October 23- Stay Or Face The Consequences

October 23, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21;
Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5

Jeremiah 42:1-44:23

Today we are reading about the remnant of people who were left behind when the majority of the people of Judah were carted away to the land of Babylon.  The people who remain in Jerusalem want to flee to Egypt to prevent any further conflict with Nebuchadnezzar.  The leaders come to Jeremiah to ask him to pray to the Lord for direction on this.

After ten days, the Lord answers Jeremiah and specifically tells the people NOT to go down to the land of Egypt.  The Lord tells this group that He intends to punish Egypt and if they go down there, they will not avoid war, famine, and disease. After hearing this warning, the proud men who were leading the remnant shout that Jeremiah is lying in order to get them killed.  The large crowd including Jeremiah and Baruch end up going down to Egypt because they refused to obey the Lord.

They get as far as the city of Tahpanes in Egypt and the Lord gives Jeremiah another message. In this message the Lord confirms that He is going to send Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt to punish Egypt for their idolatry.  The people of Judah who live in Egypt when this occurs will suffer the consequences.

It is revealed that the Judeans feel that since they have stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven (Ashtoreth), they have fallen upon these hard times.  Jeremiah rebukes them saying that God's judgment has come upon them precisely because they were burning incense to the Queen of Heaven.  Note that the women/wives are blamed for promoting this kind of worship.  It seems to be led by females.  It is interesting to see that the women claim that their husbands willingly followed their lead on this.  Very Adam and Eveish, if you ask me.  Please note that the tendency in our modern Roman Catholic Church to venerate Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and pray to her is treading in the same waters that these early Judeans were swimming in.  It is also what the Apostle Paul was having to deal with in the early church because goddess worship and praying to the Queen of Heaven was still being an issue.  Paul wanted women to be silent in the church to prevent this situation from occurring again.

I must spend a moment discussing that this concept of the Queen of Heaven is a distortion of the promise given in the Bible that the Redeemer Child would come through a woman (Genesis 3:15).  Mankind began to worship the idea of this woman who would bring forth the Savior.  Eventually, people wrongly worshipped this woman as a provider for all fertility and productivity (including crops) on the earth.  God is not pleased with this distortion of truth.  He, alone, is to be worshipped.

Do you see that Mother Earth worship is once again making a comeback in our day?  It behooves Christians to understand the history of what man desires to put before the one true God of the Universe.

2 Timothy 2:1-21

Timothy is called to be a good soldier serving in active duty to God. Paul entreats Timothy to follow God's rules, just as an athlete must follow rules in order to not be disqualified in a competition.

One key thing that Timothy must teach is that Jesus was a man born through the line of King David and that he was raised from the dead. Paul is imprisoned for teaching this. The Good News is that God's Word cannot be put in chains. Paul reminds Timothy that if we die with Christ, we will also live with Him. If we endure hardship, we will also reign in the millennium. If we deny him, he will deny us.

As a pastor Timothy must work hard to show himself approved by God. He is to be a good worker, who is not ashamed and can correctly explain the Word of Truth to others.   Paul feels that he should avoid godless, pointless discussions. Paul is discouraged by two men who have misled people by saying that the resurrection of the dead, which will occur when Christ comes to receive His Church, has already occurred. 

Paul comforts himself by reminding Timothy that the Lord knows those who are His own. Timothy must live a clean life, so that he is a pure utensil that can be used for God's purposes.  In this day and age of sexual promiscuity by our leaders, Paul's advice is a breath of fresh air.

Have you been a good enough workman in the Scriptures to be able to explain God's story to someone else?

Psalm 92:1-93:5

Here is a good song to sing to the Lord!

Proverbs 26:3-5

Love this..."Guide a horse with a whip, a donkey with a bridle, and a fool with a rod to his back!"

What did you notice as you read?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton