CHAPTER 45

1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; 3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

The book of Jeremiah is not in sequential action. This chapter dates back to chapter 36. During the reign of Jehoiakim, Baruch copied Jeremiah's prophecy and read it to the leaders of Judah.

Baruch was a young follower of God. He was familiar with Jeremiah's plight, being imprisoned because of his outspokenness. But Baruch did not desire the same fate!

His heart was broken when he was ill thought of, persecuted, and narrowly escaped being placed in prison himself!

Many Christians have the same feelings as Baruch when they run into a little difficulty as they "stand up" for the Word of God.

Christians today, much like Baruch, cry out "WHY ME?" But our question to God should not be "WHY ME?" Instead, it should be, "What can I LEARN from this?" And, "How can God use this instance in my life for HIS glory?"

4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

God instructed Jeremiah to speak to Baruch about this matter.

The first thing Baruch needs to learn is that GOD IS IN CONTROL! It is GOD Who "builds up and breaks down, .... plants and plucks up." He is SOVEREIGN!

When we face difficulty, by the society in which we live, or even from other Christians, we must realize that GOD IS IN CONTROL! We cannot run away and hide, we must CONTINUE to follow the will of God.

The second thing that Baruch needed to learn was that God is not discriminatory in suffering. Notice that he told Baruch, "I will bring evil upon ALL flesh (verse 5)." Need we think that being A "son of God" will extricate us from suffering? After all, consider what THE Son of God suffered! And did not Paul tell us that we are "partakers" of God's promise, AND the "suffering" of Christ (Ephesians 5:7)?

We are called "members of HIS body" (Ephesians 5:30). And the Bible says we are "given" to "suffer for HIS sake" (Philippians 1:29)

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2Timothy 3:12)

The THIRD thing Baruch needed to learn was that God will PRESERVE the soul of His people! Notice in verse 5 that God says He will give Baruch his "LIFE..." as a "PREY" wherever he goes!

Wherever, whenever a child of Christ goes, He is covered by the blood, sealed in the Spirit, and ready die and be with God at any time! Wherever, whenever a child of Christ goes, he should remember that situations on earth are TEMPORARY, and the ETERNAL joy is WHEREVER and WHENEVER God CHOOSES!

Two things really bother me as a pastor. One, I find it VERY difficult to minister to someone who is drunk. It's just a personal thing. I despise dealing with alcoholics. The smell of cheap booze nauseates me, and I find it very difficult to speak tenderly to them.

The other thing that really bothers me is Christians whining about SUFFERING! The stench of self-pity causes me to find it very difficult to kindly minister to someone who's complaining about how they are treated. The Scripture says, we should live our lives:

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

Christians, let us not be turned aside from ministry just because of a little suffering. We serve a God Who has an ETERNAL end in mind that far surpasses the suffering we do temporarily!

CHAPTER 46

1 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; 2 Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah. 3 Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle. 4 Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines. 5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD. 6 Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates. 7 Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers? 8 Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. 9 Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow. 10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. 11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured. 12 The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

God had told the Jewish people that, because of their disobedience, He would cause the Babylonians to take them captive. In stating this, God declared His Sovereign control over nations and historical affairs.

The Jewish people should understand this. After all, God had controlled history for them for centuries! But God wanted this prophecy known in the GENTILE world also!

In 605BC, at the battle of Carchimesh, the Babylonians defeated Egypt and destroyed that nation's ability to be a ruler in the world. This was the "fourth year of Jehoiakim."

Pharoah-Necho had martialed help from the Ehiopians, Libyans and Lydians. But it was to no avail. He was still defeated!

GOD IS in control!!

13 The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt. 14 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee. 15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. 16 He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

Even though Egypt had a tremendous army, they were defeated according to God's WORD. Notice in verse 15, that God says their defeat came because "the LORD did drive them!"

It was GOD Who caused that vast army to fall and run away!

17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed. 18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. 19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant. 20 Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north. 21 Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation. 22 The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood. 23 They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable. 24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north. 25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: 26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

Pharoah had come into Judah and killed King Josiah. He also deposed Jehoahaz, and made Jehoiakim a 'vassal' ruler. And he imposed a "tribute" upon the nation. ((See 2Kings 23:29-34))

But now, all his bragging would just be a "noise" or a wind! (see text verse 17)

God therefore promised that Egypt would be destroyed because HE said so (verse 25), and because of their ill treatment of His people.

27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

But God has an encouraging word for Judah. Though they would be captured and carried away captive, they would also RETURN!

This is the Christian's hope today! Though nations, governments, society, and even other Christians cause sufferings for the moment, God will PRESERVE His people for an eternal joy!

Ultimately God will make a "full end of all the nations" (verse 28). But God is WITH His people, and will bring them to glory with Him.

Let us realize though, that our sins do NOT go unpunished (verse 29). And let us live for Christ, seeking His glory in and through our lives.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.