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April 2015

Daily Bible thoughts 849: Monday 6th April 2015: Jeremiah 3:14-18

 Jeremiah 3:14-18

‘’What’s the world coming to?’

There are prophecies in the Bible that seem to relate to a time beyond our time (although they could be fulfilled in our lifetime). This is one of those passages.

I remember our scholarly and godly Director of Studies at my training college saying that there are verses in the Bible that seem to point to a literal rule of the Messiah over this world: the so-called ‘Millennial Kingdom.’ Many Bible teachers believe that passages such as this teach that Jesus will come back to the earth and rule over it from His ‘’Throne…in Jerusalem’’ (17).

When He comes again:

  • Israel and Judah will be re-united (18). They will recognise that Jesus is their true Messiah and worship Him together;
  • The whole earth will come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem (17). At that time Jesus will be universally honoured and not rejected. What a day!

‘’The time will come”—God’s Decree!—“when no one will say any longer, ‘Oh, for the good old days!… It won’t even occur to anyone to say it—‘the good old days.’ The so-called good old days of the Ark are gone for good.’’ The Message.

Even the best of the past will pale into insignificance when Christ returns. The Easter celebration, reminding us of His first advent, also tells us that Jesus is alive and will one day come back.

We are living through very dark days. It has become more and more painful to watch the news over the last year or so (in my view). More and more people are asking, ‘’What is happening to the world? ’What is this world coming to?’’

But the real question is: ‘’Who is coming to the world?’’ The Bible’s clear answer is ‘Jesus’. Are you ready to meet Him?

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are in control, and you are the Beginning and the End of all things. Help me to join your team, and not be kicking against you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 848: Friday 3rd April 2015: Jeremiah 3:11-13

Jeremiah 3:11-13
‘What’s so good about Good Friday?’
‘’The best decision anyone can ever make, at any point in life, in any circumstances, whoever they are, wherever they are, whatever they are, is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is no better decision for a human being in this life, any human being.’’ Justin Welby: Archbishop of Canterbury
‘’If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’’ (1 John 1:9)
This message in Jeremiah was specifically directed to the northern kingdom of Israel. God said that Israel was ‘’more righteous’’ than Judah (11). Judah had the opportunity to learn from Israel’s demise, but the ten tribes in the north didn’t have the same chance. We saw yesterday that Judah should have learned from their brothers in the north. (This reminded me that somebody once said that although there are no excuses for sin, if there are extenuating circumstances God is aware of them and takes them into consideration.)
This ‘sermon’ to the Israelite exiles scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire was about repentance and forgiveness. In a sense, it’s an Old Testament version of 1 John 1:9. God always responds in mercy to true repentance.
‘’Just admit your guilt. Admit your God-defiance. Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners, pulling strangers into the sex-and-religion groves While turning a deaf ear to me.’’ The Message.
A friend of mine had been praying for his neighbour. He knew that time was ticking by, and that the opportunity to share the good news about Jesus with him was limited. Suddenly, one day, this man asked him, ‘Hey, what’s so good about Good Friday?’ What an opportunity! My friend told him.
This is what is so good about Good Friday. Jesus died on the cross in our place. He received the punishment we deserve for our sins. He willingly took it on our behalf. As a consequence:
‘’…if we admit our sins – make a clean breast of them – he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing.’’ The Message.
What do you need forgiveness for today? What is on your conscience? It can be washed clean. Just ‘’Return’’ to your ‘’merciful’’ Lord and ‘’acknowledge your guilt’’. To confess means ‘to speak the same thing.’ Agree with God about your sin. Get on the same page as Him. Then trust Him to forgive you because of the cross.
Discover for yourself what is so good about Good Friday!
‘’When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.’’
The best decision anyone can ever make, at any point in life, in any circumstances, whoever they are, wherever they are, whatever they are, is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. There is no better decision for a human being in this life, any human being. Justin Welby: Archbishop of Canterbury

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Daily Bible thoughts 847: Thursday 2nd April 2015: Jeremiah 3:6-10

Jeremiah 3:6-10

‘When will they ever learn?’

‘’Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. She also saw that because of fickle Israel’s loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn’t faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore’s life also. She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time.’’

We must learn from the sins (and mistakes) of others (6). Life furnishes us with many salutary object lessons. We can learn from the pain and misery of others, let alone our own. Such hard-bought lessons should not be wasted. As we read the Bible we find that there are numerous warnings to heed as we read the stories of ordinary sinful people just like ourselves.

Judah had much to learn from the sin and punishment of the northern kingdom, Israel (7, 8). Israel fell first and was taken into captivity first. This happened around 100 years earlier. But Biblical history teaches (and history in general) that we are slow to learn important lessons.

‘’The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.’’

‘’There are none so blind as those who will not see.’’

It was like God gave Judah a front seat in the stalls. They ate their popcorn and watched what was played out on stage. It was a powerful drama, as Israel was disciplined and the people were ‘divorced’ by being sent into captivity. The Judeans, however, thought they could put on the same play without facing the same devastating ending.

To change the image: Israel played with fire and got burned; Judah thought she could play with the identical fire and not get burned. ‘’The only thing we learn from history…’’

Verse 9 refers to Judah: ‘’Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her’’. They totally played down what the Israelites had done. It seems that we face a similarly serious situation in our land with sin mattering ‘’so little’’ to many people. We who are Christians are in danger and we’d better recognise it. We live in the same environment, populate the same culture and breathe in the same air, and we need to be careful that we are not infected with this ‘bug’. We can’t afford to become careless about sin. Yes, we may be forgiven; yes we get right with God through faith in Jesus. But this does not mean that we can live casually. Someone observed that ‘’sin is never less than serious in a Christian.’’ (See Romans 6.) It is true that we continue to sin, but our attitude towards it is to be one of implacable hatred and hostility and fierce resistance, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Judah only pretended to return to God. That sham front can never escape the scrutiny of the One who has X-Ray vision (Revelation 1:14b).

Prayer: Lord, you know my heart. I want to hate all sin, and love righteousness. I recognise that sin can never matter little to those who see what it did to Jesus. The cross tells me to hate evil and love you. I do so want to side with you against all sin and evil. Deliver me from its power, even as you have set me free from its penalty. I praise you that one day I will be rescued from its very presence.

 

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Daily Bible thoughts 846: Wednesday 1st April 2015: Jeremiah 3:1-5

Jeremiah 3:1-5

‘’…the barren heights…’’ (2a).

The divorce law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 prohibited a woman who had been divorced and who had married another man from ever returning to her first husband. The Lord here pictures Judah as being effectively divorced from Him by her dalliance with other lovers (the Canaanite gods.) By analogy with the divorce law she could never hope for Yahweh to take her back. But He, of course, is gracious, and He would gladly welcome her home if only she would repent.

The sexual imagery continues with the theme of prostitution in (1, 2 and 3). It is shocking language. ‘’Look around at the hills. Where have you not had sex?’’ The Message. It shows that God loves His people so much that He is prepared to speak the ‘’kind truth’’ as someone put it. He was willing to spell out the seriousness of the situation, even though it meant giving the hard word. What the people of Judah were doing was spiritual prostitution. They were no doubt shocked and even scandalised to hear their conduct described in such terms. But God knew they needed to see themselves as He saw them.

Jesus similarly used ‘shock tactics’ in His speech. He used arresting language. He spoke some ‘hard sayings’, designed to challenge people, make them think, and ultimately change. The God of the Old Testament is the same God revealed in Christ.

Remember that the true God calls for undivided heart loyalty. We are to have no other gods before Him. Are we totally faithful in our marriage to the Lord of heaven and earth? Or is something flirtatious going on around the edges of the relationship? Do we have eyes for other ‘lovers’? Are we chasing after any idols?

Just as in sexual temptation (2) when you seem to be offered something good, but it turns out to be empty and unfulfilling; so when we turn to any other god we will find ‘barrenness’ there. What would seem to lift you up will pull you down.

I believe Newton’s law says that for each action there will be an equal and opposite reaction. I say that because we live in a world of cause and effect. Actions have consequences (2b, 3a; see Leviticus 26:3,4). Sin has unwanted consequences. It not only affects me – the sinner, but also the land I live in. Primarily my sin is against God, but it also has social consequences. It can negatively affect others.

The people of Judah would not repent (3-5). They were ‘’brazen’’ in their sin (3b). In fact, they were blasé about their relationship with God. They thought they could live how they pleased and the Lord wouldn’t mind. It wouldn’t adversely affect things. ‘’Brazen as whores, you carry on as if you’ve done nothing wrong. Then you have the nerve to call out, ‘My father! You took care of me when I was a child. What now? Are you going to keep up your anger nonstop?’ That’s your line. Meanwhile you keep sinning nonstop.’’ The Message.

Prayer: Lord God, you deserve, and require, the true love of all my heart. Help me to worship you alone.

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