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  2. Sun: Leviticus 22-23
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Tuesday · Week 30
The Early Prophets

Jeremiah 11-12

Week 30 · about 9 min
  1. Wed: 2 Kings 5-8
  2. Thu: Philemon
  3. Fri: Daniel 9-10

Judah breaks the covenant, and Jeremiah learns that men from his own hometown are plotting to kill him.

If the Footmen Tire You

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Jeremiah 12:5 (KJV)

Jeremiah didn’t know his own neighbors in Anathoth were planning to kill him. He says he was “like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter.” Then he asks God the old question: “Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?” God’s answer isn’t what you’d expect. He doesn’t comfort Jeremiah. He tells him that if racing men has worn him out, he’ll have to race horses next. It’s going to get harder. God was preparing him instead of babying him. Sometimes the smaller struggles are training for bigger ones.

Reflect: What might God be training you for through the struggles you’re facing now?

Jeremiah 11

1The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

2Give ear to the words of this agreement, and say to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem,

3The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, Let that man be cursed who does not give ear to the words of this agreement,

4To the order which I gave your fathers on the day when I took them out of the land of Egypt, out of the oven of iron, saying, Give ear to my voice, and do all the orders I have given you: so you will be my people, and I will be your God:

5So that I may give effect to the oath which I made to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey as at this day. And I said in answer, So be it, O Lord.

6And the Lord said to me, Give out these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Give ear to the words of this agreement and do them.

7For I gave certain witness to your fathers on the day when I took them up out of the land of Egypt, and even to this day, getting up early and witnessing and saying, Give ear to my voice.

8But they gave no attention and did not give ear, but they went on, every man in the pride of his evil heart: so I sent on them all the curses in this agreement, which I gave them orders to keep, but they did not.

9And the Lord said to me, There is an evil design at work among the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem.

10They are turned back to the sins of their fathers, who would not give ear to my words; they have gone after other gods and become their servants: the people of Israel and the people of Judah have not kept the agreement which I made with their fathers.

11So the Lord has said, I will send evil on them, which they will not be able to get away from; and they will send up a cry for help to me, but I will not give ear to them.

12Then the towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go crying for help to the gods to whom they have been burning perfumes: but they will give them no salvation in the time of their trouble.

13For the number of your gods is as the number of your towns, O Judah; and for every street in Jerusalem you have put up altars to the Baal for burning perfumes to the Baal.

14And as for you, make no prayers for this people, send up no cry or prayer for them: for I will not give ear to their cry in the time of their trouble.

15About Judah. What have you to do in my house? is it your thought that oaths and holy flesh will get you out of your trouble? will you make yourself safe in this way?

16You had been named by the Lord, A branching olive-tree, fair with beautiful fruit: with the noise of a great rushing he has put it on fire and its branches are broken.

17For the Lord of armies, by whom you were planted, has given his decision for evil against you, because of the evil which the people of Israel and the people of Judah have done, In moving me to wrath by offering perfumes to the Baal.

18And the Lord gave me knowledge of it and I saw it: then you made clear to me their doings.

19But I was like a gentle lamb taken to be put to death; I had no thought that they were designing evil against me, saying, Come and let us make trouble his food, cutting him off from the land of the living, so that there may be no more memory of his name.

20But, O Lord of armies, judging in righteousness, testing the thoughts and the heart, let me see your punishment come on them: for I have put my cause before you.

21So this is what the Lord of armies has said about the men of Anathoth who have made designs against your life, saying, You are not to be a prophet in the name of the Lord, or death will overtake you by our hands:

22So the Lord of armies has said, See, I will send punishment on them: the young men will be put to the sword; their sons and their daughters will come to death through need of food:

23Not one of them will keep his life, for I will send evil on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.

Jeremiah 12

1You are in the right, O Lord, when I put my cause before you: still let me take up with you the question of your decisions: why does the evil-doer do well? why are the workers of deceit living in comfort?

2They have been planted by you, they have taken root; they go on and give fruit: you are near in their mouths but far from their thoughts.

3But you, O Lord, have knowledge of me; you see me, searching and testing how my heart is with you: let them be pulled out like sheep to be put to death, make them ready for the day of death.

4How long will the land have grief, and the plants of all the land be dry? because of the sins of the people living in it, destruction has overtaken the beasts and the birds; because they said, God does not see our ways.

5If running with the fighting-men has made you tired, how will you be able to keep up with horses? and if in a land of peace you go in flight, what will become of you in the thick growth of Jordan?

6For even your brothers, your father's family, even they have been untrue to you, crying loudly after you: have no faith in them, though they say fair words to you.

7I have given up my house, I have let my heritage go; I have given the loved one of my soul into the hands of her haters.

8My heritage has become like a lion in the woodland to me; her voice has been loud against me; so I have hate for her.

9My heritage is like a brightly coloured bird to me; the cruel birds are attacking her on every side: go, get together all the beasts of the field, make them come for destruction.

10The keepers of sheep have been the destruction of my vine-garden, crushing my heritage under their feet; they have made my fair heritage an unplanted waste;

11They have made it waste; it is weeping to me, being wasted; all the land is made waste, because no man takes it to heart.

12Those who make waste have come on all the open hilltops in the waste land; for the sword of the Lord sends destruction from one end of the land to the other end of the land: no flesh has peace.

13Though good grain was planted, they have got in thorns: they have given themselves pain without profit: they will be shamed on account of their produce, because of the burning wrath of the Lord.

14This is what the Lord has said against all my evil neighbours, who put their hands on the heritage which I gave my people Israel: See, I will have them uprooted from their land, uprooting the people of Judah from among them.

15And it will come about that, after they have been uprooted, I will again have pity on them; and I will take them back, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.

16And it will be that, if they give their minds to learning the ways of my people, using my name in their oaths, By the living Lord; as they have been teaching my people to take oaths by the Baal; then their place will be made certain among my people.

17But if they will not give ear, then I will have that nation uprooted, and given to destruction, says the Lord.

Bible in Basic English (BBE). Bible in Basic English (BBE), public domain in the United States.