Sabbath: The Last Five Kings of Judah
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Chronicles 34:1-33, Jer. 22:1-19, Jer. 29:1-14, 2 Chron. 36:11-14, Jer. 23:2-8.
Memory Text: He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?
(Jeremiah 22:16, NIV).
Image © Lars Justinen Goosalt.com
Famed Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky spent four years in a Siberian prison in the 1800s for subversive political activities. Later, writing about his experiences, he talked about some of his fellow prisoners’ utter lack of remorse for their terrible behavior. In the course of several years, I never saw a sign of repentance among these people; not a trace of despondent brooding over their crimes, and the majority of them inwardly considered themselves absolutely in the right.
-Joseph Frank, Dostoevsky, the Years of Ordeal, 1850-1859, p. 95.
Dostoevsky could have been talking about, with the exception of Josiah, the five kings who ruled Judah during the ministry of Jeremiah. One after another, these men seemed totally unrepentant for their actions, even as it became clearer and clearer that their actions were bringing the calamities that the Lord, through Jeremiah, had warned would come.
It had never been God’s intention to give Israel a king; by the end of this week’s lesson, we will better understand why. We’ll understand, too, the severe pressure that poor Jeremiah faced during much of his unappreciated ministry.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 17.
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need clarification on Jeremiah, please 🙂
where was the source of being unappreciated coming from?
is it coming from within himself?
is it coming (or not coming) from other people around him?
or did he feel God wasn't appreciating his efforts?
if one's desire is to serve, does one need to expect anything in return?
In Swahili we say "Tenda wema, nenda zako". In short, "do that which is right, and go your way". Wasn't even our Saviour unappreciated? Look at him weeping over Jerusalem during the triumphal entry, saying "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me." Matthew 23:37, NLT. Following the wise counsel of the Testimonies
"Work in faith, and leave results with God. Pray in faith, and the mystery of His providence will bring its answer. At times it may seem that you cannot succeed. But work and believe, putting into your efforts faith, hope, and courage. After doing what you can, wait for the Lord, declaring His faithfulness, and He will bring His word to pass. Wait, not in fretful anxiety, but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust.—(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, 245.) {Pr 59.3} "
DJEE, Remember that Jeremiah in chapter 1 was called to pronounce God's judgments against kings, priests, and people. Not many of them appreciated hearing the bad news.See Jeremiah 25:3. Even at the end of his ministry, when it was clear that his prophetic words were coming to pass, the remnant didn't believe him. Read the story in Jer.42, when they beg Jeremiah to tell them what the Lord would have them do and they promise they will obey. When Jeremiah delivers the Lord's message, they say that Jeremiah is lying. They accuse Baruch of conspiring with Jeremiah to get them killed. Jer.43:1-4. For his entire adult life, Jeremiah was unappreciated by the very people he was trying to help. He remained faithful to God's Will for his life, but we can't pretend that it was easy. He tells us that his heart was broken. Without God's mercy and sustaining power, he couldn't have left us this example of a life of sacrificial obedience. He deserves our appreciation. I'm so glad we're studying this book.
In executing judgment Jehovah has ever found a way to exercise mercy. The people of Judah had already seen the scattering of Israel, their family to the north, due to apostasy, but nonetheless pursued a course of disobedience.
God could have acted without further warning, but He delayed long enough for at least four kings to confirm their wicked intent (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Still a limit would be reached (1 Thessalonians 2:16; Jeremiah 25:15) as will be the case soon (Revelation 14:10).
Notably Jehovah referred to the heathen king, Nebuchadnezzar, as His servant and used him as an instrument to accomplish his judgment (Jeremiah 25:9), although the king of Babylon was unaware of God’s will.
It may be the case that the Lord uses opponents of God’s people as instruments to afflict the regressing believer so as to get attention, but instead of recognizing this the lukewarm believers simply curse the perceived enemy, complain about injustice and ascribe the opposition to the devil, because after all they are the righteous ones.
Whenever Christians suffer the direct or indirect consequences of their own actions (1 Peter 4:15) and takes comfort in blaming others or the devil for a bad outcome, Satan does not mind taking responsibility, as long as it keeps the errant believers from examining themselves.
Satan is just as satisfied with sinners being bitterly turned off from God as he is with them claiming His name while casually continuing in sin. The end is the same and he will cheer them along any road which gets them there.
Do not fall into the snare of the antediluvian world thinking the Creator is too nice to take action. It is as much a misrepresentation of the character of God to teach that He does not afflict the rebellious as it is to exaggerate the extent to which He punishes the unrepentant.
Amen to that. Very well explained. May God help us!