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Faithwalker012 11-24-2011 01:46 AM

Jeremiah
 
Reading in this lengthy, great book and will want to post some thoughts on this as I go. Very open for discussion and it's not as if I'm some great teacher, but I will post my own thoughts.

Oh yeah, Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Jason

Faithwalker012 11-24-2011 05:11 AM

Re: Jeremiah
 
The first thing that is actually noteworthy about this book is that much of it, at least the early part of it, is full of pretty harsh words for Judah as well as to some extent all the tribes of Israel. The thing about it is we are all responsible and accountable for what we do, good or bad. God doesn't go looking for someone to zap, but people sure can bring it on themselves. You can do things God's way or you can do it your own way. So many people want to do things their own way. That's fine, God will let you do that in most cases. But the thing is, you need to ask yourself who is more intelligent and knows more, you or God. Hopefully, you would say that God is. So the thing is, things generally work out a lot better for you when you do it God's way. You want to be really careful because when you get too complacent in the ways of the world, traditions of man, and listen to people, even from behind the pulpit in church dreaming up a bunch of nonsense and claiming it's from God or His Word and you don't check them out, you can wind up in a world of trouble. Judah and Jerusalem at this time was full of false prophets, false shepherds(pastors) and idolatry. That's why ultimately they would go into captivity taken by Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, God's own servant,in around 497 BC, as we see at the beginning of the book of Daniel. God doesn't bring evil on anyone, but stray far enough from Him for a long enough period of time and He will allow you to be carried away into captivity in a spiritual sense. We also are coming up on a time in which the end times Babylon will be upon us, and most of the world, again caught up in their own concerns, their own traditions, and their false sense of security regarding among other things the "rapture doctrine", are going to be taken captive by the Antichrist. What's important to note from Daniel is that even when Antichrist is here, God will take care of those who do not bow to him, just as he did the three Hebrew children Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego.

As for Jeremiah, he was given a special purpose by God to speak to those in Jerusalem and to be a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). While I regret in a way starting with Chapter 7, this is where I was just reading and so I'll start there. I will go back and recap some of what was in the earlier chapters, although Jeremiah itself is not a book that is in chronological order of prophecy or events. Chapter 7 is not a bad chapter to start with, because God basically tells Jeremiah, "You go right into the church and speak to my people." He tells him they're not going to like what he has to say, but he also told Jeremiah in Chapter 1 that although they would fight against him, they were not going to prevail, because God would be with him to deliver him.

So with that said, on to my next post.

Jason

Faithwalker012 11-24-2011 05:38 AM

Re: Jeremiah
 
7:1
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
7:2
Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

Again God tells Jeremiah you go to the church, or what today would be the church and you speak to the people there. Friends, God cares for His children and even those who are maybe in a church that teaches tradition and does not adequately feed them from the Word itself, if these people recognize the real truth when they hear it in its simplicity and fullness, they can come out of the deception and confusion of Babylon, spiritually speaking and come into the blessings of God and the fullness of His truth. Even when Antichrist is here, there are some who will at first believe he is Christ, but upon hearing the words of those not deceived (God's elect), they will come out of that deception as well.
7:3
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
7:4
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

Friends, don't get caught up in "playing church" and don't believe something or do something because the church said it was so. The church is not the final authority. Your pastor is not the final authority. God and His Word are what counts and what you want to direct your life. A church that does not have that or believe that is simply a pile of bricks. God is going to make pretty clear what He thinks of this "temple of the LORD" in several verses here. Which would you rather listen to... some "ordained minister" or God Himself? When God speaks, and that's who is truly speaking here through Jeremiah, you'd better listen. In the first chapter of this book, verse 9, God literally puts His words into Jeremiah's mouth. So, let's listen.
7:5
For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
7:6
If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
7:7
Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
7:8
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
7:9
Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
7:10
And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
7:11
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
7:12
But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
7:13
And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
7:14
Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
7:15
And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
7:16
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
7:17
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
7:19
Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
7:21
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
7:22
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
7:23
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
7:24
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
7:25
Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
7:26
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
7:27
Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.
7:28
But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
7:29
Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
7:30
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
7:31
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
7:32
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
7:33
And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
7:34
Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

Faithwalker012 11-24-2011 07:23 AM

Re: Jeremiah
 
7:1
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
7:2
Stand in the gate of the LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

Again God tells Jeremiah you go to the church, or what today would be the church and you speak to the people there. Friends, God cares for His children and even those who are maybe in a church that teaches tradition and does not adequately feed them from the Word itself, if these people recognize the real truth when they hear it in its simplicity and fullness, they can come out of the deception and confusion of Babylon, spiritually speaking and come into the blessings of God and the fullness of His truth. Even when Antichrist is here, there are some who will at first believe he is Christ, but upon hearing the words of those not deceived (God's elect), they will come out of that deception as well.
7:3
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
7:4
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

Friends, don't get caught up in "playing church" and don't believe something or do something because the church said it was so. The church is not the final authority. Your pastor is not the final authority. God and His Word are what counts and what you want to direct your life. A church that does not have that or believe that is simply a pile of bricks. God is going to make pretty clear what He thinks of this "temple of the LORD" in several verses here. Which would you rather listen to... some "ordained minister" or God Himself? When God speaks, and that's who is truly speaking here through Jeremiah, you'd better listen. In the first chapter of this book, verse 9, God literally puts His words into Jeremiah's mouth. So, let's listen.
7:5
For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;

Notice it says if you thoroughly amend your ways, or completely change them. It doesn't take a lot necessarily, but you're not going to con our Father. In Chapter 3:10 God mentions that Judah even in witnessing the backsliding and punishment of the house of Israel still did not turn to Him with their whole heart, but feignedly, or they faked it. Friends, you can't fool God and you can't cheat people and expect to receive God's blessings or approval.
7:6
If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:

So many people who don't believe think that God is some sort of tyrant demanding worship. No, what does that say...walk after other gods to your hurt. He doesn't want to see His children go down a path that's going to hurt them. Well, He's the one who ultimately does the hurting some might say. Imagine if you will for a moment having someone you truly love with all your heart and you're faithful to them completely. You provide for them, you help them, you give them all you have. They respond by running after someone or something else again and again. You would probably be rather angry and hurt. Well, so is He. But the thing is, He gives people more chances and is much more patient and forgiving than any of us are. In Chapter 3 he makes mention of the Mosaic law that when a man divorces a woman and she marries again, if that man divorces her or she becomes a widow, he's not to marry her again. Yet God did in fact divorce Israel and in making the comparison is telling Israel, you've remarried and now want to come back. Yet God still will take them back on true repentance. Also, it is to one's own hurt if they go after other gods. Those gods can't help them, they can't give them peace of mind. They don't exist, but our Father does.
7:7
Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

That's it. Meet the conditions and receive the blessings. Isn't that much better than the alternative? We all fall short, but there's a difference between falling short and repenting and sinning and just not caring.God's grace is always there for you and forgiveness is there always upon true repentance. But if you ignore God long enough you'll be in a sorry state and have no one to blame but yourself.
7:8
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
7:9
Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
7:10
And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
7:11
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
7:12
But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
7:13
And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
7:14
Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
7:15
And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
7:16
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
7:17
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
7:19
Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
7:21
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.
7:22
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
7:23
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
7:24
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
7:25
Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:
7:26
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.
7:27
Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.
7:28
But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
7:29
Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
7:30
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
7:31
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
7:32
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
7:33
And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
7:34
Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

Faithwalker012 11-25-2011 11:12 AM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Okay, little confusing or messy perhaps. I accidentally hit submit reply a couple of times.:roll:

So I'll pick up where I left off.;)

Jason

Faithwalker012 11-25-2011 04:09 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
7:8
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

It's a sad thing indeed when these lying words come from what is supposedly "the temple of the LORD". But whether it comes from a church, a scholar, your neighbor, your best friend, if it contradicts God and His Word it does not profit you.
7:9
Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

Now the religious community did murder and steal. They murdered the prophets, they crucified Jesus Christ. They also ripped people off to fill their own pockets in the name of religion. But this committing adultery and all accusations afterward are in the spiritual connotation. God took Israel to wife and He also takes the body of Christ as His bride. When one goes after other religions and gods and worships or gives reverence to them, then they commit spiritual adultery. Also leading others to do the same when you're a priest, pastor, whatever is basically committing a spiritual murder of their soul. It doesn't mean those people are going to hell necessarily, as God can restore life to them with truth. But again, if you're going to "preach" you had better make sure you're leading your flock down the path of heaven and not the other way around.
7:10
And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Right in the "church" these things were going on. Let me ask, do you think it's any different today? Churches don't build idols today and worship them. But they can't or won't teach truth chapter by chapter and verse by verse in God's Word. I'm not saying every church, but unfortunately there are many. They rob hungry souls from hearing and being fed the real truth and the meat of the Word and these gentle souls hear and learn little more than salvation, salvation, salvation when they're already saved. They become "politically correct" because the Word becomes a stumbling block to them to where they would rather make friends and not offend then speak out against that which God Himself calls an abomination. Some even allow those abominable things to not only take hold in their church but lead the flock. Friends, homosexuality is not the unforgivable sin and if a person realizes that they have a weakness and come for help and to be forgiven, then by all means welcome them. But if they continue in unnatural acts, don't expect to be blessed if you actually appoint them pastor, priest, bishop, deacon, whatever the case may be.
7:11
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

Christ Himself referred to this in Matthew 21:12-13 when he drove the money changers out of the temple. These money changers were selling mite infested doves to be used as sacrifices in God's own house. If you think Jesus is gentle, well He is. But when it comes to people ripping off and robbing his people, in a literal sense, or especially in a spiritual sense, He does not like it one bit. He drove those money changers out of that temple with force, with a cat of nine tails. God will not stand for being mocked or having His people taken advantage of by people who claim, "But I am doing the Lord's work". Especially not in a church that calls itself Christian.
7:12
But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.

Shiloh was one of the biggest disasters in all of the Old Testament. It was a place where God did set His name first and it meant place of rest. Jerusalem actually means habitation of rest. But in Shiloh there was a judge by the name of Eli. Eli himself was not a bad man but he had two rotten sons Hophni and Phineas. They were priests in name only for they abhorred the offering of the Lord (1 Sam 2:17) and even laid with women at the door of the tabernacle (1 Sam 2:22) In Chapter 4 of 1 Samuel everything bad basically happens at once. Israel is routed by the Phillistines in battle. The ark of the covenant is taken. Hophni and Phineas are killed in battle. Eli is informed of this by one who escaped and ran from the battlefield and falls from his seat and breaks his neck and dies. Eli's daughter-in-law hears of all this and dies in childbirth, namind her son Ichabod which means "Where is the glory" because the glory was taken from Israel just like that. God is telling these church people,I've done it before and I will do it again if you don't change.
7:13
And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
God has called out to His people again and again. Through the prophets, through some of the good teachers today, and of course through His word. Don't be one of those who hears not and answers not. He loves you and He doesn't speak just to hear Himself. He wants to bless you, He really does. But you have to meet the conditions.
7:14
Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

Jerusalem would go into captivity for 70 years to Babylon and Media-Persia
7:15
And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.

The whole seed of Ephraim is the 10 northern tribes or the House of Israel. At this time they were already in captivity to the Assyrians. Friends you can only go into captivity if you disobey or disregard God. That even goes for individuals today as we come on the time in which Antichrist is going to appear Get into His word, put on the gospel armor, and seal your mind with His truth so that even as most of the world does go into captivity you are free and well protected and provided for.

Faithwalker012 11-25-2011 07:36 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
7:16
Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
When God decides to do something that is usually it. At times people may make intercession, as Abraham did or tried to for Sodom and Gomorrah due to his nephew lot being there. But when Gods says He will not hear, He will not hear. Now if the people themselves want to come around, then that's on them to do so. Forgiveness and grace can still be available, but it's on the people themselves to repent.
7:17
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Do you know who the queen of heaven is as it's referred to here? It is Ishtar. Ever wonder where our word Easter comes from? Ishtar was a pagan fertility goddess and in the spring they had fertility festivals, including sexual orgies. Now we have taken the solemn event and the holy day of Passover and made it into bunnies and rolling easter eggs. Many times churches have easter egg hunts and they don't even know or remember that among other things Jesus was crucified probably more on a Wednesday than a Friday, because Friday to Sunday is not 3.5 days in the tomb. But the day isn't as important as honoring and remembering what Christ did at the time of the Passover, as He in fact became our Passover( 1 Cor 5:7). So when we honor Passover and celebrate it today we celebrate not an old Hebrew feast and custom, but Jesus Christ Himself. There's no need to mix pagan tradition or religion into the beauty of what Jesus Christ did for us.
7:19
Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

And so it is... they do it to themselves. They bring shame on themselves. Unfortunately, they do feel shame because there are many good Christians that are caught up in tradition. They're going to be calling for the mountains to fall on them as it states in Revelation because they will feel ashamed when they find out they worshipped a fake... that their religion and good old church tradition lead them right to Satan himself. It will be a very sad time for them.
7:20
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

Much of this is still future because indeed when Satan as Antichrist sets up camp right in the temple of God claiming to be God, in Jerusalem, God certainly will pour out His anger upon His enemies. But you need to understand that His anger does not touch those He loves. When those 3 Hebrew children went into that firey furnace in Daniel Chapter 3, that was a type for you that you can be right there in the middle of everything and not have a hair on your head singed. But that pouring out will happen, and for those who offend it will not be pretty.

Faithwalker012 11-25-2011 07:37 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
7:21
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh.

God is basically saying keep your sacrifices and even today your mixing of religions to yourself, because He doesn't want anything to do with them. I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty because we pretty much all grew up coloring or rolling Easter eggs, getting Easter baskets, etc. The fault is not yours for being brought up in man's traditions. But God does expect people at some point to actually study His Word for themselves so they can determine what fits and lines up, and what is tradition and should be done away with, at least on a personal level.
7:22
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:

It is true that when they were first brought out of the land of Egypt that there was no law or statute concerning sacrifices. But the larger point is in the next verse.
7:23
But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

That's the point. The idea was never to out of feeling of ritual or obligation to make burnt offerings to God. The point was, is, and always will be in this verse. Hosea 6:6 stipulates that God wants our love, not our burnt offerings. Have you told Him you love Him lately?
7:24
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Back into their spiritual adultery and idolatry. How easy it is for some to fall back on old habits whether than simply listening to the creator of their very soul.
7:25
Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:

God is saying, it's not for lack of effort or warnings and communication on My part. Even today we have God's letter to us. Have you read it?
7:26
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

So it continues today. It seems the more distractions we have, the more "religion and spirituality" and the more we think we know, the less time we have to hearken to or listen to God and read His letter. The world is worse off for it.

Jeremiah 7:27 "Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee."

If people don't want to listen to what God has to say and if they don't want to read His word then they're just not going to. That's been the case since before Jeremiah's day and is the case still today. Still, those who are truly called and chosen as Jeremiah was will speak the Word.Those who are chosen "elect" of God have compassion and a need to get the real truth out. For though some do not listen, there are many who do. Even some of those who would not listen when it was first delivered, perhaps down the road at some point in their life they will. God determines if and when a planted seed will truly grow.

Jeremiah 7:28 "But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth."

Jeremiah 7:29 "Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath."

The generation of His wrath is that last generation that is present when Antichrist is here, for that is the time in which God's wrath will be poured out. That time is not here but it is coming pretty rapidly. But again you need to know that His wrath isn't spilled out on all people. Only His enemies get the wrath. You who are in Christ and you who have God's seal, that is to say His truth in your mind at that time will not be harmed. Satan is given strict orders not to touch those who have that truth in Revelation 9:4. Only those who do not have that seal can be harmed, and even then it's spiritual. How do you avoid being rejected and forsaken? Study His Word and know that the first one showing up claiming to be Christ is nothing but an abomination in Satan himself.

Jeremiah 7:30 "For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it."

Have you read of the 7 churches in Revelation in Chapters 2 and 3? Out of 7 churches God only found 2 that He could find no fault in. Those churches were Smyrna and Philadelphia. The names are not important. It's the doctrine that's important. Both of those churches knew about the ones claiming to be Jews but were of the synagogue of Satan. They stood up and stood on the Word of God and didn't waiver or compromise. They didn't teach tradition and they kept their houses clean. How many churches today teach about these ones claiming to be Jews but are of the synagogue of Satan? When's the last time your pastor mentioned them? I'll bet it's been a while if it's ever happened. But it's in the Word, so what's the problem?

Jeremiah 7:31 "And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart."

Tophet in the Hebrew means a place of heat or cremation, Strong's Hebrew word 8613. At this time some of these people of Judah had fallen so far as to burn their own children as a sacrifice. That certainly never came from God. Is there any wonder why He would be angry?

Jeremiah 7:32 "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place."

This is looking forward, as we will see and reference in the next verse, to the time at the very end when Jesus Christ returns and in a twinkling of an eye all flesh is changed. Jesus is going to come back and set things right where there will be no more abominations in His house, there will be no twisting things pervertedly in the name of religion. There will be 1,000 years of peace before Satan is released for a short season and then unfortunately deceive many people. But then after that comes Satan's defeat, the Judgment, and at that point anyone who would offend is simply done away with, never to be thought of or remembered again.

Jeremiah 7:33 "And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away."

Christ again makes reference to this time in the book of Matthew. We'll go there quickly.

Matthew 24:27-29 "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.[27] For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.[28] Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:[29]

The eagles actually should be translated vultures. So now you get the idea of why they are there and what they are doing. There's nothing sinister or violent about it, they are simply doing what they were created to do, which is cleanse the earth of dead and decaying matter. Again all of this will of course center around Jerusalem. God is going to cleanse that great city, and afterward it will be the center of His eternal kingdom.

Jeremiah 7:34 "Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate."

Antichrist is referred to of course in Daniel as the abomination that maketh desolate (Daniel 11:31). Satan fell once and drew one third of God's own children with him. Jeremiah Chapter 4 actually refers to this time, taking us back to Genesis 1:1. God did not create the world void and without form. Satan's rebellion caused it to become that way and become desolate. He's going to do it again, but it's going to be in a spiritual sense. At this point there will be no more true joy and no peace, though they will cry peace peace, but there will be no peace. (Jer 6:14) The bridegroom is Christ and the bride is the body. There will be no more calls to come to Christ and be saved in the sense there is today, because at that point in time you either know the truth and will stay true to Him or you will be deceived and bow to Antichrist. You're sealed in your mind either with the seal of God, or with the mark of the beast. Don't be sealed with the later. It truly will be shameful for those who really do love Christ to worship a fake. That is disgrace. So, get in His word, stay in His word, don't rely on tradition, and don't listen to man, including me, without checking things out in the only source that counts, God's Word.

God bless,

Jason

Faithwalker012 11-25-2011 07:38 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Clearly I'm going to have to be less wordy or break things up better. Forgot about the character count limit!

Jason

Faithwalker012 11-27-2011 02:19 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Okay, we'll try to keep things a bit neater as we go to Chapter 8.;)

Chapter 8 as it starts is a continuation of the end of Chapter 7. Therefore, we know the "at that time" referred to is the time at the end of this age. The last two verses of Chapter 7 set that stage because it speaks of that time that Christ referred to in Matthew 24 upon His return. Again, this does not mean people are going to die violently. But at that time, everyone will be changed from flesh body to a spiritual one. This is actually one way to almost test if you will whether the entity here first claiming to be Christ is the real deal or a fake. First off, you should know he's a fake because the Word states the false Christ comes first. But if it ever starts to get a little questionable for you, pinch yourself or do something else to determine that you're still in a flesh body. When the true Christ returns, flesh is done away with. Just an aside, and with that on to this chapter.

Jeremiah 8:1 "At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:"

Jeremiah 8:2 "And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth."

I have seen this mentioned and explained a couple of different ways and really I can go either way on it. I have seen it stated or interpreted that this is saying these deceased people are the ones who went bad. That certainly makes sense in the context of what God has been saying in prior chapters. Remember this is yet future even for us. Then I have also seen it said that it's talking about people who fall away and show a great amount of disrespect toward these ancestors and forefathers from Judah. I don't know if that part of it matters a great deal. The main point here is we have extreme idolatry and apostasy. The Great Apostasy if you will. You have people worshipping the created instead of the Creator. We have people who will make a religion out of astrology today and let that guide their life. "Well I can't do that today because my horoscope told me not to." God did put the stars in the sky and arrange them in a way that they do give signs and seasons as it says in Genesis 1:14. But you certainly don't let it dictate your personal every day life.

But who are these hosts of heaven? Well, you can call it angel worship which would be bad enough. But specifically fallen angel worship, and even Satan worship. Certainly at this time for many if not all, unfortunately done out of ignorance. But Satan and his fallen angels are still in heaven at this time. They are in chains as it says in Jude, but they are in heaven. But as it states in Revelation 12:9 there's going to come a time probably not too far off in which Michael is going to boot Satan out of heaven. When that happens, he's bringing some help with him, that being Satan bringing those fallen angels. They're all supernatural beings. People today go crazy over athletes, rock stars, even over Barack Obama when he was campaigning in 2008. People falling all over themselves trying to see him, touch him... people fainting... OVER A POLITICIAN!! These people aren't going to have a chance when they see something supernatural. They'll go running to it. And did you know that the image most of us have of what Jesus looked like, that's how Satan will appear and what he will look like. Don't get too carried away or thrown by that, but documentation is Revelation 13:11 in which it says he has two horns like a lamb but spake as a dragon. In other words he will look like Jesus but speak as the dragon. Why is that? Because he is the dragon, which is to say Satan. Unfortunately in as much as there will be a spirit of slumber or even stupor placed on most in the world, they won't be able to pick up on that. They'll see something supernatural who looks like Jesus and says, "Oh my child, I've come to take you away. I've come to fly you away." They won't have a chance. They'll go right along with it. It's getting late in the day. But it's still not too late to get into His Word so that you're not deceived.


Jeremiah 8:3 "And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts."

Why would these people choose death over life? Well, in one sense those who would worship Satan are choosing death over life. But why does it say in Revelation 9:6 that men will seek death and it will flee from them? Why does it say in Revelation 6:16 they will be calling for the mountains and rocks to fall on them? Because when you have basically good people... Christians.... who do love the Lord and have maybe sat in a church pew all their life, but never got around to checking things out in the Word themselves, and they are unaware that the first "messiah" that shows up is the fake, when the True one shows up and they realize they've been had and worshipped a fraud, they would rather die than face Jesus at that time. It's going to be a sad time for many. It really is. Make sure you're not one of them.

Jeremiah 8:4 "Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?"

This is kind of a rhetorical common sense question. Basically it's asking, or stating, that when someone falls, or messes up, don't they get back up, and when they go the wrong way, which is away from God, don't they return back to Him for help? The original text in the Massorah locked it in so that it should lead "shall they return (to Him) and He not return (to them)? So basically to really dumb it down God is simply saying, "Don't they know that if they mess up and return to Me that I will return to them and help them?" Friend, that's been the theme from Day 1. None of us are perfect and we're going to sin. But repent, return to Him and be forgiven and restored. What was that verse from the last Chapter, Jeremiah 7:23? Obey My vocie, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you... (WHY).... that it may be well unto you. He's not going around looking for someone to pour His wrath out on. So why not be blessed instead? This is a good cut off point.

Faithwalker012 11-27-2011 05:24 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Jeremiah 8:5 "Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return."

It's a fair question by our Father. Most people when they realize something just isn't working and the road they're going down is taking them the wrong way, they turn back and go the other way. But these people hold fast to their traditions, to their religion, to their way of doing things. Friend, your Father wants to help you. Obey His voice and walk in His ways and it will be well unto you. Why do something counterproductive? But, how do you know His ways? You study His word. Not, "well my pastor says this, the guy on television says that, and the person on the internet said this. What does God say?

Jeremiah 8:6 "I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle."

God is saying, I listened, I studied the situation. I waited for and watched for someone to do what is right and repent. But no one did.They continued with their falsehoods and rushed forward with them. They didn't turn back to Me so that I could turn back to them. I can't help but think of the several times in Revelation where it's mentioned that those who receive the mark of the beast do not repent. For some people doing things God's way is just apparently too much. When actually, it's very easy. Again, there's no one perfect. But He doesn't expect you to be. He only expects you to care enough and think enough of Him that when you do mess up you come to Him and say, "Father I'm sorry. I messed up. Help me to do better next time. He stamps that as perfect, and you've got a fresh start. Turn back to Him so that it may be well unto you.

Jeremiah 8:7 "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD."

This is saying that even the birds (turtle being turtle dove) know basically when to fly south for the winter, to make it plain and simple. God's people are smarter than the birds... or at least they should be. But yet they don't know His Word or His ways. Why is that? They don't study. Again, you can be a fine church going Christian. But if you set in a church pew for 50 or 60 years and you listen to a pastor feed you a verse here, a verse there, and spend 20 minutes of his sermon talking about Aunt Betty's pies, where he's going for lunch, last night's baseball game, or just plain and simple recycled traditions of man, then spiritually speaking your rib cage is showing even though you've gone there every Sunday for your entire life, basically. You haven't been fed the meat of the Word of God, and you're starving. Get out of tradition.

Jeremiah 8:8 "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain."

The translation here is not the greatest. What this is saying is God is telling them, "You say we have the law of God or the word of God but your scribes have changed it. The word vain is sheqer, and it means a lie or falsehood. In other words, you think you have my Word but you're relying on the words of a bunch of men that have nothing to do with what I said. You've let them tell you what it says rather than reading it for yourself. As a good pastor says, it's not a sin to be biblically illiterate. It is a sin to stay that way.

Jeremiah 8:9 "The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

This word taken is interesting. It's lakad in the Hebrew and it means seized, captured, or ensnared like in a trap. Relying on your own wisdom or the wisdom of other men will trap you. Where does true wisdom come from? Proverbs 1:7 The fear(reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Faithwalker012 11-27-2011 09:06 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Jeremiah 8:10 "Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely."

Friends, you can not rip off or cheat God's people and expect to gain anything from it in the long term.Ministries that have to beg for money have a severe problem and those who would rip people off or con them supposedly in the name of God will answer for it.

Jeremiah 8:11 "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."

Just love Jesus and you will be fine. Go your way my child, it's going to be okay. Send your check in the mail and we'll pray for you. You don't need to understand the book of Revelation, you're going to fly away. People look to these "reverends" for answers to their problems and they can't say anything except, "oh just believe in Jesus and it will be okay. Are you saved my child?" No one has all the answers but when you have a bunch of so called pastors who are steeped in tradition instead of the Word of God and can say or teach nothing but "salvation, salvation, salvation, and they can't teach people or explain what's going on today and how it relates to God's Word, and they put the idea in people's head that they want to be the first one taken from the field when the first "messiah" that shows up is Antichrist, you'd better believe there's no peace in that. But they sure do make sure that people know when that collection plate is being passed around. Some of them, not all. There are good churches and pastors. But there sure are some bad ones as well.

Jeremiah 8:12 "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD."

It's going to happen, for it is written. Not by the false scribes or pen of man. But by the Word of God. But you know what's sad... many of them do it out of ignorance. But for some ignorance is an excuse, for a time. Paul made mention that when he actually persecuted the church it wasn't counted against him because Paul thought he was doing right. But if you're going to preach, if you're going to teach, ignorance is not an excuse. No one has the answers to everything. But you'd better at least study the Word yourself and get a pretty firm grasp of it and teach it as it is written without apology and without any input from man trying to change it.

Jeremiah 8:13 "I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them."
Well I thought God's gifts were given without repentance. It is true, as it states in Roman's 11:29 that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. But let's say that God actually does give one the gift to teach, preach, or evangelize. They have a sharp mind and maybe are a dynamic communicator. God gave them the gift, but how they use it is up to them. If they have some success and decide that they can get a little money for their ministry, just as an example, begging for it here, and creating an emergency there, and putting people on a guilt trip for not contributing here, well hopefully you get the picture. They still, I believe will have that gift to teach. But they misused that gift terribly and so they could certainly stand to lose all the blessings they were given earlier in their work. As an aside, I can't help but think of Nebuchadnezzar, who these same people of Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah would go into captivity to. In Daniel Chapter 4 Neubchadnezzar gets a little puffed up and says basically "Look at my great kingdom and everything that I've done for my own glory." And basically in that same instant he lost it all. A voice came down from heaven saying "Thy kingdom is departed from you." He was driven out, driven mad, and lived as an animal and as it was written 7 times passed over him until finally he looked up at heaven and to God and gave Him the glory and he had his kingdom and even more restored to him. But if you ever want to lose everything in a heartbeat just try to take all the credit yourself without even acknowledging God.


Jason

Sasa 11-28-2011 10:50 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
(((Hugs))) "J" ...Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

Faithwalker012 12-03-2011 08:09 PM

Re: Jeremiah
 
Thank you Sasa.:)

Now, carrying on with our subject

Jeremiah 8:14 "Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

This is a bit confusing to me but it's the nature of people sometimes. You can enter the most fortified city with the best military in the world and it's not going to matter if it is indeed God Who has turned against you. This water of gall is poppy water, or poisoned water. This actually is what makes heroin today though that isn't the most important point here. But I might ask to or I might say, where is the repentance? I suppose the answer to that is in verse 12. Out of ignorance they don't even feel the need to repent because they think they're doing just fine. Unfortunately, not so.

Jeremiah 8:15 "We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!"

It is truly a sad state of affairs when God's people and those seeking Him go into a church, let's say, for peace of mind and to learn and be fed, and get a bunch of fluff that can't nourish a soul in a spiritual sense. You know, Paul in the New Testament makes at least a couple references to milk vs. meat in teaching and in learning God's Word. Probably the best place he uses it is in the last 3 verses of Hebrews 5.

Hebrews 5:12 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

This is actually quite a state of condemnation and criticism by Paul. Not condemnation in terms of condemned to hell of course. But he's saying, you're at a point now where you should be knowledgeable enough and skilled enough to teach the Word. But instead, you yourselves need to be taught all over again from the very beginning. That's not a good thing.

Hebrews 5:13 "For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe."

This is a natural analogy that will be completed in the next verse. When a child is newborn it needs milk, and that's all it can take in for food. But when that child matures if you keep feeding it milk and not meat, or solid food, then that child is going to be rather sickly or malnourished. So to will a soul be that is fed nothing but the milk, the basics of God's Word. Doesn't mean they're going to hell necessarily. But it does mean unfortunately they're not too useful to God. And they in this day and age could very well be ripe to be deceived by the Antichrist. You've got to feed the people meat, when they're ready for it. You also don't want to jam it down them before they can take it in. But when they are ready, you've got to get away from the milk of salvation and into the deeper truths in the Word of God.

Hebrews 5:14 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Full age doesn't necessarily mean they know it all, because no one does. But they are mature enough that quite frankly when it comes down to it they will recognize Antichrist for the abomination he is when most of the world is falling at his feet. But if people are fed nothing but milk, they don't stand a chance, because they at best were told they would fly away and not even be here when Antichrist shows up. Unfortunately, that's not written at all.

It is trouble when the church does not feed souls with the full truth from the Word.

Sasa 12-04-2011 06:59 AM

Re: Jeremiah
 
They ask why do we sit still? but lets make a defence...We have sinned against God and now we are reaping what we have sown.

Why do we sit still? We look for peace but there is no peace...

"they have set their abominations (Negativity) in the house(temple) which is called by my name, to pollute it."


They know not the judgement (what comes around goes around)..to be ignorant of that is very dangerous, its the same as giving a gun to a toddler and saying go play, but to know it requires much responsiblity...great responsiblity for everyone and the earth.

There is peace...and I am interested to see at what point... how and when it comes about in this book, there must be a turning point somewhere. :)


Nice thoughts about Meat vs Milk I have always thought of that as spiritual maturity as well.

Reminds me of Edgar Cayces's story...He read the bible front to back 12 times..seeking, seeking..truth...and one day an angel appeared to him...she told him he was ready to receive greater wisdom. His life was never the same after that meeting. He had many healing gifts given to him. One of them was that he could sleep on a book under his pillow and know the entire contents the next morning by page number. Another gift given to him was the ability to heal people in other locations..without ever making physical contact. :)

Appreciate your thoughts.


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