Jeremiah 6
COMMENTARY:
: 10 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 to them a reproach; they have no delight in it. (2654 “delight” [chaphets] means to take pleasure or delight in, desire, inclined, to take a high degree of pleasure or mental satisfaction in, to be favorable, or be pleased to do.)
DEVOTION: Here we have the people of God who have no pleasure in hearing the Word of God spoken to them. The LORD wanted to them but they have not listened in the past and didn’t want to listen in the present.
HE was sending an enemy to judge them for their actions against HIM. They were doing everything HE had commanded them not to do. They didn’t want to obey the Ten Commandments. They didn’t want to listen to the prophets HE sent to them. They were doing everything in their power to displease HIM and yet thought that HE would protect them for an enemy that was coming without even thinking of repenting.
Too often even today we have people who say that they are believers but their actions don’t seem to match their statement of belief in HIM and HIS Word. God wants us to be obedient to HIM on a regular basis. HE knows that we are sinners saved by grace and that we need to confess our sins daily to stay in tune with HIM but the children of Israel didn’t seem to care about HIM or HIS commandments.
Even today we find that there are people who claim faith but their actions speak louder than words. None of us are sinless even after we become believers but those who are genuine believers will keep short accounts with God and HE knows those who are genuine and those who are just saying the words.
CHALLENGE: The Bible gives genuine believers plenty of warning regarding how to keep close to the LORD. IF we listen to the warnings, we will keep short accounts with HIM and then expect HIS blessing on our life.
: 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.)
DEVOTION: 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.
DEVOTION: 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!
: 19 Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people — The fruit of their thoughts, because they have not heeded My words nor My law, but rejected it. The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). 7451 רַע, רַע [raʿ /rah/] – evil, distress, adversity)
DEVOTION: Recently I was down in Kentucky for the birth of my granddaughter and it was a period of time of waiting for the labor to begin and the birth process to begin. While we were waiting for that precious gift to be born we enjoyed the fellowship of believers and the beauty of the fall weather. What gorgeous days with the temperatures in the seventies and not a cloud in the sky. As we sat on the porch we commented on the wonder of the day. As we give God the glory for the work of His hands and the beauty of His creation do we consider that He also is the righteous judge and Sovereign ruler over the world? He can withhold or administer calamity as he desires. If we choose to not listen and apply the truths that God has given us in his word then we should not be surprised when difficulties arise or afflictions occur. God knows the thoughts and the intents that we are living our lives by. We may be able to fool others but we will never deceive God.
CHALLENGE: Not every difficulty or sorrow is a result of disciplinary or corrective action by the Lord. There are times when the Lord allows sorrow and suffering to occur even though there is no sin or wrong doing in our lives. When adverse times come, take a moment to ask the Lord where you stand with Him. He will reveal if there is something that needs remediation and forgiveness. Trust Him and enjoy His special gifts as well as those moments when adversity is allowed in your life. He knows what is best for you!
(Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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)
Incense from Shebaverse 20
Burnt offeringsverse 20
Sacrificesverse 20
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORDverses 10, 19
Lawverse 19
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 6, 9–12, 15, 16, 21, 22, 30
LORD of hostsverses 6, 9
Fury of the LORDverse 11
Judgment of the LORDverses 11, 12
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)
Nationsverse 18
Great nation from northverses 22-25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evilverses 1, 19
Wickednessverses 7, 29
Violenceverse 7
Uncircumcised earsverse 10
Word of God a reproachverse 10
No delight in Word of Godverse 10
Covetousnessverse 13
Deals falselyverse 13
Unfaithful priestsverse 13
False prophetsverse 13
False peaceverse 14
False messageverse 14
Not ashamed of sinverse 15
Abominationverse 15
Not walk in way of the LORDverse 16
Not hearkenverse 17, 19
Fruit of their thoughts = evilverse 19
Rejected lawverse 19
False sacrificesverse 20
Revoltersverse 28
Slandersverse 28
Corruptersverse 28
Reprobateverse 30
Rejected of the LORDverse 30
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Instructionverse 8
Delight in the Word of the LORDverse 10
Warningverse 10
Walk in old pathsverse 16
Good wayverse 16
Restverse 16
Watchmenverse 17
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Children of Benjaminverse 1
Jerusalemverses 1, 6, 8
Tekoaverse 1
Bethhacceremverse 1
Zionverses 2, 23
Remnant of Israelverse 9
Congregationverse 18
Stumblingblockverse 21
God’s peopleverse 26
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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