WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT HIM.

Judgment on Ammon

1 Concerning the Ammonites.

Thus says the LORD:

“Has Israel no sons?
    Has he no heir?
Why then has Milcom^{1

49:1
Or their king; also verse 3} dispossessed Gad,
    and his people settled in its cities?
2 Therefore, behold, the days are coming,
    declares the LORD,
when I will cause the battle cry to be heard
    against Rabbah of the Ammonites;
it shall become a desolate mound,
    and its villages shall be burned with fire;
then Israel shall dispossess those who dispossessed him,
    says the LORD.

3 Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste!
    Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth,
    lament, and run to and fro among the hedges!
For Milcom shall go into exile,
    with his priests and his officials.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys,^{2

49:4
Hebrew boast of your valleys, your valley flows}
    O faithless daughter,
who trusted in her treasures, saying,
    ‘Who will come against me?’
5 Behold, I will bring terror upon you,
    declares the Lord God of hosts,
    from all who are around you,
and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him,
    with none to gather the fugitives.

6 But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the LORD.”

Judgment on Edom

7 Concerning Edom.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

“Is wisdom no more in Teman?
    Has counsel perished from the prudent?
    Has their wisdom vanished?
8 Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths,
    O inhabitants of Dedan!
For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him,
    the time when I punish him.
9 If grape gatherers came to you,
    would they not leave gleanings?
If thieves came by night,
    would they not destroy only enough for themselves?
10 But I have stripped Esau bare;
    I have uncovered his hiding places,
    and he is not able to conceal himself.
His children are destroyed, and his brothers,
    and his neighbors; and he is no more.
11 Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive;
    and let your widows trust in me.”

12 For thus says the LORD: “If those who did not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, will you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you must drink. 13 For I have sworn by myself, declares the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a horror, a taunt, a waste, and a curse, and all her cities shall be perpetual wastes.”

14 I have heard a message from the LORD,
    and an envoy has been sent among the nations:
“Gather yourselves together and come against her,
    and rise up for battle!
15 For behold, I will make you small among the nations,
    despised among mankind.
16 The horror you inspire has deceived you,
    and the pride of your heart,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,^{3

49:16
Or of Sela}
    who hold the height of the hill.
Though you make your nest as high as the eagle's,
    I will bring you down from there,
    declares the LORD.

17 Edom shall become a horror. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss because of all its disasters. 18 As when Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities were overthrown, says the LORD, no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn in her. 19 Behold, like a lion coming up from the jungle of the Jordan against a perennial pasture, I will suddenly make him^{4

49:19
Septuagint, Syriac them} run away from her. And I will appoint over her whomever I choose. For who is like me? Who will summon me? What shepherd can stand before me? 20 Therefore hear the plan that the LORD has made against Edom and the purposes that he has formed against the inhabitants of Teman: Even the little ones of the flock shall be dragged away. Surely their fold shall be appalled at their fate. 21 At the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble; the sound of their cry shall be heard at the Red Sea. 22 Behold, one shall mount up and fly swiftly like an eagle and spread his wings against Bozrah, and the heart of the warriors of Edom shall be in that day like the heart of a woman in her birth pains.”

Judgment on Damascus

23 Concerning Damascus:

“Hamath and Arpad are confounded,
    for they have heard bad news;
they melt in fear,
    they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet.
24 Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee,
    and panic seized her;
anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her,
    as of a woman in labor.
25 How is the famous city not forsaken,
    the city of my joy?
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares,
    and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day,
    declares the LORD of hosts.
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus,
    and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.”

Judgment on Kedar and Hazor

28 Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck down.

Thus says the LORD:
“Rise up, advance against Kedar!
    Destroy the people of the east!
29 Their tents and their flocks shall be taken,
    their curtains and all their goods;
their camels shall be led away from them,
    and men shall cry to them: ‘Terror on every side!’
30 Flee, wander far away, dwell in the depths,
    O inhabitants of Hazor!
    declares the LORD.
For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
    has made a plan against you
    and formed a purpose against you.

31 Rise up, advance against a nation at ease,
    that dwells securely,
    declares the LORD,
that has no gates or bars,
    that dwells alone.
32 Their camels shall become plunder,
    their herds of livestock a spoil.
I will scatter to every wind
    those who cut the corners of their hair,
and I will bring their calamity
    from every side of them,
    declares the LORD.
33 Hazor shall become a haunt of jackals,
    an everlasting waste;
no man shall dwell there;
    no man shall sojourn in her.”

Judgment on Elam

34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.

35 Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. 36 And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come. 37 I will terrify Elam before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, my fierce anger, declares the LORD. I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them, 38 and I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials, declares the LORD.

39 But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the LORD.”

Footnotes

[1] 49:1 Or their king; also verse 3
[2] 49:4 Hebrew boast of your valleys, your valley flows
[3] 49:16 Or of Sela
[4] 49:19 Septuagint, Syriac them

I am one who can sometimes think I am controlling my own destiny. I have been a believer for 36 years and at times become at ease in my relationship with God. I attempt to go for days without spending time with Him, and, before I know it, pride sets in. I begin to think I can do life on my own. I start to self-indulge and get caught up in my activities rather than my relationship with God. Now that does not sound too bad from the world's standards. However, those simple indulgences can take first place over a relationship with God. This is how Satan works, stroking our ego and trying to convince us we can do life without God. Then pride sets in.

God has warned us, "You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:3) God does not want a part-time relationship with us, nor does He wish to be a 9-1-1 God--only for emergency situations. He wants all of us. He is a jealous God, jealous for a relationship with us. If we choose to ignore God, He will get our attention because He loves us.

I walked away from God after college graduation, and God reminded me who He is. I was prideful and thought I was in control, so I left Him out of my daily living and other gods, including me, became first in my life. My husband and I suffered seven miscarriages and learned slowly that we were never in control of our lives. We needed God to remind us of who He is and where He should be--first! Experiencing difficulties that bring sadness and pain are not something God desires for His children. However, God is able to use these situations to bring us closer to Him and to remind us that He is sovereign. I still stumble back into my prideful ways because I am a sinner. But I have learned to listen to God's still, small voice wooing me back to Him, and peace takes the place of my pride.

1. Does spending time worshiping and serving God hold second place to television, socializing, or work?

2. Do you allow yourself to be still enough to hear the still, small voice of God, or do you go about your day thinking that you have got it under control?

3. Are you serving God, or is God serving you?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

JEREMIAH 45-49 (JUNE 6-10)

Read Jeremiah 45.

What does it say that Baruch did for Jeremiah in verse 1? Go back and read Jeremiah 36 to read about the actual events.

Baruch did not have a computer to type out the words Jeremiah spoke. Baruch had to write them all by hand. How long do you think it took him? How do you think he felt when he found out the scrolls had been burned? Then, what did Jeremiah have him do?

After all of his writing, the people did not repent! How does it say Baruch felt in Jeremiah 45:3? What does the Lord say in response to his complaining? Look at verse 5, what does it say Baruch was seeking?

What does it mean to "[seek] great things for yourself?" Are you ever tempted to do things so you get the glory or recognition? For whose glory should you do all things? (See Colossians 3:23)

ACTIVITY: As a family, think of someone in your neighborhood whom you can serve. Be creative, intentional, and sacrificial (i.e. mow their lawn, bring them their paper each morning, bring them breakfast, clean their pool, etc.) When they ask you WHY you are doing it, take the time to sit with them and talk about what Christ has done for you. Remember to give God the glory!