Well good morning, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we're going to go to Jeremiah chapter 12. Jeremiah's got a question for the Lord, and the Lord's going to answer him. So let's have some coffee, we'll pray, and we'll get into God's Word. Nope. Are you sure? Nope. Didn't even leave your lips for five seconds. Okay, okay. Well someday, someday you'll want a cup of coffee with me. Let me tea, but not coffee. Okay. Do you want to pray or do you want me to pray? You pray. Okay. Lord, thank you so much for the time that you've given us together. Thank you for your word. And God, we pray that we would read it and understand it, and that would actually impact our lives, that we would be changed by the reading of your word. We know that this is only something you can do by the power of your Holy Spirit, so please help us, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen. Here we go, Jeremiah chapter 12. And we'll just go kind of paragraph by paragraph, okay? So, righteous are you, O Lord, when I plead with you. Yet let me talk with you about your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? You have planted them, yes, you have. Yes, they have taken root. They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth, but far from their mind. Let your Lord know me. You have seen me, and you have tested my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep from the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter, along with the laird morn. The hogs of the field wither. The beasts and barbs are consumed for the wickedness of those who dwell there. Because they said, he will not see our final end. All right, so, I mean, he's got a pretty tangible, palpable question. What is it? He's looking around him and what does he see? The wicked prospering. He sees the wicked prospering. asking why Lord right they got you in their mouth I'll let make no lip confession to you but you're not actually in their minds you're not in their hearts right they don't think about you they don't honor you and so what's he asked of God for them what are you gonna do about them Yeah, but he compares himself. He says look Lord. You've seen me right. These are enemies of his I think this is specifically talking about people of anathos other priests who are threatening Jeremiah's life And he's he's asking for God to tear him down Okay, well verse 5. I'll read 5 3 5 through 9 releasing all of chapter 12 mm-hmm if you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you? Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the flood plain of the Jordan? For even your brothers, the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you. Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, even though they speak smooth words to you. I have forsaken my house, I have left my heritage. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of their enemies. My heritage is to me like a lion in the forest. It cries out against me. Therefore I have hated it. My heritage is to me like a speckled vulture. The vultures all around are against her. Come, assemble all the beasts of the field. Bring them to devour." What's the Lord getting at there? Okay, well yeah, so it's right. This is this is why we read and we ask what it's about right because this helps us So so the Lord is essentially like what's worn you out, man? Right like they threaten your life, and you're ready getting tired That's what he's getting at in verse 5 right if you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you then how can you contend with horses? Racing like the battle is coming But the battle is coming and you're tired now There's real, real enemies coming. Babylon is going to destroy the city. He's talking about, this is the Lord talking to Jeremiah. Yeah, this is the Lord talking to Jeremiah now. He's basically just saying, like, suck it up out of the cup, there's worse things that are gonna happen. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, he's, maybe he's preparing him in a loving way, right? And it says, they have dealt treacherously with you. They have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them even though they speak smooth words to you. Right, he's saying don't believe anybody who comes and they're trying to tell you smooth things. Don't believe them when they come and they're trying to come after you. This is Jeremiah. No, this is the Lord still speaking to Jeremiah. And then he speaks of the judgment against his own house. His own people. Telling them that he's left them. He's forsaken his house. He's given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. This is God handing over his own people because of their covenant unfaithfulness. So that's what that section is about. God speaking to Jeremiah about all that. So you go ahead and read verses 10-13. Many rulers have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden my portion underfoot. They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate. Desolate it bonds to me. The whole land is made desolate because no one takes it to heart. The plunders have come on all the desolate heights in the wilderness. For the sword of the Lord shall devour for From one end of the land to the other end of the land, no flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat, but reaped thorns. They have put themselves to pain, but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest because of the fierce anger of the Lord. Okay, so what is that section getting about? What's the Lord saying about the people there? He's saying he's tired and he has to yawn. He woke up at 5 a.m. to make breakfast and do work. Let's see. Basically, like, is this the Lord speaking or Jeremiah speaking? Yeah, this is the Lord speaking. That's actually one of the fun but difficult parts of Jeremiah, is it smoothly moves from Jeremiah to the Lord's voice, and the Lord's voice into Jeremiah's. It almost sounds like Jeremiah. talking to himself, but it's actually like the Lord talking with Jeremiah. So this is the Lord speaking, right? So he says that many rulers have destroyed his vineyard, The Lord says that those people have destroyed or trodden his portion underfoot. They've walked all over them. He said that they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. He's saying they're spoiling my people, spoiling the land. They have made it desolate. Desolate it mourns to me. The whole land is made desolate because no one takes it to heart. He's saying even though they've done all of this, it keeps happening. Why? Because they're saying, they're basically saying like, sure, yeah, okay, God will obey, and then they turn around and just do the same thing. Yeah, they're stiff-necked, right? They keep turning away from the Lord, keep going away from His covenant, keep not doing His commands. God also tells them that, like, one of the reasons He sent them to Babylon was because every six years they were supposed to take a whole year of rest. Well, every seven years, yeah. But, like, yeah, there was supposed to be the year of Jubilee, and the year of release, right? So, there was supposed to be all these different, right? The rest of the land, the rest of the people, cancelling out of debts, releasing of slaves, all these different things, right? But no matter what. No. Actually, we'll see that one time Jeremiah tells them they've been wrong with this. They repent. And then they turn around and they bring back their slaves. But, alright, so this is what the Lord is saying. That they're they won't take it to heart uh... and so they have sown wheat but reap thorns they have put themselves to pain but do not profit but be ashamed of your harvest because the fierce anger of the Lord you shouldn't be proud of your harvest your harvest is nothing more than a bunch of thorns but it's because of your sinfulness do you think that still applies to us? what do you mean? do you think it still applies if we, every seven years we should? Or do you think that because we're every seven days Yeah, so I don't think that we're still under the same laws as Israel was, right? We're not the Israelite nation. Yeah, well we don't own slaves for a reason, right? But the point is those are part of the whole ceremonial rituals and now they were still good, right? I still think Holding people in perpetual servitude and bondage isn't right. I still think it's good to rotate crops and give the land some time just to go fallow. I think it's wise to... Not take out loans for long periods of time. I think there's still some general equity in a lot of these things. Not charging undue interest towards people. Being free with people who ask for money. There are many times in which your mom and dad, somebody's come and they've asked for stuff and we'll just give it to them. And that's a good thing. But I don't think we're bound to it in the same way because we're no longer the nation of Israel in the same way here. Let's go ahead and finish up this last part, 14-17. Thus says the Lord, against all my evil neighbors who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit, behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah among them. Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land. And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of my people, to swear by my name as Jehovah lives, as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of my people. But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, says Jehovah. So what do you think he's getting at there? He will. So think about what he would do with Nehemiah and Ezra in that era. What did he do with the people after their 40 years in exile? He saved them. What do you mean he saved them? Normally there would be, either there was a prophet that would rise up and do that or God would somehow release his people. I don't remember. So they go into exile. They go to Babylon. They end up under the rule there. But then Ezra, Cherubibal, Nehemiah, they're brought back to the land. There's a remnant who are brought back. And God is showing them essentially a second chance, right? Yeah, but the point here is, if they're going to come back, can they do whatever they want? No. Will they keep my commandments? Will they remember the name of the Lord? If not, what does he say? But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation. which is what I think happened in 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the temple, ruined the nation. I think that's one of the things that Jesus was prophesying with the Sermon on the Mount with its near reference. Yeah, there's something. Oh yeah, there's something that like, it's not just like, we think of like, like Israel and it's just amazing to me how still you can see like Israel and you just like automatically think of this like as big as like some other countries and like how the world has walked in that country still. You're talking about the nation of Israel as it stands today? Yeah. You know the nation of Israel is a secular country? What is a secular country? meaning they're not the theonomic or the theocratic nation that they were here. They're ethnically Jews. But they're not. Many of them are not religiously Jewish. Many of them do not keep the Sabbath laws, they don't keep the Passovers, they don't keep the dietary restrictions. There are a lot of ultra-Orthodox who live there too. But it's more about the genetic line than about the religious line for many of the people in the Jewish nation of Israel today. So there's a lot of nuance there. I don't want to get into Zionism and stuff like that with Israel. But the point being is that this is what God was telling Jeremiah. Why are they prospering? The Lord is essentially saying, they're not going to prosper long. The enemy is coming, but I'm going to give them a second chance. Alright, so what do you think is the best verse to summarize this section? What would you underline? There's a lot of verses. This is one of the smaller chapters. Well, we spent a long time on it, even though it's small. Yeah, let's see. I have verses 15, 16, and 17. I specifically have 16 and 17 double underlined in my Bible. Maybe you guys would underline something else. Feel free to write down in the comments what you would underline. Okay, so see callings. How does this apply? Should we all move to Israel and be Zionists and go get citizenship with the nation of Israel? Well, you're not going to be able to anyways. No, but... No, you're not Jewish. So... What are you called to do then? How does this apply to you? Right? Because you went to that direction, like, maybe we should keep the ceremonial laws about the Sabbaths and stuff. Then think about it again. Some of those laws are just... One of the things that I forget... Somebody said that just because God made a law about slavery doesn't mean he likes slavery. Okay well yeah but there's all sorts of laws like okay so this cut this is some polyester woven into it well that's against the law you shouldn't be wearing cotton polyester. Right here I'm seeing your hair you need a haircut so I'll tell you what we'll cut up here and we'll cut back here but we won't cut the corners of your hair we'll let it grow nice and long. I'll stop I'll stop cutting the corners of my beard. I'll let the corners of my beard grow really long. Why would you do that? Well, that's in the law. That's what the ceremonial law is. Is that what he's telling us to do as New Testament Christians? But do we follow the law of Christ? Do we still call upon the name of the Lord? Now, Jesus fulfilled all those ceremonial laws. Jesus, now, because of His Holy Spirit being in us, because of the water of baptism, He has separated us, made us holy. So now we conform our lives to the law of Christ. We turn our lives away from the veils, away from the idols of our heart, away from the things that the culture would teach us. And we do go to God's Word and say, what was the principle behind those things? And how do we live it out in our lives? But we don't need to keep the dietary laws anymore. What God has called clean, let no man call unclean. So we can have bacon. We can make pizza, and we can have pepperoni and cheese on it, and it's okay. Because that's not what it's about. It's about being thankful to the Lord for every good thing that comes from his hand, and living our lives for his glory. So why do the wicked prosper? God says, they won't always. Just be patient. You don't grow weary. You run after me. Profess my name. You ready to pray? God, we pray that we would have endurance to run our race, to finish it well for your glory. Thank you for the time that you've given us together. Lord, we pray that you would please let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, or perfecter of our faith. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. May the Lord bless you. May you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. I'll see you next time. Bye.