Theme: BECOMING A WISE AND UNDERSTANDING NATION
Text: “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” – Jeremiah 2:19
Comment: When a person commits sin, it devalues his self-esteem and the Holy Scriptures state that because of sin, “a man is brought to a piece of bread”. (Proverbs 6:26) Sin brings shame, hardships, miseries, and distresses. Sodom and Gomorrah was a fruitful and well-nourished land, but the people gave themselves to the heinous sin of homosexuality, as the Bible says, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” – Genesis 13:13.
In the days of old, when the people of Israel sinned against God He promised to punish them to serve as deterrent to future generations. “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle…” – 2 Kings 21:12, 13.
For one to continue to enjoy God’s goodness, one has to avoid sin, maintain a clean slate so as to be blessed by God as Apostle Peter enjoins: “…For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” All who love life, and want to see good days must avoid sin so as to have the mercy of God. – 1 Peter 3:10-13.
Theme: COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS 11:32 - 40
Text:“For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.” – Jeremiah 32:3.
Comment: Because the king and people of Judah had given themselves to the worship of the devil, God Almighty used Jeremiah the prophet to warn them, telling them that if they would not repent, He would make Jerusalem and the temple they took pride in to suffer the fate of Shiloh, where the name of God was in earlier times before it was destroyed and abandoned. (Joshua 18:1; 19:51; 1Kings 14:2.) For warning the people against sin the leaders determined that Jeremiah must die. (Jeremiah 26:1-10) However, some of the elders, together with Ahikam, an officer of the king, intervened to prevent them from their wicked plot.
Again, when the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, Jeremiah was instructed by God to tell them to submit to their rule to avoid death and destruction. This was seen as treason for which the leaders of the people convinced King Zedekiah to cast Jeremiah into.a well. But God also delivered him. When we stand up for the truth, even in the face of danger, God will give us victory in the end. St. Paul in his writings recalled God delivered them “from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).. He added that God Almighty shall deliver him “from every evil work, and will preserve him unto his heavenly kingdom. – 2 Timothy 4:18