Jeremiah 26 & 27 - Do Not Listen to False Prophets!

LINK: Jeremiah 26 & 27

BACKGROUND 

Jeremiah 26 - Arrest and Trial 

Remember that Jeremiah's prophecies are not in chronological order. This chapter lines up with the "temple address" of Jeremiah 7-10. Jeremiah 26 is the response to that address. It was delivered early in the reign of King Jehoiakim who ascended the throne in 609 B.C. 

See the Later History with Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Later Minor Prophets for the order of the prophecies.

Jeremiah's "temple address" message is clear: listen, turn from your evil ways, and God will not bring the promised disaster. But instead of responding in obedience, the priests, prophets, and people arrested and tried Jeremiah as a false prophet! Jeremiah defended himself and reminded them that if they turned from their wicked ways, there was hope for deliverance. 

The officials of the court sided with Jeremiah and against the priests and false prophets. They referred to the prophet Micah who had made similar claims 70 years before (Micah 3:12). In that case, King Hezekiah responded in obedience to Micah's prophecy. Consequently, Micah was not put to death. But another prophet, Uriah, whose prophecies are not in the Bible, was put to death.  

Jeremiah 27 - The "Yoke" of Babylon

The year of this prophecy is 593 B.C. during the reign of King Zedekiah (some manuscripts say it is Jehoiakim, but the textual support makes it obvious it is Zedekiah). 

Jeremiah is commanded to make a yoke like one that they used to put oxen together:

By Cgoodwin (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 
(www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It was meant to symbolize the importance of Jerusalem and the other nations surrendering to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon because he was God's "servant/chosen instrument" of judgment. This went against the false prophecies of Hananiah and others. Jeremiah warned the foreign ambassadors assembled not to listen to the false prophecies urging them not to rebel.  They should listen to his true prophecy if they wanted to live! 

REFLECTION 

The yoke of Babylon was a hard yoke. Naturally, Zedekiah and the kings of the other nations wanted to rebel against it.

While that yoke was hard, Jesus' yoke is easy and light! LISTEN to what He says:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) 

The first time I meditated on these verses (June 1981), I did not know what a yoke was, and thought it was an egg yolk! Hopefully, this post will clear up any confusion you might have about the difference between "yolk" and "yoke."  

Jesus' yoke results in joy and rest!  I hope you will wear it today!

APPLICATION 

Picture yourself resting in the "yoke" of Jesus.  I hope you can see Him right next to You in everything you encounter throughout the day. Try to see the difference it makes!

Meditate in Matthew 11:28-30. I really love doing Lectio Divina in The Message paraphrase:

   Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. 

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. 

I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

(Matthew 11:28–30, The Message)  

For more about learning the "unforced rhythms of grace" watch my video:

Living in the Cycle of Grace Handout

PRAYER

So glad to be yoked to You, Jesus! Help us to rest in You and find the joy of Your loving rule in our life. We submit to You. Amen. 

Leviticus 22 - Priests from the Heart

LINK: Leviticus 22

BACKGROUND

A priest was to please the Lord in the execution of his duties. He was to be careful in handling the sacred offerings. These offerings or gifts were probably tithes, first fruits, and sacrifices (Numbers 18:8-19). Their hearts were to be 100% invested in what they were doing. They were to be clean, monitor who ate the offerings, and make sure that sacrificial animals were qualified.

Why were they to follow all these holiness regulations? There is a hint of this in the key repeated phrase of this chapter: "I am the LORD." He is a holy God, and His commandments were to be obeyed! He had brought them out of Egypt and set them apart (sanctified) as a people for Himself, that was all the reason they needed.

REFLECTION

The people would have been familiar with the priests of Egypt who were into greed, power, and control. God was calling His priests to be different. They were to be set apart and to do their duties with a heart to please only God and help the worshipers draw near to Him.

Those of us who follow Jesus are priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are to live our lives set apart and our behavior excellent as we abide in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 4:11-12).

What is your motivation for ministry?  Are you doing it from the heart to please God or just going through the motions? Do you do it for self-aggrandizement or to please the Lord? Or do you do it trying to earn acceptance from God? 

APPLICATION

Meditate and pray through 1 Peters 2:4-12 below and dedicate yourself to Him!

Is your motivation in ministry to try to gain acceptance from God in the Cycle of Works where you are trying to find your acceptance from your effectiveness (fruitfulness) in ministry?

Or do you operate in a Cycle of Grace where out of a heart understanding of your belovedness and acceptance by God?

This is something to ponder. Watch this video that explains this concept in more detail. 

Living in the Cycle of Grace Handout

PRAYER

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, 

And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“The stone which the builders rejected, 

This became the very corner stone,”

and,

“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; 

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.