Tue.’s Devo - God’s Yoke

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85:1-13; Proverbs 25:16 Jeremiah’s prophecies are not in order. This one we read today was given during Jehoiakim’s reign. Here is the order of the last five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedikiah. God sent Jeremiah to stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple and give them God’s word. If they didn’t listen to the prophets that God sent them, he was going to destroy this Temple like he destroyed Shiloh (where the Tabernacle had been.) As soon as he finished speaking, he was mobbed by the priests and leaders and the people. They wanted to have him killed. *** The officials in the palace heard the commotion and ran over to hold court. They listened to what the priests and prophets were saying about Jeremiah. They wanted him to die a traitor. *** Jeremiah spoke and said he was just saying what the Lord told him to say. If they would stop sinning and begin to obey the Lord, he would change his mind about bringing disaster upon the. If they kill him, they will be killing an innocent man and they will be judged accordingly. The officials told the priests and prophets that there was no grounds to kill him. Some of the elders spoke and reminded them of Micah who prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah. He prophecied the same thing about Jerusalem but King Hezekiah didn’t kill him. He led the nation to repent and God changed his mind. *** Around this time, Uriah son of Shemaiah was also prophesying the same thing in Kiriath-jearim. When the king and his army officers heard what he said they sent someone to kill him, but Uriah ran to hide in Egypt. He was found and brought back to King Jehoiakim where he was killed and buried in an unmarked grave. Uriah’s brother, Ahikam stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn Jeremiah over to the mob to be killed. *** Chapter 27 happened early in Jehoiakim’s reign. The Lord told Jeremiah to make a yoke and fasten it on his neck with leather straps. He was to give a message to the ambassadors to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. God was going to give their nations to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. God has given control of the whole earth to Nebuchadnezzar until his time is up. Then, God would send a nation to conquer him and rule over Babylon. They were to put themselves under Babylon’s yoke. He warned them not to listen to their false prophets who told them Babylon would not rule them; they were liars. But, any nation who submitted to the king of Babylon would get to live in their own land. *** Jeremiah also told King Zedekiah this same message and begged him to submit to Babylon’s yoke so they could stay in the land. He told the king and the priests not to listen to their false prophets who told them that Babylon was soon returning the things they stole from the Temple. This was a lie. Instead, they should be praying that the things still in the Temple will stay and not be taken also. As for them, they needed to surrender to the king of Babylon and not die by famine and the sword. All the articles in the Temple will be taken to Babylon and stay there until God sends for them. Then God will bring them back to Jerusalem. *** Paul writes from Corinth where not everyone is a believer. He asks for prayer that their teaching would spread and be honored by those who hear it. He warns them to stay away from people who want to live off everyone else and not work. Idleness is the parent to busybodies. They should stay away from these people. *** Paul ends with our prayer: May the Lord of peace himself give you us peace at all times and in every situation. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all!