The Jeremiah Project, Week 52

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Week 52

Day 1
(Originally posted Sunday, December 21, 2014)

Overview Jeremiah 52:1-34 - "Equitable Encore" or "Just In Case Anyone Feels Sorry For Babylon". As we read our chapter this week, closing out Jeremiah and this project, we are given a review of the evils that Babylon perpetrated on Yahweh's people, that we may never forget why it is He came down so hard on them in the previous two chapters.
In this review also we are implicitly offered a decision to make: Which role will we play from here to the end of our respective books of our own lives? Will we be like Zedekiah? Like Babylon? Like the leaders of Yahweh's people? Like His captive people? Like Jehoiachin? Every option here given is a losing proposition.
Maybe we'll use our God-given brains and our God-given volition to choose another Way, a Way only seeable after we've read the Book.

Maybe we'll finally see this Way is why the Book exists in the first place.

Day 2
(Originally posted Monday, December 22, 2014)

Jeremiah 52:1-11 - "What Zedekiah Saw". Zedekiah chose not to see Yahweh, and in the end, in addition to seeing nothing at all, he had no future to look forward to in his sons.
Nebuchadnezzar, for his part, chose to play God, and made himself just as blind.

Day 3

Link to video clip
(Originally posted Tuesday, December 23, 2014)

Jeremiah 52:12-16, 17-23. "Jerusalem Burning, Babylonian Burglars". In our reading today we find Nebuchadnezzar siccing his attack dog Nebuzaradan on the city, burning down Yahweh's house (the mistake that ends them, btw) and every other major building in Jerusalem. And while they were at it, they took all the bronze.

As a Jesus follower, you could mess with my stuff, but there'd still be hope for you. You could mess with me, but there'd still be hope for you. You mess with my Yahweh...?

Well, you mess with Yahweh to whom I belong, and He'll mess with you back. And worse. And yet, AND YET, there may still be hope for you. Or not. Who knows.

He knows.

Day 4
******* CAUTION *******
******* MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. *******

Link to video clip
******* MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. *******
******* CAUTION *******
(Originally posted Wednesday, December 24, 2014)

******* CAUTION: MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY *******
Jeremiah 52:24-27 - "Babylonian Butchery". Just to ensure there would be no further or future rebellion on Judah's part, the captain of the guard of Babylon has the chief religious, military and political leaders rounded up and put down. This effectively cut off Judah's head, and so off into exile went Judah.
It was like the Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929. Except with swords... And TIMES TEN!
******* CAUTION: MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY *******

Day 5
(Originally posted Thursday, December 25, 2014)

Jeremiah 52:28-30 - "Babylon Moving Company, Agenns T. Orwell, Proprietor". Imagine yourself at home, at work, at play, or in school, just living out what you believe to be your life, when suddenly agents of the ruling power seize you and relocate you and reassign you for "processing", whatever that means. As we read our verses today, let's realize Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar did this very thing 4,600 times over 17 years.

It's nowhere near 6 million, but really, isn't 1 too many?

Then again, we couldn't imagine a scenario like that; no, that could never happen here.

Day 6

Link to video clip
(Originally posted Friday, December 26, 2014)

Jeremiah 52:31-34 - "An End That Fits." or "Redeeming What's Left Of The Time". As we finish this final chapter of Jeremiah today, as we come to the closing out of this Jeremiah Project, we find an interesting turn of events to the good for at least one former leader of Yahweh's people.
Imagine being 18 and you're king. You reign 100 days and then it's over and you're in a Babylonian prison the next 37 YEARS. Now you're 55 and with a new king in Babylon you're set free and more than that, shown favor (on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, no less!) for the rest of your life. You've just imagined the life of Jehoiachin.

P.S. With this passage finishing the book of Jeremiah, it is made to have a similar ending as that of the book of Ruth. "How so?" you ask? I'm glad you did. You see, Jehoiachin is AKA Jeconiah, and he's the great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ (See Matthew 1:12-16). So Merry Christmas after all.

Day 7
(Originally posted Saturday, December 27, 2014)

Review Jeremiah 1:1--52:34 and REST in the paradoxes:
Experiencing the seeming chaos Jeremiah conveys by its fragmentations
Makes us even more ready to receive the seven seamings of Lamentations.

Tetelestai (It is finished).

Turn the page.

<==== Back to Menu <== Back to Week 51

Week 52
Day 1		(Originally posted Sunday, December 21, 2014) Overview Jeremiah 52:1-34 - "Equitable Encore" or "Just In Case Anyone Feels Sorry For Babylon". As we read our chapter this week, closing out Jeremiah and this project, we are given a review of the evils that Babylon perpetrated on Yahweh's people, that we may never forget why it is He came down so hard on them in the previous two chapters. In this review also we are implicitly offered a decision to make: Which role will we play from here to the end of our respective books of our own lives? Will we be like Zedekiah? Like Babylon? Like the leaders of Yahweh's people? Like His captive people? Like Jehoiachin? Every option here given is a losing proposition. Maybe we'll use our God-given brains and our God-given volition to choose another Way, a Way only seeable after we've read the Book. Maybe we'll finally see this Way is why the Book exists in the first place.
Day 2		(Originally posted Monday, December 22, 2014) Jeremiah 52:1-11 - "What Zedekiah Saw". Zedekiah chose not to see Yahweh, and in the end, in addition to seeing nothing at all, he had no future to look forward to in his sons. Nebuchadnezzar, for his part, chose to play God, and made himself just as blind.
Day 3	Link to video clip	(Originally posted Tuesday, December 23, 2014) Jeremiah 52:12-16, 17-23. "Jerusalem Burning, Babylonian Burglars". In our reading today we find Nebuchadnezzar siccing his attack dog Nebuzaradan on the city, burning down Yahweh's house (the mistake that ends them, btw) and every other major building in Jerusalem. And while they were at it, they took all the bronze. As a Jesus follower, you could mess with my stuff, but there'd still be hope for you. You could mess with me, but there'd still be hope for you. You mess with my Yahweh...? Well, you mess with Yahweh to whom I belong, and He'll mess with you back. And worse. And yet, AND YET, there may still be hope for you. Or not. Who knows. He knows.
Day 4	***** CAUTION *** *** MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. *** Link to video clip *** MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. *** *** CAUTION *****	(Originally posted Wednesday, December 24, 2014) ***** CAUTION: MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY *** Jeremiah 52:24-27 - "Babylonian Butchery". Just to ensure there would be no further or future rebellion on Judah's part, the captain of the guard of Babylon has the chief religious, military and political leaders rounded up and put down. This effectively cut off Judah's head, and so off into exile went Judah. It was like the Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929. Except with swords... And TIMES TEN! *** CAUTION: MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY *****
Day 5		(Originally posted Thursday, December 25, 2014) Jeremiah 52:28-30 - "Babylon Moving Company, Agenns T. Orwell, Proprietor". Imagine yourself at home, at work, at play, or in school, just living out what you believe to be your life, when suddenly agents of the ruling power seize you and relocate you and reassign you for "processing", whatever that means. As we read our verses today, let's realize Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar did this very thing 4,600 times over 17 years. It's nowhere near 6 million, but really, isn't 1 too many? Then again, we couldn't imagine a scenario like that; no, that could never happen here.
Day 6	Link to video clip	(Originally posted Friday, December 26, 2014) Jeremiah 52:31-34 - "An End That Fits." or "Redeeming What's Left Of The Time". As we finish this final chapter of Jeremiah today, as we come to the closing out of this Jeremiah Project, we find an interesting turn of events to the good for at least one former leader of Yahweh's people. Imagine being 18 and you're king. You reign 100 days and then it's over and you're in a Babylonian prison the next 37 YEARS. Now you're 55 and with a new king in Babylon you're set free and more than that, shown favor (on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, no less!) for the rest of your life. You've just imagined the life of Jehoiachin. P.S. With this passage finishing the book of Jeremiah, it is made to have a similar ending as that of the book of Ruth. "How so?" you ask? I'm glad you did. You see, Jehoiachin is AKA Jeconiah, and he's the great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ (See Matthew 1:12-16). So Merry Christmas after all.
Day 7		(Originally posted Saturday, December 27, 2014) Review Jeremiah 1:1--52:34 and REST in the paradoxes: Experiencing the seeming chaos Jeremiah conveys by its fragmentations Makes us even more ready to receive the seven seamings of Lamentations. Tetelestai (It is finished). Turn the page.