Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 16 October 2020

 last half of October now.  Nearing the 1/3 point of the Autumnal point that began last month.  Getting closer to the semi-annual "time change" that will take place right after the first of this next month, just a few weeks' hence.  As we descend into the Night.  NOT my favorite time of year.

But at one point in life, I told the Lord I'd go where He sent us.  Rather like signing a blank check, doing that, but negotiations with Him aren't a wise option to try.  Nothing much good will come out of that.  (Ask me how I know).

Filling in a detail missed in previous posts:  "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so! " is from Psalm 107:2.  A good lesson in a few words.

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JEREMIAH 27

The Yoke of Babylon

1At the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah  son of Josiah, king of Judah,  this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  2“This is what the Lord said to me: Make chains and yoke bars  for yourself and put them on your neck.  3Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon  through messengers who are coming to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem. 4Command them to go to their masters, saying: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: This is what you must say to your masters: 5By My great strength and outstretched arm,  I made the earth,  and the people, and animals on the face of the earth. I give it to anyone I please.   6So now I have placed all these lands under the authority of My servant  Nebuchadnezzar,  king of Babylon. I have even given him the wild animals to serve him. 7All nations will serve him, his son, and his grandson until the time for his own land comes, and then many nations and great kings will enslave him. 

8“As for the nation or kingdom that does not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and does not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish by sword, famine, and plague” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “until through him I have destroyed it. 9But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, diviners,  dreamers, fortune-tellers,  or sorcerers  who say to you, ‘Don’t serve the king of Babylon! ’ 10for they prophesy a lie  to you so that you will be removed from your land. I will banish you, and you will perish. 11But as for the nation that will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave it in its own land, and that nation will cultivate  it and reside in it.” This is the Lord’s declaration.

Warning to Zedekiah

12I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah  in the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, serve him and his people, and live! 13Why should you and your people die  by the sword, famine, or plague as the Lord has threatened against any nation that does not serve the king of Babylon? 14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are telling you, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying a lie to you.  15‘I have not sent them’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘and they are prophesying falsely in My name; therefore, I will banish you, and you will perish — you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.’ ”

16Then I spoke to the priests and all these people, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets. They are prophesying to you, claiming, “Look, very soon now the articles of the Lord’s temple will be brought back from Babylon.”  They are prophesying a lie to you. 17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon and live! Why should this city become a ruin?  18If they are indeed prophets and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them intercede with the Lord of Hosts not to let the articles that remain in the Lord’s temple, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem go to Babylon.’ 19For this is what the Lord of Hosts says about the pillars, the sea, the water carts,  and the rest of the articles that still remain in this city, 20those Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take when he deported Jeconiah  son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon along with all the nobles of Judah  and Jerusalem. 21Yes, this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about the articles that remain in the temple of the Lord, in the palace of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: 22‘They will be brought to Babylon and will remain there until I attend to them again.’  This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place.’ ” 

JEREMIAH 28

Hananiah’s False Prophecy

1In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah,  in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur from Gibeon  said to me in the temple of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people, 2“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.  3Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles of the Lord’s temple  that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from here and transported to Babylon. 4And I will restore to this place Jeconiah  son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah  who went to Babylon’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’ ”

Jeremiah’s Response to Hananiah

5The prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the temple of the Lord. 6The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen!  May the Lord do so. May the Lord make the words you have prophesied come true and may He restore the articles of the Lord’s temple and all the exiles from Babylon to this place! 7Only listen to this message I am speaking in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, disaster,  and plague against many lands and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace — only when the word of the prophet comes true will the prophet be recognized as one the Lord has truly sent.” 

Hananiah Breaks Jeremiah’s Yoke

10The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke bar from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet and broke it.  11In the presence of all the people Hananiah proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In this way, within two years I will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from the neck of all the nations.’ ” Jeremiah the prophet then went on his way.

The Lord’s Word against Hananiah

12The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke bar from the neck of Jeremiah the prophet: 13“Go say to Hananiah: This is what the Lord says, ‘You broke a wooden yoke bar, but in its place you will make an iron yoke bar.’ 14For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says, ‘I have put an iron yoke on the neck of all these nations that they might serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon,  and they will serve him.  I have also put the wild animals under him.’ ” 

15The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you, but you have led these people to trust in a lie.  16Therefore, this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to send you off the face of the earth. You will die this year because you have spoken rebellion against the Lord.’ ”  17And the prophet Hananiah died that year in the seventh month.

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ECCLESIASTES 6

1Here is a tragedy I have observed under the sun,  and it weighs heavily on humanity:  2God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor  so that he lacks nothing of all he desires for himself,  but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile and a sickening tragedy. 3A man may father a hundred children and live many years. No matter how long he lives,  if he is not satisfied by good things and does not even have a proper burial,  I say that a stillborn child is better off than he.  4For he comes in futility and he goes in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness. 5Though a stillborn child does not see the sun and is not conscious, it has more rest than he. 6And if he lives a thousand years twice, but does not experience happiness, do not both go to the same place?

7All man’s labor is for his stomach,  

yet the appetite is never satisfied.

8What advantage then does the wise man have over the fool?  What advantage is there for the poor person who knows how to conduct himself before others? 9Better what the eyes see than wandering desire.  This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind. 

10Whatever exists was given its name long ago,   and it is known what man is. But he is not able to contend with the One stronger than he.  11For when there are many words, they increase futility.  What is the advantage for man? 12For who knows what is good for man in life, in the few days of his futile life that he spends like a shadow?  Who can tell man what will happen after him under the sun?

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HEBREWS 4

The Promised Rest

1Therefore, while the promise to enter His rest remains, let us fear that none of you should miss it.  2For we also have received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith   3(for we who have believed enter the rest), in keeping with what  He has said:

So I swore in My anger,

they will not enter My rest.  

And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world, 4for somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this way:

And on the seventh day

God rested from all His works.  

5Again, in that passage He says, They will never enter My rest.  6Since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience,  7again, He specifies a certain day — today — speaking through David after such a long time, as previously stated:

Today, if you hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts.  

8For if Joshua  had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.  11Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

12For the word of God is living and effective  and sharper than any double-edged sword,  penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.  13No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom  we must give an account.

Our Great High Priest

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens — Jesus the Son of God — let us hold fast to the confession.  15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are,  yet without sin.  16Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.