Author: evangelist_breland

Jeremiah 23:3-4

How many of us believe that nothing goes on without God’s foreknowledge and allowance? Yes, God knows beforehand; He’s omniscient; however, because of man’s free-will moral agent status, we choose disobedience or obedience. He is sovereign, and it is His predestined will that we should have eternal life through belief in His son Jesus Christ, but He never forces Himself on us. Disobedience is sin, separation from God; “the wages of sin is death.” Obedience is abiding in the righteousness of God; “the gift of God is eternal life.” The faithless pastors destroyed and scattered God’s people, and on behalf of God Jeremiah pronounced their indictment – “Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture” (23:1)!

After the prophecy of indictment, the Lord promises hope to His neglected people. “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply” (23:3).  God says that He will gather the remnant of His flock out of all the countries “where I have driven them.” He announced punishment on the pastors for destroying and scattering His sheep because of their evil and irresponsible leadership. His people were driven from the safety of their sheepfold, resulting in their dispersion and captivity because of their persistent disobedience. Now God says “where I have driven them” to assure us that nothing happens without His foreknowledge and allowance. After all, He is our Creator, giving Him full ownership of us for His good pleasure. He continues offering them hope of restoration; “I will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.” His chosen people were blessed to be in His favor as we are too.

“I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, says the Lord” (23:4). Because the pastors failed to care for God’s people pre-exile, He promised that when he gathered the destroyed and scattered remnant home again, He would set up shepherds over them who would feed them physically and spiritually. Jeremiah continued the prophecy of the Lord, saying that when He gathered them home they will fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking.  “…for they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing” (Psalm 34:10b). We are His people and have the assurance from God that He will take care of us. How good and gracious our Almighty Father is!

Jeremiah 23:1-2

In chapters 21:11- 22:30, God called repeatedly for justice and threatened judgment, but these corrupt leaders did not heed. After having issued a scathing indictment against Israel’s civic leaders Jeremiah prophesied a scathing indictment against the faithless religious leaders of Israel – the kings, prophets and priests. “Woe are to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord” (23:1). Yes, it was God’s pasture, and His sheep; “We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3c) as were the people of Israel. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words renders pastor “a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them), and is used metaphorically of Christian ‘pastors,’ Ephesians 4:11” ; therefore, pastors have the responsibility of not only feeding but of protecting, instructing, leading, encouraging, and etc. When the pastors, or shepherds, of Israel became faithless and corrupt, neglecting God’s people, He was not delighted the least. As God’s shepherds, who were political or spiritual leaders, their responsibility was caring for or overseeing His people, and they had failed.

‘Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, in regard to the shepherds who care for and feed My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hear this, I am about to visit and attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” says the Lord’ (23:2, AMP). The ungodly leaders were self-absorbed, corrupt, and negligent of God’s people. He held them responsible for those entrusted to them; therefore, they were condemned to sorrow and misery. They were guilty of scattering God’s flock. Expository paraphrased from Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says that the charge against the leaders was true both literally and spiritually. The people had been driven away from the fold  into exile in distant lands. The wicked rulers neglected God’s people, but He was not negligent and would visit them and attend to the evil of their deeds by reproof and chastisement. “Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3).

In Genesis 2:15-17 (NRSV, paraphrased) we are told that the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to take care of it. God commanded the man to eat freely of every tree of the garden except of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because in the day that he ate of it he would die. This is God’s first test of man’s obedience. Fast-forward to Genesis 3 and the woman and the serpent, the craftiest animal that the Lord God had made, is having a conversation, but it is filled with half- truths and lies. Eventually the lies led to man’s fall from God’s grace and obedience to shame and disobedience.   As a result, the man, the woman, and the serpent were punished for their part in disobeying God. We must trust God, and trust requires having faith in God and accepting His Word. God promised the serpent in Genesis 3:15 (AMP, paraphrased) that because of his deception of the woman (Eve), He would put enmity, or open hostility, between him and the woman, and between his seed and her seed. He shall [fatally] bruise the serpent’s head, and the serpent shalt [only] bruise his heel. This is God’s prophecy of the coming of His only begotten Son for the redemption of mankind. We must not become lax and let our spiritual antenna down; we must practice being at high alert always. When our spiritual antenna is up, our reception from God is clear of static and interference. We must always be alert; Satan is lurking in the atmosphere waiting for the opportunity to make us his next prey. And we talk about static? We can’t hear the Father because of the static – the noise. Let’s protect ourselves. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6: 11) “…for we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Philippians 4:1-4    

Because this earth is not the believers’ home, we are to set our affection on heavenly things, not earthly things. Yet sometimes we allow our circumstances to become a distraction, taking our focus off heavenly things. In verse one Apostle Paul epitomizes the spirit of love for God and man. Even though he is imprisoned, he doesn’t drown himself in self-pity; he is concerned for his fellow Philippian brothers, his joy and crown, whom he loves and longs to see. He writes them, exhorting them to stand fast in the Lord. That same command applies to us still today. We must hold on to our faith in Him. No matter how dire our circumstances may be, we can’t afford to give up on Him because with Him all things are possible; without Him we will surely fail. The Gospel great, Yolanda Adams sings “The Battle Is the Lord’s.” Because the battle is His, we must continue to stand fast in the Him; He’s fighting every step of the way for us as long as we live in this fallen world and obediently surrender to His will. Isaiah 40:29, (NIV) states, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” When we are in a season of suffering, Satan attacks us, planting seeds of doubt about who we are and whose we are; however, we can’t give up; it’s just a test.  

At Philippi two church sisters were having relationship issues. Scripture says that God does not show favoritism, and we must not think more highly of ourselves than others because we all have faults. Paul pleads with them to be of the same mind in the Lord (v. 2) for unity brings a spirit of joy and love in the body of Christ. Believers will have disagreements, but we must humble ourselves, put our squabbling aside and forgive one another. Our ultimate example of forgiveness is Jesus. He was crucified at Calvary, and one of his last words was “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24).  

Paul emphatically commands the church to always rejoice in the Lord. Regardless of our circumstances, we are to always express our joy found through Christ. In recounting all God has done in our lives, we realize how blessed we are. We may not have riches according to man’s standards, but if we have been so blessed, rejoice in the Lord for the earth is His and all that’s in it. Let us not focus on what we don’t have; focus instead on what we have been blessed to have. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21, paraphrased). Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice.