Jeremiah

Foundation

Jeremiah in 4 parts

(1-24) Jeremiah accuses Israel of Idolatry. Warns them.

(25-45) Israel’s future

(46-51) God is going to use Babylon to judge the nation

(52) The burning of the temple

Have you considered giving up?

Repent and turn to the Lord is over. Jeremiah tells Israel when Babylon comes to run out of their cities and surrender to the armies.

Jeremiah 21:8–10 (NIV)

8 “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. 10 I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’

Jeremiah 38:17 (NIV)

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.

Babylon is from God

Jeremiah 25:9 (NIV)

9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.

Jeremiah 27:5–6 (NIV)

5 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. 6 Now I will give all your countries into the hands of my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.

It will be over in 2 years

Jeremiah puts a yoke around his neck and tells Israel that they will serve under the yoke of Babylon for 70 years.

A false prophet breaks the yoke around his neck and says God told him it would only be 2 years.

Jeremiah says God will put a yoke of iron on Israel that no one will break. Then the false prophet dies before the year is up.

There’s no turning it back

Israel sacrificed their children to idols outside the temple while giving offerings to inside. They can’t stop the punishment that’s coming.

Application

We always want to undo our mistakes but sometimes we can’t. The only way forward is through. God doesn’t promise to get us out of our mess, but he promises to get us through.

Do you have the courage to run out into the arms of God’s judgement and trust Him?

David when faced with the choice between God’s wrath or man’s chose God’s.

Example

Nelson Mandela:

In the early 1960s, Mandela co-founded the militant group Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation"), which advocated for armed resistance against the government's policy of racial segregation. In 1964, Mandela was arrested and charged with sabotage and other crimes. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and spent the next 27 years in prison

He was a member of the Methodist Church, and his faith played an important role in his life and his work. Mandela often spoke about the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and compassion, which are central themes in the teachings of Christianity.

In his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," Mandela writes about how his faith sustained him during his years in prison and how it influenced his political beliefs.

Action

Ephesians 3:14–16 (NIV)

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

This is how Paul prayed. He didn’t pray God get me out, he prayed God get me through.

James taught us the same thing.

Jesus asked God to take the cup from Him, unless it was the Father’s will. Then let it be done.

Give me a better job, give me better health, give me a better place to live, make me smarter, more likable - Sometimes God does want to change your circumstances, but be prepared if you are in His will and it’s not your circumstances that need to change but your attitude.

The Israelites who went into Exile were told to serve God, build houses, and start businesses. The Israelites who tried to stay in the land were plagued by disease and starvation.

Have you considered giving up?

Maybe it’s time to surrender to the will of God, no matter what it is. Stop trying to turn back the clock. Stop trying to fix it. Stop trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Give it to God and do your best to serve him in the midst of it all.