November 2, 2007

Jeremiah 33-35 - A Name of Joy

From today's Bible reading:

Jeremiah 33:

Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name:

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword:

They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil.

Behold,
  • I will bring to it health and healing, and
  • I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.
  • I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first.
  • I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and
  • I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.
And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them.

They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD is our righteousness.

As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.

(Stated in a positive from yesterday.)

Jeremiah 34:

At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.

(Slavery was not to be permanent.)

You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.

Jeremiah 35:

Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the LORD.

The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command.

I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me.

I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.

But you did not incline your ear or listen to me.

The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.

Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.

But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.

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