THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS

This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.

Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.

Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may go to the archive below and find it.

Bruce McGee, Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418

We have a great friend in Gary Godard. He has set up an archive page. To view ALL the prior devotions by Scripture, just clik

HERE

Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.

Jeremiah

CHAPTER 13

1 Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7 Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.

Jeremiah is instructed to wear a linen girdle. The girdle was used to bind up the long dress ("tunic") that men wore. When the girdle was tied around the loins, it turned the tunic into a pair of shorts. This would enable the man to move more freely for work or battle, thus the term, "...gird up your loins..."

Jeremiah wore the girdle on a long trip to the Euphrates River (some 400 miles). Then, he buried the girdle and returned home. After "many days," the Lord told him to go and retrieve the girdle. When he did, the girdle was obviously ruined. Having been in the ground that long, it was rotted and of no use.

Then God told Jeremiah this was the way that Judah had become. The nation had become corrupted and rotten due to idolatry. Their pride had swelled, and they refused to follow the Lord. Notice that it was because they "..would not hear" (verse 11), that God would cast them off like an old ruined girdle!

When Christians refuse to pay attention to the Word of God, they are of no use to the Master!

12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.

The "bottle" Jeremiah was speaking of were clay pots used for storage. People stored oats, wheat, flour, and wine in them. When bottles are filled they are easily broken.

The imagery here likens the people to the bottles. They are filled as with wine. When a person is filled with wine, he staggers, his ability to think clearly is gone, and he is easily "broken" or defeated. Likewise when a person is filled with pride (verse 15), he thinks unclearly and is easily "broken."

God will destroy Judah as a man would the storeroom of "bottles," taking a club and smashing the pots of clay.

16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive. 18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. 19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. 20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

Jeremiah is to call unto the people and warn them of the destruction (verses 16-17). Their pride is keeping them from listening to God. And the call is for repentance.

Then Jeremiah is to call unto the "king and queen," because they are about to lose their "glory." Their power will be taken away when the invading forces come to "punish" them for their pride and idolatry (verse 21). They will lose their people (verse 20).

friends, before God can apply mercy, grace and salvation to a people, they must REPENT of pride and surrender to the Lord.

22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness. 25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. 27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?

The call of God through Jeremiah is for repentance. But God sees that the people are like the Ethiopian who cannot change his skin color, or the leopard who cannot change the fact that he has spots. The people have gone beyond the boundary of a heart that can be broken. Their hearts have been too long hardened against the Word and will of God in their lives.

"Therefore," God says He will "scatter them as the stubble" in the winds of the wild. And when they are totally beaten, defeated, and carried away as captives, then they will know that God has SEEN and brought the punishment for their sins. They will be as a person who's "skirt" is lifted and they are left naked (verse 26). Their sinfulness will be exposed.

Again, Jeremiah points out that their sinfulness is spiritual adultery (verse 27). Having worshipped idols, and having learned the sensual pleasures of the rituals of idolatry, they have determined to please self more than GOD!

Friends, when Christians turn worship into self-pleasing ritual and refuse to listen to God's Word with a broken heart for sin, they no longer are of use to God!

PLEASE CONTINUE IN BIBLE STUDY WITH US TOMORROW.