Mon.’s Devo - Obedience -

Read: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 25:25-27 God told Jeremiah to invite the some of the Recabites to the Temple and take them to a special secluded room. He was to set cups of wine and invite them to drink with them. The Recites refused because they had been taught by their ancestor Jehonadab, 200 years ago, that they were never drink wine and always live in tents. They had not defiled that order all these years and were not going to begin now. *** Jeremiah told the people of Judah that the Recabites were the example of a people who did not disobey their leaders orders. Yet they had disobeyed the Lord’s orders he gave through their ancestors. Because they refused to listen, God would put on them all the disasters he had threatened to do. *** In the forth year of Jehoiakim’s reign, God told Jeremiah to write down every message he had given him from the very beginning back when Josiah was king. Maybe if they heard them all again they would repent. Jeremiah told Baruch to read it to the people on the next day of fasting. It was the ninth month which was not a regular feast at the time. Later, the feast of Hannakah happened in that month. This must have been a people-led fast which the evil king did not attend. *** Baruch read the words of Jeremiah’s prophecies and when the officials heard that he was reading Jeremiah’s words to the people, they asked Baruch to read them to them also. When they heard them and they told the king. They also told Baruch to hide himself and Jeremiah. *** The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll where all this was written on and had it brought to his room and read to him. He was sitting by the fire as he heard them and after Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would take his knife and cut off that section and throw it into the fire. His official begged the king to stop, but he refused and sent his son and two others to go arrest Baruch and Jeremiah but they couldn’t find him. *** God told Jeremiah to get another scroll and write down everything the king had burned and add that he would not have an heir to sit on the throne of David and his body would not be buried but lie exposed to the elements. All the prophesies against Jerusalem would stand. *** Paul told Timothy to teach the people to treat everyone like a member of their own family. Take care of the people who have no family, especially widows. Everyone is responsible to take care of people in their families. He identified what constitutes a widow that is the responsibility of the church. *** People who worked in the church should be paid well. If someone accuses an elder, there must be two or three witnesses to verify it. He also warned Timothy against taking sides or showing favoritism. *** Lord, may we take your word and hide it in our hearts that we won’t sin against you or any of your children. May we love those who don’t know you yet and show them Jesus by our love.