The Jeremiah Project, Week 19

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Week 19

Day 1
(Originally posted Sunday, May 4, 2014)

Overview Jeremiah 19:1-15 - "...You Just Might Get It." or "Breaking News". As we break down Jeremiah 19 this week, let's be open to the idea that it's okay to be intolerant of evil practices.

Yahweh is.

Day 2
(Originally posted Monday, May 5, 2014)

Jeremiah 19:1-3 - "THUNDERSTRIKE! ...Can You Hear Me Now?". God communicates. He goes to great lengths to get our attention, to keep us from going down the wrong road.
As we read our verses today, some cool Hebrew: the word "jar" or "bottle" is, literally "baqbuq", taken from the sound heard when the water pours out. Get it? Baqbuq, baqbuq, baqbuq. Cool.
Now, why does Yahweh have Jeremiah take these bigwigs to the Valley of Hinnom? It's literally "Geh Ben-Hinnom". This becomes "Ge'enna" in the New Testament. It translates to "Hell". We'll find out why tomorrow, or you could read ahead. That means the road they took was literally a precursor to the highway to hell. Not so cool.
Lastly, the term at the end of verse 3, about tingling ears, in our culture we may be inclined to think this is like hearing some juicy gossip, but that would be mistaken. The proper picture here is that thing you do when thunder strikes suddenly and powerfully, and your head ducks down and your shoulders shrug and your back arches and in that moment as your eyes look sideways and slightly upward as you wonder is heaven is furious. That's the proper picture. Does Yahweh have your attention?

Day 3
(Originally posted Tuesday, May 6, 2014)

Jeremiah 19:4-6 - "Jarring News" or "Psalm 127:3, So What Do You Think Will Happen If You Throw Yahweh's Gift Away?". Today as we read, it's a hard reading we have. God has had Jeremiah bring His People's community leaders out to this valley of Ben-Hinnom, also called Topheth (possibly meaning "fire-place"), to show them something. We might better understand contextually the setting if we thought of going to hear a message being spoken out in front of Auschwitz.
As we read, we see why the harsh punishment is coming for them: these people who Yahweh chose as His own took their children and sacrificed them to false gods, burned them with fire, and discarded their carcasses. (Understanding what those babies went through is only the beginning of understanding what the coming hell is for all who do not get right with Yahweh through Jesus Christ His Son.) Such a practice, Yahweh said, "I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it enter My mind (literally "/lib•BEE/")".
Verse 6 relates how the desecrated place where they are standing will become the place where they are desecrated.
What does any of this have to do with us here and now?
A: How do you feel when you give someone a gift and they just throw it away?
At last count, there have been 56 MILLION reported abortions performed in America.
Psalm 127:3, so what do you think the Almighty Yahweh, the Boss of the Angels, is going to do with us?گگ

Day 4
(Originally posted Wednesday, May 7, 2014)

Jeremiah 19:7-9 - "...when The Chips Are Down, These 'Civilized' People... They'll EAT Each Other". Word plays help us remember. As we read today, remember that Jeremiah is probably holding the baqbuq (that is, "jar" or "bottle") that Yahweh had him buy, and in so doing becomes a poignant visual. The first phrase we read in verse 7 about making void or ruining, the word is a wordplay off of baqbuq; it's as if and English-speaker had said, "The door of our storehouse is ajar," while holding a jar. It's memorable. It grabs their undivided attention for what Jeremiah is about to say.
In a grave sense, the picture that the prophet here unfolds is a blessing to us, because it shows us the end of the road taken by individuals who abandon the one true God Yahweh.

Let's not take this road, folks.

Day 5

Link to video clip
(Originally posted Thursday, May 8, 2014)

Jeremiah 19:10-13 - "Jeremiah's Big Break". Today's reading finds us witnessing Jeremiah break that baqbuq he bought at the beginning of the chapter and explaining what it means. Don't miss that Yahweh calls Himself The Lord Of Hosts, that is, Angels; juxtapose that with the indictment that some of the idol worship these folks have been doing is to angels. He again asserts His supremacy over all things. The wisest of us recognize this without Him telling us. We just get down and wait for His word.

In this attached clip, pay particular attention to what Chef Ramsay says from 6:15 to the end, because his words at their core with regard to this couple who he is TRYING TO HELP (!) are strikingly similar to how Yahweh has been trying to restore His people but now they are past the point of rescue, and all that's left before their downfall is for Jeremiah to say the words.

Let us not be like them; let us listen when our Master speaks.

Day 6
(Originally posted Friday, May 9, 2014)

Jeremiah 19:14-15 - "A Neck Stiffened Against Yahweh Is Eventually Broken". As we close out the chapter in today's reading, we can glean valuable lessongs that will bring hope from Jeremiah's seemingly hopeless message:
1.) Yahweh doesn't restrict His personal communion to only the leadership of His people; He communes also with the least of us. Hello, Jeremiah is in the court of the Temple, it's a more common area. (see also 1 Timothy 2:5).

2.) Just as He is faithful in His punishing, so also He is faithful in His rewarding. Remember Jeremiah left everything to obey Yahweh our God, and now in this narrative he is basically standing in the crowd with a sign that reads, "THE END IS NEAR". And yet he is still /yeer•muh•yah•HOOH/, that is "EstablishedByYahweh". Jeremiah.

For our takeaway, let us be flexible to our God Yahweh's leading.

Day 7
(Originally posted Saturday, May 10, 2014)

Review Jeremiah 19:1-15 and REST in the picture that
God breaks into time from eternity to take us back across,
By breaking Jesus our Baqbuq who takes upon His back our cross.

<==== Back to Menu <== Back to Week 18 Proceed to week 20 ==>

Week 19
Day 1		(Originally posted Sunday, May 4, 2014) Overview Jeremiah 19:1-15 - "...You Just Might Get It." or "Breaking News". As we break down Jeremiah 19 this week, let's be open to the idea that it's okay to be intolerant of evil practices. Yahweh is.
Day 2		(Originally posted Monday, May 5, 2014) Jeremiah 19:1-3 - "THUNDERSTRIKE! ...Can You Hear Me Now?". God communicates. He goes to great lengths to get our attention, to keep us from going down the wrong road. As we read our verses today, some cool Hebrew: the word "jar" or "bottle" is, literally "baqbuq", taken from the sound heard when the water pours out. Get it? Baqbuq, baqbuq, baqbuq. Cool. Now, why does Yahweh have Jeremiah take these bigwigs to the Valley of Hinnom? It's literally "Geh Ben-Hinnom". This becomes "Ge'enna" in the New Testament. It translates to "Hell". We'll find out why tomorrow, or you could read ahead. That means the road they took was literally a precursor to the highway to hell. Not so cool. Lastly, the term at the end of verse 3, about tingling ears, in our culture we may be inclined to think this is like hearing some juicy gossip, but that would be mistaken. The proper picture here is that thing you do when thunder strikes suddenly and powerfully, and your head ducks down and your shoulders shrug and your back arches and in that moment as your eyes look sideways and slightly upward as you wonder is heaven is furious. That's the proper picture. Does Yahweh have your attention?
Day 3		(Originally posted Tuesday, May 6, 2014) Jeremiah 19:4-6 - "Jarring News" or "Psalm 127:3, So What Do You Think Will Happen If You Throw Yahweh's Gift Away?". Today as we read, it's a hard reading we have. God has had Jeremiah bring His People's community leaders out to this valley of Ben-Hinnom, also called Topheth (possibly meaning "fire-place"), to show them something. We might better understand contextually the setting if we thought of going to hear a message being spoken out in front of Auschwitz. As we read, we see why the harsh punishment is coming for them: these people who Yahweh chose as His own took their children and sacrificed them to false gods, burned them with fire, and discarded their carcasses. (Understanding what those babies went through is only the beginning of understanding what the coming hell is for all who do not get right with Yahweh through Jesus Christ His Son.) Such a practice, Yahweh said, "I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it enter My mind (literally "/lib•BEE/")". Verse 6 relates how the desecrated place where they are standing will become the place where they are desecrated. What does any of this have to do with us here and now? A: How do you feel when you give someone a gift and they just throw it away? At last count, there have been 56 MILLION reported abortions performed in America. Psalm 127:3, so what do you think the Almighty Yahweh, the Boss of the Angels, is going to do with us?گگ
Day 4		(Originally posted Wednesday, May 7, 2014) Jeremiah 19:7-9 - "...when The Chips Are Down, These 'Civilized' People... They'll EAT Each Other". Word plays help us remember. As we read today, remember that Jeremiah is probably holding the baqbuq (that is, "jar" or "bottle") that Yahweh had him buy, and in so doing becomes a poignant visual. The first phrase we read in verse 7 about making void or ruining, the word is a wordplay off of baqbuq; it's as if and English-speaker had said, "The door of our storehouse is ajar," while holding a jar. It's memorable. It grabs their undivided attention for what Jeremiah is about to say. In a grave sense, the picture that the prophet here unfolds is a blessing to us, because it shows us the end of the road taken by individuals who abandon the one true God Yahweh. Let's not take this road, folks.
Day 5	Link to video clip	(Originally posted Thursday, May 8, 2014) Jeremiah 19:10-13 - "Jeremiah's Big Break". Today's reading finds us witnessing Jeremiah break that baqbuq he bought at the beginning of the chapter and explaining what it means. Don't miss that Yahweh calls Himself The Lord Of Hosts, that is, Angels; juxtapose that with the indictment that some of the idol worship these folks have been doing is to angels. He again asserts His supremacy over all things. The wisest of us recognize this without Him telling us. We just get down and wait for His word. In this attached clip, pay particular attention to what Chef Ramsay says from 6:15 to the end, because his words at their core with regard to this couple who he is TRYING TO HELP (!) are strikingly similar to how Yahweh has been trying to restore His people but now they are past the point of rescue, and all that's left before their downfall is for Jeremiah to say the words. Let us not be like them; let us listen when our Master speaks.
Day 6		(Originally posted Friday, May 9, 2014) Jeremiah 19:14-15 - "A Neck Stiffened Against Yahweh Is Eventually Broken". As we close out the chapter in today's reading, we can glean valuable lessongs that will bring hope from Jeremiah's seemingly hopeless message: 1.) Yahweh doesn't restrict His personal communion to only the leadership of His people; He communes also with the least of us. Hello, Jeremiah is in the court of the Temple, it's a more common area. (see also 1 Timothy 2:5). 2.) Just as He is faithful in His punishing, so also He is faithful in His rewarding. Remember Jeremiah left everything to obey Yahweh our God, and now in this narrative he is basically standing in the crowd with a sign that reads, "THE END IS NEAR". And yet he is still /yeer•muh•yah•HOOH/, that is "EstablishedByYahweh". Jeremiah. For our takeaway, let us be flexible to our God Yahweh's leading.
Day 7		(Originally posted Saturday, May 10, 2014) Review Jeremiah 19:1-15 and REST in the picture that God breaks into time from eternity to take us back across, By breaking Jesus our Baqbuq who takes upon His back our cross.