King James Bible Study – [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. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Chapters: Jeremiah Chapters 22-25
Message: Sin No More
Hello My Friend,
The longer you walk with Christ the more you realize that blessings come in all forms, as do curses. Being a saved born again Christian does not keep God from sending curses if we are not repentant. Many convince themselves that the Law given to Israel does not apply to us, but that is incorrect. While some of the things written in the Law do not pertain to us, God still despises sin. Our faith in Christ saves our soul and keeps it from hell, but that does not mean that our body will not suffer while for going against God. Whenever Jesus healed a sinner He also reminded them to sin no more.
[John 5:6-8,14 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.]
When Jesus said that He was not referring to your average sin nature sin, we will never be without sin completely until we get to heaven, which is why we are to confess our sins daily, but knowingly going against God will bring judgment. God, had been warning Judah that their judgment was coming since Isaiah had prophesied the same thing, but they refused to repent, and well, their time has run out. God, was sending Nebuchadnezzar to seize the nation as well as carry most of the people to Babylon. As we continue in the reading of Jeremiah, God, sends Jeremiah over to the king and his household.
[Jeremiah 22:3-5 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. 4 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. 5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.]
[enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David,] This is referring to David’s lineage and descendants in regards to their being his successors. As long as they followed the will of God then they would enjoy the splendor of being of royal blood. God, made a promised to David that He would establish his kingdom through descendents, [1 Chronicles 17:11-13 And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. 13 I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:]
The truth is that there are way too many “Christians”, “Jews”, and “Muslims” too, walking around in their religion with the false sense that they will be saved from judgment because of their own righteousness. Through Jeremiah, God, has a thing or two to say to these fools.
[Jeremiah 22:10,13,15-17 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. 13 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; 15 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? 16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. 17 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.]
[weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more,] This is referring to king Josiah who was the last Godly king and the only one who had a heart for God like David did. Josiah was killed by Pharaohnecho, the king of Egypt, and a great lamentation was made for him by them having been captured by Pharaohnecho as well, who placed his older brother Jehoiakim on the throne. While God expects us to naturally grieve for our loved ones whom have gone home to Him, we do not need to cry bitterly for them as they are in a much better place than we are, [1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.]
While it may have looked like God was not with Josiah when he was killed, the truth of the matter is that God had taken Josiah from the evil that was to come. The Jews, especially the kings and princes, had this false sense of security that because they were Jews they were safe from judgment. No one is safe from judgment, we all are bound straight for hell as soon as we come to the age of accountability unless we heed the warning and accept Christ as our Saviour while we still have our breath in us. To prove His point, God promises to send judgment on Jehoiakim’s family for turning the nation upside down.
[Jeremiah 22:24-26,30 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; 25 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. 26 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. 30 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.]
[no man of his seed shall prosper…ruling any more in Judah.] While God promised David that He would establish His kingdom through his descendants He never promised that there would be no consequence should they turn away from Him. There is always consequence to sin even for the saved born again Christian, however, they will be saved from the ultimate judgment, [Psalms 89:28-33 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.]
No one really wants to hear about or witness all the terrible things that are going to happen before Jesus returns, but they need to be addressed, and people need to know the truth. However, there are pastors and prophets all over the world teaching a false doctrine, one that ignores the judgment that is about to come. Through Jeremiah, God addresses the false pastors first.
[Jeremiah 23:1-5 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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.]
[Ye have scattered my flock…and have not visited them:] This is referring to both Israel and Judah, specifically the congregation of the Lord in the midst of the people, who are called the flock of God’s pasture because they are like sheep and He attends them with His particular care. If you wondered why so many saved, born again Christians have left the Church, here is the reason, the under shepherds are not caring for Christ’s sheep.
[I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries] This is referring to the true spiritual Israel, although the people themselves had permitted themselves to be corrupted by their false leaders, yet the burden of guilt would be laid on the rulers who led them astray. Yet they would no longer be lost from the flock, since the Lord’s shepherds would find them. Jesus, the Good Shepherd said this to the Jews, [John 10:14-16 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.]
[David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper,] Jesus, the BRANCH of David, executes judgment and righteous on all, but only those who come to God through Him will be saved. Let me tell you, the reason so many people follow false doctrine in the first place is because they want to keep living the immoral lives the live with the assurance of heaven. God, does not work that way, if they believe the lies then they cannot enter, period. And if they think that God is not keeping track of the ones who believe and teach the lies, think again. Through Jeremiah, God, addresses the false prophets.
[Jeremiah 23:9-12 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. 10 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. 11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. 12 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.]
[Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets;] Perhaps more hurtful to God than the ones who are committing these wicked sins are the ones who are teaching them that God is okay with it. The Holy Land was desecrated and the Word of God being blasphemed, even as it is today in consequence of similar behavior on the part of those who call themselves ministers of the Word, but are lying. Through Jeremiah, God is telling His true believers not to listen to these false prophets.
[Jeremiah 23:16-20 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. 17 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. 18 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? 19 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. 20 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.]
[in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.] We may not understand all of God’s judgments as our human comprehension can only take so much, but we will understand them through the eyes of Jesus. Preachers and teachers are God’s voice, and if they are preaching the truth then they will see a change in God’s sheep. God’s sheep are not to be of the world, they are truly known by their fruit, but if they are being taught that sin is acceptable as long as they are saved, then they are not teaching the truth, and will deal with God.
[Jeremiah 23:23-26,28 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24 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. 25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. 26 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; 28 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.]
[The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream;] If the false prophet wants to believe what they are telling the people than so be it, that is their choice, but dare not try to convince lost souls that they are correct in what they believe. They might think that they can hide from God through their religion, but no one escapes God’s judgment.
[Jeremiah 23:29-31,33,36,39 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? 30 Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith 33 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. 36 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. 39 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:]
[for every man’s word shall be his burden;] Jesus, tells us that idle words will actually send a soul directly to hell, [Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.]
Sometimes God’s rules do not make any sense, but if we trust them, we will see later on that it was for our own good. While the destruction of Jerusalem was definitely in the works, God, was not about to leave His faithful. Through an odd illustration of good and bad figs, which were considered special delicacies, God promises that He is protecting them by sending them to Babylon for seventy years.
[Jeremiah 24:1-3 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. 2 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. 3 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.]
[carried away captive…the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths,] It was a known fact by many that Babylon was full of fortune tellers, scholars, and philosophers, but they had no construction workers, which Judah had plenty. Just like the Jews were responsible for building the pyramids in Egypt, they were responsible for building up Babylon, but this time it would actually be of their own freewill even though they were captives. The best freedom in the world is actually becoming a servant of God, [1 Corinthians 7:21-22 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.]
Sometimes God’s rules do not make any sense, but if we trust them, we will see later on that it was for our own good. While the destruction of Jerusalem was definitely in the works, God, was not about to leave His faithful. Through an odd illustration of good and bad figs, God promises that He is protecting them by sending them to Babylon for seventy years.
[Jeremiah 24:5,7–8,10 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. 7 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. 8 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: 10 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.]
[And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence,] Does any of this seem familiar to you? Saved, born again Christians, it is time for us to get or renew our passports because God is going to take His sheep somewhere to keep them safe from judgment. Zedekiah, would be the last king of the seed of David to reign in all of Israel, and it will remain that way until Jesus returns to claim His throne. In order for a nation to prosper it needs Godly leaders, once they start disappearing that nation begins to fall and it will not be long before it too becomes desolate. Jeremiah, actually upbraids them for not listening to him when he told them of the judgment to come before all the destruction started, then God chimes in as well.
[Jeremiah 25:1,3,8-9 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; 3 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. 8 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 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.]
[Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant,] Yes, God just called Nebuchadnezzar His servant. You see, while God will use the wicked to judge His people, there will come a time when the wicked will be judged after He has used them for His purpose. Of course, He does give them the opportunity to escape the judgment as well. God, goes on to tell of this.
[Jeremiah 25:11-13,27-28 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 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. 13 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. 27 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. 28 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.]
[if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink…Ye shall certainly drink.] We all have a cup to drink, we can either drink of the cup of righteousness that Jesus gives us or drink of the cup of wrath that God will send to those who reject Him. No one ends up in hell because God did not want them saved, He would save Satan if he would let go of his pride, but that choice is up to each and every one of us. Sin is what separates us from God and gives us a one way ticket to hell, Christ is the only one who can save us from that, regardless of what time period we came from.
[Romans 4:1-3,16-17 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Jeremiah 23:5 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.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for Your Word, it is my guide to everything that is true and right. I know there is only one way to come to You, and that is through Your Son. Since I know, and have accepted Him as my Saviour I also know You have given me great freedom to serve You by choice. With that freedom You have truly given me each day my daily bread and water that I may eat and drink, You also teach me righteous judgment as well as justice as I continue to grow in Your Word. Lord, I know I may not get it right all the time, but let me not forget that I serve the only living God and Your Son, He and He alone is my strength and guide to the right judgment and justice. Lead me and guide me, keep my heart pure, tender, and wholly on You. Give me Your mercies and grace to see me through, and let me do all things through Christ, who is my life. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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