(Jeremiah 3:6-10) Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. 7 I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. 9 Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord.
God wants the Israelites to come to Him! He wants the Israelites to have their covenants fulfilled so that they may dwell in the land that He has given them. It's not like God didn't encourage them or give them any fair warnings...
(Jeremiah 7:1-7) The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the Lord!’” 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ 5 For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6 if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever..."
(Jeremiah 11:3b-8) “Cursed is the man who does not heed the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Listen to My voice, and do according to all which I command you; so you shall be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 in order to confirm the oath which I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.”’” Then I said, “Amen, O Lord.”
6 And the Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, warning persistently, saying, “Listen to My voice.” 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked, each one, in the stubbornness of his evil heart; therefore I brought on them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.’”
I find this next verse very interesting. Remember - Jesus told Peter that He was going to make him a fisher of men - someone who would build up the Church and spread the good news of salvation. Before the Tribulation begins, all believers will be taken up to heaven (raptured). But for those unbelievers who enter the Tribulation - they will then be hunted...
(Jeremiah 16:16) “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks..."
Some of these chapters have twofold prophecies, but we will look at them with the focus of the Tribulation. The judgments of the Tribulation are not only the signs to the Israelites to let them know that Jesus' second coming is near, but the judgments are also the punishments meant for those who choose disobedience and choose to make a covenant with the Beast...
(Jeremiah 29:15-19) “Because you have said, ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon’— 16 for thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile— 17 thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Behold, I am sending upon them the sword, famine and pestilence, and I will make them like split-open figs that cannot be eaten due to rottenness. 18 I will pursue them with the sword, with famine and with pestilence; and I will make them a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a horror and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord.
6 (Jeremiah 4:6-10) “Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand still, for I am bringing evil from the north, and great destruction.
7 “A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
8 “For this, put on sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us.”
7 “A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out; he has gone out from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be ruins without inhabitant.
8 “For this, put on sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the Lord has not turned back from us.”
9 “It shall come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Surely You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace’; whereas a sword touches the throat.”...
19 (Jeremiah 4:19-31) My soul, my soul! I am in anguish! Oh, my heart!
My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is devastated; suddenly my tents are devastated, my curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children and have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, but to do good they do not know.”
My heart is pounding in me; I cannot be silent, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Disaster on disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is devastated; suddenly my tents are devastated, my curtains in an instant.
21 How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children and have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, but to do good they do not know.”
23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were pulled down before the Lord, before His fierce anger.
24 I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were pulled down before the Lord, before His fierce anger.
27 For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not execute a complete destruction.
28 “For this the earth shall mourn and the heavens above be dark, because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
29 At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; they go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; every city is forsaken, and no man dwells in them.
30 And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, although you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
31 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, the anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, “Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers.”
28 “For this the earth shall mourn and the heavens above be dark, because I have spoken, I have purposed, and I will not change My mind, nor will I turn from it.”
29 At the sound of the horseman and bowman every city flees; they go into the thickets and climb among the rocks; every city is forsaken, and no man dwells in them.
30 And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, although you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life.
31 For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, the anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, saying, “Ah, woe is me, for I faint before murderers.”
10 (Jeremiah 5:10-18) “Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but do not execute a complete destruction; strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord’s.
11 “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
12 They have lied about the Lord and said, “Not He; misfortune will not come on us, and we will not see sword or famine.
13 “The prophets are as wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!”
11 “For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord.
12 They have lied about the Lord and said, “Not He; misfortune will not come on us, and we will not see sword or famine.
13 “The prophets are as wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!”
14 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will consume them.
15 “Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord. “It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.
16 “Their quiver is like an open grave, all of them are mighty men.
17 “They will devour your harvest and your food; they will devour your sons and your daughters; they will devour your flocks and your herds; they will devour your vines and your fig trees; they will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
15 “Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel,” declares the Lord. “It is an enduring nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor can you understand what they say.
16 “Their quiver is like an open grave, all of them are mighty men.
17 “They will devour your harvest and your food; they will devour your sons and your daughters; they will devour your flocks and your herds; they will devour your vines and your fig trees; they will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust.
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not make you a complete destruction...
(Jeremiah 6:1) “Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa and raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; for evil looks down from the north, and a great destruction.
22 (Jeremiah 6:22-24) Thus says the Lord, “Behold, a people is coming from the north land, and a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth.
23 “They seize bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it; our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, pain as of a woman in childbirth.
23 “They seize bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy; their voice roars like the sea, and they ride on horses, arrayed as a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Zion!”
24 We have heard the report of it; our hands are limp. Anguish has seized us, pain as of a woman in childbirth.
But God is just, and He does not forget His promises, or His people...
(Jeremiah 5:1) “Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and look now and take note. And seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her...
(Jeremiah 25:30b-33) ...‘The Lord will roar from on high and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 ‘A clamor has come to the end of the earth, because the Lord has a controversy with the nations. He is entering into judgment with all flesh; as for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the Lord.”
31 ‘A clamor has come to the end of the earth, because the Lord has a controversy with the nations. He is entering into judgment with all flesh; as for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the Lord.”
32 Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, evil is going forth from nation to nation, and a great storm is being stirred up from the remotest parts of the earth.
33 “Those slain by the Lord on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground.
God keeps His promises, and the Israelites who notice the signs of the Messiah's second coming (the judgments of the Tribulation) and then become believers - will enter the Millennium to have their covenants fulfilled, which includes having all their land...
(Jeremiah 16:14-15) “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers..."
And the Millennium will include Jesus, the perfect King, sitting on the throne, fulfilling the Davidic covenant...
5 (Jeremiah 23:5-8) “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.
6 “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’
6 “In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The Lord our righteousness.’
7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”
A twofold prophecy adds to this...
(Jeremiah 29:11-14) For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’
Today's takeaway: A lot of people need to learn "the hard way" because of pride. Personally, I try to avoid that, but it still does happen from time to time. It's usually when I'm doing something wrong but I don't want to stop because I think I'm getting something out of it - only to find out later that I've deceived myself. God gives us plenty of warnings, but God also gives us plenty of encouragements...
(Matthew 11:28-30) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
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