Jeremiah 45:2-3

October 7, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’” (Jeremiah 45:2-3)

The focus of this chapter is Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe. The timing of this chapter is actually out of order chronologically. Timing-wise, it occurs back in chapter 36.

Someone drew my attention to Baruch’s words in verse 3. Notice that he uses 5 personal pronouns in that verse: me, my, I, my, and I.

If we go back to chapter 36, things are bad (Jerusalem fell in chapter 39). It would seem normal to have a personal focus in times like those. However, God asks us not to be normal, but to look heavenward. Baruch was a good man, but the Lord sensed his personal ambition (vs 5) and told him not to pursue things for himself.

In the NT, we get the same message: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬) In all circumstances, we need to look heavenward.

Father, help me to look beyond the here and now. Help me to look heavenward through Calvary. Amen.

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Jeremiah 44:29-30

October 6, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“This shall be the sign to you, declares the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, in order that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for harm: Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and sought his life.””

I am fascinated to see the extended effects of sin. First, this remnant from Judah is steadfast in their idolatry. Jeremiah faithfully warned them, but to no avail.

The Lord promises their destruction (23), which immediately makes sense. What is less intuitive to me is how this rebellion lands Egypt in trouble. This is not to say that the Pharaoh was not an idolater. However, Jeremiah specifically said that Pharaoh would be conquered as a sign to Israel that God would punish them.

This is an important lesson for me. When I sin, I not only put myself in jeopardy, but I may also put others in harm’s way. Yikes!

Father, please help me to see how wicked my sin is and the broad effects it carries. Amen.

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Jeremiah 43:7

October 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.” (Jeremiah 43:7)

This place of disobedience is a rough place to be. Jeremiah had specifically told them, “The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day” ‭(42:19)

The rebellious heart will deny that water is wet to do what it wants to do. Clearly, Jeremiah had warned them not to go to Egypt, in contrast to Azariah’s and Johanan’s claim to the contrary. While they are, without a doubt, rebelling against God’s word, the underlying issue is a fear of man over trust in God. They are afraid that they are being set up to be taken to Babylon. (43:3)

I do not doubt that their fear of exile or worse is real. But God told them not to go to Egypt. In those circumstances, we – not just them – must obey God. The fear of man is a powerful force in our heads and hearts that convinces us that we can take care of ourselves better than God can. Then, off we go in rebellion to God to “care” for us.

Interestingly, once they arrived into the “safety” of Egypt, God sent another word through Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them.” ‭(43‬:‭10‬) In the end, what appeared to them to be a safe zone wasn’t. Rebelling against God put them exactly in the situation they intended to avoid in Jerusalem. And, rebelling against God does the same for me!

Father, please grow my faith in you. Help me to eradicate the fear of man in my heart that I may be more faithful to you. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, fear, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 42:11

October 4, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.” (Jeremiah 42:11)

Babylon was the biggest and baddest dude in the neighborhood. But God told Israel, “Do not fear him.” How is that possible? The nation is under siege by Babylon! The next clause provides the answer: “for I am with you.” But, not just to “be with you” but “to save you and to deliver you.” The Lord has a purpose in His presence.

In a similar scenario, but a century earlier, when Assyria was the big boy, King Hezekiah said a similar thing to the great-grandparents of the people Jeremiah was talking to: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭7‬-‭8‬) Once again, the Lord’s presence is purposeful: “to help us and to fight our battles.”

About 115 years apart, King Hezekiah had seen Assyria destroy the northern kingdom, and Jeremiah had witnessed the Babylonians destroy the southern kingdom. And both said, “The Lord is with you.”

Having witnessed what Hezekiah witnessed, Isaiah said the same thing: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬) (And, once again, the Lord’s presence has purpose: to strengthen and to help.

If we look at the impossible circumstances of Hezekiah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, we can see that these were words of faith. To be clear, both Jeremiah and Isaiah were speaking the word of the Lord to their audiences. I wonder if Hezekiah hadn’t heard the same from Isaiah. Perhaps, he just knew the Lord so well that he rightly concluded that the Lord was with them.

To put a finer point on this thought, the reason that Judah should not be afraid was that the Lord was with them. Their courage should have come from the fact that the Lord was with them. And who is with me?

Father, please help me to remember that your Spirit dwells within me. Help me find courage in that truth and not fear what others may say or think if I’m completely obedient to you. Amen.

Filed Under: Assyria, Babylon, devotional thoughts, fear, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 41:9, 12

October 3, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down, along with Gedaliah, was the large cistern that King Asa had made for defense against Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. (9)

“… they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon.” (12)

What stands out to me today is the historical nature of the Bible. Here, we see that the writer clearly intends that the reader believe these are events that happened to real people at real places, which he names. By naming specific places like the large cistern that King Asa had built or the great pool of Gibeon, the writer wants us to see these reports as both accurate and real. So what?

Understanding that these are real events experienced by real people should give us greater confidence in God’s word. It should also help us relate to the situations presented in the Bible. And it should give us greater confidence in the solutions offered in the Bible.

Interestingly, 2 days ago, I read an article about ancient Gibeon being destroyed by the Palestinians. (See https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-869181)

Father, help me believe and love your word more than I love today’s news. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, history, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:
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