Sat.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Words to the Remnant

Read: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5 The military leaders came to Jeremiah for some wisdom as to what to do next. Their leader had been assassinated by Ishmael and they had no idea what Nebuchadnezzar would do for them for killing the leader he had set up. They were planning to escape to Egypt. They asked Jeremiah to pray and hear for them and tell them what God said and promised they would obey what the Lord said. Jeremiah went to the Lord and came back 10 days later to give them God’s words. He met with the leaders and all the people and told them that they were to stay right where they were and God would rescue them from Babylon’s power. But if they refuse and go to Egypt for refuge, the war and famine they were hoping to escape would find them there. Babylon would come there and they would go through the same trauma they went through in their land. Also in the land of Egypt, they would be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mocking. They would never see their land again. When Jeremiah finished speaking they told Jeremiah that he was lying and had been influenced by Baruch because Baruch wanted them to stay there and be killed by the Babylonians or be carried away to exile. So they refused to listen to what the Lord said through Jeremiah and left for Egypt. Jeremiah went with them and when they came to the city of Tahpanhes, God gave Jeremiah another word. God told Jeremiah to take some large rocks and bury them under the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace in that city. He said that Nebuchadnezzar would come and set his throne over these stones and when he comes he would destroy the land of Egypt. He would set fire to the temples of Egypts’s gods and burn the temple and carry the idols away as plunder. He would bring death, war and captivity. He rebuked the men of Judah who had come as exiles before now because they worshiped the idols of Egypt and the women offered incense to the Queen of Heaven. The women accused their husbands of agreeing with them. They told Jeremiah that they had done this in Judah and everything went well for them. It was only when they stopped that calamity hit them. Jeremiah explained that they had it upside down. God punished them because they worshipped the Queen of Heaven and offered incense to other gods. In his letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged Timothy to be strong in the power that God gives him to endure the sufferings of this world. Soldiers live to please their officers, not the civilians. Athletes must follow the rules of the game to win. Farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. We as Christians are all three of these people. We are soldiers in God’s army and must listen to our commander, God. We are athletes running a race in our own personal walk with Christ and we must follow the Bible. We are farmers planting seeds of the gospel, kindness, provision, good works, etc. and we will reap a harvest and enjoy it. That is God’s plan. He warned him to not get into arguments over words and foolish things. Walk in the truth and let it be your foundation. It will keep you from evil and you will be a vessel of honor. Lord, may we be vessels of honor in your kingdom.