- The waiting thing again: "Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:1-7).
- Isaiah is done, and on to Jeremiah (his nickname is The Weeping Prophet). Eugene Peterson writes that the prophet Jeremiah led a troubled life. These were "disruptive times," including the decades before the fall of Jerusalem, the Fall in 587 BC, and the subsequent exile in Babylon. "What happens when everything you believe in and live by is smashed to bits by circumstances?" That's the subject of Jeremiah. Peterson calls Jeremiah a "true, honest, and God-revealing companion for the worst of times."
- A picture is worth a thousand words: God used visual images in chapter 1 to help communicate his message to Jeremiah (including a walking stick and a boiling pot).
- The bridegroom mourns: The people traded God for cheap imitations. God felt like a bridegroom whose beloved bride walked out on him (Jeremiah 2:12-13).
- No more Ark: The days of the Ark of the Covenant were over. "Jerusalem will be the new Ark," writes Jeremiah. Jerusalem will be "God's throne" (Jeremiah 3:17).
- God's Decree: What does that mean? It appears over and over in this book. I checked a few sources. Here are the results: God's decree is "his purpose or determination in respect to future things." Another says God's decree is "his eternal purpose." A third says: God's decree is "the unfolding of circumstances and events that reveal God's will." Jeremiah was not just sharing God's thoughts or feelings or wishes, but what was going to happen. And God was gracious in sharing his feelings and explaining to the people why judgment was coming.
Elena's verse of the day: I am God! I can be trusted. Your past troubles are gone; I no longer think of them...I alone am God who can be trusted" (Isaiah 65:16.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment