Jeremiah 18

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   WEEK  8                                             Jeremiah 18
   
   
   
   SATURDAY  Reflections
   
   

   Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

   Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.

   Mold me and make me after Thy will,

   While I am waiting, yielded and still.

    

    

   These words were written by Adelaide A. Pollard in 1907 and are so beautiful. The idea comes from Isaiah 64:4 "Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" (NIV). Here God tells Jeremiah to go to the potter's house and instead of giving the words of Isaiah, the words are that Israel is saying to God, "You are the potter, but we aren't your clay."

    

   God wants to make Israel into something beautiful, but they refuse. God gives them good and they are rebelling. If they would change God would have mercy but as we will see the people of Judah refuse and therefore face judgment. It isn't what God wants, but it is what they have chosen.

    

   The question we have to ask are we the people of Isaiah 64 or Jeremiah 18?
   
   
2. 
   

Jer 18:1-23
(1)  The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
(2)  Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
(3)  Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
(4)  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
(5)  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
(6)  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
(7)  At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
(8)  If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
(9)  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
(10)  If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
(11)  Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
(12)  And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
(13)  Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
(14)  Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?
(15)  Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
(16)  To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
(17)  I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
(18)  Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
(19)  Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
(20)  Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
(21)  Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
(22)  Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
(23)  Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

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Ruth 4

WEEK   7                                               Ruth 4

FRIDAY  Reflections

Ruth ends with a wedding agreement and the knowledge that Ruth and Boaz are the great-grandparents of David. A story of love and redemption are ultimately a part of God's greater story in the Bible. Boaz did what was right by Naomi and Ruth, but his actions, unknowingly, joined him to God's story of redemption. Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz never saw David take the throne and may have never seen him born, but without them, he never would have been.

 

This should remind us that our actions are part of something greater than we can imagine. A retired minister who currently attends my church once helped a young man find his path into ministry. This young man was my pastor when I received my call to ministry. This is just one example of God bringing things around in ways we would never imagine.

 

How did all of this take place? Because Boaz did what was right and because a woman loved and cared for her mother-in-law. When we do what is right we never know what God can do as a result.

Rth 4:1-22
(1)  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
(2)  And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
(3)  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
(4)  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
(5)  Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
(6)  And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
(7)  Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.
(8)  Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
(9)  And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
(10)  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
(11)  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
(12)  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
(13)  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
(14)  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
(15)  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
(16)  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
(17)  And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
(18)  Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
(19)  And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
(20)  And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
(21)  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
(22)  And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

1 Corinthians 15

WEEK  8                                    1 Corinthians 15

THURSDAY  Reflections

Summary of this great chapter:

1. Jesus literally raised bodily from the dead.

2. We are going to be raised from the dead.

3. Don't try and figure out how it will happen,

it's going to.

4. If this is a lie then Christianity is worthless.

     5. Since it is true, even if we die, we win!


1Co 15:1-58
(1)  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
(2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
(3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
(4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
(5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
(6)  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
(7)  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
(8)  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
(9)  For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
(10)  But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
(11)  Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
(12)  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
(13)  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
(14)  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
(15)  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
(16)  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
(17)  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
(18)  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
(19)  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
(20)  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
(21)  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
(22)  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23)  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
(24)  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
(25)  For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
(26)  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
(27)  For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
(28)  And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
(29)  Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
(30)  And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
(31)  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
(32)  If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
(33)  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
(34)  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
(35)  But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
(36)  Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
(37)  And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
(38)  But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
(39)  All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
(40)  There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
(41)  There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
(42)  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
(43)  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
(44)  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(45)  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
(46)  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
(47)  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
(48)  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
(49)  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
(50)  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
(55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
(56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
(57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

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Psalm 76

WEEK 8                                                Psalm 76

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

God is strong and powerful. He is to be feared. When is he to be feared? When he is angry. When shall God arise? He arises to save the meek!

The meek? Yes, the meek.

All through this psalm, God is said to be feared and how great he is but who does he defend? those who are meek. Those who the mighty among men despise and abuse. God doesn't arise in judgment because he is mean but to defend the meek. He is coming to bring judgment not just because people have disobeyed him, but to save those who are meek, the helpless, and the oppressed. God is going to bring judgment because to allow the oppressor to go free further abuses the downtrodden. To say it as this psalm does God brings judgment to save the meek. 

Psa 76:1-12
(1)  To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.
(2)  In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
(3)  There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
(4)  Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
(5)  The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
(6)  At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
(7)  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
(8)  Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
(9)  When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
(10)  Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
(11)  Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
(12)  He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

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Judges 20

WEEK  8                                               Judges 20

TUESDAY  Reflections

I would like nothing more than to skip over the last few chapters of Judges. Ruth which took place in the time of Judges is a great story of love and commitment. The period of the judges doesn’t end with Ruth. Alas, we need to look at these last two chapters specifically chapter 20 to see what has happened to the people who God delivered.

 

There is much to be amazed at here. First, only after a great tragedy does Israel rise up against the evil going on in their midst. Second, I am saddened that the Benjaminites are, not only, living in disobedience to the law of God but decided to defend those who had committed this horrible crime. Finally, though God told Israel to go into battle, they lost the first two days and only on the third day Israel finally received the victory.

 

One can try to guess why the Lord didn’t make the battle easy for Israel, but the truth is we don’t know why. It was clear God wanted them to fight, and God could have made the victory easy, but that wasn’t what God did. I have heard a few guesses as to why, but at the end of the day it comes down to faith. Do you believe God even when the battle goes against you? Israel wasn’t sure after the first two defeats, so they asked God again, but I noticed when they got the word from God, they went out again in spite of what had happened the day before.

 

Are you willing to keep fighting if God asks you too? Even if you are losing? Because remembering this, no matter what happens now, we know we ultimately win.

Jdg 20:1-48
(1)  Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
(2)  And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
(3)  (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
(4)  And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
(5)  And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
(6)  And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
(7)  Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
(8)  And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
(9)  But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
(10)  And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
(11)  So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
(12)  And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
(13)  Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
(14)  But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
(15)  And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
(16)  Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
(17)  And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
(18)  And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
(19)  And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
(20)  And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
(21)  And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
(22)  And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
(23)  (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
(24)  And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
(25)  And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
(26)  Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
(27)  And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
(28)  And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
(29)  And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
(30)  And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
(31)  And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
(32)  And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
(33)  And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
(34)  And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
(35)  And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
(36)  So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
(37)  And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
(38)  Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
(39)  And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
(40)  But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
(41)  And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
(42)  Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
(43)  Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
(44)  And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
(45)  And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
(46)  So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
(47)  But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
(48)  And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

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