King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Chapters: JEREMIAH 45-48
Study: Faith is The Victory
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
Have you heard about the wildfires in Canada and Hawaii? And about the tropical storm and flooding to hit California, which by the way, has not had in eighty years? Later on there was an earthquake. I watched the news as they were interviewing people from California and Nevada say how nervous they were about flooding and all I could think of was how God is trying to warn people and all they keep thinking this is is climate change. Then this song came to mind as I was reading the chapters for today, Faith Is The Victory, first verse and chorus, [Encamped along the hills of light, Ye Christian soldiers rise, And press the battle ere the night, Shall veil the glowing skies; Against the foe in vales below, Let all our strength be hurled. Faith is the victory, we know, That overcomes the world. Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, That overcomes the world.]
As saved, born again Christians, we are really at a crossroads, something like Paul said, [Philippians 4:11-14 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.]
As we continue in the reading of Jeremiah, Jeremiah, recalls what God had said to him when he was in the prison and asked to write the words that He had spoken. It was Baruch who wrote down the words that Jeremiah interpreted from God and spoke them to the king. The rebels actually blamed Baruch for telling the prophecy to begin with. Now, Baruch, is feeling very discouraged, that was when God, sent Jeremiah over to Baruch with the same message that all of God’s faithful get when we are feeling discouraged.
[Jeremiah 45:1-5 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; 3 Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. 4 Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. 5 And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.]
[seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh,] All right, so these are not the words that we want to hear when we are feeling discouraged, but we are reminded that this is not our home. Because we belong to Christ and the wicked do not we are going to be a constant prey for them due to the fact that they feel conviction and are too proud to humble themselves to Christ. Riches and wealth, honor and glory, peace and prosperity are the things that the wicked seek after, yet none of these things will save them from judgment.
[Matthew 6:19-21,24 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.]
Even when we are faithful to God, we are not entirely innocent, we all seek treasures upon the earth, some just go to the extreme and should seeking those things becomes more important than our faith we will lose them. Take it from someone who has been on that roller coaster, God will give it and He will take it away if we get a little too proud of our abilities and stuff. Now, remember how God judges His house first? This is why I always say that our judgment comes while we are here because once we leave the earth there will be no more sorrow for us. That is not the case for the world, they will be judged to their own destruction. Through Jeremiah, God, gives a warning to all nations and their fate, starting with Egypt.
[Jeremiah 46:14-19 Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee. 15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them. 16 He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword. 17 They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed. 18 As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.19 O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.]
[yea, one fell upon another:] In case you have not noticed, God, does not have to lift one finger to destroy the wicked, they do it all by themselves as they turn on each other. As we read yesterday, Egypt is being judged at the result of the rebels who escaped captivity, and took their own captives to Egypt with them. However, it was a long time coming, in fact, God goes on to tell them that.
[Jeremiah 46:25-28 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him: 26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD. 27 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.]
[yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.] You see, judgment or rather chastening from God, is used to correct us in order to make us more accountable for our actions. Some Christians will heed the warning, many will not and continue to live the way that want and suffer greatly until they either repent or He brings them home sooner so they can no longer hurt themselves. God, is letting both Jews and Gentiles know that He will not repent of His judgment, and if they belong to Him, while they will be corrected, they will be saved, [Romans 2:7-11 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.]
As we discussed this before, contrary to the assumption that Israel is a specific race of people, namely the Jews, it actually refers to a nation of people. A nation is a body of people living by the same beliefs regardless of where they live. Saved, born again Christians, are a body of both Jews and Gentiles, of which will not longer be known as a Jew or a Gentile, but of Christ, and our nation is the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, while we are in the flesh we cannot live in His Kingdom and therefore, we are scattered all over the world right now. Now, God goes on to tell the fate of the Philistines.
[Jeremiah 47:3-7 At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands; 4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor. 5 Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself? 6 O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. 7 How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.]
[O thou sword of the LORD,] The sword of the LORD, the very Word of God, and Jesus Christ, Himself, will not fight the world with any man made weapon, it will be with His mouth as He speaks the words of the Bible, [Revelation 19:11,13-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.]
[How can it be quiet,] While it may seem like Jesus is not watching and no where to be heard by the world, He is waiting for the same trumpet sound that we are waiting to hear, and that is when God, the Father, tells Jesus that it is time to get His people, [1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.]
Remember Lot, and Sodom and Gomorrah? Every nation gets the opportunity to turn to God, some are too wicked for even one person to be saved and therefore, they will be destroyed immediately. So far, Egypt and the Philistines are being warned to get to higher ground before judgment comes, and interestingly God did the same with Moab, descendants of Lot of all people.
[Jeremiah 48:1-3,6-8 Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed. 2 There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee. 3 A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim, spoiling and great destruction. 6 Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness. 7 For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. 8 And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.]
[For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures,] It was not their sin that sent the destruction of Moab, it was that they trusted in their own works and those treasures they possessed. You see, we are all sinners and while God detests sin, He has come to an agreement with all who seek Him, if we confess our sins, we will be forgiven and saved from the judgment. However, if we are trusting in our own works to save us, then we can forget forgiveness, [Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.]
The world thinks they are safe by trusting in their works, weapons, and possessions, but will find out the hard way that they are not. It would be the Chaldean’s that God would send to destroy the Moabites, they were given fair warning to flee from their nation to avoid the destruction just as Sodom and Gomorrah were given.
[Jeremiah 48:10-12,15-17 Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. 11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. 12 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles. 15 Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16 The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. 17 All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!]
[and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.] We should all be thankful that our command is to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to lead souls to Christ’s blood and not shed their blood. However, regardless of the command, it will be curse to us if we deceitfully withheld the message of the Gospel to those who needed to hear it, [Galatians 1:8-12 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.]
[How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!] This is in regards to the prosperity of Moab all coming to an end. The mighty men of war, the staff of the nation, in which they trusted, will be destroyed. Their fortified cities in which they built with their own hands will demolished, their powerful kingdom, which was ruled in great glory, and was terrible and troublesome to others, will now be pulled down and be no more. As you will notice, God, had quite a bit to say to Moab, including His crying and mourning for them.
[Jeremiah 48:25-31 The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD. 26 Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. 27 For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy. 28 O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth. 29 We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. 30 I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it. 31 Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.]
[For was not Israel a derision unto thee?] [Derision; The act of laughing at in contempt.] In other words, they were made a laughing stock to the nations who were well aware of God, but refused to commit themselves to Him, hence the reason for the judgment. Interestingly enough, Moab, was around before Israel was as they became a nation of their own sometime after Abraham and Sarah had Isaac as Sarah would give birth to Isaac before Jacob would be born and the nation of Israel would begin, [Genesis 19:36-38 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.]
[Therefore will I howl for Moab,] God, does not want one soul to perish, let alone an entire nation. Keep in mind that Ruth was a Moabite, so, God, did not judge them all, which is why we must come to Christ on our own. No one can save us, but our faith alone in Jesus Christ, [John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.]
The destruction of Moab is further prophesied, to awaken them by national repentance and reformation to prevent the trouble, or by a personal repentance and reformation to prepare for it. He goes on to warn them of the destruction, but gives them hope, if they would just fear Him.
[Jeremiah 48:36-39,42-44 Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished. 37 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 38 There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD. 39 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him. 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD. 43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. 44 He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.]
[Fear, and the pit, and the snare,] Since God is not a respecter of persons, every person born, and even the angles will face judgment. He does not limit salvation to a select race, creed, or family, and no matter what family we are born into, we all have a chance to be saved from the judgment, [Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.]
Today’s Prayer: God, It is truly amazing the blessings You give us just by our faith and obedience to Your Word. You tell us that there is nothing we can do to escape the judgment of hell and the lake of fire for our sin, except that we believe in and accept Your Son as our Saviour. No chastening is joyous, but I know and have seen the blessings that come as I endure them, for Your anger is not forever, and You have no problem rewarding us for our faithfulness. The greatest reward of all is becoming one of Yours, receiving eternal life, and spending eternity with You in Your Kingdom. Thank You Lord, and all I ask is that You put Your hedge of protection around me and use me as to be a faithful witness of not only Your mercies, but how we can endure this war until the very end. I pray this in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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