Read Ezekiel 33:21 - Ezekiel 36
 
Ezekiel 34:11-16 “For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. 12 I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. 13 I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. 14 Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!...22 So I will rescue my flock, and they will no longer be abused. I will judge between one animal of the flock and another. 23 And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among my people. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
 
PERHAPS no image of Jesus is more comforting to us than that of the Good Shepherd. How wonderful, assuring, loving and restoring are Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” And we certainly know the great comforting word of Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
   Ezekiel 34 is another place where God proclaims he is the Good Shepherd to his faithful people. Fourteen times the LORD says, “I will.” Indeed, it is his will to establish and affirm his eternal promise summarized with, “And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. He will feed them and be a shepherd to them.” Remember this is spoken about 300 years after David lived. The reference is clearly to the Son of David - Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, to come and lead us to heaven.
   Here, too, we note God’s judgment upon the unfaithful and his promise to care for his own. With our lips and heart we should read these words and proclaim, “Wow! Unbelievable! Amazing!” The Scripture stirs the faithful heart to gratitude of God’s eternal comfort. His Word humbles our spirit to consider the Good Shepherd would lead us to the place of rest and plenty. We should be constantly overwhelmed at the expressed reality of God’s amazing will spoken from his mouth to us his creation.
   As the Good Shepherd wills you to salvation, what will you do?  
 
 

Read Jeremiah 40:7-16, 41-44
 
Jeremiah 42:1-3 Then all the guerrilla leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the LORD your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. 3 Pray that the LORD your God will show us what to do and where to go.”
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Jeremiah 43:1-2 When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the LORD their God to all the people, 2 Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The LORD our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!”  
 
THE Scriptures tell another sad story of God’s people rejecting his Word. In addition, this is a very tragic record of two godly men who become victims of sin’s crush on the human heart. Gedaliah, the faithful leader, is murdered. Jeremiah, the true prophet, is kidnapped into Egypt.
   It is also surprising to learn that even after Babylon had utterly destroyed Jerusalem, a remnant of Jews led by military men had escaped Babylon’s capture and wanted to go to Egypt. They believed safety awaited them there. Yet, God’s message to them said, “Stay in Judah, or you will die in Egypt.” Jeremiah 42:12 “I will be merciful to you by making him (Nebuchadnezzar) kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.”
   But when Jeremiah told this to Johanan and the others, they cried, “You lie!” Then they took Jeremiah to Egypt against his will.
   We can understand the Jews’ response when we read how they spoke of God. They told Jeremiah to “pray to the LORD your God.” And when Johanan rejected God’s Word, he said, “The LORD our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!” “Ask your God, Jeremiah. But our God said something else. Our God would never say such a thing. Your God is for you. Our God is for us.”
   This spiritual battle is very obvious in the Christian life and culture today. There are too many teachings that seem to say God is awaiting our decision about our lives. The misinformation is something like this: “Certainly he would not ask you to do something you don’t want to do. God doesn’t force himself on anyone.” This false teaching is spoken by pastors and churches who have a good reputation. This is putting ourselves above God, and this was Johanan’s self-view. This man had his mind set on his desires. He absolutely refused to believe God’s gracious words of peace and restoration. He was the same as Zedekiah. Their unbelief led to their deaths. This is Adam’s sin corrupting hearts and minds through the ages.
   We need to know our LORD God is the LORD God. “My LORD.” can only be spoken if you submit to and absolutely follow the LORD God. He is not your LORD if you do not believe and trust all of his Word. You cannot pretend you want an answer from him when you’ve decided to do as you please.
   Yes, these stories are very difficult to read. God’s continual will to bring his people to peace is rejected for warfare, rebellion, exile and death. You wonder when people will learn. Tragically, most won’t know until the LORD God’s final judgment. We must be different than the culture. We must strive to completely know, believe and live in God’s Word, so we can truly call him, “Our LORD God.”
 
 

Read Lamentations 3-5
 
Lamentations 3:21-23 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”
 
BE sure to read Lamentations 3:21-40. These verses read as a series of proverbs – of wisdom sayings – teaching us how to understand God’s goodness. Jeremiah instructs how we “will hope in him!” through seeking God, waiting for him, submitting to his authority, understanding our grief and seeing God’s compassion. We have hope because the LORD sees all things (verse 36), even as people oppress us. We are always under God’s presence because he has made us to be his inheritance. There is no room for complaints when he punishes our sins. Instead, we must examine our ways to adjust our lives to the LORD’s truth. Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD. (Lamentations 3:40)
   When we do not, God often afflicts his people, so they will return to him. Often, too, affliction is the result of our own choices. There are seven truths about the nature of affliction: 1) Affliction should be endured with hope in God’s salvation, his ultimate restoration. 2) Affliction is only temporary and is tempered by God’s compassion and love. 3) God does not delight in affliction. 4) If affliction comes because of injustice, God sees it and does not approve of it. 5) Affliction is always in relationship to God’s sovereignty. 6) Affliction ultimately came because of sin. 7) Affliction should accomplish the greater good of turning God's people back to him. (from Bible Knowledge Commentary)
   Jeremiah laments the affliction because it could have been avoided. The Righteous God is eternal. His Word is constant. In Judah’s downfall, God fulfilled his blessing and curses promises spoken in Deuteronomy 28. The Word has been in Israel for many centuries. Sadly, God needed to afflict his inheritance to draw them back to him.
   The LORD’s will is that you obey his commands. He knows you will sin. That’s why he’s given us this lesson to help us understand our afflictions. Then be comforted in this eternal Word: Lamentations 3:32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
   If you doubt that, consider the Son’s afflictions for you.

 

Read Lamentations 1-2
 
Lamentations 1:1-2 Jerusalem, once so full of people, is now deserted. She who was once great among the nations now sits alone like a widow. Once the queen of all the earth, she is now a slave. 2 She sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks. Among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies.
 
JEREMIAH laments. He deeply mourns Jerusalem’s tragic downfall. When we consider how Jerusalem’s citizens and officials had threatened and demeaned Jeremiah, we might wonder why Jeremiah doesn’t rejoice over his enemies’ defeat. But we must remember Jeremiah is a man of God. That means the Holy One of Israel had called Jeremiah to reveal Yahweh’s character to Jerusalem and Israel. In the years of Jeremiah’s ministry, God’s people had seen the LORD’s power, anger, wisdom, authority, holiness, justice and grace. Now in Jeremiah’s lamentation they will see God’s love.
   Yes, amid the lamentation Jeremiah still speaks some hard words against the fallen city. The truth must be told. Jerusalem is the wayward daughter who realizes her rebellion has left her empty. Jerusalem is the wasteful son who has sought prestige from the world but finds himself grieving an impoverished life. God formed Israel to be set apart from the unbelieving nations. Now she is forced to dwell within a pagan nation. God had given Israel rest in her own land. But now she was enslaved at the mercy of godless rulers. The roads were once filled with pilgrims to the feasts and to worship. Now the roads are empty. The city’s walls are broken, and the Temple is gone. Israel had sinned and deserved the punishment from God’s hand. Unrepentant sinners will not escape God’s just wrath. This God’s holy character.
   And in this canvas of judgment and destruction, of lost opportunity and desolation, one can see God’s love in the background. Remember, the book is called Lamentations, not Rejoicing. God does not rejoice over the sinners’ death and condemnation. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of God’s pleasure to see anyone suffer judgment. Jeremiah reflects this over reaching love as he mourns Israel’s deaf ears and hard hearts toward I AM.
   We are to have God’s heart, aren’t we? He commands, “Love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44). This means we put aside our personal objections toward people who reject God. We see their lives in the darkness. And our hearts must love them to point them to the light.
   Lamentations begins with a list of Israel’s evil. And still we see God’s love. Perhaps it is a message to help us know the broken need true love.
   

Read 2 Kings 25:2-4, 22 Jeremiah 39:1-5, 9-18; 52:9-11, 15-19, 24, 27-30; 40:1-6
 
Jeremiah 39:11-14 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. 12 “See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.” 13 So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard; Nebushazban, a chief officer; Nergal-sharezer, the king’s adviser; and the other officers of Babylon’s king 14 sent messengers to bring Jeremiah out of the prison. They put him under the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who took him back to his home. So Jeremiah stayed in Judah among his own people.
 
THESE various scripture passages point to the day of the LORD come to Jerusalem and Judah. This is Babylon’s final conquest that destroys the city and Temple. Still even in the end the LORD God revealed the beginning of a new stage in his salvation plan.
   First, Jeremiah, rejected by Judah, is received by Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan king, honors the man of God. Perhaps this is a foretaste of how he will treat Daniel and his friends. Some say this may have been the Babylon king’s response to Jeremiah’s letter urging the Jews to build homes and honor the Babylon government. It is good to follow God’s instructions. You will find reward. Babylon’s provisions are at Jeremiah’s disposal.
   But before that happened, we learn Jeremiah was first captured with others and chained to be exiled: Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the other captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being sent to exile in Babylon. (40:1b) But then the captain of the guard called for Jeremiah and said, “The LORD your God has brought this disaster on this land, 3 just as he said he would. For these people have sinned against the LORD and disobeyed him. That is why it happened. 4 But I am going to take off your chains and let you go. If you want to come with me to Babylon, you are welcome. I will see that you are well cared for. But if you don’t want to come, you may stay here. The whole land is before you. Go wherever you like.” (Jeremiah 40:2-4)
   Again we learn how God puts his truth on the hearts of unbelieving people. This Babylon official understood why this war and devastation happened to Judah. He doesn’t credit his leader or his country. But he credits God for fulfilling the prophecies against Judah’s sins. Only if Zedekiah and other officials had such an understanding!
   All prophecies, Ezekiel’s grievous illustrations and Jeremiah’s land purchase come together here. God was marching forward to the purpose of his salvation plan for the entire world. He displayed his holy judgment on his idolatrous people. He said, “This is what I will do.” And he did as he said.
   The preaching, the teachings, the studies and the doing of God’s Word continues to point us forward. Seeing what God has done must assure us of what God will do.
 
 

Read Jeremiah 37-38
 
Jeremiah 38:14-15 One day King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the third entrance of the LORD’s Temple. “I want to ask you something,” the king said. “And don’t try to hide the truth.” 15 Jeremiah said, “If I tell you the truth, you will kill me. And if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway.” …17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the Babylonian officers, you and your family will live, and the city will not be burned down…21b Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.”
 
YES, Jeremiah was faced with a huge challenge. The three previous times he had spoken God’s messages to Zedekiah, Jeremiah had been threatened and/or jailed. Zedekiah had cut God’s scroll. He had pompously denied the Living God of Israel, putting idols and evil before the LORD. But suddenly with the shadow of Babylon’s army over Jerusalem, he wanted a new message from Jeremiah.
   What would Jeremiah do? Surely he was afraid of Zedekiah’s response to the true Word from God. But Jeremiah feared God more than the man who stood before him. The faithful, persecuted prophet declared one more message from God to the carnal king.
   The king should have been relieved and excited with such a gracious message! Here suddenly was a sign of freedom from the destruction Jeremiah had prophesied over Jerusalem and the Temple. All he had to do was surrender to Babylon. If he did, God would preserve the physical city. Although Zedekiah would be imprisoned in Babylon, he and his family would live and not be harmed!     In another act of remarkable grace, God was willing to save the king and his family from death if Zedekiah would do this one simple thing. The LORD would set them apart and protect them in the exile.
   But it seems Zedekiah feared man more than God. He was afraid of the Jews who had defected to Babylon. His choice condemned himself, his city, the Temple and his family. All would be destroyed because Zedekiah put fear for his own life above faith in the Holy God of Israel. Salvation requires submission to the Word.
   Jeremiah’s and Zedekiah’s ultimate positions under Babylon will be dramatically different. The prophet will be honored. Zedekiah will be disfigured and humiliated. Obedience and disobedience under God’s Word does mean life and death.  
 
   
 

Read Ezekiel 26-28
 
Ezekiel 28:11-13 Then this further message came to me from the LORD: 12 “Son of man, sing this funeral song for the king of Tyre. Give him this message from the Sovereign LORD: “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone – red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald – all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created.”
 
EZEKIEL 28 is the third chapter of God’s message to Tyre, a strong, wealthy city along the Mediterranean coast. It is 147 miles from Jerusalem. This city and its citizens are not among the Jews, God’s chosen people. Why care about Tyre? It is because God’s work of blessing and judgment extends to all nations. “For all the earth belongs to me.” (Exodus 19:5b)  
   Ezekiel first told how God had raised up the king of Tyre to live in an Eden-like setting. “You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.” He was adorned with many precious jewels. God had given him all he could materially desire.
   But as Adam in Eden and the Jews in the Promised Land, Tyre’s king became a victim of his pride. He looked to himself as the source of all his riches. In response to his self-exalting view, the LORD God judged him. Still, he mourned the man’s heart. The righteous God does not take pleasure in his judgments.
   The king’s fall from grace reflected the same that happened to Adam. In Eden Adam had the riches of the world before him. How could he desire more? In the devil’s bidding, pride infected his mind. Adam became self-focused. He wanted to make his own decisions to be his own man but not to be God’s son. Adam lost the precious “jewels” of a deep, intimate love-relationship with God.
   See in these words – as we should with all the Bible – God’s message is more than to a specific man of an ancient civilization. He is speaking to you to be aware of pride’s disastrous effects on your relationship with God and with others. Be alert to overcome this ancient sin. Examine your life in light of God’s rich, sacrificial love for you. How will you respond with what he has given to you? 

Read Ezekiel 25, 29-32
 
Ezekiel 30:1-3 This is another message that came to me from the LORD: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and give this message from the Sovereign Lord: ‘Weep and wail for that day, 3 for the terrible day is almost here – the day of the LORD! It is a day of clouds and gloom, a day of despair for the nations.
 
Ezekiel 29-32 is a sharp summary of God’s warnings and intentions to destroy Egypt and its leader. The reason is their great sins throughout the many centuries. We are reminded that the phrase “day of the LORD” points to God coming in definitive judgment at his chosen time. Egypt and its Pharaoh will not escape the LORD’s chosen judgment day.
   This is a lesson for all of us in our various countries. We are each living in an Egypt - a country of great sin that worships its own power and authority. For example, in the 24 hours prior to you reading this, 3,000 babies have died, cut out of a “mother’s” womb in the name of “choice” and “rights”. Our country has legally declared the great sin of homosexuality is a legal basis for marriage. Education material even teaches children how to live in this abomination. In an alarming 40-year trend, we have come to accept fornication to be a normal relationship. Increasingly we permit heinous words and images over our televisions and multimedia devices. We watch as our church pews grow empty while our prison cells stretch to overflowing.
   The reason we so easily sin is clear. We have forsaken the first commandment. Once that happened, the next nine main points of God’s law have become meaningless. We have looked upon God and called him “irrelevant, unnecessary and only for the weak”. We make up “scientific” evidence to deny our Creator’s glory. With the absolute sentence, “There are no absolutes.” we glorify self above God.
   What do we, Jesus’ church, do? As the last and final “day of the LORD” approaches let’s follow God’s instructions: 1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God chose to save us through our LORD Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.
   God has repeatedly demonstrated throughout history what he will do with those who worship evil. Heed Scripture’s warnings. Hear and be thankful for Scripture’s promises. Believe these true words. Pray that you, your nation and your church will live in the wonder of Jesus’ sacrifice.
 

Read Jeremiah 23:1-8, 33:14-26, 31:27-40
 
Jeremiah 23:8 “Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”
 
Jeremiah 33:14-15 “The day will come, says the LORD, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them. 15 “In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
 
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
 
WHAT would you think if you went to church and the LORD God was in the pulpit? Would you be afraid? Would you be excited? Would you wonder how long the sermon would last? (This is always the first question when a new preacher comes, isn’t it?) Perhaps God answers your questions from these three discourses.
   A discourse is a sermon. Today’s Living Bible has divided the three referenced passages into the First, Second and Third Discourse. After so much judgment language and image upon image of God’s broken people suffering under the LORD’s justice, these brief sermons are truly a joy to the heart! How good it is to know that within the Old Covenant, God is promising a New Covenant of complete forgiveness and renewal!
   Yes, I AM’s sermons are brief. This is his pattern. He says what he needs to at the moment. Then he awaits our response. We should have fear in our hearts to worship his words. Joy must come to our souls when we know his redemptive promises.
   A new day is coming: “As surely as the LORD lives.” is Israel’s confession their God is alive and active. He brought them home. He’s given them land. They will live there fulfilling God’s other promises of renewed abundance in Israel. What a glorious sermon!
   The Almighty’s next sermon tells us he will raise a “righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.” The Preacher reaffirms his Messiah covenant through David’s line. The Righteous One will do what is right in the new land.
   The third sermon reaffirms the congregation will go to their homes with each word of the sermon on their lips and on their hearts. God’s Word will give them a permanent and true relationship with the Holy God. There will be no other gods before them. He will be their God, and they will be his people.
   The Living Word proclaims this to you today. Live in his truth. Follow the Righteous One. Know his Word is for you right now and forever. Amen.
           

Read Jeremiah 30-31, 33:10-13
 
Jeremiah 31:15-17 This is what the LORD says: “A cry is heard in Ramah – deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted – for her children are gone.” 16 But now this is what the LORD says: “Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you,” says the LORD. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future,” says the Lord. “Your children will come again to their own land.”
 
WE may be familiar with verse 15 because it is part of Jesus’ birth and early life story: Matthew 2:16b Herod sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod's brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah – weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.”
   And this verse refers to much more grief and sadness in Israel in Jeremiah’s day. Ramah and Rachel represent the entire history of Israel’s struggles.  
   Rachel embodies Israel’s mothers. In Genesis 29-35, we remember the long process of Jacob becoming the father of 12 sons. Rachel, Jacob’s most loved wife, birthed Joseph and Benjamin. From Joseph came Ephraim and Manasseh. Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s descendants became the two most powerful tribes in the Northern Kingdom, Israel. Rachel’s tears in verse 15 can represent all of Israel’s mothers through the generations mourning their sons who died in the wars leading to Israel’s exile.
   Ramah was located five miles from Bethlehem. Note it was in the vicinity of Bethlehem, Herod’s targeted area. And in Jeremiah’s time, Ramah was the village Nebuchadnezzar used to stage Jerusalem’s siege and conquest. Ramah, then, represented the death and destruction of God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. Jeremiah, then, has given an overall view of God’s judgment and Israel’s suffering that has and will come to his people. And then we thank God he has more to say.
   Once more, God completes the message with a restoration promise. Remember, the gospel is in the “bad news” – “good news” format. We must remember our sin-caused sufferings, so we will seek the hope found only in God’s saving power.
   That hope is defined with the promise of the children coming back from a distant land to their own land. Here is the Prodigal Son story. The Father will await his children who have left him. He will look for them because he knows they are coming. He is the Father preparing the land to graciously welcome his children home. He will celebrate their return with their restoration to the land, to Jerusalem and to the Temple.
          Again we have the gospel promise: John 14:2-3 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. Rejoice your Father in heaven is looking forward to your coming from sin’s exile. He has prepared an eternal celebration. The weeping will be no more in the Father’s good land.