Tues.’s Devo- Children of the Light

Read: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-28; Psalm 82:1-8; Proverbs 25:9-10 God told Jeremiah to go buy a clay jar and ask some of the elders and priests to go with you to the garbage dump in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. “Hinnom” means “to make self-drowsy.” This valley separated Mount Zion from the so-called "Hill of Evil Counsel." In this valley they sacrificed children to Molech and built altars to Baal. They filled the valley with the blood of the innocent. This valley would one day become the valley of slaughter. Judah and Jerusalem would fall by the sword and their bodies would be food for the fowls of heaven and the beasts of the earth. In the end of time this will be the place of the last battle and this feast will be called the Feast of Leviathan. Jeremiah was to take his jar and smash it to pieces in front of the leaders and priests and tell them that the people of Judah would be smashed and scattered like this pot. Their bodies would be buried here in Topheth. Topheth means “an object of contempt.” When Pashur, the priest heard Jeremiah’s words he arrested him and had him whipped and put in stocks. He released him the next day. Jeremiah told Pashur that his name no longer meant “white linen” but now it meant “the man who lives in terror.” He would live and watch his friends slaughtered, his city taken and the enemies take their possessions. He would be taken captive to Babylon where he would die with all his friends, the same ones that he prophesied everything would be all right. Jeremiah cried out to the Lord with all his heart. He had said all these things that were going to happen and no one believed him. They called him “the man who lives in terror.” They mocked him and said that what he was saying would fall on him. But Jeremiah knew that God was standing with him like a great warrior. They would be the ones dishonored. Jeremiah prayed for God’s vengeance to fall on them. King Zedekiah sent Pashhur to speak with Jeremiah and they begged him to ask the Lord to help them. King Nebuchadnezzar was coming to attack Judah and they were hoping that God would do one of his miracles like He had done in the past. Jeremiah told them to tell King Zedekiah that his weapons would be useless against the king of Babylon. They would come into the heart of the city and fight them. God would send a terrible plague and the people and animals would die. Those who survived the war and famine would be taken captive. He advised them to surrender if they wanted to live. God was punishing them for their sins. In Thessalonians, Paul explained that the Christians would not be surprised when the day of the Lord came like a thief. We are children of the light and walk in the light and will be awake when he comes. Until he comes we should encourage each other, honor our leaders in the Lord’s work, work hard, live peacefully with each other. Don’t pay back evil for evil but try to be good to others. Do not stile the Holy Spirit or scoff at prophesies. Lord, may we walk in the light with our spiritual eyes open and our ears attentive to your voice.