Jeremiah 43

Very appropriate for this chapter.

WEEK 6                                         Jeremiah 43

SATURDAY  Reflections

Everything Jeremiah had said before had come to pass. All the other false prophets promised peace for the people of Judah and they were wrong. The leaders came to Jeremiah and promised they would do whatever God said but when he said something they didn't believe they not only ignored him but labeled him a false prophet. How like so many people, they don't want the truth they want to be told what they already believe is true. They don't want direction they want confirmation they are right.

To make matters more insulting they not only ignored Jeremiah but force him to come with them. Jeremiah though ignored continued to speak the words God told him.  

Jer 43:1-13
(1)  And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,
(2)  Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:
(3)  But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.
(4)  So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.
(5)  But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;
(6)  Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.
(7)  So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.
(8)  Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,
(9)  Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;
(10)  And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.
(11)  And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.
(12)  And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.
(13)  He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.

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Song of Solomon 7

WEEK 6                                   Song of Solomon 7

FRIDAY  Reflections

This chapter is the reason Song of Solomon is often not read to children and is rarely read in a church. However, the early church read it at the beginning of Lent. As mentioned in the reflection on chapter five, rabbis thought it was an important tool in what we might call sex education. Sex and desire aren't anything dirty. God created sex, and in its proper place, it is a beautiful thing. However, it is usually either regarded as something dirty, unworthy to be talked about, or made so common that it is nothing more than the actions of any farm animal. God made it to be neither common nor dirty.

I again note that the focus of the lovers is on each other alone. They see their love as mutually exclusive (verse 10). Most love songs, even today, carry this message, though many who sing or listen to them don't practice it.

Son 7:1-13
(1)  How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.
(2)  Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
(3)  Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.
(4)  Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
(5)  Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
(6)  How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!
(7)  This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
(8)  I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
(9)  And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
(10)  I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
(11)  Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
(12)  Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
(13)  The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

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Mathew 6

WEEK 6                                        Matthew 6

THURSDAY  Reflections

Matthew 6 lays out what it means to have true righteousness. This continuation of the Sermon on the Mount covers giving with sincerity, praying with surrender, fasting with integrity, and our relationship to money. This chapter with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount sums up what the life of the disciple should look like.

 

The one point I want to look at today is found in verse 24, “No one can serve two masters.” Though Jesus is talking about money specifically here, I believe that the truth is much broader. There are so many things in this world which want to take control of our lives. We must make a choice, are we going to serve them or God? We can’t center our lives on entertainment, sex, food, friendship, or anything else and think we aren’t making them gods in our lives. There is only room for one god in our lives, Jesus says.

 

The danger with money over the other things is money slides so easily into the god position. Jesus makes it clear that if we seek the kingdom of God then God will meet our needs (verse 33-34). However, when we look at money it is easy to see it as being the solution to meeting our needs instead of God. Therefore, Jesus warns us about it.

 

The question we need to ask is, who are we trusting to meet our needs: money or God? 

Mat 6:1-34

(1)  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

(2)  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(3)  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

(4)  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

(5)  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(6)  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

(7)  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

(8)  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

(9)  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

(10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

(11)  Give us this day our daily bread.

(12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

(13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

(14)  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

(15)  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

(16)  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

(17)  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

(18)  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

(19)  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

(20)  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

(21)  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

(22)  The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

(23)  But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

(24)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

(25)  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

(26)  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

(27)  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

(28)  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

(29)  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

(30)  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

(31)  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

(33)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

(34)  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Song of Solomon 6

WEEK  6                                 Song of Solomon 6

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

And more love poetry, for the poet and the romantic this probably is a beautiful story. For many it causes them to roll their eyes and wonder again what this has to do with them. In this, I see the heart of the person in love, they are focused only on their beloved. Yes, there are others around but the lover only wants the one they love (verses 8-9).

The old song title says it all, I Only Have Eyes for You. This again I will push into the spiritual as we need only to have eyes for God. God isn't one among many we can have. There is only one and we need to only have eyes for God.



Son 6:1-13
(1)  Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
(2)  My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
(3)  I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
(4)  Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
(5)  Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
(6)  Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.
(7)  As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
(8)  There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
(9)  My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
(10)  Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
(11)  I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
(12)  Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.
(13)  Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

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Song of Solomon 5

WEEK  6                                  Song of Solomon 5

TUESDAY  Reflections

The Song of Songs, as it is sometimes translated, is not an easy book to comment on if you're a father of a teenager who will read what you are writing. I blush at some of the very sensual connotations found in its words. However, love and sex are God's creation. Sex in the proper context is beautiful. However, sin and abuse have changed that for too many. Others see this as a very private activity that embarrasses them when it is discussed openly. However, Jewish Rabbis taught that this was important to read with their families, and it would be done at the beginning of passover. It was hoped that it could teach young people, especially daughters, how to prepare for the emotion of love. Therefore, maybe we should consider the Song of Solomon in a different light.  

My one comment on this chapter: In the last part of verse 1 of chapter 5, the comment is made to "drink your fill, O lovers." This isn't a reference to becoming engaged in overdrinking but ties into the idea of being filled with love. For those in the throes of romantic love, in God's design, is filled with love, is a thing to be encouraged and celebrated. Which is why we celebrate weddings?     

Ecc 5:1-20
(1)  Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
(2)  Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
(3)  For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
(4)  When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
(5)  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
(6)  Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
(7)  For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
(8)  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
(9)  Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
(10)  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
(11)  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
(12)  The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
(13)  There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
(14)  But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
(15)  As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
(16)  And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
(17)  All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
(18)  Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
(19)  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
(20)  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.