THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS

This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.

Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.

Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may go to the archive below and find it.

Bruce McGee, Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418

We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik

HERE

Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.

Jeremiah

CHAPTER 21

1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying, 2 Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

People instinctively know truth. Zedekiah, the king and his leaders, knew their false gods weren't going to help them now. They wanted to know the truth. So they sent to Jeremiah.

But what they heard was not pretty!

3 Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah: 4 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. 5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath. 6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence. 7 And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy. 8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. 9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. 10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

The Babylonians were indeed coming. And God was going to let them take Judah. All those who remained in trying to save their lives would be killed. But all those who yielded themselves to the Babylonians for captivity would be saved, even though they would be held in bondage.

This was the way of "life and death" that God told them through Jeremiah. They had two choices: BAD and UGLY!

They had too long chased after sensual pleasures and false gods. They had too long rejected God and His truth. Now they would have to face an awesome truth!

Those who reject Christ today will face an awesome truth one day. He is God come in the flesh. He is the Eternal Judge.

11 And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD; 12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

This section of the prophecy was directed toward the "king of Judah." He was a descendent of David. God had promised that one of David's descendents would sit on the throne continually as long as the people served HIM. But they had refused to serve Him!

No matter how high a position in society one may hold, he is not exempt when God is "against thee." The king was unjust because he did not fully trust in God. His power-hungry life demanded just punishment.

We show our faith by our works. James said it is impossible to show faith without works (See James 2:18-19). Zedekiah was no better than the demons! He knew and believed that there was only ONE GOD. But he refused to be SUBJECT to God. He showed no repentance and no godly works in his life.

So God had a SPECIAL word for Zedekiah.

CHAPTER 22

1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates: 3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

The "word" from God to Zedekiah was REPENT!

If he would repent, God could still save him, his family and his nation.

5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

But if Zedekiah did not repent, then he would be destroyed; and his family and nation with him.

It is GOD Who sets in motion the events of history and it is GOD Who controls them.

8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? 9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

All nations would know by God's "Word" that the reason for Judah's downfall was the failure to REPENT!

10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. 11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: 12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more. 13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion. 15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. 17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. 18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

In this case, those who died were delivered from a life of captivity and shame.

The king "Shallum" (verse 11) was actually referred to in the books of the Cronicles as "Jehoahaz." He did evil things (2Kings 23:31-36), oppressing the people. But Jehoahaz (Shallum) was lamented by the people when he died (Jer 22:10; Ezek 19:1). Pharaoh Neco removed him from the throne, and put Jehoiakim in his place.

Jehoiakim (verse 18) is the king who cut up Jeremiah's scrolls. He exhibited complete disdain for the "Word of God." (See Jeremiah 36)

When Jehoiakim died the people did not lament for him. As God had said, he was buried like a dumb animal (verse 19).

20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed. 21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. 22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. 23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

Lebanon refers to Syria where there were great cedar trees and beautiful mountain areas. But Assyrian troops cut all the trees to make "war engines."

The people were beaten and the land destroyed because they never surrendered to God.

24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. 27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return. 28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

Coniah is another name for Jehoiachin who reigned after Jehoiakim. He is described as doing "that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.." (2Kings 24:9).

Jehoiachin was the king who surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar's troops after he had reigned only 3 months (2Kings 24:8-12). He surrendered along with his mother (verse 26) and his officers.

29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

After Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim became king.
After Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin became king.
And after Jehoiachin, Zedekiah became king.

These last two verses, I believe, apply to Zedekiah who had "inquired" of Jeremiah (see Chapter 21:1-2).

The land was beseiged by the Babylonians. Judah was overrun. The city was broken down. The temple was burned along with the houses of the king and all his officers. (See 2Kings 25)

When Zedekiah was captured, his sons were killed while he watched. Then his eyes were put out. The last thing he ever saw was all his sons being slain! (See 2Kings 25:6-7)

The Kingdom of Judah came to an end! They had their beginning in God, but they rebelled against Him and refused to acknowledge their sin.

"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD!" -- This word concerning the kings of Judah and the people of that nation.My friends, without God we have NOTHING!

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.