Scripture: Jeremiah 1:1
These are the words of Jeremiah, Hilkiah’s son, who was one of the priests from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
Thought for the Day: Tomorrow we begin a three week look at some key passages from the prophet Jeremiah. If you turn just past the halfway mark of your Bibles, you will find yourself in Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel. These are considered three of the heavy hitters when it comes to Hebrew Prophets. The book of Jeremiah is not easy to read for it was probably not edited together in chronological order. We have a mix of poems, oracles, judgements, laments, along with some very powerful words of hope. It starts during the period prior to the Babylonian invasion of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of the capital Jerusalem. From this first verse, we learn that Jeremiah came from a family of priests who lived just outside of Jerusalem. The Assyrians were losing power in the region, and the land of Judah found itself in a tug of war between Egypt and the rising power known as Babylon. In 597BC, Judah attempted to revolt against Babylon, but it quickly found itself invaded and its king deported. Another rebellion occurred in 587BC, and this time, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon killed the son’s of King Zedekiah (Judah’s king) and blinded him so that the last thing he ever saw was his sons’ dead bodies.
This is the context for the Prophet Jeremiah, yet the prophet believed much of the suffering and destruction experienced by Judah was rooted in their lack of faithfulness to the covenantal relationship with God. Clearly the people were feeling as if God was unjustly punishing them, but the prophet called upon the people to take ownership when it came to the problems and suffering Judah had experienced. We can argue the theology – does God use war or natural disasters to punish people or not – yet one of the key take aways from Jeremiah is the importance of looking inside oneself and asking, “What sin of commission or omission have I committed that undermines the faithfulness of the community, and thus undermines the health and wellbeing of the community?” It is a question we should continue to ask ourselves.
Prayer: Lord, guide me deep within myself where I can more objectively see and understand who I am and what I have done. Let me see, and where necessary, let me humbly confess when what I see is not of you. Amen.
TOMORROW’S SERMON
BEGINS A LOOK AT
THE PROPHET JEREMIAH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Men’s Gathering – 2:45pm
at the Mellow Mushroom
To Watch the Texans Game
and to discuss
the upcoming
Men’s Retreat
