Good Morning, Siblings!
Today’s readings are Jeremiah 23-25

Click here to read today’s passages on BibleGateway.

Debbie Ingle is sharing her rabbit trails with us again today, and I am so grateful. I’ll be back on notes tomorrow.

Debbie’s Rabbits 

Hello Front Porch Family! It has been so good to be with you these past few days. I have greatly enjoyed — and learned — from reading your comments on our thread. Thank you for sharpening me! Are you noticing that The Father keeps repeating Himself? Yeah, when He does that, we can be certain that He is trying to make sure we don’t miss His message. From reading your comments, I feel like we are getting it. Obedience. Obedience. Obedience. If they had only been obedient…

I love the compassion that this group has for Judah…and all of the reflecting I am seeing our Front Porch Family engage in. Gang, that is what it’s all about!

Read, reflect, obey, repeat.

As there is much being repeated in today’s chapters, I am going to take this opportunity to hone in on one particular aspect of this passage. The Shepherd.

Jeremiah 23:1 begins with “‘woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!’ It is a declaration of YHVH.” (some versions say “declares the Lord”)

A little background in Hebrew…when you see verbiage like “it is a declaration” or “declares” The Father means business. It is a statement of certainty. He will not be forgetting what He said or changing His mind. The matter has been decided and might as well have already been done. Period.

So…woe to those shepherds for sure!

We have read about the leaders who were leading Judah with deception and lies. YHVH is very unhappy with them.

Let’s look at a few other places in The Word where this message is expanded upon.

•Ezekiel 34:10-31 — I hope you will have time to read this chapter. In it YHVH is again voicing His displeasure with the shepherds of Israel. He states that He will demand His flock from them and shepherd them HIMSELF…

•So in John 10:11 when Messiah reveals that HE is the Good Shepherd…what do you think they understood Him to be saying?

•Ever wonder why the Judean leaders picked up stones in an attempt to stone Him? John 10:31. They knew the scriptures. They understood that Yeshua was claiming more than gentle leadership. He was claiming to be YHVH. Have you ever heard someone say that Yeshua never claimed to be The Father or The Messiah? Well, if so, now you know. He certainly did make that claim…and rightfully so.

Whew, we got all of that from Jeremiah 23:1! So rich!!

Moving on through chapter 23, we see some beautiful truths that should provide us with some much needed encouragement. –I know there has been a lot of gloom in Jeremiah so far. Be encouraged; this is good stuff coming up! 🙂

Beginning in Jeremiah 23:5 we read of a time when Messiah will reign. Sometimes in the hurry and scurry of life, I think we forget about how beautiful the finish line is going to be.

He. Is. Coming. Again! HallaluYAH!

Notice that in His day both Judah AND Israel will be saved. Before reading the bible to this point, did you realize that there was a difference? There was a time when I though those words always meant the same thing. To review, “Israel” in this context is the group from the northern tribes that was taken into captivity long before the time that Jeremiah is writing. “Judah” is made up of the southern tribes, primarily Judah, Benjamin, and Levi. There are parts of all tribes sprinkled into both Israel and Judah, but I am talking in round numbers here. Here is why this is important:

Judah came back from Babylon. They were taken again…but today, they are the people group who populate The State of Israel.

Israel has never come back.

They are still out in the nations today.

Still.

But look…here in YHVH’s Word…we are given the promise that YHVH will indeed bring them back! HallaluYAH!!!

When they come back, Jeremiah 23:7-8 tells us that it will be so well known, that people will no longer talk about the exodus from Egypt, because they will be too busy talking about THIS exodus. Can you even imagine?!

Okay y’all, I’m almost finished. Just one more thing I want to point you to…Notice that the false prophets make YHVH’s people forget His Name. Jeremiah 23:27

I know I had “forgotten” His Name. I was almost 40 years old before I knew that God had a name, and it wasn’t Lord. God and Lord are beautiful titles…don’t get me wrong. But they are not His Name. I would feel pretty forgotten if my husband started calling me “wife” instead of “Debbie.” Our Father has felt forgotten, too. There is power in His Name. He does not want us to take His Name in vain…so He must want us to have it. Use it with honor. Honor Him with the way you remember His Name.

Okay folks, I am putting the rest on you. I look forward to reading your rabbit trails and learning even more from you today. Hugs! Have a GREAT day Fam!


Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!

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Christy Jordan
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