00:00 Introduction and Back-to-School Reflections

00:55 Prayers and Hopes for the New School Year

01:43 Jeremiah's Prophetic Messages Begin

02:08 The Potter's House Analogy

03:26 God's Sovereignty Over Nations

05:11 Jeremiah's Life Threatened

06:29 The Flask of Pottery and Valley of Slaughter

09:12 Jeremiah's Imprisonment and Confrontation

09:53 Jeremiah's Lament and God's Silence

11:15 Message to Zedekiah and the Siege

12:40 Final Kings and Their Downfall

15:00 Conclusion and Prayer

Hey, everybody.

2

Welcome to Monday, August 12th and another

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

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Glad that you're back with us today.

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The start of another work week, the start

of a school week for so many of the kids

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that are part of our church, at least

I know when some of the other areas of

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the country, they still got a little

bit of time before school gets started.

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But for down here at Texas, most

of our kids are back in school.

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And I know my kids start this week.

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I think a mid-week or something like that.

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And.

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And we did the whole meet the

teacher thing and everything else.

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There's so much.

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Going back to school is such an

interesting thing for our kids, right?

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There's, there's the equal

measure of excitement and nerves.

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And am I going to make new friends

and what's it going to be like?

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And it's just really neat to see God's

faithfulness each and every year as they

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build those new friendships or they deepen

friendships that already exist and they

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get to know their teachers and vice versa.

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And it's, it's just a cool thing

to sit here at the precipice of

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another school year and to think,

okay, God, what are you going to do?

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In the lives of our kids this year.

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So just awesome.

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Uh, can't wait to see what

this year holds in front of us.

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I know a lot of our families are doing

homeschool as well, which is awesome.

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They're getting started.

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They, they, some of them

already started last week.

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So just an exciting time, a

lot of anticipation, a brand

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new year in front of us.

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What is God going to

do this academic year?

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In the lives of our young ones

and students that we have here

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at our church, pray for them.

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Uh, and pray that God would

give them just a great year.

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And for some of them.

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Maybe this is the year of

salvation, which would be SU.

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SU so super I was going for super.

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And so at the same time would, which would

just be super, it'd be, it'd be so great.

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Uh, if we could celebrate salvation in

some of the lives of these students.

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Uh, as we've got some older

ones in high school as well.

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Uh, before the end of the year is

up, that would be such a, an evidence

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of God's favor and mercy and grace,

especially on the hands or in the lives

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of our parents, of those kids as well.

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So pray towards that end, if you would.

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Well, let's get into our texts cause.

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Whew, boy, how did we got a lot going

on in our, uh, our reading today?

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18, 19 20, 21 and 22.

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I think that's five chapters total.

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I thought yesterday was a lot.

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Today's a lot.

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Uh, so message seven shows up here.

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So I guess it was messaged six

that we ended with yesterday.

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I believe I was wrong.

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I said it was meshed at five, but message

six that we ended with their message.

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Seven is, is Jeremiah 18 through 20.

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Jeremiah 18.

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Through 20 Jeremiah 18 opens up

and God does something interesting.

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He tells Jeremiah sends

him on a field trip.

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He says, Hey, Jeremiah, go to the Potter's

house and watch him work for a minute.

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And just feel that for a second,

that in the midst of this prophetic.

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Uh, message.

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God is sometimes I think we think of

Jeremiah sitting at his desk with his pen

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and paper, and God is just saying, okay,

now write this now, write this and write

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this and write this now what Jeremiah.

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Jeremiah was living his life and

God was delivering this message.

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Throughout it.

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And it's an evidence of, of the

intimacy between Jeremiah and the Lord.

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Just that the closeness between the

prophet and the Lord, which testifies

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to the prophet's character and his

faithfulness in his faith in God that he

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had this kind of a relationship with God.

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But God here sends him to the Potter's

house, says, Hey, go and watch.

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Spend a minute.

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Watch him work.

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And then what God does is he begins to

employ an analogy that for himself in

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Israel and for himself and creation, that

is, is one that's common throughout the

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rest of scripture, and even shows up in

the new Testament in Romans nine, Paul.

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And that is God, is the Potter

in his people as the clay.

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And so God compares himself to

the Potter in Israel to the clay.

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And he asks this question, he says, can

I not do with you as the Potter has done?

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The implication of course is yes,

of course you can because you're

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the Potter, you're the creator.

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You're the sovereign one.

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You have the authority to do with

Israel, whatever you so choose because.

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That you're the one that, that has

formed Israel to begin with just as

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the Potter with the claim verses seven

through 11, then God explains his

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authority over the nations to relent from

judgment and to relent from doing good,

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depending on the posture of the people.

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So it wasn't just.

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Israel that he was sovereign over.

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He sovereign over the nations too.

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And God says, you know what?

90

I can judge them and I can

relate depending on the posture

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of the people you remember.

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Originally Nineveh, they

repented under Jonah.

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And so what did God do?

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God relented.

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But then later on, we learned in napalm

that they had had devolved from there

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into a state of wickedness again.

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And so what did God do to

God relent at that point?

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No, he didn't.

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Why?

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Because he has the authority to do, as

he sees fit, according to the posture.

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Of the people versus eight or chapter

18 verses 12 through 17, then the

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evil of the people was so shocking.

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But it was enough.

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It was as though creation had

thrown off its natural order.

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And that's kind of what we see

in these verses here in chapter

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18 is his creation is in a tizzy.

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He says, ask among the

nations who has heard.

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Heard of the like of this Israel

has done a very horrible thing.

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Does the snow of Lebanon

leave the crags of Sierra?

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Does the mountain waters run

dry to the cold flowing streams?

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My people have forgotten me and

they make offerings to false gods.

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So.

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God is comparing what Israel has done

and just saying it's it's as though.

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Creation had just stopped doing

what creation is supposed to do.

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Now we know that that's not possible.

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Uh, the snow is going to melt.

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The, the streams are gonna flow.

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But Israel, they're not doing

what God created them to do.

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Their evil was bringing

judgment upon them.

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And that judgment was in

relation to this, this unnatural.

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Uh, disobedience that they were

demonstrating before God, their

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creator, the Potter they were seeing,

we're going to throw that off.

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Well, judgment was going to come upon

them and it was going to leave their

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land desolate and they were going to

be scattered before their enemies.

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Uh, verses 18 through 23, then a plot

is hatched against Jeremiah's life.

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And this isn't the first time that we're

going to see this, or the last time

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that we're going to see this rather.

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But this plot is, is hatched

against Jeremiah's life in

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which he becomes aware of.

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And in response, the prophet prays

what amounts to quite an intense

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imprecatory prayer against these enemies.

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And maybe you read this and you

think, man, this seems like a

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strong reaction from Jeremiah.

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But we have to remember two things.

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Number one, Jeremiah had been at this

for a long time and been met with fingers

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in ears and now a plot to take his life.

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So Jeremiah had been, it's not like Jeremy

showed up on the scene, they got angry

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and he's like, all right, God killed them.

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Know Jeremiah had been faithful and,

and he'd been doing this for a while

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and delivering this message for a while.

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And the people were being

stubborn in their response.

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And now they were hatching a

plot to kill him, to murder him.

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So that's the first thing to remember.

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And number two, as we read this,

I remember like David Jeremiah

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was more offended by the sin

of the people against God.

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Then their sins against him.

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And so this was a plea for God

to bring the consequences of

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breaking his covenant to fruition

on an evil and rebellious people.

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Deuteronomy 28.

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Again, the, the, the cursings

they're also Leviticus 26.

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This is simply Jeremiah asking God

to do what the people deserve for

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breaking the covenant covenant.

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So this is not him.

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Inventing new things of what he thinks

that God should do to hurt them.

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Rather, this is Jeremiah saying, okay,

God, they've broken the covenant.

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Go for it.

157

I'm done interceding for them.

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Uh, chapter 19 verses one through three,

Jeremiah is sent on another errand here,

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and this time he used to buy a flask.

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And the flask that he's to buy

is, is a flatmate of pottery.

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And so unlike the Potter

in the wheel where the.

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The pottery was still malleable.

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The clay was still soft.

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Now the pottery has been

fired and in it's, it's, it's

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hard, but it's also fragile.

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Right?

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And so he's tasked with buying this flask

of pottery and then he has to gather the

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people together at the pot shirt gate.

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Now that should be.

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Uh, foreshadowing there.

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The postured gate was probably the

place where they took all of the

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broken, pottery, all the broken

vessels and they threw them out.

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Uh, because remember they didn't have,

uh, the trash system that we have.

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And so they would have taken all of

the shards and everything else and

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thrown them out in a certain area.

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Well, that's where

Jeremiah gathers with this.

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Flask.

178

And in that again, should give us.

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A foreshadowing of what's

about to happen is Potter gate.

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By the way, it was by

the valley of genome.

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The valley of genome was that horrible

valley where they, the child sacrifices

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would take place and he was to declare

yet more judgment against them.

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Uh, verses four through nine.

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This was most likely during Gioia

Kim's rain, that all this is happening

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as the wickedness of the people

flared in the practice of child

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sacrifice had apparently resumed.

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And so the valley that's chosen.

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Uh, it seems to be representative

of one of the most reprehensible

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forms of wickedness.

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God gathers the people there to, to, uh,

issue more judgment, because this was one

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of the peak forms of their ungodliness.

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And he declares that it would

become instead of the valley

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genome, the valley of slaughter.

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And with this of course will come

massive amounts of death either through

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the sword famine or the siege, which

was going to cause the Israelites to

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do just horrific things in hopes of

extending their lives a little further.

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I'll let you parents.

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Uh, read that in, in filter that

down for your own kids, but this is

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just a scene of intense suffering.

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Uh, people doing horrific things here

under the, the, uh, the suffering of

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the siege that was coming upon them.

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Verses 10 through 13 than the

pottery vessel in Jeremiah's hand.

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The prophet was committed to smash it.

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And in smashing it, it was a demonstration

that God was irreparably going to

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judge the people and Jerusalem.

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The bodies would be amassed in tow fifth.

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there is.

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Uh, location in the valley of Hinnom

and in the rest of Jerusalem, including

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the houses and the Nobles and the Kings

would also become defiled as well.

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Just like that burial plot there in tofu.

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So as the bodies would be deposited

there and to file that area.

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Well, they were going to be everywhere.

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They're going to be throughout the

city because of the judgment coming.

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And so everywhere was going

to be defiled with death in

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the slaughter that was coming.

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Verses 14 through 15, then

Jeremiah returns to the temple and

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announces that the Lord is going

to bring judgments upon the people.

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And so that the profits message is,

is, uh, is again, God, is, is creative

219

in even how he's bringing this message

of judgment to the people as well.

220

Chapter 20 then verses one through

two Jeremiah's message in the

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temple because he comes back to

the temple end of chapter 19.

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Th th the message and the temples met

with a near immediate response from

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one of the priest who arrests him,

beats him, and imprisoned him in a set

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of stocks there on the temple Mount.

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Uh, Jeremiah confronts this priest,

his priest name is Peshawar.

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And announces that the Lord is going to

bring judgment upon him in all of Judah.

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This is verses three through six.

228

Jeremiah says God is going to judge you

specifically for sure, but all of Judah

229

as well at the hands of the Babylonians,

Judah would be given to Babylon with

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some being killed, others being taken

captive and pasture, or specifically.

231

Is going to be one of those taken captive,

and he would end up dying in Babylon,

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away from the land in a way from the Lord.

233

And so Jeremiah confronts this, this

priest who had them in prison and

234

says, this is what's coming for you.

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Verses seven through 18, then.

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Uh, this is kind of Jeremiah's job moment.

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If I can put it that way.

238

Uh, this is, is that the moment

where Jeremiah asks again, why of

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the Lord and laments his plight.

240

And so Jeremiah's struggles with

this, and this is some of the

241

humanity of the profit that we see.

242

He balances his complaint

though, with an affirmation of

243

God's protection and power, but.

244

Ultimately, he ends by questioning God.

245

Why was I born to such a lot as this

it's language, very reminiscent of

246

job when he says Th the day of my

birth have perished, essentially.

247

He says, why, why was I even born?

248

Why was that even brought into this earth?

249

And you'll notice that the Lord

really doesn't answer him here.

250

He, he just continues on, uh, with,

uh, with, with what's in front of him.

251

And so, uh, this is, uh, this is just

a difficult, uh, Difficult season in

252

to say the least in Jeremiah's life.

253

I mean, again, being arrested,

being in prison, being beaten.

254

Um, Th that that's he says in verse eight,

the word of the Lord has become for me a

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reproach and a derision all the day long.

256

I've been faithful to God's word.

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And yet it's, it's all.

258

It's brought me as reproach and derision.

259

Verse 14.

260

There it is.

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Curse would be the day on which I was

born the day when my mother bore me.

262

Let it not be blessed that, that again

is the Lord saying or Jeremiah saying to

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the Lord, very similar to what Joe said.

264

Uh, and, and yet God does not say, Hey,

Jeremy, this is, this is my answer to you.

265

In fact, Jeremiah gets another

message from the Lord in chapter 21.

266

This is now message

number eight, eight of 12.

267

Here's the book opens.

268

And so in Jeremiah chapter 21

is, as this chapter opens, the

269

siege is on and the end is near.

270

Uh, Zedekiah is on the throne and

sends the Jeremiah to find out what

271

is going to happen to the city.

272

And so this is a bit of a,

a fash for flash forward.

273

Fast forward.

274

That's the word?

275

Fast forward, flash forward.

276

Flashing you don't flash forward.

277

You FA yeah.

278

Fast forward.

279

Anyways, we're fast forwarding.

280

And we're, we're looking at now,

the seizures on, and Zedekiah wants

281

to find out what's going to happen.

282

So he sends for the prophet.

283

Well, verses one through seven.

284

Is that of high hopes for good

news from Jeremiah, but he's

285

met with devastating response.

286

Uh, and that devastating

responses that God would not

287

fight for them, but against them.

288

So is that a guy is hoping that somehow

God is going to spare his people.

289

Uh, I'm not going to happen.

290

Uh, they were in fact going to be

delivered over to the Babylonians.

291

Chapter 21 verses eight through 10.

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If anyone wants to live the messages,

they need to flee the city and

293

surrender to the Babylonians.

294

This is a common refrain that we're

going to find as the seizure ramps up.

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If you want to live.

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You need to surrender to captivity,

basically, because those that are left

297

in the city, they're going to die.

298

They're going to suffer either

the sword or pestilence or famine.

299

Uh, but they're going to die,

uh, verses 11 through 14.

300

Another last minute appeal is made to the

king to repent and to right the wrongs.

301

And again, this is more about confirming

the judgment that's than it is their

302

potential to repent because they're met.

303

Uh, Jeremiah is with a refusal there.

304

Finally for this morning.

305

Message message nine really spans

chapter 22 in chapter 23, but we're just

306

in, in chapter 22 for the rest of our

time here in verses one through nine.

307

Uh, again, the, the plea for

repentance was more of an indictment

308

against Jews, persistent rebellion.

309

No, one's going to be able

to say they weren't warned.

310

In other words, no, one's going to

be able to say they weren't given a

311

chance to repent or to mend their ways.

312

And so.

313

Uh, that's what we find here.

314

Verse three, do justice and

righteousness and deliver from

315

the hand of the oppressor.

316

And so this is the message to the king.

317

Hey.

318

Right.

319

The wrongs that you've done.

320

Uh, verses 10 through 12 Shalom.

321

Here who's referenced is also

known as Jehovah has, who took the

322

throne following Josiah's death.

323

So you remember Josiah was a good king.

324

Well, verse 10.

325

Shalom is one of his sons.

326

And this is Jehovah has in his reign is

going to be super short-lived as he's

327

removed by Pharaoh, Nico only three months

after taking the throne and taken captive

328

to Egypt where he died in fulfillment

of this particular prophecy right here.

329

Verses 13 through 23, then following

him as Julia Kim and Joe Joe Hoya.

330

Kim is another Josiah sons and he was

put on the throne in place of Shalom.

331

Uh, he, again, corrupt and loves

luxury, specifically an unjust gain.

332

And, and he's going to be

forced into paying tribute to

333

Pharaoh, uh, during his reign.

334

And as a result, his death is, is

not going to be mourned when he dies.

335

The people are not going to be

upset because they're going to look

336

at him and say, you put us into.

337

Subjection to, to Egypt, into Pharaoh.

338

Instead, he's going to be thrown

out, notice on the garbage heap,

339

outside the city, just a horrifically

shameful, uh, Fate for this, this king.

340

And then finally in verses 24 through 30.

341

Of chapter 22.

342

Uh, the next step is going to be

Kanaya and Kanaya or Jenaya or joy.

343

Chin is, is the king there.

344

And he's going to be a

one who reigns as well.

345

And just like the others, he's going to

be one who reigns in does what is evil?

346

And so what do we do with kind of this?

347

How do we understand

what's going on right now?

348

Uh, this is kind of in chapter

22, a quick rundown of.

349

Some of the final Kings of Israel

and, uh, they're, they're all

350

wicked from this point out.

351

And so this is just a reminder

to us of what's coming in.

352

It's, it's kind of a summary forest and

prophetic, uh, summary of what's in store.

353

What's coming, uh, for

the people of Israel.

354

And none of it is really good news.

355

Uh it's it's not going to go well here.

356

Uh, Hey.

357

Not to be a spoiler, but a spoiler alert.

358

Um, there is going to

be one that's coming.

359

That's going to be better than all

these Kings and in Jeremiah is going

360

to talk about him in chapter 23,

but you're going to have to tune

361

back in tomorrow for that episode.

362

Let's pray for now.

363

God, we thank you for this.

364

We thank you for who you are.

365

We thank you for your kindness to us.

366

We thank you for your word.

367

And God, we thank you that you are

merciful and gracious to us and we pray.

368

That we would be faithful in

response to you into your word.

369

Pray in Jesus' name.

370

Amen.

371

Are y'all have a great rest of your

day, keeping your Bibles and tune in

372

again tomorrow for another episode

of the daily Bible podcast by.