against the prophets

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
photo of brown frog on green moss

Photo by Erik Karits on Pexels.com

against the prophets

Jeremiah 23:9-32 (JDV)

Jeremiah 23:9 About the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones shake. I have become like a drunk, like a man overcome by wine, because of Yahveh, because of his holy words.

Jeremiah 23:10 You see, the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the affliction of a curse, and the pasture lands in the open country have dried up. Their way of life has become evil, and their power is not rightly used

Jeremiah 23:11 because both prophet and priest are ungodly, even in my house I have found their evil. this is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:12 Therefore, their way will seem like slippery paths in the gloom. They will be driven away and fall down there, because I will bring disaster on them, the year of their punishment. This is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:13 Among the prophets of Samaria I saw something disgusting: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray.

Jeremiah 23:14 Among the prophets of Jerusalem also I saw a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil. They are all like Sodom to me; Jerusalem’s residents are like Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore, this is what Yahveh of Armies says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.

Jeremiah 23:16 This is what Yahveh of Armies says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are deluding you. They speak visions from their own minds, not from Yahveh’s mouth.

Jeremiah 23:17 They keep on saying to those who despise me, ‘Yahveh has spoken: You will have peace.’ They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, ‘No harm will come to you.'”

Jeremiah 23:18 You see, who has stood in the council of Yahveh to see and hear his word? Who has paid attention to his word and obeyed?

Jeremiah 23:19 Look, a tornado from Yahveh! Wrath has gone out, a whirling storm. It will whirl about the heads of the wicked.

Jeremiah 23:20 Yahveh’s anger will not turn away until he has completely fulfilled the purposes of his heart. In a time to come you will understand it clearly.

Jeremiah 23:21 I did not send out these prophets, yet they ran. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

Jeremiah 23:22 If they had really stood in my council, they would have enabled my people to hear my words and would have turned them from their evil ways and their evil deeds.

Jeremiah 23:23 “Am I a God who is only near” – this is what Yahveh declares – “and not a God who is far away?

Jeremiah 23:24 Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” – what Yahveh declares. “Do I not fill the sky and the land?” – what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:25 “I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in my name have said: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream! ‘

Jeremiah 23:26 How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds?

Jeremiah 23:27 Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause my people to forget my name as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship.

Jeremiah 23:28 The prophet who has only a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has my word should speak my word truthfully, because what is straw compared to grain?” – this is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:29 “Is not my word like fire” – this is what Yahveh declares – “and like a hammer that pulverizes rock?

Jeremiah 23:30 Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets” – what Yahveh declares – “who steal my words from each other.

Jeremiah 23:31 I am against the prophets” – what Yahveh declares – “who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

Jeremiah 23:32 I am against those who prophesy false dreams” – what Yahveh declares – “telling them and leading my people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people” – this is what Yahveh declares.

against the prophets

Jeremiah was not a bullfrog, he was a prophet. Yet the Lord spoke through him to condemn the prophets of his time because they only said what people wanted them to say, and it was hopelessly wrong.

There is a strong pull in today’s churches for us to stay positive, and I can understand that. Nobody likes to be preached at. But we need to be careful that our positive and encouraging message is balanced with the unwanted truth: God is still against the prophets who ignore his message.

Lord, give us the courage to speak your truth to a generation who will not tolerate it.

_____________________

watch the video - 3

________________

books-by-jefferson-vann-ad-1

Posted in balance, integrity, prophecy | Tagged | Leave a comment

the ultimate shepherd

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
battle black blur board game

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

the ultimate shepherd

Jeremiah 23:1-8 (JDV)

Jeremiah 23:1 “Tragedy to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” this is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:2 “Therefore, this is what Yahveh, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock, banished them, and have not attended to them. I am about to attend to you because of our evil acts” – this is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:3 “I will gather the remainder of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.

Jeremiah 23:4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them. They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing.” this is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 23:5 “Look, the days are coming” – this is what Yahveh declares – “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land.

Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: Yahveh Is Our Righteousness.

Jeremiah 23:7 “Look, the days are coming” – what Yahveh declares – “when it will no longer be said, ‘As Yahveh lives who brought the Israelites from the land of Egypt,’

Jeremiah 23:8 but, ‘As Yahveh lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I had banished them.’ They will dwell once more in their own land.”

the ultimate shepherd

We often refer to this passage in the context of pastoral responsibility. we are encouraged to be good shepherds who bring the flock together, rather than scatter and abuse it for our own purposes. It does have a distant connection to that idea, but it is important to understand that the shepherds Jeremiah were referring to were kings. That is why his prophecy of the Righteous Branch for David is found here. Jesus will be the shepherd who unites and nourishes God’s flock.

Lord, thank you for the Righteous Branch for David – your good shepherd.

books-by-jefferson-vann-ad-1

______________________

watch the video - 3

Posted in Jesus Christ, kingdom of God | Tagged | Leave a comment

thunder jug man

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

thunder jug man

Jeremiah 22:24-30 (JDV)

Jeremiah 22:24 “As I live” – this is what Yahveh declares – “even if you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would tear you from it.

Jeremiah 22:25 In fact, I will give you to the hand of those who seek to take your throat, whose faces you fear – and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans.

Jeremiah 22:26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave birth to you into another land, where neither of you were born, and there you will both die.

Jeremiah 22:27 They will never return to the land they long to return to.”

Jeremiah 22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered pot, a jar no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they have not known?

Jeremiah 22:29 Land, land, land, hear the word of Yahveh!

Jeremiah 22:30 This is what Yahveh says: Record this man as childless, a man who will not be successful in his days. None of his offspring will succeed in sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.

thunder jug man

Decades ago, when visiting a rustic campground, I saw and used my first thunder jug. They are also called chamber pots. They come in handy when the cabin you are staying in has no indoor plumbing. You can do your business in the middle of the night – into the thunder jug, and empty it out into a toilet in the morning.

In Jeremiah’s day, they used clay jars that were somehow damaged for this purpose. Some commentators suggest that Jeremiah is referring to this when he calls Coniah “a jar no one wants.” When he is sent into exile, he will go from an authoritative signet ring to an embarrassing thunder jug in one fell swoop.

This is a lesson for those who think they are something. What you are depends on how useful you are to your creator. Don’t presume you are something special.

Lord, our only ambition is to be your humble disciples.

_______________________________

Posted in ambition, discipleship, responsibility, servanthood | Tagged | 1 Comment

donkey drag

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

agriculture animal countryside domestic

Photo by Leroy Huckett on Pexels.com

donkey drag

Jeremiah 22:13-23 (JDV)

Jeremiah 22:13 Tragedy [1] for the one who builds his palace through unrighteousness, his upstairs rooms through injustice, who makes his neighbor serve without pay and will not give him his wages,

Jeremiah 22:14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upstairs rooms.” He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted bright red.

Jeremiah 22:15 Are you a king because you have so much cedar? Didn’t your father eat and drink while administering justice and righteousness? Then it went well with him.

Jeremiah 22:16 He took up the case of the poor and needy; then it went well. Is this not what it means to know me? This is what Yahveh declares.

Jeremiah 22:17 But you have eyes and a heart for nothing except your own dishonest profit, shedding innocent blood and pouring out oppression and extortion.

Jeremiah 22:18 Therefore, this is what Yahveh says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not mourn for him, saying, “Tragedy, my brother!” or “Tragedy, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying, “Tragedy, lord! Tragedy, his majesty!”

Jeremiah 22:19 He will be buried like a donkey, dragged off and thrown outside Jerusalem’s gates.

Jeremiah 22:20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out; raise your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, because all your lovers have been crushed.

Jeremiah 22:21 I spoke to you when you were secure. You said, “I will not listen.” This has been your way since you were young; in fact, you have never listened to me.

Jeremiah 22:22 The wind will take charge of all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your evil.

Jeremiah 22:23 You residents of Lebanon, nestled among the cedars, how you will groan when pains come on you, agony like a woman in labor.

donkey drag

Since Jehoiakim “reigned” by indulging his covetousness and greed, the Lord would make an example of him. His fate would be even worse than his brother’s. He would “be buried like a donkey, dragged off and thrown outside Jerusalem’s gates.”

Rumor has it that Jehoiakim was assassinated by his own household during the siege, and his body was thrown over the wall of the city. That would explain this prophecy about his non-burial.

Lord, may we lead with dignity and selflessness.

______________________________
[1] הוֹי = tragedy. Jeremiah 22:13, 18; 23:1; 30:7; 34:5; 47:6; 48:1; 50:27.

Posted in greed, leadership, responsibility | Tagged | Leave a comment

the real loser

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

closeup photography of loser scrabble letter

Photo by Shamia Casiano on Pexels.com

the real loser

Jeremiah 22:10-12 (JDV)

Jeremiah 22:10 Do not weep for the dead; do not mourn for him. Weep bitterly for the one who has walked away, because he will never return again and see his native land.

Jeremiah 22:11 You see, this is what Yahveh says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah, and who has left this place: “He will never return here again,

Jeremiah 22:12 but he will die in the place where they exiled him, never seeing this land again.”

the real loser

King Josiah died a hero, in battle at Megiddo. His son Jehoahaz became king in his place, but was captured and sent away by Pharaoh. It was he who would never see his land or his throne again.

There is a message of encouragement and hope here, especially for those who lose in this life. Both of these men could be counted as losers, but only one was really a loser. Josiah died defending his nation, but Shallum (another name for Jehoahaz) lost his chance.

If you and I are zealous enough about obeying our Lord that we wind up dying as martyrs for his message, no one needs to weep for us, either. We will wake as heroes. But if we fail to live up to the covenant which we have committed to, we would be the real losers.

Lord, make us valiant warriors for you kingdom to come.

Posted in commitment, faithfulness, new covenant | Tagged | Leave a comment

where is your mountain?

Posted on November 15, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

photo of man standing on top of mountain

Photo by Pawan Yadav on Pexels.com

where is your mountain?

Jeremiah 22:6-9 (JDV)

Jeremiah 22:6 You see, this is what Yahveh says about the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into an open country, uninhabited cities.

Jeremiah 22:7 I will commit destroyers against you, each with his weapons. They will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.

Jeremiah 22:8 “Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did Yahveh do such a thing to this great city?’

Jeremiah 22:9 They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahveh their God and bowed in worship to other gods and served them.'”

where is your mountain​

As Penny and I hike the trail, we see the amazing difference the seasons make. Sometimes it only involves a little time, like the day we hiked the Ben Lomond trail in Queenstown, New Zealand, after a newly fallen snow. We had hiked the same trail only days before, but it was totally different after the snowfall. The only thing that stayed the same was the elevation.

Imagine how disoriented we would be if we took to a trail one day, and discovered that one of the mountains was gone.

That is the image that Jeremiah is using here. The city of Jerusalem is going to be leveled, and all the passers-by will ask the same question. They will not ask “how?” because they will know that answer. The question they will ask is “why?” – and the answer would be that they had abandoned the covenant!

Christian, do you know that we have covenanted with the same God. Pay attention to the commands of Christ and his covenant mission. If we don’t, someday they may be asking why our mountain is missing.

Lord, draw us to your words, consecrate us to your covenant.

watch the video - 3

Posted in commitment, judgment, new covenant | Tagged | Leave a comment

looking out for the little people

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

photo of father and daughter

Photo by Katie E on Pexels.com

looking out for the little people

Jeremiah 22:1-5 (JDV)

Jeremiah 22:1 This is what Yahveh says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak this word there.

Jeremiah 22:2 You are to say, ‘Hear the word of Yahveh, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David – you, your officers, and your people who enter these gates.

Jeremiah 22:3 This is what Yahveh says: Do justice and righteousness. Snatch the one being robbed from his oppressor’s hand. Don’t exploit or brutalize the foreign guest, the orphan, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.

Jeremiah 22:4 Because if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this house riding on chariots and horses – they, their officers, and their people.

Jeremiah 22:5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself – this is what Yahveh declares – that this house will become waste.'”

looking out for the little people

Jeremiah’s warning to the king of Judah was that if he did not live up to the covenant his ancestor David had entered with God, his house – that is, his kingship, was going to become waste.

What God wants of a leader is someone who concentrates on taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. He wants a king who looks after the oppressed, foreign immigrants, orphans and widows.

If a leader is only interested in keeping himself or herself in office, I would suggest they look into the book and see what became of Zedekiah. Looking out for number one is not as important in God’s economy as looking out for the little people.

Lord, may our leaders take seriously their responsibility toward those who need help.

___________________________

Books by Jefferson Vann

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is an-advent-christian-systematic-theology.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is another-bible-commentary.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is finding-gold-in-genesis.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is words-from-the-collector.jpg
Posted in leadership, responsibility | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jeremiah’s unquenchable fire

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

bonfire near grass field during dawn

Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.com

Jeremiah’s unquenchable fire

Jeremiah 21:11-14 (JDV)

Jeremiah 21:11 “And to the house of the king of Judah say this: ‘Hear the word of Yahveh!

Jeremiah 21:12 House of David, this is what Yahveh says: Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor, or my anger will flare up like fire and burn unquenchably because of your evil deeds.

Jeremiah 21:13 Beware! I am against you, you who sit above the valley, you atop the rocky plateau – this is what Yahveh declares – you who say, “Who can come down against us? Who can enter our hiding places?”

Jeremiah 21:14 I will punish you according to what you have done – this is what Yahveh declares. I will kindle a fire in your forest that will consume everything around it.'”

Jeremiah’s unquenchable fire

The theological know-it-alls tell us that God wants to torment the wicked perpetually in hell. They tell us that there is no other way to read scripture because the New Testament describes the final punishment of the wicked as an unquenchable fire.

These theological know-it-alls do not understand what the Bible is saying when it describes hell as an unquenchable fire. Jeremiah used the concept of an unquenchable fire here to describe God’s anger against the king of Judah for his disobedience. But Jeremiah’s fire would not torment the king and his kingdom perpetually. The result of that fire which God kindled was to “consume everything around it.” An unquenchable fire is a fire that cannot be put out until it destroys all its fuel. That is what hell will do.

Lord, help us to think biblically about your final punishment of the wicked.

Books by Jefferson Vann

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is an-advent-christian-systematic-theology.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is another-bible-commentary.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is finding-gold-in-genesis.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is words-from-the-collector.jpg
Posted in destruction in hell, discernment, theology | Tagged | Leave a comment

ninth inning miracle

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

person holding baseball bat

Photo by Mandie Inman on Pexels.com

ninth inning miracle

Jeremiah 21:1-10 (JDV)

Jeremiah 21:1 The word that was to Jeremiah from Yahveh when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, asking,

Jeremiah 21:2 “Inquire now about Yahveh on our behalf, since King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is making war against us. Maybe Yahveh will do for us something like all his past wondrous works so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”

Jeremiah 21:3 But Jeremiah said, “This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:

Jeremiah 21:4 ‘This is what Yahveh, the God of Israel, says: I am about to repel the weapons of war in your hands, those you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging1 you outside the wall, and I will bring them into the center of this city.

Jeremiah 21:5 I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, with anger, rage, and intense wrath.

Jeremiah 21:6 I will strike the residents of this city, both people and animals. They will die in a severe plague.

Jeremiah 21:7 Afterward – this is what Yahveh declares – King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people – those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine – I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to their enemies, yes, to those who intend to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won’t spare them or show pity or compassion.’

Jeremiah 21:8 “But tell this people, ‘This is what Yahveh says: Look, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.

Jeremiah 21:9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war.

Jeremiah 21:10 You see, I have set my face against this city to bring disaster and not good – this is what Yahveh declares. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it.’

ninth inning miracle

Read carefully in today’s text because it is very easy to miss something. You see the name Pashhur in verse 1 and you think that the conflict of the previous chapter is continuing. But notice that this is Pashhur son of Malchijah, not Pashhur son of Immer. In fact, we have been transported in time 20 years. We are witnessing the final stages of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. King Zedekiah has been reigning for ten years, and he had been leading a lost cause.

So, Zedekiah sends his officials to consult with Jeremiah, to see if God would be willing to pull off a ninth inning miracle, and save the city and the nation.

God’s answer through Jeremiah was no. There would be no ninth inning miracle this time. God’s word to the people of Jerusalem was that if they wanted to save their lives, they would have to abandon the city, because it was going to fall.

It is human nature for us to seek the last minute rescue. We love it when the bomb is diffused in the last second, when the train tracks are crossed just before the train plows through. But God is free to ignore us at the last minute, especially if we have chosen to ignore him for twenty years or more.

Lord, give us the courage to be the miracle we expect. May our lives stay committed to you throughout the whole game.

_____________________________

[1] צור = besiege. Jeremiah 21:4, 9; 32:2; 37:5; 39:1.

________________________

Books by Jefferson Vann

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is an-advent-christian-systematic-theology.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is another-bible-commentary.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is finding-gold-in-genesis.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is words-from-the-collector.jpg
Posted in dependence upon God, discipleship, prayer, sovereignty of God | Tagged | Leave a comment

burning words

Posted on November 11, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

man holding a megaphone

Photo by Pressmaster on Pexels.com

burning words

Jeremiah 20:7-18 (JDV)

Jeremiah 20:7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me.

Jeremiah 20:8 Because whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” and the result is the word of Yahveh has become my constant disgrace and derision.

Jeremiah 20:9 I say, “I won’t mention him or speak any longer in his name.” But his message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot win.

Jeremiah 20:10 Because I have heard the gossip of many people, “Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!” Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might win against him and take our vengeance on him.”

Jeremiah 20:11 But Yahveh is with me like a violent warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not win. since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed, a permanent humiliation that will never be forgotten.

Jeremiah 20:12 Lord of Armies, testing the righteous and seeing the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, because I have presented my case to you.

Jeremiah 20:13 Sing to Yahveh! Praise Yahveh, because he rescues the life of the needy from evil people.

Jeremiah 20:14 May the day I was born be cursed. May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.

Jeremiah 20:15 May the man be cursed who brought the news to my father, saying, “A boy child is born to you,” causing him to celebrate. [1]

Jeremiah 20:16 Let that man be like the cities Yahveh demolished without compassion. Let him hear an outcry in the morning and a war cry at noontime

Jeremiah 20:17 because he didn’t kill me in the uterus so that my mother might have been my grave, her uterus permanently pregnant.

Jeremiah 20:18 Why did I come out of the uterus to see only fighting and sorrowing, to end my life embarrassed?

burning words

We don’t always get a glimpse into the minds of the prophets when we read their writings, but today’s text is exactly that. And what a mad scramble is going on in that noggin! One minute, Jeremiah is complaining that the Lord has deceived him, the next he his singing his praises. One minute he is praying for God’s vengeance on his enemies, the next he is wishing that he had been aborted!

And all the while, God’s words burn in his heart like a fire which he cannot keep in. He tries, but he just can’t win.

The people of God are called to a prophetic ministry. There are things that God has to say to our generation and he has chosen us to do the saying. They are not happy things. They are words that will not be appreciated. We probably will not even like ourselves much for saying them. But the burning words have to come out.

Lord, give us the strength and courage to say your words which are burning within us.

_________________________

[1] שָׂמַח = celebrate. Jeremiah 20:15; 31:13; 41:13; 50:11.

____________________

Books by Jefferson Vann

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is an-advent-christian-systematic-theology.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is another-bible-commentary.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is finding-gold-in-genesis.jpg
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is words-from-the-collector.jpg
Posted in ministry, prophecy, truth | Tagged | Leave a comment