JESUS’ TIME AND OUR TIME

John 7:1-13 / Keywords 7:6

Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.

1. To avoid an untimely collision with the Jewish leaders, Jesus stayed in Galilee. However, Jesus’ brothers wanted him to show off at the Feast of the Tabernacles and be a public figure. They did not believe in Jesus because their worldly desires blinded them. What we expect from or ask of Jesus shows what we really think about Jesus. When we seek worldly glory or benefit from Jesus, we cannot know him and God’s will for us.

2. Jesus lived to glorify God. So, he was not swayed by the demands or expectations of the people and waited on God’s time to go to Jerusalem. When he sensed God’s time for him, he went to Jerusalem to do the will of God. Jesus did not compromise with the world. Instead, he exposed its evil, and he was hated and persecuted by the world. If we don’t follow the popular way of the world but seek God’s way and follow his schedule to do his work, we may look like nobodies in the world. We may be hated or persecuted by the world, but let’s remain faithful and seek to please God like Jesus.

Prayer Lord, I repent that I was more sensitive to the demands and words of people than your will and your way. Help me to follow Jesus’ example to please you.

One Word Not worldly way, but God’s way

YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE

John 6:60-71 / Keywords 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

Footnotes

e. John 6:63 Or are Spirit; or are spirit

1. Many followers of Jesus thought his metaphor of “eat my flesh and drink my blood” (54) offensive and left him. Their fixed idea and obsession with bread blinded them from seeing who Jesus really was, and so they rejected God’s love for them. The flesh cannot give eternal life, as shown in the case of manna. But when we accept the word of Jesus from our hearts, the Spirit works in us to generate spiritual life in us, for the words of Jesus are full of the Spirit and life (63). 

2. When most followers turned back and left him, Jesus challenged the Twelve to examine their motive in following him (67). Peter spoke his mind, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (68-69). Peter received Jesus’ words, and he came to know that Jesus’ words gave him eternal life. That apart from Jesus, there is no salvation. He came to believe that Jesus is the Holy One of God. That’s why Peter made a commitment to Jesus to follow him. What is my motive and basis in following Christ? Is it for earthly dreams, success, hidden ambition—or is it because of the words of eternal life? 

Prayer Lord, thank you for giving me the words of eternal life. Let me follow you to the end. 

One Word Jesus has the words of eternal life

FEED ON JESUS

John 6:41-59 / Keywords 6:54

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

6:41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[d] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Footnotes

d. John 6:45 Isaiah 54:13

1. The crowds of people could not accept Jesus as the bread from heaven and grumbled because they thought that they knew who Jesus was. But they knew very little. Jesus saw their unbelief from God’s sovereign perspective. A person’s coming to Christ and having faith in him is possible through the word and work of God who is sovereign. God draws his chosen ones to Christ. God also teaches them who Jesus Christ is. God speaks through his words to lead us to Christ Jesus. 

2. Those who are taught about God are also able to understand and accept Jesus’ teaching rightly: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (54). As our body needs bread to sustain physical life, our soul needs to feed on Jesus, the bread from heaven. Jesus is food for our soul. Just as we put bread into our mouth, chew it, and enjoy it, we are to receive Jesus into our soul. It is said, “You are what you eat.” As healthy food makes us strong and healthy, the soul that feeds on Jesus will bear many fruits and possess eternal life. Come to Jesus and be nourished and satisfied. 

Prayer Lord, I come to Jesus to get bread for my soul. Cultivate within me a greater spiritual appetite to feed on Jesus who gives us eternal life. 

One Word Feed on the bread from heaven

JESUS, THE BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:30-40 / Keywords 6:35

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

6:30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”

32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Footnotes

c. John 6:31 Exodus 16:4; Neh. 9:15; Psalm 78:24,25

1. Jesus has already performed many miraculous signs. Feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish already proves he is the Messiah. Yet, the crowd demanded Jesus give more free food, just as Moses had given manna from heaven for forty years in the wilderness. Jesus corrected them; it was not Moses, but God who gave Israel manna. Moreover, manna was not true bread that gives eternal life. The Israelites ate manna and died in the wilderness. God who had given manna has now given the true bread from heaven, Jesus Christ. 

2. Jesus declared himself to be “the bread of life” (35). Just as physical bread sustains our physical life, Jesus sustains our spiritual life and satisfies our heart and soul. Whoever comes to Christ and believes in him will have the bread of life that gives eternal life. People without Christ have spiritual hunger in their soul. It is hunger for God’s love and for eternal life. Jesus the bread from heaven satisfies spiritual hunger and thirst. God sent his Son to save all God’s chosen people. Christ will lose none of them and will give them the resurrection body and eternal life on the last day. 

Prayer Lord, thank you for saving us by your grace and by your faithful shepherding. Save many lost souls so that they too may have eternal life. 

One Word Eat the bread of life each day

THE WORK OF GOD

John 6:16-29 / Keywords 6:29

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Jesus Walks on the Water

6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Footnotes

b. John 6:19 Or about 5 or 6 kilometers

1. The disciples got into a boat and set off across the Lake of Galilee. About halfway, the night lake became rough with strong wind. They then saw Jesus coming to them, walking on the water. Jesus is the Sovereign Lord over nature. He came to help them. When the disciples recognized him and took him into the boat, the boat arrived at their destination immediately. Those who receive Jesus into their lives have deliverance and nothing to fear. Jesus keeps an eye on us and is always with us. 

2. The crowds came to Jesus, not because they were interested in knowing who Jesus was, but because they wanted to get free bread from Jesus. But Jesus did not come to fulfill the desires of his followers. He came to help them to believe in the Son and have eternal life. He urges them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life. How do we work for food that endures to eternal life? Jesus says, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (29). The work of God is to have faith in Jesus whom God sent to give eternal life to all who come to him. Having faith in Jesus is the very work of God. 

Prayer Lord, I believe in Jesus who alone gives eternal life. Help me trust in Jesus for the food that leads to eternal life. 

One Word Believe in Jesus

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND

John 6:1-15 / Keywords 6:5

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

6:1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Footnotes

a. John 6:7 Greek take two hundred denarii

1. Jesus wanted to feed the crowd of 5,000 people, but Philip thought that it was impossible. Philip should have remembered Jesus’ previous miracles. But he tried to handle the request with only his own resources. He lacked faith in Jesus who guides us in our difficulties. The task that Jesus entrusts to us may be huge, but Jesus is the Lord. On the other hand, Andrew had faith in Jesus. Andrew did not have any resources but did not despair; he looked around and found a child with five loaves and two fish. By faith, he brought them to Jesus. When they were placed in Jesus’ hands, a miracle happened, and the crowd ate as much as they could. 

2. To those who do not have faith, five loaves and two fish are invisible. Even if they see them, they ignore them. To those who have faith in Jesus, five loaves and two fish are very precious. They believe what they cannot do, Jesus can do. So, they find and bring what they have to Jesus. Jesus can make miracles. Now, Jesus wants to feed the hungry souls through his disciples. We may not have half a year’s wages. Yet as we give what we have by faith, the Lord will bless it and do wonders. 

Prayer Lord, help me find my five loaves and bring them to Jesus by faith. 

One Word Little is much when Jesus is in it 

THE WITNESSES OF JESUS

John 5:31-47 / Keywords 5:36

I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me.

Testimonies About Jesus

5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]?

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

Footnotes

c. John 5:39 Or 39 Study

d. John 5:44 Some early manuscripts the Only One

1. Jesus introduces witnesses who spoke to Jesus’ identity to help the Jews believe that God has sent him. The first witness is John the Baptist. The Jewish leaders heard John’s testimony about Jesus being the Son of God who baptizes people with the Holy Spirit. In God’s sight, John was a lamp that led to Christ, who gives the true light to all who believe in him. Jesus calls his followers the light of the world, who shine Jesus to others (Mt 5:14). 

2. Jesus’ works—his teaching, his miraculous works, and his death and resurrection—are another witness. His teaching has authority, articulating the kingdom of God clearly. His miracles fulfill prophecies about the Messiah and his deity manifested. Jesus’ death and resurrection prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Savior King. Anyone who looks at his life and work cannot but acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. 

3. One more witness is the scriptures, God’s testimony concerning Christ. The scriptures attest that God would send his Son to redeem sinful humanity and restore the kingdom of God. 

Prayer Lord, Jesus is the Messiah whom God sent. Help me trust in Jesus and shine his light. 

One Word I am a witness of Jesus

JESUS GIVES ETERNAL LIFE

John 5:16-30 / Keywords 5:24

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

The Authority of the Son

5:16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

1. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus. After all, Jesus boldly claimed that as God’s Son, he was doing only what the Father was doing. He worked out of his love and obedience to the Father. Jesus is God incarnate (Jn 1:14). He is “Immanuel”—”God with us” (Mt 1:23). Jesus came down from heaven to do the will of God (Jn 6:38). At the Transfiguration, Jesus revealed his divine glory of the Son. Jesus the Son and God the Father are one. So, those who honor Jesus honor the Father. We are to honor Jesus and worship him. To honor Christ, we are to do what Christ has been doing. Those who do what Jesus has been doing do the Father’s will. 

2. Jesus gives eternal life to the one who hears his words and believes him. Hearing is the first and crucial step as faith comes through hearing the word of Christ (Rm 10:17). Those who have eternal life have crossed over from death to life. And there is now no condemnation (Rm 8:1). Their vindication is present in the here and forever. Jesus is the giver of eternal life. He will also raise everyone from the dead and judge them. Jesus invites everyone openly to eternal life. 

Prayer Lord, thank you for Jesus, the giver of eternal life and the judge. Help me do what Jesus has been doing today. 

One Word Jesus is God

DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?

John 5:1-15 / Keywords 5:6

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

The Healing at the Pool

5:1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Footnotes

a. John 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaida

b. John 5:4 Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had.

1. Many sick people around the pool of Bethesda lay in hopes of being the recipients of supernatural healing. Jesus saw an invalid of 38 years there and asked him, “Do you want to get well?” Jesus was not asking for permission to heal him. He instead wanted to know the man’s true desire for healing after being invalid for 38 years. Jesus wants to set us free from the miseries and disabilities that bind us. But he cannot help those who do not have the desire to be free. When Jesus saw a seed of desire, he told the man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. The man obeyed Jesus and was healed. Jesus can set us free from sins and failures as we come to him in faith and trust in his saving power. 

2. The Jewish leaders saw the healing. Instead of praising God, however, they accused the man of breaking the Sabbath. One minute after receiving Jesus’ lifegiving work, the man got into trouble. Jesus found the man later and warned him to stop sinning. Jesus’ concern was not only physical, but salvation oriented. After receiving Jesus’ grace, we need to seek, know, and follow Jesus continually. 

Prayer Lord, heal my besetting sins as I obey your words. Help me seek Jesus and obey his words. 

One Word I want to get well 

GOD’S PEACE GUARDS YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS 

Philippians 4:1-9 / Keywords 4:6-7

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Closing Appeal for Steadfastness and Unity

4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Final Exhortations

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

1. Paul exhorted the Philippian brothers and sisters to stand firm together in the Lord. But unity was threatened by conflict between two strong believers, Euodia and Syntyche. Paul did not side with one. Paul pleaded with them to be of the same mind in the Lord (2; 2:5). Instead of focusing on their differences, these women of faith should first focus on Jesus. Are you facing differences and conflict with another brother or sister? Pray to be of the same mind in the Lord. 

2. Paul further directed the Philippian Christians and us to always rejoice in the Lord. However, life presents many problems that can make us anxious and steal our joy. The antidote to an anxious heart is prayer in every situation. When we come to God with requests and thanksgiving, God promises to us his peace that is beyond understanding. God’s peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. With God’s peace, we overcome anxieties. We can think about excellent and praiseworthy things (8). What makes you anxious? What keeps you up at night? Bring it, with thanksgiving, to God in prayer. God will give you his peace. 

Prayer Father, we need your grace and mercy in our conflicts, anxieties, and problems. We thank you for your sure victory and for your peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

One Word Experience God’s peace today

MERCY IN THE MIDST OF JUDGMENT

Jeremiah 39:1-18 / Keywords 39:18

I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.

39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah.[a]

5 But the Babylonian[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

8 The Babylonians[c] set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. 10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city—words concerning disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. 18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 39:4 Or the Jordan Valley

b. Jeremiah 39:5 Or Chaldean

c. Jeremiah 39:8 Or Chaldeans

1. After two years of siege, the Babylonians broke through the wall of Jerusalem, destroyed the city and carried the people off into exile. It was the fulfillment of God’s word of judgment against his people who had been faithless to him. However, some of the poor were allowed to stay and even received vineyards and fields to live on (10). 

2. Instead of surrendering as Jeremiah had counseled, King Zedekiah tried to flee with his soldiers at night and was captured. His sons were killed and he was blinded (4-7). 

3. In the midst of this devastation, God protected Jeremiah; he was released from the courtyard of the guard and allowed to go back to his own people, by the words of King Nebuchadnezzar himself (11-14). God surely achieved this through the influence of his servants in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, including Daniel. God’s mercy also reached out specifically to another individual: Ebed-Melek the Cushite, who had spoken up for Jeremiah while he was in the cistern (15-18). God knows how to individually protect those who trust him. 

Prayer Father, thank you for the mercy that you provide even in the midst of judgment. Thank you that I can trust you completely in every situation. 

One Word The Lord saves those who trust him

JEREMIAH COUNSELS THE KING

Jeremiah 38:1-28 / Keywords 38:17

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live.

Jeremiah Thrown Into a Cistern

38:1 Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehukal[a] son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians[b] will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.’ 3 And this is what the Lord says: ‘This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

5 “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.”

6 So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite,[c] an official[d] in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate, 8 Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city.”

10 Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-Melek took the men with him and went to a room under the treasury in the palace. He took some old rags and worn-out clothes from there and let them down with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. 12 Ebed-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and worn-out clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so, 13 and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah Again

14 Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and had him brought to the third entrance to the temple of the Lord. “I am going to ask you something,” the king said to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who want to kill you.”

17 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’”

19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: 22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you:

“‘They misled you and overcame you—

    those trusted friends of yours.

Your feet are sunk in the mud;

    your friends have deserted you.’

23 “All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will[e] be burned down.”

24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you may die. 25 If the officials hear that I talked with you, and they come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us or we will kill you,’ 26 then tell them, ‘I was pleading with the king not to send me back to Jonathan’s house to die there.’”

27 All the officials did come to Jeremiah and question him, and he told them everything the king had ordered him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had heard his conversation with the king.

28 And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.

The Fall of Jerusalem

This is how Jerusalem was taken:

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 38:1 Hebrew Jukal, a variant of Jehukal

b. Jeremiah 38:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 18, 19 and 23

c. Jeremiah 38:7 Probably from the upper Nile region

d. Jeremiah 38:7 Or a eunuch

e. Jeremiah 38:23 Or and you will cause this city to

1. Though King Zedekiah knew in his heart that Jeremiah spoke God’s words, he was too fearful to stand up for him. When some officials demanded that Jeremiah be killed for speaking God’s message of judgment, Zedekiah let them put Jeremiah into a cistern to die of thirst (1-6). It took a Cushite official, Ebed-Melek, to make the king acknowledge how wicked these men were and bring Jeremiah out of the cistern (7-13). 

2. In spite of all this, Jeremiah still acted as a shepherd for this cowardly king who wouldn’t stand on the side of truth. When Zedekiah came to Jeremiah for counsel, promising to protect him, Jeremiah told the king how to save his family’s life by surrendering to the king of Babylon (14-18). But Zedekiah was still too afraid of people to follow Jeremiah’s direction (19). 

3. Jeremiah has the image of a true shepherd, who is able to help even his persecutors. He resembles Jesus, who preached the truth to Pontius Pilate even while he was on trial. 

Prayer Father, thank you for examples of to serve even wicked people with your word. Help me be a shepherd for whomever you send me. 

One Word Faithless people need shepherds

JEREMIAH’S INTEGRITY

Jeremiah 37:1-21 / Keywords 37:17

Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the LORD?” “Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”

Jeremiah in Prison

37:1 Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin[a] son of Jehoiakim. 2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.

3 King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehukal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: “Please pray to the Lord our God for us.”

4 Now Jeremiah was free to come and go among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. 5 Pharaoh’s army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians[b] who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.

6 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet: 7 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of me, ‘Pharaoh’s army, which has marched out to support you, will go back to its own land, to Egypt. 8 Then the Babylonians will return and attack this city; they will capture it and burn it down.’

9 “This is what the Lord says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, ‘The Babylonians will surely leave us.’ They will not! 10 Even if you were to defeat the entire Babylonian[c] army that is attacking you and only wounded men were left in their tents, they would come out and burn this city down.”

11 After the Babylonian army had withdrawn from Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city to go to the territory of Benjamin to get his share of the property among the people there. 13 But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him and said, “You are deserting to the Babylonians!”

14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah said. “I am not deserting to the Babylonians.” But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials. 15 They were angry with Jeremiah and had him beaten and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary, which they had made into a prison.

16 Jeremiah was put into a vaulted cell in a dungeon, where he remained a long time. 17 Then King Zedekiah sent for him and had him brought to the palace, where he asked him privately, “Is there any word from the Lord?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah replied, “you will be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon.”

18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What crime have I committed against you or your attendants or this people, that you have put me in prison? 19 Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’? 20 But now, my lord the king, please listen. Let me bring my petition before you: Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, or I will die there.”

21 King Zedekiah then gave orders for Jeremiah to be placed in the courtyard of the guard and given a loaf of bread from the street of the bakers each day until all the bread in the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 37:1 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin

b. Jeremiah 37:5 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 8, 9, 13 and 14

c. Jeremiah 37:10 Or Chaldean; also in verse 11

1. Jerusalem received a short relief from the Babylonian siege when the army of Egypt marched against them (5). But Jeremiah warned that God’s decision of judgment still stood (6-10). After this, when Jeremiah tried to leave Jerusalem, he was falsely accused of deserting to the Babylonians. Because Jeremiah proclaimed God’s judgment by the hand of the Babylonians, people wrongly thought he was on the side of their enemies. Even though we desire only to speak the truth from God’s point of view, we may be misunderstood, especially when people only think in terms of human loyalties. 

2. Jeremiah was arrested, beaten, and imprisoned in a dungeon cell (15-16). The conditions were so horrible that Jeremiah felt he could not survive there much longer (20). Eventually, King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah to ask if there was any new word from the Lord. But Jeremiah did not change his message (17). Then he spoke up for himself, defending his innocence. The king made Jeremiah’s situation more bearable, letting him be held in the courtyard of the guard, though he did not release him (18-21). Though Jeremiah suffered much, he was great in God’s sight because he did not compromise his integrity or his message. 

Prayer Father, thank you that you watch over your servants even in persecution. Strengthen me to keep my integrity even when I am suffering. 

One Word Stay faithful to God’s message

WHEN GOD’S WORD IS DESPISED

Jeremiah 36:1-32 / Keywords 36:27-28

After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.

Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll

36:1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

4 So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. 5 Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. 6 So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. 7 Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn from their wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.”

8 Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the Lord’s temple he read the words of the Lord from the scroll. 9 In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah. 10 From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the Lord’s temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

11 When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 12 he went down to the secretary’s room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Akbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. 13 After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, 14 all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come.” So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand. 15 They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. 16 When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” 17 Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

18 “Yes,” Baruch replied, “he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll.”

19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah, go and hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.”

20 After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them.

27 After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up. 29 Also tell Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You burned that scroll and said, “Why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast?” 30 Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness; I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounced against them, because they have not listened.’”

32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.

1. Unlike some prophets, who only spoke the word of God verbally, God made sure Jeremiah’s words of prophecy were written down. Jeremiah had a good coworker in Baruch, who wrote on a scroll the words of judgment that Jeremiah dictated (4). Baruch read the words of the scroll aloud in the temple, and then before the king’s officials. They were convicted and wanted King Jehoiakim to hear. But they also protected Jeremiah and Baruch by hiding them, knowing the king was wicked (19). 

2. Jehoiakim arrogantly expressed his rejection of God’s word by burning the scroll a piece at a time as it was being read (22-24). Imagine burning the first edition of a Bible book! Jehoiakim is an example of the wicked who have no fear of God in their heart (Ps 36:1). 

3. Jeremiah must have been deeply discouraged when all of his hard work was deleted. But the Lord simply had him and Baruch write a new scroll (28). God’s word could not be stopped by burning paper. God had people everywhere who would help, publicly or secretly. God’s judgment on Jehoiakim would be most severe (29-31). 

Prayer Father, thank you for all the coworkers who help to get out God’s word . Help me not be discouraged in sharing God’s word, but keep at it, knowing it will bear fruit. 

One Word Don’t give up, write another scroll

AN EXAMPLE OF FAITHFULNESS

Jeremiah 35:1-19 / Keywords 35:16

The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.

The Rekabites

35:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 “Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.”

3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites. 4 I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”

6 But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab[a] son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded this land, we said, ‘Come, we must go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian[b] and Aramean armies.’ So we have remained in Jerusalem.”

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. 14 ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. 15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16 The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.’”

18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ 19 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 35:6 Hebrew Jonadab, a variant of Jehonadab; here and often in this chapter

b. Jeremiah 35:11 Or Chaldean

1. The Rekabites were a nomadic tribe that lived among the Israelites. The Lord told Jeremiah to invite them to the temple for fellowship, to hear their testimony (1-5). When Jeremiah offered them wine to drink, they refused and explained why they never drank wine or built houses for themselves. It was the command of their ancestor Jehonadab (6-10). 

2. God wanted Israel to learn a lesson from the Rekabites. They were more faithful to the commands of their ancestor than God’s own people were to keep his words! (13-16) The Rekabites’ lifestyle displayed their strong sense of identity. The Lord blessed the Rekabite line to continue and serve him through the generations (18-19). 

3. It is easy to live by just reacting to our situation, following the pattern of the world. But God calls us in Jesus to be different, holding on to our identity and purpose as the people of God. Sometimes we see good examples of commitment among those who are not God’s people. Let’s pray to find how we can hold on to God’s command in our daily life. God always blesses a decision to be faithful even to one thing. 

Prayer Father, help me be humble to learn from others who are faithful to their calling. Make me a good example of holding on to your word. 

One Word Keep God’s word in my lifestyle

PROCLAIM FREEDOM

Jeremiah 34:1-22 / Keywords 34:15

Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to his countrymen. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.

Warning to Zedekiah

34:1 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

4 “‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas, master!” I myself make this promise, declares the Lord.’”

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7 while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.

Freedom for Slaves

8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. 9 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage. 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’[a] Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces. 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.

21 “I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. 22 I am going to give the order, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 34:14 Deut. 15:12

1. Though God’s judgment was coming on Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord made a personal promise to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, to save his life from the destruction and let him die peacefully (1-5). It was God’s undeserved grace. 

2. In the face of coming judgment, King Zedekiah called on his people to carry out a radical act of repentance and compassion: to free all of their Hebrew slaves. Actually, it was what the law of Moses required them to do every seven years (8- 9, 14). At first, the people of Jerusalem obeyed, but afterwards they went back on their word and enslaved their brothers and sisters again. For this unfaithfulness, God declared that he would totally destroy Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah (17-22). 

3. The gospel of Jesus proclaims freedom for all people who have been held in captivity to sin, by the power of Jesus’ blood. We are called to proclaim this freedom to each other in both word and deed. It is easy to claim freedom for ourselves, but selfishness in our hearts can make it more difficult to grant it to others. May we help others experience true freedom in Jesus. 

Prayer Father, thank you for your undeserved gift of freedom in Jesus. Help me share this freedom with others. 

One Word Proclaim freedom to others

JEREMIAH SEES GOD’S PLAN

Jeremiah 33:1-26 / Keywords 33:15

In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.

Promise of Restoration

33:1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time: 2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: 3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword 5 in the fight with the Babylonians[a]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.

6 “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. 7 I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity[b] and will rebuild them as they were before. 8 I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,

“Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,

    for the Lord is good;

    his love endures forever.”

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate and without people or animals—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks. 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 “‘In those days and at that time

    I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line;

    he will do what is just and right in the land.

16 In those days Judah will be saved

    and Jerusalem will live in safety.

This is the name by which it[c] will be called:

    The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”

19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms[d] he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, 26 then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes[e] and have compassion on them.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 33:5 Or Chaldeans

b. Jeremiah 33:7 Or will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel

c. Jeremiah 33:16 Or he

d. Jeremiah 33:24 Or families

e. Jeremiah 33:26 Or will bring them back from captivity

1. Jeremiah’s human condition in captivity was as low as it gets. But in this very situation, when Jeremiah prayed, God revealed to him great mysteries of his will (1-3). God is the God of both judgment and restoration. God would turn his face away from his own city because of its wickedness, and wrath would come on Jerusalem (4-5). Everything seemed hopeless. But God would restore the city through forgiving his people’s sins, and joy and gladness would be heard in it again (6-14). 

2. The ultimate forgiveness and restoration that Jeremiah was pointing to is the gospel of Jesus. The symbol of a righteous branch (15) that would sprout from David’s family tree refers to Jesus, who brings salvation through his own righteousness (16). The priesthood of Jesus, which we are a part of through the forgiveness of our sins, will never stop ministering to the world (17, 22). The covenant that God makes with us through Jesus is truly unbreakable (20-21, 25- 26). This is our confidence no matter what happens. 

Prayer Father, thank you for your power to restore even after devastating judgment. Thank you for Jesus, the Righteous Branch. Help me never lose hope. Help me pray when I am despairing and see your glorious plan. 

One Word Pray and see God’s plan

I WILL BE THEIR GOD

Jeremiah 32:26-44 / Keywords 32:38

They will be my people, and I will be their God.

32:26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? 28 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. 29 The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger with what their hands have made, declares the Lord. 31 From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. 32 The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done—they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. 34 They set up their vile images in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

36 “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

42 “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. 43 Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes,[c] declares the Lord.”

Footnotes

c. Jeremiah 32:44 Or will bring them back from captivity

1. Israel’s sins aroused God’s anger. Due to the evil they had done, the Israelites provoked God’s anger. God had to remove them from his sight because of their sin. 

2. So God drove Israel out and destroyed them by using the Babylonian kingdom. But even after all this, God is promising them, “I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.” Even to these sinful Israelites God tells them, “They will be my people, and I will be their God.” God will make an everlasting covenant with them. Even in the calamity due to their sins, God is promising them prosperity. Again, the fields will be bought for silver. 

3. This restoration came through Jesus Christ. Our sins deserve punishment, ultimately death. God loved mankind so much that he gave us his one and only Son Jesus. In Jesus, we will again be called the people of God. Jesus becomes our everlasting covenant with God. “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) 

Prayer Lord, sometimes we suffer due to our sins. Thank you for sending us Jesus and the sure promise of restoration through him. 

One Word Restoration in Jesus!

BUY THE FIELD WITH SILVER

Jeremiah 32:1-25 / Keywords 32:25

And though the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, you, O Sovereign LORD, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’

Jeremiah Buys a Field

32:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.

3 Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. 4 Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians[a] but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. 5 He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”

6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

8 “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’

“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; 9 so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels[b] of silver. 10 I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— 12 and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

13 “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’

16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 18 You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps of their children after them. Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. 20 You performed signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror. 22 You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them.

24 “See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see. 25 And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’”

Footnotes

a. Jeremiah 32:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 5, 24, 25, 28, 29 and 43

b. Jeremiah 32:9 That is, about 7 ounces or about 200 grams

1. During the time of king Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before the exile, the army of Babylon took siege of Jerusalem. King Zedekiah put Jeremiah in prison because Jeremiah was prophesying that Babylon would capture Jerusalem. During those times, there was a word of God telling Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin. 

2. Judah was about to be captured by Babylon. Everything would be destroyed. Yet God’s word to them was that houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land. In the midst of complete destruction, when there was no hope, God was planting hope that there surely will be restoration. Jeremiah started praying to God. God had brought them out of Egypt with his mighty hand but the people still sinned. Then God would deliver them into the hands of the Babylonians. In this moment, God wants Jeremiah to buy a field. This means that God will restore the land. 

3. Due to our sins, we are disciplined by God. However, God always has hope for us. Most of all, he sent his one and only Son Jesus to be our ultimate Savior. In Jesus, we have hope for salvation and ultimate restoration. We all deserve to be destroyed, but by Jesus’ blood, we are saved. 

Prayer Thank you for sending Jesus and giving us the hope of the kingdom of heaven. 

One Word Buy a field in heaven, which will never be destroyed

GOD’S NEW COVENANT

Jeremiah 31:23-40 / Keywords 31:31

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

31:23 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,[c] the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ 24 People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. 25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

27 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. 29 “In those days people will no longer say,

‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,

    and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,

    “when I will make a new covenant

with the people of Israel

    and with the people of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenant

    I made with their ancestors

when I took them by the hand

    to lead them out of Egypt,

because they broke my covenant,

    though I was a husband to[d] them,[e]”

declares the Lord.

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel

    after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds

    and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God,

    and they will be my people.

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor,

    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me,

    from the least of them to the greatest,”

declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness

    and will remember their sins no more.”

35 This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints the sun

    to shine by day,

who decrees the moon and stars

    to shine by night,

who stirs up the sea

    so that its waves roar—

    the Lord Almighty is his name:

36 “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”

    declares the Lord,

“will Israel ever cease

    being a nation before me.”

37 This is what the Lord says:

“Only if the heavens above can be measured

    and the foundations of the earth below be searched out

will I reject all the descendants of Israel

    because of all they have done,”

declares the Lord.

38 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the Lord. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”

Footnotes

c. Jeremiah 31:23 Or I restore their fortunes

d. Jeremiah 31:32 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac / and I turned away from

e. Jeremiah 31:32 Or was their master

1. God is promising the Israelites life after the return from exile. God will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. He promises renewal after living in Babylon. 

2. God is promising that he will surely build and plant again as he had uprooted and torn down before. He promises to make a new covenant with the people of Isarel. 

3. Through this new covenant, God will put his law in the people’s mind and write it on their hearts. Through this new covenant, God will forgive all their sins and wickedness. The new city that God will build will never be uprooted or demolished again. 

4. We suffer and are sometimes punished due to our sins. Yet God is promising the renewal and rebuilding of our lives. God is promising us the new covenant, which was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we are rebuilt, satisfied, and refreshed. Through Jesus, we have God’s law in our hearts. Through Jesus’s death on the cross, we are forgiven. God is promising us the new city, the kingdom of heaven, to those who are renewed through Jesus Christ. 

Prayer Lord, help us to receive the new covenant in Jesus Christ and be renewed. 

One Word Jesus is the new covenant