October 11, Reading Notes

Jeremiah 16:16-18:23

Jer. 16:16-21

Vs. 16-18 There are a few places where God expresses His pursuit of those who reject Him, and this is one of them. It reminds you of the words in Hebrews 10:31, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." It is also interesting that God says He is always watching.

Vs. 19-20 This is Jeremiah's confidence in the Lord and his desire to see God acknowledged.

V. 21 God will bring a time when people will know Him.

Jer. 17

Vs. 1-4 God explains how deeply engraved idolatry and ignorance was in the culture. When God brought Israel into Canaan, the culture was so corrupt that God's only solution was to wipe it clean. This generation in Israel is in the same state. God will need to punish these people and then totally remove the survivors to another place to save Israel. It makes you wonder about cultures today.

Vs. 5-6 The curse of those who ignore God.

Vs. 7-8 This blessing sounds like Psalm 1.

Vs. 9-10 Verse 9 is famous. The heart is deceitful and incurably sick. While the penalty and judgment against sin can be removed, the sickness of sin in us remains strong. "Defeating" sin means we need to be in the Word, following the Spirit and responding to Christ in love for what He has done for us. Thank God for His grace and His cure in our Lord. Being released from this body to be with Christ will be the death of sin in us.

Vs. 11-13 This appears to be a judgment against injustice that was going on among the people. True riches are found in God, including the living waters. John 7:37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink.

Vs. 14-18 In spite of Jeremiah's desire to help his people, the people were getting tired of Jeremiah and persecution against him was growing. What is interesting is that Jeremiah's pleas to God are beginning to sound like God's pronouncements of justice on the people. Jeremiah is beginning to see how wicked the people are.

Vs. 19-27 It looks like God is giving the people a very simple test of their obedience.

Jer. 18

Vs. 1-11 So what do you think the point of this illustration is? It seems to me that God is saying that He can shape and change the events and times at will, so they really ought to obey Him.

Vs. 12-17 This is the people's response to God and God's pronouncement against them.

Vs. 18-23 This is the people's response to Jeremiah and Jeremiah's response to God. Notice verse 23. Jeremiah is now feeling what God is feeling regarding the sin of the people. In all the years of preaching to and ministering to the people, Jeremiah has begun to understand God and has become more like God.

1 Thessalonians 4-5:3

1Thes. 4

Vs. 1-8 It is interesting that both Corinth and Thessalonica were known for loose living and Paul had to urge believers in both cities to concentrate on living holy to God and resisting immorality. The church today still needs to hear this. The sexual saturation of our culture: TV, movies and especially the web, has made this even more necessary now than back then.

Vs. 13-18 There appears to have been some misunderstanding of Paul's teaching, or there was some other teaching that contradicted what Paul had taught. It seems to me that someone was teaching that those who had died as believers in Christ would not be a part of the church uniting with Christ at the rapture.

Paul was speaking to encourage and restore the hope of being united in the resurrection at Christ's coming.

1Thes. 5:1-3

This day of the Lord is the seven-year tribulation. The beginning of this time is hidden, but once it begins, you can mark off the days until the return of Jesus.

Psalm 81

What stands out to me here is God's pleading for the people to listen to Him. God said this of Israel, I'm sure He says it of the generation of people on the earth, and I wonder if He says this about the church.

In our reading today, thinking about the effects of sin on us, on culture, on our response to God, it all points to the need to keep before the Lord and plead with God for ourselves and others in the harvest. Our hearts need to be kept aflame in His love and we have a harvest to work in before the Lord returns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYuWOx2pp38&feature=related

Proverbs 25:6-7

This sure sounds like something Jesus said. Apparently the Pharisees didn't read the proverbs.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.

If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.