Jeremiah 31 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Although chapter twenty-nine of Jeremiah is probably the most well-known by church members today, it is chapter thirty-one that is most familiar to pastors, for it is a pivotal chapter in the progressive history of God’s redemption.  It contains the promise of a new covenant that builds upon the Adamic covenant (Gen. 2-3; Hos. 6:7); the Noahic covenant (Gen. 8-9), the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12 15, 17), the Mosaic…

Jeremiah 30 by Pastor David Groendyk Jeremiah 1:10 says that Jeremiah will preach a message of plucking up, breaking down, destroying, overthrowing, building, and planting. After so much plucking, breaking, destroying, and overthrowing thus far, we finally get the building and planting. Jeremiah 30–33 is known as the “Book of Comfort” in this long prophetic book written by the weeping prophet. It tells of the hopeful future that the people of God have despite the…

Jeremiah 29 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson If you are looking for a favorite verse to memorize or put up on your wall Jeremiah 29:11 is the verse. But before we get to that well-know and much loved verse let’s understand the context of chapter 29.  This book concerns the Babylonian exile.  This refers to a time when, after many warnings, God finally made good on His promised threats of removing His people from the…

Jeremiah 28 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence If it hasn’t been said already, the book of Jeremiah is not in chronological order chapter by chapter.  Although we were told in the beginning of the book, in chapter one, that Jeremiah prophesied from the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign until the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, every succeeding chapter has jumped from one time period to another.  However, in this particular case, chapter twenty-eight follows immediately after…

Jeremiah 27 by Pastor David Groendyk Here is another chapter in which Jeremiah warns people of impending doom. The emphasis this time, however, lies in the fact that the people should not listen to the prophets, diviners, dreamers, fortune-tellers, or sorcerers who are saying that the exile won’t come (v. 9). And the Lord is awfully direct in these verses. Notice how many times he calls out the false prophets for their lies: “Do not…

Jeremiah 26 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson Tensions are rising.  We have seen in earlier chapters the priests are not happy with Jeremiah.  It may be because the priests were profiting from the idolatry of the people.  But the anger from the priests toward Jeremiah started as early as Jeremiah one.  Read the following verses the show the mounting anger of the priests against Jeremiah the truth teller from God.  Jer. 1:16; 2:8, 26; 4:8-9;…

Jeremiah 25 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence There are two primary themes in our passage this morning.  The first has to do with the importance of listening and the second with the restoration of the fear of God in men.  In Jeremiah’s day, God’s people had been given ample opportunities to hear the word of the Lord, but they did not really listen to it; they never truly inclined their ear to the Lord’s teaching.  Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 24 by Pastor David Groendyk The final exile for Judah has not yet happened, but King Nebuchadnezzar is slowly choking the capital city of Jerusalem. This is now the second “mini-exile” Babylon has done to Jerusalem; the final big one will happen 11 years after the events of verse 1. After this mini-exile, the Lord gives Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs—one very good basket and another very bad basket. The good…

Jeremiah 23 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson Shepherds care for sheep.  Shepherds serve sheep by providing them places to graze, drink, rest as well as keeping them safe.  Yet sheep are blind to the care, service, and commitment of the shepherd.  Sheep do not say thank you or appreciate your work.  Not just because sheep can’t talk; they are oblivious to the shepherd’s care.  Sheep are not too intelligent. We refer to pastors or other…

Jeremiah 22 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence A little history lesson is needed to understand the names of the kings who are mentioned in our chapter this morning.  After the death of Josiah, the last godly king of Judah, at the hands of Pharaoh Neco II in battle in 609 BC, there were four more kings who briefly reigned over the nation of Judah before Jerusalem was finally destroyed and the nation became a province of…

Jeremiah 21 by Pastor David Groendyk My ESV Study Bible gives me a header for these next nine chapters (Jeremiah 21–29): “Jeremiah’s Confrontations”. In these chapters, Jeremiah will go on the offensive against kings (21:1–23:8), prophets (23:9–40), the people (24:1–25:38), and false beliefs (26:1–29:32). Our chapter this morning begins the section where Jeremiah opposes the kings. King Zedekiah, who would end up being the very last king of Judah, sends Pashhur (some believe this is…

Jeremiah 20 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson Chapters 18 and 19 are rather brutal.  The tensions are rising as Jeremiah continues to be faithful to God’s Word.  We must keep in mind that all Jeremiah is doing is repeating the message God is giving Jeremiah.  The message does not originate with Jeremiah.  All Jeremiah needs to do is relay the message to the people.  He did not add or subtract from God’s message.  This is…

Jeremiah 19 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Before leaving the potter’s house, after watching him remold and shape his clay, the prophet Jeremiah is directed by the Lord to buy a clay jar from him and to take it with him to the valley of the son of Hinnom.  We have no idea who Hinnom was, but the place to which Jeremiah is being sent, just outside the city of Jerusalem, has been associated with the…

Jeremiah 18 by David Groendyk The object lesson in the first part of our chapter today (vv. 1–11) illustrates one of the hardest teachings in Scripture: that God is the potter, we are the clay, and he has the right to do with us whatever seems good to him (v. 4). He is utterly sovereign over all things. For Israel and Judah, what seemed good to God was to give them over to their enemies…

Jeremiah 17 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson God enters into a covenant relationship with His people.  For some theologians, this is such a central theme,; they call their theology covenant theology.  While I believe in infant baptism, I prefer to use the term covenant baptism.  The covenant is bilateral or conditional.  In other words, God keeps His covenant promise on the condition that we listen, obey, and place our faith in Him.  The Israelites were…

Jeremiah 16 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence This prophecy was mostly likely given near the end of King Jehoiakim’s reign close to the time of the actual invasion by the Babylonians.  Because the entire land was about to be destroyed along with all of its people, God tells the prophet not to take a wife in Jerusalem nor to have sons and daughters in the Promised Land, for soon they would all be dead.  If they…

Jeremiah 15 by David Groendyk Judah has passed the point of no return (v. 1). They have so forsaken God that there’s no hope of God relenting from his punishment. Even if Moses and Samuel stood before the Lord and pleaded for this people, he would not listen. Moses interceded for the people of Israel time and again and caused God to spare the people while they were wandering through the wilderness on the way…

Jeremiah 14 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson I have often wondered why Christians have not been more vocal in their support of all things relating to nature.  We believe God created the world and therefore matter is good.  We believe He gave the land of Israel to His chosen people.  We believe he often speaks about sending rain on just and unjust and a common refrain of peace and tranquility is every man under his…

Jeremiah 13 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence     In our text this morning, Jeremiah performs some of the first sign acts in his lengthy ministry.  A sign act is a tool that is often employed by the prophets who are directed by God to give a type of visual aid to help bring home their message from God.  It is often a very peculiar action taken by a prophet in front of a crowd of Israelites that…

Jeremiah 12 by Pastor David Groendyk  The complaint that Jeremiah raises here is surely a familiar one: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Jeremiah has just learned of a conspiracy against him in the previous chapter. Certain men from Jeremiah’s hometown Anathoth want to kill him. They threaten to kill him if he continues prophesying of the coming judgment. How can God let that stand? Why doesn’t he intervene and do something about…

Jeremiah 11 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson You don’t have to read Hebrew to see the repeated words in 11:1-10.  We keep reading hear, obey, listen, and incline your ear.  God tells Jeremiah to tell His people to listen and hear God’s Words.  Why?  So they can obey Him.  He wants us to listen or incline our ears so we will have a blessed life obeying God. Why are we so deaf to God?  We…