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.
