Jeremiah 51
COMMENTARY:
: 5 For Israel has not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. (488 “forsaken” [’alman] means widowed, pertaining to being forsaken by a marital partner because of death, discarded or bereaved.)
DEVOTION: This chapter deals with God’s judgment on Babylon. This nation was used of God to judge the children of Israel because of their sin. The sin had to be dealt with and the LORD used this nation to be HIS tool of judgment.
Now the LORD was communicating with those who were in captivity in Babylon to inform them that HE was going to judge Babylon with another nation. HE was going to allow the children of Israel to return to the Promised Land again. HE indeed is longsuffering with HIS people.
HE didn’t divorce the children of Israel. HE set them aside for a time period for them to realize that they were to be obedient to HIM and not to worship false gods. They had taken up worshiping false gods even in Babylon.
HE wanted to have exclusive attention from them when they returned to their land again. Some of them would listen while others were still not genuine follower of HIM. They would be judge again. This happened to the people of God in the Old Testament and is still happening today with those who claim to be followers of HIM today.
Today we have the communion table as a time to examine ourselves regarding our relationship with HIM. If we examine ourselves and confess our sins HE is willing to forgive us our sins. IF we are not willing to confess our sins as genuine believer then HE will send weakness, sickness and death to those who refuse.
One of the problems is that I have been in churches that don’t practice a monthly communion table. Some wait over twenty years between communion services. This means that there is no examining of the lives of the believers in those churches. This is disobedient leadership. This is also disobedient members.
God want us to have times of examination as HE gave instruction to the church in Corinth. With proper instruction a church can keep the church in a proper relationship with the LORD.
CHALLENGE: When was the last time your church had a communion service? Did you attend and treat it properly?
: 15 He has made the earth by HIS power, HE has established the world by HIS wisdom, and has stretched out the heaven by HIS understanding. (3581 “power” [koach] means strength, authority, might, force or ability.)
DEVOTION: This is one of the longest chapters in the Old Testament. The chapter is a continuation of the condemnation of Babylon by the LORD. However, in this chapter we have some references to the children of Israel and the might of the LORD.
HE didn’t forsake Judah and Israel. HE established the world by HIS wisdom. HE stretched out the heavens by HIS understanding. He created the world by HIS might. Our God is an awesome God. HE is Sovereign. HE has a plan and HE is working HIS plan. He used Babylon but then they credited their victories to their false gods. The LORD judged them for that.
One of the things we need to remember is that the world has the knowledge of God but most don’t have an understanding of God. HE was the one who made the world at the beginning by HIS OWN power. HE didn’t have the counsel of others outside the Godhead.
All three persons of the Godhead created the earth and heaven. Yet they did it as ONE> Not just one in purpose but one in essence. HE promises that every purpose that HE purposes is going to be performed.
We are included in HIS plan. HE has a purpose for our lives for as long as we live. HE is working HIS plan in our lives. HE provides the strength to do what HE has commissioned us to do. HE provides the strength to do what HE has commissioned us to do. HE provides the strength to resist temptations. HE promises to not allow more temptations than we can fight off with HIS strength. Some of the things that come our way, we think are not necessary but HE does. We have to trust HIM. Remember to realize that HE carries us through our storms. Remember to be a witness of HIS Son’s birth, death, and resurrection. This is the message we are to share with all those in our world. Are we bringing GLORY to HIS name today? Are we reaching our community for the LORD? Each church has this responsibility in their personal Jerusalem.
CHALLENGE: The Creator of the Universe can provide all the authority we need to reach those around us for the LORD. Are we using HIS strength today?
: 17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge, every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. (954 “confounded” [buwsh] means ashamed, confused, fail in hope and expectation, disturbed, troubled, put to shame, or humiliated.)
DEVOTION: People are funny according to an old television program. The people on the program proved this to be true.
We find that those who make false gods were humiliated because once they made them they didn’t come to life. They didn’t do anything. They couldn’t walk or talk or really answer the prayers that the people spoke to them.
Elijah challenged the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. He told them to appeal to Baal to see if he could take their sacrifice. He didn’t. Elijah called on the one TRUE God and HE did take the sacrifice.
The people praised the ONE TRUE GOD and killed the false prophets. They destroyed the image of the false god.
However, it didn’t stop Israel from worshiping false gods of the nations around them. Here we find that some of the children of Israel were worshiping the gods of Babylon. They had not learned their lesion even in captivity.
Today we usually don’t see false gods set up on altars in the homes of people we know. The problem is that we continue to have false gods that really don’t help us with our daily life. Money seems to disappear. Our possessions seem to get old and worthless. Our sports teams don’t win as often as we wish. Even some of our churches are not preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no strength in any of these false gods.
CHALLENGE: Return to the ONLY TRUE GOD of the Bible. Don’t be confused into following false gods or false religion. True teaching only comes from the Word of God. Don’t listen to the confused voices of those who don’t trust in the Word of God.
: 60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. (7462 “evil” [ra’ah] means disaster, an event resulting in great loss and misfortune, injury, harm, misery, or calamity.)
DEVOTION: The LORD uses Babylon to judge HIS people Israel because of their sins. HE wants the children of Israel to know that HE will judge them by any means that is available to HIM to get their attention to the fact that they are not being obedient to HIM. HE is not happy when those HE has chosen to serve HIM have turned and worshiped idols.
However, there is going to be time when those HE has used to judge Israel are going to be judged themselves for their evil and for their false worship of idols. HE can take a heathen nation and use it for HIS purposes and that is not something wrong.
We need to realize that today many who claim to be followers of the LORD are not worshiping HIM in spirit and in truth and because of that HE will have to correct them and make them turn back to HIM.
HE loves those who genuinely are trying to serve HIM. HE even corrects them at times to make them more faithful to HIM. However, those who claim to be followers of HIM that are not genuine HE will deal with, so that, they can either become a follower of HIM or continue on their way worshiping HIM falsely and then spend eternity in hell with the devil and his angels.
It is sad that there are people who attend Bible teaching churches that are not genuinely believers because they have never made a genuine commitment to HIM but have been faking it thinking that they will still make heaven for eternity.
The children of Israel had many who either didn’t worship the LORD or pretended to worship the LORD while still worshiping false gods. The LORD doesn’t accept those individuals until they only worship HIM alone.
Babylon was used to judge HIS people to get their attention, so that, they would change their behavior before it was too late.
CHALLENGE: Are you genuinely worshiping the LORD or pretending? HE knows which it is. HE judges HIS people and those who are not HIS people.
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