May 11, 2011
IT'S ABOUT BEING FAITHFUL!
Jeremiah 27
Marty Washington
Central Truth
God is in control of the world. He created it, and His purposes will be accomplished. He allows us to be part of His plan and gives us opportunities to do so.
Key Verse | Jeremiah 27:5
"I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight." (Jeremiah 27:5)
Jeremiah 27
The Yoke of Nebuchadnezzar
1 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah 1 27:1 Or Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD. 2 Thus the LORD said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word 2 27:3 Hebrew Send them to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
8 ‘“But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand. 9 So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ 10 For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. 11 But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the LORD.”’”
12 To Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke in like manner: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. 13 Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning any nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? 14 Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 15 I have not sent them, declares the LORD, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD's house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. 17 Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? 18 If they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, then let them intercede with the LORD of hosts, that the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. 19 For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, the sea, the stands, and the rest of the vessels that are left in this city, 20 which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem— 21 thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22 They shall be carried to Babylon and remain there until the day when I visit them, declares the LORD. Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.”
Dive Deeper | Jeremiah 27
At this time (597 B.C.), the people of Judah were already under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God had given Judah to Babylon because the people had not listened to Jeremiah's warning to repent and be faithful to God (Jeremiah 25:8-9). The judgment on Judah had come through the Babylonians in 605 B.C. God had control of this oppression and knew when it would begin and end.
In the meantime, God had Jeremiah warn the people of Judah to submit to Babylonian authority, which must have sounded crazy to them. God told them if they did, they would be able to stay on their land, cultivate it, and dwell there (Jeremiah 27:11). The people of Judah had gotten themselves into this situation by living their own way--not God's way. They were going to be living under this judgment, but God was willing to extend grace to them by allowing them to stay in their country if they would submit to the authority of Nebuchadnezzar.
About eight years ago, I unwisely borrowed a large sum of money to save my fledgling business. This was after September 11, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not keep this business going. I acted under my own wisdom and made a poor financial decision. It took many years to pay back that loan, and I had to work very hard to do it. During that time I went to a financial seminar at Watermark, listened to "The Green, The Gold, and The Gray" (Todd Wagner's series on money) about 50 times, and read The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. I learned what God says about money.
I have been transformed in this area of my life because I submitted to my creditors, my husband, and God during this long period of paying back the loan. I had not been faithful because I tried to solve the problems in my business on my own without seeking guidance from God or my husband. God loved me enough to discipline me, and He did not abandon me during that time. He poured into me and offered hope and restoration.
He constantly gives me opportunities to be faithful, and this strengthens my relationship with my husband as well. We talk openly about finances now and make decisions together.
I love that God keeps giving us chances to be faithful even when we have failed previously. He never gives up on us.
Discussion Questions
1. Can you name an area of your life in which you need to confess that you have not been faithful to God?
2. When has God extended grace to you during discipline? Did you accept His grace and did you thank Him?
3. Do you know that He never gives up on us?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
JEREMIAH 25-29 (MAY 9-13)
Read Jeremiah 29:1-14.
Jeremiah 29 is written when some of the Jews (God's chosen people) had been exiled (separated from) God and their country because of their disobedience.
Have you ever felt exiled? Talk about the situation and how you were brought back from the time of separation. (Think about time outs or grounding.)
What encouragement and reminders did God give His people through this book?
After your time of exile, was there encouragement given to you?
Activity: Write a letter to someone in your life who needs hope. People who are lonely, away at college for the first time, struggling with the consequences of something they did wrong, or weary from trials in their lives. Remember to include truth from Scripture about God's promises to us.