S – Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live.

Jeremiah 38:17 ESV

O – Jeremiah tells Zedekiah that his life would be spared and the city not burned if he would just surrender.  

A – What a great challenge for us.  What would our life look like if we would surrender?  Would it look different than us pursuing our own will and plan?  Absolutely.  Yet, do we trust God to take that moment of yield and make it into something he can bless and work with.  Zedekiah refused to surrender and suffered the consequences of his stubbornness.

R – Yahweh, you know all things and you are everywhere.  Help us to grow in our trust in you so we can hear your Word and move forward with confidence.  Let our faith be the foundation of our growth.  We invite the Holy Spirit to empower us to be strong for you today.

S – But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, ¹⁹ therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.

Jeremiah 35:18–19 ESV

O – Commentary:

to stand before me The Hebrew expression here signifies worshiping in Yahweh’s presence in the temple. It indicates that the family will have an enduring legacy of faithful people worshiping Yahweh. Despite the coming judgment, a remnant will be preserved from the Rechabites.

 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Je 35:19.

One of the descendants of Jehonadab son of Recab apparently returned from Babylon after the Exile and helped to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem (see Neh 3:14).

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Je 35:19.

A – The simple obedience of the sons Rechab resulted in God ensuring that their family would always have a place before God.  That is verified by one of them being designated to help rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.  When we obey God, it opens up doors we cannot take for granted. Simple obedience is a catalyst for great results.  Long term, consistent obedience grows into faithfulness.

R -Yahweh, you are faithful to us.  You never change.  Your heart and compassion for us never wavers and you promise you will never forsake us.  Empower us to be obedient to your Word and direction today.

S – You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ ⁴ Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. ⁵ You shall die in peace.

Jeremiah 34:3–5 ESV

O – In the midst of all the chaos and fighting, God tells King Zedekiah that he will die in peace.  He will not be killed in battle but die naturally. 

A – It appears paradoxical that all of the judgement poured out on Judah and the Israelites is contrasted by a “peaceful” death.  Zedekiah was captured and had to watch the execution of his sons and then live with his eyes gauged out.  When we face battles, loss and even defeat, we can find peace with God that surpasses our understanding.  This is a great reminder that our peace comes from the inside relationship with God and not the things that are happening around us.

R- Yahweh, you are the Prince of Peace.  When things around us are filled with challenges and chaos, you provide peace that surpasses our comprehension. Empower us today to walk in that peace.  Help us to draw closer to you in our relationship.  We look to your instead of our circumstances to walk in confidence today.

S – For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:33 ESV

O – Commentary:

God’s New Covenant will involve an internalization of His Law. He will put His Law in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones (Ex. 34:1). There will be no need to exhort people to know the Lord because they will already all know God (cf. Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14). God’s New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to obey His righteous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings. Ezekiel indicated that this change will result from God’s bestowal of the Holy Spirit on these believers (cf. Ezek. 36:24–32). In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit did not universally indwell all believers. Thus one different aspect of the New Covenant is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers.

 Charles H. Dyer, “Jeremiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1171.

A – The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a game changer.  God moved the Law from the external to the internal.  By moving to inside, He now could impress on their minds and hearts his will and purposes.  The Holy Spirit helps us with all of those things.  We need the Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding us each day.

R – Heavenly Father, you and the Holy Spirit are One.  We invite the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us today.  Empower us on the inside to know you and your Word more intimately today.  Lead and guide us as we follow your will and purpose for our lives.

S – ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

O – Commentary:

The Lord’s plans for good, to prosper the exiled people and to return them to the land of Judah, gave them a future and a hope. This promise was specific to the exiles in Babylon, but it has given hope to millions of God’s people in various difficult circumstances.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Je 29:11.

A – This is a popular verse that gets quoted in response  when someone is in a difficult situation.  The irony is that in its context it was God encouraging before he directed them into a challenging time.  Both apply today – God’s word promises us there will be trouble and we get into often.  In those times, God has a plan for each of us and it is good, establishes our future and is founded in expectation that attaches us to God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Hope of glory.  Each of us are facing challenges.  Thank you for your assurance that you are with us and have a plan.  We invite you Holy Spirit to work in us so we can be faithful to you in our words, thoughts and actions even when challenged.

S – The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. ⁹ As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.

Jeremiah 28:8–9 ESV

O – Commentary:

Two prophets had made conflicting claims, each one attributing his message to God. Though Jeremiah could have wished that the Lord would fulfill the words of Hananiah, nevertheless Hananiah’s prophecy was false. The ultimate test for prophets was whether their prophecies were fulfilled. A prophet was known to be sent by God only if his prediction came true (cf. Deut. 18:20–22). Time would tell whether Jeremiah or Hananiah was the false prophet.

Charles H. Dyer, “Jeremiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1165.

A – When two Christian leaders had conflicting claims, the fruit of each will tell you which was from God.  With so many opinions available today, a great principle to follow is look at the fruit.  And that doesn’t always mean the audience’s response.  Look to see how it aligns with God’s heart, character and the Bible.  Look for lasting transformation from the people responding.  Finally, does it set a new way of living and relationship with God. 

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you.  Thank you God that you are speaking and moving today.  Help us to see you genuinely and authentically.  Give us the ability to see the real “fruit” of your Word and actions in our lives.

S – Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve the sentence of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God

Jeremiah 26:16 ESV

O – Commentary:

This man does not deserve a sentence of death The royal officials bring an acquittal in opposition to the wishes of the religious leaders. Since their reasoning is that Jeremiah spoke in the name of Yahweh, the conflict emphasizes the difficulty in recognizing true and false prophecy when both sides are claiming to speak on behalf of the same God

 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Je 26:16.

A – When both sides of a disagreement represent “God’s voice,” it can be challenging.  We see this with arguments about interpretations of the Bible.  There are number of topics that actually divide Christians because they see it their way.  When those come up, it is important to go back to what is the foundational truths of the Bible that are absolute and non arguable.  The most foundational is that God loves all people and wants to be in relationship with them through accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

R – Heavenly Father, you are absolute Truth.  Forgive us when we make our disagreements about you larger than our desire to know you.  Help us to grow in our understanding and love of you and your character.

S – Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness

Jeremiah 23:5–6 ESV

O – Commentary:

A righteous descendant (literally a righteous branch) of King David’s line, whose ruling power had temporarily come to an end, would be a King. In stark contrast to the three kings the Lord had just rebuked (ch 22), this King would have wisdom and act in a way that is just and right (33:15; Isa 11:1–5; 53:2; Zech 3:8; Luke 1:32–33).

23:6 This ruler would have the name The Lord Is Our Righteousness (Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu), an interesting reversal of Zedekiah’s Hebrew name (Tsidqiyyahu), which means “Righteous is the Lord.” Zedekiah’s character and the chaos of his reign were the opposite of the future King’s character and the salvation and safety that his reign would offer.

23:7–8 Cp. 16:14.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Je 23:5–8.

A – Jeremiah prophesied of the coming Messiah that would bring righteousness back to the kingship of Israel.  The qualities of wisdom, justice and righteousness all align with the character of God as we know it today.  They bring salvation and security to all those who accept Christ as their Savior.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Yahweh Tsidqenu.  You are Righteous and wise.  Thank you for the salvation and security that comes in knowing you.  We walk in relationship with you and ask that our character grow to be more like your character.

S – I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die. ²⁷ But to the land to which they will long to return, there they shall not return.” 

Jeremiah 22:26–27 ESV

O –  Commentary:

another country where you were not born Jehoiachin’s punishment is exile in Babylon.

22:27 they will not return Jeremiah addresses the hopes of people who still considered Jehoiachin the rightful king of Judah and looked for his return. Jehoiachin’s exile to Babylon is permanent; there will be no restoration.

 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Je 22:26–27.

A –  When going through a hard time, do we think of better times and places?  Do we ask “Why can’t it be like that?”  We cannot live live looking in the past.  We should use the past to gain insight and wisdom into the future.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are righteous and just.  Thank you God that your actions are compassionate and merciful.  We have the opportunity to come into a right relationship with you when we obey your word.  Help us to learn from our mistakes and move forward aligned with your will and purpose.

S – For thus says the Lord: Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends. They shall fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon. He shall carry them captive to Babylon, and shall strike them down with the sword. ⁵ Moreover, I will give all the wealth of the city, all its gains, all its prized belongings, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah into the hand of their enemies, who shall plunder them and seize them and carry them to Babylon.

 Jeremiah 20:4–5 ESV

O – Commentary:

This is the first instance in which Babylon is named as the country whose armies would invade Judah and take the people into exile. The invaders would take the precious jewels and gold and silver, leaving Judah without resources

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Je 20:4–5.

A – Jeremiah prophesied the opponent and the results of Judah’s disobedience to God.  We have the same warning throughout the Bible when we are told to repent of our sin and have a relationship with God.  The difference is we have a choice in the outcome.  It is our choice to accept Christ and have a relationship with God or reject Christ and have distance and separation.

R – Heavenly Father, you are righteous and Holy.  You give us a choice today to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior or go our own way.  Help us to choose you.  We cannot overcome sin without Christ’s work on the cross.  Help us to walk out our relationship with you today.