Jeremiah Not to Marry

Jeremiah 16:1-4; ASV

1 The word of Jehovah came also unto me, saying,

2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters, in this place.

3 For thus saith Jehovah concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land:

4 They shall die grievous deaths: they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.

Why does Jehovah forbid Jeremiah from getting married and having kids?
1.  —Jehovah is being merciful to Jeremiah.
2.  —Jeremiah’s life is to reflect his belief of what is to come.

The Linen Sash

Jeremiah 13:1-11; ASV

1 Thus saith Jehovah unto me, Go, and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

2 So I bought a girdle according to the word of Jehovah, and put it upon my loins.

3 And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying,

4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as Jehovah commanded me.

6 And it came to pass after many days, that Jehovah said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.

7 Then I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

8 Then the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

9 Thus saith Jehovah, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.

10 This evil people, that refuse to hear my words, that walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and are gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is profitable for nothing.

11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith Jehovah; that they may be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.





The Symbol of the Linen Sash

The people of GOD are like this linen sash:
1.  “ruined”
2.  “good for nothing”

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matthew 5:13; NKJV)

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36; NKJV)

Glory In This

Thus says the LORD:

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the LORD.
 
Jeremiah 9:23-24; NKJV

Wisdom – Wisdom is knowledge guided by understanding.

Might – Might is defined as force, power, strength.

Riches – Riches are defined as valuable possessions, whether money or things.


Understands – To perceive and comprehend the nature and significance of, to grasp.

Knows - To perceive directly, grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty; to regard as true beyond doubt; to have fixed in the mind.

"I Have Made You This Day"

"For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land — Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.  They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you.  For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you." (Jeremiah 1:18-19; NKJV)

A Fortified City – Secure - —Surrounded by his enemies, Jeremiah would become a fortified city they couldn’t subdue!

An Iron Pillar – Strong - —Forced to stand alone, Jeremiah would become as strong as an iron pillar!

Bronze Walls – Able to Resist Attack - —Attacked on all sides by kings, princes, priests, and the people, Jeremiah would be as unyielding as a bronze all.

Life Lessons from Jeremiah

1.  Our God and Father longs to mold us into His image (18:1-6; Romans 8:29).

2.  Once dried, a marred vessel is fit only for the garbage heap (19:10-11; Psalm 2:9;

Revelation 2:27).

3.  Our God and Father longs for His children to know how to blush (6:15; 8:11-12;

Ephesians 5:11-12).

4.  Our God and Father longs for His children to weep (9:1; 13:17; Matthew 5:4; 23:37-39; John 11:35; Revelation 21:4).

5.  The covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-35 is fulfilled in Christ!  (Matthew 26:26-29;

Hebrews 8:7-13).

Conclusion:  Read Jeremiah and feel with him as he agonizes over the message he must deliver, pray with him for those who refuse to respond to the truth, and watch his example of faith and courage, committing yourself to your God and Father!

Life Lessons from Zephaniah

1.  The day of the LORD will come because of sin (1:14-18; Hebrews 10:26-27).

2.  Materialism breeds indifference and results in judgment (1:12-13, 18; 1 Timothy 6:6-10,17-19).

3.  It is possible to escape the judgment of God ((2:1-3; 3:12-13; 2 Peter 3:9).

4.  Our God and Father longs for His people to be one (3:9; Ephesians 2:14-22).

5.  The coming of the Messiah will be cause for praise and singing (3:14-20; Revelation 22:20). 

Conclusion:  Read Zephaniah and listen carefully to the words of judgment, but be encouraged by the words of hope and resolve to be part of that faithful remnant!

Life Lessons from Nahum

1.  Our God and Father is a jealous God (1:2; Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Joshua 24:19).

2.  Our God and Father is slow to anger (1:3; Exodus 34:6-7; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; James 1:19).

3.  Our God and Father is great in power (1:3; Job 9:4; Psalm 62:11; 66:3; 147:5; Ephesians 1:19:20).

4.  Our God and Father will punish the wicked (1:3; Exodus 34:7; 2 Peter 2:1-9).

5.  Our God and Father knows those who trust in Him (1:7; John 10:27; Galatians 4:9;

2 Timothy 2:19).

Conclusion:  Read Nahum and sense God’s wrath as He avenges sin and brings about justice, choose to live under His guidance and within His rules, commands, and guidelines for Him!

Nahum 1:7

"The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7; NKJV)

Good – in the widest sense

Stronghold – a fortified place, a defense

Day – a space of time

Trouble – tightness

Know – yada

Trust – flee for protection, confide

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36; NKJV)

Isaiah 66:1-2

Thus says the LORD:

"Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,"

Says the LORD.

"But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

Isaiah 66:1-2; NKJV

Be poor and contrite.  Tremble at His word.  Allow Him to look on you...

Why He Came - Isaiah 61:1-2

Of all the prophecies concerning Himself, Christ chose to begin His Galilean ministry with Isaiah 61:1-2.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD…” (Isaiah 61:1-2; NKJV)

Set the captive free…

Healing of your heart…

The good news is so good…

1.  Forgiveness
2.  Healing
3.  Liberty
4.  Restoration

Isaiah 57:15

For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Isaiah 57:15; NKJV

The GOD of Israel is “Holy, Holy, Holy,” yet His cause is with the lowly, forsaken, humble and contrite (ISA 57:15).


This transcendent GOD who is above all and beyond all that is imaginable has humbled Himself to be near and intimate with man, to possess and be possessed by the lowest of the Earth!

He is both transcendent (above and beyond all that we can imagine or think) and immanent (near and personally involved with us).

Come to the Waters

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters..." (Isaiah 55:1; NKJV)

Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost." (Revelation 21:6; NASBU)

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. (Revelation 21:17; NASBU)

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is the central passage of the consolation section (40-66), its five stanzas presenting five different aspects of the saving work of Christ:

1.  52:13-15 – His wholehearted sacrifice (burnt offering).

2.  53:1-3 – His perfect character (meal offering).

3.  53:4-6 – He brought atonement that issues in peace with God (peace offering).

4.  53:7-9 – He paid for the transgression of the people (sin offering).

5.  53:10-12 – He died for the effects of sin (trespass offering).

Manasseh and Jesus

 "And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.  Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.  Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God" (2 Chronicles 33:10-13; NKJV)

Jehovah takes great delight in bringing people back to Himself and giving them a place in the family of Jesus. Jesus is listed as one of Manasseh's descendants in Matthew 1:10.  Despite the multiplicity of Manasseh's sins, Jehovah brought forth His only begotten Son from the seed of Manasseh.

You too can be a part of the family of God:  "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22; NKJV)

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36; NKJV)

Cyrus and Jehovah

Isa 44:28 - 45:7; ASV

28 That saith of Cyrus, (He is) my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

45 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:

2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron;

3 and I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that it is I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, even the God of Israel.

4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

5 I am Jehovah, and there is none else; besides me there is no God. I will gird thee, though thou hast not known me;

6 that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me: I am Jehovah, and there is none else.

7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.

Isaiah 42:1-4

Isaiah 42:1-4; NKJV

1 "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
 

2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
 

3 A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
 

4 He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law."

Jesus of Nazareth is Jehovah's servant.  He is His Elect One.  Jehovah put His Spirit upon Jesus.  

He will not fail.

He will not be discouraged.

Isaiah 40

Jehovah is incomparable.  Listen to this lesson by Paul Earnhart on Isaiah 40.  You'll be glad you did.

http://www.heltondrive.org/sermons/all-sermons/2005/04/07/the-incomparable-god

Every Generation

"But every generation must determine its own commitment, and the fibers of faith are so fragile that a single misguided leader can entice the hearts of believers to worship lesser gods" (F. LaGard Smith, The Daily Bible, p. 877).

Ahaz was bad.  His son Hezekiah was good.  The grand-son of Ahaz, son of Hezekiah, Manasseh was the worst (see 2 Chronicles 33).

Pray that our generation chooses Him. 

Hezekiah Humbled Himself

“…spread it before the LORD.” (2 K 19:1, 14-19; 20:2-3; 2 CHRON 32:20, 26; ISA 37:1-20; 38)

“Because you have prayed to Me… I have heard.” (2 K 19:20)

“I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.” (2 K 20:5; 2 CHRON 32:21-23, 26; ISA 37:21; 38)

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (James 4:10)

Isaiah's Sacrifice

Isaiah 20:1-6; NKJV

1 In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, 

2 at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
 
3 Then the Lord said, "Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, 

4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. 

5 Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory. 

6 And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, 'Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?'"

Before this, Isaiah wore an outer garment of sackcloth - clothes of mourning. Now, God tells him to remove his outer garment of sackcloth, and to take his sandals off.

“God would sometimes have his prophets to add to their word a visible sign, to awaken people’s minds to a more serious consideration of the matters proposed to them.” (Poole)

And he did so, walking naked and barefoot: We shouldn’t think that Isaiah was nude, completely without clothing. Instead, he only wore the inner garment customary in that day - sort of like wearing only your underwear or a nightshirt. The message wasn’t nudity, it was complete poverty and humiliation. Isaiah dressed as the poorest and most destitute would dress. (Guzik)

“One need not imagine that Isaiah walked around stripped for the entire three years or that Ezekiel lay on his side for 390 days without getting up (Ezek. 4:9). Perhaps part of each day was used for those designated purposes.” (Wolf)

“Not stark naked, but stripped as a prisoner, his mantle or upper garment cast off.” (Trapp)

“Other prophets were asked to go through equally difficult experiences as signs to Israel. Hosea endured a trying marriage, and Ezekiel’s wife died as an illustration for the nation (Ezek. 24:16-24).” (Wolf)

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36; NKJV)

May We Come to Understand Too

22  Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:

"Jacob shall not now be ashamed,
Nor shall his face now grow pale;

23 But when he sees his children,
The work of My hands, in his midst,
They will hallow My name,
And hallow the Holy One of Jacob,
And fear the God of Israel.

24 These also who erred in spirit will come to understanding,
And those who complained will learn doctrine."  

Isaiah 29:22-24; NKJV

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily." (Isaiah 28:16; NKJV)

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

GENESIS 49:24 – the Stone of Israel!

PSALM 118:22 – the Chief Cornerstone!

ISAIAH 28:16 – a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation, firm, immovable, permanent!

MATTHEW 7:24-27 – rock, foundation

1 CORINTHIANS 10:4 – Rock

EPHESIANS 2:20 – Chief Cornerstone of the Household of God

1 PETER 2:6-8 – Chief Cornerstone, Elect, Precious

We're Marching to Zion

Isaiah 35

1.  The New Song (1-4)

2.  The Cause for the Rejoicing (5-7)

3.  The Highway of Holiness (8-10)

Fools will not follow.  Wanderers will not accidentally get there.  Those who march to Zion do so of their own free will with purpose in their step.

Bad Father, Good Son

Hezekiah's Dad - Ahaz

Ahaz “did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God” (2 K 16:2; 2 CHRON 28:1).

Ahaz was “continually unfaithful to the LORD” (2 CHRON 28:19).

When the going got tough, Ahaz “became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD” (2 CHRON 28:22).

He “shut up the doors of the house of the LORD” (2 CHRON 28:24).

Hezekiah overcame a bad home life...

Hezekiah “did what was right in the sight of the LORD” (2 CHRON 29:2; 32:1).

He overcame immediately (2 CHRON 29:3).

He was of a different spirit (2 CHRON 29:10; 31:21).

Lucifer

"The king of Babylon has the dubious distinction of sharing in Isaiah's oblique references to Satan, the one who has fallen from heaven" (F. LaGard Smith, The Daily Bible, p. 834).

“How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12; NKJV) 

Lucifer – heylel – (in the sense of brightness); the morning-star: KJV - lucifer (the king of Babylon)(Strong’s) 

Lucifer – light-bearer – the shining one, the morning-star, Lucifer; used of the king of Babylon and Satan (figuratively) (Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)

See Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Luke 10:18

  

Allusion: a reference, especially a covert, passing, or indirect one (Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder)

It would seem that this description of the king of Babylon is an allusion to Satan...

This is That King Ahaz

"Now in the time of his distress King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the LORD.  This is that King Ahaz." (2 Chronicles 28:22; NKJV)

In his distress King Ahaz chose to be increasingly unfaithful to Jehovah.

In your distress, choose better:  "In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears" (Psalm 18:6; ASV).

Hidden in My Heart

Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36; NKJV)