Jeremiah 35:1-19

👉 The Lord told Jeremiah to:

• go to the house of the Rechabites
• speak with the people
• bring them to the house of the Lord
• offer them wine (hospitality)

👉 The Rechabites refuse the wine because their ancestor had commanded them to not:

• drink wine
• build a house
• sow seed
• plant or have a vineyard

👉 The issue?

The Rechabites faithfully obeyed the command of an ancestor who was no longer with them and could no longer speak to them.

But God’s people failed to obey the commands of God who continued to speak to them persistently over the years.

The Rechabites were more faithful to their traditions and man made rules than God’s people were to Him and His commands.

👉 Where does our allegiance lie? Are we more faithful to our traditions and religion than we are to the actual voice of God in our lives?

Happy Monday!

Jeremiah 34:1-22

👉 God had a message for Zedekiah.

• Jerusalem was going to fall to Babylon.
• The city would be burned with fire.
• Zedekiah and his family would be captured.
• Zedekiah would go into exile.

Things were not looking good, y’all.

But there is a verse (v 4) in this chapter that just jumped off the page at me this morning.

“Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah! Thus says the Lord concerning you…”

The reality was that things were going to be bad. Consequences for disobedience and unfaithfulness were coming. And it was going to hurt.

But it was not going to be the death of Zedekiah.

He was not going to die by the sword of his enemy. He would die in peace and be buried with dignity just like his father before him.

👉 I won’t pretend to know what hard thing you’re going through. Life is difficult on so many different levels for different people. Some of it is due to our own disobedience, some due to the sins of others, and some just the result of living in a broken world.

But – here is what the Lord promises his people – this will not be the death of you.

Whatever place of hardship you find yourself – no matter how bad it looks – no matter how bad it hurts – the way through is to hear and take to heart the Word of the Lord concerning you.

You are loved.

You are chosen.

You are cherished.

You are not – for one second – alone.

You are loved.

Jeremiah 33:1-26

👉 God is about to promise some amazing things.

He tells the people that he will:

• take a place of waste and make it a place of worship (v 10-11)

[Now – that will preach right there. It’s a whole message all by itself. Only God, y’all, can take a place of devastation and waste and make it a place of celebration and worship. I don’t know what your waste place is right now – that place in your heart or home that just seems empty – but the Lord can make it all brand new.]

• once again fill the land with peace and prosperity (v 12)
• bring restoration and mercy (v 26)

👉 And here is my favorite part.

Before God declares all of these things – he first reminds them of who he is and what he has already done.

Thus says the Lord…

who made the earth.

who formed it and established it.

whose name is the Lord.

who is the God of Israel.

👉 I don’t know your current struggle. I don’t know what place of waste you find yourself.

But I know who God is and I know what he is capable of doing for you.

I know he can turn waste into worship.

I know he can turn pain into peace and prosperity.

I know that – in him – restoration and mercy are found.

Because he is God and nothing is too difficult for him.

You are loved.

Jeremiah 32:1-44

👉 Jeremiah is in prison and the people are headed into exile.

Things look bad. Dark. Grim. Dare I say – hopeless.

But listen to the promise of the Lord…

“Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.”

It doesn’t look that way now. And – even ten chapters from now – it won’t look that way.

The Lord promises an end to the exile. And there will be life and growth and fruitfulness – not in a new land – but in “this land.” The land that belonged to them. The land that they loved. Their land.

👉 And from a prison cell, Jeremiah prayed, “Ah, Lord God…”

• you are creator
• nothing is too hard for you
• you are great and mighty
• you are great in counsel
• your eyes are open

👉 And God promised, “I will…”

• gather them
• bring them back
• make them dwell in safety
• give them one heart
• make a covenant with them
• not turn away
• rejoice in doing them good
• plant them in faithfulness
• restore

I don’t know what your exile looks like. What dark place you find yourself. But – don’t forget what your God has said…

“I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”

You are loved.

Jeremiah 31:1-40

👉 Again… (v 4-5)

It’s a beautiful word here. The Lord promises the people that the consequences of their unfaithfulness would not last forever.

“Again,” he promises…

I will build you.

You will celebrate.

You will be fruitful.

👉 There shall be a day (someone wants to say “hallelujah” to that.) There shall be a day when…

• the people will worship in Zion
• the people will be gathered
• they will walk by brooks of water
• they will be radiant over the goodness of God
• their life will be like a well watered garden
• they shall languish no more
• their mourning will be turned to joy
• they will be satisfied

👉 Perhaps my favorite part of this chapter – the part that made my heart happy and my soul exclaim, “Won’t he just do it!” – was how God addressed his children.

In the middle of those “again” promises in verse 4 and again in verse 21 – God speaks to his people and says, “O virgin Israel…”

O virgin Israel…

How can that be?

Had his people not been unfaithful in Jeremiah 3? God said that they had “played the whore.” Now, that’s some strong language.

How can that be?

It’s the grace of God that makes all things new.

God knew all that they had done. All the ways they had dishonored him and themselves.

But he also knew what he had planned for them. He knew that “days were coming” (v 27, 31, 38) – good days. Days of hope and healing.

And he looked upon his people and said, “O virgin Israel.” ♥️

Happy sunny Monday, friends!