The Fall of Jerusalem

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 39:1-18

 

Jeremiah 39:18

For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.

(ESV)

 

In Jeremiah 39:1-18, we observe the fulfillment of the consequences of continued rebellion against God with the invasion of Judah by king Nebuchadnezzar and the carrying off of King Zedekiah into exile. However, we also see the grace of God extended towards King Zedekiah with the sparing of his life, although in blindness, (Jeremiah 39:6-7) and the deliverance of Jeremiah from harm living among his people (Jeremiah 39:14). While we should be thankful for the grace of God, we must also consider the consequences of continued rebellion against God and repent before enduring these consequences.

 

The day of reckoning has arrived with Judah and the city of Jerusalem facing the consequences of their continued rebellion against God and duplicitous worship. The Babylonian army besieged the city and breached the city with king Nebuchadnezzar’s officials sitting at the middle gate (Jeremiah 39:1-3). Upon seeing this, King Zedekiah and his soldiers flee the city by night but are overtaken by the Chaldeans and brought to King Nebuchadnezzar for sentencing (Jeremiah 39:4-5). The sentence passed by the king is the death of the sons of Zedekiah along with the nobles of Judah and putting out the eyes of Zedekiah, making the death of his sons and nobles his last vision, and carrying Zedekiah off to Babylon (Jeremiah 39:6-7). The Chaldeans then burn the king’s house along with the house of the people and break down the walls of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39:8). The rest of the people in Jerusalem are carried into exile, except for the poor who owned nothing (Jeremiah 39:9-10).

 

The obedience of Jeremiah to God has different consequences with Nebuchadnezzar warning the captain of the guard to look after Jeremiah, do him no harm, and instructs them to deal with him as Jeremiah instructs (Jeremiah 39:11-12). Jeremiah is taken from the court of the guard and entrusted to Gedaliah who takes him home so he can live among the people (Jeremiah 39:13-14). Jeremiah then issues a word from the Lord to Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian telling him that God will fulfill His words against Jerusalem for harm and not good that shall be accomplished on that day (Jeremiah 39:15-16). God then promises Ebed-Melech that he shall not be given over to those he fears and be saved because he trusted in the Lord (Jeremiah 39:17-18).

 

The fall of Jerusalem and the deliverance of Jeremiah illustrate how God’s grace can save one through judgment or deliver one from judgment. While both receive a measure of God’s grace with king Zedekiah having his life spared but sentenced to exile and blindness for the remainder of his life with the last thing he saw being the death of his sons and officials (Jeremiah 39:4-10). Jeremiah received grace from God with his life divinely spared due to his trust in God (Jeremiah 39:17-18). Jeremiah receives full deliverance by God’s grace through his trust in God while king Zedekiah lives and does not die by the sword but will live his remaining days blind reflecting on his rebellion against God. While Scripture does not reveal whether king Zedekiah ever repented of his sin, in sparing his life God is giving him an opportunity to do so.

 

We live in a world of rebellion against God. The sanctity of marriage declared by God as the unity of a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6) is perverted to include same-sex marriage with ministers refusing to officiate a same-sex wedding threatened. Continued rebellion against God and what His Word says is like cancer to the soul leading to a debased mind full of evil (Romans 1:26-32). Many Churches have condoned same-sex marriage either through their silence on the issue or their acceptance of it. It is time for the Church to take a Biblical stand against the practice of same-sex marriage, pointing those engaged in or condoning the practice to a merciful and graceful God who sent His Son Jesus to die for their sins.

 

 

Whether you are reading this and engaged in same-sex marriage or condone the practice or not and have never prayed to make Jesus your Savior, I encourage you to pray with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post. 

A Bright and Glorious Future

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Romans 8:18-30

 

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

(ESV)

 

Looking at the current state of affairs in the world, it is easy for one to become depressed, leading to despair and a loss of hope. These conditions were present in Rome at the time of the writing of Romans and perhaps why Paul wrote Romans 8:18-30 to provide hope for believers in Rome. Like those in Rome, Paul is addressing, we must take time to pause and reflect on the bright and glorious future in store for those choosing to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

 

Romans 8:18-30 is teaching that provides encouragement and empowerment to endure suffering for one’s faith. Paul is qualified to provide this teaching due to his history of suffering for his faith (2 Corinthians 6:3-10). In this passage Paul provides,

 

1)      Encouragement (Romans 8:18-25) – The thesis statement of encouragement (Romans 8:18) is a reminder of the temporary nature of suffering in this world compared to the eternal glory of eternity with Christ in heaven Christians have in their future. Not only do God’s people suffer in this corrupt world, but creation itself suffers, experiencing birth pains as it awaits the manifestation of the glory of God (Romans 8:19-22). Believers also suffer with creation in anticipation of the glory we will have when we live in eternity with Christ (Romans 8:23-25).

2)      Empowerment (Romans 8:26-30) – When Jesus left to be with his father he instructed his followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,8). While we are unable to see the future, Jesus knew his followers would have persecution and would need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26, Paul reminds the believers in Rome that they need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to help them in their weaknesses and in how to pray. The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and intercedes for believers based upon the will of God, making it possible for all surrendering to the will of God to have all things work together for their good (Romans 8:27-28). In Romans 8:29-30 Paul mentions the idea of predestination, a hotly debated topic in theology, The Calvinistic view is that predestination is God having selected a select few predestined to live with Him in eternity. However, this interpretation goes against what Jesus said in John 3:16 which says God loves the entire world and that anyone choosing to believe in Him, inherits eternal life. Therefore, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to endure hardships is available to all choosing to believe in Jesus as their Savior.

 

The world of Paul’s time was a world under Roman occupation. Paul was familiar with the oppressive nature of Roman occupation from his time in prison for his faith (Acts 12:4; 16:23). Going to prison for his faith is not surprising for Paul and knew he faced prison wherever he went (Acts 20:23). Paul’s statement in Romans 8:18 comparing the hardships of temporary suffering for Christ with the eternal glory all believers can look forward to is likely how he endured the hardship of imprisonment. Paul also had the power of the Holy Spirit in his life to empower him through the weaknesses of his flesh caused by the hardships he suffered for his faith (2 Corinthians 6:3-10).

 

In countries like the United States where there is religious freedom, most believers in Christ can freely attend Church services and practice their faith. However, the shutting down of Churches due to Covid illustrates how suddenly this freedom to freely assemble could disappear. Therefore Christians must be diligent and vote for candidates having Christian values and who support the freedom of religion to avoid hard persecution. However, soft persecution or rejection by friends or family because one’s faith in Jesus as Savior does occur in religiously free countries and can be emotionally devastating. Avoiding the devastation of either hard or soft persecution requires the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in one’s life and a focus on the eternal glory all believers in Christ look forward to (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Receiving this encouragement and empowerment in one's life requires one to make a public profession of faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their sins. If you are reading this and have never made this profession of faith, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.

A Final Warning

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 38:1-28

 

Exodus 20:1-3

And God spoke all these words:

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.

(ESV)

 

The nation of Judah and the people of Jerusalem are guilty of duplicitous worship of God as well as the pagan god Baal, which is not duplicitous worship at all, but disobedience of the first commandment (Exodus 20:1-3). This disobedience means they face exile (Deuteronomy 28:15-68), which will occur at the hands of the Babylonian army. The choice is no different for people today once presented with the Gospel, allowing them to choose eternal life free from the condemnation of sin through Christ, or condemnation by remaining in their sin (John 3:16-18). This is a choice with eternal consequences, with everyone reading this post having an opportunity to make at the end of this post.

 

The passage in Jeremiah 38 represents a final warning for Judah and the people of Jerusalem because Jerusalem is about to fall to the Babylonian army (Jeremiah 39:1-10). In this passage, we see the quick and total rejection of truth, an attempt to silence the messenger of truth, and the king considering the message of truth coming from the Lord through Jeremiah. This passage shows us,

 

1)      Jeremiah rejected and arrested (Jeremiah 38:1-6) – The king’s officials hear the words Jeremiah is speaking to the people, reminding them that if they remain in the city, they will die by sword, famine, and pestilence. However, those that go out to the Chaldeans will live (Jeremiah 38:1-2). Jeremiah also reminds them that the city of Jerusalem will be taken and given to the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 38:3). These words from Jeremiah are not new (Jeremiah 14:12; 29:17-18; 32:24) and have a biblical basis in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Jeremiah is speaking truth from the Lord, but the truth is unacceptable to the king’s officials with them asking the king to put Jeremiah to death, resulting in them casting Jeremiah into a cistern without food or water (Jeremiah 38:4-6).

2)      Jeremiah rescued (Jeremiah 38:7-13) – Upon hearing of the casting of Jeremiah into a cistern from Ebed-Melech, the king orders him to take thirty men with him and rescue Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:7-10). Ebed-Melech obediently did as the king commanded, rescuing Jeremiah, and placing him in the court of the guard for safety (Jeremiah 38:11-13).

3)      Zedekiah warned again (Jeremiah 38:14-28) – After Jeremiah’s rescue, king Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah to ask him a question, urging Jeremiah not to hide anything from him (Jeremiah 38:14). Jeremiah has concerns that the king will put him to death and not listen to him (Jeremiah 38:15). King Zedekiah comforts Jeremiah’s concerns, promising not to put him to death or hand him over to those seeking his life (Jeremiah 38:16). Comforted by the king’s promise, Jeremiah tells the king he can escape death by handing himself over to the king of Babylon, also saving Jerusalem from destruction (Jeremiah 38:17-18). The king also has concerns with the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, fearing they will deal cruelly with him (Jeremiah 38:19). Jeremiah brings comfort to the king by assuring him that he will not be handed over to the Judeans and will escape death by the sword through surrender to the Chaldeans (Jeremiah 38:20-23). The conversation with the king ends with him telling Jeremiah not to tell anyone about their conversation and if asked, to say that he pleaded with the king not to be sent to the house of Jonathan where he would surely die (Jeremiah 38:24-27). Jeremiah remains in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem is taken (Jeremiah 38:28).

 

The Word of God does not return void when presented (Isaiah 55:11) but has an impact on one’s life. The choice for one that hears the Word of God is either to accept it as truth or reject it. The officials of the king hearing the Word of the Lord from Jeremiah rejected it because it did not bring them encouragement in defending Jerusalem from the pending attack of the Babylonian army but instead instructed them to surrender to the Chaldeans where they would find safety and life (Jeremiah 38:2-3). The people of Judah and the city of Jerusalem have sinned against God by not making Him their only God (Exodus 20:1-3; Jeremiah 9:14; 11:13-14; 19:5) and can only have deliverance through repentance from their sin (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 12:15-16). God knows that should the people remain in Judah and Jerusalem they will not repent for that is where they have erected temples to their false gods. Instead, God must remove them from their rebellious environment where they will be able to repent from their sins and return to their land after 70 years of exile.

 

Jesus instructed His Church to present the good news of the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20) and make disciples of the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Individuals presented with this truth have a choice to reject or accept it. Since all have sinned, everyone lives in rebellion against God (Romans 3:23) and under a penalty of death (Romans 6:23), with the only choice leading to salvation and eternal life, being the belief and acceptance of the free gift of eternal life through Jesus’ death burial and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; 10:9-10). There is no condemnation for those choosing Christ (John 3:17) but self-condemnation for those choosing not to accept Christ and remaining in their sin (John 3:18). I invite those reading this post to choose Christ by praying with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Life is full of choices with choosing Christ the most important choice one can make because it has eternal benefits. May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post.