Tag: Word of the Lord

Will Graham – Devotion

 

Jeremiah 1:4–10

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”  Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”  But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.  Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.  See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

For many years I have traveled the world as an evangelist, sharing the Good News of Christ on six continents. The faces may change, but the concerns of the heart are very often the same. I’ve found that one of the biggest concerns weighing on people—whether in the United States or on the other side of the world—is the matter of purpose.

People naturally wonder why they are here, who they’re supposed to be, and what they’re supposed to do. They want to know that their life has meaning—a purpose.

The answer—like the answer to many of life’s questions—can be found in the Bible. Let’s look at Jeremiah 1:4-10.

We were created for a purpose (vv. 4 and 5): As humans, we are created for a purpose, and that purpose comes from God. He says, “I formed you … I knew you … I sanctified you … I ordained you …” God created us for a well-established purpose, and gave us the means to accomplish that work. Your calling and my calling were put into place before we were even formed.

Further, verse 4 tells us exactly where to look for our purpose. “Then the word of the Lord came to me …” If you want to find your purpose, spend time in God’s Word, through which He speaks to us.

Ditch the excuses (v. 6): Often we recognize our purpose, our calling, but try to run the other direction. Humanly speaking, there are often excuses one can use to avoid the purpose that God may have for you. Maybe you can make more money elsewhere. Perhaps embracing your purpose will make a less comfortable life for you and your family. Like Jeremiah, you may not feel adequately equipped for the task—too young, too old, unskilled.

If you truly want to find your purpose, however, you may need to step out in faith, become uncomfortable and offer yourself to be used by God. Which leads us to …

God equips those He calls (vv. 7-10): Finally, we are reminded how God equips those whom He calls by addressing the two issues that Jeremiah brought up. First, concerning his youth, God promises that He Himself will be with Jeremiah wherever he is sent. Second, as for Jeremiah’s speaking problem, God tells him that He was going to place in Jeremiah’s mouth the words to speak.

God is not going to call you to a purpose without giving you the tools you need to accomplish His plan. What a great concept—God gives us purpose, and then equips us for His purposes!

My friends, you may not feel like you have a purpose in life. You may feel lost and misdirected. I encourage you to seek God, study His Word, and cry out to Him in prayer. Follow God’s purpose for your life, get past the excuses, and allow Him to work through you.

God gives us purpose, but you have to know Him to find yours.

50.j. Wilderness – 14.p. “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God”

 

Deu 8:11-18  “Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God.

 Proverbs 1:32   For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them;

 Proverbs 30:9   lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

 Psalms 106:21    They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

 Hosea 13:5-6     It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought;  but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me

 Jeremiah 2:31   And you, O generation, behold the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘We are free, we will come no more to you’?

 1 Corinthians 4:7   For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

 Psalms 127:1-2    Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

When everything is fine and our lives are filled with abundance, it is not hard to have our hearts lifted up. We can easily forget the LORD Himself and forget it was all His work on our behalf. In times of abundance, it is easy to forget the LORD, or to at least no longer seek Him with the urgency we once had. We often think highly of our own hard work and brilliance. Yet we must see that God gives us the body, the brain, and the talent. It is all of God.  His plan is that it would ultimately further His eternal purpose. Therefore, we have no right to use our material blessing to further selfish purposes; instead, we use our resources to advance His kingdom. (Guzik)

Moses directs to the duty of a prosperous condition. Let them always remember their Benefactor. In everything we must give thanks. Moses arms them against the temptations of a prosperous condition. When men possess large estates, or are engaged in profitable business, they find the temptation to pride, forgetfulness of God, and carnal-mindedness, very strong; and they are anxious and troubled about many things. In this the believing poor have the advantage; they more easily perceive their supplies coming from the Lord in answer to the prayer of faith; and, strange as it may seem, they find less difficulty in simply trusting him for daily bread. They taste a sweetness therein, which is generally unknown to the rich, while they are also freed from many of their temptations. Forget not God’s former dealings with thee. Here is the great secret of Divine Providence. Infinite wisdom and goodness are the source of all the changes and trials believers experience. Israel had many bitter trials, but it was to do them good. Pride is natural to the human heart. Would one suppose that such a people, after their slavery at the brick-kilns, should need the thorns of the wilderness to humble them? But such is man! And they were proved that they might be humbled. None of us live a single week without giving proofs of our weakness, folly, and depravity. To broken-hearted souls alone the Saviour is precious indeed. Nothing can render the most suitable outward and inward trials effectual, but the power of the Spirit of God. See here how God’s giving and our getting are reconciled, and apply it to spiritual wealth. All God’s gifts are in pursuance of his promises. Moses repeats the warning he had often given of the fatal consequences of forsaking God. Those who follow others in sin, will follow them to destruction. If we do as sinners do, we must expect to fare as sinners fare. (Henry)

49.t. Wilderness – 13.z. “I speak in your hearing today”

 

Deu 5:1-5  And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the LORD make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The LORD spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain.

Psalms 106:23    Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.

Moses demands attention. When we hear the word of God we must learn it; and what we have learned we must put in practice, for that is the end of hearing and learning; not to fill our heads with notions, or our mouths with talk, but to direct our affections and conduct. (Henry)

Israel was bound to the covenant they agreed to in Exodus 24:1-8, yet the covenant was made with the previous generation which perished in the wilderness. The present generation had to understand and embrace the covenant if they were to enjoy the blessings of the covenant. In fact, the covenant was originally made with the previous generation, and Moses did not deny this. But he drove the point home: This was their covenant; it is a covenant of the living, not of the dead. (Guzik)

“Hear, learn, and do them”. How many hear but never learn? How many learn but do not apply? The Bible is full of examples of those that did not and of those that did. Those who did not listen and learn were rejected and punished by God. God blessed those that did. These examples were given so that by them we would intentionally choose to believe, trust, follow, obey, and be reliant upon God. When it comes to learning there must be a desire or experience that roots this information in our minds. Without a desire to learn and grow in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and the Things of God, there will be no learning or application in our lives. How often are we given the example of “Their hearts were like stone and their ears were deaf and there was no love for God or obedience to His Word? He sent angels, prophets, and finally His Son, and yet people still reject, deny, and turn away from God and the Things of God. 

Unless there is a desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions, our hearing will dull to the Word of God. The application will be nothing more than doing what is right in our own eyes. We are often looking for and expecting God’s blessings, but give no thought to obedience because we lack a foundational desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. David’s desire should inspire us to be like-minded; Search me and know me, see if there is anything within my heart and mind that is offensive to You, and lead me on paths that honor and glorify You.

45.w. “Wilderness” – 10.b. “Levite redemption of Israelite firstborn”

 

Num 3:40  And the LORD said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel.”  So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over.” So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites.  From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary.  And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Number all the first-born of the males of the children of Israel, &c.—The principle on which the enumeration of the Levites had been made was now to be applied to the other tribes. The number of their male children, from a month old and upward, was to be reckoned, in order that a comparison might be instituted with that of the Levites, for the formal adoption of the latter as substitutes for the first-born. The Levites, amounting to twenty-two thousand, were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes, leaving an excess of two hundred seventy-three; and as there were no substitutes for these, they were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each (Nu 18:15, 16). Every Israelite would naturally wish that his son might be redeemed by a Levite without the payment of this tax, and yet some would have to incur the expense, for there were not Levites enough to make an equal exchange. Jewish writers say the matter was determined by lot, in this manner: Moses put into an urn twenty-two thousand pieces of parchment, on each of which he wrote “a son of Levi,” and two hundred seventy-three more, containing the words, “five shekels.” These being shaken, he ordered each of the first-born to put in his hand and take out a slip. If it contained the first inscription, the boy was redeemed by a Levite; if the latter, the parent had to pay. The ransom-money, which, reckoning the shekel at half a crown, would amount to 12s. 6d. each, was appropriated to the use of the sanctuary.  (Brown)

The number of firstborn sons is low if accounted for all the nation; it would mean that only one in 27 sons were firstborns – an unlikely percentage. It is more probable that the 22,273 firstborn sons were those born in the thirteen months since their departure from Egypt.  “The price for the redemption of the excess firstborn of the Israelites was five shekels, or about 2.1 ounces of silver per person. The Israelites not covered by a Levite were redeemed with a silver shekel, but under the New Covenant the believer is redeemed with something far more costly and precious: the blood of Jesus Christ, as a lamb without blemish. (Guzik)

God said, “the firstborn are Mine”. The firstborn of the Israelites and of their flocks were for special service and use by God. This at first glance seems a bit strange when we consider “All” is God’s. Yet here we have God calling out the firstborn for special service. In His plan and purpose, God, ordained a redemption of the Israelites firstborn by a Levite. God ordains and gives His redeemed children gifts and talents for His service, honor and glory. 

43.g. “Wilderness” – 7.n. Sinai – “Now when all the people saw”

Exodus 20:18  Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

 Psalms 139:7-8    Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

 Isaiah 41:10   fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

 Deuteronomy 13:3   For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

 Deuteronomy 8:2   And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

 Job 28:28     And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

 Proverbs 1:7    The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

 Proverbs 3:7   Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.

 Joshua 24:14  “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.

 Deuteronomy 5:5    while I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD. For you were afraid because of the fire

 Psalms 97:2    Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

 1 Timothy 6:16   who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. 

Deuteronomy 5:23 explains why the mountain smoked; it says the mountain was burning with fire. The awe of all the phenomenon did nothing to draw the people closer to God; it only made them stand afar off. One might think that Israel loved the dramatic experience at Mount Sinai, and especially the honor of hearing God’s voice like a loudspeaker from heaven. Instead, because of the great awe and dread they felt, they wanted God to stop speaking to them directly. This is a typical reaction of those who came into the presence of God, such as Isaiah who felt undone before God (Isaiah 6:1-5) and John who fell as a dead man before the Lord (Revelation 1:17). The people promised to hear and (by implication) obey the word of God that came to them by Moses. In following generations, Israel interpreted the law downward, so it could be more easily obeyed, removing the heart and intent of the law. Jesus exposed this shallow understanding of the law in His Sermon on the Mount.

The people of Israel wanted to separate themselves from the manifest presence of God, but God meant it for good to test them. The test revealed to them what kind of God they served: a God above nature, personal, good, and holy. The test revealed to them their own weakness and need for God’s grace, help, and rescue. The test revealed to them what God’s expectations were, that God is a moral God who expects moral behavior from His people. That His fear may be before you speaks of the attitude of honor and reverence that leads to respect and obedience. Though it is better to obey God out of fear than to disobey Him, God’s ultimate motivation for obedience is love. This is clear from 1 John 4:18-19: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. Moses had a relationship with God the common man in Israel did not have. Through the circumstances of his life and the direct revelation of God, Moses was aware of both God’s holy power and also of God’s glorious grace. (Guzik)

This law, which is so extensive that we cannot measure it, so spiritual that we cannot evade it, and so reasonable that we cannot find fault with it, will be the rule of the future judgment of God, as it is for the present conduct of man. If tried by this rule, we shall find our lives have been passed in transgressions. And with this holy law and an awful judgment before us, who can despise the gospel of Christ? And the knowledge of the law shows our need of repentance. In every believer’s heart sin is dethroned and crucified, the law of God is written, and the image of God renewed. The Holy Spirit enables him to hate sin and flee from it, to love and keep this law in sincerity and truth; nor will he cease to repent. (Henry)

The Israelites drew near to the mountain. They were intrigued by what they saw and heard when the 10 commandments were given. Now in closeness to God and the power and might of presence, they heard and saw and felt the holy awesomeness of God and feared for their lives. 

What would our lives be like if we would have a reverent, trusting, and reliant fear of God? Would it be different than it is now? Would we fear, hate, anger, and be anxious less? Would we rejoice, praise, and worship more? Would we be content? Would greed, pride, and unkindness be not found in our lives? Would we run to the mountain of God or would we retreat to what we believe is a safe distance? Would we desire to be in the continual presence of God? Would we want to hear His voice with a desire to obey it for His honor and glory? Would things of this earth become less distracting and things of God become more encompassing? Would we know joy and peace that passes all understanding? Would we be more generous? Would we discern the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit leading us? Would the Word of God be precious to us? Would our thoughts, words, and actions be in line with honor and glory to Jesus Christ? Would we hunger and thirst for His Word and leading so that this honor and glory would be pure?  Would we??????

36.j. Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

 

 

 

Genesis 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:9-10 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

Romans 4:19-24  And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Galatians 3:5-7  Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? – just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

There was a good reason for God to say this. Abram had just defeated a much larger army made up of a partnership of four kings. He had reason to be afraid, expecting an attack of retribution. God told Abram this because he was afraid, and afraid for good reasons. Yet God also gave him a reason to put away his fear. God doesn’t tell us do not be afraid without giving us a reason to put away our fear. 

God knows how to become the answer to our need. When we need a shield or a reward, He becomes those things for us. “I do not think that any human mind can ever grasp the fullness of meaning of these four words, ‘I am thy reward.’ God himself the reward of his faithful people”  “If God be our reward, let us take care that we do really enjoy him. Let us exult in him, and let us not be pining after any other joy.” (Spurgeon).

The faith that made Abram righteous wasn’t so much believing in God (as we usually speak of believing in God), as it was believing God. Those who only believe in God (in the sense of believing He exists) are merely on the same level as demons.

Believing in God or believing God – Believing in God does not mean you believe Him, His Word, and what it says.  Believing in God without believing God is like believing there is eternal heaven but never seeking or desiring the righteousness to find home there upon death. You might believe in God but discount the need for repentance, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, obedience, and reliance on Jesus Christ. You might believe in God but never give thought to humble surrender before Him.  You may believe in God but never spend time in His Word. You may believe in God but never expect to hear those quiet whispers deep in your heart and soul that would lead you to believe Him. You may believe in God but never choose to live a life that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ in all you say, think, and do. Believing God is more than just believing in God.  There is a transformation in your life. A new birth. A spiritual birth. You become a new creation. born-again. Never let believing in God be the end of your submission and reliance on Him.  Believe God, believe His Word, and learn to apply it in your life for His honor and glory.

30.b. “To whom shall I speak and give warning”

 

Matthew 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

 Matthew 5:20     For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

 Luke 11:39-44   And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

 Psalms 58:3-6    The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.  They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,

 Isaiah 57:4    Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit,

 Jeremiah 6:10   To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.

 2 Thessalonians 1:10   They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Being a follower of and lover of God is so much more than an outward observance of doing acts believed to upgrade your worth before God. The Pharisees believed that one was made righteous by keeping the law, and they believed themselves to be righteous in this way. They believed they were made right before God by what they did and what they were doing.  It is as if they were keeping a ledger of all the good they did and the practices they followed.  True repentance is so much more than words spoken and religiously followed actions. 

Repentance comes from a heart, mind, and soul that has been awakened to the Holiness of God and their sin and sinful nature. Many will have their mind awakened but their heart and soul are not.  They, like the Pharisees, give lip service to God and continue to do what they think is right in their own eyes. There is no total reliance and trust in God. They trust in what they say and do to make themselves right before God. 

No act of man thought of man, and wisdom of man employed to their righteousness will make them right before God or cleanse their sins.  It is only when the heart, mind, and soul have been awakened by the Holy Spirit is there an understanding of what must be done.  In Acts over 5,000 people cried out, “what must we do to be saved?”  They were cut to the heart by the Word of God and their souls awakened to the need for salvation. They, in humbleness they surrendered to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believed, relied upon, followed, and obeyed.  True repentance comes from a humble spirit. Belief comes by faith in God alone. Reliance comes from trusting In Jesus Christ. Obedience comes from a desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Our single purpose in life is to do that which honors and glorifies Him alone.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people speak and they seem to want to share in what should be only for Jesus Christ.

In all that you say, think, and do, make sure that it honors and glorifies Jesus Christ for His honor and glory alone.

13.s. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Zechariah 11:4   Thus said the Lord my God: “Become shepherd of the flock doomed to slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of this land, declares the Lord. Behold, I will cause each of them to fall into the hand of his neighbor, and each into the hand of his king, and they shall crush the land, and I will deliver none from their hand.”  So I became the shepherd of the flock doomed to be slaughtered by the sheep traders. And I took two staffs, one I named Favor, the other I named Union. And I tended the sheep. In one month I destroyed the three shepherds. But I became impatient with them, and they also detested me. So I said, “I will not be your shepherd. What is to die, let it die. What is to be destroyed, let it be destroyed. And let those who are left devour the flesh of one another.” And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

Ezekiel 22:26    Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 8:18     Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Hebrews 10:26-31   For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

From Matthew Henry’s Bible commentary;  Christ came into this world for judgment to the Jewish church and nation, which were wretchedly corrupt and degenerate. Those have their minds woefully blinded, who do ill, and justify themselves in it; but God will not hold those guiltless who hold themselves so. How can we go to God to beg a blessing on unlawful methods of getting wealth, or to return thanks for success in them? There was a general decay of religion among them, and they regarded it not. The Good Shepherd would feed his flock, but his attention would chiefly be directed to the poor. As an emblem, the prophet seems to have taken two staves; Beauty, denoted the privileges of the Jewish nation, in their national covenant; the other he called Bands, denoting the harmony which hitherto united them as the flock of God. But they chose to cleave to false teachers. The carnal mind and the friendship of the world are enmities to God; and God hates all the workers of iniquity: it is easy to foresee what this will end in. The prophet demanded wages, or a reward, and received thirty pieces of silver. By Divine direction, he cast it to the potter, as in disdain for the smallness of the sum. This shadowed forth the bargain of Judas to betray Christ and the final method of applying it. Nothing ruins a people so certainly, as weakening the brotherhood among them. This follows the dissolving of the covenant between God and them: when sin abounds, love waxes cold, and civil contests follow. No wonder if those fall out among themselves, who have provoked God to fall out with them. Wilful contempt of Christ is the great cause of men’s ruin. And if professors rightly valued Christ, they would not contend about little matters.

11.b. “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.”

Micah 5:15  And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 32:1    “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

Luke 19:40    He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jeremiah 22:29    O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!

Isaiah 1:2   Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.

Give ear creation for God is proclaiming His anger against disobedience.  God asks a very good question, “How have I wearied you?” “What have I done to you?”  He is asking them what part of life is detrimental when following and obeying God?  What part of being in the protective, powerful, and loving arms is bad for their life on earth?  What part of promised eternal life with Him is not worth giving Him all our hearts, minds, and souls?  What part of His provisions is so bad that we want to turn away and shun Him?  If we give this any thought at all and look into how we are living our lives we might be ashamed of how we honor, glorify, follow, worship, obey, trust, and rely on Him.

10.p. “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish”

Jonah 3:1   Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Luke 15:18-20    I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

Deuteronomy 8:20  “Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God.

Proverbs 1:32  “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

Isaiah 60:12   “For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.

Jonah repented and went back to Nineveh to speak the word of the Lord.  He called out against that great city as the Lord commanded. Nineveh listened and acted upon what they heard. They repented as a whole city, from the king down to every citizen, or at least most of them.  They heard the word spoke against their current way of living, they believed it to be a true understanding of their sinful ways.   They believed God.  They had to know something of God and both His promises of destruction and His gracious acts that turned away from anger when those condemned repent.  They believed in 40 days they would be destroyed because the word of God proclaimed to them.  Do you ever wonder what people would do if they were told in 40 days they would die because of their sin?   Some believe and some do not.  Some think all of this talk about God and sin is foolishness.  Others believe it to be true but will wait until later in life. And, still, others take immediate action and believe.  They understand the eternal consequence of dying in their sin.  They understand the frailty of life and that they could die at any moment for a host of reasons.  We have not been given a 40-day notice, but we have been given notice.  We can deny it, wait, or take repentant action.  It all depends on what you believe to be the truth.  Nowhere is it more clear than in John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.