Trinity Bible Church

Prayer

O Sovereign God,
May we truly know you,
May we truly worship you,
May we truly give you the glory that is Yours.
May we live in the reality that you are sovereign and that you work all things for good. We pray in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1774.

FOUNTAIN OF NEVER CEASING GRACE
Click here for tune.
Fountain of never ceasing grace,
Thy saints’ exhaustless theme,
Great object of immortal praise,
Essentially supreme;
We bless Thee for the glorious fruits
Thine incarnation gives;
The righteousness which grace imputes,
And faith alone receives.

Whom heaven’s angelic host adores,
Was slaughtered for our sin;
The guilt, O Lord was wholly ours,
The punishment was Thine:
Our God in the flesh, to set us free,
Was manifested here;
And meekly bare our sins, that we
His righteousness might wear.

Imputatively guilty then
Our substitute was made,
That we the blessings might obtain
For which His blood was shed:
Himself He offered on the cross,
Our sorrows to remove;
And all He suffered was for us,
And all He did was love.

In Him we have a righteousness,
By God Himself approved;
Our rock, our sure foundation this,
Which never can be moved.
Our ransom by His death He paid,
For all His people giv’n,
The law He perfectly obeyed,
That they might enter Heav’n.

As all, when Adam sinned alone,
In his transgression died,
So by the righteousness of One,
Are sinners justified,
We to Thy merit, gracious Lord,
With humblest joy submit,
Again to Paradise restored,
In Thee alone complete.

Our souls His watchful love retrieves,
Nor lets them go astray,
His righteousness to us He gives,
And takes our sins away:
We claim salvation in His right,
Adopted and forgiv’n,
His merit is our robe of light,
His death the gate of Heav’n.

Thought Provoker

Does God cause “bad things” to happen or does he “merely” allow them to happen? What does it really mean to say that, “God is sovereign”?

Dad’s Study

The main point of this chapter is that: God is going to bring great calamity upon His own people As we look through this chapter we are going to note:

I. That God, Himself, is going to do this
II. The extent of the calamity
III. Why God is going to bring the calamity

And then we will consider putting the truth in this chapter into practice.

I. Read through the chapter and note how many times God says that He, Himself is going to bring the calamity using words such as “I am” or similar. After you have read through the chapter, you can check your findings against the following:

Jer. 19:3…”Behold I am about to bring a calamity upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle.

Jer. 19:7 “And I shall make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem…and I shall cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies…and I shall give over their carcasses as food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

Jer. 19:8 “I shall also make this city a desolation and an {object of} hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its disasters.

Jer. 19:9 “And I shall make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters…

Jer. 19:11 and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Just so shall I break this people and this city…

Jer. 19:12 “This is how I shall treat this place and its inhabitants,” declares the LORD, “so as to make this city like Topheth.

Jer. 19:15 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it…

From these verses should we conclude that God is directly involved in these events, or that He merely stands by and allows people to do what they want apart from His decretive will?

II. The extent of the calamity

Now read through the chapter and note and discuss the terrible extent of the calamity.

Verse 9: “And I shall make them eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their life will distress them.”‘ was actually fulfilled in Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of 586 B.C.-see Lamentations 2:20

“Topheth” is mentioned several times-This was a place just outside of Jerusalem where disobedient Judeans had conducted vile sacrifices (including human ones) to false gods and demons. Josiah defiled this place in his reformation (2 Kings 23:10,20) so that it was a prime example of wickedness and judgment.

Jer. 19:10 “Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you.

Jer. 19:11 and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Just so shall I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no {other} place for burial.

Jer. 19:12 “This is how I shall treat this place and its inhabitants,” declares the LORD, “so as to make this city like Topheth.

Jer. 19:13 “And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth,

Jer. 19:15 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it.

III. Why God is going to bring the calamity Find and discuss the reasons for God to bring such calamity:

Jer. 19:4 “Because they have forsaken Me and have made this an alien place and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had {ever} known, and {because} they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

Jer. 19:5 and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it {ever} enter My mind;

Jer. 19:13 “And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly host and poured out libations to other gods.”

Jer. 19:15 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

Key issues:
In their false worship the people did:
Jer. 19:5…a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it {ever} enter My mind; In all the people had
Jer. 9:15…stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

First see that God is serious about sin. On the Judgment Day God is going to bring even worse calamity on those who have not looked to Christ for forgiveness-look to Christ for salvation!

If you had asked the Judeans upon whom God brought this calamity, the y would have said that they were true believers “Christians, today” and that they went to church, prayed, tried to obey the 10 commandments and so on, yet they were so far from God. Let us make sure that we are really living in the reality of the New Covenant, that we are really living in Christ and not in superficial, external religion.

Finally see the things that God hates and avoid them- we may be tempted to say that we would never do the things mentioned, but do consider verses 5 and 15.

Catechism

Question 53

Q. What is required in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their various positions and relationships as superiors (Ephesians 5:21, 22; 6:1, 5; Romans 13:1), inferiors (Ephesians 6:9), or equals (Romans 12:10).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Merciful Father have your way with my heart. Mold and shape my heart so that it is pleasing in your sight. Exercise your sovereign will over me that I may be made into the image of my Lord Jesus Christ. Lord I know if I was left to my own devices I would stray from you, instead direct me by your power, your Word and your Spirit into truth and sanctification. Amen.

Today’s Hymn

Words: Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1774.

FOUNTAIN OF NEVER CEASING GRACE
Click here for tune.
Fountain of never ceasing grace,
Thy saints’ exhaustless theme,
Great object of immortal praise,
Essentially supreme;
We bless Thee for the glorious fruits
Thine incarnation gives;
The righteousness which grace imputes,
And faith alone receives.

Whom heaven’s angelic host adores,
Was slaughtered for our sin;
The guilt, O Lord was wholly ours,
The punishment was Thine:
Our God in the flesh, to set us free,
Was manifested here;
And meekly bare our sins, that we
His righteousness might wear.

Imputatively guilty then
Our substitute was made,
That we the blessings might obtain
For which His blood was shed:
Himself He offered on the cross,
Our sorrows to remove;
And all He suffered was for us,
And all He did was love.

In Him we have a righteousness,
By God Himself approved;
Our rock, our sure foundation this,
Which never can be moved.
Our ransom by His death He paid,
For all His people giv’n,
The law He perfectly obeyed,
That they might enter Heav’n.

As all, when Adam sinned alone,
In his transgression died,
So by the righteousness of One,
Are sinners justified,
We to Thy merit, gracious Lord,
With humblest joy submit,
Again to Paradise restored,
In Thee alone complete.

Our souls His watchful love retrieves,
Nor lets them go astray,
His righteousness to us He gives,
And takes our sins away:
We claim salvation in His right,
Adopted and forgiv’n,
His merit is our robe of light,
His death the gate of Heav’n.

Thought Provoker

When I was in grade school we had to take art class. I say “had” to take because it wasn’t one of my favorites. Sometimes the art media we worked in was clay. We would take modeling clay and could form it into anything we wanted. Here was one reason why I didn’t like art class, I could never think of anything to make. I could never really determine what I wanted to mould the clay into. Today, God through Jeremiah, teaches us about His sovereignty over creation through the example of the potter’s ability to mould the clay into whatever he desires

Dad’s Study

This was a common teaching method of Jesus to have His hearers observe a common task of their day and then use it to illustrate a heavenly truth. God tells Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and watch him work. I am sure Jeremiah observed many things, however he records only one; that a spoiled vessel he was attempting to make was re-made by his hand into whatever the potter desired. God would use this to instruct Israel how He would sovereignly deal with them. In verse 6 we read, “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.” God teaches them of His mercy in repentance and forgiveness and of His wrath in judgment for the stiff-necked. God had called to them to repent of their spiritual adultery and to cease from following after false gods and return to Him on many occasions. Once again, He shows them His mercy and long-suffering through the potter one final time. He shows them that if a nation or kingdom repents and turns from it’s wickedness He will forgive and relent in judgment. This, the great Jehovah did in Ninevah, when the people of that wicked city repented at the preaching of Jonah, put on sack cloth and mourned over their sin. But what was Israel’s response to their merciful and long-suffering God who had delivered them and made them the apple of His eye? They did the most abominable thing, verse 13. They became stiff-necked and determined to follow their own evil schemes according to the wickedness of their hearts, verse 12. They certainly proved the words of the preacher true in Ecclesiastes 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. The virgin of Israel had been given the oracles of God and yet they abandoned God, His ways, His precepts and His statutes. They forgot God as if He didn’t exist and went after false gods and perverse ways. Like the spoiled vessel of the potter, so too Israel had become a spoiled vessel. Rather than being a vessel for honorable purposes they had become a vessel fit only for wrath and judgment.

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

We also see the sovereign right of the potter reflected in Romans 9:19-29 in the great doctrinal truth of God’s unconditional election of His saints. God chooses whom He will make a vessel for honorable use and whom He will make a vessel for dishonor; but even in this God is patient with those vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. Through His patience He displays the riches of His glory through vessels of mercy. Christians are His vessels of mercy, those who once were lost and dead in trespasses and sins but now have been brought into the kingdom of light by His great mercy. Unlike the virgin of Israel who pursued after their own evil schemes those who have been saved by grace answer the call of God to repent. Be a vessel of mercy, hear the gospel call, do not shut up your ear as the virgin of Israel had done but instead heed the call, repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who drank the full cup of God’s wrath in atoning for the sins of the Christian.

Catechism

Question 53

Q. What is required in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their various positions and relationships as superiors (Ephesians 5:21, 22; 6:1, 5; Romans 13:1), inferiors (Ephesians 6:9), or equals (Romans 12:10).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:6)

Today’s Hymn

Words: Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1774.

FOUNTAIN OF NEVER CEASING GRACE
Click here for tune.
Fountain of never ceasing grace,
Thy saints’ exhaustless theme,
Great object of immortal praise,
Essentially supreme;
We bless Thee for the glorious fruits
Thine incarnation gives;
The righteousness which grace imputes,
And faith alone receives.

Whom heaven’s angelic host adores,
Was slaughtered for our sin;
The guilt, O Lord was wholly ours,
The punishment was Thine:
Our God in the flesh, to set us free,
Was manifested here;
And meekly bare our sins, that we
His righteousness might wear.

Imputatively guilty then
Our substitute was made,
That we the blessings might obtain
For which His blood was shed:
Himself He offered on the cross,
Our sorrows to remove;
And all He suffered was for us,
And all He did was love.

In Him we have a righteousness,
By God Himself approved;
Our rock, our sure foundation this,
Which never can be moved.
Our ransom by His death He paid,
For all His people giv’n,
The law He perfectly obeyed,
That they might enter Heav’n.

As all, when Adam sinned alone,
In his transgression died,
So by the righteousness of One,
Are sinners justified,
We to Thy merit, gracious Lord,
With humblest joy submit,
Again to Paradise restored,
In Thee alone complete.

Our souls His watchful love retrieves,
Nor lets them go astray,
His righteousness to us He gives,
And takes our sins away:
We claim salvation in His right,
Adopted and forgiv’n,
His merit is our robe of light,
His death the gate of Heav’n.

Thought Provoker

Were you read the children’s story of Little Red Riding Hood while growing up? One of the main characters was the Big Bad Wolf. Perhaps just his name conjures up a picture in your mind of the furry beast with his sharp teeth, all dressed up to look like Little Red’s grandmother. I can still hear Little Red exclaiming, Grandma, what big teeth you have! Here out West we are battling the wolf. The native wolves were slowly made extinct by ranchers and hunters who tried to protect their herds and wildlife from the vicious attacks of this predator. A pack of wolves can quickly take down and devour sheep, calves, deer, and other wildlife. The government has spent millions of dollars to bring more wolves from Canada into Yellowstone National Park. The wolf population has rapidly increased, bringing new devastation to the surrounding wildlife. God has designed the wolf to be a vicious killer. A pack of wolves will grab a small sheep by the neck and begin to rip and tear away its flesh until they have devoured all that’s there to eat. Is it any wonder that our Lord used the wolf as an illustration of false teachers that would enter His church? False teachers love to go after the sheep (God’s people). Their false doctrine has the effect of ripping apart and scattering the sheep of God’s flock. What makes them even more dangerous is that they dress up like sheep. Every church is in danger of false teachers entering in and making victims of God’s people. In today’s passage, Peter is going to give a practical description so that you can know a wolf that is disguised like a sheep.

Dad’s Study

Read together 2 Peter 2:1-11 and see how many characteristics of a false teacher you can find.

1. Teach damnable heresy (v. 1a). The subject matter of false teachers will result in the spiritual ruin of those who listen. In other words, their teaching will take you away from the Gospel of grace and bring to you a Gospel that, if followed, can bring eternal ruin to your soul! Some will even deny the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Teach immorality (v. 2). Their teaching leads to pernicious ways, i.e. ways that are indecent, immoral, or lascivious. False teachers never lead the listener to holiness. False teachers have led their followers into bigamy, adultery, fornication, materialistic greed, and many other acts that violate the moral law of God! The result of which causes the Word of God to be blasphemed.

3. Motive of Greed (v. 3). The primary motive of false teachers is money. They make merchandise out of the Christian faith. Behind every false teacher you will find a money trail that leads to the pocketbook of God’s people. You will find false teachers with their endless pleas for money and the constant selling of products.

4. Destruction of False Teachers (3b). The judgment of false teachers has already been determined by God. The judgment of false teachers does not sleep, for God will bring swift and eternal destruction. Peter makes the point by reminding us that God has punished unrighteousness in the past, and He will faithfully punish it in the future. He illustrates this point by showing how God punished the fallen angels (v. 4); the flood on the ungodly in Noah’s day (v. 5); and Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 6).

5. Character of False Teachers (v. 10-11). False teachers are driven by presumption and self- will. They don’t care about their followers. They don’t care that they are taking others down the pathway of spiritual ruin. All they care about is themselves. They want their own way at any cost. This can be seen by the teacher of the Heaven’s Gate cult a few years ago. Not only did he wrongly take his own life, but he made sure the lives of his disciples were taken too!

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

False teachers, like wolves, are not extinct! They might look like sheep, but deep down inside they are brute beasts (v. 13). Know well the characteristic of false teachers so that when they come to you dressed up like sheep you might say, what damnable heresies you bring! What immorality you foster! What greed you possess! What self-centered pride you have.

May God grace you to be good Bereans who are inoculated from error by the Word of truth!

Catechism

Question 53

Q. What is required in the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honour, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their various positions and relationships as superiors (Ephesians 5:21, 22; 6:1, 5; Romans 13:1), inferiors (Ephesians 6:9), or equals (Romans 12:10).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Psalm 2:1, 5, 11-12

Today’s Hymn

Words: James Montgomery, Songs of Zion, 1822, alt.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Click here for tune.

The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

Through valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall, with my Comforter near.

In midst of affliction my table is spread;
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;
O what shall I ask of Thy providence more?

Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,
Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above;
I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod,
Through land of their sojourn, Thy Kingdom of love.

Thought Provoker

I remember as a child when I would misbehave while Dad was at work. If it was something really bad Mom would let my Dad deal with it. All she would say to me was, “Wait until your Dad gets home”. I always dreaded that because I knew the punishment would be severe. Read Jeremiah 16:21, do you get this same sense of dread when you hear God say to disobedient sinners that they will know His hand and know His might?

Dad’s Study

Again, the prophet denounces the sins of Israel and pronounces their judgment. Their judgment will be so severe that all the normal institutions of society will be utterly destroyed. There will be no mourning for the dead and they will not even be buried. No one will attempt to comfort anyone because all will be in distress. There will be no joy or rejoicing, there will be no feasts, no weddings, all of this will be eliminated from Israel.

Why does God bring such severe justice upon Israel? Because of 3 sins found in verses 11-12:
1. They forsook God and followed after false gods.
2. They did not keep God’s law.
3. Each man did what was right in his own sight and ignored God.

These are serious charges. As a family discuss, “Are there ways that we too commit these sins today?” Do we forsake God and follow after the false gods the world puts before us? (wealth, health, possessions, beauty, rest, relaxation, recreation, etc) As a sinner how do I fail to keep God’s law? (Have each family member examine their own hearts for personal sin) Are there times where I disregard the law of God and instead do what I think is right or what I want? (sins of convenience or self-indulgence)

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

Does such an examination of the heart in light of verse 21 cause you to fear? It should. God stands ready to pour out His wrath on your sin, but there is hope. Verses 14 and 15 speak of restoration to a right relationship with God. This is accomplished by God seeking us out and drawing us to Him, verse 16. He will punish iniquity, but He is also merciful (Exodus 34:6, 7) and will be our strength and refuge in this day of distress, verse 19. Flee to Christ, flee to the God of wrath and plead for mercy that He might appease His wrath in Christ’s sacrifice allowing you to be restored to Him by faith.

Catechism

Question 52

Q. Which is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

February 12, 2008
Jeremiah 15

Prayer

We marvel at the greatness of your grace extended to undeserving sinners in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Scriptures You have declared Yourself to be the God who is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. But you have also made it plain in Your Word that You will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; that Your lovingkindness is as high as the heavens toward those who fear You; that You have fixed a Day in which You most certainly will judge the world in righteousness and without partiality; that Your kindness and mercy in the meantime are intended to lead sinners to repentance. O Lord, keep us from presuming upon Your kindness and mercy. May we take seriously both the promises of the gospel and the threats of coming judgment, that we might be brought speedily to Christ in faith and repentance.

Today’s Hymn

Words: James Montgomery, Songs of Zion, 1822, alt.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Click here for tune.

The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

Through valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall, with my Comforter near.

In midst of affliction my table is spread;
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;
O what shall I ask of Thy providence more?

Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,
Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above;
I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod,
Through land of their sojourn, Thy Kingdom of love.

Thought Provoker

Seven year old Jonathan was fascinated with the kitchen stove. It was a gas stove. Not only did he like the pretty blue flame that emitted from the burners, but he especially liked the click, click, click sound of the starters. On several occasions Jonathan’s parents caught him playing with the knobs on the stove. Again and again they warned him to leave the stove alone, but Jonathan didn’t listen. His fascination with the stove was too great. In spite of his parents’ repeated warnings, a day came when Jonathan was in the kitchen alone. The stove caught his eye. He went over to it and turned one of the knobs. Click, click, click- and the pretty blue flame came forth. What Jonathan didn’t see, however, was a kitchen towel that was a little too close to the flame. The towel caught on fire- then the counter top, then the cupboards. Thankfully, Jonathan’s mother came into the kitchen in time to put the fire out. But when it was all over, there was considerable smoke and fire damage in the kitchen, and Jonathan had to be taken to the hospital with a burned hand. Jonathan learned a valuable lesson that day about listening to warnings.

God’s patience is the only one of His attributes that is not eternal. He warns sinners again and again that they should turn away from their sins and believe in His Son. Now is the day of mercy. But one day His mercy will come to an end and it will be time for judgment. Eventually, those who remain obstinate in their disobedience cross a line. They go beyond the point of any return and their judgment is irreversibly sealed. Though we can never determine with any certainty if or when that line has been crossed during the lifetime of an individual, it is certain that those who die in their sins without repenting and believing upon Christ will have no more opportunity for salvation (Hebrews 9:27). For them, the day of mercy is past. In every case without exception, death is the line that finally determines where God’s patience ends. We all must take God’s warnings seriously before the day of mercy passes us by.

Dad’s Study

Jeremiah chapter 2 through chapter 20 contains prophecies which Jeremiah announced throughout the twenty-three year period from the thirteenth year of Josiah king of Judah until the fourth year after Josiah’s death. These prophecies commenced one year after Josiah began his reforms and concluded in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (See Jer. 25:1-3) The prophecies of this period are primarily announcements of coming judgment upon the nation for its unfaithfulness to Jehovah. In chapter after chapter the bell of coming judgment tolls with a steady din. In the midst of this section is the announcement in chapter 14 of a terrible drought that will come upon Judah (14:1-6). Jeremiah’s efforts to intercede on behalf of the nation are rebuffed by the Lord, since God has determined to bring judgment, and there is no turning back from that determination.

Jehovah’s response to Jeremiah’s intercession begins in 14:10 and throughout the remainder of the chapter, a kind of dialogue ensues between the prophet and his God. The chapter closes with Jeremiah making one final effort to plead for mercy (14:19-22).

Chapter 15 begins with Jehovah’s response to this ple
A. Though Moses and Samuel were to intercede for the nation, nothing would change. The sins of Manasseh have irreversibly destined the nation for exile (15:1-4). In his characteristic fashion, Jeremiah laments over the impenitent nation and the judgment that justly awaits it (15:5-9). Then in the remainder of the chapter, Jeremiah expostulates with God. Here we are given a glimpse into the inner struggles and wrestlings of the prophet. He is embarrassingly honest with God. He complains of the difficulty of his work (15:10). God graciously and encouragingly responds to Jeremiah (15:11-14). Another exchange between God the prophet follows. Jeremiah humbly pleads his integrity and complains of his hardships (15:15-18). Again God graciously responds (15:19- 21).

Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

Truth in Practice

· Manasseh’s sins were the legacy he left to the subsequent generation. Though he found personal forgiveness (2 Chron. 33:12, 13), his legacy remained. What does this teach us about the impact of our actions upon our posterity? How can we use this as an incentive to obedience? List some specific situations where our actions are certain to have a decided impact upon our posterity.
· Consider Jeremiah’s wrestlings with God. Did Jeremiah sin against the Lord in thinking and praying as he did? Was God unfaithful to His Word in His unswerving determination to judge the nation? Why or why not? Was God unkind to Jeremiah in His dealings with him? Why or why not?
· How has God warned you of judgment to come in your life? Through what avenues has He brought these warnings? [reading the Bible, reading other Christian literature, hearing preaching, the warnings of parents, friends, Christians]
· Have you heeded those warnings? If not, why not?

Catechism

Question 52

Q. Which is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Prayer

O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods (Psalm 96:1-4) Amen!

Today’s Hymn

Words: James Montgomery, Songs of Zion, 1822, alt.

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Click here for tune.

The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

Through valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall, with my Comforter near.

In midst of affliction my table is spread;
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;
O what shall I ask of Thy providence more?

Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,
Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above;
I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod,
Through land of their sojourn, Thy Kingdom of love.

Thought Provoker

John Charles Ryle was born in 1816 to wealthy parents. At first he pursued life in the business world. After a financial collapse in 1841 he was converted to Christ. He attended Eaton and Oxford and was later ordained in the Anglican Church. He was appointed Bishop of Liverpool in 1880. Above all Rule was a holy man. He was a prolific writer in the area of practical Christianity. Although he wrote nearly a century ago he speaks to the modern heart like he is sitting across the table. Today, Ryle gives out a clarion call to the Christian duty to pray.

Dad’s Study

Let me speak TO THOSE WHO HAVE REAL DESIRES FOR SALVATION, but know not what steps to take, or where to begin.

I cannot but hope that some readers may be in this state of mind, and if there be but one such I must offer them affectionate counsel.

In a journey there must be a first step. There must be a change from sitting to moving forward. The journeyings of Israel from Egypt to Canaan were long and wearisome. Forty years pass away before they crossed the Jordan. Yet there was some one who moved first when they marched from Ramah to Succoth. When does a person really take their first step in coming out of sin and the world? They do it the day when they first pray with their heart.

In every building the first stone must be laid, and the first blow must be struck. The ark was one hundred and twenty years in the building. Yet there was a day when Noah laid his axe to the first tree he cut down to form it. The temple of Solomon was a glorious building. But there was a day when the first huge stone was laid deep in mount Moriah. When does the building of the Spirit really begin to appear in a person’s heart? It begins, so far as we can judge, when they first pour out their heart to God in prayer.

If you desire salvation, and want to know what to do, I advise you to go this very day to the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first private place you can find, and earnestly and heartily entreat him in prayer to save your soul.

Tell him that you have heard that he receives sinners, and he has said, “Him that comes unto me I will in nowise cast out.” Tell him that you are a poor vile sinner, and that you come to him on the faith of his own invitation. Tell him you put yourself wholly and entirely in his hands: that you feel vile and helpless, and hopeless in yourself: and that except he saves you, you have no hope of being saved at all. Beseech him to deliver you from guilt, the power, and the consequences of sin. Beseech him to pardon you, and wash you in his own blood. Beseech him to give you a new heart, and plant the Holy Spirit in your soul. Beseech him to give you grace and faith and will and power to be his disciple and servant from this day forever. Oh, reader, go this very day, and tell these things to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are really in earnest about your soul.

Tell him in your own way, and your own words. If a doctor came to see you when you were sick you could tell him where you felt pain. If your soul feels its disease indeed, you can surely find something to tell Christ. Doubt not his willingness to save you, because you are a sinner. It is Christ’s office to save sinners. He says himself, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32.

Wait not because you fell unworthy. Wait for nothing. Wait for nobody. Waiting comes from the devil. Just as you are, go to Christ. The worse you are, the more need you have to apply to him. You will never mend yourself by staying away.

Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you. Just as a mother understands the first lispings of her infant, so does the blessed Savior understand sinners. He can read a sigh, and see a meaning in a groan.

Despair not because you do not get an answer immediately. While you are speaking, Jesus is listening. If he delays an answer, it is only for wise reasons, and to try if you are in earnest. The answer will surely come. Though it tarry, wait for it. It will surely come.

Oh, reader, if you have any desire to be saved, remember the advice I have given to you this day. Act upon it honestly and heartily, and you shall be saved.

Catechism

Question 52
Q. Which is the fifth commandment?

A. The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

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