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this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern christadelphian bible school the eastern christadelphian bible school presents one of a series of bible study presents one of a series of bible study classes originally delivered at the classes originally delivered at the 1971 convocation at wilbraham 1971 convocation at wilbraham brother edgar willey of kenick brother edgar willey of kenick staffordshire england has chosen as his staffordshire england has chosen as his theme theme jeremiah jesus and us jeremiah jesus and us here is brother willie as he begins the here is brother willie as he begins the first address entitled first address entitled it is nothing to you all ye that pass by it is nothing to you all ye that pass by collapse of an age collapse of an age my brother and sisters my brother and sisters i'm sure your i'm sure your minds are either minds are either absolutely stupid with all the material absolutely stupid with all the material that you've been thinking about so that that you've been thinking about so that you will have a little nap while i talk you will have a little nap while i talk or else or else the the mental activity that you've been having mental activity that you've been having so far has so invigorated you that so far has so invigorated you that you're all set for another dose you're all set for another dose whichever way it is uh i hope we're whichever way it is uh i hope we're going to have a good time together going to have a good time together studying jeremiah jesus and us and studying jeremiah jesus and us and you'll notice you'll notice that i've given this that i've given this a title a title not just the book of jeremiah because not just the book of jeremiah because i'm not interested in books i'm not interested in books books are only a means to an end even books are only a means to an end even the bible is a means to an end and not the bible is a means to an end and not an end in itself an end in itself we're interested in people we're we're interested in people we're interested in being what the lord jesus interested in being what the lord jesus wants us to be wants us to be and the whole purpose of the bible is to and the whole purpose of the bible is to lead us to him lead us to him jesus said to the pharisees jesus said to the pharisees you search the scriptures for in them you search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life but she you think you have eternal life but she will not come to me of whom they speak will not come to me of whom they speak so the object of the whole of the bible so the object of the whole of the bible old and new testament alike is to bring old and new testament alike is to bring us to him us to him and and to bring us to bring us to him to him you know putting all the emphasis in the you know putting all the emphasis in the different places that you can put it so different places that you can put it so that's why if we're going to study a that's why if we're going to study a book of the old testament a book which book of the old testament a book which superficially considered could almost be superficially considered could almost be rather tedious to read because of its rather tedious to read because of its frequent denunciations of sin the object frequent denunciations of sin the object is that we may be the more prepared in is that we may be the more prepared in our minds to receive jesus our minds to receive jesus and that we might and that we might in our lives reflect him jeremiah is a in our lives reflect him jeremiah is a means therefore for us to lay hold of means therefore for us to lay hold of jesus jesus is a means for jesus to lay hold of us is a means for jesus to lay hold of us all scripture is given by inspiration of all scripture is given by inspiration of god and is able to make us wise unto god and is able to make us wise unto salvation said paul to timothy salvation said paul to timothy but he didn't stop there but he didn't stop there the scripture he was speaking of was the the scripture he was speaking of was the old testament he said the old testament old testament he said the old testament is able to make you wise unto salvation is able to make you wise unto salvation but he didn't stop there he added those but he didn't stop there he added those seven words of which i spoke last year seven words of which i spoke last year through faith which is in christ jesus through faith which is in christ jesus the old testament prepares you for jesus the old testament prepares you for jesus the old testament leads you to salvation the old testament leads you to salvation if you see it all in the light of jesus if you see it all in the light of jesus i used to read the old testament as the i used to read the old testament as the old testament i used to read it on its old testament i used to read it on its own without sufficient regard to jesus own without sufficient regard to jesus oh i'd look around for some types and oh i'd look around for some types and that kind of thing now and again but that kind of thing now and again but essentially now i read the old testament essentially now i read the old testament that i might i know my need of jesus that i might i know my need of jesus more and be so that i might see more and be so that i might see the qualities which jesus brings out the qualities which jesus brings out perfectly you can't read the old perfectly you can't read the old testament without being continually testament without being continually conscious of jesus conscious of jesus and the bible and the bible is not just a solid block is not just a solid block of final statements propositions that of final statements propositions that have dropped down out of heaven have dropped down out of heaven it's all divinely inspired but not every it's all divinely inspired but not every sentence you read in the bible is sentence you read in the bible is equally authoritative now what do i mean equally authoritative now what do i mean by that that could be misunderstood by that that could be misunderstood couldn't it well when job couldn't it well when job justifies himself i've just been justifies himself i've just been speaking about him with the younger speaking about him with the younger teenagers when job justified himself by teenagers when job justified himself by god those words are in the bible aren't god those words are in the bible aren't they they but we know that what he said but we know that what he said wasn't wasn't right and he had to learn better right and he had to learn better what the three friends said was equally what the three friends said was equally wrong they had to be humbled wrong they had to be humbled and so it is with jeremiah and so it is with jeremiah we haven't just a solid block of we haven't just a solid block of prophecies a solid block of statements prophecies a solid block of statements all of which are equally true all of which are equally true but we have a living man but we have a living man struggling seeking to find the light struggling seeking to find the light seeking to do the right thing seeking to do the right thing encountering god encountering god and it is the record of his encounter and it is the record of his encounter that we're to look at this week that we're to look at this week and god's encounter with men and god's encounter with men is in is in two particular phases one his encounter two particular phases one his encounter with men is in israel with men is in israel and the human side of the encounter when and the human side of the encounter when men say wrong things is all part of the men say wrong things is all part of the means whereby we are instructed means whereby we are instructed and the second great means and focal and the second great means and focal point of the point of the encounter is in christ encounter is in christ to which the first encounter with israel to which the first encounter with israel was uh leading was uh leading and in order to get the benefit from and in order to get the benefit from these inspired scriptures we've got to these inspired scriptures we've got to try and get into the skins try and get into the skins of these men of these men this is something that i think we're this is something that i think we're learning as a community not to treat the learning as a community not to treat the bible as a mass of verses handy for bible as a mass of verses handy for playing what i've called before here playing what i've called before here spiritual ping pong spiritual ping pong the verses in the bible are to be seen the verses in the bible are to be seen against the total context of each against the total context of each particular particular subject each particular biography each subject each particular biography each particular poetry book proverb book particular poetry book proverb book whatever it might be it's all to be seen whatever it might be it's all to be seen against a total background against a total background and so when we're reading the lives of and so when we're reading the lives of men like jeremiah we're to get into men like jeremiah we're to get into their skins we're to share their their skins we're to share their progress we're to share their struggles progress we're to share their struggles i know just what jeremiah meant we say i know just what jeremiah meant we say to ourselves i know just how he feels to ourselves i know just how he feels and and we we share his doubts share his doubts we share his hopes we share his hopes we share his fears we share his fears we share his models because he does get we share his models because he does get into some muddle sometimes into some muddle sometimes we share his wrong attitudes because we share his wrong attitudes because although overall he was a right man although overall he was a right man sometimes his attitudes weren't right sometimes his attitudes weren't right like when he said lord take my enemies like when he said lord take my enemies and kill him off and kill him off that contrasts with father forgive them that contrasts with father forgive them for they know not what they do but you for they know not what they do but you can understand how he felt and of course can understand how he felt and of course there's a certain truth in it in that uh there's a certain truth in it in that uh god is a god of judgment god is a god of judgment and he will and he will deal with his enemies and with the deal with his enemies and with the enemies of his servants enemies of his servants nevertheless jeremiah stands there in nevertheless jeremiah stands there in contrast to jesus rather than in contrast to jesus rather than in comparison comparison so his mind gets cleared on various so his mind gets cleared on various points he moves right through his life points he moves right through his life story from a situation where he was story from a situation where he was involved in israel's national worship to involved in israel's national worship to a situation where he realized that a situation where he realized that worship was a thing of the heart and worship was a thing of the heart and within within that of course is jeremiah's greatest that of course is jeremiah's greatest contribution to the whole of the bible contribution to the whole of the bible story that he is the one that comes out story that he is the one that comes out with this inward with this inward new covenant idea new covenant idea that living in christ and christ in us that living in christ and christ in us is the heart of christianity although is the heart of christianity although because he didn't put it in those terms because he didn't put it in those terms but he put it in the terms of the new but he put it in the terms of the new covenant jeremiah 31 i will put my law covenant jeremiah 31 i will put my law in their hearts in their hearts that was said in the end of an age when that was said in the end of an age when temples were crashing down when the temples were crashing down when the caldeans stood at the gates of jerusalem caldeans stood at the gates of jerusalem and jerusalem was about to be burnt and jerusalem was about to be burnt then this man learned that true worship then this man learned that true worship was in spirits was in spirits and in hearts and in hearts so so this is how god speaks to us through the this is how god speaks to us through the experiences of men experiences of men much more exciting than if he'd just much more exciting than if he'd just dictated mechanical statements dictated mechanical statements much more exciting than if he'd just much more exciting than if he'd just given us commands from heaven all the given us commands from heaven all the time time but he speaks in the human situation if but he speaks in the human situation if i say nothing else this week but to get i say nothing else this week but to get a little glimmering of this point over a little glimmering of this point over god speaks in the bible in the human god speaks in the bible in the human situation situation he speaks in the clash of emotions he speaks in the clash of emotions and he speaks to us and he speaks to us in a way that a mere law book never in a way that a mere law book never could have done could have done now in order to do this in order to now in order to do this in order to extract from a book like the book of extract from a book like the book of jeremiah an understanding of the person jeremiah an understanding of the person we've got to we've got to do some work do some work we've got to do some study it's study we've got to do some study it's study with an objective with an objective we've got to try and we've got to try and get the historical context we've got to get the historical context we've got to say to ourselves well what what was say to ourselves well what what was jeremiah doing and what was israel doing jeremiah doing and what was israel doing and also as we get that historical and also as we get that historical context and set jeremiah in his times context and set jeremiah in his times then having got him in his times and got then having got him in his times and got him in his circumstances we're able to him in his circumstances we're able to move into our own times and our own move into our own times and our own circumstances and what jeremiah says circumstances and what jeremiah says about israel as about israel as the specific title i've given to today's the specific title i've given to today's talk is is it nothing to you who passed talk is is it nothing to you who passed by the collapse of an age by the collapse of an age so jeremiah lived in the collapse of the so jeremiah lived in the collapse of the jewish age jewish age we live we live in the collapse of a gentile age in the collapse of a gentile age and all the emotions that jeremiah had and all the emotions that jeremiah had about israel i'm going to suggest about israel i'm going to suggest that we ought to have about fellow man that we ought to have about fellow man today today you may find this a little new you may find this a little new in that we tend to shut ourselves off in that we tend to shut ourselves off from the world and say well the world's from the world and say well the world's going to destruction let's try and save going to destruction let's try and save one or two but don't let's ha don't one or two but don't let's ha don't let's think about the world it's wicked let's think about the world it's wicked well that is true of course the world well that is true of course the world lies in wickedness lies in wickedness but so did israel lie in wickedness and but so did israel lie in wickedness and yet jeremiah still cared jeremiah cared yet jeremiah still cared jeremiah cared about his wicked israel about his wicked israel and we ought to care and we ought to care about this wicked world because this about this wicked world because this wicked world of which we speak so wicked world of which we speak so impersonally consists of people impersonally consists of people people like you and me people with people like you and me people with feelings people with emotions people feelings people with emotions people with godlike capacity which god-like with godlike capacity which god-like capacity they're not using now hearts capacity they're not using now hearts should bleed for mankind should bleed for mankind just as jeremiah's bled for israel just as jeremiah's bled for israel because israel is presented to us in the because israel is presented to us in the bible as what i would call a kind of a bible as what i would call a kind of a microcosm microcosm a little version of the whole of the a little version of the whole of the world world and god didn't only love israel god so and god didn't only love israel god so loved the world loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and that he gave his only begotten son and that is the message of the new testament that is the message of the new testament so it is right that we should read so it is right that we should read jeremiah's words in the light of the new jeremiah's words in the light of the new testament where the gentiles are brought testament where the gentiles are brought into the picture and when we read sad into the picture and when we read sad words coming wrung from the heart of words coming wrung from the heart of jeremiah jeremiah we should share his mood toward israel we should share his mood toward israel only our mood should be toward all only our mood should be toward all mankind mankind so that's a very important thing as we so that's a very important thing as we go along go along and all the time the lord jesus christ and all the time the lord jesus christ himself is the himself is the crucible which transforms all experience crucible which transforms all experience the old testament is the key the old testament is the key to that crucible we are led to jesus to that crucible we are led to jesus now the other thing that i want to say now the other thing that i want to say before getting into the topic fully before getting into the topic fully i thought it was worthwhile just making i thought it was worthwhile just making these general points so we'll often come these general points so we'll often come back to them i'll probably have that back to them i'll probably have that piece of paper in front of me and come piece of paper in front of me and come back to these thoughts from time to time back to these thoughts from time to time but there's just one or two other points but there's just one or two other points that i want to make that i want to make and that is and that is the book of jeremiah is largely poetry the book of jeremiah is largely poetry he was a poet he was a poet and when you have truth expressed in and when you have truth expressed in poetry poetry you have it expressed you have it expressed in a way where you can't use it with in a way where you can't use it with lawyer-like precision lawyer-like precision this is a mistake that theological this is a mistake that theological people arguing sometimes make they take people arguing sometimes make they take a piece of divine poetry a piece of divine poetry and they treat it as if it was and they treat it as if it was legalistic prose legalistic prose and if you do that sort of thing you can and if you do that sort of thing you can prove that in bible days and in the prove that in bible days and in the kingdom the forests are going to clap kingdom the forests are going to clap their hands well we all know just what their hands well we all know just what that means it's the same with the book that means it's the same with the book of revelation all kinds of weird and of revelation all kinds of weird and wonderful things have been done with the wonderful things have been done with the book of revelation because we haven't book of revelation because we haven't recognized sufficiently that it is recognized sufficiently that it is divine poetry divine creative divine poetry divine creative to recognize that from time to time to recognize that from time to time we'll need to come back to that point we'll need to come back to that point and as i say be prepared to find that and as i say be prepared to find that jeremiah said some wrong things jeremiah said some wrong things and part of our test and part of our test as we study is to be thinking around it as we study is to be thinking around it and and be sympathetic to jeremiah be sympathetic to jeremiah in other words when jeremiah does say in other words when jeremiah does say something wrong say oh well we know something wrong say oh well we know better than him better than him if we know better than him it's because if we know better than him it's because his life is recorded his life is recorded and it's quite a wonderful thing i think and it's quite a wonderful thing i think as we try to as we try to explore the labyrinths of another human explore the labyrinths of another human mind mind now because jeremiah stands in the now because jeremiah stands in the collapse of this age collapse of this age where judah's kingdom was going to be where judah's kingdom was going to be destroyed destroyed i think we can say that the future i think we can say that the future of god's religion of god's religion and therefore the future of christianity and therefore the future of christianity was at this stage some six hundred years was at this stage some six hundred years before christ in the hands of two men before christ in the hands of two men under the divine providence in the hands under the divine providence in the hands of jeremiah and baruch barrack was his of jeremiah and baruch barrack was his shorthand typist well that's what he'd shorthand typist well that's what he'd have been today he was a have been today he was a a menuencis i think is the word use he a menuencis i think is the word use he used to write it down when jeremiah said used to write it down when jeremiah said it all and then he write it out neatly it all and then he write it out neatly and multiply copies of whatever it was and multiply copies of whatever it was that jeremiah said that jeremiah said jeremiah and bayruck jeremiah and bayruck stood alone stood alone and and as as the kingdom of israel in the past the kingdom of israel in the past collapsed collapsed as the temple was burnt as the temple was burnt as jerusalem was destroyed as successive as jerusalem was destroyed as successive waves of jews were taken into captivity waves of jews were taken into captivity either into either into the calden land babylon or down into the calden land babylon or down into egypt these men maintained the truth the egypt these men maintained the truth the truth truth that god's purpose is to dwell in men's that god's purpose is to dwell in men's hearts hearts in men's lives in men's lives they maintained that truth they maintained that truth they made it available for succeeding they made it available for succeeding generations generations and the prophet who brought us the and the prophet who brought us the message of the new covenant is surely message of the new covenant is surely one of the most important that ever one of the most important that ever could have been could have been now in order to help us to now in order to help us to get our bearings i've given you those get our bearings i've given you those two pieces of paper two pieces of paper which you can obviously take with you which you can obviously take with you and and all we're going to do now all we're going to do now is really just get our bearings you could say in a sense that this is not going to be the most interesting of not going to be the most interesting of the talks the talks but without this talk but without this talk we shan't be able to sort our way we shan't be able to sort our way through through jeremiah jeremiah was born was born in the year approximately six forty-two in the year approximately six forty-two years before christ years before christ he was called to the ministry he was called to the ministry while quite a young man while quite a young man in the year approximately six to six in the year approximately six to six and that's that's really quite young and that's that's really quite young isn't it isn't it what's it make six from 12 is six it's what's it make six from 12 is six it's 16 isn't it 16 isn't it it really is young it really is young that's when he's first called and he he that's when he's first called and he he says look i'm too young for this you can says look i'm too young for this you can understand him saying it can't you understand him saying it can't you and he was called and he was called at a time when the whole of the middle at a time when the whole of the middle east east was in a a state of threat from a was in a a state of threat from a northern invader northern invader and this northern invader and this northern invader was the scythians gogu of the land of was the scythians gogu of the land of magog magog rosh rosh meshech and tubal we've all heard of meshech and tubal we've all heard of those from ezekiel these were the those from ezekiel these were the scythians we call them the russians scythians we call them the russians today today and they were a barbarian horde who came and they were a barbarian horde who came hurtling down round about the year hurtling down round about the year 630 and onwards under the whole of the 630 and onwards under the whole of the middle east middle east they even caused trouble to assyria they even caused trouble to assyria and it was through that trouble that the and it was through that trouble that the scythians called to scythians called to caused to assyria caused to assyria that assyria really went out of the that assyria really went out of the picture and babylon came in picture and babylon came in and they came right down the seacoast of and they came right down the seacoast of palestine and right to the gates of palestine and right to the gates of egypt egypt and all jerusalem said oh dear they're and all jerusalem said oh dear they're coming here but in fact they didn't come coming here but in fact they didn't come up into the hills of up into the hills of jerusalem so that was the scythian jerusalem so that was the scythian invasion invasion and jeremiah has a lot to say about the and jeremiah has a lot to say about the scythian invasion scythian invasion when he talks in his early chapters when he talks in his early chapters about the northern invader about the northern invader it was the scythians that he was talking it was the scythians that he was talking about about in fact they didn't come in fact they didn't come and people therefore said to jeremiah and people therefore said to jeremiah jeremiah jeremiah you said the scythians were coming you said the scythians were coming they didn't did they they didn't did they so he was made to look a bit silly so he was made to look a bit silly but he hadn't actually said the but he hadn't actually said the scythians he'd said the norman northern scythians he'd said the norman northern hosts as i'll show you tomorrow hosts as i'll show you tomorrow he said the northern hosts he said the northern hosts and uh and uh so later on 20 years later so later on 20 years later he was able to say he was able to say when babylon came down there you are i when babylon came down there you are i told you the northern hosts would come told you the northern hosts would come down you just thought i meant the down you just thought i meant the scythians i didn't know what i meant scythians i didn't know what i meant because i was speaking for god now we because i was speaking for god now we know what i meant because the know what i meant because the babylonians came down 20 years there's a babylonians came down 20 years there's a lesson there somewhere isn't that when lesson there somewhere isn't that when we reckon we know all about the signs of we reckon we know all about the signs of the times and we've got the answers the times and we've got the answers we haven't always got the right answers we haven't always got the right answers because the mills of god grind slowly because the mills of god grind slowly but they grind exceeding sure and so but they grind exceeding sure and so although jeremiah looked a bit silly although jeremiah looked a bit silly because everybody thought he meant the because everybody thought he meant the scythians when he said these northern scythians when he said these northern armies were coming down in fact it was armies were coming down in fact it was the babylonians and that was 20 years the babylonians and that was 20 years later so bear that in mind because this later so bear that in mind because this is what is what gave him such a bad reputation gave him such a bad reputation and so upset him when the people he and so upset him when the people he loved showed such an unhappy attitude to loved showed such an unhappy attitude to him so there he was in this collapsing him so there he was in this collapsing civilization civilization and uh on the sheet which says possible and uh on the sheet which says possible order of the book of jeremiah order of the book of jeremiah you've got you've got an approximate list an approximate list of the right order of the book of of the right order of the book of jeremiah jeremiah now that i'm going to explain that's a now that i'm going to explain that's a problem problem you see you see if there's any book of the bible that's if there's any book of the bible that's in the wrong order it's the book of in the wrong order it's the book of jeremiah it's hopeless jeremiah it's hopeless but i tell a little story about it which but i tell a little story about it which perhaps if in the kingdom we meet baruch perhaps if in the kingdom we meet baruch we'll be able to find out whether my we'll be able to find out whether my theory is right but i guess i forget the theory is right but i guess i forget the feeling that barrack had been putting feeling that barrack had been putting all the all the sheets together collating them i think sheets together collating them i think donald calls it he used that word to me donald calls it he used that word to me last night anyway uh and he'd been last night anyway uh and he'd been collating all these sheets that he'd collating all these sheets that he'd written on of all various jeremiah's written on of all various jeremiah's experiences and prophecies and so on experiences and prophecies and so on and he put them all on the table there and he put them all on the table there in the right order and then he went out in the right order and then he went out to see somebody or something to see somebody or something and left the door open and the wind came and left the door open and the wind came and it blew them all over the place and and it blew them all over the place and he comes and says oh dear oh dear and i he comes and says oh dear oh dear and i just got those in the right order the just got those in the right order the trouble is i can't remember the right trouble is i can't remember the right order now and he picks them all up in in order now and he picks them all up in in the best order he can the best order he can and that's how the book of jeremiah got and that's how the book of jeremiah got in the order it was well i wouldn't know in the order it was well i wouldn't know but it's like that but it's like that it's like and that wouldn't be against it's like and that wouldn't be against inspiration you see because god doesn't inspiration you see because god doesn't god hasn't arranged to give us books in god hasn't arranged to give us books in the right order neither has he always the right order neither has he always arranged to tell us who wrote them arranged to tell us who wrote them for example the epistle to the hebrews for example the epistle to the hebrews somebody asked once who wrote it and somebody asked once who wrote it and somebody else said god only knows somebody else said god only knows because we always say because our bible because we always say because our bible says epistle of fall to the hebrews but says epistle of fall to the hebrews but i think most of us realize that it's i think most of us realize that it's probably unlikely that paul wrote it probably unlikely that paul wrote it though he may have had some influence on though he may have had some influence on it but it doesn't matter god wanted that it but it doesn't matter god wanted that epistle to be sent and it's a very epistle to be sent and it's a very important epistle so it is with the important epistle so it is with the psalms we know that only a psalms we know that only a minority of the psalms probably written minority of the psalms probably written by david so god hasn't arranged for by david so god hasn't arranged for things like authorship and order to be things like authorship and order to be right but he's arranged for us to have right but he's arranged for us to have what he wanted us to have and i reckon what he wanted us to have and i reckon there's a challenge in things being in there's a challenge in things being in the wrong order the wrong order because it makes you look at the because it makes you look at the internal hints it makes you engage in a internal hints it makes you engage in a spiritual detective work to try and get spiritual detective work to try and get the right order and of course while the right order and of course while you're engaging in this detective work you're engaging in this detective work and really all i can do this week is and really all i can do this week is just open the sample case and share a just open the sample case and share a little bit with you because you really little bit with you because you really got to do the work yourself it's the got to do the work yourself it's the only way you can get the benefit from it only way you can get the benefit from it and i shouldn't have time to do more and i shouldn't have time to do more than just scratch the surface but by than just scratch the surface but by this sort of detective work you get into this sort of detective work you get into the whole situation you get into the the whole situation you get into the moods and the feelings of the people's moods and the feelings of the people's concerned and so concerned and so this is what we have a book that is this is what we have a book that is hopelessly out of order and so with the hopelessly out of order and so with the aid of about two dozen different aid of about two dozen different commentaries and trying to find the commentaries and trying to find the common basis and common basis and uh and then putting them all away and uh and then putting them all away and just reading the book for myself just reading the book for myself that's my best effort for the right that's my best effort for the right order for things to be in order for things to be in and and the particular sequence of events with approximate dates is on the other piece approximate dates is on the other piece of paper of paper now the great events that we've got to now the great events that we've got to look at look at to get this order and you get it from to get this order and you get it from kings and chronicles kings and chronicles is to is to recognize recognize the situation back as far as the time of the situation back as far as the time of hezekiah which is in the late 800s bc hezekiah which is in the late 800s bc where you had a good king upon the where you had a good king upon the throne then you remember how he had 15 throne then you remember how he had 15 years added to his life and as a result years added to his life and as a result of that of that a baby was born of the name of manasseh a baby was born of the name of manasseh and manasseh reigned for 60 years and manasseh reigned for 60 years and in those 60 years he so corrupted and in those 60 years he so corrupted israel israel or particularly judah the two tribes or particularly judah the two tribes that things never got right again and we that things never got right again and we should be seeing some of the things that should be seeing some of the things that were wrong we should be saying well what were wrong we should be saying well what can this mean to us today things never can this mean to us today things never got right again got right again and and you have therefore this you have therefore this situation situation of a long reign when the temple wasn't of a long reign when the temple wasn't used used when there were even idolatry and even when there were even idolatry and even temple prostitution was taking place temple prostitution was taking place where immorality was actually engaged in where immorality was actually engaged in as a religious activity as a religious activity you know people like that kind of a you know people like that kind of a religion because it gave them an excuse religion because it gave them an excuse for all the for all the bad things they wanted to do bad things they wanted to do that was the state that israel had got that was the state that israel had got to when they had trouble they'd even to when they had trouble they'd even offer their children in sacrifice to offer their children in sacrifice to other gods other gods but of course they still worshipped but of course they still worshipped yahweh the god of israel as well yahweh the god of israel as well they didn't realize that he was the only they didn't realize that he was the only one they shared one they shared god god and the other bales of the local and the other bales of the local countryside countryside and then came the young king josiah and then came the young king josiah who also at a very young age round about who also at a very young age round about the age of 18 said we're going to put the age of 18 said we're going to put this thing right this thing right he did it in a highly dictatorial manner he did it in a highly dictatorial manner because after all he was king because after all he was king he said you're going to do as you are he said you're going to do as you are told judah told judah and you're going to come up to the and you're going to come up to the temple and you're going to clean it out temple and you're going to clean it out and you're going to worship god and you're going to worship god when the king said that they said oh when the king said that they said oh well i suppose we better do as we're well i suppose we better do as we're told told but it was skin deep but it was skin deep this josiah reformation which i've got this josiah reformation which i've got down round about 6 21. down round about 6 21. this josiah reformation was so skin deep this josiah reformation was so skin deep that um in various places that um in various places uh jeremiah has to say uh jeremiah has to say that uh they're really only that uh they're really only pretending to come back they're not pretending to come back they're not coming back properly for today i better use my king james a bit because bit because i'm going to use the living bible i'm going to use the living bible paraphrase for some of the more lively paraphrase for some of the more lively parts so you get the feel of things but parts so you get the feel of things but in chapter three you get an example of in chapter three you get an example of the way in which this uh demons this reformation let's go at verse eight chapter three verse eight verse eight and i might cross reference to here if i and i might cross reference to here if i think it comes over well yeah i think i will have this uh kenneth taylor version verse eight taylor version verse eight uh yet uh yet she judah took no heed she judah took no heed even though she saw that i divorced even though she saw that i divorced faithless israel faithless israel but now judah too has left me and given but now judah too has left me and given herself to harlotry for she has gone to herself to harlotry for she has gone to other gods to worship them other gods to worship them she treated it all so lightly she treated it all so lightly to her it was nothing at all to her it was nothing at all that she should worship idols made of that she should worship idols made of wood and stone wood and stone and so the land was greatly polluted and so the land was greatly polluted and defiled that was the situation that and defiled that was the situation that existed in the manasseh time existed in the manasseh time then afterwards verse 10 this faithless then afterwards verse 10 this faithless one returned to me one returned to me this is the josiah reformation this is the josiah reformation but her sorrow was only faked but her sorrow was only faked the lord god says the lord god says well it comes over doesn't it her sorrow well it comes over doesn't it her sorrow was only faked was only faked what to say in the king james she didn't what to say in the king james she didn't turn to me with her whole heart but turn to me with her whole heart but faintedly faintedly saith the lord so there was a as far as saith the lord so there was a as far as most people was concerned were concerned most people was concerned were concerned the king said you've got to turn so they the king said you've got to turn so they turned but it was only faked turned but it was only faked it hadn't gone to the heart which causes it hadn't gone to the heart which causes the whole message of jeremiah the whole message of jeremiah and so and so the reformation went on the reformation went on and eventually and eventually a book was found a scroll as they tidied a book was found a scroll as they tidied the temple up the temple up and this scroll was the scroll which and this scroll was the scroll which included much of deuteronomy included much of deuteronomy the king said why this is marvelous the king said why this is marvelous you know how long it had been there but you know how long it had been there but there it was this scroll of deuteronomy there it was this scroll of deuteronomy they'd forgotten all about it they'd forgotten all about it when he read it he said it wasn't so when he read it he said it wasn't so marvelous because it said that marvelous because it said that israel were in real trouble because as israel were in real trouble because as they had so far turned from god there they had so far turned from god there wasn't much hope for them that's what it wasn't much hope for them that's what it looked like as he read deuteronomy 28 looked like as he read deuteronomy 28 and so the king put aside all his and so the king put aside all his dignity and he himself dignity and he himself went and stood on the platform and read went and stood on the platform and read from the book of deuteronomy to the from the book of deuteronomy to the people people he really rubbed it home to them all he really rubbed it home to them all that they got to change their ways that they got to change their ways it was a great period of spiritual it was a great period of spiritual activity activity and jeremiah in fact did at this time go and jeremiah in fact did at this time go round round and and help help in connection with this reformation i in connection with this reformation i think we read about it in chapter i'll never mind which chapter it is uh uh we'll be going to that tomorrow i must we'll be going to that tomorrow i must resist the temptation to look into too resist the temptation to look into too many chapters today actually because i many chapters today actually because i want to give you the general background want to give you the general background but in one of the chapters one of those but in one of the chapters one of those early chapters round uh 8 9 10 11 early chapters round uh 8 9 10 11 he goes round and he he says to all the he goes round and he he says to all the people people come back come back come back so come back come back come back so jeremiah did join oh yes it is it's jeremiah did join oh yes it is it's chapter 11. chapter 11. the word that came to jeremiah from the the word that came to jeremiah from the lord saying lord saying so he goes out on a missionary tour so he goes out on a missionary tour hear ye the words of this covenant and hear ye the words of this covenant and speak unto the men of judah and to the speak unto the men of judah and to the inhabitants of jerusalem and say thou inhabitants of jerusalem and say thou unto them thus saith the lord god of unto them thus saith the lord god of israel israel cursed be the man that obeyeth not the cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant so jeremiah does words of this covenant so jeremiah does join in join in does join in trying to get people to does join in trying to get people to come back to this come back to this covenant but he just doesn't seem to be covenant but he just doesn't seem to be so prominent as you'd expect so prominent as you'd expect and josiah must have been a little and josiah must have been a little disappointed to hear jeremiah saying disappointed to hear jeremiah saying it's all fake because it wasn't faked as it's all fake because it wasn't faked as far as far as josiah was concerned but as far as most josiah was concerned but as far as most of the people were concerned it was of the people were concerned it was well then great things were happening on well then great things were happening on the political scene the political scene and round about 609 bc and round about 609 bc the king of egypt nico the king of egypt nico comes to the throne comes to the throne and he decides he's going to do battle and he decides he's going to do battle with the caldeans because there were with the caldeans because there were always two political parties not the always two political parties not the democrats and the republicans in israel democrats and the republicans in israel but it was there were three really but but it was there were three really but the two main ones were the pro-egypt the two main ones were the pro-egypt party the ones who said let's let's go party the ones who said let's let's go to egypt to egypt and and the others were the pro-assyria and and the others were the pro-assyria or babylon party they said let's be or babylon party they said let's be friends with with the syria let's let's friends with with the syria let's let's rely on them rely on them and then there was a little party a and then there was a little party a smaller political party smaller political party the follow god party the trust in god the follow god party the trust in god and you get this in jeremiah chapter 2 and you get this in jeremiah chapter 2 verse 18 these two parties where verse 18 these two parties where jeremiah rebukes both of them jeremiah rebukes both of them he rebukes both the democrats and the he rebukes both the democrats and the republicans republicans in review as indeed he would if we were in review as indeed he would if we were here today no doubt and you get this in jeremiah chapter 2 verse 18 these two parties where verse 18 these two parties where jeremiah rebukes both of them jeremiah rebukes both of them he rebukes both the democrats and the he rebukes both the democrats and the republicans republicans he reviewed well as indeed he would if he reviewed well as indeed he would if we were here today no doubt we were here today no doubt or if i were in england i'd say the or if i were in england i'd say the conservatives and the and the labor or conservatives and the and the labor or the tories and the socialists the tories and the socialists uh well here it was the egypts and the uh well here it was the egypts and the babylonian parties and so god says in 2 babylonian parties and so god says in 2 verse 18 now what hast thou to do in the verse 18 now what hast thou to do in the waters of egypt to drink the waters of waters of egypt to drink the waters of saiho that's the river nile or what is saiho that's the river nile or what is thou to do in the way of assyria to thou to do in the way of assyria to drink the waters of the river that's the drink the waters of the river that's the river euphrates what are you doing what river euphrates what are you doing what do you mean by it he's saying do you mean by it he's saying constantly constantly getting yourself mixed up with these two getting yourself mixed up with these two nations why don't you depend upon god nations why don't you depend upon god and so and so josiah josiah decides he's not going to allow decides he's not going to allow the egyptian king to come across to go the egyptian king to come across to go and fight the babylonian king and fight the babylonian king and he gets killed and he gets killed one of the puzzles of the bible why such one of the puzzles of the bible why such a great good man as he should have been a great good man as he should have been allowed to be killed allowed to be killed well well one writer says that he was taken away one writer says that he was taken away from the evil that was to come so that from the evil that was to come so that he shouldn't see it he shouldn't see it anyway he was killed anyway he was killed in this battle when the egyptians came in this battle when the egyptians came up up and then there was a king jehoiah has and then there was a king jehoiah has that just reigned for three months that just reigned for three months and then pharaoh nico put on the throne and then pharaoh nico put on the throne king jehoiah kim and he was a terror king jehoiah kim and he was a terror he really was he really was he he was a selfish man he he was a selfish man whose whole approach was if i'm all whose whole approach was if i'm all right jack that's all that matters right jack that's all that matters we know the approach we know the approach he was a man who there he was living in he was a man who there he was living in the midst of a doomed nation and all he the midst of a doomed nation and all he could bother about was building his could bother about was building his ivory palace ivory palace and using forced labor to do it you read and using forced labor to do it you read about this in jeremiah 22 woe to you king jehoiakim 22 13. woe to you king jehoiakim for you are woe to you king jehoiakim for you are building your great palace with forced building your great palace with forced labor labor by not paying wages you are building in by not paying wages you are building in justice into its walls and oppression justice into its walls and oppression into its door frames and ceilings into its door frames and ceilings you say you say i will build a magnificent palace with i will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows paneled huge rooms and many windows paneled throughout with fragrance cedar and throughout with fragrance cedar and painted a lovely red painted a lovely red and then verse 15 is absolutely a and then verse 15 is absolutely a magnificent verse magnificent verse and i think the way it's translated in and i think the way it's translated in this paraphrase is marvelous this paraphrase is marvelous having said this you say to yourself having said this you say to yourself that you're going to have it paneled that you're going to have it paneled with fragrant cedar and painted a lovely with fragrant cedar and painted a lovely red he then goes on but a beautiful red he then goes on but a beautiful palace does not make a great king palace does not make a great king why did your father josiah reign so long why did your father josiah reign so long because he was just and fair in all his because he was just and fair in all his dealings was not this to know dealings was not this to know god god that's lovely isn't it that's lovely isn't it see the actions of josiah fair dealing see the actions of josiah fair dealing concern for others concern for others he saw to it that justice and help was he saw to it that justice and help was given to the poor and the needy and all given to the poor and the needy and all went well for him went well for him this is how a man lives close to god was this is how a man lives close to god was not this to know me not this to know me so that's josiah being contrasted with so that's josiah being contrasted with this new king jehoiakim who just this new king jehoiakim who just concerned himself with building up a concerned himself with building up a luxurious luxurious palace for himself palace for himself and all the time the babylonians were and all the time the babylonians were knocking at the door and the nation was knocking at the door and the nation was doomed and he knew it doomed and he knew it instead of recalling them to god he just instead of recalling them to god he just got on with his own selfish interests so got on with his own selfish interests so that's jehoia kim that's jehoia kim and um and um in the time of jehoiachim right at the in the time of jehoiachim right at the beginning beginning jeremiah really starts getting prominent jeremiah really starts getting prominent in chapter seven tells you how he goes in chapter seven tells you how he goes and stands one day outside the temple and stands one day outside the temple you know what would happen if you know what would happen if somebody came and stood outside your somebody came and stood outside your meeting room meeting room a brother and said a brother and said but not put any ecclesias in otherwise but not put any ecclesias in otherwise you know you might think i'm getting at you know you might think i'm getting at somebody so he went and said uh somebody so he went and said uh ex-land ecclesia ex-land ecclesia is corrupt is corrupt and you came find somebody outside your and you came find somebody outside your meeting saying that meeting saying that the arranging brethren is soon beyond the arranging brethren is soon beyond him so you go away and uh don't him so you go away and uh don't interrupt without worship well actually interrupt without worship well actually that's what jeremiah did that's what jeremiah did or to put it on another plane or to put it on another plane saint paul's cathedral is a very big saint paul's cathedral is a very big church that you've no doubt heard of in church that you've no doubt heard of in in england in england well it's something like billy graham well it's something like billy graham going and standing outside saint paul's going and standing outside saint paul's cathedral when the royal family have cathedral when the royal family have gone there and saying british religion gone there and saying british religion is corrupt you know and they wouldn't is corrupt you know and they wouldn't like it he can do that all right at the like it he can do that all right at the white city stadium they don't mind him white city stadium they don't mind him doing it there but if he went up to some doing it there but if he went up to some paul's cathedral and did it he wouldn't paul's cathedral and did it he wouldn't be very popular jeremiah right at the be very popular jeremiah right at the beginning of jehoiakim's reign beginning of jehoiakim's reign goes and stands in the gate of the goes and stands in the gate of the lord's house chapter 7 verse 1 lord's house chapter 7 verse 1 and says hear ye the word of the lord and says hear ye the word of the lord all ye of judah that enter into worship all ye of judah that enter into worship well you see josiah got them into the well you see josiah got them into the habit of going there to worship and so habit of going there to worship and so they were still going they were still going and he says and he says verse 3 the lord of hosts the god of verse 3 the lord of hosts the god of israel says even yet israel says even yet if you quit your evil ways i'll let you if you quit your evil ways i'll let you stay in your own lands stay in your own lands don't be fooled by those who lie to you don't be fooled by those who lie to you and say that since the temple of the and say that since the temple of the lord is here god will never let lord is here god will never let jerusalem be destroyed that's what jerusalem be destroyed that's what people were saying is all right the people were saying is all right the temple's here so everything's going to temple's here so everything's going to be all right it's all right we're be all right it's all right we're christadelphians so we're going to be christadelphians so we're going to be all right all right see jeremiah pricks the bubble of see jeremiah pricks the bubble of religious self-confidence that's what religious self-confidence that's what jeremiah does jeremiah does he could do it for us because sometimes he could do it for us because sometimes we need that bubble to be pricked we need that bubble to be pricked trust ye not in lying words saying the trust ye not in lying words saying the temple of the lord the temple of the temple of the lord the temple of the lord the temple of the lord are these lord the temple of the lord are these we're all right you remember how the we're all right you remember how the disciples said to jesus look at this disciples said to jesus look at this temple and jesus said one stone won't be temple and jesus said one stone won't be left upon another left upon another that's how he started that's how he started well for for that because you also read well for for that because you also read about this in chapter 26 they put him on about this in chapter 26 they put him on trial for his life they said it was trial for his life they said it was treason they said it was blasphemy treason they said it was blasphemy against the king against the king but he still got enough friends to stop but he still got enough friends to stop him from being executed him from being executed and so he escaped from being executed he and so he escaped from being executed he had to go and hide had to go and hide and then what he did but he got hold of and then what he did but he got hold of bayrock bayrock he said to bayer look i i want you to he said to bayer look i i want you to sit down there for a few days and take sit down there for a few days and take down everything i've ever said down everything i've ever said so he took down all the things that he'd so he took down all the things that he'd said in the time of josiah all the said in the time of josiah all the things that he said during the three things that he said during the three months of jehovah has and all the things months of jehovah has and all the things that he'd said so far during the reign that he'd said so far during the reign of jehoiakim of jehoiakim and barak wrote them all down and barak wrote them all down now says jeremiah you cuddle off to the now says jeremiah you cuddle off to the temple area where all the people are and temple area where all the people are and you read that scroll you read that scroll so all the things that jeremiah had said so all the things that jeremiah had said 20 years earlier in the time of josiah 20 years earlier in the time of josiah now reads them now reads them it says they still apply you're still it says they still apply you're still wicked you're still evil you still think wicked you're still evil you still think you're all right and you're not and you're all right and you're not and trouble's still coming trouble's still coming those are the chapters that sometimes those are the chapters that sometimes seem so tedious as you read them one seem so tedious as you read them one after the other after the other all the people say anybody know what bay all the people say anybody know what bay rick's up to here rick's up to here wonder why they let him get away with wonder why they let him get away with that that and then the rulers came along and then the rulers came along they listened they said you know this is they listened they said you know this is serious this is because if he's right serious this is because if he's right we're in for trouble we're in for trouble so they went after the king and they so they went after the king and they said barrack you come with us. said barrack you come with us. and uh so before they went to the king and uh so before they went to the king they got him to read it again to them they got him to read it again to them and they said look barrick they weren't and they said look barrick they weren't too bad you see they were half and half too bad you see they were half and half you just make yourself scarce you you just make yourself scarce you disappear you go and find jeremiah and disappear you go and find jeremiah and both of you clear out and hide in the both of you clear out and hide in the country somewhere country somewhere you just get out of the way you just get out of the way so just gave him an hour to get out of so just gave him an hour to get out of the way and then they went to the king the way and then they went to the king and said look we've got a scroll here and said look we've got a scroll here from jeremiah from jeremiah we read about this in the 36th chapter we read about this in the 36th chapter we know what he did we know what he did he said right read it he sat there he said right read it he sat there i often wonder what sort of a look was i often wonder what sort of a look was on his face on his face was it a sort of was it a sort of one of those sort of looks you can't one of those sort of looks you can't take that kenya howard what he looked take that kenya howard what he looked like like or did he look fierce or did he look fierce wait till i get my hands on jeremiah wait till i get my hands on jeremiah or did he just i i think probably this or did he just i i think probably this is what he did he just looked is what he did he just looked supercilious with a grin on his face supercilious with a grin on his face you know one of those sort of looks you know one of those sort of looks supercilious supercilious we'll see about that those sort of looks we'll see about that those sort of looks i think that's what he did because he i think that's what he did because he got his pen knife out and it was the got his pen knife out and it was the winter and they got a fire there winter and they got a fire there and they just and they just tore it up bit by bit this scroll and tore it up bit by bit this scroll and threw it threw it on the fire but you can't burn god's on the fire but you can't burn god's word men have tried to again and again word men have tried to again and again know how they did in the time of dyndale know how they did in the time of dyndale tried to burn his translations of the tried to burn his translations of the bible you can't get rid of god's word bible you can't get rid of god's word because um because um jeremiah and barrack in their hiding jeremiah and barrack in their hiding place place jeremiah just dictated it all again and jeremiah just dictated it all again and the significant words are the significant words are are put are put and he added much more also and he added much more also there's humor in the bible you see and there's humor in the bible you see and he added much more also many like words he added much more also many like words they're unto they're unto and and that i think really that scroll is how that i think really that scroll is how the book of jeremiah came to be written the book of jeremiah came to be written because all of it was spoken at first because all of it was spoken at first this gives us little hints as to how the this gives us little hints as to how the bible came together so it all got bible came together so it all got written down written down well well jeremiah sends a few messages to jeremiah sends a few messages to jehoiakim then it says you're going to jehoiakim then it says you're going to have a donkey's funeral you are have a donkey's funeral you are when you put it in that sort of language when you put it in that sort of language you realize the kind of living you realize the kind of living courageous things that were said courageous things that were said and they weren't all that very polite and they weren't all that very polite either either needless to say jehoiakim wasn't very needless to say jehoiakim wasn't very pleased at being told he was going to pleased at being told he was going to have a donkey's funeral have a donkey's funeral uh and uh and nevertheless he never got nevertheless he never got he never got him he never got him in 598 in 598 during an invasion by nebuchadnezzar during an invasion by nebuchadnezzar 598 bc 598 bc jehoiakim died jehoiakim died and the king of babylon and the king of babylon nebuchadnezzar put nebuchadnezzar put his uncle on the throne zedekiah his uncle on the throne zedekiah i may have got my relationships wrong i may have got my relationships wrong there we have to look that up anyway there we have to look that up anyway put a relative on the throne a man named put a relative on the throne a man named matanaya who became known as zedikaya matanaya who became known as zedikaya now we've all heard of zedikar because now we've all heard of zedikar because he was the last king of judah we all he was the last king of judah we all remember remember well for a little while just for three well for a little while just for three months there was jehoia kin but he i months there was jehoia kin but he i don't count him don't count him it was brother of jehoiakim zedikai was it was brother of jehoiakim zedikai was uncle to jehoiakim that's got it right uncle to jehoiakim that's got it right one of the other sons of uh one of the other sons of uh josiah josiah jehoiakim was taken into babylon and jehoiakim was taken into babylon and zedekiah was put on the throne as a zedekiah was put on the throne as a puppet king to do the will of the king puppet king to do the will of the king of babylon he was put on his oath of babylon he was put on his oath and when you make an oath when you make and when you make an oath when you make a solemn promise god expects you to uh a solemn promise god expects you to uh to believe to to keep your promise to believe to to keep your promise so so here comes this man bound to keep his here comes this man bound to keep his oath and obey the king of babylon oath and obey the king of babylon and he wasn't a bad and he wasn't a bad guy i was going to say this zedikaya guy i was going to say this zedikaya getting corrupted by american speech getting corrupted by american speech and and um he was an easygoing sort of person if um he was an easygoing sort of person if he'd have lived in another period he'd he'd have lived in another period he'd have been have been rather a nice sort of man you'd have rather a nice sort of man you'd have liked him not like jehoiakim is a sort liked him not like jehoiakim is a sort of a horror jehoiakim is of a horror jehoiakim is the trouble with him he could never the trouble with him he could never stick to anything for five minutes at a stick to anything for five minutes at a time time it was always blown this way and that it was always blown this way and that way way you remember that occasion when jeremiah you remember that occasion when jeremiah was put in the well was put in the well and uh and uh he he didn't really want to put him in he he didn't really want to put him in the well it was the the well it was the the arranging brethren of the day the the arranging brethren of the day the elders they wanted to put jeremiah in elders they wanted to put jeremiah in the well the well well let's see israel is kind of the well let's see israel is kind of the ecclesia of those days because we don't ecclesia of those days because we don't put people in wells now but we sometimes put people in wells now but we sometimes do wrong things in our ecclesial life do wrong things in our ecclesial life and and in the 38th chapter of jeremiah when in the 38th chapter of jeremiah when these elders when these leaders these elders when these leaders came to him because jeremiah was saying came to him because jeremiah was saying don't fight babylon babylon are coming don't fight babylon babylon are coming against you it was very unpatriotic at against you it was very unpatriotic at all don't fight babylon he said all don't fight babylon he said uh and um uh and um all the time all the time these princes were plotting these princes were plotting to try and get rid of babylon plotting to try and get rid of babylon plotting all the time all the time and so they went to the king when they and so they went to the king when they heard jeremiah saying these things heard jeremiah saying these things verse 4 of jeremiah 38 sir this fellow verse 4 of jeremiah 38 sir this fellow must die this kind of talk will must die this kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few soldiers undermine the morale of the few soldiers we have left we have left and of all the people too this man's a and of all the people too this man's a traitor traitor he's quite modern doesn't it he's quite modern doesn't it so king zedekiah agreed so king zedekiah agreed all right he said all right he said do as you like i can't stop you do as you like i can't stop you what a thing for a king to say i can't what a thing for a king to say i can't stop you stop you and then in comes bounding ibed milik and then in comes bounding ibed milik the ethiopian the colored man says the ethiopian the colored man says he'll die if you leave him there so he'll die if you leave him there so jeremiah zetticai says all right then go jeremiah zetticai says all right then go and get him out that's the character of zedekiah he means well means well as one person said as one person said he was all wishbone and no backbone he was all wishbone and no backbone i thought that was rather good all i thought that was rather good all wishbone and no backbone wishbone and no backbone uh and you know it's uh i feel sorry for uh and you know it's uh i feel sorry for him and yet there it is him and yet there it is if he hadn't got much backbone of his if he hadn't got much backbone of his own he should have surrounded himself own he should have surrounded himself with people who had got backbone so they with people who had got backbone so they could sort of help him and strengthen could sort of help him and strengthen his hands and his hands and he was always a bit careful about he was always a bit careful about jeremiah when jeremiah was in prison jeremiah when jeremiah was in prison he'd secretly call him to come and give he'd secretly call him to come and give him advice well the babylonians were him advice well the babylonians were there and they would come to the gates there and they would come to the gates then they'd go back because of some then they'd go back because of some problem every time they went back all problem every time they went back all the jews in jerusalem says oh jeremiah's the jews in jerusalem says oh jeremiah's wrong after all they've gone wrong after all they've gone jeremiah said don't you be too sure jeremiah said don't you be too sure don't count your chickens before their don't count your chickens before their hats they're coming back hats they're coming back of course back they did come and of course back they did come and eventually jerusalem fell eventually jerusalem fell in the year 587 in the year 587 or 586. or 586. in that very year jeremiah showed his in that very year jeremiah showed his faith in ultimate restoration by buying faith in ultimate restoration by buying a field just outside jerusalem a field just outside jerusalem jeremiah was in and out of prison all jeremiah was in and out of prison all the time the time the babylonians were backwards and the babylonians were backwards and forwards but at last in 586 bc jerusalem forwards but at last in 586 bc jerusalem was captured jeremiah's sons were slain was captured jeremiah's sons were slain his eyes were put out and he was taken his eyes were put out and he was taken blind to the city of babylon blind to the city of babylon and just a few jews were left there and just a few jews were left there under a sort of governor named gedelia under a sort of governor named gedelia and there was a rotten man named and there was a rotten man named ishmael you read about this in 40 41 42 ishmael you read about this in 40 41 42 43 44 of jeremiah who assassinated get a 43 44 of jeremiah who assassinated get a liar liar and all the jews that remained took and all the jews that remained took fright jeremiah said don't worry you fright jeremiah said don't worry you just stay here it'll be all right just stay here it'll be all right oh no but you see the trouble was oh no but you see the trouble was jeremiah didn't get an answer for about jeremiah didn't get an answer for about a week and they got impatient during a week and they got impatient during that week so they mobilized themselves that week so they mobilized themselves they all ran down to egypt they all ran down to egypt and that's where we lose sight of and that's where we lose sight of jeremiah still saying jeremiah still saying why is it that down here in egypt you why is it that down here in egypt you have to do what the egyptians do why have to do what the egyptians do why can't you stick to god even though can't you stick to god even though you're in captivity you haven't got a you're in captivity you haven't got a temple now but you could have god temple now but you could have god dwelling in your heart that's the finest dwelling in your heart that's the finest temple of all temple of all and so jeremiah passes from the pages of and so jeremiah passes from the pages of history still at it still rebuking still history still at it still rebuking still giving them hope still telling them that giving them hope still telling them that the true worship lies in the heart not the true worship lies in the heart not in temples made with stone in the inward in temples made with stone in the inward reaction not in the outward conformity reaction not in the outward conformity in real love of god not in faked in real love of god not in faked religion religion well that perhaps will do for this well that perhaps will do for this morning to give us the general morning to give us the general background of jeremiah and what we're background of jeremiah and what we're going to do for the rest of the week god going to do for the rest of the week god willing is look more into the situation willing is look more into the situation and also get to know the heart of the and also get to know the heart of the man himself man himself shall we close this morning's shall we close this morning's proceedings by remaining seated and just proceedings by remaining seated and just bending our heads in a little word of bending our heads in a little word of prayer our father in heaven we thank thee we thank thee for thy word we thank thee for the fact for thy word we thank thee for the fact that we hold it in written form that we hold it in written form and can have fellowship with great men and can have fellowship with great men of old like jeremiah of old like jeremiah and through him and through him with jesus with jesus we thank thee for the lesson that when we thank thee for the lesson that when all about us is shaking and collapsing all about us is shaking and collapsing we can still have trust in thee we can still have trust in thee even though we understand not by ways even though we understand not by ways always always so father so father write thy law in our hearts write thy law in our hearts grant that thy son the lord jesus grant that thy son the lord jesus may dwell in our hearts richly by faith may dwell in our hearts richly by faith and that we may be privileged to see the and that we may be privileged to see the final restoration of all thy glorious final restoration of all thy glorious things in a day soon to come things in a day soon to come through jesus we beseech thy guidance through jesus we beseech thy guidance amen

Transcript

this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern christadolphian bible school the eastern christadolphian bible school presents one of a series of bible study presents one of a series of bible study classes originally delivered at the classes originally delivered at the 1971 convocation at wilbraham 1971 convocation at wilbraham brother edgar willey of canac brother edgar willey of canac staffordshire england has chosen as his staffordshire england has chosen as his theme theme jeremiah jesus and us jeremiah jesus and us here is brother willie as he begins the here is brother willie as he begins the third address entitled third address entitled the temple of the lord are these the temple of the lord are these the dangers of external religion the dangers of external religion i think we're really getting into i think we're really getting into jeremiah now aren't we and getting the jeremiah now aren't we and getting the feeling of the times feeling of the times that that we've seen how that we've seen how that the the situation in which we're working is the situation in which we're working is the time when a whole age when a whole time when a whole age when a whole system of things was collapsing system of things was collapsing we've seen how there are parallels we've seen how there are parallels between that collapsing age and the age between that collapsing age and the age in which we live in which we live and i suppose we could ask ourselves how and i suppose we could ask ourselves how do we feel as we look around upon an age do we feel as we look around upon an age which could so quickly disintegrate and which could so quickly disintegrate and collapse collapse do we feel do we feel rooted in that age rooted in that age or could we let everything go all the or could we let everything go all the material things that we value could we material things that we value could we let them go just loosely and lightly let them go just loosely and lightly that's a question for all of us to that's a question for all of us to answer isn't it well we've been seeing answer isn't it well we've been seeing how god sent jeremiah into the situation how god sent jeremiah into the situation not uh totally by saying you are not uh totally by saying you are jeremiah here's a message go and give jeremiah here's a message go and give that exactly as i've given it but many that exactly as i've given it but many of the messages of jeremiah came through of the messages of jeremiah came through the crucible of his own experience the crucible of his own experience and all the time we've been looking at and all the time we've been looking at the experiences of jeremiah and the the experiences of jeremiah and the teaching of jeremiah to see how it teaching of jeremiah to see how it showed showed need need human need as he portrayed the sins of human need as he portrayed the sins of israel and the great need is for israel and the great need is for forgiveness forgiveness we've heard the voice of god pleading we've heard the voice of god pleading with israel even in the midst of rebukes with israel even in the midst of rebukes that they would turn that they would turn and know the calm and the peace that and know the calm and the peace that forgiveness can give forgiveness can give even when everything looks as if it's even when everything looks as if it's just in disaster just in disaster we've shared with jeremiah some of the we've shared with jeremiah some of the heartache and we're going to share more heartache and we're going to share more of it tomorrow that he felt as he looked of it tomorrow that he felt as he looked around upon his people facing this around upon his people facing this disaster disaster and we've seen that the one thing that and we've seen that the one thing that god cannot forgive god cannot forgive is the man who doesn't want to be is the man who doesn't want to be forgiven forgiven and looking at it this morning i came and looking at it this morning i came across three passages three little across three passages three little verses in some of his earlier talks verses in some of his earlier talks because we were looking at his earlier because we were looking at his earlier speeches yesterday the ones that he made speeches yesterday the ones that he made in the time of uh king josiah the good in the time of uh king josiah the good king who engineered this reformation and king who engineered this reformation and ran this wonderful passover feast and ran this wonderful passover feast and yet jeremiah had to keep on saying yes yet jeremiah had to keep on saying yes it's a wonderful reformation but it's it's a wonderful reformation but it's all skin deep it's faked all skin deep it's faked josiah meant well but the people they josiah meant well but the people they only did it because the king wanted them only did it because the king wanted them to and they wanted to keep in his good to and they wanted to keep in his good books books in some of those earlier speeches one of in some of those earlier speeches one of them is the fifth chapter and the them is the fifth chapter and the twelfth verse twelfth verse where i wanted to show that where i wanted to show that the one thing that god can't forgive the one thing that god can't forgive is is the person or the one person that god the person or the one person that god can't forgive can't forgive is the person who doesn't want to be is the person who doesn't want to be forgiven that is so long as he's in that forgiven that is so long as he's in that state and the whole purpose of prophecy state and the whole purpose of prophecy was to bring them into the state where was to bring them into the state where they wanted to be forgiven they wanted to be forgiven the whole purpose of putting the the whole purpose of putting the spotlight on sins is not that we may spotlight on sins is not that we may rejoice in iniquity not that we may feel rejoice in iniquity not that we may feel better than the sinner but that we may better than the sinner but that we may bring each other to a recognition of bring each other to a recognition of need where we want that forgiveness need where we want that forgiveness and so this insensibility to the voice and so this insensibility to the voice of god is brought out in the fifth of god is brought out in the fifth chapter and the 12th verse verse 11 the people of israel the people of israel are full of treachery against me says are full of treachery against me says the lord the lord they have lied and said they have lied and said he won't bother us he won't bother us no evil will come upon us there will be no evil will come upon us there will be neither famine nor war neither famine nor war they were quite insensible to what the they were quite insensible to what the prophet had said they became complacent prophet had said they became complacent and they said since the fathers fell and they said since the fathers fell asleep all things have continued till asleep all things have continued till the present we can get just the same the present we can get just the same we can say oh it's all right there's we can say oh it's all right there's plenty of time to put that right so that plenty of time to put that right so that was one form of insensibility that was one form of insensibility that things look so real even in a collapsing things look so real even in a collapsing age things look so substantial but age things look so substantial but they're not really they're not really then in chapter 6 then in chapter 6 and verse 10 jeremiah says in a little prayer you know one of these little prayers he know one of these little prayers he keeps on shooting at god keeps on shooting at god six verse ten but who will listen when i six verse ten but who will listen when i warn them warn them their ears are closed their ears are closed and they refuse to hear and they refuse to hear the word of god has angered them they the word of god has angered them they don't want it at all don't want it at all closing the ears refusing to hear closing the ears refusing to hear not wanting to be told and therefore not not wanting to be told and therefore not wanting to be forgiven wanting to be forgiven and chapter 6 and chapter 6 verse 17 verse 17 i set watchmen over you who warned you i set watchmen over you who warned you listen for the sound of the trumpet it listen for the sound of the trumpet it will let you know when trouble comes will let you know when trouble comes but you said but you said no no we won't pay any attention we won't pay any attention insensibility to the voice of god insensibility to the voice of god now jeremiah didn't just stand on his now jeremiah didn't just stand on his pedestal and look down at israel pedestal and look down at israel he knew that he was down in the evil he knew that he was down in the evil with them with them and so in chapter 17 and so in chapter 17 where our yesterday's title came from where our yesterday's title came from where in verse 1 my people sin as though where in verse 1 my people sin as though commanded to as though their evil were commanded to as though their evil were laws chiseled with an iron pane or laws chiseled with an iron pane or diamond point upon their stony hearts or diamond point upon their stony hearts or on the corner of their altars on the corner of their altars sin chiseled into their hearts that's sin chiseled into their hearts that's the exact opposite of the new covenant the exact opposite of the new covenant the new covenant is god chiseled into the new covenant is god chiseled into their hearts their hearts this was sin chiseled into their hearts this was sin chiseled into their hearts and uh jeremiah goes on in verse 5 and uh jeremiah goes on in verse 5 cursed is the man who puts his trust in cursed is the man who puts his trust in mortal man and turns his heart away from mortal man and turns his heart away from god but verse 7 blessed is the man who god but verse 7 blessed is the man who trusts in the lord trusts in the lord and has made the lord his hope and and has made the lord his hope and confidence confidence those are the two those are the two there's only two religions in the world there's only two religions in the world you know you know or you might say there's hundreds really or you might say there's hundreds really there's only two there's only two only two mainstreams of religious only two mainstreams of religious thought thought one is trust in man and the other is one is trust in man and the other is trusting god trusting god you know when you go back to the you know when you go back to the reformation and you had the mighty reformation and you had the mighty catholic church catholic church there standing for penances and there standing for penances and indulgences and all the rest of it that indulgences and all the rest of it that was justification by trust in mortal man was justification by trust in mortal man trust in things you did and luther stood up whatever maybe the deficiencies of some of his doctrines deficiencies of some of his doctrines and so on he stood up with his cardinal and so on he stood up with his cardinal doctrine blessed is the man who trusts doctrine blessed is the man who trusts in the lord in the lord who does know that he can't do it who does know that he can't do it himself and who knows that the lord himself and who knows that the lord alone can bring him through alone can bring him through all this was there way back all this was there way back in the writings and the words because in the writings and the words because originally they were words of the originally they were words of the prophet jeremiah prophet jeremiah but jeremiah doesn't stand up on his but jeremiah doesn't stand up on his pedestal and pretend that he's not pedestal and pretend that he's not involved involved he says from the depth of his own he says from the depth of his own experience in the ninth verse experience in the ninth verse the heart is the most deceitful thing the heart is the most deceitful thing there is there is that doesn't mean the other man's heart that doesn't mean the other man's heart it doesn't mean something called it doesn't mean something called theologically human nature you know we theologically human nature you know we do a lot of talking about human nature do a lot of talking about human nature but it should mean my human nature and but it should mean my human nature and your human nature your human nature the heart is the most deceitful thing the heart is the most deceitful thing there is and desperately wicked no one there is and desperately wicked no one can really know how bad it is can really know how bad it is that's a problem isn't it that's a problem isn't it only the lord knows only the lord knows he searches all hearts and examines he searches all hearts and examines deepest motives so that he can give to deepest motives so that he can give to each person his right reward according each person his right reward according to his deeds according to how he has to his deeds according to how he has lived so jeremiah knew that he was on lived so jeremiah knew that he was on the same level as the rest of them that the same level as the rest of them that his heart was no more reliable than his heart was no more reliable than their hearts that his motives were being their hearts that his motives were being searched by the living god searched by the living god and this is what marks the humility of and this is what marks the humility of the true prophet the true prophet for we have prophets now for we have prophets now a prophet isn't somebody who a prophet isn't somebody who miraculously foretells the future but he miraculously foretells the future but he forth tells the word of god and when our forth tells the word of god and when our exhorting brethren exhort or our exhorting brethren exhort or our speaking brethren speaking they are for speaking brethren speaking they are for the moment of their speaking if they the moment of their speaking if they speak according to the truth speak according to the truth they are the modern equivalent of they are the modern equivalent of prophets prophets they are speaking forth the word of god they are speaking forth the word of god and if when they speak and if when they speak they forget that the heart is the most they forget that the heart is the most deceitful thing there is and that means deceitful thing there is and that means them too them too then they are not truly giving the word then they are not truly giving the word of redemption you see this is the marvel of redemption you see this is the marvel of redemption the lord jesus christ came of redemption the lord jesus christ came down into the evil down into the evil and shared it with us and shared it with us that's how he was able to save us from that's how he was able to save us from it because he shared it with us and it because he shared it with us and that's how he's still able to keep that's how he's still able to keep saving us and bringing us along because saving us and bringing us along because he remembers what it was like to be down he remembers what it was like to be down in the evil with us so these prophets in the evil with us so these prophets prefigure and point forward to jesus prefigure and point forward to jesus because of their own personal because of their own personal involvement in the sin of the people involvement in the sin of the people now i want to move on to the time of now i want to move on to the time of jehoiakim jehoiakim on your little sheet of paper jehoiakim on your little sheet of paper jehoiakim is jehoiakim is the man who the man who really virtually comes to the throne really virtually comes to the throne after josiah is killed after josiah is killed and um and um we start off his reign as i was we start off his reign as i was mentioning in the opening talk where we mentioning in the opening talk where we got our bearings got our bearings with jeremiah now remember the situation with jeremiah now remember the situation josiah has only been dead three months josiah has only been dead three months when jehoiakim comes to the throne when jehoiakim comes to the throne around about 608 bc around about 608 bc the jehoiakim hasn't had time to show the jehoiakim hasn't had time to show whether he's a good king or a bad king whether he's a good king or a bad king yet or whether he's going to be a half yet or whether he's going to be a half and half king like zedekiah was later on and half king like zedekiah was later on and the and the reformations in full swing they still reformations in full swing they still all go up to the temple all go up to the temple and everybody feels real good because and everybody feels real good because they've never had such a religious bean they've never had such a religious bean feast feast for for years and there they are all going up to years and there they are all going up to the temple and feeling that things are the temple and feeling that things are bound to be all right now bound to be all right now and that is the situation where you and that is the situation where you remember i mentioned the other day that remember i mentioned the other day that jeremiah went up to the entrance of the jeremiah went up to the entrance of the temple and temple and told them not to trust told them not to trust in the temple of the lord but to quit in the temple of the lord but to quit their evil ways their evil ways in verse 4 of chapter 7 don't be fooled in verse 4 of chapter 7 don't be fooled by those who lie to you don't be fooled by those who lie to you and who say that since the temple of the and who say that since the temple of the lord is here lord is here god will never let jerusalem be god will never let jerusalem be destroyed you may remain here under destroyed you may remain here under these conditions only if you stop your these conditions only if you stop your wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair wicked thoughts and deeds and are fair to others notice the kind of behavior to others notice the kind of behavior see they might go up to the temple see they might go up to the temple they might be very diligent in their they might be very diligent in their worship and the title that i've given to worship and the title that i've given to this talk today is the temple of the this talk today is the temple of the lord are these the curse of external lord are these the curse of external religion religion the curse of external religion where we the curse of external religion where we put our trust in the outward things we put our trust in the outward things we do it's right that we should exalt one do it's right that we should exalt one another to get along to the meetings and another to get along to the meetings and be regular in our attendance because be regular in our attendance because much benefit can come through fellowship much benefit can come through fellowship with others with others if we depend on that and think that if we depend on that and think that because we're regular in our attendance because we're regular in our attendance therefore we've got our passport to the therefore we've got our passport to the kingdom i once remember a brother saying kingdom i once remember a brother saying some people think that some people think that the name christadelphian is a passport the name christadelphian is a passport to the kingdom of god to the kingdom of god the name christ is the name christ is that even the name christ if it's but an that even the name christ if it's but an empty thing and not a power that changes empty thing and not a power that changes our lives our lives then it's a mere then it's a mere kind of token kind of token it doesn't mean anything but notice how it doesn't mean anything but notice how jeremiah gets right to the heart of what jeremiah gets right to the heart of what true worship is true worship is true worship has its outflow in action true worship has its outflow in action it has its start in thoughts it has its start in thoughts if you stop your wicked thoughts verse 5 if you stop your wicked thoughts verse 5 and deeds and are fair and deeds and are fair to others to others so we might have the most marvelous so we might have the most marvelous ecclesial hall and i've seen a lot of ecclesial hall and i've seen a lot of ecclesial halls in this continent and in ecclesial halls in this continent and in england england and some of them are very beautiful and some of them are very beautiful halls halls some of the meetings that meet in those some of the meetings that meet in those beautiful halls are very beautiful beautiful halls are very beautiful meetings as far as one can tell meetings as far as one can tell well it doesn't necessarily go together well it doesn't necessarily go together so stop your wicked faults that's where so stop your wicked faults that's where things start and then thoughts lead to things start and then thoughts lead to deeds deeds and deeds and deeds involve being fair to other people and involve being fair to other people and that isn't the quality that we as a that isn't the quality that we as a community are over noted for you know community are over noted for you know you know it sometimes does you good to you know it sometimes does you good to step out of yourself step out of yourself and and see yourself as others see you no doubt see yourself as others see you no doubt alex mckay could recite for us burns his alex mckay could recite for us burns his poem about wood to god the gifty gears poem about wood to god the gifty gears to to see ourselves as others see us i can't see ourselves as others see us i can't say it in scottish this was a poem that say it in scottish this was a poem that burns wrote when he went to church one burns wrote when he went to church one day and he saw some bug crawling up a day and he saw some bug crawling up a lady's hat in church and he went home lady's hat in church and he went home and he wrote this poem if only she sat and he wrote this poem if only she sat there all in her best clothes and there all in her best clothes and thought she was great and there was this thought she was great and there was this filthy insect crawling up her filthy insect crawling up her hat hat i i perhaps there's a kind of a moral i i perhaps there's a kind of a moral there somewhere there somewhere uh so uh so it does us good sometimes to try and see it does us good sometimes to try and see ourselves as others see us ourselves as others see us and because we are conscious of the many and because we are conscious of the many principles of a religion that we've been principles of a religion that we've been privileged to learn privileged to learn we sometimes even in argument with we sometimes even in argument with others take unfair advantage of them and others take unfair advantage of them and give them a cannon full of give them a cannon full of of of scripture passages where our of of scripture passages where our superior dexterity leaves them at a superior dexterity leaves them at a disadvantage well they go away say i disadvantage well they go away say i can't answer you but they're not can't answer you but they're not convinced either so it's much better to convinced either so it's much better to take it steady and win through to their take it steady and win through to their hearts in our preaching there are even hearts in our preaching there are even deeper ways where we are not fair to deeper ways where we are not fair to others others is every business meeting that ever is every business meeting that ever happens in an ecclesia fair in the happens in an ecclesia fair in the judgments that are put forward well judgments that are put forward well that's a question for each ecclesia to that's a question for each ecclesia to answer for itself answer for itself and stop exploiting orphans and stop exploiting orphans widows widows and foreigners and foreigners and stop your murdering and stop your murdering and stop worshipping idols as you do now and stop worshipping idols as you do now to your hurt then and then only will i to your hurt then and then only will i let you stay in the land that i gave to let you stay in the land that i gave to your fathers to keep forever and verse 8 your fathers to keep forever and verse 8 gives you the key to it gives you the key to it you think that because the temple is you think that because the temple is here here that you will never suffer that you will never suffer don't fool yourself now how do you think don't fool yourself now how do you think that came about that came about well we have time to go into it now but well we have time to go into it now but sometimes if you read back into isaiah sometimes if you read back into isaiah you'll find that there are many passages you'll find that there are many passages there in the time when sinacrab and the there in the time when sinacrab and the assyrians were surrounding the assyrians were surrounding the city of jerusalem city of jerusalem where isaiah was told to prophesy and where isaiah was told to prophesy and guide them and to say it's all right the guide them and to say it's all right the lord is with you the lord is in his lord is with you the lord is in his temple he'll keep you and so they were temple he'll keep you and so they were able to go thumbing back in their bibles able to go thumbing back in their bibles as you might say and they were able to as you might say and they were able to say look it's all right these people in say look it's all right these people in jeremiah's time isaiah said it to be all jeremiah's time isaiah said it to be all right as long as the temple's here it's right as long as the temple's here it's all right all right so we will say ah yes but jeremiah says so we will say ah yes but jeremiah says it isn't all right ah but isaiah said so it isn't all right ah but isaiah said so they even played spiritual ping-pong in they even played spiritual ping-pong in those days those days and they threw texts of scripture they and they threw texts of scripture they threw isaiah against what jeremiah was threw isaiah against what jeremiah was saying and jeremiah was only saying it saying and jeremiah was only saying it but isaiah had it all been written down but isaiah had it all been written down several hundred years so you never can several hundred years so you never can get away without the task of thought and get away without the task of thought and careful and right division of scripture careful and right division of scripture so he says just because you think the so he says just because you think the temple is here that's no reason why you temple is here that's no reason why you should regard it as a kind of a talisman should regard it as a kind of a talisman do you really think that you can steal do you really think that you can steal murder commit adultery lie and worship murder commit adultery lie and worship baal and all these new gods of yours and baal and all these new gods of yours and then come here and stand before me in my then come here and stand before me in my temple and chant god will save us temple and chant god will save us this is external religion god will save this is external religion god will save us us and only to go right back to those evil and only to go right back to those evil things again things again is my temple but a den of robbers in is my temple but a den of robbers in your eyes for i see all the evil that is your eyes for i see all the evil that is going on there jeremiah going on there jeremiah jesus jesus what did jesus say what did jesus say when the zeal of god's house had eaten when the zeal of god's house had eaten up and he went in and saw them using the up and he went in and saw them using the the temple precincts as a kind of the temple precincts as a kind of marketplace for getting ill-gotten gains marketplace for getting ill-gotten gains he went back to this verse he went back to this verse he said my house shall be a house of he said my house shall be a house of prayer for all nations that was from prayer for all nations that was from isaiah but you've made it a den of isaiah but you've made it a den of robbers as the new english bible puts it robbers as the new english bible puts it a robbers cave a robbers cave go to shiloh he says the city i first go to shiloh he says the city i first honored with my name and ask where the honored with my name and ask where the sanctuary is that was then at shiloh as sanctuary is that was then at shiloh as i did to shiloh so i will do to this i did to shiloh so i will do to this temple so running right through this temple so running right through this is the warning is the warning the warning that the warning that it's thought and action it's thought and action in christ for us in christ for us not a reliance not a reliance upon the external things which make up upon the external things which make up our religious life our religious life whether they be good things or bad whether they be good things or bad things there are many external things we things there are many external things we must have it's quite right that we must have it's quite right that we should have a statement of faith that should have a statement of faith that sums up what we believe sums up what we believe but as one brother once said in an but as one brother once said in an exhortation a statement of faith is a exhortation a statement of faith is a fine servant but a very bad master fine servant but a very bad master and obviously over the years ecclesias and obviously over the years ecclesias have learned how to handle those who are have learned how to handle those who are weak there was a time when somebody weak there was a time when somebody weakened on some point went down came weakened on some point went down came the chopper and out they went now eccles the chopper and out they went now eccles have learned to be patient and take have learned to be patient and take things a stage at a time things a stage at a time so that even a thing like the statement so that even a thing like the statement of faith can be a bolstering up of our of faith can be a bolstering up of our pride have we not the birmingham amended pride have we not the birmingham amended a statement of faith a statement of faith is not all well in our midst therefore is not all well in our midst therefore and that may be a substitute for real and that may be a substitute for real action so let's be like the lord said action so let's be like the lord said these ought to have had and done and not these ought to have had and done and not left the others undone left the others undone the other many things the other many things regular services regular services youth work all these things are good and youth work all these things are good and necessary and proper necessary and proper but nothing earns us the kingdom nothing but nothing earns us the kingdom nothing gives us the right to feel that all is gives us the right to feel that all is well if we can only read the prophets well if we can only read the prophets like that so that it isn't just a like that so that it isn't just a message you know we sit there and say message you know we sit there and say can't understand israel how they did all can't understand israel how they did all these things these things then says then says paul led him that thinketh his stand paul led him that thinketh his stand take heed lest he fall take heed lest he fall that's the thing to remember that's the thing to remember that we and israel are alike and we must that we and israel are alike and we must learn from what their prophets said to learn from what their prophets said to them them well now there's an interesting phrase well now there's an interesting phrase in relation to this external religion in relation to this external religion and it's important that we should get and it's important that we should get this emphasis that this emphasis that jeremiah has on external jeremiah has on external religion because later on we're going to religion because later on we're going to come on in our last talk to internal come on in our last talk to internal religion religion which is the real heart of christianity which is the real heart of christianity an interesting an interesting three verses and this paraphrase that three verses and this paraphrase that i'm using the living bible rather helps i'm using the living bible rather helps you with it in chapter 7 and you with it in chapter 7 and verses 20 verses 20 21 onward see because the external worship in their days was largely this matter of their days was largely this matter of going up with the sacrifices and so on going up with the sacrifices and so on the lord of hosts the god of israel says the lord of hosts the god of israel says away with your offerings and sacrifices away with your offerings and sacrifices it wasn't offerings and sacrifices i it wasn't offerings and sacrifices i wanted from your fathers when i led them wanted from your fathers when i led them out of egypt that was not the point out of egypt that was not the point of my command i think that's rather good of my command i think that's rather good because often puzzled people you see in because often puzzled people you see in the king james version i spake not unto the king james version i spake not unto your fathers nor commanded them in the your fathers nor commanded them in the day that i brought them out of the land day that i brought them out of the land of egypt concerning burnt offerings or of egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices sacrifices well he did didn't they during the well he did didn't they during the exodus he did give them instructions exodus he did give them instructions about sacrifices about sacrifices of christ you could say well he didn't of christ you could say well he didn't give him instructions straight away it give him instructions straight away it waited a few months before he gave them waited a few months before he gave them the instructions i don't think that's the instructions i don't think that's what it means what it means what he's saying the key word is what he's saying the key word is concerning with a view to he didn't concerning with a view to he didn't instruct them with a view to they instruct them with a view to they weren't unobjective weren't unobjective it wasn't offerings and sacrifices i it wasn't offerings and sacrifices i wanted from your fathers when i led them wanted from your fathers when i led them out of egypt that was not the point of out of egypt that was not the point of my command he told them to offer my command he told them to offer sacrifices but that wasn't the point sacrifices but that wasn't the point but what i told them was and this was but what i told them was and this was the point obey me and i will be your god the point obey me and i will be your god and you shall be my people only do as i and you shall be my people only do as i say and all shall be well so the say and all shall be well so the external things that he gave them were external things that he gave them were to help them but they weren't the points to help them but they weren't the points in the breaking of bread our most holy in the breaking of bread our most holy ceremony that is still left to us along ceremony that is still left to us along with baptism the only ceremonies that we with baptism the only ceremonies that we have and precious they are have and precious they are the point of them is whether they lead the point of them is whether they lead us to christ us to christ the point of baptism is whether it is the point of baptism is whether it is indeed an act of personal commitment to indeed an act of personal commitment to the living lord and that weekly the living lord and that weekly remembrance the point of it is not oh remembrance the point of it is not oh we've been there we've broken bread we've been there we've broken bread we've drunk wine but whether we have we've drunk wine but whether we have experienced a little bit more experienced a little bit more being crucified with christ as we being crucified with christ as we partake of that bread and we partake of partake of that bread and we partake of that why so we're in this same situation that why so we're in this same situation with israel that uh with israel that uh in this remember he's saying all this in this remember he's saying all this standing outside the temple standing outside the temple and he's saying to them and he's saying to them god doesn't just want sacrifices and god doesn't just want sacrifices and offerings that wasn't the point of it offerings that wasn't the point of it because people would misunderstand it because people would misunderstand it and some people would think that he was and some people would think that he was saying that they weren't necessary at saying that they weren't necessary at all just you know as if you really all just you know as if you really wanted to misunderstand me you could say wanted to misunderstand me you could say that i just said that we didn't have to that i just said that we didn't have to have a statement of faith or you could have a statement of faith or you could say that i just said that it didn't say that i just said that it didn't matter about breaking bread well then matter about breaking bread well then you all know i haven't said that you all know i haven't said that i've said we can treat these things as i've said we can treat these things as if they were kind of magic talisman to if they were kind of magic talisman to ensure our acceptance with god but ensure our acceptance with god but jeremiah is getting over the very jeremiah is getting over the very evident thought that these things go evident thought that these things go deeper than the external acts deeper than the external acts and the institution that we build see and the institution that we build see institutions are good servants and bad institutions are good servants and bad masters so often in the history of masters so often in the history of religion men have built up institutions religion men have built up institutions and the institution has become the and the institution has become the everything everything and the purpose for which the and the purpose for which the institution was set up institution was set up has has been lost sight of in a morass of been lost sight of in a morass of externalism externalism well now let's see if it's just one or well now let's see if it's just one or two others in this temple speech that we two others in this temple speech that we want to look at the the eighth chapter uh as he stands still by this temple uh as he stands still by this temple gate giving them their message gate giving them their message he has a further installment he has a further installment didn't necessarily only do this once didn't necessarily only do this once and this is at the beginning of the time and this is at the beginning of the time of jehoiakim of jehoiakim once again give them this message from once again give them this message from the lord says god the lord says god verse 5 of chapter 8 verses 4 and 5. verse 5 of chapter 8 verses 4 and 5. when a person falls he jumps up again when a person falls he jumps up again when he's on the wrong road and when he's on the wrong road and discovers his mistake he goes back to discovers his mistake he goes back to the fork where he made the wrong turn the fork where he made the wrong turn but these people keep along on their but these people keep along on their evil path even though i warn them evil path even though i warn them i listen to their conversation and what i listen to their conversation and what do i hear he listens to our conversation do i hear he listens to our conversation brethren and sisters and what does he brethren and sisters and what does he hear is anyone sorry for sin does anyone say does anyone say what a terrible thing i've done what a terrible thing i've done no all are rushing pill mail down the no all are rushing pill mail down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse path of sin as swiftly as a horse rushing to battle rushing to battle this is vivid language isn't it brothers this is vivid language isn't it brothers and sisters and sisters we know the answer is him 308 says we we know the answer is him 308 says we make the answer now we know the answer make the answer now we know the answer when god listens to our conversation when god listens to our conversation whether we are conscious of our sins or whether we are conscious of our sins or whether we go pale male downhill whether we go pale male downhill so real and so related to the great so real and so related to the great puzzle of christian living whether it's puzzle of christian living whether it's church or personal relationship with god church or personal relationship with god or or church and personal relationship with church and personal relationship with god with the one helping the other but god with the one helping the other but the personal relationship with god being the personal relationship with god being the key the key well now uh well now uh time uh beats me every time because time uh beats me every time because obviously it's only possible just to to obviously it's only possible just to to to give just a little bit of this and i think i better leave this particular speech but you read it through at your speech but you read it through at your leisure and incidentally as you read it leisure and incidentally as you read it notice the mood even when he got back notice the mood even when he got back home after making this temple speech in home after making this temple speech in chapter 8 chapter 8 verse 18 and you know verse 18 and you know when i was very young when i was very young and i was in one of these uh small and i was in one of these uh small crystal delphian splinter groups one of crystal delphian splinter groups one of these small fellowships and we these small fellowships and we were only a few of us were only a few of us we looked at the big crystal delphian we looked at the big crystal delphian fellowships and we used to say it's our fellowships and we used to say it's our duty to put them right duty to put them right and i remember going once when i was and i remember going once when i was about about 18 18 to the big meeting in london to the big meeting in london of one of the of one of the still small fellowships but one of the still small fellowships but one of the larger smaller fellowships and larger smaller fellowships and they've got a meeting of some 500 there they've got a meeting of some 500 there and i remember taking these leaflets and i remember taking these leaflets and giving them out and giving them out the people came out and got insulted the people came out and got insulted called threatened with the police and called threatened with the police and all sorts of things you know it was all sorts of things you know it was rather funny when chris adelphians rather funny when chris adelphians threatened other chris adelphins with threatened other chris adelphins with the police i know what i was giving out the police i know what i was giving out was certainly not very helpful material was certainly not very helpful material i know that now i know that now but but after i'd been after i'd been insulted and insulted and one thing in another one thing in another understandably understandably i went back home and i felt that good i went back home and i felt that good you know you know i'd done duty for the lord giving out i'd done duty for the lord giving out these leaflets in that corrupt these leaflets in that corrupt christadelphian community that met there christadelphian community that met there in london in london how did jeremiah feel when he went home how did jeremiah feel when he went home chapter 8 verse 18 my grief is beyond healing my heart is broken my heart is broken yesterday's theme you can't escape it in yesterday's theme you can't escape it in jeremiah jeremiah this is the point of it this is the point of it never rejoicing in iniquity my heart my never rejoicing in iniquity my heart my grief is beyond healing my heart is grief is beyond healing my heart is broken broken then he goes on verse 21 i weep for the then he goes on verse 21 i weep for the hurt of my people i stand amazed silent hurt of my people i stand amazed silent dumb with grief dumb with grief then again chapter nine then again chapter nine oh that my eyes were a fountain of tears oh that my eyes were a fountain of tears i would weep forever if i got enough i would weep forever if i got enough tears in my eyes i'd never stop crying tears in my eyes i'd never stop crying he says i would sob day and night for he says i would sob day and night for the slain of my people the slain of my people and then in the next breath he says oh and then in the next breath he says oh that i could go away and forget them that i could go away and forget them is it so human and real isn't it the way is it so human and real isn't it the way these conflicting emotions these conflicting emotions jockey for position in his mind and live jockey for position in his mind and live in some wayside shack in the desert for in some wayside shack in the desert for they're all adulterous treacherous men they're all adulterous treacherous men so are these two emotions so are these two emotions going between them one and the other going between them one and the other then verse 10 he's back on it then verse 10 he's back on it sobbing and weeping i point to their sobbing and weeping i point to their mountains and pastures mountains and pastures for now they are desolate without the for now they are desolate without the living soul he can see the enemy coming living soul he can see the enemy coming down he can see that everything's going down he can see that everything's going to be absolutely disastrous and his to be absolutely disastrous and his sobbing starts again sobbing starts again well now it wasn't very long before well now it wasn't very long before jehoiakim showed what kind of a king he jehoiakim showed what kind of a king he was going to be and as i told you the was going to be and as i told you the other day and as you no doubt know he other day and as you no doubt know he began to began to build up his expensive palace build up his expensive palace you know let us eat drink and be merry you know let us eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die for tomorrow we die so he builds up this expensive palace so he builds up this expensive palace and that's where the passage that i read and that's where the passage that i read you the other day and i'm not going to you the other day and i'm not going to read it again i'm just putting it in its read it again i'm just putting it in its context where he says your father josiah context where he says your father josiah cared for the poor was not this to know cared for the poor was not this to know me me but you jehoiakim you're not bothered but you jehoiakim you're not bothered about the poor you're just using them to about the poor you're just using them to build up your terrific house build up your terrific house and uh jeremiah does many many things in those first does many many things in those first three years of jehoiakim's reign to try three years of jehoiakim's reign to try and teach israel how they might get away and teach israel how they might get away from a mere external religion into a from a mere external religion into a religion which touches their hearts and religion which touches their hearts and shapes their ways shapes their ways it was in that connection that he went it was in that connection that he went on a trip one day down to the potter's on a trip one day down to the potter's house you read about it in the 18th house you read about it in the 18th chapter this is in the time of jehoiakim chapter this is in the time of jehoiakim as far as you can tell you remember how as far as you can tell you remember how i told you on the first day i reckon it i told you on the first day i reckon it was almost as if barrack could lost all was almost as if barrack could lost all the sheets in jeremiah's room and put the sheets in jeremiah's room and put them back in the wrong order so if this them back in the wrong order so if this may not have been in jehoiakim's time may not have been in jehoiakim's time but uh he went down to the shop where but uh he went down to the shop where the clay pots were made i saw this two the clay pots were made i saw this two years ago down at stilbridge village years ago down at stilbridge village where there's a one of the exhibits is where there's a one of the exhibits is of an old potter's shop of an old potter's shop and uh there's this man making these and uh there's this man making these pots very very rapidly on the potter's pots very very rapidly on the potter's wheel and actually while we were there i wheel and actually while we were there i went down with ralph and clara hinsley went down with ralph and clara hinsley and we looked at this man and we said oh and we looked at this man and we said oh look he's just got some look he's just got some clay that he's done wrong just like just clay that he's done wrong just like just like jeremiah did and no doubt you've like jeremiah did and no doubt you've seen that kind of thing somewhere or seen that kind of thing somewhere or other other and and what was the meaning of it what was the meaning of it the jarvis 4 chapter 18 the jar that he the jarvis 4 chapter 18 the jar that he was forming didn't turn out as he wished was forming didn't turn out as he wished so he kneaded it into a lump and started so he kneaded it into a lump and started again again then the lord said oh israel can't i do then the lord said oh israel can't i do to you as this potter has done to his to you as this potter has done to his clay clay as the clay is in the potter's hand so as the clay is in the potter's hand so are you in my hand are you in my hand as long as the clay stayed soft able to be molded then he could remake them then he could remake them as he remakes us as he remakes us now whereas clay it's either soft or is now whereas clay it's either soft or is isn't soft isn't soft we as clay and israel as clay can make we as clay and israel as clay can make up our minds to be soft up our minds to be soft and moldable and moldable so so as the clay is in the potter's hand so as the clay is in the potter's hand so are we in his hand are we in his hand and so uh jeremiah then the next day or and so uh jeremiah then the next day or a few days later having told the story a few days later having told the story perhaps he stood by a potter's wheel and perhaps he stood by a potter's wheel and said to the people here come around here said to the people here come around here and have a look at that see what he's and have a look at that see what he's just done just done people said oh yes yes he's he's people said oh yes yes he's he's remolded it that's it that's what you remolded it that's it that's what you are you clay you let him remold you are you clay you let him remold you he's getting away from mere externalism he's getting away from mere externalism to inner to inner let him remold you let him remold you now the next day what's jeremiah doing now the next day what's jeremiah doing today today he's got a clay jar he's got a clay jar it's been there now in in the oven and it's been there now in in the oven and it's hard it's hard as we say it's hard baked you know you as we say it's hard baked you know you say of somebody who's not very given to say of somebody who's not very given to change somebody that you can't influence change somebody that you can't influence very much you say he's hard-baked very much you say he's hard-baked and we all know what that means and we all know what that means and so jeremiah takes this hard baked and so jeremiah takes this hard baked clay jar clay jar and he and he hurls it hurls it no doubt in the front of a crowd into no doubt in the front of a crowd into the valley of hinnom the valley of hinnom and tinkle tinkle bang bang they hear it and tinkle tinkle bang bang they hear it cracking up into pieces he says that's pretty nearly where you are israel are israel you're either still able to be molded or you're either still able to be molded or you're you're hard baked hard baked too far gone too far gone that's the only man that god won't that's the only man that god won't forgive as he said several times the forgive as he said several times the person who doesn't want to be forgiven person who doesn't want to be forgiven the person who isn't willing to be the person who isn't willing to be molded the person who can't change as molded the person who can't change as brother john carter says in the epistle brother john carter says in the epistle to the romans there comes a time in a to the romans there comes a time in a man's biography man's biography when at last he who when at last he who will not change will not change cannot change cannot change and that's the man that god can't and that's the man that god can't forgive because he doesn't want to be forgive because he doesn't want to be forgiven forgiven and and another interesting thing in this two another interesting thing in this two talks about the two different kinds of talks about the two different kinds of pots that jeremiah gave in the time of pots that jeremiah gave in the time of jehoiakim jehoiakim is that is that and i'll just leave this with you for and i'll just leave this with you for deeper thought deeper thought in the 18th chapter after he'd been down in the 18th chapter after he'd been down to see the soft clay that could be to see the soft clay that could be molded molded he gives an interesting principle of he gives an interesting principle of prophecy prophecy that i'd be interested if you'd think that i'd be interested if you'd think about and tell me what it means sometime about and tell me what it means sometime not not because i want to not not because i want to know what you think in the sense of know what you think in the sense of you know teacher asking class as it were you know teacher asking class as it were but because i'm not sure what it means but because i'm not sure what it means and i want to have the benefit of your and i want to have the benefit of your opinions opinions god says whenever i announce that a god says whenever i announce that a certain nation or kingdom the seven of certain nation or kingdom the seven of chapter 18 is to be taken up and chapter 18 is to be taken up and destroyed then if that nation renounces destroyed then if that nation renounces its evil ways i will not destroy it as i its evil ways i will not destroy it as i had planned had planned and if i announce that i will make a and if i announce that i will make a certain nation strong and great certain nation strong and great but then that nation changes its mind but then that nation changes its mind and turns to evil and refuses to obey me and turns to evil and refuses to obey me then i too will change my mind and not then i too will change my mind and not bless that nation as i had said i would bless that nation as i had said i would what it's saying is that prophecy is what it's saying is that prophecy is conditional but the purpose of prophecy conditional but the purpose of prophecy is to get people to change their minds is to get people to change their minds and if people do change their minds then and if people do change their minds then god will change his mind like he did god will change his mind like he did with jonah and nineveh and jonah didn't with jonah and nineveh and jonah didn't like it when god changed his mind and like it when god changed his mind and decided not to destroy the ninevites decided not to destroy the ninevites now the problem is just where to fit now the problem is just where to fit that in because obviously we use the that in because obviously we use the prophets and we say the bible says prophets and we say the bible says that this is going to happen and we use that this is going to happen and we use this and this is part of our bible this and this is part of our bible preaching and it's right that we should preaching and it's right that we should preach like that preach like that but somebody could come back and say yes but somebody could come back and say yes but jeremiah 18 says that if people but jeremiah 18 says that if people change change then god won't do it now does that mean that if in the result of of gospel preaching gospel preaching some of the nations changed that god some of the nations changed that god would delay his judgment a bit longer would delay his judgment a bit longer some brethren have said that that raises some brethren have said that that raises other puzzles doesn't it don't be other puzzles doesn't it don't be frightened of puzzles think them through frightened of puzzles think them through they're good things to do at bible they're good things to do at bible classes however there's an obvious sense classes however there's an obvious sense in which some prophecies are conditional in which some prophecies are conditional and if the nation listens to the and if the nation listens to the prophecy then it doesn't come to pass prophecy then it doesn't come to pass until they stop listening to it because until they stop listening to it because there's such a downward curve in human there's such a downward curve in human nature that even if they do repent for nature that even if they do repent for time they usually slip eventually maybe time they usually slip eventually maybe that's the answer right that's no time that's the answer right that's no time to go adding problems but i thought i'd to go adding problems but i thought i'd like to just drop that one out now i like to just drop that one out now i want to come back to want to come back to the pen knife episode the pen knife episode in the fourth year of king in the fourth year of king uh jehoiakim and probably this is as far uh jehoiakim and probably this is as far as we can go today having a look at as we can go today having a look at the actual situation that uh of the actual situation that uh of that jeremiah experienced with jehoiakim that jeremiah experienced with jehoiakim on this occasion when he wrote down in a on this occasion when he wrote down in a scroll all the things that he'd been scroll all the things that he'd been saying up till then saying up till then this is 25th chapter actually as well as this is 25th chapter actually as well as 36 keep your finger in both 36 keep your finger in both you were well ahead of me there you'd you were well ahead of me there you'd you've gone under 36 which is where the you've gone under 36 which is where the pen knife episode is but i just want to pen knife episode is but i just want to give you the background of the pen no give you the background of the pen no net pen knife episode because i think it net pen knife episode because i think it uh it links in with chapter 25. by the uh it links in with chapter 25. by the way that temple speech way that temple speech that uh we talked about just now that uh we talked about just now where he stood by the temple that links where he stood by the temple that links in with chapter 26 in with chapter 26 i can't go back on that and prove it but i can't go back on that and prove it but if you if you look at the material in if you if you look at the material in chapter 26 of jeremiah chapter 26 of jeremiah where verse 2 says stand out in front of where verse 2 says stand out in front of the temple and make an announcement to the temple and make an announcement to all the people of the lord you find that all the people of the lord you find that chapter 26 just gives you the bare bones chapter 26 just gives you the bare bones of what chapter 7 and possibly 8 and 9 of what chapter 7 and possibly 8 and 9 give you in some detail this is the way give you in some detail this is the way to study it to study it to sort of get these criss-crosses of to sort of get these criss-crosses of things and i hope i've given you enough things and i hope i've given you enough in those notes of which there's still a in those notes of which there's still a number of copies if you've lost yours or number of copies if you've lost yours or anything like that to do some of this anything like that to do some of this criss-crossing and criss-crossing and what happens in chapter 26 after that what happens in chapter 26 after that temple episode he could gets put on temple episode he could gets put on trial trial because he so insulted the nation and because he so insulted the nation and the king by what he has done the king by what he has done and you know how some wanted to kill him and you know how some wanted to kill him but in the end some people spoke up for but in the end some people spoke up for him and he wasn't killed he wasn't him and he wasn't killed he wasn't executed that's chapter 26 which relates executed that's chapter 26 which relates with chapter seven now chapter 25 with chapter seven now chapter 25 in the time of jehoiakim relates with in the time of jehoiakim relates with chapter 36 and the pen knife episode chapter 36 and the pen knife episode when the scroll that barrack had written when the scroll that barrack had written down was torn to shreds by down was torn to shreds by the king as he sat there with his the king as he sat there with his supercilious grin on his face which i supercilious grin on his face which i will not attempt to imitate again will not attempt to imitate again um um the 25th chapter and this is interesting the 25th chapter and this is interesting because it tells you what was in this because it tells you what was in this scroll scroll the message for all the people of judah the message for all the people of judah came from the lord to jeremiah during came from the lord to jeremiah during the fourth year of the reign of king ji the fourth year of the reign of king ji hoyakim of judah son of josiah hoyakim of judah son of josiah this was the year nebuchadnezzar king of this was the year nebuchadnezzar king of babylon began to reign babylon began to reign for the past 23 years jeremiah said for the past 23 years jeremiah said from the 13th year of the reign of from the 13th year of the reign of josiah son of amen king of judah until josiah son of amen king of judah until now god has been sending me his messages now god has been sending me his messages i have faithfully passed them on to you i have faithfully passed them on to you but you haven't listened but you haven't listened again and again through the years 23 of again and again through the years 23 of them he'd been at it 23 years now that them he'd been at it 23 years now that means 16 23 39 now means 16 23 39 now each time the message was this turn from each time the message was this turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing but verse the evil things you are doing but verse 7 you wouldn't listen you've gone ahead 7 you wouldn't listen you've gone ahead so now trouble's coming and in verses so now trouble's coming and in verses eight and nine he tells them where the eight and nine he tells them where the trouble is coming and he's for 23 years trouble is coming and he's for 23 years i've been telling you trouble's coming i've been telling you trouble's coming i've been telling you about a northern i've been telling you about a northern army you thought it was going to be the army you thought it was going to be the scythians i did too but it wasn't now i scythians i did too but it wasn't now i can tell you who it's really going to be can tell you who it's really going to be and so 23 years after he first started and so 23 years after he first started giving these prophecies he tells them giving these prophecies he tells them who it's really going to be verses 8 9 who it's really going to be verses 8 9 chapter 25 now the lord god of hosts chapter 25 now the lord god of hosts says because you have not listened to me says because you have not listened to me i will gather together all the armies of i will gather together all the armies of the north the north under nebuchadnezzar king of babylon i under nebuchadnezzar king of babylon i have appointed him as my deputy have appointed him as my deputy until that's an american translation until that's an american translation can't you my deputy can't you my deputy and i will bring them all against this and i will bring them all against this land and its people and against the land and its people and against the other nations near you and i will other nations near you and i will utterly destroy you and make you a utterly destroy you and make you a byword of contempt forever notice by the byword of contempt forever notice by the way the way in which language is used way the way in which language is used god says he will utterly destroy them god says he will utterly destroy them and yet in a sense he doesn't mean it and yet in a sense he doesn't mean it because he's never utterly destroyed because he's never utterly destroyed israel or made a full end of them this israel or made a full end of them this is poetic language the language of is poetic language the language of permitted exaggeration permitted exaggeration i think the english teachers call it i think the english teachers call it hyperbole hyperbole this is often used you must never argue this is often used you must never argue from a poetic figure of speech otherwise from a poetic figure of speech otherwise you get into trouble and difficulties you get into trouble and difficulties and so this 23 years worth of work is and so this 23 years worth of work is written down into that scroll and written down into that scroll and chapter 36 tells you all the hubbub of chapter 36 tells you all the hubbub of activity that occurred about it we activity that occurred about it we referred to it let's just have a glance referred to it let's just have a glance at it now let's see why god said write at it now let's see why god said write it all down in a scroll and don't you it all down in a scroll and don't you see how how important it's been to us in see how how important it's been to us in our day because book of jeremiah is such our day because book of jeremiah is such a key book it's the bridge between the a key book it's the bridge between the old and the new testament because it old and the new testament because it takes us away from external religion to takes us away from external religion to inward religion it takes us away from inward religion it takes us away from code law to a living spirit it takes us code law to a living spirit it takes us away from the old covenant to the new away from the old covenant to the new covenant that's the work of the book of covenant that's the work of the book of jeremiah how important it was then to jeremiah how important it was then to get it written down get it written down and if it hadn't been for the fact that and if it hadn't been for the fact that god had said now i want you to write it god had said now i want you to write it all down all down and have it read to the king we and have it read to the king we shouldn't have got this earlier part of shouldn't have got this earlier part of jeremiah all the things that we've been jeremiah all the things that we've been reading so far were all written down in reading so far were all written down in this scroll must have taken them weeks this scroll must have taken them weeks while jeremiah said now i remember and this is where god no doubt inspired his memory to be good doubt inspired his memory to be good that in the second year of the reign of that in the second year of the reign of king josiah do you remember bayrak that king josiah do you remember bayrak that time when we went up to such and such a time when we went up to such and such a place and i told them this place and i told them this ah it's coming back this is what i said ah it's coming back this is what i said no doubt didn't get it word perfect god no doubt didn't get it word perfect god wasn't concerned about that he was wasn't concerned about that he was concerned with the message concerned with the message perhaps he'd even got some notes of what perhaps he'd even got some notes of what he said who's to say that the prophets he said who's to say that the prophets didn't make notes of what they wanted to didn't make notes of what they wanted to say see we should divorce them and make say see we should divorce them and make them just kind of mechanical robots just them just kind of mechanical robots just saying what god wanted them to say saying what god wanted them to say perhaps he consulted his notes that he'd perhaps he consulted his notes that he'd got of of this perhaps he kept a diary i got of of this perhaps he kept a diary i don't know don't know whatever he did he sits there and he whatever he did he sits there and he says you remember that occasion now this says you remember that occasion now this is the thing we said then wasn't it is the thing we said then wasn't it and god aids him in the way that god and god aids him in the way that god doesn't doesn't frederick takes it all down frederick takes it all down chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter five chapter six it all gets chapter five chapter six it all gets taken down do you remember that time taken down do you remember that time just a year or two ago when we went down just a year or two ago when we went down to the potter's wheel we was put that to the potter's wheel we was put that down in this scroll and i went down to down in this scroll and i went down to the potter's wheel and there he took the the potter's wheel and there he took the lump of clay that was soft and made it lump of clay that was soft and made it again into a vessel as it pleased him so again into a vessel as it pleased him so he went on he writes all this down he went on he writes all this down and the keynote verse 2 chapter 36 get a and the keynote verse 2 chapter 36 get a scroll and write down all my messages scroll and write down all my messages against israel judah and the other against israel judah and the other nations begin with the first message god nations begin with the first message god says back in the days of josiah and says back in the days of josiah and write down every one of them write down every one of them giving him his instructions giving him his instructions why what was the purpose of it why what was the purpose of it perhaps when the people of judah see in perhaps when the people of judah see in writing writing all the terrible things i will do to all the terrible things i will do to them they will repent them they will repent and then i can forgive them and then i can forgive them that's what we've been saying all the that's what we've been saying all the week isn't it perhaps when this when week isn't it perhaps when this when they see it in writing you know there is they see it in writing you know there is a sense in which writing hits you a bit a sense in which writing hits you a bit the spoken word is powerful but it's the spoken word is powerful but it's gone isn't it or it used to be before gone isn't it or it used to be before they had tape recorders and things like they had tape recorders and things like that that but even then you've got to turn the but even then you've got to turn the tape recorder on and so on you've got a tape recorder on and so on you've got a little book in your pocket you can read little book in your pocket you can read it you can see it and the words stand it you can see it and the words stand out there's power in the written word out there's power in the written word perhaps when they see it in writing you perhaps when they see it in writing you know and if you have a have a discussion know and if you have a have a discussion with somebody or you're making a with somebody or you're making a contract let's have it in writing you contract let's have it in writing you say say when they see it in writing all the when they see it in writing all the terrible things i will do to them they terrible things i will do to them they will repent will repent then i can forgive them then i can forgive them something god can't do something god can't do he can't re he can't forgive people who he can't re he can't forgive people who don't repent he can't forgive people who don't repent he can't forgive people who don't want his forgiveness and his whole don't want his forgiveness and his whole activity from genesis to revelation from activity from genesis to revelation from the time of adam the time of adam right through right through through the lord jesus christ our own through the lord jesus christ our own time the whole activity of god time the whole activity of god is bent to getting people to repent is bent to getting people to repent so that he can forgive them so that he can forgive them so jeremiah sent for barrack nowadays he so jeremiah sent for barrack nowadays he got on the phone saying hey rick could got on the phone saying hey rick could you come and stay with me a week or two you come and stay with me a week or two i've got a lot of writing for you to do i've got a lot of writing for you to do and as jeremiah dictated barrack wrote and as jeremiah dictated barrack wrote down all the prophecies down all the prophecies and when all the all of it was finished and when all the all of it was finished and jeremiah appears to have been a kind and jeremiah appears to have been a kind of a of a in not necessarily in custody but he was in not necessarily in custody but he was having to hide after the things he'd having to hide after the things he'd done recently in this temple preaching done recently in this temple preaching so he stays out of the way so he stays out of the way he says you read the scroll in the he says you read the scroll in the temple temple again why verse 7 perhaps even yet they again why verse 7 perhaps even yet they will turn will turn for from their evil ways and ask the for from their evil ways and ask the lord to forgive them before it's too lord to forgive them before it's too late even though these curses of god late even though these curses of god have been pronounced upon them it's have been pronounced upon them it's never too late until it is too late never too late until it is too late and when's that and when's that when we've become so hardened that we when we've become so hardened that we cannot repent cannot repent so his object is god's object to get so his object is god's object to get them to ask the lord to forgive them did them to ask the lord to forgive them did you ever realize i didn't till i've been you ever realize i didn't till i've been standing here i have not realized till standing here i have not realized till this very week how full the book of this very week how full the book of jeremiah is of the subject of jeremiah is of the subject of forgiveness forgiveness that explains of course how when we come that explains of course how when we come to jeremiah 31 and we come to the new to jeremiah 31 and we come to the new covenant we're going to find the purpose covenant we're going to find the purpose of the new covenant of this inward of the new covenant of this inward religion which jeremiah is putting over religion which jeremiah is putting over is that their sins and iniquities may be is that their sins and iniquities may be forgiven forgiven and so and so we know the story after it had been read we know the story after it had been read several times several times it must have taken a long while two or it must have taken a long while two or three hours to read it three hours to read it at last it's red at last it's red in the king's palace in the king's palace and at last and at last it's put on the fire it's put on the fire but you can't destroy but you can't destroy the word of god so verse 27 of chapter the word of god so verse 27 of chapter 36 after the king had burned the scroll 36 after the king had burned the scroll the lord said to jeremiah verse 27 the lord said to jeremiah verse 27 chapter 36 get another scroll chapter 36 get another scroll and write everything and write everything just as you did before just as you did before and say to this king and say to this king the lord says you burned the scroll the lord says you burned the scroll because it said the king of babylon because it said the king of babylon would destroy this country and would destroy this country and everything in it everything in it and now the lord adds this concerning and now the lord adds this concerning you jehoiakim king of judah he shall you jehoiakim king of judah he shall have no one to sit upon the throne of have no one to sit upon the throne of david his dead body shall be thrown out david his dead body shall be thrown out to the hot sun and the frosty nights and to the hot sun and the frosty nights and i will punish him and his family and his i will punish him and his family and his officials because of their sins for they officials because of their sins for they wouldn't listen to my warnings verse 32 wouldn't listen to my warnings verse 32 then jeremiah took another scroll then jeremiah took another scroll and dictated again to barrack all he'd and dictated again to barrack all he'd written before written before only this time the lord added a lot more and of course we've got quite a lot of that lot more in our book of jeremiah that lot more in our book of jeremiah although we must leave it having seen although we must leave it having seen the curse the curse of the religion which is purely external of the religion which is purely external the curse of a situation be where the curse of a situation be where because the religion is external because the religion is external people's hearts are not softened and god people's hearts are not softened and god cannot remold them cannot remold them so just bend our heads in a closing word so just bend our heads in a closing word of prayer our father in heaven we thank thee for this study this study we thank thee for the words that come we thank thee for the words that come echoing down the ages to us echoing down the ages to us and we would beg of thee to take us as and we would beg of thee to take us as we are we are and mold us and mold us by the power of christ by the power of christ into the shape of christ into the shape of christ through jesus our lord through jesus our lord amen

Transcript

this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern christadelphian bible school the eastern christadelphian bible school presents one of a series of bible study presents one of a series of bible study classes originally delivered at the classes originally delivered at the 1971 convocation at wilbraham 1971 convocation at wilbraham brother edgar willey of cannock brother edgar willey of cannock staffordshire england has chosen as his staffordshire england has chosen as his theme theme jeremiah jesus and us jeremiah jesus and us here is brother willie as he begins the here is brother willie as he begins the fourth address entitled fourth address entitled i am in anguish i write in pain i am in anguish i write in pain bearing the sins of others bearing the sins of others well we well we resume our study of jeremiah resume our study of jeremiah jeremiah not just the book but the man jeremiah not just the book but the man jeremiah not just as jeremiah but jeremiah not just as jeremiah but as he brings us to jesus and jeremiah as he brings us to jesus and jeremiah not just as not just as jeremiah but also as he through jesus jeremiah but also as he through jesus enlarges our own experience and brings enlarges our own experience and brings us into closer fellowship with god us into closer fellowship with god and over the last three days if you and over the last three days if you remember we had a a general survey remember we had a a general survey and then we went into the early and then we went into the early speeches and talks that jeremiah made in speeches and talks that jeremiah made in the time of josiah when this reformation the time of josiah when this reformation was being engaged in was being engaged in and and in spite of the enthusiasm that josiah in spite of the enthusiasm that josiah the king was putting into it jeremiah the king was putting into it jeremiah had to come forward with an unpopular had to come forward with an unpopular message just talking to the youngsters i message just talking to the youngsters i realized what a tremendous thing that realized what a tremendous thing that was for jeremiah and the way in which he was for jeremiah and the way in which he said at the beginning oh lord i am too said at the beginning oh lord i am too young young we worked out that he was only 16. we worked out that he was only 16. now quite something to start telling a now quite something to start telling a nation that their ways were evil when he nation that their ways were evil when he was only 16 himself we may have got our was only 16 himself we may have got our sums wrong but sums wrong but at least enables you to know why he said at least enables you to know why he said lord i am too young for this lord i am too young for this uh and uh uh and uh nevertheless he pursues his course nevertheless he pursues his course well now we're going to go over the well now we're going to go over the whole sweep of whole sweep of his various periods but much of what we his various periods but much of what we will say today will be in the jehoiakim will say today will be in the jehoiakim period and yesterday we looked at the period and yesterday we looked at the jehoiakim period didn't we and we saw jehoiakim period didn't we and we saw jehoiakim jehoiakim with the temple speech with the temple speech somebody asked me how i could be sure somebody asked me how i could be sure that chapter 7 and chapter 26 both that chapter 7 and chapter 26 both record that temple speech when jeremiah record that temple speech when jeremiah stood by the gates of the temple stood by the gates of the temple and told them it's all very well for you and told them it's all very well for you to say the temple the temple the temple to say the temple the temple the temple but you're just trusting but you're just trusting in externals instead of trusting in the in externals instead of trusting in the living god the reason i say that i living god the reason i say that i believe but of course you remember that believe but of course you remember that wind that blew all the papers all over wind that blew all the papers all over the place the place uh well you know it may not have uh well you know it may not have happened that way but this idea that the happened that way but this idea that the book of jeremiah is so far out of order book of jeremiah is so far out of order so you can only just gather hints so you can only just gather hints together and try to put it in order for together and try to put it in order for yourself and i've tried to give a bit of yourself and i've tried to give a bit of help in those handouts that you've got help in those handouts that you've got of which there are still more copies of which there are still more copies here for you to get afterwards if you here for you to get afterwards if you want want jeremiah 7 jeremiah 7 one of the great messages in the full one of the great messages in the full speech i think we've got the full speech speech i think we've got the full speech that he did at the temple in jeremiah 7 that he did at the temple in jeremiah 7 and in verse 14 and in verse 14 he says therefore will i do unto this he says therefore will i do unto this house which is called by my name wherein house which is called by my name wherein ye trust ye trust and unto the place which i gave to you and unto the place which i gave to you and your fathers as i have done to and your fathers as i have done to shiloh shiloh so he refers back to so he refers back to what happened to the sanctuary at shiloh what happened to the sanctuary at shiloh and says that just as shiloh was moved and says that just as shiloh was moved out so will jerusalem be moved out out so will jerusalem be moved out and and likewise in chapter 26 likewise in chapter 26 where he's told to say the same things where he's told to say the same things verse 2 verse 2 stand in the court of the lord's house stand in the court of the lord's house so he's been told to stand in the same so he's been told to stand in the same place place and speak unto all the cities of judah and speak unto all the cities of judah which come to worship in the lord's which come to worship in the lord's house all the words that i command thee house all the words that i command thee to speak and then i think in chapter 26 to speak and then i think in chapter 26 all you've got is a little summary of all you've got is a little summary of what is presented in fuller detail in what is presented in fuller detail in chapter seven chapter seven and so he says verse six if you don't and so he says verse six if you don't listen listen then will i make this house like shiloh then will i make this house like shiloh and will make this city a curse to all and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth the nations of the earth so chapter 26 verse 6 so chapter 26 verse 6 tied in with chapter 7 verse 14 tied in with chapter 7 verse 14 suggests that it's the same occasion and suggests that it's the same occasion and if it's the same occasion it fits in if it's the same occasion it fits in because it comes right at the beginning because it comes right at the beginning of the reign of jehoiakim of the reign of jehoiakim when the reformation would still be when the reformation would still be there they'd still be going up to the there they'd still be going up to the temple temple and in that way it uh and in that way it uh it's probably the best way to bring it's probably the best way to bring those two together but there are other those two together but there are other views views now if this is the case then the long now if this is the case then the long speech recorded in chapter 7 is what speech recorded in chapter 7 is what caused them to put him on trial and the caused them to put him on trial and the priests and the prophets said to the priests and the prophets said to the princes and the people verse 11 this man princes and the people verse 11 this man is worthy to die for he hath prophesied is worthy to die for he hath prophesied against this city as you have heard with against this city as you have heard with your ears your ears and that's interesting the way the the and that's interesting the way the the people grouped people grouped it was the pre the priests it was the pre the priests and the prophets the false prophets and the prophets the false prophets who ganged up against him but it was the who ganged up against him but it was the people and the princes people and the princes who came out out on his side and said no who came out out on his side and said no you don't kill him uh he might be you don't kill him uh he might be telling us some truth telling us some truth and and the prophets of course they're the prophets of course they're in our pursuance of our object of trying in our pursuance of our object of trying to get a a picture of the living to get a a picture of the living characteristics of people you haven't characteristics of people you haven't got to think of false prophets as people got to think of false prophets as people who said ah let's go out and make an who said ah let's go out and make an easy penny now let's see if we can go easy penny now let's see if we can go and get and get get some merchandise by saying the get some merchandise by saying the things that people want to hear it's things that people want to hear it's more subtle than that more subtle than that they probably kidded themselves into they probably kidded themselves into believing the message they gave believing the message they gave and as i said yesterday they would use and as i said yesterday they would use prophecies like the prophecy of jeremiah prophecies like the prophecy of jeremiah where god of isaiah where isaiah in a where god of isaiah where isaiah in a different period had promised that they different period had promised that they would be cared for would be cared for so people don't really sit down and say so people don't really sit down and say i'm going to be apostate i'm going to be apostate but they get but they get led into it which of course is the great led into it which of course is the great danger of any sort of apostasy it's more danger of any sort of apostasy it's more subtle subtle and and they still believed in in yahweh the god they still believed in in yahweh the god of israel did these prophets but they of israel did these prophets but they thought that their interpretation of thought that their interpretation of what god was doing was a better what god was doing was a better interpretation than the interpretation interpretation than the interpretation of jeremiah of jeremiah and of course people prefer the popular and of course people prefer the popular message than the unpopular message that message than the unpopular message that jeremiah was giving jeremiah was giving well now we saw these unpopular messages well now we saw these unpopular messages we saw him in the we saw him in the josiah period stressing that the sin of josiah period stressing that the sin of judah was written with an iron pen and judah was written with an iron pen and showing to them their need for showing to them their need for redemption redemption and then we saw yesterday this reliance and then we saw yesterday this reliance on external on external means of worship and saying to means of worship and saying to themselves that this was the way in themselves that this was the way in which salvation was to be had and which salvation was to be had and regarding their outward activities as regarding their outward activities as a kind of passport to the good things a kind of passport to the good things that uh god might have that uh god might have and uh and uh right through there is the defect with right through there is the defect with the josiah reformation and with the the josiah reformation and with the reign of king jehoiakim there is a a reign of king jehoiakim there is a a defect the early part of jehoiakim's defect the early part of jehoiakim's reign that they were trying to organize reign that they were trying to organize people into being good organizations necessary and he clears your life for example but you can never your life for example but you can never organize people into being good their organize people into being good their goodness has got to be caused to spring goodness has got to be caused to spring forth from within forth from within and this is the great work of and this is the great work of christianity the great work of the new christianity the great work of the new covenant to ensure that covenant to ensure that god's mind god's mind is molding a person so that a new power is molding a person so that a new power is generated from within is generated from within and this is the whole failure of and this is the whole failure of externalism the whole externalism the whole failure of trying to organize people failure of trying to organize people into behaving themselves instead of them into behaving themselves instead of them learning to depend on the spirit of the learning to depend on the spirit of the living god living god well now what i want to do now is to um well now what i want to do now is to um turn to the personal feelings of turn to the personal feelings of jeremiah some of which we have seen jeremiah some of which we have seen under the heading under the heading fourth talk i am in anguish fourth talk i am in anguish i writhe in pain i writhe in pain bearing the sins of others bearing the sins of others and if we are concerned about others and if we are concerned about others then there will be a price to pay then there will be a price to pay you know you know preaching isn't just preaching isn't just giving a nice lot of answers to giving a nice lot of answers to difficult questions difficult questions preaching is really yearning to see the preaching is really yearning to see the other person come round and teaching in other person come round and teaching in the ecclesia if you can use a different the ecclesia if you can use a different word preaching preaching those outside word preaching preaching those outside teaching teaching those inside but it's teaching teaching those inside but it's the same emotion it has a cost if we're the same emotion it has a cost if we're going about it in the spirit of the going about it in the spirit of the master master and there will be times when we feel and there will be times when we feel deflated there will be times when we deflated there will be times when we feel elated there will be times feel elated there will be times when when we wish we hadn't got the duty to preach we wish we hadn't got the duty to preach and to teach and to teach and there will be times and there will be times when we feel real sore inside for the when we feel real sore inside for the unresponsiveness of people unresponsiveness of people and and in jeremiah we have all these emotions in jeremiah we have all these emotions going so what i thought today would be going so what i thought today would be we perhaps be we perhaps be helped if we gathered together what i helped if we gathered together what i have called the confessions of jeremiah have called the confessions of jeremiah these little bits that he puts in which these little bits that he puts in which show how he felt about it show how he felt about it which illustrates what a burden it was which illustrates what a burden it was upon his shoulders as he wrestled with upon his shoulders as he wrestled with the sins of israel the sins of israel this is an attitude here and all we're this is an attitude here and all we're talking about all this week is attitudes talking about all this week is attitudes attitudes to preaching attitudes to attitudes to preaching attitudes to teaching attitudes to seeking to save teaching attitudes to seeking to save that which is lost that which is lost in other words the spirit of the lord in other words the spirit of the lord jesus is largely in jeremiah mixed jesus is largely in jeremiah mixed occasionally with some of the uh perhaps occasionally with some of the uh perhaps uh natural reactions that he felt from uh natural reactions that he felt from time to time which are absent in the time to time which are absent in the lord jesus because his spirit was never lord jesus because his spirit was never one of personal vengeance although of one of personal vengeance although of course he is a course he is a great judge is the lord jesus christ and great judge is the lord jesus christ and he does spend quite a bit of time he does spend quite a bit of time talking about judgment to come well now talking about judgment to come well now let us drop in then it doesn't matter let us drop in then it doesn't matter which period these are the the first few which period these are the the first few are in the period of josiah and let us are in the period of josiah and let us even though we may have mentioned some even though we may have mentioned some of them before let us listen to of them before let us listen to jeremiah jeremiah pleading with god pleading with god telling god how fed up he is with the telling god how fed up he is with the task he has task he has because you remember that little thing because you remember that little thing that was put in the wilbraham wayfarer that was put in the wilbraham wayfarer yesterday about prayer let us approach yesterday about prayer let us approach boldly unto the throne of grace boldly unto the throne of grace how it's a wonderful thing to have a how it's a wonderful thing to have a friend that you can say absolutely friend that you can say absolutely anything to anything to and such a friend we have in jesus such and such a friend we have in jesus such a friend we have in god a friend we have in god while blended with reverence yet it is a while blended with reverence yet it is a fact that we are invited to approach fact that we are invited to approach boldly under the throne of grace boldly under the throne of grace and the way jeremiah he's so uninhibited and the way jeremiah he's so uninhibited he says just anything to god he says just anything to god almost the point you think now just a almost the point you think now just a bit careful jeremiah when's he talking bit careful jeremiah when's he talking to god like that to god like that but it was how he felt god knew anyway but it was how he felt god knew anyway so by sharing his feelings even his so by sharing his feelings even his wrong ones with god wrong ones with god then god could do something about it to then god could do something about it to help mold jeremiah help mold jeremiah this is much better than just using this is much better than just using formal kind of words and saying to god formal kind of words and saying to god the kind of things we think that he as the kind of things we think that he as the great god of heaven and earth ought the great god of heaven and earth ought to be having from us give him our heart to be having from us give him our heart give him the wheat yes let him have the give him the wheat yes let him have the chaff as well so that he can blow it chaff as well so that he can blow it away away that's just what jeremiah did and fourth that's just what jeremiah did and fourth chapter tenth verse chapter tenth verse in the midst of his uh early in the midst of his uh early preaching against those preaching against those israelites who israelites who were being warned by the invasion of the were being warned by the invasion of the scythians scythians we know how we said it actually didn't we know how we said it actually didn't come to pass the babylonian invasion for come to pass the babylonian invasion for another 20 years another 20 years in the midst of it verse 10 in the midst of it verse 10 then i said but lord the people have then i said but lord the people have been deceived by what you said been deceived by what you said for you promised great blessings on for you promised great blessings on jerusalem yet the sword is even now jerusalem yet the sword is even now poised to poised to strike them dead he's having a struggle strike them dead he's having a struggle as jeremiah his lord you you made me as jeremiah his lord you you made me tell them these unpopular things yet tell them these unpopular things yet earlier it was you who inspired isaiah earlier it was you who inspired isaiah to say that things were going to go well to say that things were going to go well you know lord you you know lord you you've really led them up the garden you've really led them up the garden path path now you know that doesn't sound exactly now you know that doesn't sound exactly reverent reverent but you see we have these thoughts but you see we have these thoughts we have our doubts and we have our fears we have our doubts and we have our fears and our ambiguities in the understanding and our ambiguities in the understanding of god's ways and we bottle them up of god's ways and we bottle them up and any psychologist will tell you it's and any psychologist will tell you it's bad to bottle uh bad to bottle uh a thing i better bring it out into the a thing i better bring it out into the open and that's what jeremiah did open and that's what jeremiah did and god didn't say jeremiah you mustn't and god didn't say jeremiah you mustn't accuse me of deceiving accuse me of deceiving he dealt with the situation and led he dealt with the situation and led jeremiah to understand how that he jeremiah to understand how that he wasn't deceiving them he led jeremiah to wasn't deceiving them he led jeremiah to a better understanding a better understanding then in verse 19 of course comes the then in verse 19 of course comes the title of this particular talk title of this particular talk my heart my heart my heart i writhe in pain my heart my heart i writhe in pain my heart pounds within me i cannot be still pounds within me i cannot be still because i have heard o my soul the blast because i have heard o my soul the blast of the enemies trumpets and the enemies of the enemies trumpets and the enemies battle cry didn't mean to say at this battle cry didn't mean to say at this stage they were outside jerusalem but by stage they were outside jerusalem but by his inspired poetic imagination he could his inspired poetic imagination he could see the terrible disasters that were see the terrible disasters that were going to come as if they were already going to come as if they were already there there and his heart just thumped thumped thump and his heart just thumped thumped thump thumped as he thought of it he loved his thumped as he thought of it he loved his people so much people so much when did our hearts last thump when did our hearts last thump when we tried to plead with somebody to when we tried to plead with somebody to go the right way go the right way and forsake the wrong way because real and forsake the wrong way because real preaching and real teaching can leave preaching and real teaching can leave you you absolutely particularly personal absolutely particularly personal teaching teaching in one sense it's easier to talk to a in one sense it's easier to talk to a big group of people it's when you're big group of people it's when you're engaged in personal evangelism and engaged in personal evangelism and personal guidance work one with another personal guidance work one with another that the real pressure comes in our own that the real pressure comes in our own day i think and you'll be very tired day i think and you'll be very tired after an activity of that kind when after an activity of that kind when you're sort of wrestling for the soul of you're sort of wrestling for the soul of others that's what jeremiah was doing others that's what jeremiah was doing this is what the lord jesus said that's this is what the lord jesus said that's why he sometimes was quite tired but he why he sometimes was quite tired but he still went up in a mountain apart to still went up in a mountain apart to pray and frankly tell god the help that pray and frankly tell god the help that he needed he needed now in the eighth uh in the eighth now in the eighth uh in the eighth chapter chapter of jeremiah of jeremiah we're still in the jose in the we're still in the jose in the possibly here in the early jehoiachim possibly here in the early jehoiachim period period either end of josiah either end of josiah beginning jehoiakim and in the beginning jehoiakim and in the 14th verse we have the uh sort of problem that uh that uh he was faced with he was faced with the people will say why should we wait the people will say why should we wait here to die come let us go up to the here to die come let us go up to the walled cities and perish there for the walled cities and perish there for the lord our god has decreed our doom and lord our god has decreed our doom and given us a cup of poison to drink given us a cup of poison to drink because of all our sins we expected because of all our sins we expected peace but no peace came we looked for peace but no peace came we looked for health health but there was only terror but there was only terror and so again jeremiah looks out with the and so again jeremiah looks out with the people upon this dreadful situation people upon this dreadful situation and we did actually quote this either and we did actually quote this either yesterday or the day before but we're yesterday or the day before but we're trying to bring them all together trying to bring them all together verse 18 jeremiah says verse 18 jeremiah says my grief is beyond healing my grief is beyond healing my heart my heart is broken the lord jesus christ is absolutely there isn't he think of the things that there isn't he think of the things that jesus said jesus said my god my god why hast thou forsaken me my god my god why hast thou forsaken me you know i don't think we need to go you know i don't think we need to go into any very complex explanations of into any very complex explanations of what the lord jesus said on the cross what the lord jesus said on the cross he felt the full weight of his he felt the full weight of his involvement with human sins involvement with human sins he felt the full desolation of he felt the full desolation of separation from god separation from god although he knew his father still loved although he knew his father still loved him and cared for him he felt because he him and cared for him he felt because he knew sin as no other did he felt what it knew sin as no other did he felt what it was like to be cut off from god as he was like to be cut off from god as he was about to be cut off from god in the was about to be cut off from god in the act of death act of death and so from his heart there comes what and so from his heart there comes what sounds almost a criticism of god my sounds almost a criticism of god my heart my god my god why hast thou heart my god my god why hast thou forsaken me forsaken me and jeremiah and jesus have so much in and jeremiah and jesus have so much in common in these various attitudes that common in these various attitudes that they have they have seeking to understand what god is doing seeking to understand what god is doing seeking the forgiveness of god seeking the forgiveness of god father forgive them for they know not father forgive them for they know not what they do i plead for them says what they do i plead for them says jeremiah recognizing the inevitability of judgment in the case of jeremiah with a judgment in the case of jeremiah with a bit of bitterness bit of bitterness in the case of jesus without bitterness in the case of jesus without bitterness and yet he could say good were it for and yet he could say good were it for that man if he had not been born that man if he had not been born or ye generation of vipers or ye generation of vipers john the baptist said that jesus said it john the baptist said that jesus said it oh you faithless generation so jesus oh you faithless generation so jesus wasn't all sugar it wasn't even all wasn't all sugar it wasn't even all forgiveness although the purpose in forgiveness although the purpose in accusing them was that they might be accusing them was that they might be brought to forgiveness brought to forgiveness to keep the lord jesus in our minds as to keep the lord jesus in our minds as we listen to jeremiah we listen to jeremiah keep ourselves in mind in our work with keep ourselves in mind in our work with each other and with those outside each other and with those outside and we will have the mood of the heart and we will have the mood of the heart of god being brought to us so jeremiah of god being brought to us so jeremiah says says my grief is beyond healing my heart is my grief is beyond healing my heart is broken broken listen to the weeping of my people all listen to the weeping of my people all across the land across the land where is the lord they ask where is the lord they ask has god deserted us verse 21 has god deserted us verse 21 i weep for the hurt of my people i stand i weep for the hurt of my people i stand amazed silent amazed silent dumb with grief dumb with grief chapter nine chapter nine is the chapter which begins with him is the chapter which begins with him wishing he'd got more tear depths wishing he'd got more tear depths because the feeling he's got the because the feeling he's got the heaviness in his heart there aren't heaviness in his heart there aren't enough tears in his tear ducts to enough tears in his tear ducts to express express the heaviness of heart he feels the heaviness of heart he feels that's why you get oh that my eyes were that's why you get oh that my eyes were a fountain of tears i would weep forever a fountain of tears i would weep forever it's beautiful touching poetry you know it's beautiful touching poetry you know i would sob i would sob day and night for the slain of my people day and night for the slain of my people for the consequences that their sin was for the consequences that their sin was bringing bringing and then as we saw on one of the days in and then as we saw on one of the days in the next breath oh that i could go away the next breath oh that i could go away and forget them and forget them oh that i could but i can't he's saying oh that i could but i can't he's saying you see and live in some wayside shack you see and live in some wayside shack in the desert for their all adulterous in the desert for their all adulterous treacherous man the particular feature treacherous man the particular feature of the treachery that he brings out here of the treachery that he brings out here is their use of their tongues their is their use of their tongues their gossipy ways their untrue ways the ways gossipy ways their untrue ways the ways in which they were stabbing one another in which they were stabbing one another in the back with words so that you in the back with words so that you couldn't rely or trust upon anyone there couldn't rely or trust upon anyone there was no one that you could feel was a was no one that you could feel was a complete friend to whom you could pour complete friend to whom you could pour out anything because anything you said out anything because anything you said was likely to be taken down and used in was likely to be taken down and used in evidence against you as they say in the evidence against you as they say in the british police force british police force and so that was the mood of israel at and so that was the mood of israel at that time that was the mood in the time that time that was the mood in the time of the lord jesus christ when he said of the lord jesus christ when he said was it not written a man's foes shall be was it not written a man's foes shall be they of his own household and so often they of his own household and so often as is written of the lord jesus christ as is written of the lord jesus christ that they watched him that they watched him verse 10 verse 10 sobbing and weeping says jeremiah i sobbing and weeping says jeremiah i point to their mountains and pastures point to their mountains and pastures for now they are desolate for now they are desolate without a living soul already the without a living soul already the captivity hasn't come yet but the the captivity hasn't come yet but the the invasion that is um invasion that is um uh threatening has has caused them to uh threatening has has caused them to come out of their farms and tend to go come out of their farms and tend to go into the cities into the cities gone is all the lowing of cattle gone gone is all the lowing of cattle gone the birds and wild animals all have fled the birds and wild animals all have fled and he knows that worse is to come and i and he knows that worse is to come and i will turn jerusalem will turn jerusalem into heaps of ruined houses and jesus into heaps of ruined houses and jesus said the day will come when the faults said the day will come when the faults will be mounted against jerusalem and will be mounted against jerusalem and there shall be not one stone standing there shall be not one stone standing upon another and so he says verse 12 lord i know you've told me to give these lord i know you've told me to give these messages messages lord i know it's my duty to do so but i lord i know it's my duty to do so but i wish i could understand it all wish i could understand it all who is wise enough to understand all who is wise enough to understand all this this we want a bit of that humility when we want a bit of that humility when we're preaching and when we're seeking we're preaching and when we're seeking to help one another realize the to help one another realize the limitations of our understanding who is limitations of our understanding who is wise enough to understand all this where wise enough to understand all this where is the lord's messenger to explain it is the lord's messenger to explain it why is the land a wilderness so that no why is the land a wilderness so that no one dares even to travel through you see one dares even to travel through you see the prophets weren't machines the prophets weren't machines they give the message and then they they give the message and then they think about the message and of course think about the message and of course peter says doesn't it it was revealed to peter says doesn't it it was revealed to them that they prophesied not for them that they prophesied not for themselves but they prophesied unto us themselves but they prophesied unto us in other words many of the things they in other words many of the things they said had a hidden message pointing to said had a hidden message pointing to the coming of the lord jesus christ and the coming of the lord jesus christ and as they sort of scratched their heads as they sort of scratched their heads about the very things they said in about the very things they said in prayer little prayers that would go up prayer little prayers that would go up lord i've told him but what did it lord i've told him but what did it really mean really mean and god didn't give the answer by just and god didn't give the answer by just sort of winding up a little message in sort of winding up a little message in their heads or by sending an angel their heads or by sending an angel cladding shining white who are jeremiah cladding shining white who are jeremiah this is what it meant no they had to this is what it meant no they had to learn through the experiences so god learn through the experiences so god gave them answers by experiences and he gave them answers by experiences and he expected jeremiah to use his head and expected jeremiah to use his head and think about the experiences and this is think about the experiences and this is this is what it's all about this is what it's all about christianity isn't just a nice little christianity isn't just a nice little package that you've got it and you've package that you've got it and you've got it once and for all we have to got it once and for all we have to exercise our minds and this is what our exercise our minds and this is what our ecclesial bible classes should give us ecclesial bible classes should give us the opportunity to do to exercise our the opportunity to do to exercise our minds where we needn't be frightened of minds where we needn't be frightened of bringing out our problem bringing out our problem and and together we help to iron it out together we help to iron it out let us go for a less fearful atmosphere let us go for a less fearful atmosphere in our ecclesial life for in that way we in our ecclesial life for in that way we will get the help that the living lord will get the help that the living lord jesus is ready to give us so he says jesus is ready to give us so he says lord who is wise enough to understand lord who is wise enough to understand this and he seeks to understand he seeks this and he seeks to understand he seeks to grow in grasp to grow in grasp well now that was the well now that was the ninth chapter still apparently in the ninth chapter still apparently in the period of josiah or ordinary jehoiakim period of josiah or ordinary jehoiakim now in the 10th chapter jeremiah's losing his confidence and after all you've got to have some and after all you've got to have some confidence confidence as well as humility as well as humility god given confidence god given confidence in a job like jeremiah got took a lot of in a job like jeremiah got took a lot of confidence confidence but the confidence was not in himself but the confidence was not in himself so let's go in at um oh i like verse 17 in this version this is jeremiah talking is jeremiah talking verse 17 verse 17 chapter 10 chapter 10 pack your bags he says get ready now to pack your bags he says get ready now to leave the siege will soon begin leave the siege will soon begin it's dramatic language isn't it it's dramatic language isn't it for suddenly i'll fling you from this for suddenly i'll fling you from this land and pour great troubles down at land and pour great troubles down at last you shall feel my wrath last you shall feel my wrath and then verses 19 and 20 should be as and then verses 19 and 20 should be as it were in quotes and these are the it were in quotes and these are the things that judah says things that judah says desperate as my wound my grief is great desperate as my wound my grief is great my sickness is incurable but i must bear my sickness is incurable but i must bear it it my home is gone my children have been my home is gone my children have been taken away i will never see them again taken away i will never see them again there is no one left to help me rebuild there is no one left to help me rebuild my house my house that's an imaginary way of of showing that's an imaginary way of of showing israel israel troubled troubled by the things that are coming upon them by the things that are coming upon them jeremiah picks up his ears verse 22 he jeremiah picks up his ears verse 22 he says listen says listen hear the terrible sound of great armies hear the terrible sound of great armies coming from the north i can hear them on coming from the north i can hear them on the march in his poetic imagination the march in his poetic imagination and then he says and then he says still the unwilling prophet o lord still the unwilling prophet o lord i know it's not within the power of man i know it's not within the power of man to map his life and plan his course to map his life and plan his course so you correct me lord so you correct me lord but please be gentle but please be gentle don't do it in your anger don't do it in your anger for i would die for i would die pour out your fury on the nations who pour out your fury on the nations who don't obey the lord for they have don't obey the lord for they have destroyed israel and made a wasteland of destroyed israel and made a wasteland of this entire country this entire country i know we use that as a text it is not i know we use that as a text it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps in man that walketh to direct his steps it's quite a correct text to use but it's quite a correct text to use but what jeremiah is saying lord i don't what jeremiah is saying lord i don't understand where i'm going i don't understand where i'm going i don't understand where israel is going i know understand where israel is going i know we can't sort things out for ourselves we can't sort things out for ourselves it's not within the power of man to map it's not within the power of man to map his life and plan his course but lord his life and plan his course but lord i know you're correcting me and training i know you're correcting me and training me and chastising me me and chastising me and cause no chastisement for the and cause no chastisement for the present seemeth pleasant says present seemeth pleasant says god but don't pour out just fury on judah lord can i please make a point lord he says can i please make a point lord he says you're destroying judah and israel but you're destroying judah and israel but what about the wicked nations around what about the wicked nations around they're really worse lord aren't they they're really worse lord aren't they jesus jeremiah now pleading for israel jesus jeremiah now pleading for israel and before long he's back to the and before long he's back to the opposite of pleading for them well now opposite of pleading for them well now chapter 11 we looked at pretty chapter 11 we looked at pretty thoroughly because that was the place thoroughly because that was the place where this was there was this conspiracy this conspiracy where they were going to put jeremiah to where they were going to put jeremiah to death and that was the time when the death and that was the time when the very jeremiah who said lord don't kill very jeremiah who said lord don't kill judah off now says do kill him off at judah off now says do kill him off at least in anathor least in anathor one or two have commented on this one or two have commented on this and it's right that this is one of the and it's right that this is one of the sort of problems you can think about see sort of problems you can think about see the record is inspired the record is inspired that does not mean to say that that does not mean to say that everything jeremiah said was always the everything jeremiah said was always the best thing to say best thing to say and yet even when he is saying and yet even when he is saying lord they deserve this that and the lord they deserve this that and the other other as one brother put it yesterday to me in as one brother put it yesterday to me in a sense jeremiah was a bit ahead of god a sense jeremiah was a bit ahead of god himself because in the end god did bring himself because in the end god did bring judgment to bear judgment to bear but always with mercy with a remnant but always with mercy with a remnant left left now definitely into the reign of now definitely into the reign of jehoiakim jehoiakim this seems to be the period when this seems to be the period when jeremiah if you remember when he sent jeremiah if you remember when he sent that scroll which the king cut up with that scroll which the king cut up with the pen knife the pen knife he was shut up it says now that either he was shut up it says now that either means he was in prison and this means he was in prison and this translation takes it was imprisoned or translation takes it was imprisoned or it means he was keeping out of the way it means he was keeping out of the way so that he didn't get in prison so that he didn't get in prison i think it's the latter that he was i think it's the latter that he was keeping out of the way so that he didn't keeping out of the way so that he didn't get in prison so he got a lot of time on get in prison so he got a lot of time on his hands because he couldn't go out in his hands because he couldn't go out in the streets and preach because he'd got the streets and preach because he'd got arrested and it's this when he got arrested and it's this when he got really depressed really depressed one of the one of the antidotes to depression is to be up and antidotes to depression is to be up and be doing be doing activity that that gets rid of activity that that gets rid of depression but here jeremiah couldn't depression but here jeremiah couldn't engage in much activity he'd got to be engage in much activity he'd got to be out of the way in hiding and so it was out of the way in hiding and so it was at this time that um at this time that um he felt particularly he felt particularly particularly upset particularly upset and and in uh in uh verse 15 he still sends messages to them verse 15 he still sends messages to them uh verse 15 of chapter uh verse 15 of chapter 13 13 speaking of israel and judah oh that you speaking of israel and judah oh that you were not so proud and stubborn were not so proud and stubborn still this note of pleading in it still this note of pleading in it this note of wishing they were different this note of wishing they were different not this note of rejoicing iniquity not this note of rejoicing iniquity then you would listen to the lord for he then you would listen to the lord for he has spoken give glory to the lord your has spoken give glory to the lord your god and perhaps barrack smuggled this god and perhaps barrack smuggled this message out and took it to them give message out and took it to them give glory to the lord your god before it is glory to the lord your god before it is too late too late before he causes deep impenetrable before he causes deep impenetrable darkness to fall upon you so that you darkness to fall upon you so that you stumble and fall upon the dark mountains stumble and fall upon the dark mountains then when you look for light you will then when you look for light you will find only terrible darkness do you still find only terrible darkness do you still refuse to listen refuse to listen then in loneliness my breaking heart then in loneliness my breaking heart shall mourn because of your pride shall mourn because of your pride my eyes will overflow with tears because my eyes will overflow with tears because the lord's flock shall be carried away the lord's flock shall be carried away as slaves he's depressed he loved his as slaves he's depressed he loved his people in loneliness he's depressed he loved his people in loneliness loneliness you can be lonely in a crowd even in you can be lonely in a crowd even in this mood in loneliness my breaking this mood in loneliness my breaking heart shall mourn because of your pride heart shall mourn because of your pride that's the spirit of jeremiah that's the spirit of jeremiah the 14th chapter the 14th chapter gives you gives you the occasion of the occasion of a famine a famine that had arisen a temporary famine these that had arisen a temporary famine these things happened if there was a bad things happened if there was a bad harvest and of course the prophets harvest and of course the prophets always saw these things as always saw these things as judgments judgments and jeremiah prays and jeremiah prays this is one of his prayers prayers where this is one of his prayers prayers where he isn't saying punish them where he's he isn't saying punish them where he's saying lord don't punish them and notice saying lord don't punish them and notice how how these brethren of old times like daniel these brethren of old times like daniel like nehemiah like ezra like nehemiah like ezra they associated themselves with the sin they associated themselves with the sin of the people they didn't put themselves of the people they didn't put themselves on a pedestal on a pedestal one never likes to hear an exhortation one never likes to hear an exhortation where a brother says to the brethren where a brother says to the brethren sisters you do this sisters you do this or where somebody writes an article and or where somebody writes an article and sends it round and says the trouble with sends it round and says the trouble with the brotherhood today or the trouble the brotherhood today or the trouble with you today with you today not what people usually write they not what people usually write they usually say they're brotherhood usually say they're brotherhood but they treat it as them but they treat it as them them and you them and you if we're going to criticize if we're going to criticize we should say us we should say us the trouble with us today is us and so the trouble with us today is us and so because we're all involved because we're all involved any troubles that there are any failures any troubles that there are any failures to live up to the standards in christ to live up to the standards in christ jesus we each make our little jesus we each make our little contribution to the fact that we're not contribution to the fact that we're not overcoming our problems overcoming our problems even if we're not contributing to the even if we're not contributing to the problem if we're not contributing to the problem if we're not contributing to the overcoming of the various problems then overcoming of the various problems then in that way we are involved and we in that way we are involved and we should therefore should therefore never criticize the brotherhood them never criticize the brotherhood them you but you but us us and that is the spirit that jeremiah and that is the spirit that jeremiah shows here in chapter 14 verse 7 shows here in chapter 14 verse 7 oh lord oh lord we have sinned against you grievously we have sinned against you grievously and jeremiah's a bit like moses and he and jeremiah's a bit like moses and he says yet help us for the sake of your says yet help us for the sake of your own reputation o own reputation o hope of israel our savior in times of hope of israel our savior in times of trouble trouble why are you a stranger to us as one why are you a stranger to us as one passing through the land who is merely passing through the land who is merely stopping for the nights stopping for the nights it's a discussion with god it's a discussion with god where he's asking god why it is that god where he's asking god why it is that god is so absent from israel may i comment is so absent from israel may i comment on verse 8 on verse 8 o hope of israel our savior in times of o hope of israel our savior in times of trouble trouble it was for the hope of israel that paul it was for the hope of israel that paul was bound with a chain was bound with a chain and we sometimes use this phrase the and we sometimes use this phrase the hope of israel to describe the promises hope of israel to describe the promises made to the fathers the promises made to made to the fathers the promises made to david as fulfilled in the restoration of david as fulfilled in the restoration of israel and the final establishment of israel and the final establishment of the kingdom of god the kingdom of god there is a sense of course is that is there is a sense of course is that is what israel hoped for but have you what israel hoped for but have you noticed and this was pointed out by noticed and this was pointed out by brother alfred nichols in an editorial brother alfred nichols in an editorial in the christiadelphian some 18 months in the christiadelphian some 18 months ago have you noticed that here in ago have you noticed that here in jeremiah jeremiah the hope of israel is a person the hope of israel is a person the one in whom israel the one in whom israel had hope had hope oh hope of israel our savior oh hope of israel our savior in the time of trouble in the time of trouble so that when it says on the so that when it says on the christodolphian that we are a community christodolphian that we are a community based on the hope of israel based on the hope of israel it doesn't just mean based on certain it doesn't just mean based on certain doctrines about the coming kingdom doctrines about the coming kingdom although those are included in it but it although those are included in it but it means we are a community based upon the means we are a community based upon the one who israel were looking to come and one who israel were looking to come and save them and who know that he has come save them and who know that he has come even the lord jesus christ even the lord jesus christ is here is here in the sense of the living christ in the sense of the living christ working in us and will come so the working in us and will come so the phrase the hope of israel is a very phrase the hope of israel is a very personal one about the savior god personal one about the savior god manifested in the lord jesus christ oh manifested in the lord jesus christ oh hope of israel our savior in the time of hope of israel our savior in the time of trouble that just in passing is one of trouble that just in passing is one of those lovely little expressions that you those lovely little expressions that you get in the writings and words of get in the writings and words of jeremiah jeremiah and and god then says to him god then says to him i don't know how god says these things i don't know how god says these things to him whether it's just a consciousness to him whether it's just a consciousness within himself i'd rather suspect it within himself i'd rather suspect it wasn't an angel being sent verse 11 wasn't an angel being sent verse 11 the lord told me again don't ask me the lord told me again don't ask me anymore to bless this people don't pray anymore to bless this people don't pray for them anymore for them anymore now things are pretty dreadful when now things are pretty dreadful when that's said that's said and um then he says verse 13 and um then he says verse 13 then i said o lord god you notice it god then i said o lord god you notice it god said then i said then then he said then said then i said then then he said then i said to jeremiah prayer is a i said to jeremiah prayer is a conversation with god conversation with god and we don't know and it might perhaps and we don't know and it might perhaps you might have some clues that i've you might have some clues that i've missed as to how these answers came missed as to how these answers came but for us but for us prayer prayer is a is a conversation with god conversation with god and so you you say to god about a and so you you say to god about a particular situation lord particular situation lord please help so and so in their problem please help so and so in their problem please help this situation to improve please help this situation to improve please grant that the light of truth may please grant that the light of truth may get into so-and-so's heart get into so-and-so's heart and your pause and you think right round and your pause and you think right round that situation that situation then a scripture pops into your mind then a scripture pops into your mind that's relevant to it that's relevant to it can't that be one of the ways in which can't that be one of the ways in which god actually answers prayers have you god actually answers prayers have you never had the experience where as a never had the experience where as a result of your praying result of your praying you had a very definite sense of a you had a very definite sense of a certain scripture being more meaningful certain scripture being more meaningful than you've ever noticed it before than you've ever noticed it before you've gone and followed that scripture you've gone and followed that scripture is that how the spirit of the living is that how the spirit of the living lord works very often in our own day lord works very often in our own day aiding the black words on the white aiding the black words on the white pages with some living power pages with some living power well i don't know exactly how the well i don't know exactly how the conversation conversation worked out in jeremiah's case but i'm worked out in jeremiah's case but i'm sure we ought to think of prayer more as sure we ought to think of prayer more as a living conversation between us and the a living conversation between us and the lord jesus christ and the lord god i lord jesus christ and the lord god i always bring jesus and god together in always bring jesus and god together in this because we can never pray without this because we can never pray without being conscious of the presence of the being conscious of the presence of the lord jesus christ and personally i'm not lord jesus christ and personally i'm not too worried about technicalities as too worried about technicalities as whether prayer should be addressed whether prayer should be addressed verbally to god or whether you can ever verbally to god or whether you can ever say lord jesus say lord jesus certainly stephen said lord jesus certainly stephen said lord jesus receive my spirit receive my spirit when he was when he was being stoned and there are other being stoned and there are other instances where jesus is addressed by instances where jesus is addressed by name in prayer name in prayer god and the father the father and the god and the father the father and the son are so united that they don't think son are so united that they don't think we need we need people that's why i'm quite happy about people that's why i'm quite happy about hymns that directly address jesus hymns that directly address jesus because he is so closely involved in the because he is so closely involved in the person and work of the father well uh person and work of the father well uh the whole point of course is that we can the whole point of course is that we can only give specimens of these and only give specimens of these and so so the conversation goes on the prayer goes the conversation goes on the prayer goes on and on and we get god admitting that he himself we get god admitting that he himself feels upset about the circumstance and feels upset about the circumstance and you almost get the feeling in this you almost get the feeling in this prayer in chapter 14 that that the god prayer in chapter 14 that that the god of heaven and jeremiah of heaven and jeremiah are having a good cry together about the are having a good cry together about the circumstances of israel circumstances of israel if only into our prayers we could get if only into our prayers we could get that sort of feeling that sort of feeling then these confessions of jeremiah's are then these confessions of jeremiah's are sometimes called sometimes called will have will have got into our lives and of course they're got into our lives and of course they're there aren't they all the time in the there aren't they all the time in the new testament when paul says making new testament when paul says making mention in your prayers in my prayers mention in your prayers in my prayers making mention of you in my prayers making mention of you in my prayers making mention of you in my prayers making mention of you in my prayers making mention of you in my prayers he making mention of you in my prayers he must have been on his knees or wherever must have been on his knees or wherever he whatever posture he sat in or stood he whatever posture he sat in or stood in whenever he prayed he must have been in whenever he prayed he must have been praying a long while all the people he praying a long while all the people he had to mention had to mention as he thought of all the problems that as he thought of all the problems that people had got people had got and so and so jeremiah likewise jeremiah likewise making mention of israel in his prayers making mention of israel in his prayers now in the now in the 15th chapter we have another one of 15th chapter we have another one of these very personal chapters these very personal chapters uh god says uh god says verse 6 verse 6 you have forsaken me and turned your you have forsaken me and turned your backs upon me therefore i will clench my backs upon me therefore i will clench my fists against you to destroy you i am fists against you to destroy you i am tired of always giving you another tired of always giving you another chance god's got patience that gets exhausted in the end or near to it as it were in the end or near to it as it were and then verse 10 and then verse 10 jeremiah says jeremiah says because he gets tired of all the nasty because he gets tired of all the nasty things people are saying against him as things people are saying against him as he gives these unpopular messages he gives these unpopular messages what sadness is mine my mother oh that i what sadness is mine my mother oh that i had died at birth for i am hated had died at birth for i am hated everywhere i go everywhere i go i am neither a creditor soon to i am neither a creditor soon to foreclose nor a debtor refusing to pay foreclose nor a debtor refusing to pay yet they all curse me you know two yet they all curse me you know two people that are unpopular somebody you people that are unpopular somebody you owe money to or somebody who owes you owe money to or somebody who owes you money money that's what he's saying there that's what he's saying there that's where the king james version that's where the king james version sometimes wraps it up and you don't see sometimes wraps it up and you don't see the humorous point the humorous point likes grim humor he says i don't owe likes grim humor he says i don't owe them any money and they don't owe me any them any money and they don't owe me any money yet they hate me just as if i did money yet they hate me just as if i did i wish i were dead he says i wish i were dead he says well that isn't right well that isn't right but who of us are going to say sure am i but who of us are going to say sure am i that was very wrong of you to wish you that was very wrong of you to wish you were dead were dead same of course with joe these people same of course with joe these people really got really got right down to rock bottom right down to rock bottom and at times in our lives we do and when and at times in our lives we do and when we do then it's a comfort to know that we do then it's a comfort to know that in the scriptures we have the examples in the scriptures we have the examples of those who also have hit rock bottom of those who also have hit rock bottom and in heaven we have one who himself and in heaven we have one who himself for our sakes hit rock bottom for our sakes hit rock bottom and went right through the valley of the and went right through the valley of the shadow of death because he brings shadow of death because he brings together and welds the experiences of together and welds the experiences of all these people of all ages into one all these people of all ages into one well let them curse well let them curse says jeremiah lord you know how i have says jeremiah lord you know how i have pleaded with them on their behalf with pleaded with them on their behalf with you on their behalf how i have begged you on their behalf how i have begged you to spare those enemies of mine you to spare those enemies of mine see that the kind of see-saw of see that the kind of see-saw of jeremiah's thought jeremiah's thought he says you know i begged you to spare he says you know i begged you to spare those enemies of mine because on another those enemies of mine because on another occasion he didn't he begged god to kill occasion he didn't he begged god to kill those enemies of his those enemies of his then jeremiah replied verse 15 then jeremiah replied verse 15 after god had told him there's a lot after god had told him there's a lot more trouble round yet more trouble round yet lord you know it's for your sake that i lord you know it's for your sake that i am suffering am suffering for your sake i have borne reproach for your sake i have borne reproach they are persecuting me because i have they are persecuting me because i have proclaimed your word to them proclaimed your word to them don't let them kill me don't let them kill me rescue me from their clutches and give rescue me from their clutches and give them what they deserve see this this helps us doesn't it to understand that that we are never going understand that that we are never going to achieve a nice steady platform in the to achieve a nice steady platform in the truth where everything is going to go truth where everything is going to go along like that along like that we're going to be down and we're going we're going to be down and we're going to be up we're going to be down and to be up we're going to be down and we're going to be up and the lord looks we're going to be up and the lord looks in pity and mercy upon us knowing in pity and mercy upon us knowing exactly all about it having told us that exactly all about it having told us that this is what the christian life is about this is what the christian life is about even before you could call it the even before you could call it the christian life christian life and then in the midst of this jeremiah and then in the midst of this jeremiah says says your words are what sustain me they are your words are what sustain me they are food to my hungry soul they bring joy food to my hungry soul they bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me how to my sorrowing heart and delight me how proud i am to bear your name o lord proud i am to bear your name o lord he goes from one thing to the other he goes from one thing to the other didn't he wish i would date didn't he wish i would date lord you know how i want you to spare lord you know how i want you to spare them lord i wish you'd kill them lord them lord i wish you'd kill them lord i'm full of joy because of your word i'm full of joy because of your word verse 17 i have not joined the people in verse 17 i have not joined the people in their merry feasts i sit alone their merry feasts i sit alone beneath the hand of god i burst with beneath the hand of god i burst with indignation at their sins indignation at their sins yet you have failed me yet you have failed me oh jeremiah is he saying that to god oh jeremiah is he saying that to god yet you have failed me in my time of yet you have failed me in my time of need this is a bit of the cha need this is a bit of the cha that needed blowing out what jeremiah that needed blowing out what jeremiah said but he said it god didn't hold it said but he said it god didn't hold it against him the fact that he said it he against him the fact that he said it he was honest and uninhibited with god yet was honest and uninhibited with god yet you have failed me in my time of need you have failed me in my time of need you have let them keep right on with all you have let them keep right on with all their persecutions will they never stop their persecutions will they never stop hurting me your help god is as uncertain hurting me your help god is as uncertain as a seasonal mountain brook that's what as a seasonal mountain brook that's what that verse means that verse means sometimes it's a flood and i get plenty sometimes it's a flood and i get plenty of help from you and sometimes like that of help from you and sometimes like that brook it's as dry as a bone and i get no brook it's as dry as a bone and i get no help from you help from you and then the lord replied and then the lord replied have you ever felt like see i think when have you ever felt like see i think when we pray those sort of prayers we we pray those sort of prayers we probably don't ever put them into words probably don't ever put them into words like that but we sit there or we kneel like that but we sit there or we kneel there or we go for a walk in the there or we go for a walk in the countryside and we countryside and we we're thinking that way we're thinking that way and then in some way or other the lord and then in some way or other the lord replies to us perhaps we get into touch replies to us perhaps we get into touch with a brother or sister who lifts our with a brother or sister who lifts our soul or rebukes us when we need it or we soul or rebukes us when we need it or we read some portion of scripture that read some portion of scripture that happens to help us at the time but happens to help us at the time but anyway whatever way god answered anyway whatever way god answered jeremiah this is what he said in this jeremiah this is what he said in this translation the lord replied stop this translation the lord replied stop this foolishness and talk some sense foolishness and talk some sense only if you return to trusting me will i only if you return to trusting me will i let you continue as my spokesman let you continue as my spokesman you are to influence them not let them you are to influence them not let them influence you that's that verse which influence you that's that verse which says says you you return to them you you return to them uh not not them to you whichever way uh not not them to you whichever way round it is but the meaning of it is you round it is but the meaning of it is you are to influence them not let them are to influence them not let them influence you don't let them get you influence you don't let them get you down jeremiah you keep at it otherwise down jeremiah you keep at it otherwise they won't let you work for me they won't let you work for me and jeremiah just said i wish you didn't and jeremiah just said i wish you didn't let me work for you lord because it gets let me work for you lord because it gets me down me down i mean it's hard to sort of what we're i mean it's hard to sort of what we're trying to do we're trying to really look trying to do we're trying to really look inside a man's mind and the comfort we inside a man's mind and the comfort we get out of this is the next time your get out of this is the next time your mind's like a seesaw mind's like a seesaw and and in my own experience i know that'll in my own experience i know that'll happen within a week happen within a week you'll think of jeremiah and you'll be you'll think of jeremiah and you'll be encouraged and remember that the lord encouraged and remember that the lord jesus christ although he never sinned in jesus christ although he never sinned in thought or deed or word yet nevertheless thought or deed or word yet nevertheless had these ups and downs and these see had these ups and downs and these see saws himself and sometimes he was saws himself and sometimes he was depressed and sometimes he was joyous depressed and sometimes he was joyous chapter 16 tells you how jeremiah was chapter 16 tells you how jeremiah was instructed instructed not to marry and have children not to marry and have children to be a sign to israel the time was not to be a sign to israel the time was not a time of joy but it was a time of a time of joy but it was a time of considerable sorrow considerable sorrow chapter 17 we can read for ourselves chapter 17 we can read for ourselves that was chapter 16 where he was told he that was chapter 16 where he was told he couldn't couldn't marry couldn't couldn't marry again how he was told we don't know it again how he was told we don't know it might have been that just god made it so might have been that just god made it so evident to him that the time was evident to him that the time was inappropriate that the sort of job he'd inappropriate that the sort of job he'd got was not one that uh would enable got was not one that uh would enable uh him to live an ordinary life just as uh him to live an ordinary life just as the lord jesus christ had to forgo the the lord jesus christ had to forgo the normal happinesses of normal human life normal happinesses of normal human life in chapter 17 in chapter 17 at at verse verse 15 15 well verse 14 well verse 14 lord lord you alone can heal me you alone can heal me you alone can save and my praises are you alone can save and my praises are for you alone for you alone men scoff at me and say men scoff at me and say what is this word of the lord you keep what is this word of the lord you keep talking about talking about if these threats of yours are really if these threats of yours are really from god why don't they come true from god why don't they come true because at this particular time babylon because at this particular time babylon hadn't arrived and hadn't captured hadn't arrived and hadn't captured jerusalem jerusalem lord lord verse 16 i don't want the people crushed verse 16 i don't want the people crushed by terrible calamity that's the other by terrible calamity that's the other side of him side of him the plan is yours not mine it's your the plan is yours not mine it's your message i've given them not my own i message i've given them not my own i don't want them doomed don't want them doomed lord lord don't desert me now you alone are my don't desert me now you alone are my hope bring confusion and trouble on all hope bring confusion and trouble on all those that persecute me those that persecute me see i i i don't want them doomed see i i i don't want them doomed bring confusion and trouble on all those bring confusion and trouble on all those who persecute but give me peace who persecute but give me peace yes bring double destruction upon them yes bring double destruction upon them then the lord said jeremiah then the lord said jeremiah stop all this go and do some work stop all this go and do some work and and he sends him off at this and and he sends him off at this particular stage to particular stage to go and make a one of his rare go and make a one of his rare appearances perhaps the king wasn't appearances perhaps the king wasn't around at the time around at the time uh and uh although it does say this is uh and uh although it does say this is at the gate where the king goes out and at the gate where the king goes out and then at each of the gates so perhaps he then at each of the gates so perhaps he was now to take a risk and go forth was now to take a risk and go forth although there's always this problem of although there's always this problem of the pages that blew all over the place the pages that blew all over the place so we're never quite sure what order so we're never quite sure what order we're in now that's chapter 17 we're in now that's chapter 17 uh i see the time has gone so i must uh i see the time has gone so i must just pick up just one final one of these just pick up just one final one of these confessions and then we'll um we'll pick confessions and then we'll um we'll pick up finally with one tomorrow up finally with one tomorrow chapter chapter 20. this is jeremiah in the stocks so he's now come out of his hiding so he's now come out of his hiding and he's been arrested and he's been arrested verse two verse two pashur the priest in charge of the pashur the priest in charge of the temple of the lord arrested jeremiah and temple of the lord arrested jeremiah and had him whipped had him whipped i wonder what that says in the king i wonder what that says in the king james version there james version there uh smote him you see he thinks smote him uh smote him you see he thinks smote him just smacked his face or something had just smacked his face or something had him whipped i mean that's the sense of him whipped i mean that's the sense of the word the word and put in the stocks because it brings and put in the stocks because it brings you to somebody else who was put in the you to somebody else who was put in the stocks doesn't it paul for example stocks doesn't it paul for example at benjamin gate near the temple he left at benjamin gate near the temple he left him there all night him there all night don't know what time of the year it was don't know what time of the year it was whether it was hot or cold but either whether it was hot or cold but either way it wasn't very nice way it wasn't very nice and the next day when pashua finally and the next day when pashua finally released him jeremiah said released him jeremiah said pasha the lord has changed your name he pasha the lord has changed your name he says from now on to call you the man who says from now on to call you the man who lives in terror for the lord will send lives in terror for the lord will send terror on you so he's still quite terror on you so he's still quite courageous courageous and as for you pashu you and all your and as for you pashu you and all your family will become slaves in babylon and family will become slaves in babylon and die there die there that's his courage straight out of the that's his courage straight out of the stocks and back at it again stocks and back at it again then verse seven then verse seven he gets on his own again he gets on his own again then i said then i said oh lord you deceived me when you oh lord you deceived me when you promised me your help promised me your help i have to give them your messages i have to give them your messages because you're stronger than i am you because you're stronger than i am you couldn't hold back couldn't hold back but now i'm the laughingstock of the but now i'm the laughingstock of the city mocked by all you've never once let city mocked by all you've never once let me speak a word of kindness to them me speak a word of kindness to them that's a wonderful insight into the that's a wonderful insight into the character he didn't like this kind of character he didn't like this kind of thing he wished he could could say these thing he wished he could could say these things and it's quite fits in with the things and it's quite fits in with the king james version for since i spake i king james version for since i spake i cried out i cried out violence and spoil cried out i cried out violence and spoil what he's really saying the only thing what he's really saying the only thing you've let me say is unpleasant things you've let me say is unpleasant things lord so this paraphraser puts it the lord so this paraphraser puts it the other way around you've never once let other way around you've never once let me speak a word of kindness to them me speak a word of kindness to them always it is disaster and horror and always it is disaster and horror and destruction and no wonder they scoff and destruction and no wonder they scoff and mock and make my name a household joke mock and make my name a household joke so people are everything ah there's old so people are everything ah there's old jeremiah again he's at it again jeremiah again he's at it again jeremiah you've got a good message today jeremiah you've got a good message today or is it the same old bad one that's the or is it the same old bad one that's the kind of thing he had to put up with all kind of thing he had to put up with all the time there was there's one where the time there was there's one where they made a pun on the burden of the they made a pun on the burden of the lord what's the burden of the lord today lord what's the burden of the lord today jeremiah they said jeremiah they said you'll feel it as a burden in due course you'll feel it as a burden in due course jeremiah answered them back jeremiah answered them back verse 9 verse 9 she's praying to god and i can't quit she's praying to god and i can't quit for if i say i'll never mention the lord for if i say i'll never mention the lord never more speak in his name then his never more speak in his name then his word in my heart is like fire that burns word in my heart is like fire that burns in my bones and i can't hold it in any in my bones and i can't hold it in any longer yet on every side i hear their longer yet on every side i hear their whispered threats and am afraid we whispered threats and am afraid we report you they say report you they say just as they watched for jesus even just as they watched for jesus even those who were my friends are watching those who were my friends are watching me me waiting for a fatal slip he'll trap waiting for a fatal slip he'll trap himself they say and then we'll get our himself they say and then we'll get our revenge on him just as they said revenge on him just as they said of jesus of jesus oh lord of hosts verse 12 who knows oh lord of hosts verse 12 who knows those who are righteous and examines the those who are righteous and examines the deepest thoughts of hearts and minds let deepest thoughts of hearts and minds let me see your vengeance on them for i have me see your vengeance on them for i have committed my calls to you committed my calls to you there's a mixture there of something there's a mixture there of something which is quite correct and proper which is quite correct and proper god will have vengeance on his enemies god will have vengeance on his enemies with a little bit of the personal with a little bit of the personal irritation irritation therefore therefore i will sing out in thanks to the lord i will sing out in thanks to the lord what jeremiah thought you were fed up what jeremiah thought you were fed up and miserable i will sing out in thanks and miserable i will sing out in thanks to the lord praise him for he has to the lord praise him for he has delivered me poor and needy from my delivered me poor and needy from my oppressors oppressors i don't think that's in the right place i don't think that's in the right place that verse somehow perhaps this was a that verse somehow perhaps this was a bit that got because it goes on bit that got because it goes on cursed be the day i was born cursed be the day i was born cursed be the man who brought my father cursed be the man who brought my father news that a son was born let that news that a son was born let that messenger be destroyed like the cities messenger be destroyed like the cities of old which god overthrew without mercy of old which god overthrew without mercy terrify him all day long with battle terrify him all day long with battle shot shouts because he did not kill me shot shouts because he did not kill me at my birth oh that i had died within my at my birth oh that i had died within my mother's womb that it had been my grave mother's womb that it had been my grave why was i ever born for my life has been why was i ever born for my life has been but trouble and but trouble and sorrow and shame sorrow and shame maybe that as these have all got out of maybe that as these have all got out of order order that he sat a bit like that that he sat a bit like that and then realized he was up the wrong and then realized he was up the wrong line and said verse 13 line and said verse 13 therefore i will sing out therefore i will sing out in thanks to the lord praise him for he in thanks to the lord praise him for he has delivered me poor and needy from my has delivered me poor and needy from my oppressors oppressors there's comfort isn't there in a man there's comfort isn't there in a man like this a real live man who battles like this a real live man who battles with the problems of life who's given a with the problems of life who's given a burden almost too heavy to be born to burden almost too heavy to be born to speak the unpopular word of god to men speak the unpopular word of god to men to grieve over the sins of israel to to grieve over the sins of israel to find his heart throbbing as he fondly find his heart throbbing as he fondly gazes upon the people he loves to be gazes upon the people he loves to be tossed to and fro by all the tossed to and fro by all the tumultuousness of human emotion now tumultuousness of human emotion now fierceness now tenderness now love now fierceness now tenderness now love now anger now nearly hatred now depression anger now nearly hatred now depression now rejoicing all these things now rejoicing all these things but all the time he's got his safety but all the time he's got his safety valve all the time he knows he can go in valve all the time he knows he can go in prayer prayer even all those years before the lord even all those years before the lord jesus christ jeremiah approached boldly jesus christ jeremiah approached boldly under the throne of grace under the throne of grace to find help in time of need to find help in time of need shall we just briefly do that brothers shall we just briefly do that brothers and sisters bending our heads and sisters bending our heads our father we thank thee for the company our father we thank thee for the company in which we have been in which we have been this morning as we have meditated this morning as we have meditated upon the inner experiences of thy upon the inner experiences of thy prophet of old prophet of old which mirror the experiences of the lord which mirror the experiences of the lord jesus christ jesus christ and all thy faithful saints of all time and all thy faithful saints of all time help us father help us father to to take this privilege that thou has given take this privilege that thou has given us us of prayer of prayer that we may walk with thee that we may walk with thee in all our ups and all our downs in all our ups and all our downs that we may sometimes stand on the that we may sometimes stand on the mountaintop and rejoice mountaintop and rejoice and when we fall into the trough of and when we fall into the trough of depression and despair depression and despair we may remember that thou utter pity in we may remember that thou utter pity in god god and that the lord jesus christ has been and that the lord jesus christ has been touched with the feeling of our touched with the feeling of our infirmities infirmities bless us bless us guide us and give us strength guide us and give us strength as we walk hand in hand with thee as we walk hand in hand with thee through life through life in jesus christ our savior the hope of in jesus christ our savior the hope of israel israel amen

Transcript

this is the voice of wilbraham the eastern cristadelphian bible school the eastern cristadelphian bible school presents one of a series of bible study presents one of a series of bible study classes originally delivered at the classes originally delivered at the 1971 convocation at wilbraham 1971 convocation at wilbraham brother edgar willey of canic brother edgar willey of canic staffordshire england has chosen as his staffordshire england has chosen as his theme theme jeremiah jesus and us jeremiah jesus and us here is brother willie as he begins the here is brother willie as he begins the fifth address entitled fifth address entitled a lamb to the slaughter a lamb to the slaughter suffering the just for the unjust suffering the just for the unjust right well now uh yesterday we were right well now uh yesterday we were talking of the uh inner experiences of jeremiah just to remind you where we've gone this week remind you where we've gone this week first we started with a a general survey first we started with a a general survey and uh we had a and uh we had a a look at the whole picture and then we a look at the whole picture and then we began to break it down first we looked began to break it down first we looked at jeremiah's work as a preacher at jeremiah's work as a preacher and prophet in the josiah period when and prophet in the josiah period when josiah was trying to put things right josiah was trying to put things right and yet it fell to the lot of jeremiah and yet it fell to the lot of jeremiah to say oh yes we know you're trying to to say oh yes we know you're trying to do things right but for most of you it's do things right but for most of you it's just a fake just a fake and then we went on to the period of and then we went on to the period of jehoiakim and we saw jeremiah rebuking jehoiakim and we saw jeremiah rebuking merely external religion people who merely external religion people who relied in the on the temple relied in the on the temple and we saw how right through his period and we saw how right through his period of rebuking israel yet of rebuking israel yet in himself he felt nothing but in himself he felt nothing but compassion he shared god's attitude of compassion he shared god's attitude of compassion towards israel or judah as he compassion towards israel or judah as he prophesied these prophecies of doom prophesied these prophecies of doom and then we went on yesterday and we saw and then we went on yesterday and we saw the real heart of the man how he felt the real heart of the man how he felt himself utterly torn apart himself utterly torn apart by this bearing the burden of others by this bearing the burden of others sins because as we saw him bearing the sins because as we saw him bearing the burdens of other sins we saw him burdens of other sins we saw him really involved as the lord jesus christ really involved as the lord jesus christ is involved in the is involved in the cares and the sins although not a sinner cares and the sins although not a sinner the lord jesus the lord jesus of those he came to save of those he came to save and we saw in all this and we saw in all this a kind of idea as to what sort of a kind of idea as to what sort of attitude we should have towards fellow attitude we should have towards fellow men men and towards our brothers and sisters an and towards our brothers and sisters an attitude of concern an attitude of attitude of concern an attitude of compassion compassion not not a not not a sugary sort of attitude firm by all sugary sort of attitude firm by all means but the heart of god is one that means but the heart of god is one that longs for people to repent longs for people to repent he's there to forgive them if only he's there to forgive them if only they'll reach out their hand to receive they'll reach out their hand to receive such forgiveness this has been the such forgiveness this has been the spirit of everything we've seen all this spirit of everything we've seen all this week and particularly yesterday when we week and particularly yesterday when we were looking at jeremiah were looking at jeremiah we saw all the kind of ups and downs we saw all the kind of ups and downs that belonged to his personal communion that belonged to his personal communion with god with god he prays to god just as he feels he he prays to god just as he feels he doesn't put on special fancy prayers but doesn't put on special fancy prayers but he shares his inmost thoughts good and he shares his inmost thoughts good and bad alike bad alike and in one prayer we found he could and in one prayer we found he could contradict himself and move from i wish contradict himself and move from i wish i were dead i were dead to i will praise the lord to i will praise the lord if we got those verses in the right if we got those verses in the right order in the end order in the end and and this is how we should treat prayer this is how we should treat prayer as the opportunity to approach boldly as the opportunity to approach boldly under the throne of grace without fear under the throne of grace without fear with godly reverence and yet with a with godly reverence and yet with a frankness that god appreciates because frankness that god appreciates because when we are frank with him when we are frank with him then it builds up a kind of relationship then it builds up a kind of relationship with him which is so helpful to our with him which is so helpful to our spiritual well-being and it it forges spiritual well-being and it it forges the bond and this of course is what the bond and this of course is what happened in jeremiah's case as we saw happened in jeremiah's case as we saw all these ups and downs lord save israel all these ups and downs lord save israel lord kill them off lord kill them off lord i plead for israel lord rebuke them lord i plead for israel lord rebuke them and so there was a continual seesaw and and so there was a continual seesaw and likewise with the lord jesus there were likewise with the lord jesus there were times when he said times when he said oh ye of little faith how long shall i oh ye of little faith how long shall i be with you even his be with you even his tremendous patience was sometimes sorely tremendous patience was sometimes sorely tried by the blindness and slow of heart tried by the blindness and slow of heart to believe which those around him to believe which those around him evinced evinced and there's nothing wrong with that that and there's nothing wrong with that that was not a sin on the part of the lord was not a sin on the part of the lord jesus at times to feel just a little jesus at times to feel just a little impatient with the extreme insensibility impatient with the extreme insensibility that they manifested that they manifested well now we're moving on out of the well now we're moving on out of the realm of jeremiah's inner mental realm of jeremiah's inner mental sufferings sufferings to what the outward cost was to what the outward cost was we've seen the we've seen the inward cost we now want to move to the inward cost we now want to move to the outward cost and i've entitled today's outward cost and i've entitled today's talk a lamb to the slaughter suffering talk a lamb to the slaughter suffering the just for the unjust the just for the unjust now in this particular period now in this particular period which falls in the period of zedekiah which falls in the period of zedekiah the weak king who was the weak king who was brought on the throne after jehoiakim brought on the throne after jehoiakim had died had died and um and um what year was it uh what year was it uh 598 jehoiakim dies 598 jehoiakim dies 597 597 the siege of jerusalem where the siege of jerusalem where konaya who was only king for three konaya who was only king for three months months joha kin or konaya he surrenders and is joha kin or konaya he surrenders and is taken into captivity into babylon and taken into captivity into babylon and zedekiah another one of the sons of zedekiah another one of the sons of josiah is made king and he's put on a josiah is made king and he's put on a solemn oath solemn oath not to rebel not to rebel and jeremiah's great task during this and jeremiah's great task during this period is now not merely to teach period is now not merely to teach instruct guide instruct guide on moral and spiritual principles on moral and spiritual principles of behavior in israel of behavior in israel not merely to rebuke them and denounce not merely to rebuke them and denounce and warn but he is now involved in the and warn but he is now involved in the politics of israel i say israel i politics of israel i say israel i obviously mean judah but the words are obviously mean judah but the words are interchangeable in a sense interchangeable in a sense now zedekiah as we saw the other day is now zedekiah as we saw the other day is a weak character a weak character and and therefore of course all the strong therefore of course all the strong characters of the land had their chance characters of the land had their chance to try and to try and work their will upon the king work their will upon the king where there's a weak ruler then all the where there's a weak ruler then all the princes princes tend to want to get in on the act and tend to want to get in on the act and have their own way have their own way now jeremiah himself had built up such now jeremiah himself had built up such fame fame as a result of his scroll and its as a result of his scroll and its treatment at the hand of jehoiakim as a treatment at the hand of jehoiakim as a result of his many arguments with the result of his many arguments with the king as a result of his rebuke of the king as a result of his rebuke of the king for his seeking of luxury that he's king for his seeking of luxury that he's now quite a figure he's now no longer a now quite a figure he's now no longer a mere young man and a young upstart he's mere young man and a young upstart he's a man that people feel they've got to a man that people feel they've got to reckon with they may not like him but reckon with they may not like him but they can't ignore him they can't ignore him and it is interesting that in this and it is interesting that in this period as i say we don't get any of period as i say we don't get any of these prayers where he seems to be in these prayers where he seems to be in doubt he seems to have reached now doubt he seems to have reached now somewhere in his uh um somewhere in his uh um where would he be mid 50s mid mid 50s he where would he be mid 50s mid mid 50s he seems to have reached a kind of seems to have reached a kind of stability in his own emotional life stability in his own emotional life though no doubt he still have have his though no doubt he still have have his ups and downs because you go on having ups and downs because you go on having them all all your life them all all your life but he's a he's a but he's a he's a more of a father figure in israel more more of a father figure in israel more settled in himself and yet his message settled in himself and yet his message is still the same and then there's this is still the same and then there's this weak character zedekiah the man who said weak character zedekiah the man who said when when they wanted to put jeremiah down that sewage tank sewage tank that was the time when uh that was the time when uh which chapter is it 13 38. which chapter is it 13 38. they went to the king and said sir this they went to the king and said sir this fellow must die die chapter 38 verse 4. fellow must die die chapter 38 verse 4. king zedekiah agreed verse 5 chapter 38 king zedekiah agreed verse 5 chapter 38 all right he said do as you like i can't all right he said do as you like i can't stop you stop you you remember we talked about him on you remember we talked about him on monday monday later on he bet milit came along and later on he bet milit came along and said look he'll die down there so said look he'll die down there so zeddika says all right go and get him zeddika says all right go and get him out out so there's no stability in this man and so there's no stability in this man and it set me thinking when i was preparing it set me thinking when i was preparing these talks about the character of these talks about the character of because if we've got a rather weak and because if we've got a rather weak and undecisive character we can't help it undecisive character we can't help it you know some people are born tough some you know some people are born tough some people are born sensitive people are born sensitive you can't make a sensitive person out of you can't make a sensitive person out of a tough one and you can't make a tough a tough one and you can't make a tough one out of a sensitive one one out of a sensitive one now now what we ought to try to do i think what we ought to try to do i think because if we are talking about jeremiah because if we are talking about jeremiah jesus and us jesus and us what we ought to do is we ought to be what we ought to do is we ought to be absolutely honest with ourselves absolutely honest with ourselves don't try and kid ourselves we're tough don't try and kid ourselves we're tough if we're not don't try and kid ourselves if we're not don't try and kid ourselves we'd if we were rather sensitive if we'd if we were rather sensitive if we're not we're not just face up to whether we're strong just face up to whether we're strong characters or weak characters naturally characters or weak characters naturally if we recognize that we're not if we recognize that we're not particularly strong characters and it's particularly strong characters and it's only a minority who are and you might only a minority who are and you might even say thank goodness it's only a even say thank goodness it's only a minority who are strong characters minority who are strong characters because strong characters also create because strong characters also create problems don't they you know the problems don't they you know the somebody say ah i like so and so he's a somebody say ah i like so and so he's a real strong character and somebody else real strong character and somebody else will say about the same person i can't will say about the same person i can't stand so and so he's so stubborn stand so and so he's so stubborn it all depends on your point of view but it all depends on your point of view but but if you feel you're you're sort of but if you feel you're you're sort of person that finds it difficult to make person that finds it difficult to make decisions and say this is what we'll do decisions and say this is what we'll do if faced with a problem of if faced with a problem of the disciplines of life you find it the disciplines of life you find it difficult to stick your neck out and be difficult to stick your neck out and be tough tough and so you find yourself getting trodden and so you find yourself getting trodden on a little bit and then you think oh on a little bit and then you think oh how am i going to handle this situation how am i going to handle this situation and you find yourself going into shell a and you find yourself going into shell a bit bit well that's your temperament you can't well that's your temperament you can't help that that's what you've inherited help that that's what you've inherited and and that was zedekiah's sort of and and that was zedekiah's sort of situation but there is something we can situation but there is something we can do about it having recognized it that's do about it having recognized it that's stage one stage two is to seek the only stage one stage two is to seek the only source of strength source of strength which lies in god which lies in the lord which lies in god which lies in the lord jesus christ and to daily say lord i jesus christ and to daily say lord i know i'm not a strong character know i'm not a strong character but you can make me strong you can go but you can make me strong you can go with me all the way please do with me all the way please do and surround yourself with good strong and surround yourself with good strong friends who have a dose of compassion in friends who have a dose of compassion in them as well not strong impatient them as well not strong impatient friends otherwise they'll get on your friends otherwise they'll get on your nerves nerves and and sort of get the right sort of advisors sort of get the right sort of advisors and the right sort of helpers through and the right sort of helpers through life life and that's just what zedekiah didn't do and that's just what zedekiah didn't do he tried to go it in his own strength he tried to go it in his own strength but his own strength was weakness but his own strength was weakness he had no idea of choosing the right he had no idea of choosing the right friends and he just went which way these friends and he just went which way these various princes pushed him various princes pushed him and i think this is quite an important and i think this is quite an important little character study that's worth little character study that's worth bearing in mind because we can't all be bearing in mind because we can't all be strong and tough and many of us find strong and tough and many of us find that our lives are a kind of a that our lives are a kind of a contradictory mix-up of moments when contradictory mix-up of moments when we're strong and show forth a bit of we're strong and show forth a bit of unexpected strength of character and unexpected strength of character and moments when we're weak in our moments when we're weak in our expression of our character expression of our character god takes us as we are god forgives us god takes us as we are god forgives us our sins and like the potter's wheel our sins and like the potter's wheel he'll mold us if we'll let him mold us he'll mold us if we'll let him mold us in that sense not having too strong a in that sense not having too strong a character character is an advantage because if you're is an advantage because if you're letting the right power mold you then letting the right power mold you then the molding will take place effectively the molding will take place effectively well i don't want to spend too much time well i don't want to spend too much time on on on on zika but i thought it was important just zika but i thought it was important just to say those few things now to say those few things now as soon as uh zedekiah gets on the as soon as uh zedekiah gets on the throne bound by this oath throne bound by this oath to be faithful to the king of babylon to be faithful to the king of babylon he starts being swayed by the princes he starts being swayed by the princes who want to to get him to break his oath who want to to get him to break his oath and and get together an alliance a kind of get together an alliance a kind of united nations for the defeat of babylon united nations for the defeat of babylon and so there's a and so there's a an arrangement happens we read about it an arrangement happens we read about it in the 27th chapter in the 27th chapter whereby a conference is held at whereby a conference is held at jerusalem jerusalem i don't suppose the king thought up the i don't suppose the king thought up the idea he wasn't that original but some of idea he wasn't that original but some of his princes arranged this conference his princes arranged this conference the first thing i've got to do is to ask the first thing i've got to do is to ask you to you to make a change to the king james version make a change to the king james version and uh you might only want to do it in and uh you might only want to do it in pencil until you've checked it pencil until you've checked it but there is no doubt at all but there is no doubt at all you know how our statement of faith says you know how our statement of faith says the bible is wholly inspired except for the bible is wholly inspired except for errors of transcription and translation errors of transcription and translation well this is an error of both well this is an error of both transcription and translation i would transcription and translation i would think think verse 1 of chapter 27 should read verse 1 of chapter 27 should read in the beginning of the reign of in the beginning of the reign of zedekiah zedekiah now it must be that because if you read now it must be that because if you read down read through the first three verses down read through the first three verses in the king james version in the in the king james version in the beginning of the reign of well we'll say beginning of the reign of well we'll say blank for the moment the son of josiah blank for the moment the son of josiah king of judah came this word unto king of judah came this word unto jeremiah from the lord saying thus saith jeremiah from the lord saying thus saith the lord to me make thee bonds and yokes the lord to me make thee bonds and yokes and put them upon thy neck and send them and put them upon thy neck and send them to the king of edom king of moab king of to the king of edom king of moab king of ammonites king of tyre king of sidon by ammonites king of tyre king of sidon by the hand of the messengers which come to the hand of the messengers which come to jerusalem unto zedekiah king of judah jerusalem unto zedekiah king of judah so they could hardly be coming to so they could hardly be coming to zedekiah king of judah if it was in the zedekiah king of judah if it was in the beginning of the reign of jehoiakim so beginning of the reign of jehoiakim so it was quite obvious that it was quite obvious that that some scribe copying at some stage that some scribe copying at some stage copied the wrong name in there and it copied the wrong name in there and it got into the particular manuscript that got into the particular manuscript that the translators were working from and the translators were working from and all the later translations except all the later translations except strangely enough the living bible that strangely enough the living bible that i'm using i'm using put zedikaya in i think you can take it put zedikaya in i think you can take it that's not me that's not me dabbling in higher criticism or anything dabbling in higher criticism or anything like that it's simply a straightforward like that it's simply a straightforward matter of an obvious misprint so obvious matter of an obvious misprint so obvious that the text itself gives it to you that the text itself gives it to you anyway you can check that for yourself anyway you can check that for yourself so this is in the beginning of the reign so this is in the beginning of the reign of zedekiah and all these kings have of zedekiah and all these kings have come to or they sent their messengers come to or they sent their messengers they sent their foreign secretaries or they sent their foreign secretaries or ministers of state or state secretary ministers of state or state secretary you call him over here the man who deals you call him over here the man who deals with foreign affairs i think and with foreign affairs i think and they come from edom moab ammon tyre and they come from edom moab ammon tyre and sidon sidon and jeremiah is told and jeremiah is told to make a yoke to make a yoke you know like the milk maid not the meat you know like the milk maid not the meat maid the milkmaid used to wear when she maid the milkmaid used to wear when she went to went to taking the milk when she'd been milking taking the milk when she'd been milking the cows or they wear yolks where they the cows or they wear yolks where they still need to get a couple of bucket still need to get a couple of bucket buckets of water from a whale and so he buckets of water from a whale and so he puts this yoke on the yoke was a symbol puts this yoke on the yoke was a symbol of slavery of slavery same as you have a yoke on animal when same as you have a yoke on animal when you're uh guiding the animals through you're uh guiding the animals through the field before tractors came along the field before tractors came along anyway anyway and so it was a symbol of servitude and and so it was a symbol of servitude and slavery jeremiah was to put this yoke on slavery jeremiah was to put this yoke on and moreover he was to send some copies and moreover he was to send some copies of it of it some some further versions of it to all some some further versions of it to all these ambassadors that had arrived at these ambassadors that had arrived at jerusalem and one in effect he was jerusalem and one in effect he was saying was this is what is going to saying was this is what is going to happen you are all going to have to happen you are all going to have to serve the king of uh babylon there's no serve the king of uh babylon there's no problem at all if you serve the king of problem at all if you serve the king of babylon but if you try to go it alone babylon but if you try to go it alone and fight the king of babylon then great and fight the king of babylon then great trouble will come to you don't listen to trouble will come to you don't listen to the false prophets verse 13 for example the false prophets verse 13 for example of chapter 27 why do you insist on dying of chapter 27 why do you insist on dying you and your people why should you you and your people why should you choose war and famine and disease which choose war and famine and disease which the lord has promised to every nation the lord has promised to every nation that will not submit to babylon's king that will not submit to babylon's king don't listen to the false prophets who don't listen to the false prophets who keep telling you the king of babylon keep telling you the king of babylon will not conquer you for they are liars will not conquer you for they are liars you will yet be carried away to babylon you will yet be carried away to babylon keeps on saying that to them so that's keeps on saying that to them so that's his great message now you can guess that his great message now you can guess that didn't make him exactly popular didn't make him exactly popular and so in the and so in the same year same year the first year of zedikaya the first year of zedikaya it was necessary that zedekiah sends it was necessary that zedekiah sends some ambassadors up to babylon to assure some ambassadors up to babylon to assure the king of babylon that in spite of the king of babylon that in spite of this conference that he'd heard about this conference that he'd heard about everything was all right and they were everything was all right and they were behaving themselves and they weren't behaving themselves and they weren't going to revolt going to revolt and when generally when jeremiah heard and when generally when jeremiah heard that this contingent of people were that this contingent of people were going up to babel and he said will you going up to babel and he said will you take a letter for me take a letter for me and he sent a letter to the hebrews that and he sent a letter to the hebrews that were in captivity already you know were in captivity already you know ezekiel and daniel would be among them ezekiel and daniel would be among them there there and chapter 29 is that letter and chapter 29 is that letter you have a letter to the hebrews in the you have a letter to the hebrews in the new testament new testament that hasn't got its author signing it that hasn't got its author signing it and you have a letter to the hebrews in and you have a letter to the hebrews in the old testament and this letter to the the old testament and this letter to the hebrews is chapter 29 of jeremiah where hebrews is chapter 29 of jeremiah where he sends this letter to warn them not to he sends this letter to warn them not to plot plot to get back but to settle down to get back but to settle down and in this letter and in this letter he tells them verse five he tells them verse five this is important to our understanding this is important to our understanding of the religious development of of the religious development of jeremiah's thought jeremiah's thought he says build homes he says build homes there in babylon and plan to stay plant there in babylon and plan to stay plant vineyards for you will be there for many vineyards for you will be there for many years years marry and have children and then find marry and have children and then find mates for them and have many mates for them and have many grandchildren multiply don't dwindle grandchildren multiply don't dwindle away away and work for the peace and prosperity of and work for the peace and prosperity of babylon pray for her for if babylon has babylon pray for her for if babylon has peace so will you peace so will you the lord of hosts the god of israel says the lord of hosts the god of israel says don't let the false prophets and mediums don't let the false prophets and mediums who are there among you fool you who are there among you fool you don't listen to the dreams that they don't listen to the dreams that they invent invent for they prophesy lies in my name i have for they prophesy lies in my name i have not sent them says the lord the truth is not sent them says the lord the truth is this this you will be in babylon for a lifetime 70 you will be in babylon for a lifetime 70 years says doesn't it well a lifetime is years says doesn't it well a lifetime is the kind of idea of it because it isn't the kind of idea of it because it isn't an exact time cycle because you could an exact time cycle because you could never be quite sure when the 70s started never be quite sure when the 70s started anyway you will be there for a lifetime anyway you will be there for a lifetime but then i will come and do for you all but then i will come and do for you all the good things i have promised and the good things i have promised and bring you home again and then there's bring you home again and then there's that lovely verse that i mentioned on that lovely verse that i mentioned on sunday because this was in our readings sunday because this was in our readings for i know the plans i have for you says for i know the plans i have for you says the lord they are plans for good and not the lord they are plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope for evil to give you a future and a hope and so he writes this letter to them and so he writes this letter to them that's just a specimen from it say now that's just a specimen from it say now look don't plot you settle down look don't plot you settle down you're going to be there for the rest of you're going to be there for the rest of your lives and you're going to bring up your lives and you're going to bring up children and grandchildren there in children and grandchildren there in babylon you can still serve god there babylon you can still serve god there you can pray to god you can have a you can pray to god you can have a personal relationship with god personal relationship with god now you see the progress that's being now you see the progress that's being made israel right through their history made israel right through their history tended to think of religion as a thing tended to think of religion as a thing of temples sacrifices outward of temples sacrifices outward observances and true it was that god had observances and true it was that god had required these observances as a kind of required these observances as a kind of visual aid to assist them in their way visual aid to assist them in their way to him but they tended to get hung up on to him but they tended to get hung up on this uh system of visual aids and this uh system of visual aids and external laws and think it was external laws and think it was everything everything now jeremiah is saying you're there in now jeremiah is saying you're there in babylon babylon you can serve god just as well in you can serve god just as well in babylon babylon as you can in jerusalem in fact you as you can in jerusalem in fact you because you're there can serve him because you're there can serve him better in babylon than trying to get better in babylon than trying to get back to jerusalem which is about to go back to jerusalem which is about to go into captivity anyway into captivity anyway so he's teaching them that they can so he's teaching them that they can settle down settle down in this gentile country even pray for it in this gentile country even pray for it even help to build up its prosperity by even help to build up its prosperity by working hard for the babylonians working hard for the babylonians becoming part of the babylonian society becoming part of the babylonian society but still keeping their hearts for the but still keeping their hearts for the god of israel god of israel now this is very much the situation in now this is very much the situation in which christians are in in whatever land which christians are in in whatever land they may live they may live they work in that society they don't they work in that society they don't partake in the political schemings of partake in the political schemings of that society but they work and they work that society but they work and they work for its good and they pray for it as for its good and they pray for it as paul said to timothy paul said to timothy pray for kings and for rulers that you pray for kings and for rulers that you may live peaceable lives just as may live peaceable lives just as jeremiah said in the peace of babylon jeremiah said in the peace of babylon you shall have peace and so they were you shall have peace and so they were very much in our sort of situation here very much in our sort of situation here we live we live god hasn't got a physical political god hasn't got a physical political kingdom on the earth kingdom on the earth but we are part of the spiritual kingdom but we are part of the spiritual kingdom of god in whatever particular country we of god in whatever particular country we might live whether it's the united might live whether it's the united states in the caribbean or in england states in the caribbean or in england we're to settle down and just go on our we're to settle down and just go on our normal way not being revolutionaries to normal way not being revolutionaries to try and turn the state in which we live try and turn the state in which we live upside down but waiting for god's good upside down but waiting for god's good time to put the matters finally right time to put the matters finally right meanwhile we are at no disadvantage at meanwhile we are at no disadvantage at all because we haven't got a temple we all because we haven't got a temple we are at no disadvantage at all because we are at no disadvantage at all because we haven't got outward sacrifices because haven't got outward sacrifices because we have the inner religion which is we have the inner religion which is independent of any outward human state independent of any outward human state and that's the great message of jeremiah and that's the great message of jeremiah which will come to its climax in our which will come to its climax in our talk tomorrow that's the great thing the talk tomorrow that's the great thing the state might dissolve state might dissolve but that didn't hurt the truth but that didn't hurt the truth in fact it was when the state of judah in fact it was when the state of judah dissolved that the real truth was dissolved that the real truth was liberated liberated when the state of israel was no longer when the state of israel was no longer there when judah was no longer there there when judah was no longer there when the temple was no longer there then when the temple was no longer there then there was nothing to lean on of flesh there was nothing to lean on of flesh they could only lean on the arm of god they could only lean on the arm of god and so in a sense it was a good thing and so in a sense it was a good thing that the state dissolved that they might that the state dissolved that they might be liberated into the fullness of the be liberated into the fullness of the truth truth and that's the message of this little and that's the message of this little letter to the hebrews in jeremiah 29 and letter to the hebrews in jeremiah 29 and funnily enough it's the message of the funnily enough it's the message of the letter to the hebrews in the new letter to the hebrews in the new testament because he's saying look judah testament because he's saying look judah is going to be over overthrown speaking is going to be over overthrown speaking of the way in which the romans were of the way in which the romans were going to come away and destroy jerusalem going to come away and destroy jerusalem and not one stone would rest upon and not one stone would rest upon another in the temple he says therefore another in the temple he says therefore let us go without the camp bearing his let us go without the camp bearing his reproach and right through the epistle reproach and right through the epistle to the hebrews the writer is telling to the hebrews the writer is telling them not to be part of the jewish state them not to be part of the jewish state then because that jewish state was going then because that jewish state was going to be dissolved they'd got to be part of to be dissolved they'd got to be part of the christ system of things and they've the christ system of things and they've got to be part of the new covenant and got to be part of the new covenant and he quotes the new covenant about four he quotes the new covenant about four times in the epistle to the hebrews in times in the epistle to the hebrews in the new testament they to be part of the new testament they to be part of that new covenant whereby god would that new covenant whereby god would write his law in their hearts of which write his law in their hearts of which more tomorrow more tomorrow so so that's the situation of this letter that that's the situation of this letter that went went now now it's interesting just in passing if you it's interesting just in passing if you want to make a note of it that in the want to make a note of it that in the 24th chapter of jeremiah which we won't 24th chapter of jeremiah which we won't turn to turn to in order to convey this thought in order to convey this thought that there was no disadvantage to be in that there was no disadvantage to be in captivity in babylon captivity in babylon jeremiah likens the people who'd gone jeremiah likens the people who'd gone into captivity into captivity unto good figs unto good figs good fruit good fruit and those who stayed behind in jerusalem and those who stayed behind in jerusalem on the whole he likened them to bad on the whole he likened them to bad fruit naughty figs i think it calls it fruit naughty figs i think it calls it in the king james version in the king james version now you see what he was saying was there now you see what he was saying was there was more possibility was more possibility of bringing forth the fruits of the of bringing forth the fruits of the spirits or the fruit of the spirit as spirits or the fruit of the spirit as the new testament would call it in the new testament would call it in captivity in babylon where they weren't captivity in babylon where they weren't tempted to be involved in the externals tempted to be involved in the externals of temple worship and jewish politics of temple worship and jewish politics so he says they're the good figs the one so he says they're the good figs the one that have gone into babylon these that that have gone into babylon these that are way back here in in jerusalem are way back here in in jerusalem they're the bad figs and there's no they're the bad figs and there's no doubt the cream the spiritual cream of doubt the cream the spiritual cream of the race did go into the early captivity the race did go into the early captivity and then eventually of course all of and then eventually of course all of them went into captivity now in the 28th them went into captivity now in the 28th chapter of jeremiah jeremiah is once more preaching preaching that uh and this will be about 5.95 and um well actually he isn't preaching but a well actually he isn't preaching but a man named hannah naya man named hannah naya a false prophet comes to the temple a false prophet comes to the temple where jeremiah is and says where jeremiah is and says it's all right now the king of babylon's it's all right now the king of babylon's going home and within two years going home and within two years all the temple treasures will be back in all the temple treasures will be back in jerusalem and everything's going to be jerusalem and everything's going to be all right and king jekynia konaya all right and king jekynia konaya jehoiakim will be back on the throne jehoiakim will be back on the throne and jeremiah said to hananiah and jeremiah said to hananiah in front of all the priests and people in front of all the priests and people verse six verse six amen amen may your prophecies come true may your prophecies come true i hope the lord will do everything you i hope the lord will do everything you say say and we'll bring back from babylon the and we'll bring back from babylon the treasures of this temple with all our treasures of this temple with all our loved ones loved ones i wish it were true i wish it were true it was sincere it was sincere but listen now to the solemn words i but listen now to the solemn words i speak to you in the presence of all speak to you in the presence of all these people these people the ancient prophets who preceded you the ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations and me spoke against many nations always warning of war famine and plague always warning of war famine and plague so a prophet who foretells peace has the so a prophet who foretells peace has the burden of proof on him burden of proof on him to prove that god has really sent him so to prove that god has really sent him so great is human sin it isn't very often great is human sin it isn't very often that god sent a prophet along to say that god sent a prophet along to say everything's going to be all right everything's going to be all right so if you really are a prophet you so if you really are a prophet you better prove it better prove it and then he went up to jeremiah and he and then he went up to jeremiah and he roughly took that yoke off his neck that roughly took that yoke off his neck that he was still walking around and he he was still walking around and he smashed it on the floor smashed it on the floor and said thus will the yoke of king the and said thus will the yoke of king the king of babylon be broken king of babylon be broken jeremiah goes off and all the people jeremiah goes off and all the people very excited at all these goings on in very excited at all these goings on in jerusalem jerusalem and they think ah that's one up to and they think ah that's one up to hannah naya hannah naya that's one in the eye for jeremiah you that's one in the eye for jeremiah you know i mean ordinary folk they'd be know i mean ordinary folk they'd be talking these ways talking these ways and jeremiah goes off and jeremiah goes off then he comes back next day perhaps it then he comes back next day perhaps it was and all the crowds say jeremiah and was and all the crowds say jeremiah and hannah and i are face to face they're hannah and i are face to face they're going to have another row because we've going to have another row because we've loved things like that so up they come loved things like that so up they come to see what's going on thou set the lord of hosts says jeremiah it's a yoke of iron now it's a yoke of iron now not a yoke of wood not a yoke of wood and listen here hananiah verse 15 the and listen here hananiah verse 15 the lord has not sent you lord has not sent you and the people are believing your lies and the people are believing your lies therefore the lord says you must die therefore the lord says you must die this very year your life will end this very year your life will end because you have rebelled against the because you have rebelled against the lord lord and sure enough says this translation and sure enough says this translation two months later hananiah died two months later hananiah died imagine the sensation that that caused imagine the sensation that that caused and how more than ever jeremiah is in and how more than ever jeremiah is in this period of his life a figure to be this period of his life a figure to be reckoned with a public figure one that reckoned with a public figure one that they're rather frightened of they're rather frightened of well now unfortunately well now unfortunately the situation gets worse the situation gets worse more and more plotting goes on more and more plotting goes on and jeremiah has to say to them as these and jeremiah has to say to them as these various armies keep on pitching outside various armies keep on pitching outside jerusalem and laying seeds these jerusalem and laying seeds these babylonian armies he just has to say to babylonian armies he just has to say to them them look you must really listen to me you're look you must really listen to me you're not going to get anywhere with this not going to get anywhere with this plotting and so remembering how these plotting and so remembering how these pages got blown into the wrong order in pages got blown into the wrong order in my imaginary picture one next has to go my imaginary picture one next has to go back to jeremiah 21 back to jeremiah 21 remember these are the outward remember these are the outward sufferings of jeremiah as he is led as a sufferings of jeremiah as he is led as a lamb to the slaughter suffering the just lamb to the slaughter suffering the just for the unjust king zedekiah sent pashua uh zephaniah the priest to jeremiah and uh zephaniah the priest to jeremiah and begged so this is the weakness of begged so this is the weakness of jeremiah of zeddikai you see he still jeremiah of zeddikai you see he still got a a soft spot got a a soft spot for jeremiah and he sends these people for jeremiah and he sends these people along to ask along to ask this this jeremiah jeremiah this is in verse 2 this is in verse 2 of chapter 21 ask the lord to help us of chapter 21 ask the lord to help us for nebuchadnezzar king of babylons for nebuchadnezzar king of babylons declared war on us declared war on us perhaps the lord will be gracious to us perhaps the lord will be gracious to us and do a mighty miracle as in olden and do a mighty miracle as in olden times and force nebuchadnezzar to times and force nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his forces withdraw his forces jeremiah replies jeremiah replies he's always so firm and straightforward he's always so firm and straightforward go back to king zedekiah tell him the go back to king zedekiah tell him the lord god of israel says i will make all lord god of israel says i will make all your weapons useless against the king of your weapons useless against the king of babylon i myself will fight on the side babylon i myself will fight on the side of the king of babylon i will send of the king of babylon i will send plague in the city and finally tell king plague in the city and finally tell king zedekiah that he himself will be taken zedekiah that he himself will be taken into into captivity verse 8 tell these people the captivity verse 8 tell these people the lord says take your choice of life and lord says take your choice of life and death death take your choice of life or death stay take your choice of life or death stay here in jerusalem and die here in jerusalem and die slaughtered by your enemies killed by slaughtered by your enemies killed by starvation and disease or go out and starvation and disease or go out and surrender surrender to the caldean army to the caldean army and live and live tell these people the lord says take tell these people the lord says take your choice of life and death your choice of life and death take your choice of life or death take your choice of life or death stay here in jerusalem and die stay here in jerusalem and die slaughtered by your enemies killed by slaughtered by your enemies killed by starvation and disease or go out and starvation and disease or go out and surrender surrender to the caldean army to the caldean army and live and live now that is treacherous talk you've got now that is treacherous talk you've got to try and understand the position of to try and understand the position of the jews here they were their nation the jews here they were their nation threatened by an enemy and here's the threatened by an enemy and here's the most prominent man in their midst most prominent man in their midst jeremiah now an elder statesman almost jeremiah now an elder statesman almost saying surrender it isn't even like the the vietnam war situation which is a sort of containing situation which is a sort of containing effort effort where america went into it out of fear where america went into it out of fear of communism to try and keep communism of communism to try and keep communism out by going and fighting it on its own out by going and fighting it on its own territory this is a situation territory this is a situation where a country is surrounded by enemies where a country is surrounded by enemies like england was in 1940 like england was in 1940 with nobody left on their side with nobody left on their side and if anybody and if anybody had come up and publicly said at that had come up and publicly said at that moment let us surrender to hitler moment let us surrender to hitler he wouldn't have been a very popular he wouldn't have been a very popular person in fact of course people like person in fact of course people like oswald mosley in england were saying oswald mosley in england were saying that and they were put away in jail so that and they were put away in jail so they couldn't make any trouble of course they couldn't make any trouble of course that's exactly what happened to jeremiah that's exactly what happened to jeremiah looking at it from the human point of looking at it from the human point of view you can see that he looked a most view you can see that he looked a most unpatriotic person unpatriotic person and that hurt him because really he was and that hurt him because really he was the most patriotic of them all because the most patriotic of them all because he he knew what god required and he knew he he knew what god required and he knew that this that this judgment that was coming upon them was a judgment that was coming upon them was a judgment of god that they had earned it judgment of god that they had earned it and deserved it and they must take their and deserved it and they must take their medicine and therefore he says to them medicine and therefore he says to them go out and submit to the king of babylon go out and submit to the king of babylon who's surrounding your city well who's surrounding your city well needless to say they didn't like that at needless to say they didn't like that at all all and this was the first of a a series of and this was the first of a a series of encounters encounters where where he got himself extremely unpopular he got himself extremely unpopular and from time to time got himself into and from time to time got himself into prison prison now the next great thing was that now the next great thing was that when this particular when this particular siege was going on around about 5 siege was going on around about 5 88 87 round about that time 88 87 round about that time this is when when the rest of our this is when when the rest of our episodes are all in that period episodes are all in that period they decided they better clean up their they decided they better clean up their ways at last ways at last and they made a great solemn ceremony and they made a great solemn ceremony to set free all the slaves to set free all the slaves in accordance with the law of moses and in accordance with the law of moses and not use fellow israelites as their not use fellow israelites as their slaves so they were all set free slaves so they were all set free they all felt pretty good now god will they all felt pretty good now god will go with us because we've done something go with us because we've done something he's told us for a change and uh that he's told us for a change and uh that was fine and there was a bit of a bother was fine and there was a bit of a bother with the king of egypt further up north with the king of egypt further up north and the king of babylon found he needed and the king of babylon found he needed that army that was around jerusalem so that army that was around jerusalem so he ordered the army that was around he ordered the army that was around jerusalem to leave jerusalem to leave and everybody says there we are the and everybody says there we are the lords ah jeremiah is wrong look they've lords ah jeremiah is wrong look they've gone we're delivered gone we're delivered and great rejoicings took place and great rejoicings took place just of course it happened in the time just of course it happened in the time of 1870 when the roman armies withdrew of 1870 when the roman armies withdrew for a little while for a little while that's when the christians were to flee that's when the christians were to flee to the mountains to the mountains similarities right through this similarities right through this situation situation but they were to still keep their trust but they were to still keep their trust in god god had said that the babylonians in god god had said that the babylonians were going to take them but no they were going to take them but no they looked at the appearances so often we do looked at the appearances so often we do so they said right that's all right and so they said right that's all right and then somebody said then somebody said well it's pretty easy now well it's pretty easy now hey you you're my slave you come back hey you you're my slave you come back here you you my slave come back before here you you my slave come back before you knew where you are in a few days all you knew where you are in a few days all the people who'd let the slaves go had the people who'd let the slaves go had got them back got them back and so it was that in the 34th chapter and so it was that in the 34th chapter uh this um uh this um uh uh message came from jeremiah message came from jeremiah every time jeremiah comes in with the every time jeremiah comes in with the unpopular message you see is king unpopular message you see is king zedekiah who ordered this business zedekiah who ordered this business um um let's just read it in verse 9 let's just read it in verse 9 of chapter 34 king zedekiah had ordered of chapter 34 king zedekiah had ordered everyone to free his hebrew slaves both everyone to free his hebrew slaves both men and women he had said that no jew men and women he had said that no jew should be the master of another jew for should be the master of another jew for all were brothers all were brothers the princes verse 10 of jeremiah 34 and the princes verse 10 of jeremiah 34 and all the people had obeyed the king's all the people had obeyed the king's command and freed their slaves but the command and freed their slaves but the action was only temporary action was only temporary they changed their minds they changed their minds and made their servants slaves again and made their servants slaves again that is why the lord gave the following that is why the lord gave the following message to jerusalem message to jerusalem and so he goes on in this message and and so he goes on in this message and says now you remember how i delivered says now you remember how i delivered you out of slavery and said you were to you out of slavery and said you were to be my slaves therefore you're not to be my slaves therefore you're not to have have fellow jews as slaves and you remember fellow jews as slaves and you remember how when the siege was tough you did the how when the siege was tough you did the right thing i'm just summarizing it he right thing i'm just summarizing it he says now as soon as the siege is lifted says now as soon as the siege is lifted for a little while you think it's all for a little while you think it's all right you go back to doing the wrong right you go back to doing the wrong thing thing you are oath breakers you are oath breakers and god hates oath breaking god is truth and god hates oath breaking god is truth you are liars and oath breakers and you you are liars and oath breakers and you will suffer from it and what is more will suffer from it and what is more king zedekiah who led you in this solemn king zedekiah who led you in this solemn covenant and who now lets you weekly covenant and who now lets you weekly drift away out of it he too drift away out of it he too will suffer and i am summoning back the will suffer and i am summoning back the babylonian armies they've only gone babylonian armies they've only gone temporarily temporarily back they came back they came and it's in that period when they came and it's in that period when they came back back that jeremiah that jeremiah receives his prophecies of chapter 32 receives his prophecies of chapter 32 and 33 and 33 prophecies of a re-gathering and no time prophecies of a re-gathering and no time to look at them at the moment prophecies to look at them at the moment prophecies of a re-gathering of israel prophecies of a re-gathering of israel prophecies of a time when the levites and the of a time when the levites and the throne of david would be made permanent there's a problem there of biblical interpretation how the levites were to interpretation how the levites were to be made permanent be made permanent in view of what the new testament has to in view of what the new testament has to say about the levitical priesthood say about the levitical priesthood giving way to the melchizedek priesthood giving way to the melchizedek priesthood but i'm afraid we haven't time for but i'm afraid we haven't time for discussing that problem but it's a discussing that problem but it's a remarkable thing that god always in the remarkable thing that god always in the midst of sorrow gives to the saints midst of sorrow gives to the saints comfort and so it was in the midst of comfort and so it was in the midst of all this all this topsy-turvy world in which he lived in topsy-turvy world in which he lived in the midst of all these problems that he the midst of all these problems that he was faced with jeremiah is given a was faced with jeremiah is given a message of peace and a message of hope message of peace and a message of hope and a message of comfort that there and a message of comfort that there would be a regathering would be a regathering and initially of course this would refer and initially of course this would refer to the re-gathering at the end of the 70 to the re-gathering at the end of the 70 years but there are undertones and years but there are undertones and echoes of a wider regathering and a full echoes of a wider regathering and a full establishment of god's people establishment of god's people then you come to chapter 38. then you come to chapter 38. we're in more ways than one we're in more ways than one jeremiah touches bottom jeremiah touches bottom this is the occasion of the being put in this is the occasion of the being put in the the sewage tank sewage tank and the particular situation that had happened particular situation that had happened was that jeremiah was stepping up was that jeremiah was stepping up his uh constant his uh constant um um speaking to them well actually it starts speaking to them well actually it starts in 37 and during this period chapter 37 really starts the episode starts the episode during this period when the army wasn't during this period when the army wasn't right round them right round them jeremiah decided to go and see if he jeremiah decided to go and see if he could go and live a quiet life way back could go and live a quiet life way back at his hometown at his hometown so so verse 11 of chapter 37 when the verse 11 of chapter 37 when the babylonian army set out from jerusalem babylonian army set out from jerusalem to engage pharaoh's army in battle to engage pharaoh's army in battle jeremiah started to leave the city to go jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the land of benjamin to see the to the land of benjamin to see the property that he'd bought because that property that he'd bought because that was that's what happened in the midst of was that's what happened in the midst of the siege before it was lifted he bought the siege before it was lifted he bought a field a field he decided as the siege had been lifted he decided as the siege had been lifted he'd go and see it it was a great act of he'd go and see it it was a great act of faith the man who bought a field in the faith the man who bought a field in the middle of a siege people would say he middle of a siege people would say he was crazy but it was showing his faith was crazy but it was showing his faith in the ultimate purpose of god to in the ultimate purpose of god to restore again that which had been lost restore again that which had been lost he decided to go and see it and see if he decided to go and see it and see if he can live there and and be quiet there he can live there and and be quiet there but as he was walking through the but as he was walking through the benjamin gate a century arrested him as benjamin gate a century arrested him as a traitor claiming he was defecting to a traitor claiming he was defecting to the babylonians the babylonians the guard making the arrest was erija the guard making the arrest was erija son of shella maya grandson of hananiah son of shella maya grandson of hananiah he got family interests in this matter he got family interests in this matter that's not true jeremiah said i have no that's not true jeremiah said i have no intention whatever of doing such thing intention whatever of doing such thing but erija wouldn't listen he took but erija wouldn't listen he took jeremiah before the city officials they jeremiah before the city officials they were incensed with jeremiah and had him were incensed with jeremiah and had him flogged flogged and put into a dungeon under the house and put into a dungeon under the house of jonathan the scribe which had been of jonathan the scribe which had been converted into a prison kept in there converted into a prison kept in there for several days and eventually king for several days and eventually king zedekiah sent secretly secretly zedekiah sent secretly secretly to to see jeremiah and jeremiah comes through see jeremiah and jeremiah comes through an underground passage an underground passage and uh says have you got any recent and uh says have you got any recent messages from the lord you see this messages from the lord you see this chilly shallowing man the man who got a chilly shallowing man the man who got a wishbone instead of a backbone as we wishbone instead of a backbone as we said on monday this king zedekiah if he said on monday this king zedekiah if he got a message from the lord couldn't got a message from the lord couldn't stand up and show some real go stand up and show some real go timidly he pursues his course yes there timidly he pursues his course yes there is a message is a message says the new jeremiah because he's a says the new jeremiah because he's a tougher man now is jeremiah yes there is tougher man now is jeremiah yes there is a message a message you shall be defeated by the king of you shall be defeated by the king of babylon babylon that's it and jeremiah then said and now that's it and jeremiah then said and now while i'm here what about my while i'm here what about my imprisonment what have i done to deserve imprisonment what have i done to deserve it what crime have i committed it what crime have i committed and the king said look and the king said look i'll arrange for you to not go back to i'll arrange for you to not go back to that dungeon i'll put you in the palace that dungeon i'll put you in the palace prison you'll be more comfortable then i prison you'll be more comfortable then i see you have some rations every day see you have some rations every day so to the palace prison he goes and at so to the palace prison he goes and at the palace prison he has opportunities the palace prison he has opportunities where he can still tell people and still where he can still tell people and still get messages out and all the messages get messages out and all the messages he's getting out are submit submit he's getting out are submit submit surrender surrender surrender to the surrender surrender surrender to the king of babylon it is god's will that king of babylon it is god's will that this state shall be dissolved this state shall be dissolved so that is what causes the rulers to say so that is what causes the rulers to say let's get rid of him but they didn't let's get rid of him but they didn't want to execute him so they thought of want to execute him so they thought of this horrible idea of putting him in this horrible idea of putting him in this uh this uh well well really that's too nice a word to really that's too nice a word to describe it putting him in this well describe it putting him in this well there was no water in it but there was a there was no water in it but there was a thick layer of mire at the bottom and thick layer of mire at the bottom and jeremiah sank down into it jeremiah sank down into it then we have the bold action of ebed then we have the bold action of ebed milik milik who arranges for this large group of who arranges for this large group of people people to pull up this man who was submerged in to pull up this man who was submerged in the maya the maya and jeremiah and jeremiah again again is returned to the palace prison is returned to the palace prison these are the ups and downs of his these are the ups and downs of his experiences zedekiah again says experiences zedekiah again says have you got the advice for me jeremiah have you got the advice for me jeremiah is it his wits in you feel a bit sorry is it his wits in you feel a bit sorry for the man for the man why didn't he why didn't he do something to get some good friends do something to get some good friends around him and and stick his neck out around him and and stick his neck out and risk it and risk it he probably didn't sleep much at night he probably didn't sleep much at night for zeddy kyle if we can just for once for zeddy kyle if we can just for once have a bit of pity for him have a bit of pity for him jeremiah still says the same thing you jeremiah still says the same thing you refuse to surrender you're in for refuse to surrender you're in for trouble trouble and you'll be personally in trouble why and you'll be personally in trouble why don't you take a stand man be a man don't you take a stand man be a man zedekiah that's what jeremiah was saying zedekiah that's what jeremiah was saying to him all the time to him all the time you won't get into their hands if only you won't get into their hands if only you'll obey the lord your life will be you'll obey the lord your life will be spared and all will go well for you spared and all will go well for you but if you refuse to surrender but if you refuse to surrender then then it's all quite hopeless for you it's all quite hopeless for you then zedekiah says then zedekiah says in chapter 38 verse 24 in chapter 38 verse 24 zedekiah said to jeremiah on pain of zedekiah said to jeremiah on pain of death death don't you tell anyone what you've just don't you tell anyone what you've just been telling me been telling me don't you tell anyone that uh don't you tell anyone that uh you've been saying these things with me you've been saying these things with me and that we've been having this chat and that we've been having this chat verse 25 verse 25 and if my officials hear that i talked and if my officials hear that i talked with you with you and they threaten you with death unless and they threaten you with death unless you tell them what we discussed you tell them what we discussed see the timidity of the man he doesn't see the timidity of the man he doesn't say and if anybody say and if anybody gets onto you you'd you'd gets onto you you'd you'd just wait i'll deal with them no you're just wait i'll deal with them no you're not that sort of man he says if any of not that sort of man he says if any of the officials here that i talked with the officials here that i talked with you just say that you begged me not to you just say that you begged me not to send you back to the dungeon in send you back to the dungeon in jonathan's house for you would die there jonathan's house for you would die there sure enough verse 27 it wasn't long sure enough verse 27 it wasn't long before all the city officials came to before all the city officials came to jeremiah and asked him why the king had jeremiah and asked him why the king had called him so he said what the king had called him so he said what the king had told him to and they left without told him to and they left without finding out the truth for the finding out the truth for the conversation had not been overheard by conversation had not been overheard by anyone well you haven't got to go any anyone well you haven't got to go any making any excuses for jeremiah and say making any excuses for jeremiah and say oh he told a half lie then yes he did oh he told a half lie then yes he did people do things like that in extremity people do things like that in extremity god in his purity and perfection wants god in his purity and perfection wants truth all the time truth all the time but he isn't just down on people for but he isn't just down on people for every little mistake they make in a every little mistake they make in a difficult situation difficult situation of course no doubt it was partly true he of course no doubt it was partly true he had discussed this matter of not going had discussed this matter of not going back to the dungeon but he concealed the back to the dungeon but he concealed the full truth full truth there are times perhaps when you don't there are times perhaps when you don't tell all tell all sometimes it's the kindest thing not to sometimes it's the kindest thing not to say everything that's in your mind to say everything that's in your mind to somebody but i wouldn't try to either somebody but i wouldn't try to either justify or criticize jeremiah for that justify or criticize jeremiah for that he simply did what the king had told him he simply did what the king had told him and didn't tell them the whole story and didn't tell them the whole story well it wasn't very long well it wasn't very long when the siege was really hotted up when the siege was really hotted up it's here that we must leave today's it's here that we must leave today's talk zedikaya and all his soldiers realized that the city was lost that the city was lost when the army came right in the when the army came right in the babylonian army came right in through babylonian army came right in through the middle gates the middle gates and there were the chief leaders of the and there were the chief leaders of the babylonian army sitting there in the babylonian army sitting there in the gate of jerusalem gate of jerusalem and king zedekiah and king zedekiah fled through the night went out through fled through the night went out through the gate between the two walls at the the gate between the two walls at the back of the palace gardens and across back of the palace gardens and across the fields toward the jordan valley the fields toward the jordan valley that's 39 verse 4 verse 5 but the that's 39 verse 4 verse 5 but the babylonians chased the king and they babylonians chased the king and they caught him on the plains of jericho caught him on the plains of jericho brought him to nebuchadnezzar who was at brought him to nebuchadnezzar who was at riblar further up north riblar further up north where he pronounced judgment upon him where he pronounced judgment upon him the most cruel judgment it was the most cruel judgment it was the king of babylon made zedekiah a the king of babylon made zedekiah a watch while they killed his children watch while they killed his children and all the nobles of judah and all the nobles of judah then he gouged out zedekiah's eyes then he gouged out zedekiah's eyes and bound him in chains to send him away and bound him in chains to send him away to babylon to babylon as a slave that was zeddika what of jeremiah the jeremiah who had what of jeremiah the jeremiah who had suffered throughout this intense period suffered throughout this intense period but notice the difference between but notice the difference between yesterday and to date there's something yesterday and to date there's something strong about jeremiah in today's story strong about jeremiah in today's story he's sort of matured and he knows where he's sort of matured and he knows where he stands and he he sticks it out with he stands and he he sticks it out with much less timidity much less timidity we don't know what hidden prayers he was we don't know what hidden prayers he was constantly saying of course constantly saying of course he's strong and public character he's strong and public character compared with yesterday in the time of compared with yesterday in the time of jehoiakim where he's a more timid and jehoiakim where he's a more timid and upset character compared with his very upset character compared with his very early years when he feels he's totally early years when he feels he's totally inadequate for it because he's only a inadequate for it because he's only a youth youth but now but now he gets he gets a brief reward a brief reward nebuchadnezzar nebuchadnezzar told nebushar aden verse 11 to find told nebushar aden verse 11 to find jeremiah jeremiah see that he isn't hurt see that he isn't hurt look after him well look after him well and give him anything he wants and give him anything he wants that was what the king of babylon said that was what the king of babylon said he was being a politician he liked he was being a politician he liked jeremiah because jeremiah had been jeremiah because jeremiah had been saying submit so he regarded jeremiah as saying submit so he regarded jeremiah as a kind of ally in jerusalem a kind of ally in jerusalem and so it was and so it was that they went and looked for jeremiah that they went and looked for jeremiah and you find that in chapter 40 they and you find that in chapter 40 they found him in all the columns of found him in all the columns of prisoners that were waiting at riblar to prisoners that were waiting at riblar to be sent to babylon they went through all be sent to babylon they went through all the lists of the names of the prisoners the lists of the names of the prisoners and the captain called for jeremiah and the captain called for jeremiah chapter 2 chapter 40 rather verse 2 chapter 2 chapter 40 rather verse 2 chapter 40. the lord your god has chapter 40. the lord your god has brought this disaster on this land just brought this disaster on this land just as he said he would that's remarkable as he said he would that's remarkable isn't it news of what jeremiah had said isn't it news of what jeremiah had said had traveled all the way to babylon had traveled all the way to babylon for these people have sinned against the for these people have sinned against the lord that's why it happened of course lord that's why it happened of course that was clever of of nebuchadnezzar to that was clever of of nebuchadnezzar to catch on with with what the message of catch on with with what the message of jeremiah had been jeremiah had been and he says now i'm going to take off and he says now i'm going to take off your chains and let you go your chains and let you go if you want to come with me to babylon if you want to come with me to babylon fine fine verse 4 chapter 40. if you want to come verse 4 chapter 40. if you want to come with me to babylon fine i'll see you with me to babylon fine i'll see you well cared for if you don't want to come well cared for if you don't want to come don't don't the world is before you go where you the world is before you go where you like like quite a remarkable thing that was said quite a remarkable thing that was said to jeremiah in this message from king to jeremiah in this message from king nebuchadnezzar nebuchadnezzar if you decide to stay he says then if you decide to stay he says then return to get a liar i've appointed him return to get a liar i've appointed him governor of judah governor of judah and stay with the remnant he rules but and stay with the remnant he rules but it's up to you you go where you like it's up to you you go where you like then nebuchadnezzar gave jeremiah some then nebuchadnezzar gave jeremiah some food and money food and money and let him go and let him go what did jeremiah decide it'd be rather what did jeremiah decide it'd be rather nice to go to babylon nice to go to babylon because there it'll be rather nice to be because there it'll be rather nice to be with the best sort of jews the good figs with the best sort of jews the good figs who've already gone to babylon who've already gone to babylon no no no that would be selfish no that would be selfish i'll stay with this little lot here they i'll stay with this little lot here they might need me might need me and so in the hour of great disaster and so in the hour of great disaster he stays with the people who didn't he stays with the people who didn't deserve his deserve his presence this is what the lord jesus presence this is what the lord jesus christ did christ did in being associated with men in being associated with men he didn't count it something to be he didn't count it something to be grasped at to seek equality with god grasped at to seek equality with god he involved himself in the affairs of he involved himself in the affairs of men men and ourselves and ourselves sometimes people get upset about what sometimes people get upset about what goes on in their particular ecclesia goes on in their particular ecclesia what do they do stomp out in a rage or what do they do stomp out in a rage or do they stay do they stay and help and help and strengthen the things that remain and strengthen the things that remain well that's what jeremiah decided to do well that's what jeremiah decided to do he thought not of his own comfort but he thought not of his own comfort but only of his people only of his people and so there for today we leave him and so there for today we leave him staying with the remnant after the rest staying with the remnant after the rest have been taken into captivity have been taken into captivity and tomorrow we'll draw the final and tomorrow we'll draw the final lessons of the new covenant out of this lessons of the new covenant out of this whole story whole story meanwhile just bending our head in a meanwhile just bending our head in a closing word of prayer father in heaven if it should be thy will if it should be thy will that any or all of us that any or all of us should in the days that remain have to should in the days that remain have to endure any kind of suffering endure any kind of suffering help us to be help us to be strong strong as thy servant jeremiah as thy servant jeremiah help us not to compromise with evil help us not to compromise with evil and help us to boldly proclaim thy word and help us to boldly proclaim thy word yet always in compassion yet always in compassion and let us feel for one another and feel and let us feel for one another and feel for mankind for mankind and let us not get separate and and let us not get separate and uninvolved but let us be involved with uninvolved but let us be involved with one another showing compassion and love one another showing compassion and love helpers one of another helpers one of another grant that the great day of sins grant that the great day of sins captivity may soon be over captivity may soon be over grant that we may be among the redeemers grant that we may be among the redeemers of the lord who shall come with singing of the lord who shall come with singing unto zion unto zion in jesus name in jesus name amen