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!