Jeremiah 27:12

 Jeremiah 27:12 says, I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.  Jeremiah told Zedekiah to bring his neck under the king of Babylon and live.  Sometimes, God may call on us to submit to authorities that we do not agree with.  Verse thirteen asks, Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?  Jeremiah asked why Zedekiah would fight against the king of Babylon in defiance of God's word.  Verse fourteen declares, Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.  God through Jeremiah then warned Zedekiah to not listen to the prophets who told him that he would not serve the king of Babylon.  We are likewise called on to submit to the yoke of Christ, that we may have everlasting life, and we should never listen to those who declare anything different.  Verse fifteen adds, For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.  God said that He had not sent the prophets and that they prophesied lies.  Some people today claim to be preachers or prophets of God, but what they proclaim is not consistent with His written word, the Bible.  Verse sixteen states, Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.  Jeremiah said that he warned the priests and all the people to not listen to the prophets that were telling them that their time in Babylon would be short and they would soon return the vessels of the temple from Babylon, where they had already been carried.  Verse seventeen declares, Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?  Jeremiah said God called on them to serve the king of Babylon and live and not have the city of Jerusalem laid waste. This was the opposite of what the false prophets were proclaiming and what the people wanted to hear.  People today may claim that there is another way to salvation other than faith in Jesus Christ and taking up His cross daily, but that is not what God's word says.  Verse eighteen adds, But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.  Jeremiah said if they were prophets to make intercession to God that the remaining vessels of the temple might not be carried away.  These prophets needed to actually talk to God instead of just claiming to prophesy in His name.  Verse nineteen states, For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,  God said that not all was lost out of the temple and that they should be concerned with preserving what was left.  Verse twenty adds, Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;  Verse twenty-one continues, Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;  Verse twenty-two concludes, They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.  God said that these remaining vessels would be carried into Babylon and remain there until He returned them.  Had the people, starting with the prophets and priests, truly repented, this might have been avoided, but they refused to.  We, as followers of Christ, may suffer for our faith in Him in this lifetime, but we have His assurance that one day we will be restored to the best life possible.

Jeremiah 27:1

 Jeremiah 27:1 says, In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  Verse two adds, Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,  During the reign of Jehoiakim, the word of God came to Jeremiah and told him to make bonds and a yoke and put it on his neck.  This might have many people questioning whether they actually had heard God correctly or not.  Verse three states, And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;  At some point in time, Jeremiah was to send these yokes and bonds with a message to the kings that Judah evidently had an alliance with.  Verse four adds, And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;  Those sent were to be made aware that the message came from God and not just from Jeremiah himself.  When we share God's word today, we need to make sure that people realize that what we say is God's word and not just our own opinion.  Verse five continues, I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.  God also made it clear who He was.  He was the God that created everything, and therefore the only God that their is.  Verse six declares,  And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.  God said that He had given all these kings over to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.  Their alliance was not going to save them, and neither was God, because they, His people, had turned away from Him.  Verse seven adds,  And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.  God told them that they would serve Nebuchadnezzar and his son, so the servitude would not be a short one.  Verse eight continues, And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.  God said that those who would not serve Nebuchadnezzar would fall under the sword and pestilence.  Their priests and prophets may have been telling them otherwise, but God said that resistance would be futile.  There are people today who claim in the name of some god, if not the God, that everything is going to be okay, no matter what, but God has already given His word that if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord that we are doomed forever.  Verse nine declares, Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:  God told them to not listen to all those who told them that they would not serve the king of Babylon.  Verse ten adds, For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.  God said that these other diviners, dreamers, enchanters and sorcerers were wrong.  It doesn't matter how many people may tell us something that is against the word of God, they will always be wrong.  Verse eleven says, But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.  God said that those that willing served Nebuchadnezzar would be allowed to remain in their land.  The only way to remain in the land was to listen to God.  The only way we can find security in the world today is to listen to the word of God and obey His commands.

Jeremiah 26:12

 Jeremiah 26:12 says, Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.  Jeremiah said that God had sent him to prophesy against the house, or temple, and the city.  Jeremiah said that it was God's word that he spoke.  We as follower of Christ should always make sure that it is God's word that we speak, especially when we say that we are speaking for Him.  Verse thirteen adds, Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.  Jeremiah called on the people to mend their ways and to return to God.  We must do likewise if we ae out of  the will of God.  Verse fourteen declares, As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.  Jeremiah said that he was in their hand and to do with him as they thought good, but God's word was still God's word.  They were ready to kill Jeremiah, and he told them to do so if the must.  We need that same kind of faith today.  Verse fifteen adds, But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.  Jeremiah also warned them that if the killed him that they would have innocent blood on their hands, because he had only spoken the truth of God as God had commanded him to.  Verse sixteen states, Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.  The princes and the people told the priests and prophets who claimed to represent God that Jeremiah had done nothing to deserve to be put to death.  They said that he had only spoken to them in the name of God.  We are not called on to put anyone to death who speaks in God's name if we do not agree with what they are saying.  We instead need to point out why we disagree with them under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seventeen declares, Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, Then verse eighteen adds, Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.  Certain of the elders reminded the people of another man, Micah, who had spoken against the people in God's name during the reign of Hezekiah, saying that Jerusalem would be destroyed.  Verse nineteen asks, Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.  They asked if Hezekiah put this Micah to death or listened to him and repented, and asked God's forgiveness.  If a man of God speaks out against something we are doing today and calls on us to repent, when he is truly speaking the word of God, we do not need to be angry with him.  We simply need to repent of our sins and ask God to forgive us.  Verse twenty adds, And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:  These elders reminded the priests and prophets of another man, Urijah, who did the same thing.  Jeremiah was not the first prophet to prophesy that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed if the people did not repent.  Verse twenty-one says, And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;  These elders said that when Jehoiakim and the elders heard the words of Urijah that they sought to kill him, but that he fled to Egypt.  Urijah failed to stand by his faith in God.  Even if we are put to death for our faith, we cannot afford to falter in it.  Verse twenty-two adds, And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.  Verse twenty-three continues, And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.  Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt to bring Urijah back and killed him. Jehoiakim may have silenced God's prophet, but he did not alter God's word.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.  Jeremiah stood firm in his commitment to God, and he was delivered from being put to death.  If we stand firm in our fait to God, we are already delivered from spiritual death and into everlasting life with God. no matter what happens to us in this life.

Jeremiah 26:1

Jeremiah 26:1 says, In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,  Verse two adds, Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:  During the reign of Jehoiakim, God's word came once more to Jeremiah.  He was told to stand in the temple and declare God's word to all that came to worship, and to not diminish His word.  We today as followers if Christ need to stand and proclaim His word wherever He directs us to, and we certainly should never diminish His word.  Verse three declares, If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.  God said that if they repented of their evil that He might not do the things that He had proposed to do to them.  The only hope that sinners have is to listen to God's call to salvation and repent of their evil ways and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Verse four states,  And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,  Verse five adds, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;  God said that He had sent prophets to them, who rose up early to speak to them, and was about to give them a warning if they did not listen to them.  God will send us plenty of people to call us to Him, and it is up to us if we listen or not.  Verse six continues, Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.  This would be the result of not listen to God's prophets and obeying His word.  The temple would be destroyed.  If we do not listen to God's word today and do not accept His salvation, then our fate will be even worse.  We will go away to everlasting punishment.  Verse seven states, So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.  All the priests and the people heard Jeremiah speak these words.  Jeremiah did what God told him to do, then it was up to the people to do what God called on them to do, beginning with the priests.  Today, we who are followers of Christ need to listen to God's word and do what He calls us to do, especially the preachers who are to proclaim His word.  Not that any Christian is less responsible, but the preachers are called for the specific purpose of proclaiming God's word to the congregation of believers and those that need to come to Christ as well.  Verse eight says, Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.  After speaking God's word, Jeremiah had the people declare that he should die.  No matter what people may threaten to do to us today, we must faithfully declare God's word.  Verse nine asks, Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.  These priests and those gathered together in God's house in His name asked Jeremiah why he prophesied the things that he did.  They should have known if they were truly listening to God.  They then gathered at Jeremiah's house.  Verse ten adds, When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king’s house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD’s house.  Then verse eleven concludes, Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.  All the priests and prophets said that Jeremiah was worthy of death.  They claimed to represent God, but they didn't.  We need to make sure that what we proclaim to the people today in the name of God is indeed His word.

Jeremiah 25:27

Jeremiah 25:27 says, Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.  God's judgment called on the people of Judah to fall, because they had turned from Him.  Verse twenty-eight states, And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.  Jeremiah was to offer the cup of wine to all the rulers, and if they refused to drink it, he was to tell them that God said that they would indeed drink it.  The cup represented the coming judgment, and even if the rulers did not want to accept the fact that it was coming, it was coming nonetheless.  Whether we believe it or not, God's word will always be fulfilled.  Verse twenty-nine declares, For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.  God said that He was bringing judgment on Jerusalem, and asked if the rest of the people of Judah thought that they would escape His judgment.  If those who follow idolatry are punished, those who teach them to do so should not expect to escape it.  Verse thirty proclaims, Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.  God had been patient with His people as they turned away from Him, but now His judgment was at hand.  God may not immediately deal with us if we stray away from His word, but we will ultimately be held accountable.  Even if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are not free to do whatever we desire to do, but must look to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Verse thirty-one adds, A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.  God said this judgment was going to come on all the nations who were ruled by wickedness.  Verse thirty-two declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.  God said that the coming judgment would be like a great whirlwind, which destroys everything in its path even if you do not hear it coming.  Verse thirty-three adds, And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.  God said that those killed during this time would not be mourned nor buried.  When Christ returns, those who have not accepted Him as Savior and Lord will likewise find themselves without any hope.  Verse thirty-four states, Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.  God warned that even those who were looked on with the greatest honor would fall.  How we are viewed by the world is not important, but how we are viewed by God is the all important question.  Verse thirty-five adds, And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.  God said that there would be no way of escape for the shepherds or the flock.  Those who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of the people of Judah would fall with the rest of the people.  Verse thirty-six continues, A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.  God said the cry of the shepherds would be heard, because He had spoiled their pasture.  Verse thirty-seven states, And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.  God said there would be no place of peace for them.  We may declare everything good in life today, but if we are not living in accordance with God's word, then we will find no place of real peace.  Verse thirty-eight concludes, He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.  God said that He was no longer going to protect the people of Judah because they had turned away from Him.  God's judgment will always be based on our failing to live up to our relationship with Him, and not be just because God has tuned His back on us while we were being obedient to Him. 

Jeremiah 25:12

 Jeremiah 25:12 says,  And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.  God said that after seventy years that He would punish the king of Babylon.  Matthew Henry says there is some debate when the seventy years actually began, but there is no doubt that the time of captivity was limited.  We do not know when Christ will return, but we know that the time of Satan ruling over the world is limited.  Verse thirteen states, And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.  God said after the seventy years had passed, that what Jeremiah had prophesied and even written down would come to pass.  We can depend on God's word being fulfilled.  Verse fourteen adds, For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.  God said that He would recompense, or pay, those who had oppressed Judah for their sins.  There is coming a day when every person will be judged for his or her sins, and the only hope that anyone can have is by forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fifteen declares, For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.  God again used a common thing, the wine cup, to represent His point.  Verse sixteen adds, And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.  God said that these rulers would drink of the wine and become mad because God was going to move among them.  This wine cup represented the wrath of God.  Verse seventeen states, Then took I the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:  Jeremiah said he took the cup and made all the nations that God sent Him to drink from it.  Jeremiah may have been viewed as a poor prophet, but he was to go to the kings and pronounce God's judgment.  No matter how the world views us, if God sends us to declare His word, we have all the authority and power of God behind us.  Verse eighteen adds, To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;  God said that He would make a desolation of Judah, Jerusalem and the surrounding nations.  Verse nineteen continues, Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;   God begins to list some of the other nations that were going to fall, starting with Judah.  Verse twenty states, And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,  Verse twenty-one says, Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,  Then verse twenty-two adds, And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,  Verse twenty-three adds, Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,  Verse twenty-four states, And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,  Verse twenty-five adds, And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,  Verse twenty-six concludes, And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.  These nations would be cut down like a drunk man falls.  They would be helpless to stop the fall, because God had pronounced His judgment on them.  

Jeremiah 25:1

 Jeremiah 25:1 says, The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;  Durig the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakin, Nebuchadrezzar began his first year of reigning alone.  God's word came to Jeremiah at this time concerning the people of Judah.  No matter who is in power, God's word will still come to His people.  Verse two adds, The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,  Jeremiah spoke God's word to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, just as we must speak God's word to the world today.  Verse three declares, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.  Jeremiah said that he had been proclaiming God's word for years and that the people had not listened to him.  We may proclaim God's word all of our life and still have most of the people not listen to us, but that does not relieve us of the responsibility of proclaiming it.  Verse four adds, And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.  Jeremiah said that he wasn't alone in proclaiming God's word, but that God had sent other prophets that they did not listen to as well.  God works through all His people who will obey Him to get His message of redemption out.  Verse five continues, They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:  Jeremiah said that all these prophets called on the people of Judah to turn from their evil ways and to follow God once more.  We must proclaim the same message today, calling on people to turn from their evil life and come to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse six states, And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.  Jeremiah said that the people of Judah had been warned for years to quit following after other gods, just as we must today, especially if we claim to be God's people.  Verse seven declares, Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.  Jeremiah said that God said that they would not listen to Him, even though they were called His people.  We cannot be God's people if we do not listen to Him and expect everything to continue to be okay as many who were called God's prophets were proclaiming in that day.  Verse eight proclaims, Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,  Verse nine adds, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.  When God says therefore, we need to beware.  God said that because of the disobedience that He was going to use the king of Babylon to punish them, and that they would become a people who were an astonishment to the world because of their failure.  Verse ten continues, Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.  God said that He was going to remove from the people of Judah all the things that normally brought joy, and when God's judgment comes one day, we can be certain that those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will find no joy in their everlasting destination.  Verse eleven concludes, And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.  God said that the people of Judah would serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.  Those who do not accept God's word today will have a much longer time of suffering.  It will be an everlasting punishment.

Jeremiah 24:1

 Jeremiah 24:1 says, The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.  This occurred after  the people of Judah and Jerusalem were carried away in captivity to Babylon.  Matthew Henry says that those who went away into captivity did so for their good, and that those who remained behind were still hardened in their heart against God and would eventually go away in captivity to their harm.  It was not the captivity but the attitude of the heart that was going to matter.  God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs, again an everyday item.  Verse two adds, One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.  One of the baskets contained good figs and the other bad figs that could not be eaten.  Verse three declares, Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.  God asked Jeremiah what he saw, and he said a basket of good figs and a basket of bad.  If we are just looking at things physically, we may miss God's message because we have not looked at them through faith.  We should not be waiting for God to speak to us with trumpets and horns, but we should be attuned to the Holy Spirit so that we can hear God speak to us through the ordinary things of life.  Verse four states, Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Then verse five adds, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.  Here God told Jeremiah that those who were sent away into captivity were like the good figs, and that He did it for their own good.  Verse six continues, For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.  God told Jeremiah that He was still with those who had been carried away into captivity and who still had faith in Him, and that He would bring them into the land again and build them up once more.  We cannot judge God's blessings by our physical situation.  Even if we are taken away captive or even if we die for our faith, we are still secure in God's hand if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse seven concludes, And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.  God said that the hearts of these people would be devoted to Him.  We should never attempt to judge the faithfulness of an individual by their physical or material situation.  Verse eight proclaims, And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:  God said that the bad figs represented Zedekiah and the rest of the rulers of Judah who had yet to go into captivity but who soon would.  They may have felt that they were in a better position than those who had been taken away, but God said this was not so.  Verse nine adds, And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.  God said that the king and the rulers would serve as a reminder of what happens when those who claim to be His people are His in name only.  They had failed to live in the covenant relationship to God and had even claimed that God was behind all that they did.  We must be very careful to never attribute God's will to things that we simply want to happen for our own earthly good.  Verse ten concludes, And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.  God said that these people were going to be destroyed off the land that He gave to their fathers.  Ultimately, every person will be judged by their relationship with God through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Material status will never be a factor.

Jeremiah 23:26

 Jeremiah 23:26 says, How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;  God asked how long the hearts of the prophets would be ruled by lies.  They were prophesying what they wanted to be true and not the truth of God.  We must never proclaim what we want to be true as God's word if we are Christians.  Verse twenty-seven adds, Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.  God said that even as the prophets spoke in His name that they were causing the people to forget about Who He really is and causing the people to worship Baal instead.  Verse twenty eight states, The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD:  God called on the prophet to share the word of God faithfully, and so must we today.  Verse twenty-nine asks, Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?  God asked if His word was not like fire that purified everything or like a hammer that broke lies into pieces.  Verse thirty declares, Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.  Verse thirty-one adds, Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.  Verse thirty-two concludes, Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.  God made it very clear that He was against the false prophets who were leading the people of Judah away from Him.  These false prophets were claiming that what they were saying was the word of God.  We better be very careful that we do not claim to be speaking in God's name if we are only sharing what we believe and not what God's word teaches us.  Verse thirty-three says,  And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.  The false priests and prophets would make light of the word of God if it caused a burden to the people.  They were proclaiming prosperity, but God was warning of the coming doom through Jeremiah.  Verse thirty-four adds, And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.  God said that those who made light of His word as being a burden would soon find out how wrong they were.  Many people today who speak in God's name may one day find out that what they professed was really not God's word.  Verse thirty-five states, Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?  People would be questioning what God had spoken.  Verse thirty-six adds, And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.  God said that the people would be judged by their own words since they did not follow God's law, but saw it only as a burden.  Verse thirty-seven declares, Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?  God told Jeremiah to ask the prophets what God had said to them.  If we are speaking in God's name, we better make sure that what we are saying is God's word.  Verse thirty-eight adds, But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;  God told Jeremiah to tell the prophets and priest to no longer claim to speak for Him, since they were not relying on Him to give them the words to speak.  Verse thirty-nine proclaims, Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:  Verse forty adds, And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.  God  said that He was going to hold them accountable for what they said, and He still will today.

Jeremiah 23:9

 Jeremiah 23:9 says, Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.  Jeremiah spoke of his great sorrow and confusion at the persecution he received from the false prophets.  Verse ten adds, For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.  Jeremiah said that because of the wickedness of those who were supposed to be God's people, especially the priests and religious leaders, that the land itself was no longer being blessed by God.  We today should not expect to be able to turn away from God and have Him still bless our land.  Verse eleven declares, For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.  God said that both the prophet and the priest were profane and that He had found their wickedness in His house, the temple.  They not only profaned God in their everyday life but even when they were in the temple to represent Him.  Verse twelve adds, Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.  God said that their evil was going to lead them to fall since their way would be like a slippery way in the darkness.  When we do not follow God's guidance, we are on a slippery slope to destruction.  Verse thirteen continues,  And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.  God said the prophets of Judah and Jerusalem had become like the prophets of Samaria, who had been destroyed for proclaiming Baal instead of God.  These prophets were attributing to God the same things that were said of Baal by the prophets of Samaria.  We cannot allow anything other than God's word to be proclaimed as followers of Christ if we are going to be successful in our spiritual life.  Verse fourteen proclaims, I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.  God said that these priests were no better than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  We cannot just attach God's name to something that we believe and expect Him to bless it if it is not in accordance with His will.  Verse fifteen adds, Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.  God said that the prophets of Jerusalem were going to be punished, because not only had they turned away from God, but they were leading the people of Israel to do so as well.  Verse sixteen declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.  God told the people of Judah to not follow the teachings of the prophets, because they led people away from God.  We must be careful today that we do not follow false teachers, and even more importantly that we do not proclaim false teachings in the name of God.  Verse seventeen adds, They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.  God said that these priests were proclaiming false promises of peace an d prosperity and that no evil would come to the people.  Verse eighteen asks, For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?  God basically asked which of these prophets and priests had actually sought His counsel in what they were saying.  If we are going to proclaim God's word, we must first know what His word really says and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to understand it.  Verse nineteen adds, Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.  God said that His judgment was going to be like a whirlwind.  These false prophets were proclaiming peace was going to continue, but God said that His judgment was going to like a destructive whirlwind.  Verse twenty declares, The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.  God's judgment was certain, just as it is today on those who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-one adds, I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.  God said these false prophets were not sent by Him nor did they represent Him.   Verse twenty-two continues, But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.  God said that had the prophets and priests been following His word that they would have turned from their evil ways.  So must we today.  Verse twenty-three asks, Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?  God asked if they thought that He was a God afar off, not involved in the everyday aspects of their lives.  God is always at work in His world today.  Verse twenty-four adds, Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.  God asked if the people thought that there was a place where they could hide from God.  We may fool the world about what we believe, but we will never fool God.  Verse twenty-five declares, I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.  God then said that He had heard the prophets prophesy in His name claiming t have a vision from God.   We need to be wary of anyone who claims to have had a vision from God that is contrary to God's word.

Jeremiah 23:1

 Jeremiah 23:1 says, Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.  There was a special warning to the pastors, those who were supposed to be teaching the people to obey God but who were instead leading them away from Him.  Verse two declares, Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.  God specified how the pastors had failed.  They had scattered  His flock and driven the people away from Him.  God said that they would be punished for their actions.  Pastors then and pastors now have a responsibility to lead people to God and take care of their needs, especially the spiritual ones.  Matthew Henry says that these pastors had no concern about the welfare of God's sheep, or people, at all.  Verse three states, And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.  God said that He would one day gather the remnant of His flock together, and one day He is going to gather all of His people to Him forever.  These would be those who had remained faithful to God, no matter what.  Verse four adds, And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.  God said that He would place faithful shepherds over them and they would no longer have to live in fear.  God places true shepherds over His people today and when we listen to His word spoken through them and obey His word, we do not have to live in fear.  Verse five proclaims, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  This is a prophesy about the coming of the Messiah, Who would reign in power and judgment.  Verse six adds, In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  God said that the people of Judah and Israel would dwell in safety.  These were the people of Judah and Israel who put their faith in the God and the coming Messiah, and fortunately for us would include the Gentiles, or everyone else, as well.  Verse seven continues, Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;  God said the day was coming when He would not be known just as the God Who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Verse eight concludes, But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.  God said that one day He would be known as the God who brought His people back out of the north country.  God established a covenant with His people when He brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they failed to live up to their part of the covenant and were once again defeated and scattered.  God was going to establish a new covenant with His people through the Messiah, and it would be an everlasting spiritual covenant.

Jeremiah 22:20

Jeremiah 22:20 says, Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.  God said the people of Judah would call out to Him when all their idols had failed them, not because they were really putting their faith in Him, but out of the expectation that He would be obligated to save them.  We cannot just call out to God when all else fails and expect that He will have to save us.  We must go to God in real faith.  Verse twenty-one adds, I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.  God said that He had spoken to the people in their prosperity and thy would not listen to Him.  Too often, even as followers of Christ, we ignore Him in times of prosperity and only call out to Him in times of trouble.  Verse twenty-two continues, The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.  God said that after the people went away into captivity that then they would be ashamed of their wickedness.  Some people will never accept God's word until it is too late and then when they are forever separated from God they will cry out in despair.  Verse twenty-three states, O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!  God said that when the destruction came, then the people would cry out to Him, but it would be too late.  Verse twenty-four declares, As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;  The real statement was that Coniah had not been as a signet on God's right hand as he should have been I believe.  Verse twenty-five adds, And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.  God said that He was giving the king up to his enemies.  If we refuse to accept God when He offers us salvation then one day we will be given up to face the penalties of our sins alone.  Verse twenty-six continues, And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.  God said that those who were supposed to be his people would be cast out of the land that he gave them.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.  God said that even though the people of Judah who had put their faith in false gods would desire to return to their land that they never would.  If we reject Jesus Christ in this life, then we may desire to go into heaven when judgment comes, but we will never be able to do so.  Verse twenty-eight asks, Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?  Though Coniah had been adored by the people, after his fall they would ask if he was really the person that they had looked up to.  Verse twenty-nine proclaims, O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.  God calls on all the earth to hear His word and not just the people of Judah.  God's plan has always been to save all who will hear and heed His call to salvation, and not just certain people.  Verse thirty concludes, Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.  The word that God had at that point was that Coniah nor his descendants would ever rule in Judah again.  

Jeremiah 22:10

Jeremiah 22:10 says, Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.  God said to not weep for the dead, but for those who would be taken away captive.  God said that they would never return to their native land.  Matthew Henry says this was in reference to the king who had recently died and mourning for him, and his son who now reined who would be taken captive and never return.  Verse eleven adds, For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:  This was the two kings referred to in the statement about mourning.  Vere twelve continues, But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.  Though the people may have believed that the king would eventually return, God said otherwise.  The people still were not accepting the prophesies of Jeremiah, but they came true nonetheless.  People may not want to accept God's word today, but it is always the truth.  Verse thirteen declares, Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;  God began to warn the people against some of the sins that they were committing, these first to do with mistreating their neighbor.  The people of Judah were already condemned for their idolatry, but their disobedience to God also affected their relationship with their neighbors.  Verse fourteen adds, That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.  God also warned the people against building large houses while they had no concern for those less fortunate.  When we read of multimillion dollar houses being built today while some people are homeless, I do not believe that God is pleased by this, especially if it is done by someone who professes to be a follower of Christ..  Verse fifteen states, Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?  These were questions for the king, and so was the specific warning in the last verse according to Matthew Henry, but I believe that it is a warning to all those who treat others as though they aren't worthy of basic needs being met while someone else lives in luxury.  Verse sixteen declares, He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.  God said that the last king, Josiah, had acted with concern for the less fortunate and that God knew this.  God knows our actions, even if we don't want Him to.  Verse seventeen adds, But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.  God said that the present king, Jehoiakim, was not like his father.  He was only concerned with making himself richer, even using violence and oppression to do so.  Verse eighteen continues, Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!  God said that the people were not to lament for Jehoiakim.  Verse nineteen concludes, He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.  God said that Jehoiakim would be buried as an animal would be buried, with no mourning or the usual things that are done at a funeral.  Of course, even if we have the most expansive burial possible, if we do not know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will still die outside of the kingdom of God and will remain there forever.

Jeremiah 22:1

 Jeremiah 22:1 says, Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,  God sent Jeremiah to the king of Judah's house.  Jeremiah was to speak to the earthly king of the people of Judah on behalf of the heavenly King, Who was the only one Who mattered.  We must not fear to speak out against the rulers of this land if God tells us to.  Verse two declares, And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:  God gave Jeremiah the message to share with the king.  He was to remind him of who he was, and that was the king of God's people.  He sat on the throne of David, a man after God's own heart.  The king was called on to hear God's word.  We as followers of Christ can never afford to forget who we are and Who we represent in the world today.  Verse three adds, Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.  Jeremiah was to tell the king that it was time to following God's law, which the king should have already known and have been doing.  Verse four concludes, For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.  Jeremiah was to tell the king that if he and the people of Israel continued to follow God that God would continue to bless and protect them.  If we are being obedient to God's word, He will always bless us spiritually, no matter what happens in this life.  Verse five then proclaims, But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.  Jeremiah was to then tell the king what would happen if he did not listen to and follow God's word.  The word but serves as a warning to the king based on His choice.  The same is true today.  If we obey God's law He will bless us, but if we don't, then we will suffer the consequences of our disobedience.  Verse six adds, For thus saith the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.  Jeremiah was to tell the king that as long as he was obedient to God that he was like Gilead to God, or that God was with him.  Verse seven continues, And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.  The God said that if they king continued in disobedience that he would no longer have the protection of God and that he would find his defenses worthless.  If we attempt to stand under our own power without God's protection, none of our defenses will be worth anything.  Verse eight says, And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?  God said that other nations would ask why God had done this to the people of Judah.  Other people may not have given God credit for the success of Judah, but they would question why He had caused their destruction.  Verse nine concludes, Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.  God had an answer for those who questioned what had happened to Judah.  It was because they had forsaken their God and had worshipped and served other gods.  No one can serve God effectively if there is any other god in their life.

Jeremiah 21:8

Jeremiah 21:8 says, And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.  God told Jeremiah to tell the people of Judah that they were going to give them a choice.  They could either stay in the city and die, or they could leave the city and live under the rule of the Chaldeans.  If we refuse to acknowledge Christ as our Savior and Redeemer, then whether we die quickly or slowly, we will always be under the power of sin and will certainly die a spiritual death.  Verse nine adds, He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.  Jeremiah's message to the king from God was that they could surrender and live under the power of the Chaldeans or they could resist and die.  We will never defeat the evil of this world by our own ability.  Verse ten continues, For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.  Jeremiah was to tell the king that God had given the people of Judah over to the king of Babylon.  Verse eleven states, And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;   God told Jeremiah to tell people of Judah to hear the word of God.  If we do not hear and accept the word of God today calling us to salvation, one day we will hear it pronouncing our doom, and then it will be to late for us to finally acknowledge Him.  Verse twelve adds, O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.  God once again calls on the people of Judah to return to Him and to begin to live by His word.  They were to not just profess to be His people and do whatever they wanted to do, but they were to actually start living by His guidance.  Professing to be a follower of Christ without living by His commands is never enough.  We must do what His word tells us to do.  Verse thirteen declares, Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?  God said that He was against those who claimed that nothing was going to happen to them.  The people of Jerusalem were attempting to claim the protection of God while disobeying His teachings.  Verse fourteen concludes, But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.  God said that He was going to punish them because they had earned His punishment.  We either accept the gift of salvation through Christ or we earn the punishment of God for our sins.  The choice is ours.

Jeremiah 21:1

 Jeremiah 21:1 says, The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,  King Zedekiah sent a messenger to Jeremiah.  The messenger was a priest himself, and may have been one of those who was persecuting Jeremiah, but he had no choice but to obey the king, even if he did not obey God.  Verse two adds, Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.  Zedekiah asked that Jeremiah go to God for them, because Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon was making war with the people of Judah.  The king may not have been concerned with God before, but he was when defeat seemed inevitable, but even then he did not promise to obey God.  He only wanted God to deliver the nation from defeat.  We need to look to God at all times and not just in times of trouble, and even then we need to look to Him in obedience and not just to get us out of a bad situation.  Verse three states, Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:  Jeremiah gave God's message to Pashur to carry to Zedekiah.  All we can do is give God's word to the people of the world.  Verse four declares, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. God's message was not what the king wanted to hear, but was that the nation of Judah was about to be defeated.  God had protected the people of Judah before, but they were being obedient to Him at those times, and now they had turned totally against Him.  We cannot refuse to accept God's law and guidance and expect Him to bail us out in times of trouble as well.  Verse five continues, And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.  God said not only was He not going to deliver Judah, but that He was going to fight against them.  If we are not following God, He will never be for us, and we better hope that we never reach the point that He fights against us.  Verse six declares, And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.  God said that He would smite Judah.  God doesn't need another army to defeat anyone who stands against Him, any more than He needs an army to protect those who stand for Him.  If we are God's people through faith in Jesus Christ, we are forever victorious over everything, no matter if we lose everything in this world.  Verse seven adds, And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.  God said that He was giving up the people of Judah into the hand of their enemies.  When we stand against God, if not in this life one day we are going to face total defeat.

Jeremiah 20:11

 Jeremiah 20:11 says, But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.  Jeremiah may have felt persecuted, but he also knew that those who persecuted him would fail, because God was with him.  No matter how persecuted we may feel in the world today, if God is with us, then we have no reason to fear.  If you are a follower of Christ, putting your faith in Him as your Savior and Lord, then God will always be with you and you are secured by His love.  Verse twelve adds, But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.  Jeremiah then asked to see God's vengeance on those who persecuted him.  I don't believe that this should be our prayer today though, since Jesus taught us a better and higher way.  I feel like many people look forward to the second coming so that those that they don't like will get what is coming to them, but we should instead be looking for more time so that they might instead claim the gift of salvation so they like we will not get what they deserved.  Verse thirteen continues, Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.  Jeremiah said that we should sing praises to God because He will deliver us from all the evil of this world in His own time.  We need to spend more time praising God than we do complaining about the world.  Verse fourteen declares, Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.  Then, after saying that we should sing praises to God, Jeremiah said that he regretted the day that he was born.  I believe that he was looking at all the problems in his life without looking to God in faith.  We should never despair the day that we were born or hate life so much that we wish we had never existed.  With our faith in God we should always delight in life as long as we live.  Verse fifteen adds, Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. Jeremiah even asked that the man who brought the news of his birth, which made his father glad, be cursed.  Jeremiah's self pity made him wish that a man who had done nothing wrong be cursed.  We as followers of Christ can never afford to lash out at the world in self pity.  Verse sixteen continues, And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide;  Jeremiah continued to call for the man who brought the news of his birth to be punished severely.  Jeremiah was one of the great prophets of God, and yet he was asking something of God that was totally outside of God's teachings and nature.  We need to be careful that we do not allow our personal feelings to lead us to an attitude that is contrary to the will of God.  Verse seventeen declares, Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.  Jeremiah wished that he had never been born or that he had died in the womb.  That is a lot of self pity.  Verse eighteen asks, Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?  Jeremiah asked why was he born if he was only going to see labor and sorrow and have his days consumed by shame.  No matter how bad life may get, as followers of Christ we can never be ruled by self pity.  We instead need to continue to sing praises to God.

Jeremiah 20:1

 Jeremiah 20:1 says, Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.  A priest. Pashur, of one of the order of priests, heard about Jeremiah's prophecy.  He should have been protecting Jeremiah, but instead he was persecuting him.  Verse two adds, Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.  Pashur struck Jeremiah and put him in stocks.  He was trying to both disgrace Jeremiah and to silence him.  It is bad enough when the rest of the world attempts to silence God's messengers, but it is even worse when those who profess to be God's people do.  Verse three states,  And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.  The next day, when Pashur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks, Jeremiah said that God had renamed him.  Matthew Henry said the name Magormissabib means terror all about, meaning that he would see terror all about him even if there was none.  Verse four adds, For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.  God said that He was going to give Pashur and all of his friends into the hands of the king of Babylon.  The priests were still proclaiming that Israel was going to continue to prosper, whereas Jeremiah was prophesying the coming doom.  No matter how many people may proclaim that everything is going to be good in life if we follow God, God tells us that we are to take up our cross daily.  Verse five continues, Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon.  God said that He was going to give all the riches of the people of Judah to the enemy, and that the people were going to be taken away captive.  If we do not put our faith in God, then one day everything that we have put our faith in will disappear and we will be taken away from the presence of God because of our captivity to sin.  Verse six declares, And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.  God then had a personal message to Pashur, concerning him and all those that he had prophesied lies to.  If we are speaking lies concerning God today, it is going to affect not only us individually but also all of those who put their faith in what we say.  Verse seven proclaims, O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.  Jeremiah began to tell God that He had deceived him, and that he was in derision every day.  Even if the whole world laughs at us when we proclaim the gospel.  We must never reach the point of feeling that God has somehow deceived us.  Verse eight adds, For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.  Jeremiah said that since he proclaimed violence and spoil to the people of God, who were yet living in prosperity that he was held in derision.  The world today may not believe us when we proclaim the coming judgment of God, but even if they hold us in contempt and we do not live to see it in this lifetime, it is still coming.  Verse nine continues, Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.  Jeremiah said that he had decided to no longer prophesy in God's name, but that the word of God was like a fire making it impossible for him to not do so.  God's word should be just as much of a fire in us today as followers of Christ, making it impossible for us to not proclaim His word to the world.  Verse ten concludes, For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.   Jeremiah said that everyone was talking about him behind his back, if not to his face.  We should not be worried about what other people may say about us because of our witnessing for God, but only with what God Himself says.

Jeremiah 19:10

 Jeremiah 19:10 says, Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,  Jeremiah was instructed to break the bottle that he got from the potter in front of the elder leaders that he had taken with him.  Sometimes God teaches us with symbolic lessons.  Verse eleven adds, And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.  God then told Jeremiah to tell the men with him what the breaking of the bottle meant.  Judah was going to be broken like the bottle until it couldn't be made whole again.  People were going to be buried in that valley until there was no room to bury them anymore.  If God uses something symbolic to get our attention. I believe that He will also let us know what the symbolism means.  If we are really following God's leadership, He will never leave us confused about what He is saying to us.  Verse twelve continues, Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:  God didn't say that this was what might happen, but that it was what would happen.  When God pronounces His judgment, it is certain to happen.  Verse thirteen concludes, And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.  Just as Josiah had done to the people of Tophet because of their idolatry, so was God going to do to Jerusalem.  The people had not learned from a past example.  When we see how God has dealt with idolatry in the past, it should keep us from allowing idolatry to come into our lives if we are followers of Christ.  Verse fourteen declares, Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD’s house; and said to all the people,  Jeremiah went where God had instructed him to go.  If we are to be successful in our witness for God, we must go where He sends us, and then do as He has instructed us to do.  Verse fifteen adds, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.  Jeremiah pronounced God's judgment on the people telling them what God had said.  We must tell the people what God has said about the coming destruction of those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  God said that Jeremiah was to tell them why this punishment was coming, and that is because they would not listen to God any more.  If someone today goes away to everlasting suffering it will be because they refuse to listen to God and accept salvation through Christ.  Just as the people of Judah in that day, it will be because of their choice and not God's choice.  God would rather save all people, but He leaves the choice up to each individual.

Jeremiah 19:1

Jeremiah 19:1 says,  Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;  Jeremiah was told to go and get a potter's bottle and the elderly people and priests.  They should have know more about what God actually said for the people to do if they were to be obedient to Him.  Matthew Henry says that they would more likely be willing to follow a man who said he was a prophet of God than the younger ones were.  Verse two adds, And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,  God told Jeremiah to take these ancients, or elders, and the bottle to a particular place, the valley of the son of Hinnom.  I believe that God will direct us to where He wants us to be.  Verse three declares, And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants  of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.  Jeremiah was to tell the people the word of God, and that word was not good.  God was to bring judgment on the people of Judah because of their sin.  There is coming a time when everyone will be held accountable for their sins, and those who have not listened to God's word and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be sent away to everlasting punishment, but none will have an excuse for doing failing to do so.  This is God's message that we must present today.  Verse four states, Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;  God told Jeremiah to tell the people of Judah why this was happening.  They had forsaken God and began to worship other gods.  Verse five adds, They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:  The people of Judah had even gone so far as to offer their sons as sacrifices to Baal, burning them on the altars of Baal.  We today have sacrificed many children on the altar of convenience and pleasure, and one day God will hold us accountable.  Verse six proclaims. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.  God said that the day was coming that instead of being called the valley of peace that the place that they were at would be called the valley of slaughter.  We may believe that we are at peace in the world today, but if we are not following God's word and will then when judgment day comes, all of our works will come to nothing.  Verse seven adds, And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.  God said that the coming destruction would be complete and totally devastating.  So will the everlasting defeat of everyone who does not follow God through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse eight continues, And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.  God said that after the fall of Judah that people would marvel at the destruction.  Verse nine concludes, And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.  Those in the city would resort to eating their sons and daughters due to a lack of food.  There is no end to the evil things that people will do in order to hang on to this earthly existence, but it is our soul that we should be concerned with.  

Jeremiah 18:11

Jeremiah 18:11 says, 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.  God had Jeremiah to call on the people of Judah once more to turn from their evil ways before they suffered the consequences of them.  God will always call on people to repent before they suffer the consequences of their sins, and sin will always have consequences.  Verse twelve states, 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.  The people of Judah said that here was no hope, I believe meaning in being obedient to God, so they would follow their own devices.  There are still many people today who claim that there is no hope in God so they follow their own devices to live life.  Verse thirteen declares, 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. God said for them to ask among the heathen, those who worshipped other gods, if they had heard of such a thing.  Verse fourteen asks,  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?  God then asked if people would leave the snows of Lebanon which provided cool water for anther place.  Verse fifteen states, 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;  God said that His chosen people had left the path that He set for them and burned incense to other gods.  We must never allow any other god to come between God and us.  Verse sixteen adds, To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.  God said because of their disobedience that the land was made desolate, and that the people blamed each other for this.  Verse seventeen declares, 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.  God said that the people of Judah would be scattered before their enemies because God was going to turn His back on them.  We better pray that we as individuals and as a nation never reach the point where God turns His back on us.  Verse eighteen states, 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.  The people of Judah decided to defy Jeremiah, God's prophet.  People will always attempt to discredit God's word and will often rise up against His messengers.  Verse nineteen states, Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.  Jeremiah asked God to hear his plea and listen to what was being said against him, but God already knew.  Verse twenty asks, 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.  Jeremiah asked if good would be repaid with evil, and too often it is.  Jeremiah had simply proclaimed God's word, and now the people of Judah were seeking ways to punish him for doing so.  The world may recompense our sharing of the gospel with evil, but we still have the responsibility to share the gospel.  Verse twenty-one adds, 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.  Jeremiah asked God to punish those who were attempting to destroy him.  I don't believe that we should ever pray that those who stand against us when we serve God should be destroyed, but that we should continue to reach out with them with the love of God.  Verse twenty-two continues, 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.  Jeremiah continued in his plea to God to punish those who were out to destroy him.  Verse twenty-three concludes, 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.   Jeremiah was not in a forgiving mood toward those who were attempting to destroy, but I believe that Jesus set a different standard on the cross. 

Jeremiah 18:1

 Jeremiah 18:1 says, The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,  Verse two adds, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.  God first told Jeremiah to arise and go down to the potter's house, then He would hear God's words.  Sometimes, we may need to simply go where God tells us to go without fully understanding what He has for us to do when we get there.  Had Jeremiah said he wasn't going until God told him why, then he never would have gotten God's message.  Verse three states, Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.  Jeremiah said that he went to the potter's house and saw him working at the potter's wheel.  This would have been nothing unusual, and many times the things that God uses to reveal His word to us are very ordinary.  Verse four adds, 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.  Jeremiah said that as the potter was making the vessel that it became marred and that the potter made another vessel as he chose to do.  Again, this was nothing unusual.  Verse nine declares, Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  As Jeremiah was there watching the potter, being where God had directed Him to be, then he heard God speak to Him again.  I don.t believe that this was an audible voice, though it could have been.  God normally does not speak to us in an audible voice, so it is important that we recognize His voice when He speaks to us however He chooses to do so.  Verse six states, 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.  God asked if He could not do to the house of Israel as the potter had done to the clay.  God said that they were like the clay and He was like the potter, and we still are and He still is today.  The people of Israel were God's chosen people and He was molding them into a nation to serve Him, but they became marred by their disobedience.  We, as followers of Christ, are called to be shaped into the person that He calls us to be, but it is always His choice what that will be.  Verse seven declares, At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;  God said that the fate of a nation, especially those who were supposed to be His people, was in His hands.  God may allow evil to exist in the world today as He calls people to come to Him through faith in Christ, but He is the ultimate authority and those who do not come to Him individually, and I believe as a nation, will be plucked up, torn down and destroyed when God's judgment comes.  Verse eight adds, 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.  God said that even after He had pronounced His judgment against  nation that there was still hope if they repented.  God's intention has never been to punish but to save people from sin and everlasting punishment, but it is always up to each individual whether he or she will repent and accept God's salvation.  Verse nine states, And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;  Then verse ten concludes, 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.  God said that if a nation repented and turned to Him and then rebelled again, that He would repent of having spared them.  As stated numerous times, I don't believe that we can lose our salvation once we have truly accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but I do believe that all that we do in this life that is not in accordance with God's will ultimately will be destroyed.

Jeremiah 17:19

Jeremiah 17:19 says, Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;  Jeremiah was told by God to go and proclaim His word in the gates where the leaders of the country went in and out.  They could not miss God's message.  We need to make sure that those in power today cannot miss God's message to us today.  Verse seventeen declares, And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:  God told Jeremiah to call on the kings of Judah and all of the people who passed through the gates to hear God's word.  Jeremiah was to start from the highest ranking people and to spread the word downward.  We today usually start from where we are and spread God's word upward, but the important point is that God's word is spread throughout the land.  Verse twenty-one adds, Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;  God told Jeremiah to tell the people to observe the sabbath as God had instructed them to do.  God had not changed His law, but His chosen people were ignoring it.  Verse twenty-two continues, Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.  God just continued to to remind them of the requirements of the Sabbath.  They were to do no work on the Sabbath.  Verse twenty-three proclaims, But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.  God told Jeremiah that the people did not only did not hear, but that they deliberately chose not to hear.  We may proclaim God's message on every street corner, but some people are always going to chose to not hear what God has to say.  They will not even incline their ear to hear God.  Verse twenty-four adds, And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;  God then had Jeremiah tell the people what He would do if they began to observe the Sabbath again.  Verse twenty-five continues, Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.  God said that if the people of Judah would begin to observe the Sabbath again, which would be a sign that they were obeying His commandments, then there would be a king in Judah forever and the nation would survive.  We as God's people must obey His commands if we are to survive spiritually today.  Verse twenty-six declares, And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.  God said that if the people began to observe the Sabbath in faith that people would come from throughout the land to bring their offerings to God.  The requirement was really quite simple- the people of Judah were to obey the LORD and He would bless them.  The same is true today.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.  Just as obedience to God's word had its reward, disobedience had its consequences.  This also has not changed.  If we are to receive the gifts of God, we must first be obedient to God, beginning with accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.