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 9

1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! 2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

The Bible tells us that God created all things in six days, including man and woman. Then God RESTED on the seventh day. Then man sinned, and God hasn't RESTED since!

Can you imagine the omniscient God desiring a little REST from man's sins? But though we be sinners all, God will not LEAVE us!

God is patient and longsuffering, desiring that all men might come to repentance and KNOW HIM! (2Peter 3:9)

4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. 5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. 6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.

There is a lesson to be learned here. God says that "ALL" have sinned (Romans 3:23). None of us can be trusted at any time. We are all cabable of the worst sins (verse 4-5).

Indeed, we, in this world live in the midst of "deceipt" (verse 6), or treachory.

7 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. 9 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Here we see the employment of evil by our Lord. He uses it to correct people and lead them to know Him as their only Saviour.

One cannot deny the existence of evil. Why does God allow it to continue? He uses it to direct people's attention to HIM!

10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. 11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. 12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

Jeremiah saw in prophetic vision what would come to the land.

The Babylonians would come leaving disaster in their wake, burning the woods and ruining the beauty of the country. Judah and Jerusalem were left a "heap" of rubbish. The land which God had blessed, protected and caused to flourish was ruined because of the sins of the people.

Because of God's blessings lavished upon His people, Jerusalem had once been the center of trade for the whole world. But it would be a pile of broken stones because the people FORGOT God Who blessed them!

13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; 14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them: 15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.

God plainly states that it was because the people had "forsaken" His Word and been disobedient that this would happen. The people had "walked after the imagination of their own heart," rather than paying heed to God's truths.

Over and over, people have questioned, "How can a loving God allow evil to come upon people?" The simple truth is that God uses evil to guide people to live "after the Spirit," and not after the "flesh." (See Romans 8:1-2) Only by surrender to Christ can we be FREED from the "law of sin and death!"

17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: 18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. 20 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. 21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. 22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them. 23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 25 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; 26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

In his prophetic vision, Jeremiah saw that the people were continuing to live seeking their own desires, and not repent. And he saw that the destruction was surely going to come!

The people who lived in sensual desire did not realize they were bringing the "wailing" and "sorrow" upon themselves by defying God.

Today, we need to realize that God employs evil to lead and guide people to Him.

CHAPTER 10

1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Why is it that people think they can take an old dead stone, decorate it, and then call it God? Why is it that people think they can cut down a tree, decorate it, and then call it God?

Those are inanimate objects! They have no feelings, nor abilities. A "god" made out of such things must be CARRIED around!

It must be then, only the imagination of man that causes idolatry!

6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

The Lord God of Eternity, the Creator of all things, has proven to be One with feelings, and One Who can accomplish things with mighty power.

Why is it that men will not turn to HIM, and leave off idolatry?

8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

In answer to the preceeding question, it is because the "stock is a doctine of vanities." Man would rather IMAGINE God than RECEIVE God! Man would rather DEFINE God than ACCEPT Him as He IS!

10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

There is only ONE eternal, "true God!" He "is the LIVING God!" He is the "everlasting King" of all creation.

And those who refuse to receive God as He IS will be UNABLE to stand in His fiery judgment.

11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. 12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

When King Jesus comes to reign on this earth, the idols of stone, wood, clay, silver and gold will melt away! It is HE Who created, and HE Who rules the atmospheric conditions of His creation.

14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.

The statement "Every man is brutish in his knowledge," reflects the fact that people allow the burning of personal desire to control their thoughts of God. And they are "confounded" (confused) by allowing themselves to define God and make idols.

God, "the portion of Jacob" cannot be fashioned in hand as an idol. God is the "former," or ROOT of all things. He is the self-existent, eternal LORD!

17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. 19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

Those inhabiting Jerusalem, "the fortress," will lose their precious things to the invading forces of the Bablyonians.

The "grief" (verse 19) of this weighed heavy on Jeremiah's soul because he could SEE the oncoming disaster through God's revelation. The grief was heavy, but he must "bear it."

Today, there is "grief" upon the souls of those who love God. For they can SEE the oncoming disaster of eternal judgment to those who refuse God.

Christians must "bear" the grief, and PREACH the gospel of Jesus at the same time!

23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

The true child of God knows that man cannot define his own way; instead, man must depend upon God. The true child of God also knows that it is best for God to correct and guide in truth (verse 24). I would rather be corrected than allowed to exist eternally in hell!

All that is left, after having preached the gospel, is to look for God to do exactly what He has promised. The "heathen" are those who refuse God, and His fury shall certainly be poured out upon them.

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.