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.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Thursday, 15 October 2020

 Completing the first half of this month.  I guess that's progress, of a sort.  

My apologies for a glitch in yesterday's posting.  It's been corrected, but it's embarrassing regardless.  I'd recommended a song, and thought that I'd linked to the video of it as it is unfamiliar to most but it's become meaningful to me. For whatever reason, that linkage didn't "take".  Sorry.  I corrected that, as I said, but apologies regardless.

And just to be sure, I'm linking it again.  It's really been on my mind.  As I noted yesterday, a verse has been pounding on me:

"let the redeemed of the Lord say so!"

We too often, me included, keep our faith under cover.  That's not the mission.

So, again, "Favorite Song Of All".

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JEREMIAH 25

The Seventy-Year Exile

1This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim  son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). 2The prophet Jeremiah spoke concerning all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows: 3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon,  king of Judah, until this very day — 23 years — the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you time and time again,   but you have not obeyed. 4The Lord sent all His servants the prophets to you time and time again,  but you have not obeyed or even paid attention.   5He announced, ‘Turn, each of you, from your  evil way of life and from your evil deeds.  Live in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors long ago and forever.  6Do not follow other gods to serve them and to worship them,  and do not provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands.  Then I will do you no harm.

7“ ‘But you would not obey Me’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘in order that you might provoke Me to anger by the work of your hands and bring disaster on yourselves.’

8“Therefore, this is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9I am going to send for all the families of the north’  — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘and send for My servant  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them a desolation,  a derision, and ruins forever.  10I will eliminate the sound of joy and gladness from them — the voice of the groom and the bride,  the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11This whole land will become a desolate ruin, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.  12When the 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation’ — this is the Lord’s declaration — ‘the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, and I will make it a ruin forever.  13I will bring on that land all My words I have spoken against it, all that is written in this book that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. 14For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.’ ” 

The Cup of God’s Wrath

15This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and make all the nations I am sending you to, drink from it.  16They will drink, stagger,  and go out of their minds because of the sword I am sending among them.” 

17So I took the cup from the Lord’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, everyone the Lord sent me to. 18These included:

Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, its kings and its officials, to make them a desolate ruin, an object of scorn and cursing — as it is today;

19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officers, his leaders, all his people,

20and all the mixed peoples;

all the kings of the land of Uz;

all the kings of the land of the Philistines — Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

21Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;

22all the kings of Tyre,

all the kings of Sidon,

and the kings of the coastlands across the sea;

23Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all those who shave their temples;  

24all the kings of Arabia,

and all the kings of the mixed peoples who have settled in the desert;

25all the kings of Zimri,

all the kings of Elam,

and all the kings of Media;

26all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another;

that is, all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth.

Finally, the king of Sheshach  will drink after them.

27“Then you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Drink,  get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, as a result of the sword I am sending among you. 28If  they refuse to take the cup from you and drink, you are to say to them: This is what the Lord of Hosts says: You must drink! 29For I am already bringing disaster  on the city that bears My name,  so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. 

Judgment on the Whole World

30“As for you, you are to prophesy all these things to them, and say to them:

The Lord roars from heaven;

He raises His voice from His holy dwelling. 

He roars loudly over His grazing land;

He calls out with a shout, like those who tread grapes,

against all the inhabitants of the earth.

31The tumult reaches to the ends of the earth

because the Lord brings a case against  the nations.

He enters into judgment with all flesh. 

As for the wicked, He hands them over to the sword —

this is the Lord’s declaration.

32“This is what the Lord of Hosts says:

Pay attention! Disaster spreads

from nation to nation.

A great storm is stirred up

from the ends of the earth.” 

33Those slain by the Lord  on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned,  gathered, or buried. They will be like manure on the surface of the ground.

34Wail, you shepherds, and cry out.

Roll in the dust,   you leaders of the flock.

Because the days of your slaughter have come, 

you will fall and become shattered like a precious vase.

35Flight will be impossible for the shepherds,

and escape, for the leaders of the flock.

36Hear the sound of the shepherds’ cry,

the wail of the leaders of the flock,

for the Lord is destroying their pasture.

37Peaceful grazing land will become lifeless

because of the Lord’s burning anger. 

38He has left His den like a lion,

for their land has become a desolation

because of the sword  of the oppressor, 

because of His burning anger.

JEREMIAH 26

Jeremiah’s Speech in the Temple

1At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim  son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2“This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all Judah’s cities that are coming to worship there. Do not hold back a word.  3Perhaps they will listen and return — each from his evil way of life — so that I might relent  concerning the disaster that I plan to do to them because of the evil of their deeds. 4You are to say to them: This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to Me by living according to My instruction that I set before you  5and by listening to the words of My servants the prophets  I have been sending you time and time again,   though you did not listen, 6I will make this temple like Shiloh.  I will make this city an object of cursing for all the nations of the earth.”

Jeremiah Seized

7The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the Lord. 8He finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die! 9How dare you prophesy in the name of Yahweh, ‘This temple will become like Shiloh and this city will become an uninhabited ruin’! ” Then all the people assembled against Jeremiah at the Lord’s temple.

10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went from the king’s palace to the Lord’s temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate.   11Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man deserves the death sentence because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.” 

Jeremiah’s Defense

12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy all the words that you have heard against this temple and city. 13So now, correct your ways and deeds  and obey the voice of the Lord your God so that He might relent concerning the disaster that He warned about. 14As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right. 15But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood  on yourselves, on this city, and on its residents, for it is certain the Lord has sent me to speak all these things directly to you.”

Jeremiah Released

16Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn’t deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God! ”

17Some of the elders of the land stood up  and said to all the assembled people, 18“Micah the Moreshite  prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah  and said to all the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord of Hosts says:

Zion will be plowed like a field,

Jerusalem will become ruins,

and the temple mount a forested hill.’ 

19Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all the people of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the Lord and plead for the Lord’s favor,   and did not the Lord relent concerning the disaster He had pronounced against them?  We are about to bring great harm on ourselves! ”

The Prophet Uriah

20Another man was also prophesying in the name of Yahweh — Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim.  He prophesied against this city and against this land in words like all those of Jeremiah. 21King Jehoiakim, all his warriors, and all the officials heard his words, and the king tried to put him to death. When Uriah heard, he fled in fear and went to Egypt. 22But King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor  and certain other men with him went to Egypt. 23They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who executed him with the sword and threw his corpse into the burial place of the common people. 

24But Ahikam  son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

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ECCLESIASTES 5

Caution in God’s Presence

1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do,  for they ignorantly do wrong. 2 Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.  3For dreams result from much work and a fool’s voice from many words.  4When you make a vow to God,  don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. 5Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.  6Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you,  and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake.  Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7For many dreams bring futility, so do many words.  Therefore, fear God.

The Realities of Wealth

8If you see oppression of the poor  and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,  because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. 9The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.  

10The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? 12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.  14That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. 15As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;  he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain  who struggles for the wind?  17What is more, he eats in darkness all his days,  with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

18Here is what I have seen to be good:  it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.  19God has also given riches and wealth to every man,  and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor.  This is a gift of God,  20for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

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HEBREWS 3

Our Apostle and High Priest

1Therefore, holy brothers and companions in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession;  2He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God’s household. 3For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house. 4Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God.  5Moses was faithful as a servant  in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. 6But Christ was faithful as a Son over His household. And we are that household if we hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope.  

Warning against Unbelief

7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:

Today, if you hear His voice,

8do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

on the day of testing in the wilderness,

9where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,

and saw My works 10for 40 years.

Therefore I was provoked with that generation

and said, “They always go astray in their hearts,

and they have not known My ways.”

11So I swore in My anger,

“They will not enter My rest.”  

12Watch out, brothers, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs  from the living God. 13But encourage each other daily,  while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened  by sin’s deception.  14For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality  that we had at the start.  15As it is said:

Today, if you hear His voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.  

16For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it really all who came out of Egypt under Moses?  17And who was He provoked with for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  18And who did He swear to that they would not enter His rest, if not those who disobeyed? 19So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.