Read Reflect It is never easy to face the consequences of a bad choice, particularly when we have been warned ahead of time. Such is the case with the people of Judah to whom Jeremiah gives God’s message here. Jeremiah reminds them of God’s warning in the Sinai covenant/agreement made shortly after the exodus of […]
Read More consequences, disobedience, God chose us
Read Reflect It doesn’t get much more raw than this. Jeremiah is sick and tired of seeing the disobedient people around him prosper. It is particularly galling when he has been faithful and is suffering. “So drag my enemies away and butcher them like sheep” he says to God. The pain and anger is palpable. […]
Read More justice, honesty, pain, angerRead Reflect Among the many prophetic warnings Jeremiah is told to speak to the people, are a few visible demonstrations which are meant to convey prophetic truths. Chapter 13 has two of these. Firstly, Jeremiah is instructed to buy and wear a pair of linen shorts, then told to go and hide them in a […]
Read More witness, ruin, stubborn disobedienceRead Reflect We can well imagine that when Jeremiah hears disparaging reports about the nation and sees similar evidence around him, that he might slide into despair. The many messages of judgment that God gives him and which he must communicate to the people he loves and cares for do not ease his discouragement. These […]
Read More despair, hope, faith, strength of characterMy sister has taken up pottery and to my amazement can take a lump of clay, manipulate it thoroughly and shape it into a wonderful bowl on her potter’s wheel. And when she spots an imperfection or fails to produce the shape she has in mind, she starts over. She is always in control.
Read More clay, consequences, choices, potterSoft clay can be shaped and molded; fired clay can be broken and shattered!
In chapter 18 a potter was using soft and malleable clay to make a pot but here in chapter 19 Jeremiah picks up the finished product from the potter: a cured and fired clay jar.
Read More worship, obedience, consequences, time runs outRead Reflect When I entered my final year of studies for my Master of Divinity, I found it hard to keep on reading, researching and writing for those last classes. I was tired and had lost the love of learning that was there in my first year. I did however have something that Jeremiah did […]
Read More discouragement, God’s faithfulness, persistence, burning messageRead Reflect Not too many of us know a lot about shepherds or sheep, but in biblical times they were common. Domestic sheep are not well suited to survive on their own and need the attention and care of shepherds who not only lead them to good places where they can eat and drink but […]
Read More care, protection, leadership, shepherdRead Reflect It is a sad development in our political discourse when “fact-checking” is employed after every public debate or speech. We would hope that those who strive for high office would be honest and tell the truth but increasingly we (and our media) doubt this. In this section of Jeremiah God is angry with […]
Read More challenge, truth, false prophets, fact-checkingRead Reflect It is one thing to speak the truth and to have people simply reject your message but it is quite another thing to be threatened with death for doing so. Such was the case with Jeremiah who again declares God’s message of warning to his listeners (vv. 4-6). This time, rather than ignoring […]
Read More integrity, courage