Jeremiah 29:20

Jeremiah 29:20 says, Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:  God called on all the captives in Babylon to hear Him, just as He calls on all who are captive to sin to hear Him today.  Of course, He does not send us into captivity to sin as He said He set them into captivity in Babylon.  Verse twenty-one declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;  God said that Ahab and Zedekiah prophesied lies to the people and would be delivered to Nebuchadnezzar to be put to death before their eyes.  Verse twenty-two adds, And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;  They may have claimed to speak for God, but God said they did not and would meet a terrible fate for claiming to do so.  It is bad enough to sin, but to do so and claim to represent God while doing so is even worse.  Verse twenty-three continues, Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.  God said that they had committed villiany by committing adultery with their neighbors' wives and by lying against Him, which was even worse.  Verse twenty-four states.  Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,  Verse twenty-five adds. Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,  Shemaiah was singled out because he took issue with the letters that Jeremiah had sent to the priests, so he sent one of his own.  Verse twenty-six continues, The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.  God said that Shemaiah was calling on the false priests to exert their power over the people.  Verse twenty-seven continues, Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?  Shemaiah asked why these priests had not reproved Jeremiah.  It is really bad when those who claim to represent God call on people to reprove those who really do.  Verse twenty-eight declares, For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  Shemaiah said that Jeremiah had sent the people of Judah into captivity and told them to live there, not that God had done so.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.  Zephaniah the priest read the letter to Jeremiah.  Verse thirty states, Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,  God's word once again came to Jeremiah.  What the letter said was of no importance to Jeremiah, but what God said was all that mattered.  We do not need to be concerned what the world says today, especially those who claim to speak for God but proclaim things that are not in accordance with His written word, but we need to be concerned only with what God says.  It will never be in opposition to His written word.  Verse thirty-one proclaims, Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:  God told Jeremiah to send word to the captives concerning Shemaiah, who had prophesied to the people and had not been sent by God.  He had caused the people to believe a lie.  Verse thirty-two adds, Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.  God said that Shemaiah would not see the good that He would do among His people, because he had taught rebellion against God.  Shemaiah's name would not be carried on.  Those who will not accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will likewise be cut out of God's kingdom.

Jeremiah 29:10

 Jeremiah 29:10 says, For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.  God assured the people of Judah that after seventy years He would once again restore their land to them.  We don't have a specific time, but we have God's assurance that He will bring us to our everlasting home in glory.  Verse eleven adds, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  God said that His thoughts toward Judah were of peace and not evil.  It was not God's thoughts that had caused the people to be defeated, but heir own thoughts.  Those who were restored would be those who continued to believe in God even while in captivity.  It is our acceptance of Christ because of our belief in God's word that assures us of our heavenly home.  Verse twelve declares, Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  God said that at this time that the people would once again call on Him in prayer and He would hear them.  I don't believe that this means that He didn't hear them during this time, but that He was not going to change their circumstances until it was in His time frame to do so.  Verse thirteen adds, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  God said that when they sought Him with all their heart that they would find Him.  We cannot be half-hearted in our relationship with God, but must seek Him with all our heart.  Verse fourteen continues, And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.  God said that when the people once again began to earnestly pray that He would hear them and return them to their land.  Verse fifteen states, Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;  God said that the people would say that He had raised up prophets in Babylon and would not accept the letter from Jeremiah.  Verse sixteen adds, Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;  God once again had a warning for the people, and that was that they not listen to the false prophets who were declaring peace.  No matter how many people may claim that God's word is not true and that His judgment is not coming, we must believe God's word.  Verse seventeen declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.  God said that defeat and destruction were coming, and that the people of Judah needed to accept that fact.  Verse eighteen adds, And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:  God said that their defeat would cause the nations to marvel.  Verse nineteen concludes, Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.  God said this was going to happen because those who were supposed to be His people would not listen to His word.  If we face everlasting punishment today. it will be because we have not listened to God's word and accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  The fault will be ours and not God's.

Jeremiah 29:1

 Jeremiah 29:1 says, Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;  Jeremiah sent a letter to all the remaining elders, priests, and prophets and all the people who were carried away as captives by Nebuchadnezzar.  Verse two adds, (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)  The king, queen and the craftsmen had also been carried away.  This would be after Jeremiah's prophesy had come to pass.  Verse three states, By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,  Jeremiah sent the message by the same messenger that Zedekiah had sent a message to Nebuchadnezzar by.  This was a more important message than a message from an earthly king, though, because it was a message from God.  Verse four declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;  God said that the message was for all who had been taken away captive into Babylon, just as the gospel is for all who have been taken away captive by sin today.  Of course, this was written to those who were supposed to be God's people already.  God said that He had caused them to be carried away and that He was still with them.  Verse five adds, Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;  Jeremiah said that God told them to go ahead and build houses and plant gardens and live there.  Their captivity was not going to be a short one.  After we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, though this world is not our permanent dwelling place, we are still to live here under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Wherever we are or whatever our status, God will be with us.  Verse six continues, Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.  God told the people of Judah to continue to marry and have children, so that their numbers might increase even in captivity.  Life goes on after we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and God expects us to continue to live our lives.  Verse seven states, And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.  God said that they were to seek peace in the land where they were and that they were to pray for it.  We may not like everything that goes on in the world today, but as followers of Christ we are to seek peace in the world and pray for it.  Verse eight warns, For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.  God through Jeremiah warned them not to be deceived by false prophets and those who claimed to have a dream sent by God.  We today need to be just as careful about who we listen to that claim to speak for God.  Verse nine adds, For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.  Just as many false prophets said that the people of Judah would not be carried away captive, there were still those false prophets who would claim to speak for God while the people were in captivity.  We need to make sure that those who claim to speak for God today speak a message that is consistent with God's word and also rely on the Holy Spirit to enable us to know what is truly God's word.

Jeremiah 28:10

Jeremiah 28:10 says, Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.  Hananiah broke the yoke that Jeremiah was wearing at God's command.  Hananiah called himself a prophet, but he was not acting under God's command or authority.   This was supposed to be a sign that he had defeated Jeremiah's prophesy.  No matter what someone does to attempt to change God's prophesy or any of His word, it may look like it did, but it never will.  Verse eleven adds, And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.  Hananiah said that he spoke for God when he said that the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar would likewise be broken within two years.  Jeremiah did not argue with Hananiah, but simply went on his way.  There is little profit in arguing with those who claim to speak for God when what they say does not agree with what we say.  All we can do is make sure that what we say is indeed God's word, and continue to proclaim it to those who will hear it.  Verse twelve declares, Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,  After Hananiah broke the yoke that Jeremiah was wearing, God's word came to Jeremiah again.  Verse thirteen adds, Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.  God sent Jeremiah to Hananiah with a massage from God.  If there is a dispute with someone over what God says, we should not argue with them on our own, but if God sends us a message to share with them, then we must go.  God told Jeremiah to tell Hananiah that he had broken the wooden yoke, but that an iron yoke would be placed on the people of Judah.  Verse fourteen states,  For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.  Jeremiah was to tell Hananiah that God had placed the yoke of iron on the people and that they would serve Nebuchadnezzar and that he would also own all the beasts of the field.  Verse fifteen declares, Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.  Jeremiah told Hananiah that God had not sent Hananiah, but that he caused the people to trust a lie.  Jeremiah still was not getting into a big argument with Hananiah, but was simply telling him God's word.  Verse sixteen adds, Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.  Jeremiah said the proof of what he was saying was that Hananiah would die that year for proclaiming lies in the name of God.  It may not be within a year, but eventually everyone will be held accountable for their actions and will suffer a spiritual death if they do not accept God's word.  Verse seventeen concludes, So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.  Jeremiah's prophesy came true, and Hananiah died the seventh month of that year.  We can be certain that God's prophesies either have or will come true.  The question is whether or not we will believe them.

Jeremiah 28:1

 Jeremiah 28:1 says, And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,  A supposed prophet of God came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of the reign of Zedekiah and said that Jeremiah was wrong as we see in the next verse.  Verse two states, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  This priest, Hananiah, told the king that God had spoken to him and that God said He had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  He directly contradicted what Jeremiah said God was saying.  Sometimes, people claim to be speaking for God when they say things that are in direct opposition to His word.  We must know enough to recognize God's truth, and the Bible and the Holy Spirit will help us to do so.  Verse three adds, Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:  Hananiah said that within two years that all the vessels of the temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken into Babylon  would be returned to the temple in Jerusalem.  He was prophesying what would make him popular with the king, but it was not God's word.  Today, people may say things that are supposedly God's word to make them popular with people, but often it is not.  Verse four continues, And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.  Hananiah also said that Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim would be returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon.  This also was in opposition to what Jeremiah had said that God said.  Verse five declares, Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,  Then verse six adds, Even the prophet Jeremiah said, thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.  Jeremiah did not stop Hananiah from saying what he had to say, but once he finished, in front of all the leaders, he then disputed what Hananiah had said.  We don't need to get in to shouting matches with other people when what they say is not consistent with God's word, but we do need to make sure that God's truth is told, even with the biggest. most powerful audience around us.  Verse seven continues, Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;  Jeremiah called on the priests, the people of Judah, and Hananiah himself to listen to his words.  They had listened to Hananiah, and now it was time to listen to Jeremiah.  We can only call on people to listen to us today when we proclaim the word of God.  Verse eight states, The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.  Jeremiah said that prophets in the past had prophesied against many countries of coming war, evil and pestilence.  Jeremiah said basically that he was not the first prophet to prophesy of coming doom in God's name, so why should he be viewed differently.  We must proclaim God's word faithfully, no matter how the world may view us.  Verse nine proclaims, The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform.  Jeremiah said that the truth of the prophesy of Hananiah who prophesied that peace would come in two years would be proven by whether peace came at that time or not.  Many people today do not accept the fact of the coming judgment of God, and the only way that it will be proven is when it occurs, but anyone claiming that it is not coming will be proven wrong in that day.  Loud arguments will not win them over to accepting God's word, and there is really no reason for us to be angry with them.  We are to reach out to them with the love of God, not so we can be proven right, but so that they might know the truth of God.

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.