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Notes: March 26, 2009

Listen to the Word of God

Read these two chapters together. In the first, God warns of false prophets. In the second a false prophet arises. Lesson and application. Trust and obey. Hear and do. Faith and action. Does your religion translate into your life?

Jeremiah27

  • (v. 2) Jeremiah’s object lesson: the yoke.
  • (v. 3) Jeremiah’s word to other nations: Edom, Moab, Ammon and Tyre and Sidon.
  • (v. 5-6) God asserts His sovereignty.
  • (v. 8-10) The first of two choices: rebel against the Babylonians, and die.
  • (v. 11) Submit to the Babylonians, and live.
  • (v. 12-22) The same choices are presented to the King of Judah.
  • (v. 13) Why will you die?
  • (v. 15) God has not sent everyone who wears religious garb.
  • (v. 18) Answered prayer is proof of God’s approval.

Jeremiah 28

  • (v. 1) Hananiah, the false prophet
  • (v. 2) Claiming divine authority (don’t they all?)
  • (v. 3) Contradicting other prophets (they can’t all be right!)
  • (v. 6) Jeremiah (facetiously) declares that he would like for Hananiah to be right
  • (v. 10) Hananiah broke what God had ordered Jeremiah to construct
  • (v. 13-14) God calls Jeremiah to denounce Hananiah
  • (v. 17) Hananiah died within the year

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Notes: March 25, 2009

An Evil King

Zedekiah was 21 years old when he began to reign over Judah.

His 11 years as king did nothing to save the nation.

2 Kings 24:18-20

  • (v. 19) Evil in the sight of the Lord. Does any other opinion of our actions really matter?
  • (v. 20) How does God’s anger fit into Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon?

2 Chronicles 36:11-16

  • (v. 12) One evidence of an evil heart is our refusal to listen to God
  • (v. 13) Did King Nebuchadnezzar make Zedekiah swear by (his) God that Israel would not rebel? If so, then Zedekiah broke his promise to Nebuchadnezzar and his oath to God.
  • (v. 14) When the King is evil, the priests and prophets should denounce him, not join him.
  • (v. 15) God graciously warned the sinners of the danger they were bringing upon themselves
  • (v. 16) If we reject the word and warnings of God, there is no remedy.

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Notes: March 24, 2009

Two Baskets of Figs

Jeremiah, a faithful prophet receives further revelation from God.

Jeremiah 24

  • This vision comes AFTER Jeconiah and his family and court have been captured by the Babylonians
  • One basket contains very good figs; and the other basket contains very bad figs.
  • The Jews who obeyed God and submitted to Nebuchadnezzar have done well (the good figs). The will know God (Jeremiah 24:7) because God will change their heart.
  • The Jews who rebelled against the Babylonians will be destroyed (the bad figs).

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Notes: March 23, 2009

Israel Overrun

God had promised that the Judah would fall into the hands of the Babylonians. Moreover He had predicted that the inhabitants would be taken as captives into a foreign land. The beginning of such captivity is described in today’s reading.

2 Kings 24:10-17

  • Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon; Jehoiachin was the king of Judah.
  • Israel’s king, his family and his court, surrendered and were taken away.
  • The Babylonians ransacked the temple in Jerusalem; but they did not take everything.
  • Only the poorest and weakest and less talented folks were not forced to leave the country.

2 Chronicles 36:9-10

  • v 9. Eight or eighteen? 2 Kings 24:8.
  • v 10. Brother or uncle? 2 Kings 24:17.

Psalm 127:1-9

  • v 1. What makes you cry? Have you ever wept when you remembered times of spiritual joy, or seasons of spiritual defeat?
  • v 4. Are there times or places that singing gospel songs and hymns may be inappropriate, inconvenient, or undesirable?
  • v 8. Do you have assurance that God will make all things right?

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