Prophets

[Bro-Larry]

Originally Posted by Rico

I went ahead and ordered this book through Amazon today. I chose to go with a used copy in like new condition. Got a good deal on it too. Less than $10 including the shipping. I am looking forward to reading it.


So far, in reading the Book of Jeremiah, I have to admit it is getting a bit depressing. It's almost as if God is battling His feelings towards Israel and Judah. He's letting them know He's had it with their foolishness and is going to punish them severely. The lightest punishment they will face is going into captivity. The worst is dying through pestilence and the sword. In some of his prophesying, Jeremiah tries to comfort the ones chosen for captivity. God basically tells them to make themselves at home by planting gardens and praying for peace while they are in captivity, because they are going to be there for 70 years. He seems to almost be telling them to consider themselves blessed for ending up in captivity because His plans include freeing them from this captivity. It kind of reminds me of when you spank a child and then immediately try to comfort the child afterwards.

Sorry Brother, I don't intend to be offensive, but you are just wasting your time and money. When you finish your study, all you are going to end up with is more of man's traditional theology.

I'd like to see you post on AFF, after you finish, and tell us that it was worth the effort.

[Cindy]

[QUOTE=Bro-Larry;522594]

Originally Posted by Rico

I went ahead and ordered this book through Amazon today. I chose to go with a used copy in like new condition. Got a good deal on it too. Less than $10 including the shipping. I am looking forward to reading it.


So far, in reading the Book of Jeremiah, I have to admit it is getting a bit depressing. It's almost as if God is battling His feelings towards Israel and Judah. He's letting them know He's had it with their foolishness and is going to punish them severely. The lightest punishment they will face is going into captivity. The worst is dying through pestilence and the sword. In some of his prophesying, Jeremiah tries to comfort the ones chosen for captivity. God basically tells them to make themselves at home by planting gardens and praying for peace while they are in captivity, because they are going to be there for 70 years. He seems to almost be telling them to consider themselves blessed for ending up in captivity because His plans include freeing them from this captivity. It kind of reminds me of when you spank a child and then immediately try to comfort the child afterwards.[/QUOTE]

Rico, Would you send your child off to live with someone whom you knew was going to abuse them?

No, you emphatically would not! If you, being evil, are that good a parent, how much more is God a better parent than you?

It wasn't God punishing them, He just allowed them to suffer the consequences of their own actions.
The fact is they rebelled, by their own choice, against the family care, provision, and protection, and got taken captive because of their own actions. God can't protect you against yourself.

Lar you know I love you, but I have to disagree with your last sentence. Some of my actions lead me into a few situations and if He had not literally made a way of escape I would probably not be here now. More than once he protected me against myself. Hallelujah!

[Rico]

[QUOTE=Bro-Larry;522594]

Originally Posted by Rico

I went ahead and ordered this book through Amazon today. I chose to go with a used copy in like new condition. Got a good deal on it too. Less than $10 including the shipping. I am looking forward to reading it.


So far, in reading the Book of Jeremiah, I have to admit it is getting a bit depressing. It's almost as if God is battling His feelings towards Israel and Judah. He's letting them know He's had it with their foolishness and is going to punish them severely. The lightest punishment they will face is going into captivity. The worst is dying through pestilence and the sword. In some of his prophesying, Jeremiah tries to comfort the ones chosen for captivity. God basically tells them to make themselves at home by planting gardens and praying for peace while they are in captivity, because they are going to be there for 70 years. He seems to almost be telling them to consider themselves blessed for ending up in captivity because His plans include freeing them from this captivity. It kind of reminds me of when you spank a child and then immediately try to comfort the child afterwards.[/QUOTE]

Rico, Would you send your child off to live with someone whom you knew was going to abuse them?

No, you emphatically would not! If you, being evil, are that good a parent, how much more is God a better parent than you?

It wasn't God punishing them, He just allowed them to suffer the consequences of their own actions.
The fact is they rebelled, by their own choice, against the family care, provision, and protection, and got taken captive because of their own actions. God can't protect you against yourself.

Larry, I will take what the Bible says over what you think.

[Rico]

Jer 32:26-44 (KJV)
26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? 28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger. 30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD. 31 For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 36 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;


While I was reading this scripture last night, the Lord spoke the word, "justice" into my spirit. I had intended on reading more, as my custom has become to read 3-5 chapters at any sitting, but I decided to stop and just think about justice for awhile.

Justice is one of God's strongest characteristics. In fact, I would go so far as to say it's one of the strongest forces at work in the mind of God. I looked up the word "justice" in Strong's. More than one word is used for "justice" in the OT, but they all come from the following root word:


Hebrew Strong's Number: 6663
Hebrew Word: ‏צָדַק‎
Transliteration: ṣādaq
Phonetic Pronunciation:tsaw-dak'
Root: a primitive root
Cross Reference: TWOT - 1879
Part of Speech: v
Vine's Words: Righteous (To Be)


Usage Notes:

English Words used in KJV:
justify 23
righteous 10
just 3
justice 2
cleansed 1
clear ourselves 1
righteousness 1
[Total Count: 41]

a primitive root; to be (causative make) right (in a moral or forensic sense) :- cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just (-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be, turn to) righteous (-ness).

God is driven by a sense of what is right. While speaking to Jeremiah, He gave His reasons for pronouncing judgment over Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. In His sovereignty, God expected certain things from His people. In a nutshell, they had turned away from Him and were serving other gods. God put up with it until His sense of justice demanded that they be punished, and it drove Him to pronounce judgment over Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem. Some would die by the sword, some would die by pestilence, and others were destined for captivity. God's mind was made up, they were going to be punished, and that was the end of it.

Or was it? He had no sooner pronounced judgment over them when we see him saying the following to Jeremiah:


Jer 32:37-44 (KJV)
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. 41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. 42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. 43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. 44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.


In an apparent "about face", God starts telling Jeremiah the punishment of His people will not be permanent. He begins telling Jeremiah the good things He has in store for them; how He's going to be their God; how He's going to replant them in the land He promised them; how their hearts will once again be turned towards Him.

Why, you ask? Because of God's sense of justice! That same sense of justice, that demanded they be punished, also demanded their punishment not be permanent. God had made promises to His people to bring good to them, and His sense of justice would not allow Him to punish them permanently! What an awesome God He is!

As I was thinking on these things last night, I couldn't help but think about the cross and the mission God was on when He came to Earth all those years ago. See, justice demands that we be punished for our sin. Justice demands that judgment be pronounced over man because of his disobedience to God. The wages of sin truly are death, and none of us can escape this judgment on our own.

God's sense of judgment, however, also demanded that He make a way of escape for us. He knew that His creation was weak and frail. He could see that we would never be able to live up to the standard of sinlessness a sinless God such as Himself required. So, He formulated a plan, a way of escape for the creation He loves so much. He would come down to where we are and be what we could not be. He would create for Himself a body He could live in. A body He could use as the ultimate sacrifice for the sin of man. He could, once and for ever, reconcile His creation unto Himself. He would come to Earth, fulfill his own requirement for sinlessness, and sacrifice the body He created for Himself, so that I could one day see Him face to face and call Him Saviour, Redeemer, Lord, and my God. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thank God for His sense of justice!

[Rico]

WooooooooooooHooooooooooooo! The book came today!! I am so pumped about studying these prophets! Here's a list of the prophets dealt with in this book:

• Amos
• Hosea
• Micah
• Isaiah (It does this one as 1,2, and 3. Wonder what that means)
• Zephaniah
• Nahum
• Habakkuk
• Jeremiah
• Ezekiel
• Haggai
• Zechariah
• Obadiah
• Joel
• Malachi
• Jonah