God says He is giving Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon great power. Surrender to him and it will go easier for you. Don't listen to lying prophets who say you won't have to serve Babylon, who say the temple articles taken to Babylon will soon come back. Instead, everything that is left will be taken away, too!
28
Another prophet Hananiah prophesies that God will bring all Israel back from Babylonian captivity within 2 years. Jeremiah publicly speaks, hoping it is so, but saying, "We'll see." Hananiah breaks the wooden yoke Jeremiah carries as a prop. Jeremiah leaves but God gives him a prophecy that Hananiah will die and the Babylonian bonds will be stronger since Israel resists.
29
Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles already in Babylon:
Settle down there, for you won't be back for 70 years.
He names false prophets who are lying and denying this reality. Some of them write back to the chief priests calling Jeremiah a madman and asking the priests to silence him.
How this is about Jesus
He had close friends (Peter) who denied the punishment He needed to bear for Israel's sins.
They conspired together to silence and arrest Him, too.
Application
Sometimes lack of repentance shows itself by trying to minimize consequences for sin.
Israel was trying to convince itself that its punishment would be brief and things could go back to normal.
Such admonishment is not opposed to the Gospel of grace, when people first need to know and admit the depth of their sins.
Jeremiah 29:11
I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[d] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment