Jeremiah 35-36
These two chapters are looking into the past citing two examples. One example shows respect and faithfulness and the other shows an extreme lack of respect and faithfulness.
Jer. 35 The Rechabites, honoring their great, great, great, great grandfather.
Just to frame the story for you, here are some fun thoughts.
The Rechabites are a family going back to the early days of the exodus, having a connection with Moses' father-in-law and also with the tribe of Judah. Apparently they became scribes during the 40 years in the wilderness and settled in the town of a godly man to ply their trade. The name of the town was Jabez. (1 Chron. 2:55)
We met Jonadab, the son (descendant) of Rechab, back when Jehu became king. Jehu destroyed the house of Ahab and asked Jonadab to help him kill the prophets of Baal. This was back in 2 Kings 10. Jonadab was apparently a godly man and one of the remnant of 7000 men who had not bowed the knee to Baal. That was about 240 years before this chapter in Jeremiah, about the same length of time between now and the founding of the United States.
Jonadab lived at a very crucial and devastating time in the northern kingdom and history of Israel. I believe he understood what would happen in the future and made these rules for his family to protect them and keep them from adopting the ungodliness of the culture. Both the abstinence from drinking wine and not living in houses meant they would be nomads. They had no houses and no vineyards. You could see this as the difference between Abraham and Lot. When Lot moved down to Sodom and fell into the "good life," he got infected. Abraham always lived in tents.
What makes this more interesting is that Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, calls them into the temple of God and offers them wine. How much worse can a temptation be? But for them it was no temptation.
V. 19 This means that somewhere on earth, at this moment, there is a descendant of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, who is a follower of Jesus.
Jer. 36 In contrast, Jehoiakim, a disgrace to his godly father.
This chapter is pretty straightforward, so I'll just make a couple of comments.
Josiah, Jehoiakim's father, both found and valued the Word of God.
V. 2 Notice that this is really God's command to write the book of Jeremiah. I wonder if Jeremiah had already written out notes. This book would be almost everything we've read: chapters 1-12, 14-20, 22:1-19, 26 & 35.
V.4 This apparently is the first time Jeremiah used Baruch.
V. 11 This man is Michaih, the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan. Shaphan was one of the men who discovered the last copy of the OT and brought it to Josiah. These men still honored their father.
V. 24 Compare this verse with how Jehoiakim's father, Josiah, responded upon hearing the Word of the Lord.
2 Kings 22:18 But as to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words which you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have rent your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the LORD.
Among other things, this chapter shows us why Jehoiakim was given the burial of a donkey.
1 Timothy 5
I'm sure at this point, Timothy was somewhat weighted with these instructions, and the weight would just increase. Looking at the instructions Paul gave him, it looks like Timothy was either the pastor, or he was invested with apostolic authority. While Timothy is responsible to be an example and model, it looks like Paul is assuming Timothy has the authority and right to declare and make these decisions. Poor guy. It gives me the sense that there had been some disaster or split and that Timothy was rebuilding.
Vs. 1-2 In doing what Timothy was told to do, Paul is advising him on how to relate to the groups in the church. Timothy had to win confidence as he led; and remember, Paul just told him to be a model to all.
Vs. 3-8 There was no social security or social services in those days. Thirty years earlier in Acts 6, widows in the church had been an issue. It could also be that church widows were on the rise because of Nero.
Vs. 9-10 The issue here was not whether or not to help them out financially on occasion. This seems to be an official position in the church given to widows. If you look at all of the other things mentioned, they needed to be serving the church. Apparently the younger widows had abused this service of visitation and service by gadding about, becoming gossips and busybodies. Look at Titus 2:3-5 to get another possible perspective on this service.
V. 9 Literally, she had to have been a one-man-woman. Again, I think with all the other rules here, it is only saying she was a faithful and focused wife, not that she couldn't have been married to two men, both of whom died, for example.
V. 10 She had to be comfortable in serving others and had to have a reputation for doing it.
Vs. 11-15 Reading this about the younger widows gives you the impression this was an official church position; and that, in the case of the older widows, it was assumed they would focus on serving the church and not focus on marriage. Apparently Paul had some experience with this problem, where the younger widows were guilty of abusing the position, "gadding about," checking out the available guys and getting themselves in trouble.
V. 16 It was a pretty narrow category of woman who could be enrolled, but apparently they had a lot of widows.
Just taking a think pause here, imagine: Timothy was the one who was supposed to enforce this, being responsible for telling one widow "yes" and another, "no." How would you like that? Also, he got to tell the younger widows that the church would not enroll them, that Paul (actually God) said they should go out, get married and have kids. Poor Timothy.
Vs. 17-18 Again, Timothy had the responsibility to make these decisions and see that this was done. I can't imagine that saying "yes" to one man didn't offend another man. O Weh!
Now it gets worse.
Vs. 19-20 Apparently there had been cases of elders being accused of sin, and some of them were stubborn and didn't repent. Notice that "sin" itself didn't disqualify an elder, but to persist in sin did disqualify an elder. In the case of a repeat or stubborn offender, Timothy was commanded to put them under discipline publicly for the express purpose of instilling fear/respect in the other elders and in the congregation. O Weh!
V. 21 This is a very strong charge to Timothy and you can see why.
V. 22 Practical matters: Go slow in putting men or women forward. In time of need this is not easy. O Weh!
V. 23 I always laugh here because no one knows what this verse is doing here. This is just me, but I don't think Timothy's stomach was the problem, I think it was his head. Look at everything Paul has just told him to do. Think of all the stress and all of the potential conflict and yelling. I think Timothy couldn't get calm. I don't think it was the bacteria in the drinking water. I think Timothy's stress in his mind and soul came out in his stomach. I think the wine was for the stress, and therefore, for the stomach.
Vs. 24-25 This is some calming advice from Paul. Sometimes you just don't know if you've put the right person in a position. You do your best and they can still turn out to be a fraud and a fake. You have to know you tried to do the right thing, face the music and take them out of that position. O Weh! On the other hand, if you take the time to slowly look at a person's life, you'll also see, eventually, if they are bearing fruit for Christ.
Poor Timothy. O Weh!
Psalm 89:14-37
We'll be in Psalm 89 one more day and there are lots of things to observe and underline. One thing that stood out to me this reading was verse 17, "for you are the glory of their strength."
I would say in all the things that we face in following Christ, it is all worth it if in and through it we learn that our glory is in Christ and He is our strength. P.S. the song begins 45 seconds into the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGMOKBki56k
Proverbs 25:25-27
V. 25 This brings peace.
Vs. 26 This doesn't bring peace; you only think it does.
Vs. 27 This never brings peace.
News from the far country takes time and waiting. The other two are immediate; they consume us and eventually they destroy peace personally and in a group.
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 comment or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
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