judah

God Keeps Us Moving! Jesus in Bethlehem and Nazareth and Galilee – Luke 2, Matthew 2, Micah 5

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After the rituals required after the birth of Jesus, the family returns to Nazareth – and where Luke moves on to telling us the story of Jesus as a teenager, Matthew’s gospel brings in information about the Magi Wisemen from their lands, and Joseph and Mary travelling WITH Jesus FROM the land of Israel to Egypt and back…So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

What can we learn from these travels? Not just that God kept them moving – but that God led them to the places and people whom He needed them to see.

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

If God is growing the baby of Jesus – imagine what He can do for us and with us…  Grace is upon us too – we have God’s grace with the accepting faith and repentance to follow Jesus. Grace is an umbrella of Love which allows us to gather ourselves together even when it is raining brokenness from the outside.

Last night I thought oh yes, I will finally get to a Monday night faith gathering in time for their Christmas program – with friends whom I knew and friends whom were probably going to be there – and with new friends whom I would meet that night. God did not disappoint – but oh for me? STUCK in traffic – actually it kept moving slowly slowly- and for some reason the left lane was moving fastest and I kept in it…  but 2 hours for a 45 minute trip – I had to be thinking “what is God thinking here” – He is holding me back on purpose or just the timing – or just the whatever… And yet it has nothing to do with me – as I pray for those in that accident which I learned had been 4 hours before – no fatalities but some injuries and surely more than just a minor inconvenience which I was having…  and since the highway was going to be shut down until midnight – likely they had to rebuild a barrier or two besides remove the trucks – I am sure it was an unexpected turn for the workers too…

ANYWAY – I digress like my detour and as I had to exit one exit early which leads to the zigzag travel through suburbia, developments, farmsteads which are idle, and the darkness of the countryside where the deer are always a risk to jump, I still realize that I made it. I made it – and my friends saved me a plate of shepherd’s pie – just like the message was about shepherds being shepherded and us being asked to be led by the Lord to do His Work and speak praises and tell others about the Good News – in our own stories…

My story is HIS story, I told a new friend – that His actions and our willingness to obey and act and listen and speak and care are all purposeful even if we don’t see it – like waiting in traffic. It was one of those traffic days – God kept me moving – and pausing to refuel – both my car and my life and my lunch…

May we always realize that the Lord has everything under control and we need to keep moving best we can to where He leads…

AMEN

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Luke 2 NKJV

Christ Born of Mary

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in the Highest
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Circumcision of Jesus
And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Jesus Presented in the Temple
Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer
Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

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The Family Returns to Nazareth
So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

***

The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars
His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Matthew 2
New King James Version
Wise Men from the East
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Massacre of the Innocents
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”

The Home in Nazareth
Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Micah 5 NKJV

The Messiah Will Be Born at Bethlehem

Now gather yourself in troops,
O daughter of troops;
He has laid siege against us;
They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

The Coming Messiah

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”

Therefore He shall give them up,
Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth;
Then the remnant of His brethren
Shall return to the children of Israel.
And He shall stand and feed His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God;
And they shall abide,
For now He shall be great
To the ends of the earth;
And this One shall be peace.

March AND JESUS Roar in like a Lion

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It’s not going to be THAT fierce of weather today, but enough force of wind this afternoon will remind us that we are in late winter. March ROARS IN like a LION they say, and yet out like a lamb in gentleness…. Hmmmm… We know a Lion that is also a Lamb… 

YES, Jesus ROARS in like a Lion too, both Him and His Word. Genesis speaks first of Lions in scripture, and scripture itself is the ROAR into lives, bringing Jesus directly to us. The Rescue is like a Lion Who takes what is His – and WE ARE JESUS’S – we are His.

In Genesis 49:9-12 Jacob is speaking about his sons, specifically JUDAH, who is the namesake of the tribe of Judah (1 of 12) and the land settled including Bethlehem where Jesus was born from. Jacob speaks of Judah as a LION – and speaks of Jesus coming through that Land as the Ruler: “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.”

Oh yes! Jesus is the ROAR into today and the fierce ruler of today and tomorrow. Jesus is the Lamb Slain who will lead us through today, this month, and always. The Lion of Judah is Jesus, Worthy. The Nations will all be obedient to Him one day – so let us start now with our own obedience and TRUST HIM. No one on earth or in Heaven but Jesus is Worthy.

The Scroll and the Lamb – Revelation 5:1-5 written by John sees this LION of Judah, Jesus, Who is a Lamb slain for the sins of the people of the world. John sees a revelation of Jesus when He comes again: Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Let us take this month of Lions and Lambs and be wary of whom we find worthy – may we find ourselves in Jesus’s Care as He ROARS into our lives.

Amen

Amos – A(l)mos(t) to the end of the Old Testament, Amos 1-3

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Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

I held the Bible pages in an actual physical Bible and thought to myself, I am amazed how I have read and written through almost all of the Old Testament, after the New Testament, now 10 years nearly since my awakening. There are such slim pages left, and amazing for I seem to be on track for finishing reading and writing at the 10 year mark. And then what? Do it again… read, write, absorb, teach… Really the sharing is about our readiness for heaven – both immediately and ultimately – do we know Jesus to know He is the One taking us there? I hope the world knows Jesus as Lord and Savior before they kneel as conquered…

I thought, I think, I know that, well, these are TOUGH chapters at the end of the Old Testament WOW! It’s again and again old bits of TOUGH times prophecy in Amos, in the middle of the rough years of a divided kingdom – tough reading meaning text AGAIN about harshness on wayward Israel and Judah – and YET ISN’T THAT TRUE – isn’t that like end times of the tough understanding their situation in the world without the Messiah yet, without Jesus walking in it, without what they saw would be final restoration of the Kingdom. Think of the angst and hopes of Simeon to see the deliverer before he died… 

And so, there is info to learn in the Old Testament – I know we are not to breeze over these even if tough, knowing the New Testament is soon in my/our agenda, no. In reading the prophets, Amos especially, these are NOT tiny chapters of thoughts by prophet Amos even if tiny in pages.  This reading is a WHOLE bunch of learning – of God’s Way with His people.

And for us today, this tough reading is reflective of the tough now, knowing Jesus came, but we are sitting in a broken world holding onto the hope of looking for the Lord’s final return. The fire is refining before the finish. Jesus come quickly.

Then in the middle of the tough passages, I saw assurance: “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” YES – God reveals what He is doing – we simply must listen and follow.

It’s these words of comfort we are to learn from these chapters. We are not going to be successful in insulating us from the evil – likewise we are not going to fix a world to save it – but instead need to have Jesus come to reign in it, then move to a new city kingdom heaven, in the time appointed. 

Meanwhile, our time is to learn and live best. We must dig in – dig into chapters – dig into learning – dig into living in a broken world as not a bunker but above it as an opportunity to keep our eyes on our Shepherd Jesus. As the Lord punishes the enemies of His people, He will knock down the evil once and for all, in that day of reckoning. He will also judge the goats from the sheep  – those who said they would help and didn’t vs those who listened and DID help. 

So, as Amos speaks of God’s punishment for His own people gone astray (Judah-ites and Israelites of the time), whoa to those now who hunker down, bunker down, in the world with protectiveness of possessions like those thinking the world will save them – rather than step out into the world with the armor of God. We must keep moving.

DON’T let the world’s trappings swallow you as a lion does – “as a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch.”

Keep walking my friends, light of foot and light in the eyes, share hope, we are A(l)mos(t) there.

Amen 

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AMOS 1-3, NIV

The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa – the vision he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

He said: “The Lord roars from Zion and thunders from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds dry up, and the top of Carmel withers.”

Judgment on Israel’s Neighbors

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Damascus, even for four, I will not relent. Because she threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth, I will send fire on the house of Hazael that will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad. I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord.

This is what the Lord says: 

“For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not relent. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire on the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. I will destroy the king of Ashdod and the one who holds the scepter in Ashkelon. I will turn my hand against Ekron, till the last of the Philistines are dead,” says the Sovereign Lord.

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Tyre, even for four, I will not relent. Because she sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood, I will send fire on the walls of Tyre that will consume her fortresses.”

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not relent. Because he pursued his brother with a sword and slaughtered the women of the land, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire on Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah.”

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Ammon, even for four, I will not relent. Because he ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to extend his borders, I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah that will consume her fortresses amid war cries on the day of battle, amid violent winds on a stormy day. Her king will go into exile, he and his officials together,” says the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Moab, even for four, I will not relent. Because he burned to ashes the bones of Edom’s king, I will send fire on Moab that will consume the fortresses of Kerioth. Moab will go down in great tumult amid war cries and the blast of the trumpet. I will destroy her ruler and kill all her officials with him,” says the Lord.

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not relent. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire on Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem.”

Judgment on Israel

This is what the Lord says:

“For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not relent. They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines.

“Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, though they were tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below. I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.

“I also raised up prophets from among your children and Nazirites from among your youths. Is this not true, people of Israel?” declares the Lord.

“But you made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy.

“Now then, I will crush you as a cart crushes when loaded with grain. The swift will not escape, the strong will not muster their strength, and the warrior will not save his life. The archer will not stand his ground, the fleet-footed soldier will not get away, and the horseman will not save his life. Even the bravest warriors will flee naked on that day,” declares the Lord.

Witnesses Summoned Against Israel

Hear this word, people of Israel, the word the Lord has spoken against you—against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt:

“You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”

Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Does a lion roar in the thicket when it has no prey? Does it growl in its den when it has caught nothing? Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground when no bait is there? Does a trap spring up from the ground if it has not caught anything When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the Lord caused it?

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

The lion has roared – who will not fear? The Sovereign Lord has spoken— who can but prophesy? Proclaim to the fortresses of Ashdod and to the fortresses of Egypt: 

“Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria; see the great unrest within her and the oppression among her people.”

“They do not know how to do right,” declares the Lord, “who store up in their fortresses what they have plundered and looted.”

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“An enemy will overrun your land, pull down your strongholds and plunder your fortresses.”

This is what the Lord says:

“As a shepherd rescues from the lion’s mouth only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites living in Samaria be rescued, with only the head of a bed and a piece of fabric from a couch.”

“Hear this and testify against the descendants of Jacob,” declares the Lord, the Lord God Almighty.

“On the day I punish Israel for her sins, I will destroy the altars of Bethel; the horns of the altar will be cut off and fall to the ground. I will tear down the winter house along with the summer house; the houses adorned with ivory will be destroyed and the mansions will be demolished,” declares the Lord.

God’s Battles, Victories and Decisions, Joel 3 and Isaiah 2

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“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!…”

“… the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.”

“But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion.”

The battles of the Lord are His to fight and He will win and cause judgement – whoa for us to be judged, but we will be and with judgement comes correction. The Lord will judge the nations and the peoples, He also had and has plans to heal them, allowing His people to prosper. It’s quite the battle first however. Scriptures of Joel and Isaiah remind us to BE HIS. His time of judgement will come.

Swords And Spears into or from plowshares and pruning hooks – Joel 3 speaks of awakening nations to get ready for battle, and Isaiah 2 speaks of turning battles into peace by letting God do the fighting and the judging. There will be both. God’s people will be protected and a roar of battle will be intense. God’s roar against false idols to prevail, just as He will prevail against the distractions and the evil today. There are SO MANY reminders to pay attention to the Lord  – He has prevailed and He will prevail for His People. We MUST be focused upon Him.

Amen and Amen 

Lord Jesus come quickly.  

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The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols He shall utterly abolish. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

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“He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people…”

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“Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

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“For the day of the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up – And it shall be brought low…”

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Amen and Amen 

Lord Jesus come quickly.   

—-

Joel 2

God Judges the Nations

“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. They have cast lots for My people, Have given a boy as payment for a harlot, And sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.

“Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, Swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head; Because you have taken My silver and My gold, And have carried into your temples My prized possessions. Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, That you may remove them far from their borders.

“Behold, I will raise them Out of the place to which you have sold them, And will return your retaliation upon your own head. I will sell your sons and your daughters Into the hand of the people of Judah, And they will sell them to the Sabeans, To a people far off; For the Lord has spoken.”

Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ” Assemble and come, all you nations, And gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.

“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow – For their wickedness is great.”

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark,

And the stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the Lord will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

“So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”

God Blesses His People

And it will come to pass in that day That the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord And water the Valley of Acacias.

“Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion.”

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Isaiah 2

The Future House of God

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

The Day of the Lord

O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the Lord. For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made. People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them.

Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

For the day of the Lord of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up – And it shall be brought low – Upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, And upon all the oaks of Bashan; Upon all the high mountains, And upon all the hills that are lifted up; Upon every high tower, And upon every fortified wall; Upon all the ships of Tarshish, And upon all the beautiful sloops. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, But the idols He shall utterly abolish.

They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats, To go into the clefts of the rocks, And into the crags of the rugged rocks, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily. Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he? 

Carried Away, including Stones, Jeremiah 43-44

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Ok, I get carried away and don’t get back to my reading and writing about Jeremiah – but I am – and oh, how blessed to know that there are certain pieces of advice that God gives over and over and over again…  ‘Don’t get carried away’ and ‘Get carried away’….

Yes, we say “don’t want to get carried away” – but Jeremiah the prophet was carried away to Egypt against his will – against God’s advice – and yet they found there were bigger consequences in Egypt than if they stayed in the land of Judah. God said they would not get out of there alive unless they escaped back to the land of Judah. It was going to be a doomsday end. Stick with God and be OK.

What is WORSE is that certain folk got carried away and even worshiped the foreign gods – forgot about their One True God – their God of Abraham and of Moses and of David. You would think that there are stories and stories and stories that would both warn them of going rouge – and stories and stories – psalms and proverbs and plain good advice to keep with the One True God.  Well, they got carried away…  (and God noticed)…

One more thing carried out – was what Jeremiah was to carry in – rather than carry away – Jeremiah was instructed by God to carry in stones: Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard.  God had Jeremiah “hide them in sight” – to mark where eventually they would be captive to the invaders which they were told to just go with in the first place. Babylon would take over anyway. God had promised a sustaining life in captivity for 70 years but no, they went to Egypt anyway. They would suffer these consequences for not listening.

And Jeremiah brought in the rocks as commanded by God – and told them so. Isn’t that strange but classic God – like let me call out the obvious to you so that you would know – and maybe/probably the others who eventually would land here wouldn’t know that God knew and you knew – and would take over this exact spot. Like God wanted to say let Me let you in on the plan – and this plan ain’t so good… These rocks will call out my plan.

These days were foreshadowing others who would not listen. Jesus had a conversation of not so good things to come that also involved stones being toppled – that even a restored Jerusalem would fall again. And as for the coming of the True King in the here and now, Jesus was able to see that not everyone would believe even Him, the Son of God. Not all believed – not all could see: he wept over [Jerusalem] and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. “

We need to be on God’s ROCK CARRYING DETAIL – AND SHARE THAT JESUS HAS COME AND WILL COME AGAIN.

Jeremiah warned the self-exiled Israelites to know that God meant business – and that God WAS speaking truth thru His Prophet – and marked the place (with stones) where God WOULD bring His Plan to fruition. God told Jeremiah to “mark my words” (write them down and proclaim them). Nothing would interfere with God’s plan, even calling the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar “my servant”. Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. If God says: “Don’t go there” then don’t… Don’t get carried away… Stick with God.

If the rocks called out to the people that the king Nebuchadnezzar was going to build his kingdom there. Then imagine the level of rocks calling out for when God does build His Kingdom of PRAISE – that the praises that will be heard – the people rejoicing. Jesus said to the Pharisees, who wanted Him to rebuke the praising disciples: “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

So, God is secure in His Plan to keep His Plan going – and so let us not get carried away with worry – not with lost hope – not with fear – not with sadness. 

Let us get Carried Away with Love – with HOPE – with following God who does control the whole situation – Who even causes the rocks to cry out.

Let us ROCK OUT our praise. Know that Peace is NOT to be hidden from our eyes. LET US SHARE THAT JESUS IS OUR ROCK – AND THE KINGDOM IS GOD’S.

Amen

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Jeremiah 43-44 NKJV Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, all these words,  that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.” So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to dwell in the land of Judah, from all nations where they had been driven – men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. So they went to the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they went as far as Tahpanhes.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, “Take large stones in your hand, and hide them in the sight of the men of Judah, in the clay in the brick courtyard which is at the entrance to Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes; and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will send and bring Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden. And he will spread his royal pavilion over them. When he comes, he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword. I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captive. And he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd puts on his garment, and he shall go out from there in peace. He shall also break the sacred pillars of Beth Shemesh that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians he shall burn with fire.” ’ ”

Israelites Will Be Punished in Egypt

The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘You have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and on all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they did not know, they nor you nor your fathers. However I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” But they did not listen or incline their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods. So My fury and My anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as it is this day.’

“Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain, in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?  They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers.’

“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah. And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to dwell there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine. They shall die, from the least to the greatest, by the sword and by famine; and they shall be an oath, an astonishment, a curse and a reproach!  For I will punish those who dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to dwell there shall escape or survive, lest they return to the land of Judah, to which they desire to return and dwell. For none shall return except those who escape.’ ”

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”

The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”

Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying: “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind? So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day. Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day.”

Moreover Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt! Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, “We will surely keep our vows that we have made, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’ Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “The Lord God lives.” Behold, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them. Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign to you,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.’

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of those who seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.’ ”

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Luke 9:28-44 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it.  As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” – “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Dust to Dust, but THINK, God’s Word is ETERNAL, Jeremiah 36

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Good God, God’s got His Word Written Well !!! Makes us THINK! I love a good Living Water DRINK!

Jeremiah (chapter 36) has a writing about writing and rewriting God’s message,  God was and is serious, especially then to the Israelites in the days they WILL be taken into a 70 year exile! 

Jeremiah got the INKling (from God) to engage a helper, Baruch, to do dictation writing and delivery. They then sent the warnings to the officials. No, the King didn’t like what it said and had each section sliced off with a knife and burned it in the fire. But God had it rewritten. God re-showed His unchanging nature, mission, message. “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.”

Baruch wrote in INK,

God’s Word, which wouldn’t SINK.

He read outloud God’s Word and Warning to make people THINK. 

Except this time Judah’s King and advisors didn’t BLINK.

They didn’t tear their clothes repent-ly, they chose to hide the truth that Babylon would take them to the BRINK.

However God’s Word is made alive to be RE-INKed and re-THINKed.

Jeremiah and Baruch were to be detained, but the Lord hid them.

Later, years and years, this reminds of a time there was another fire set to kill 3 followers of the Lord of the Israelites. And in this furnace, a Divine Figure (Jesus) appeared to show up as a 4th man unburned in the fire, this certainly made Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar BLINK.

After that he was forced to take in God’s Sovereignty and His power as truth and proof – that the Lord’s Word is fireproof!

Yes, we continue to know the Word of God and God Himself remains untouched, reinforced.  His Word is written for rewriting and it is God’s Right to Extend His Word. God’s Word lasts forever!

Amen

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Jeremiah 36 NIV

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “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. 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.”

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. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. 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. 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.”

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. 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. 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.

When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the Lord from the scroll, 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. After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll, 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. They said to him, “Sit down, please, and read it to us.”

So Baruch read it to them. 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.” Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?”

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

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

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. 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. 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. 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. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. 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.

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. 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?” 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.’”

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.

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Daniel 3:24-26  International Standard Version

The Fourth Man in the Furnace

Astonished, King Nebuchadnezzar stood up in terror, and asked his advisors, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire, bound firmly with ropes?” In reply they told the king, “Yes, your majesty.”

“Look!” he told them, “I see four men walking untied and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the appearance of the fourth resembles a divine being.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing fire furnace. He shouted out, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.