(Jeremiah 7:24-28)
But they did not obey or pay any attention. Instead, they did whatever their stubborn and evil hearts told them to do, and they became worse instead of better. From the day that your ancestors came out of Egypt I have until this very day kept on sending to you my servants, the prophets. Yet no one listened or paid any attention. Instead, you became more stubborn and rebellious than your ancestors.
“So, Jeremiah, you will speak all these words to my people, but they will not listen to you; you will call them, but they will not answer. You will tell them that their nation does not obey me, the Lord their God, or learn from their punishment. Faithfulness is dead. No longer is it even talked about.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
29.4 The Lord Is Our Refuge
(Psalm 46)
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
God is our shelter and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken
and mountains fall into the ocean depths;
even if the seas roar and rage,
and the hills are shaken by the violence.
There is a river that brings joy to the city of God,
to the sacred house of the Most High.
God is in that city, and it will never be destroyed;
at early dawn he will come to its aid.
Nations are terrified, kingdoms are shaken;
God thunders, and the earth dissolves.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come and see what the Lord has done.
See what amazing things he has done on earth.
He stops wars all over the world;
he breaks bows, destroys spears,
and sets shields on fire.
“Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations,
supreme over the world.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
29.3 The Lord Will Forgive And Restore Israel
(Jeremiah 3:11-18)
Then the Lord told me that, even though Israel had turned away from him, she had proved to be better than unfaithful Judah. He told me to go and say to Israel, “Unfaithful Israel, come back to me. I am merciful and will not be angry; I will not be angry with you forever. Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the Lord, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the Lord, have spoken.
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
“Unfaithful people, come back; you belong to me. I will take one of you from each town and two from each clan, and I will bring you back to Mount Zion. I will give you rulers who obey me, and they will rule you with wisdom and understanding. Then when you have become numerous in that land, people will no longer talk about my Covenant Box. They will no longer think about it or remember it; they will not even need it, nor will they make another one. When that time comes, Jerusalem will be called ‘The Throne of the Lord,’ and all nations will gather there to worship me. They will no longer do what their stubborn and evil hearts tell them. Israel will join with Judah, and together they will come from exile in the country in the north and will return to the land that I gave your ancestors as a permanent possession.”
29.2 God Forgives All Sins
(Isaiah 43:22-25)
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
The Lord says, “But you were tired of me, Israel;
you did not worship me.
You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep;
you did not honor me with your sacrifices.
I did not burden you by demanding offerings
or wear you out by asking for incense.
You didn’t buy incense for me or satisfy
me with the fat of your animals.
Instead you burdened me with your sins;
you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins,
and I do this because of who I am.
I will not hold your sins against you.
29.1 God Will Save Even If Only 10 Are Just
(Genesis 18:20-31, 32b)
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “ There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the Lord and asked, “ Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order to save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”
The Lord answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”
Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”
The Lord answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”
Abraham spoke again: “Perhaps there will be only forty.”
He replied, “I will not destroy if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, Lord, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. Suppose that only twenty are found?”
He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”
… “What if only ten are found?” The Lord said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
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