A living sign of coming Judgment
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Where were you? (Introduction)
Where were you? (Introduction)
(you can thank Time Magazine for the picture) I think most of you will remember where you were on 9/11 when you heard the news. I know exactly where I was. Have you ever received news that completely changed your plans for the future? You, know the kind of news that life could not continue as “business as usual?”
Jeremiah 16, God interrupts the Prophet’s personal life to make a point. Judah’s coming, inescapable judgment will be so severe that the ordinary family, and social customs must be set aside.
Theme of chapter: Living signs of judgment and the hope of restoration
Context: Jeremiah is called to embody the coming judgment through personal abstentions - - no marriage, no children, no mourning, no feasting.
Purpose: To explore how God uses prophetic symbolism to communicate His justice and mercy, and how this speaks to our spiritual walk today.
Big Idea: Faithfulness to God amid hardship leads to ultimate restoration, as His love transcends our failures and shortcomings.
Simple application: This passage serves as a reminder for Christians to remain faithful amidst trials and temptations, emphasizing the importance of repentance and trust in God’s promises, even when judgment seems imminent.
Our Faithful passage
Our Faithful passage
1 “Flee for safety, O sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem! Now blow a trumpet in Tekoa And raise a signal over Beth-haccerem; For evil looks down from the north, And a great destruction. 2 “The comely and dainty one, the daughter of Zion, I will cut off.
3 For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land: 4 “They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”
5 For thus says the Lord, “Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the Lord, “My lovingkindness and compassion. 6 “Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them.
7 “Men will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or mother. 8 “Moreover you shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.”
9 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride. 10 “Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has the Lord declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the Lord our God?’
11 “Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. 12 ‘You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me.
13 ‘So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.’ 14 “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’
15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.
17 “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. 18 “I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.”
19 O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit.” 20 Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods!
21 “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know— This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord.”
Anything in particular stand out to you in this passage?
Chapter Outline
Chapter Outline
(Insert the PowerPoint Here)
Jer16:1-4: Jeremiah Call to Prophetic Faithfulness.
Jeremiah 16:1-4 presents a striking command where Jeremiah is instructed not to marry or have children. This act serves as a prophetic symbol of the impending judgment that Judah faces due to their disobedience. The severe consequences include disease, violence, and famine, illustrating the gravity of the divine warning through Jeremiah's personal life.
God commands Jeremiah not to marry or have children in this place
The prohibition symbolizes the impending judgment on Judah
God warns of severe calamities including disease, sword, and famine
This command highlights the seriousness of Judah’s coming punishment
The Command to Jeremiah not to marry or mourn (Jer16:5-9)
Jeremiah’s instruction
Refrain from marriage and from mourning as a prophetic sign
Symbolism of Calamity
Not marrying or mourning symbolizes impending disaster and divine judgment.
God’s Judgment on People
The Command reflects God’s impending judgment on the people for their actions.
Promise of Future Restoration and Deliverance (Jer16:10-15)
Promise of Future Restoration and Deliverance (Jer16:10-15)
The people have forsaken the Lord, followed other gods, and stubbornly clung to their own evil hearts, their ancestors sinned, and they have surpassed them. But, after judgment and exile, God promises a future deliverance even greater than the exodus from Egypt— He will bring them back from all the lands of captivity.
Assurance of restoration
God assures His people of future restoration after judgment, emphasizing renewal and hope.
Promise of Deliverance
God promises deliverance, showing His faithfulness and commitment to His people’s wellbeing.
Judah’s sin and coming punishment (Jer16:16-21)
Judah’s sin and coming punishment (Jer16:16-21)
Using the images of fishermen and hunters, God will “catch His people for judgment, repaying them double for their iniquity. And then the surprising ending, Gentile nations will recognize Israel’s God as the only true God.
Judah’s Sinful Actions
The passage highlights Judah’s rebellion and sinful behavior as the root cause of impending consequences
Divine Punishment Foretold
The verses warn of coming punishment as a direct result of Judah’s disobedience and rebellion.
Cause and Effect Emphasis
The chapter underscores the relationship between sinful actions and their consequences for Judah.
Scripture-based questions for group reflection
Why does God tell Jeremiah not to marry or mourn (v.1-9)?
Jeremiah’s lifestyle commands
Gods instructs to Jeremiah symbolize a message of impending judgment and societal distress.
Symbol of Coming judgment
Jeremiah’s abstinence from marriage and mourning conveys the severity of forthcoming divine judgment
What promise does God make regarding the fruit of His people in (vv.14-15)?
Message of hope
God promises hope to His people even during times of hardship and uncertainty
Promise of restoration
The future holds restoration and renewal despite current difficulties faced by the people.
How does God describe the punishment coming to Judah in (vv.16-18)?
Nature of the punishment
The punishment is solemn and severe, reflecting divine justice and correction for Judah’s actions.
Consequences for Judah
The passage highlights the significant consequences that Judah will face due to disobedience and wrongdoing.
Call for Examination
The verses encourage reflection and self-examination to understand the reasons and implications of the punishment.
Summary
Summary
Divine Judgment
The chapter emphasizes God’s judgment on Judah for their persistent sin and disobedience.
Symbolic Actions
Jeremiah performs symbolic acts to communicate Gods message of warning to the people.
Promise of restoration
Despite judgment, a hopeful promise of future restoration and renewal is given to the people.
Application: Responding to God’s warnings and promises today - - - - - look at screen for the details. . .
(Prayer) ( Exit)
