BABYLON OR EGYPT?
Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 42-44
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The temple of Edufu was dedicated to the falcon god Horus and is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. The walls of the temple are covered in inscriptions that tell many stories. The gods of Egypt are mentioned twice in today’s reading.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Jeremiah 42:6, 42:20-21a
Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God…For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.” And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God…
These people probably did not intend to disobey God. Someone has said that “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” It seemed reasonable to them to ask Jeremiah for direction from God. But their hearts were hypocritical, not reasonable. Fear, a heart condition, won the day. “Egypt” is mentioned 22 times in these 3 chapters. No doubt they still celebrated “Passover” to help them remember that God had delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12:12-14).
It seems that Jeremiah was forced to go with them back to Egypt. When they arrived, Jeremiah again warned them of their folly (43:10-13).
Jeremiah 44:7 is a commentary on the human heart and the foolishness of the human mind that decides to go our own way rather than God’s way. God says, “Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain?” Most of them died in Egypt, never to return. This was not to be the case of the Babylonian captives. They returned to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray that I will reason, according to the Scriptures, and obey You with both my mind and heart. Deliver me from the hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another. I ask this through the Person and work of the One Who always said exactly what He intended to say, and then did what He said, the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
Babylon or Egypt? Neither place was God’s highest plan for His people. Judah was still there as an option. King Zedekiah and many others were forced into Babylon because of their stubborn resistance to the Word from God, and in today’s reading, and later Johanan and the remnant still in Judah, exercised their own free will (they were called “proud men”) and went to Egypt where they died. Again and again I’ve had to simply obey what I believed God was saying to me through His written Word, the still small Voice within me, or through the counsel of men and women of God!
In yesterday’s blog I mentioned the first ever conference of Christian leaders which gathered in Moscow from all 15 Republics of the Soviet Union. It was obvious that communist rule was an utter failure and that the people would shortly be freed from this curse on the human family. Several pastors who had resisted the cruelties of communism, and like Daniel in Babylon kept the faith, referred to “THE 70 YEARS OF THE DARK RED NIGHT OF COMMUNIST RULE,” boldly proclaiming that their 70 years of captivity (roughly 1917 to 1987) was now over. At the time of this conference, the Communists were still in power. In fact, the Pastor that I referred to yesterday said, gesticulating with his twisted fingers on his right hand, “The communists even called me the other day and offered to break my fingers again to straighten them back, this time in hospital under anesthetic, but I refused. When I preach and lift my hand to make a point (this was said with laughter from himself and the other Pastors at my table), people really pay attention!” Perhaps this will help explain my statement yesterday that I felt totally unworthy to be in this man’s presence and felt like crawling under the table, let alone be the preacher for two nights of the conference. That night I preached with God’s help on “The Church Through the Centuries After Persecution Ceases.” I had studied the history of persecution over the past 2,000 years and came to the conclusion that the Church is the greatest blessing when the Gospel is preached fearlessly, whether under persecution or freedom!!!
Yours for “OBEDIENCE” to God!
David
From my understanding of God’s Word, A Christian has no rights but the right of free will to choose life or death. A Christian has no other freedoms but to be free of the power of sin and guilt, to be free of the terror of physical death and to be free fr0m the wrath of God because of our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross.
Our responsibility is to love our neighbors, pray for our enemies, tell others about Jesus, to live at peace with others as far as is possible for us and to obey the authorities who have been placed there by our Lord.
Where is the freedom and rights for those who are held hostage in there own homes, confronted by noise and chaos at their doors, those who are losing their businesses and/or way of earning a living because of shutdowns or they fear harassment and confrontation by some in this movement who are pushing their own issues,
Study, compare and contrast Paul/Saul’s actions and ideas before and after his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road. The Pharisees and Roman government were not perfect leaders upholding the tights and freedoms in those days. Our democracy is an improvement but it is definitely not perfect either.
Seek the Lord! Ask Jesus to guide you! Do this with humility and reverence!
Amen Sally. I have been taking the School of Ministry courses from Morris Cerullo for the last two years and he said pretty much the same thing – we have no rights except what God allows (& he was very emphatic on that). I pray that I will keep that clearly in mind and follow through). Hear the Word of the Lord. Pray always.
Our government, purely and simply, has lost its way. It neither listens to God or to its own people. I speak not from political preference, but from great sadness that our country, which once taught its children that the God of the Bible was the God of the nation, now wants to follow a central global government.
I thank God that He is still calling people to trust, follow, and obey Him. May we be part of those who do so, in Jesus’s name, amen
Amen, Rob
For the 13th from the “Prayer Map of Canada”
1. Pray that, with God’s help, children and young people will be able to journey with hope towards the destiny God has for each of them.
2. Pray for Newfoundland and Labrador
-Pray for the leaders of the province , that God’s Spirit would influence them to act justly, serve with integrity, and honour high moral standards. (1 Timothy 2: 1-4)
-Pray for the churches of the province , that they would be lighthouses beaming forth the illuminating truth of God’s Word.
Obviously the message of the Freedom Convoy is going viral. And, by the way, I agree with Sally that we should pray and ask God to guide us. As Abraham Lincoln answered when asked if he thought God was on his side: “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Still, we also have to act when confronted with evil.
From the Freedom Convoy USA: https://youtu.be/QOxKpCeJPRE
https://youtu.be/QOxKpCeJPRE
Amen Rob. I tried to submit a post earlier but it didn’t seem to work so I’ll keep this one shorter.
There are several verses that tell us we shouldn’t obey ungodly orders.
I am not an anti-vaxxer but I am against mandated vaccines especially those that are not fully tested. Young nurses are being terminated because they are afraid of the vaccine. Most are young and still hoping to have a family so especially those working maternity that see the things that are happening there and knowing that although they recommend the vaccine their approvals clearly state that testing has not been done in pregnant or breast-\feeding women.
Yes I know people that have had vivid some fully backed and boosters others unvaxxed. I only know 2 that were hospitalized both vaxxed
It should be individual choice . If you get covid hopefully you don’t have severe symptoms . If you get vaxxed and have severe reactions it can’t be sucked back into the needle. I Hasbro brothers that chose vaccinations because it was the right thing to do. One didn’t feel much from the first but the second one hit him hard. He has said no thanks to the booster. The other one was dead within a week of the first one
We need to pray for the freedom fighters and for our government. I don’t understand what is happening but I know Canadian values are being shredded. Government seems intent on removing God from everything. We have to stop them
God bless all bloggers. There is power in prayer