Skip to main content

June 19 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 170

DAILY READINGS

Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm 15

DAILY NOTES

Jeremiah 7
  • Notice the emphasis of God's house having God's name.  It belongs to God, but the people, through their unrighteous actions, have made it theirs.  God's house has been turned into a "den of robbers" (vs. 11).  Remember when Jesus said that (Matthew 21:13)?
    • According to Jesus, what was the Temple supposed to be called?
  • Remember when the people tried to use the ark of the covenant as a weapon against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4)?  That was at Shiloh.  Jeremiah brings that event to our minds again as a sign (vs. 14). 
  • God says that human sacrifice was not his command, nor did it come to his mind.  You'll have to do some wrestling with the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22).
Jeremiah 8
  • Jeremiah (God) says to unearth the kings' bones and lay them before the sun and moon and all the other gods they served and worshiped.  Ouch.
  • Even animals understand the purpose of their life.
  • Gilead was a place where healing balms were made.  Because of the people's waywardness, Jeremiah could see no end to their destruction; not even the healing of Gilead.
Jeremiah 9
  • Apparently, wailing women were hired to show grief during times of loss; think of funerals, for example.  We see some of that in Jesus' ministry.  Jeremiah recognizes there is much to mourn for and calls for the professionals.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Obedience, at its core, is actually quite simple.

God isn't asking the people to figure out some new plan to be faithful to God.  It isn't Rocket Science--Rocket Science hadn't even been invented yet.  Obedience is being faithful to what God has told them to do.  You can't be obedient to something you haven't been told to do.  God has told the people what to do.  They have refused.

Obedience is still the most important aspect of our walk with God, too.  Here's the best way I can think to illustrate it:



Stay blessed...john

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 27 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 27 We'll be reading about atonement today.  T oday's video helps make sense of that biblical theme. DAILY READINGS Exodus 30-31 & Psalm 27 DAILY NOTES Exodus 30:6 Everything has its place.   Exodus 30:10 Once a year would be Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Exodus 12-15 The Lord's offering is required of everyone equally (of the appropriate age).  Strangely enough, there is a designation of rich and poor.  Everyone has just come from Egypt.  How has that distinction arisen?   Exodus 31:13 It's interesting to compare how the idea of sabbath here relates to previous mentions of it.   Exodus 31:18 Moses had written the words down.  Now, with merely his finger, God has provided the tablets for all to remember the covenant that has been made.   Psalm 27 Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed for something?  The psalmist seems to know the feeling.  His final adm...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 18 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 169 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 4-6 & Psalm 14 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 4 Perhaps the people swore "As the Lord lives," but they did not do so in truth, justice or uprightness.  That's a sobering reminder that our words about God must match the way we live. Jeremiah (God) wants the people to move from an empty adherence to a covenant behavior (circumcision) to an attitude of praise before God.  In other words, empty religion is not appealing to God. God will ask the people to "wash" their heart "clean of wickedness" (Verse 14). Jeremiah feels as if God has deceived the people (Verse 10).  Maybe God didn't predict the peace Jeremiah was thinking of.  False prophets? Jeremiah 5 The same theme.  There were people who said, "As the Lord lives," because that was the religious thing to say.  But God says there is not one person who acts justly or seeks truth.  The people used the right words, but lived the wrong way.  #Pr...
Post a Comment
Read more

February 16 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 47 Before the movie Shrek, the best known talking donkey was Balaam's donkey.  That's what we're reading about today.   Of course, that's only part of the story between Balak and Balaam.   DAILY READINGS Numbers 22-24 & Psalm 47 DAILY NOTES Numbers 22:2 Apparently, Israel is making a name for itself.  The Moabites are terrified and distressed/irritated by the news of what the Israelites are doing. Numbers 22:5-6 Balaam is, apparentely, a diviner with a good reputation.  Balak is "overcome with fear" and his response is to go to Balaam.  Balak knows that "whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed." Numbers 22:8 This is the recurring theme for Balaam.  He will only say what  God tells him to say.  That is, there's no money back guarantee.  Even if it doesn't align with what Balak wants, Balaam will only give the words that God gives him. There is no indication why Balaam w...
Post a Comment
Read more