The BOOK – A Watchman

In the book of Ezekiel we see God’s dealings with Israel were for their correction, while when other nations did the same, they were wiped out. He was punishing his children for their sin and was teaching them great lessons. God called Ezekiel with certain responsibilities and gave him confidence that god will strengthen him (Ezekiel 3:9).

Ezekiel was sent to his own people. It is sometimes easier to go as a missionary to another culture or place than to speak to the members of your own household or your own friends (Ezekiel 3: 5-11).

God told the prophet not to fear the people but give them warning, and that if he did not it, he would require their blood at his hands (Ezekiel 3, 33).

To be God’s sign to the people, Ezekiel underwent the loss of all personal interest. He stood ready to do anything God asked of him in order to demonstrate the plan of God for his people, and God asked some extraordinary things of him. He shut himself up in the house (Ezekiel 3:24). He was placed in weird positions (Ezekiel 4:4-8). He ate food by weight (Ezekiel 4:10). He sacrificed personal appearance (Ezekiel 5:1), and even moved personal and domestic goods out of his house to show the removal of Israel into captivity (Ezekiel 12:2-7). God may never ask these of us, but he may ask us to do things that cross our wills and desires.

Ezekiel was a prophet of visions. Ezekiel and Revelation are often alike in symbolism. The “figure like that of a man” upon the throne (Ezekiel 1:26) is the son of God. In Revelation, these appear once again.

Before the siege of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is given an extended vision that shows the people’s abominations in defiling the sanctuary, and the contrasting glory of God (Ezekiel 8:17-18).

In the vision of Burning vine (Ezekiel 15: 1-8), vine is a symbol of Judah, and the burning of a useless vine that bears no fruit is the destruction of the people of God.

The main lesson in the vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-18) is the restoration of God’s people.

Ezekiel was called as a watchman (Ezekiel 33:7), and he must warn individual people of the coming disaster he clearly sees. It is not enough to warn the crowd, but must deal with individuals, good or bad, who compose the crowd and tell them to turn from their evil ways. He saw 4 symbols of coming doom of Jerusalem.

·         The siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4:1-3)

·         The exile (Ezekiel 4:4-8)

·         The hardship of the exiles (Ezekiel 4:9-17)

·         The fate of the besieged (Ezekiel 5:1-7)

With the news of the fall of Jerusalem, he immediately begins to prophecy about the future restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 25 – 48).  The collapse of Egypt is seen in Ezekiel 29 – 32.

While the Jews were in what seemed hopeless captivity in the Old Testament, God declares constantly that he will restore the Jews to their own land, set up the throne and the kingdom of David through David’s greater son. This is the golden truth about the golden age that is coming to pass here on this earth (Ezekiel 34: 22-31). Wonderful blessings are promised to the people of God and the appearance of Messiah will usher in a glorious future

When you are serious about God, or in other words, the time when you are born again, you will have the desire to reach the world and show how great our God is. But the greater challenge that you will have to face is same that of Ezekiel, as your own people will reject you. Even Jesus Christ had to face similar situation. But I pray that you will not get disappointed with the initial discouragements and oppressions, but like Ezekiel be close with God, get his word and preach it to the people and warn them and change them from sin. Amen.

The BOOK – Missionary

In the book of Ezekiel, we see him work among the exiles in Babylon. God had prepared a witness to the people in their captivity. God needed a voice to warn the people. For 22 years Ezekiel dealt with the discouraged captives to whom God had sent him. God’s greatest communications can only be made by his servants whose own hearts have been broken. The instrument in God’s hands must personally be ready to share in suffering with others. Jesus’s body was broken for us.

Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel was not only a prophet, but he was a priest as well. He was a prophet during the captivity. When he was 25 years old, he was carried captive to Babylon. He lived at the same time as Daniel and Jeremiah. Jeremiah remained among the Jews in Jerusalem. Ezekiel lived with the exiles in Babylon, and Daniel lived in the court of the rulers in Babylon.

The captivity did not bring the people of Judah back to God, but only seemed to drive the people into greater wickedness. They worshiped idols and set up shrines in the hills and defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah (Ezekiel 5:11). Ezekiel began his prophecies to them. Ezekiel used symbols, as in the mimic siege of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 4), visions (Ezekiel 8), parables (Ezekiel 17), poems (Ezekiel 19), proverbs (Ezekiel 12:22-23; 18:2) and prophecies (Ezekiel 6:20; 40 – 48). He talks of sin and punishment, of repentance and blessing. His responsibility was to deliver God’s message and the results was not in his hands.

Ezekiel opens with the heavenly glory in a vision (Ezekiel 1). The book ends with earthly glory (Ezekiel 40-48). Ezekiel visions given in between tell of the departing of this glory (Ezekiel 9:3). First it left the cherubim for the threshold of God’s house (Ezekiel 10:4), thence to the east gate (Ezekiel 10:18,19), and finally clear away from the temple and city to the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:22,23). Thus gradually, reluctantly, majestically, the glory of the Lord left the temple and the Holy city. Then captivity came. This was Ezekiel’s message. Their captivity was a result of their sin, and before they could hope for return to their land they must return to their Lord. This message reaches its climax in the impassioned cry of Ezekiel 18:30-32. The closing vision of temple is important and significant. The glory of the Lord returns (Ezekiel 43:2-6) and fills the house of the Lord (Ezekiel 44:4).

The same is true of the church of Christ. The glory of the Lord left the house of the Lord because of the sins of God’s people. It is true of individual Christian experience. God’s blessing returns to his people when his people return him.

Young Christians, this is just what happens to us. We can grieve the Holy Spirit and resist him until he is quenched and our heart becomes like a ruined temple bereft of its glory. There are so many blighted Christian lives from which the radiance has gone through disobedience. We grieve the Spirit when we do not allow ourselves time to read the word or pray. We limit the spirit when we refuse to be clean vessels through which he can work. We resist him by allowing idols to be in our hearts. Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 6:19). The questions I have for you is, Does his presence glow in your life?

The BOOK – Jeremiah Laments

In the book of Jeremiah we see Judah leaving the Lord, and through Jeremiah God sending warnings of judgements for people to return to his commandments. 

The book of Lamentations is attributed to Jeremiah. Five beautiful poems are bound together in this book. Here we see the prophet weeping over the sins of his people. In Lamentations 3:22-27, the light breaks through to throw a shining rainbow across the murky sky. God’s grace always shines above the clouds of sin, and it will always shine in the heart that is trusting in God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ gives, “to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” – Isaiah 61:3.

As you see in Chapter 3, the hope of a better day, may the Lord empower you with his wisdom and knowledge to hope in faith of the beautiful days ahead with Christ Jesus. Amen

The BOOK – After the Fall

From Jeremiah 39 to 52 we see in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and Jehoiakim was put into chains. Only the poor were left in Jerusalem now. Jeremiah likens them to bad, worthless figs, in contrast to those who had gone who were good figs (Jeremiah 24). The men who left were so weak and degenerate that the prophet could see nothing but doom for Jerusalem. Jeremiah incurred the displeasure of the prophets who had gone to Babylon because, in a letter to the exiles, he directly opposed their prediction of an early return from captivity (Jeremiah 29:1-14). Neither did the prophets in Jerusalem like it because they thought that soon they could throw off the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar.

Nebuchadnezzar swiftly marched against Jerusalem and the final siege began. As the siege proceeded, the hostility of Jeremiah’s enemies became more intense. They charged him with desertion and thrust him into prison. They even petitioned the King to put him to death (Jeremiah 38:4). They chose a worse thing for Jeremiah. They lowered hi chords into a miry dungeon, and left him to die of starvation and exposure. But God was with him and rose up a friend to deliver him (Jeremiah 38:6-13). 

After eighteen months of siege, Jerusalem was taken and Jeremiah was given the choice of going to Babylon where freedom and honour awaited him, but he chose to cast his lot with the remnant left in the land (Jeremiah 39:11-12; 40:1-16). At the same time Jeremiah was crying out against Babylon for the heinous crime in destroying God’s children. He told them Babylon would be demolished and would be in ruins forever (Jeremiah 51:37-43). By the time of Christ, Babylon’s power had gone, and in the first century AD, it was mostly in ruins. 

When the first deportation of Jews to Babylon occurred, Jeremiah wrote predictions which are seen throughout Jeremiah 24 to 49.

·         Concerning God’s future dealings with Judah (Jeremiah 23, 31)

·         Conquest of land by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Jeremiah 20:4)

·         Judah’s exile or captivity in Babylon and return after seventy years (Jeremiah 25 and 26)

·         Concerning the Messiah (Jeremiah 23:6; 30:4-11; 33:14-26)

·         Israel will be scattered among all the kingdoms of the earth (Jeremiah 24)

·         Final recovery of Israel (Jeremiah 23:1-40; 32:37-41)

Jeremiah 23 is dear to the Jews; God’s chosen people and dear to the heart of God. It tells of the future of Judah, redeemed through the work of their Messiah. Jesus, the good shepherd, is promised (Jeremiah 23:1,3). He will gather his sheep from every corner of the earth and they will return to their own country, the Promised Land. This will take place when the King shall come and sit upon the throne of David (Jeremiah 23:5).

Other prophets in the Bible had at least occasional success to cheer their hearts in the midst of difficulties, but Jeremiah seemed to be fighting a losing battle to the very end. Disaster, failure and hostility were rewards for his work. He preached to deaf ears and seemed to reap only hate in return for his love for his people. In life he seemed to accomplish little. He was broken hearted. But God has given us a record that makes him one of the greatest prophets. God delights to trust a trustworthy child with a trial. When we go through tough times, stay connected with the love of God, even though you don’t see any results. May this book remind you to be a faithful child of God even when your prayers are not answered. Amen.

The BOOK – Before the fall

The prophecies of Jeremiah before the fall of Jerusalem are shown from chapter 2 to 28.

·         Prophecies in the reign of Josiah (Jeremiah 2:1 – 12:17)

·         Prophecies in the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 13:1 – 20:18; 25:1 – 27:11)

·         Prophecies in the reign of Zedekiah (Jeremiah 21:1 – 24:10; 27:12 – 39:18)

The first 12 chapters cover the prophecy in the period of Josiah. It covers Judah’s sin and God’s call to repentance. Idolatry and disobedience are continued in the following chapters. Jeremiah warned them of coming judgements if they would not return to God. He especially told them of the danger from the north (Jeremiah 4:6). In Jeremiah 11:18-23, we see some men in his hometown making a conspiracy to put him to death. The disloyalty of his neighbours, and especially his own relatives, came as a painful shack to the unsuspecting prophet. At that time God told him that this was only the beginning of his troubles and it was time of preparation for still greater trials in the days to come (Jeremiah 12:5-6). If you are going through trouble because of following the true God, this is a word for you too. Jeremiah’s chief enemies were the priests and the prophets (Jeremiah 26:7-8). They had a large following among the people. It is sad to notice that the principal opposition to the message of God came from the professedly religious people. Christ Jesus tells us that today if we live godly lives we will suffer persecution. Many people hate God and they will hate his children.

King Josiah was succeeded by his younger brother Jehoahaz whom the people of the land placed on the throne instead of the older brother Eliakim. But Jehoahaz was allowed to reign for only 3 months. He was deposed by Necho and carried off in chains to Egypt, where he died. Jeremiah predicted the judgement of the nations and Judah. He reproved the false prophets. He foretold the Babylonian captivity. He suffered for his message. 

When Jehoiakim ascended to power, it was bad day for Judah and for Jeremiah (Jeremiah 26:1-7). Jehoiakim was a bad ruler. He was proud and selfish. He weighted the land down with taxes to meet the demands of his Egyptian conquer. He was indifferent for the suffering of his people. He devoted most of his time to enlarging and adoring palace and carried out his costly schemes with incredible meanness. He reined 11 years, and after his death his son, a youth of 18, came to the throne. But Jehoiachin’s reign was short because Nebuchadnezzar’s army soon appeared at the gates of Jerusalem, and after a 3 month siege the city was captured. He took away with him many of the princes and the flower of the people to Babylon. Among them were Jehoiachin and the queen mother. It was then that Jeremiah first mentioned the 70 years captivity (Jeremiah 25:1-14). God told them just how long they must remain in exile (Daniel 9:2).

Jeremiah’s mission was to endeavour to turn his people back to God. During the reign of Josiah, he began to prophecy the dreadful calamity threatening them from the north (Jeremiah 4:6) if they would not return to God. Jeremiah told Judah that her salvation was still possible, but each year her sin grew worse and her doom more certain. Standing in the temple, Jeremiah told the people that the Temple would be destroyed and Jerusalem itself would become desolation. Jeremiah’s hearers were shocked (Jeremiah 26:7-9). They called his word blasphemy.

The Jewish people always remembered that they were the chosen people of God. God had given them privileges, hence they concluded that God would not proceed to do such things as Jeremiah has said he would do against the people whom he had chosen (Amos 3:2).

The 4^th year of Jehoiakim was one to be remembered because in this year Jeremiah first put his prophesied in writing on a roll (Jeremiah 36:1-2). Baruch, his intimate friend who was such a comfort to him through his trials, took down the prophet’s words. When 3 or 4 columns were read before the King, he was not able to agree and control himself. With penknife and angry hands he cut the rolls to pieces and threw it into the fire. 

Lord commanded Jeremiah to take another roll and to write and he took another scroll and gave it to Baruch and Baruch wrote. Jeremiah stood in the temple gate and spoke boldly for righteousness and God. He uttered a series of accusations against Judah and warnings of God’s inevitable judgements of sin. But he always made an appeal to turn back to God and receive forgiveness.

We see the warnings God gave to his chosen people so that they can leave sin and live a righteous life. God chosed Jeremiah for cautioning the people. In the beginning of his ministry he faced difficulties, which God told was just a beginning of the trials he is going to face. From this book, we can understand two things. First one is to honour God and live a godly life when we are told about our sin. Because otherwise, even when grace is unlimited, we may have to face the punishment. Second is to understand when you carry God in your life, hardship will always be there following you. 

Praying that God will help you to live a life closer with him and pour out his Spirit’s anointing on you to face the battles boldly and overcome it, Amen.

The BOOK – The Touch

Jeremiah came from the village of Anathoth some 3 miles from Jerusalem. This gave him the advantages of the Holy City. He inherited the traditions of an illustrious ancestry. His early life was, no doubt, molded by strong religious influences. God had something better for Jeremiah than to spend his life as a priest serving at the alters. God appointed this young man to be a prophet of the Lord in this most trying hour in the history of the chosen people. God often choses unlikely instruments to do his work. He chose the sensitive shrinking Jeremiah for what seemed a hopeless mission, with the words, “Do not say, I am only a child, you must go to everyone I send you to say whatever I command you, do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord” – (Jeremiah 1:7-8). This is what a prophet is - one that tells forth what God says.

Jeremiah prophesied during the time when Israel had been taken into captivity and Judah was in the declining days. Lists of the prophecies of Jeremiah are:

·         Judah – Captivity. Restoration

·         Cities – Jerusalem, Babylon, Damascus

·         Gentile nations – Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Elam, Babylon

·         Messiah

Jeremiah uses many symbols given him by God in teaching the people. On one occasion he wore a rotted girdle, another time he put a yoke on his neck, like an ox, again he broke a bottle in the presence of the ruler, he bought a field and buried the deed. He was the ninth of the prophets. He prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, before the exile and during the trying days of the captivity. He saw five kings upon the throne of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. He was to Josiah what Isaiah had been to Hezekiah. There were three main events in Jeremiah’s life:

·         Battle of Megiddo, between Judah ad Pharaoh Necho of Egypt in which good king Josiah was killed

·         Battle of Carchemish, which happened during Jehoiakim’s reign. Egyptians were defeated by Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar and the first deportation of Jews followed.

·         Capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, destruction of city and temple, and exile of greater part of those who were left by Babylon.

A prophet is simply God’s messenger boy delivering not his own ideas, but conveying to the last detail God’s thoughts. Jeremiah’s commission was worldwide, including not only his own country, but also all nations and kingdom of Egypt, Ammon, Moab, Tyre and Sidon. His commission was to root out the idolatry and pride and to say only what the Lord commanded him to say. 

In Jeremiah 1:9, you see the touch of God on Jeremiah’s life. “Then the Lord reached out his hand”. This touch of God on his life gave him the confidence that God was with him and he could not get away from it. God’s word shows its power in two ways – in destruction and in construction. We see this in God’s words to Jeremiah. If people accept God’s word it will give life, it they reject it, it will bring condemnation (John 3:36).

May Almighty help you to understand the relationship between Jeremiah and God, so that you can have him as an example in your life, and live a holy and faithful life to glorify God.