II Chronicles 36:11-12; Ezekiel 1:1-3:21; II Kings 24:20-25:3; Jeremiah 52:3-6 Today we meet Ezekiel with his call to be a prophet of the LORD among the exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel sees a vision of the glory of the LORD, involving living creatures with four faces and wheels within wheels. (If you are looking here for …
Monthly Archives: July 2023
July 21 / Jeremiah 50-51
Jeremiah 50-51 Lest anyone think that Jeremiah really is a traitor, a sellout to the Babylonians and their gods, we see today how thoroughly mistaken such an idea is. Jeremiah tells us quite clearly that Babylon, the instrument of the LORD’s judgment on Judah (and the remnant of Israel), will herself be destroyed in good …
July 20 / Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah 29 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 We all love this verse, right? How many of us have memorized it? I’m guessing it is currently the best-known verse in all of …
July 19 / Jeremiah 25:15-38; 27:12-28:17
Jeremiah 25:15-38; 27:12-28:17 Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. Jeremiah 27:12b That’s a hard thing to hear. In fact, it smacks of treason! Jeremiah might just as well be Nebuchadnezzar’s version of Tokyo Rose. Who wants to hear a message like that, …
July 18 / II Kings 24:18-19; Jeremiah 52:1-2; 27:1-11; 48-49
II Kings 24:18-19; Jeremiah 52:1-2; 27:1-11; 48-49 The LORD declares through Jeremiah: It is I Who by My great power and My outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to Me. Jeremiah 27:5 We all smile and …
Continue reading “July 18 / II Kings 24:18-19; Jeremiah 52:1-2; 27:1-11; 48-49”
July 17 / Daniel 3-4
Daniel 3-4 I expect that many of us are somewhat familiar with Daniel 3. We are probably less familiar with Daniel 4. Although Nebuchadnezzar’s response to Daniel’s interpretation of his dream is favorable in Daniel 2, he does not then put his full faith in Daniel’s God. He continues in idolatry, erecting an enormous golden …
July 16 / Daniel 1-2
Daniel 1-2 Today we are introduced to Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (better known, perhaps, by their Babylonian names: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), who are exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon as young men, probably barely in their teens. From the outset, these young men cling to the God of heaven and refuse …
July 15 / II Kings 24:5-17; Jeremiah 22:18-30; 13:15-27; II Chronicles 36:5-10; Jeremiah 24:1-10
II Kings 24:5-9; Jeremiah 22:18-30; 13:15-27; II Kings 24:10-17; II Chronicles 36:5-10; Jeremiah 24:1-10 It’s 597 B.C. Jeremiah has been prophesying in Jerusalem for years, pleading for the people of Judah to repent in order to avoid destruction. Jehoiakim, that arrogant king that burned Jeremiah’s scroll, lies dead, unmourned. His son, Coniah/Jeconiah/Jehoiachin takes the throne …
July 14 / Jeremiah 23:9-40; 18:18-20:18
Jeremiah 23:9-40; 18:18-20:18 To whom do you listen? Yes, I asked this question just a few days ago. Well? Have you given it any consideration? Do you, perhaps, need to change the channel? Or do you think that the question is intended for everyone else, but not you? Perhaps you’ve been a Christian for decades, …
July 13 / II Kings 24:1-4; Jeremiah 35
II Kings 24:1-4; Jeremiah 35 Today we get an interesting little story involving a clan called the Rechabites. Don’t worry. You’ll be forgiven if you do not recognize that clan. But if you are curious, feel free to look back at II Kings 10:15,23 to reacquaint yourself with Jonadab/Jehonadab’s role in Jehu’s overthrow of Israel’s …