Good Morning, Siblings!
Today’s readings are Jeremiah 49-50

Click here to read today’s passages on BibleGateway.

Rabbit Trails

Although much of the prophecy we will read about today can be seen as fulfilled historically, as I mentioned yesterday, some of what we read is clearly foretelling and showing patterns of what is to come in the final days at the time of the final judgement. We see a lot of allusions to Jeremiah’s prophecies in Revelation and some of what we read about today depicts clear events that have not yet taken place.

Jeremiah 49:16 really stood out to me personally. See if it does you. Hearts filled with pride, references to eagles. This does feel close to home. But again, we have to be careful not to “decide” what it is referencing but instead to focus on knowing what the word says so that if it manifests itself differently we will still recognize it.

Jeremiah 50:4-5 is one of those passages that leads us to be able to see this as part of a future prophecy.

“In those days and in that time, declares the Lord, the people of Israel and the people of Judah shall come together, weeping as they come, and they shall seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’

This has clearly not happened yet but it is actually in the process of happening in our time with the repairing of the breech between both branches of YHWH’s people, Jew and Gentile, Israel by birth and Spiritual Israel by means of being grafted in (Isaiah 56, Romans 11). However, we have a long ways to go as the adversary has waged a very successful campaign within the body of Believers that keeps us confused and blinded to the cause of the chasm between us. To demonstrate this, in one of the commentaries on this passage by the well respected John Gill, I read that this chapter details the “promises and prophecies of the deliverance of God’s people from thence, and of the conversion of the Jews.” ~John Gill

The thought that the Jews must “convert” in order to follow Messiah is a grievously errant teaching of replacement theology. We do not have to become Jews, they do not have to give up being Jews. Goodness, Messiah was born, lived, and passed on from this world a Jew! To tell them that they must abandon their God (YHWH) in order to follow our Messiah causes them to dig in their heels and reject Him- much to their credit, and much to our shame for teaching this doctrine as if it lined up with the word of YHWH. Following Messiah is following YHWH. But unless we know the whole word, unless we read and study it for ourselves, we can fall into the well baited trap that these are two different things.

Addendum for further clarification: It has been a common practice among Christians to teach that Jews must give up being Jewish (convert) in order to believe Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah and to follow Him. In their mindset, doing this turns their back on YHWH, the God they have diligently sought to follow all of their lives. In actuality, they do not have to give up being Jewish at all! Messiah is the fulfillment of their faith, not a new faith. They have the foundation, they just need the second floor and roof, so to speak. No conversion is necessary, just a completion. 

Let’s talk about this part some more: ‘Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten.’

This states that YHWH’s people will come back to Him – according to His covenant, His terms. This is referencing the “new” covenant.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when they shall no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up and led the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ Then they shall dwell in their own land.” Jeremiah 23:3-8

Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. Ezekiel 11:16-20

I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:24-28

    For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Hebrews 8:10

~~These are some verses to think on as we contemplate the fulfillment of this wonderful promise from our Father.

My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. Jeremiah 50:6

Let us turn this over in our minds today. YHWH’s people. Those who call themselves by His name. Have been led astray by their shepherds. ?

For she has proudly defied YHWH, the Holy One of Israel. Jeremiah 50:29 

What does it mean, not to just defy, but to proudly defy YHWH? To boldly sin against Him and declare yourself free from condemnation in the midst of it. To know Him, to know He is real and working and yet to make choices in direct opposition to His teachings and wisdom. That is a gut punch to me. Today that it is what so many popular folks in Christianity teach and those are the teachings we are prone to follow if we follow people instead of following YHWH.

But you know what else? No matter what mess we get our own selves in, no matter how far we find ourselves from where YHWH meant for us to be, all it takes is repentance to bring us swiftly back to His presence. For our Redeemer is strong!

 Their Redeemer is strong; YHWH of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon. Jeremiah 50:34

Bo Yeshua! Which means: Come, Jesus!


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!

Print This Post Print This Post

 

Christy Jordan
Latest posts by Christy Jordan (see all)