer that will reserve a place in heaven for you.
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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)
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, 7, 16, 24- 26, 28, 29
Law verse 10, 23
Statutes verse 10, 23
Testimonies verse 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 7, 11, 16, 21- 26, 29, 30
LORD of hosts verse 2, 11, 25
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2, 7, 11, 25
God of Israel verse 2, 7, 11, 25
Judgment of God (evil) verse 2, 6, 11- 14, 23, 26, 29
I sent to you all MY servants the prophets verse 4
Rising early and sending them saying
Oh, do not this abominable thing
that I hate
MY fury and mine anger was poured forth verse 6
Fury kindled in the cities of Judah
and in the streets of Jerusalem verse 6
God of hosts verse 7
Asks “Wherefore commit you this great evil
against your souls – to cut off from
YOU man and woman, child and sucking
to leave none to remain verse 7
MY law verse 10
MY statutes verse 10
I will set MY face against you for evil
and cut off all Judah verse 11
I will take the remnant of Judah that set their
faces to go into the land of Egypt to
sojourn there – they all shall
be consumed verse 12
` I will punish them that dwell in the land of
Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem
by sword, famine, curse, and pestilence verse 13
Name of the LORD verse 16
LORD remembers sin verse 21
LORD gets to point of not bearing sin verse 22
Voice of the LORD verse 23
Word of the LORD verse 24
Great name verse 26
Lord – Adonai (Master, Owner) verse 26
GOD – Jehovah verse 26
Lord GOD verse 26
Behold, I will watch over htem for evil, and
not for good: and all the men of Judah
that aare in the land of Egypt shall be
consumed by the sword and by the
famine, until there be an end of them verse 27
Word of the LORD stands verse 28, 29
LORD gives a sign verse 29
MY words shall surely stand against you for evil verse 29
I will give Pharaoh-hophra – king of Egypt into
the hand of his enemies and into the hand
of them that seek his life, as I gave
Zedekiah – king of Judah into the hand
of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon verse 30
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)
Egypt verse 1, 8, 12- 15, 24, 26- 28, 30
All shall be consumed by sword and famine
Jews in land of Egypt: Migdol,
Tahpanhes, Noph and in the
country of Pathros
Migdol verse 1
Tahpanhes verse 1
Noph verse 1
Pathros verse 1, 15
Nations of the earth verse 8
Pharaoh-hophra – king of Egypt verse 30
Enemies verse 30
Nebuchadrezzar – king of Babylon verse 30
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evil verse 7, 11, 17, 22, 27
Wickedness verse 3, 5, 9
Provoke God to anger verse 3, 8
Burn incense to false gods verse 3, 5, 8, 15, 17- 19, 23, 25
Serve other gods verse 3, 5, 8, 15, 23
Abominable verse 4, 22
God hates false worship verse 4
Hearkened not verse 5 , 16
Nor inclined their ear to turn from their
wickedness verse 5
Provoke ME to wrath with the works of your
hands verse 8
Not humbled verse 10
Feared not verse 10
Walked not in MY law nor MY statutes verse 10, 23
Husband approval of false worship verse 15, 25
Women say they will do what they want verse 17, 19, 25
Worship queen of heaven verse 17- 19, 25
Drink offerings to false god verse 17, 18, 25
Credit false gods with blessings verse 17
Wrong answer verse 20
Sinned against the LORD verse 23
Not obeyed the voice of the LORD verse 23
Evil is happening to you verse 23
Burn incense to the queen of heaven
And to pour out drink offerings to her verse 25
Mentioning the name of the LORD verse 26
Word of men doesn’t stand verse 28
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Servants verse 4
Prophets verse 4
Humbled verse 10
Fear of the LORD verse 10
Walk in the law of the LORD verse 10
Good verse 27
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jeremiah verse 1, 15- 17, 20, 24- 26
People answered him saying
As for the word that you have
Spoken to us in the name of the
LORD- we will not hearken to
You – but we will certainly do
Whatsoever thing goes forth out
of our own mouth, to burn incense
to the queen of heaven and pour
out drink offerings to her as we
have done
Wants them to hear the word of the LORD
in Egypt: I (LORD) have sworn by MY
great name – that MY name shall no more
be named in the mouth of any of Judah in
the land of Egypt, saying The LORD GOD
lives
Jews verse 1
Israel verse 2
Jerusalem verse 2, 6, 9, 13, 17, 21
streets of are wasted and desolate
Judah verse 2, 6, 7, 9, 11- 14, 17, 21, 24, 28
This day they are a desolation and
No man dwells therein
Cut yourselves off, and you might be a curse
and a reproach among all the nations
of the earth verse 8
Forgotten the wickedness of your fathers verse 9
Forgotten the wickedness of the kings of Judah verse 9
Forgotten the wickedness of wives, and your
own wickedness verse 9
Remnant of Judah verse 14
Result of sin verse 22
land a desolation and an astonishment
and a curse without an inhabitant
Zedekiah – king of Judah verse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Die – from least of them to the greatest
by sword and famine
they shall be an execration and
an astonishment , a curse,
and a reproach verse 12
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QUOTES regarding passage
44:4–6 He reminded them that he had sent his servants the prophets “again and again” (lit. “rising early and sending”) to warn them not to worship other gods. God called such devotion detestable and something he hated. The warnings had been futile. The people did not “pay attention” (lit. “incline their ear”) or abandon their other gods. Therefore God poured out his wrath on Jerusalem and the towns of Judah and made them desolate ruins. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 366). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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1–6 This passage (vv.1–10) rebukes the Jews dispersed in Egypt. It is surprising that the Jews were practicing idolatry in Egypt; they had not yet learned from their past sins. Jeremiah mentions four places, three in Lower (northern) Egypt—Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and Upper (southern) Egypt (lit., Pathros) (v.1). The mention of these places shows how rapidly the Jews had spread out in Egypt.
Now Jeremiah delivers his final message. The reason for this prophecy was the continued idolatry of the exiles (vv.3–5) in spite of their captivity experience (v.2). If ever a prophecy had immediacy, it was this one; for in it Jeremiah brought the light of history to bear on the very day in which he spoke (v.6). In the first six verses of the message, Jeremiah gives his hearers a history lesson that stressed human cause and divine effect. (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 640). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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44:1–10. God’s word came to Jeremiah a second time while he was in Egypt (cf. 43:8). This time the word concerned all the Jews who had traveled to Egypt. It applied to those in Lower Egypt which included the northern cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis; and it extended south to Upper Egypt. Jeremiah was using a figure of speech known as a merism in which, by listing the two extremes, he also included everything between them. Thus this message was for all Jews throughout the entire land of Egypt.
God reminded the Jews of the disaster He brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s towns. Their ruins stood as mute testimonies to God’s judgment on the evil they had done. The particular sin to which God was referring was their worship of other gods. Though God had repeatedly warned the people through His servants the prophets to turn from their sin, they refused to listen or pay attention. God’s fierce anger then raged against … Judah until only desolate ruins remained.
Jeremiah applied this “history lesson” to the Jews in Egypt. Instead of realizing the folly of idolatry they were burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt. They were in danger of becoming an object of cursing and reproach (cf. comments on 24:9) by daring a holy God to judge them for their sin. It was as though they had forgotten the wickedness that both they and their ancestors had committed which had brought God’s judgment. They had not humbled themselves before God or followed His Law. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten God’s Word! (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. 1190). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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A scathing indictment (vv. 1–14). No sooner did the Jewish remnant arrive in Egypt than they began to worship the local gods and goddesses, of which there were many. Jeremiah reminded them of what they had seen in the Lord’s judgment on Judah (44:2–3). It was because of their idolatry that He had destroyed their land, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple. Then he reminded them of what they had heard—the messages of the prophets God had sent to rebuke them time after time (vv. 4–6). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (p. 159). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The Lord’s expostulation is recorded in verses 2 to 14. He bids them consider the evil which He brought upon Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah because of the frightful wickedness there perpetrated. “Rising early,” He had sought their good, sending prophets saying, “Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate!” It was idolatry that provoked His special abhorrence. But they would neither give heed to the warnings and entreaties of the prophets nor turn from their iniquitous ways. Therefore His fury had been poured forth and the land now lay waste and desolate. Their present course was but an aggravation of the evil, and would, if persisted in, result in national suicide. In Egypt they were fast relapsing into idolatry. Unless they repented, He could but cut them off from the face of the earth. Yea, by their folly, they were cutting themselves off.
How short their memory! Had they already forgotten the wickedness of their fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and their own wickedness, and the wickedness of their wives in the land of Judah, which had drawn down so awful a punishment? They were not humbled, even after all the past; nor was there any evidence of godly fear; neither had they walked in His law, nor in His statutes, which He had set before them and their fathers. Because of this persistency in wrongdoing, He would set His face against them for evil, to cut them all off. From the least to the greatest, all the men of Judah who dwelt in Egypt should be consumed—those, of course, who had gone there of their own volition. Jeremiah and Baruch, together with many of Gedaliah’s former followers, were there by force, and hence could not be included with the self-willed captains and their retainers. Even should the latter desire to return, they would not be permitted so to do. “None shall return but such as shall escape” (vers. 11–14). (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (pp. 243–244). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 4. Howbeit, I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, &c.] As many as he raised up, and employed in the work and service of prophesying; and these were many; and as many as they were, he sent them to them, one after another, to warn them of their sin and danger; but all to no purpose; which was a further aggravation of their wickedness: nay, though he was rising early, and sending them; was very early in his messages to them; gave them timely warning, and let slip no opportunity of admonishing them; and this he did constantly; see ch. 7:13, 25: saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate; all sin is abominable in itself, and hateful to God, especially idolatry; and therefore should not be done; it should be abominable to men, and hateful to them, because it is so to God; and after such a remonstrance as this, to commit it must be very aggravating and provoking. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 640). 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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What Jesus is saying to Peter is this: “Peter, it’s not about some abstract love that you have, and how that love might be measured on some emotional scale, It is about your willingness to do what I do – to care for My children.” Jesus instructs Peter to feed the lambs; tend them; feed the sheep. These words feed and tend refer to providing spiritual nurture to the soul, or building someone up by promoting their spiritual welfare, in the way a shepherd would care for his flock. “This is what I do,”Jesus is saying. “You do it too.” (p. 53, Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)
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Answered by a Word from God
“And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:46)
The two dominant sects among the Jews at the time of Christ were the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Although both of these believed in the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, they both refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
A climactic confrontation occurred during His final week in Jerusalem. Each group tried to trap Him into a compromising doctrinal argument. To the Sadducees, who rejected the doctrine of resurrection, He said: “Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:31-32). This exposition silenced the Sadducees.
“But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence” (Matthew 22:34), they then tried to trip Him up. He turned the tables on them by a reference to the 110th Psalm, asking how David could call the Messiah Lord if He was David’s son (Matthew 22:45). As our text indicates, they also were unable to respond.
It is most significant that each group was silenced with one single word from the Scriptures. To the Sadducees, the word was “am” (“I am the God of Abraham” [v. 32]), indicating that Abraham was still living. To the Pharisees, the word was “Lord” (“The LORD said unto my Lord” [v. 44]; that is, “Jehovah said unto Adonai”), proving that the Messiah was both human and divine, descended from David but also David’s Lord. Christ’s argumentation was based in each case on the determinative authority of just one word in the Scriptures. For Christ the Scriptures were inerrant and of full and final authority, and they could not answer His claims without rejecting the Scriptures they professed to believe. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Jesus infuriates the religious leaders by claiming equality with God.
INSIGHT
Many people in this world-atheists, agnostics, and those in pseudo-Christian cults-say that Jesus was merely a man, not God. What’s more, these people say Jesus never claimed to be God. The Incarnation-the doctrine that Jesus was one person with two natures, one human, one divine-is an anti-biblical and absurd idea invented by the church in later centuries, these skeptics opine.
The gospel of John certainly dispels that notion. In chapter 8, John writes that the religious leaders of His day picked up stones to slay the Lord Jesus Christ because He made Himself equal with God. The Jewish leaders were men of Jesus’ time and culture. They understood Jesus’ meaning far better than 21st-century skeptics. And as far as they were concerned, Jesus was committing the blasphemy of claiming to be God-a capital offense. (Quiet Walk)
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THE CROSS AND OURSELVES
The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10
The first thing the cross does is to show us to ourselves. Of course, we always defend ourselves, do we not? It isn’t my fault, we say, it is his. If only he understood. Or take husbands and wives, when they separate from one another. You listen to the story of the husband: “This woman is impossible!” Then you listen to the woman: “This man of mine—I could not live with him. He is an impossible man!” It is always somebody else, is it not? We are never wrong—we are very wonderful. If only we could be understood. It is always somebody else, always that other person.
Do you know what the gospel does, what the cross does? It shows you to yourself. And nothing else in the whole world does that but the cross. There is nothing that will ever humble a man or a nation but the cross of Christ. The cross tells us the simple, plain truth about ourselves.
Think of it like this. Why did the Son of God ever come into this world? Why did He leave the courts of glory? Why was He born as a little babe? Why did He take unto Him human nature? There is only one answer. He came because man could not save himself. He said that. “The Son of man,” he says, “is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And when I look at the cross and see Him dying there, what He tells me is this: You have nothing whereof to boast. The cross tells me that I am a complete failure, and that I am such a failure that He had to come from heaven not merely to teach and preach in this world, but to die on that cross. Nothing else could save us.
A Thought to Ponder: And when I look at the cross and see Him dying there, what He tells me is this: You have nothing whereof to boast. (From The Cross, pp. 143-144, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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