Jeremiah 21:11-22:10

Hey, hey, good morning. Good morning. Welcome to coffee and devotions. This morning we are at Jeremiah 21 11-2210. Basically one column on in Nathan's Bible, but it's going to be talking about you know King David, Judah, but yet we're in Jeremiah which is like way from David. So we're going to find out what in the world this is. >> That's like meing on George Washington. >> Yeah. Right. So, what do you got to do with George Washington? >> Not much. >> Yeah. Well, we'll see. Let's have some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's word. >> Nope. >> No coffee for you. Okie dokie. All right. Well, let's go ahead and pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day. We thank you for the blessing you have given us of being able to spend time together. Lord, we pray that as we spend this time together, as we read your word, your Holy Spirit would please help us. Help us to learn. Help us to understand and help us to apply and live. God, we desire to have lives that bring you glory and hearts that seek after you. So God, let us take these things seriously in Jesus's name. Amen. All right. Jeremiah chapter 21, beginning at verse 11. Why don't I read 11-14 and then you could read 22 1-5. We'll just kind of work like that. Okay. >> And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, "Hear the word of the Lord, oh house of David, thus says the Lord. Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him who is plundered out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go forth like fire and burn, so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings. Behold, I am against you, oh inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain, says the Lord, who says, "Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter our dwellings? But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the Lord. I will kindle a fire in its forest, and it shall devour all things around it." All right, so let's pause. What is God saying in that section? >> Um, he's saying that he's a house of doubt. David must do the right thing or else he's going to punish them. >> Yeah. Right. He's talking to the the king of Judah, right? The house of the king of Judah, the southern tribe, the nation of Judah. That's all that's left essentially at this point. And they think that, oh, what's God got against us? And he's going to execute judgment, right? >> Judgment means even though you might not be doing bad things, you're not doing the good things you're supposed to be doing. >> Well, yeah. So there's the sin of omission, right? They should be doing good things, but they're not. But they're also doing commission as well, right? They're making sacrifices, idols. They're worshiping Baal. They've corrupted God's temple. Yeah. So the Lord says he is against them, right? So I will kind of a fire in its force and it shall devour all things around it. You want to read 22 1-5. After you go to sleep, maybe take a nap. >> Shoulders really, really sore. says the Lord, go down. Oh, go down to the house of of the king of Judah and there speak this word and say, "Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who s who you who sit on the throne of David. You and your servants and your people who enter these gates, thus says the Lord, execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plunder out of the hand of the oppressor, >> the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor >> oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless of the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David. But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, this house shall become a desolation. >> All right. So, what's God saying there? Um he's saying that if the king's not just and doesn't judge the people justly, then you're going to get punished for that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Right. And so, but if they do, right, if they turned and the kings actually did righteousness, what would happen? >> He'd blessed. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's almost like remember uh that scene in um Lord of the Rings with the Return of the King when there's like the old king, but he's under like the the spell of the um of the one guy who's like whispering in his ear like they're trying to take your crown and they're trying to and then all of a sudden Gandalf shows up and he breaks the spell and the guy the is shown as to be this like slithering guy and he gets thrown out of the court and then what happens? And the king the king of Gondor right becomes like this like oh he's he's back to his right mind and and there's there's uh there's uh prestige brought back to the hall and and things are brought in order and now now we can actually fight for what's right and what's good. >> I don't remember this. >> No. Well, maybe we'll have to go back and rewatch some >> I think you're talking about the uh Do you don't you mean the like the the like the Oh, what's his name? He was the He was like the king and he had the two sons. >> Nope, not that one. Oh, but it's all right. Uh maybe I got the names wrong, too. I probably do, but um but right the point is right the king should enter back in right there should be one who has the throne and he says the kings of David will will come back through the gates right this like you're going to have this righteousness once again right all right so I'll read this next section for thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah you are Gilead to me the head of Lebanon yet I surely will make you a wilderness cities which are not inhabited. I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons. They shall cut down your choice cedars and cast them into the fire. What's he saying there? >> You're the best of the best. >> And yet what's he going to do? >> If you don't listen, I'm going to just chop you down like any other would. >> Yeah. Right. It's going to be like you're going to be made into a forest fire. Yeah. All right. You want to read that last section? >> And many nations will pass by the city, and everyone will say to his neighbor, "Why has the Lord done so to this city, this great city?" Then they will answer, "Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods, and so them. Weep not for the death, nor bemoan him. We bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. >> All right. So, what's that last part about? >> Um, what? I think you need to take a nap over here. This is about the uh this is about like oh what was it I forget what this is called. It's basically like a um I forget what it's called. It's called like a it's some type of like prophecy where the prophecy can be dependent on the person like I forget what the pro it is like dependent on the person >> but the prophecy also states that this person will do this and the even though the person is like well no I'm going to do this it's just how It's this pre-ordained where it just happens. >> Yeah. Right. This is and we don't need to go too deep into the theological reflection of this, but God gives this contingent contingency, right? If you do this then this if but if you do this then this. But he knows what are they going to do? >> The wrong thing. >> And so if they do the wrong thing, this is what's going to happen. >> They become a by word. >> Yeah. A by word. Yeah. That's exactly right. So, uh, that's actually what I have underlined. It's what I think is the best, uh, verse in my Bible is verses 8 and 9. Uh, and many nations will pass by this city, and everyone will say to his neighbor, why has Yhovah done so to this great city, and they will answer, because they have forsaken the covenant of Yhovah, their God, and worshiped other gods and served them. That's that's at the heart of it, right? both are they're going and doing idolatry as well as they're oppressing the poor and twisting of justice and stuff like that, right? Those two are tied together. They've steered away from the covenant of God and because of that he's going to bring the curses of the covenant. So, uh but what what do you think if you have to summarize this whole section? What's this whole section about? >> It's a good thing. good thing. Like the thing is this isn't just like a proverb. Like this is a prophecy and >> do the good thing and God has God has 100% promised it will go well with you. >> Good things will happen to the city. If you do bad 100% it will go not well with you. It will go fully with you. >> Okay. So I'm always looking at like what the historical thing is that this is talking about, right? like what what is it saying in its substance to the people at that time? And I think to the people at that time, who are the people at that time? I think he's talking to the kings of Judah. He's talking to a real kings, Zedekiah, and he's giving them a real prophecy, right? Repent. But I know you're not going to repent. So, the city's going to be destroyed. Why? Because you've broken God's covenant. And so, that's how I would summarize this. Uh, >> and this is talking about Babylon. Yeah. Babylon would come and conquer Jerusalem. Yeah. Uh so uh let's go ahead and go to see calling or call to action or what do what how how does this apply to your life or how does this point us to Jesus Christ? So you said this is not a proverb. This is a prophecy. If you do this it's going to go well. So as long as you do the law perfectly your life is going to go great. Is that what this is saying? Oh, because God hasn't sent me a prophecy that says that. >> Okay. >> Like I don't think I bet Jeremiah anytime soon saying, "Thus sayaith the Lord, if you do your table chores, you will make a million dollars." >> All right. So, if you clear the table and you wipe it down, you sweep the floor, then your life is going to Now, generally, is that true? >> Yes. >> Oh, yeah. Mom and dad will be a lot less frustrated with you. The thing is the difference between a proverb and a prophecy is a prophecy is this is something that will happen. Whereas a proverb is a principle of life normally this is this is how stuff happens. >> Mhm. >> Now because we live in a fallen world it doesn't always happen like that but >> yeah. Right. But I'm I'm I think for like I I was kind of picking on you there by asking you that. Right. because we have all sorts of other stories like uh the book of Job that show us that life isn't great. Or we could talk about Jeremiah himself who's listening to God and yet is it all going super hot and wonderful for Jeremiah? No, we actually just talked about uh the one of the priests putting him in stocks and making him a laughing stock for people, right? Like they're coming by and laughing at him. So, um, and one of the kings is going to throw him in a in a pit and hope he dies and it's some Egyptian who has to save him. Uh, so I don't think this is like, you know, health and prosperity if you just do the good thing. U, but I think it does show us that if we deviate from his covenant, there are consequences for it. Uh, and so my question is, how do you ever get to the place of that beauty of verses 22 or sorry, chapter 22:es 1-5? How do you how do you get to the place where uh the kings of David will walk in and sit on their thrones? Yeah. But Christ has done this. We just Jesus kept the covenant of works. Jesus per perfectly kept the Mosaic law. Jesus is the one who did all these things perfectly. And Jesus is the king of kings and the lord of lords. And so we have a perfect king. We have one who reigns and judges in righteousness. And so we're called to do is to be imitators of Christ. you know, knowing that we're the type of people who are just like this, but we needed a better king that we could be with God forever. So, I think we get to actually look to Christ. >> So, anything you want to add? >> Nope. >> You good to be done? >> Yep. >> Can you pray for us to close or do you want me to? >> You can pray. >> Okay. God, we thank you that you sent us the king who rode into Jerusalem on the colt. And the crowds cried out before him, hosana, hosana in the highest. Lord, the king has entered in through the gates. The king of righteousness has entered in. And is the king of glory, Jesus Christ himself. And we thank you for him. We pray that you would teach us to live like him, to walk in his ways, to imitate him. Lord, you know how fickle and foolish our hearts are. And so God, we pray that you would please let us not lead a life that's going after the idols of our hearts and of this world. Father, we pray that you would please help us to follow you in Jesus's name. Amen. May God bless you. May you imitate Christ because his spirit is within you. We'll see you next time.