The Book of Jeremiah - Part 3

So, good afternoon, good evening, everyone! Jeremiah chapter 3, but I want to start tonight with Jeremiah 1.10. We mentioned this earlier in the first Bible study in Jeremiah. Jeremiah was not just sent to Judah, but he was also sent to Israel. Now, one of the things in studying prophecy is sometimes Israel is used for all 12 tribes. Sometimes Ephraim is used for the 10 northern tribes. But in Jeremiah, the first six chapters here, there is a sharp distinction, in most cases, drawn between the northern kingdom Israel and the 10 tribes that were taken captive by the Assyrians, and the two tribes in the south called Judah, consisting of Judah and Benjamin. So, Jeremiah was a prophet to all of the tribes, but after chapter 6, the focus is more on Judah than any other tribe, per se, but it's also back in two with the nations as well. Jeremiah, this study, this prophecy, is one of the most interesting that you can find. I would say Isaiah probably is in the same category, but Jeremiah is a bit different in that it deals with all of the nations, especially. So we're in Jeremiah 3 and verse 1.

In Jeremiah chapter 3, what we're finding here is God is making an eloquent plea for Judah to return to him, for Israel to turn to him, even though they have done such terrible things. They have committed spiritual hoardings, parlatory, and so on in so many different ways, and have continued in it and delight in it. But in spite of all that, God is saying, if you will repent, you can return unto me, which was, as we shall read from Deuteronomy 24 and verse 1, and just a moment, was contrary to what is said in the law, that God would make an exception here to them. So Jeremiah 3 and verse 1, they say, if a man put away his wife and she go from him, become another man's wife, shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? In other words, if she goes back to her first husband, the land would be greatly polluted, because the other man had had relationships with her, and she was not to go back to her first husband. Now, if you look at Deuteronomy 24 verses 1 through 4, if you'll turn there, Deuteronomy 24 verses 1 through 4, a lot of the verses that we're going to pass it, that we're going to turn here to tonight, you may never have even thought of them in various ways or in context of what we're reading here tonight. But in Deuteronomy 24 and verse 1, when a man has taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her. So there had to be a reason. Generally, it was if he should find out that she was not a virgin, then under the Old Covenant agreement, then he could put her away. Then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And of course, that has to do with the meeting the various requirements of divorce and remarriage. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and gives it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife, her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife. After that, she is defiled, for that is an abomination before the Eternal, and you shall not cause the land to sin, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance. But God is making this plea to Judah and Israel.

He chose them as his chosen nation to work through them. And what was their main purpose? What was the main purpose of Israel when God called them out of Egypt, and he entered into the marriage covenant with them? The purpose was for them to become the model nation on the face of the earth, and that through them they would bring all nations into relationship with God. Now we know that Israel failed, and the new covenant was established, and it's now the holy nation, the Israel of God, that God wants all people to become members of that holy nation, the Church of God. So continuing in this verse, another man shall he return unto her again. While we just read, shall not that land be greatly polluted? So we just read from Deuteronomy 24 verses 1 through 4, that under the terms of the old covenant she could not return. But you have played the harlot with many lovers, yet in spite of that, return unto me says the eternal. So this shows God's loving mercy and long suffering and forgiveness, that if one will repent and turn unto God, he will forgive them. It also reminds you of the prodigal son who went out and spent his inheritance with profligate living, and yet when he returned to his father, his father accepted him. Lift up your eyes unto the high places. Now the high places were where they had placed their idols, their stocks it's oftentimes called, their various idols made of wood, hay, stubble, and stone, and see where you have not lain with. In other words, is there any place that you haven't polluted? That's what it's really saying. Is there any place? All of the high places have been taken up with your abominations. In the ways have you sat for them as the Arabian in the wilderness. Now the Arabian in the wilderness is a term in which, of course, this wouldn't be politically correct, but Arabian in the wilderness had the meaning of one who was ready to pounce upon a stranger or traveler that came by. And so it's like you are ready to pounce upon anybody and bring them into your polluted condition. And you have polluted the land with your hoardums. Of course, there were it wasn't not only spiritual hoardums, but it was physical hoardums as well, but mainly it's talking about spiritual hoardums with your wickedness. Therefore, the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. The latter rain came in the spring, and it really was the crops were really dependent on the latter rain for the wheat harvest. The early spring harvest was barley, which was cut at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, but the latter rain was to really help the the wheat harvest. There have been no latter rain, and you had a horse forehead. Now, a horse forehead is described in different places. The horse forehead is symbolic of what Jezebel did when she painted herself up and represented herself as one of harlotry.

So, it's trying what the spiritual meaning here is that you have tried to seduce and make yourself as attractive as you could for people to commit spiritual harlotry. You refuse to be ashamed. And so, in today's world, of course, you see that there is basically no shame with regard to what is portrayed in movies and television and the magazines. It's like they are proud of it, and that is the implication. And it's absolutely astounding. Here's one writing at least 2500 years ago, or more like 2600 years ago, and have things changed that much? Not really when it comes to human behavior and human nature.

Will you not from this time cry unto me, my father, you are the guide of my youth. My father, you are the guide of my youth.

And, of course, God from the time that he took them out of Egypt said to them that he would be unto them a father, and they should be unto him a people. So will you not cry unto me? Verse 5, will he reserve his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end? Behold, you have spoken and done evil things as you could. I mean, you've done as evil as you could do evil, incorrigibly persistence in doing evil. The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king. Now, remember this about Josiah. Josiah was one of the most righteous kings that ever reigned in Judah. Hezekiah and Josiah, and one of the things that it shows here is the importance of leadership. But after about 40 years or so, after the death of Hezekiah, Josiah is reigning. And after Josiah was killed in battle and an evil king came on the scene, it was just back to the old pagan ways of spiritual harlotry and evil. Have you seen that which backsliding Israel did? Now, here we see a comparison and contrast between the nation of Israel, that is the northern ten tribes, and Judah, in which God says is trying to get across to Judah the southern kingdom. Look what happened to Israel. Couldn't you see what happened to them, that because of their harlotry, their idolatry, that they went into captivity under the hands of the Assyrians? So couldn't you learn a lesson from them? This word backsliding literally means apostasy. They just turned not merely an apostate, but apostasy itself. That as a nation, as a whole, they went into apostasy. Backsliding, or apostasizing, Israel had done. She is going up unto every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot. Remember, once again, it was in the high places, and the trees were symbolic of the high places. I don't know if you'd say symbolic, but the trees, really the truth about the the ancient pagan worship, was to a large degree based on fertility rights and upon sex, and the male symbol, the phallic symbol, and the tree is somewhat of a phallic symbol. And that's why you so often hear and see in scripture about the high places and the trees. It's because that was the one of the main symbols of idolatry and pagan worship.

And I said, after she had done all these things, turn unto me, but she returned not. So, God had pleaded, of course, with the nation of Israel before she went into captivity. He sent prophets to them, but they would not hear. After she had done all these things, turn you unto me, but she returned not, and her treacherous sister, Judah, saw it. So, Judah knew what had happened to Israel, what she had done, and how they had been taken captive. And God is saying, can't you see the example of what happens when you do that? There's a... I'm not going to turn there and read, but, well, maybe I'll read Ezekiel 16 43. In Ezekiel 16, you have a graphic description of God's entering into a relationship with Israel from their birth, from their nativity, showing how that he cleaned them up as one would clean up a newborn baby, and that how he dressed them, decked them, taught them, and then how they went a-horring.

And Ezekiel 16 46, and your elder sister, Samaria. Now, Samaria is sometimes used for the northern ten tribes, because Samaria was the capital of the northern ten tribes. Samaria was to the northern ten tribes, as Jerusalem was to the southern kingdom, Judah. And your elder sister, Samarish, she and her daughters that dwell at your left hand, and your younger sister that dwells at your right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. So, Judah had fallen into a state of decay and disarray, and we might note, and we'll probably refer to this quite a few times in our studies, if you turn now to Revelation chapter 11. In Revelation chapter 11, God says of modern-day Jerusalem, Jerusalem at the end of this age.

In Revelation 11 7, the two witnesses are killed, and when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottom its pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them, and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of that great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. Sodom and Egypt are metaphors for the most corrupt places on the face of the earth. There are two other nations that would rival Sodom and Egypt as corrupt places in the scripture, and they are Edom and Moab, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. So, as no doubt, it's talking about Jerusalem. So, God says you should have taken note for what happened to your elder sister to Israel, the northern kingdom, and not allowed that to happen to you. Now we continue in Jeremiah 3 8. Now we continue in Jeremiah 3 8.

And I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her harem.

This word lightness really means the infamy, and it came to pass through the infamy of her harem. It has several different meanings, but the implication here is you could use the word lightness. She didn't really pay any attention to it. Thought it was no big deal, I guess you would say, but it has to do with the fact that she didn't care. It came to pass through the lightness of her harem, but she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones. See, this is spiritual adultery, which I've already mentioned, with stones and with stalks. Now, stalks, it can be... it's from... it's a derivation of the word stalks from tree.

It's wood or a stick, and it can be, of course, of different things, pine, plank.

Timber, tree, wood. So it was, once again, the stalks were generally phallic symbols, and idols were set up in worship of those idols. Now verse 10, And yet for all this her treasure sister Judah has not turned unto me with her whole heart, but faintly said the Lord, but faintly said the Lord. Here, notwithstanding the lesson given in Israel's case of the fatal results of their apostasy, Judah continued with her whole heart into idolatry and apostasy. Now, when Josiah came on the scene, and once again, we're showing the importance of leadership, for a brief period there was a reprieve. And what I'm going to read now is from 2 Chronicles 34 verse 33. 2 Chronicles 34 verse 33. There was a brief time of, I guess you could call it, revival, restoration in the land under Josiah. But as I mentioned earlier, this shows the importance, especially, of spiritual leadership. From the smallest unit, from an individual, to a family, to a tribe, to a nation, to a county, to a city, to a nation, to the world, it's going to go in the direction of its moral and leadership. So we see the direction of the world today.

It is because there is no moral and spiritual leadership. Now, for a period of time, under Josiah, Judah had a reprieve, and here's what he did. 2 Chronicles 34-33. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve the Lord their God all his days, they departed not from following the Lord the God of their fathers. Now, there's an interesting thing here with regard to this, and I don't want to get sidetracked on this here this evening, but if you will go and read in 2 Chronicles, starting in chapter 29, and read through probably 32-33, Hezekiah's restoration. When Hezekiah had the temple prepared and ready for to keep the Passover, though they had to delay Passover for a week or so because it wasn't totally ready, He sent out an invitation to all the tribes that remained after the Assyrian captivity. So there were representatives from the various tribes still living in what we call the Holy Land at that time, even after the Assyrian captivity of taking the majority of the ten tribes captive. You can read that about the invitation. I think it's in 2 Chronicles 30-31 along in there. If anybody wants to follow up on that, because you see here Jeremiah 3, 11 again, and the Lord said unto me, the backsliding Israel has justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

This message could have been going to all of them that were in, quote, the Holy Land.

Let's read the rest of 33. I'm going to go from the beginning of 33 again. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve, the Lord their God.

And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

So once again, showing the importance of leadership.

Now we continue in Jeremiah 3 in verse 11.

Read it again, and the Lord said unto me that backsliding Israel had justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north.

Of course, the north is where the enemy is going to come from, from the Tigris-Euphrates area, that which is now modern Iraq, in those days, that Syria was also between the two rivers.

In fact, Nineveh was on one of the rivers, just like Babylon.

Sometimes I get these rivers crossed, which one was east and which one was somewhat to the southwest.

But I believe it's the Tigris that Nineveh was on, and Babylon on the Euphrates. It's sort of like if you hold your thumb and your index finger together, you'll see it makes sort of an oblong kind of thing. And that's sort of like the area between these two rivers, between the Tigris and Euphrates, one of the most fertile places in all the world. And the capital of Syria was Nineveh, up to the north, and the capital of Babylon was down to the southwest on the other river.

Now verse 13. Only acknowledge your iniquity that you have... Now, iniquity means lawlessness. But you have transgressed against the Lord your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, says the Eternal. Time after time, you see this thing about trees, and I've explained what that relates to.

Verse 14. Turn, O backsliding children, says the Lord.

For I am married unto you, and I will take you one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. So here we skip all the way to restoration in the millennium. Hear that loud and clear. Here we skip all the way to restoration in the millennium. Now, several places...

Now, I'm reading now from Jeremiah 31-32, talking about the New Covenant, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. See, when they came out of Egypt, they were at Sinai, and Moses had received the law, the statues, and the judgments, and they entered into a covenant relationship with God, and they said, I do, which was, in essence, the marriage ceremony. So, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the eternal. Now, different people with this thing about husband have tried to make it into different things. The husband part here, the Hebrew word, can mean or is.

My eye has to fall on this just a second here.

In some places, this word that's translated husband is balay, which is also a Hebrew word for Lord or overlord. But here it says that God was married to them and was their husband. So, even though he had given them a bill of divorcement back under the terms of the old covenant, he's saying, I am going to bring you once again to Zion, and I am going to restore you. Now, I will bring you to Zion. Zion is symbolic of the church. We have said this many, many times in our sermons and Bible studies, but we want to turn there and read it once again. Remember, Hebrews chapter 12, remember the book of Hebrews, compares and contrasts the old covenant with the new covenant. The old covenant had a tabernacle. The new covenant has a building not made by hands, the spiritual temple, the church. The old covenant had physical sacrifices of blood of bulls and goats. The new covenant had physical sacrifices of bulls and goats. The new covenant had spiritual sacrifices. The old covenant had a priesthood of Levi. The new covenant has a priesthood of Melchizedek. The old covenant promised physical blessings for obedience. The new covenant promises the kingdom of God. And I could go on, but let's go to Hebrews 12.

Now, what did I say the book of Hebrews does? Compares and contrasts the elements of the new covenant with elements of the old covenant. In verses 19, 20, 21, he's talking about how Israel was when they came to Sinai and they received the law. And God thundered and they didn't want to hear his voice. But in contrast to Sinai is verse 22. Instead of being at Sinai, you have come unto Mount Zion and unto the city. See, here are other synonyms for Zion. You come to Zion and the city of the living God. So Zion is the city of the living God. Zion is the heavenly Jerusalem. And to an innumerable company of angels. To the general assembly and church of the first born.

And now, of course, we are the first begotten, which are written in heaven, the book of life. And to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men, made perfect. So where we have come to now pales into insignificance, where they had come to under the terms of the old covenant. But here in Jeremiah 3.14, we see this promise, this prophecy, exactly what's being talked about here in Hebrews 12, that God is once again, in spite of all of the things that the northern kingdom had done, the southern kingdom, the nation of Israel as a whole, that he was going to bring them again to Zion. In order for them to be a part of the Israel of God, they would have to look upon him whom they have pierced, repent of their sins, and exercise faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their mission of sins, be baptized, and receive the laying of hands and the Holy Spirit. That's how, of course, you come, become a member, or you could say, a citizen of the Holy Nation. Now verse 15, and remember the kingdom, the millennial kingdom, will be ruled over by spirit beings, but their subjects might say are physical beings.

So, Jeremiah 3, 15, I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding, and it shall come to pass when you be multiplied. So, they are going to be married, giving in marriage, having children, and increasing the land, and those days, says the Lord, they shall say no more the ark of the covenant of the Lord, neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visit it, neither shall they be that be done anymore. So, we know where the ark of the covenant is now in the spiritual sense. The ark of the covenant contain a pot of manna, Aaron's rod that butted, and the Ten Commandments. So, where have we come today with regard to the ark of the covenant? So, we have gone to Hebrews 12. Now, we want to go to Hebrews 10 and see how this is fulfilled here.

In Hebrews 10 and verse 16, this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, of the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering or sin. So, through the blood of Jesus Christ, we go back up to verse 14. For by one offering, remember under the terms of the old covenant, they did continual offerings, but Jesus Christ offered himself once and for all, for everyone to have opportunity to accept his sacrifice, exercise faith, and that sacrifice have their sins remitted and removed as far as the east is from the west.

For by one offering he had perfected forever them that are sanctified. Wherefore the Holy Spirit all said also is a witness to us, for after that he had said before. So, the Ark of the Covenant, the principal message of what was in the Ark of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments, are now written on our inward parts. There will not be the Ark of the Covenant anymore.

You know, in the Ark of the Covenant, the cara had been faced inward on either end of the Ark, and the mercy seat was on top of the Ark, representing the very throne of God. So, we shall see somewhat quite a lot about the throne of God. I don't know who we get to it tonight in this study in Jeremiah.

Now verse 17, at that time they shall call it Jerusalem, but while here it is right here, at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it. It's very similar to Isaiah chapter 2 verses 1 through 4, when it says the nations are going to go up to Jerusalem and be taught, out of Zion shall go forth the law, and out of Jerusalem the Word of God. And all the nations shall be gathered unto it to the name, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem, neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days, the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel. As it says in Ezekiel 37, they'll become one stick. They'll be joined together. They will no more be at enmity toward each other. In those days, the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north, to the land that I have given for an inheritance under your fathers.

And that the inheritance that I gave unto your fathers, who are the fathers? The fathers are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. One of the elements the Abrahamic covenant was that God said to Abraham, look out before you from the great river from the Tigers, Euphrates, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and even south. But all of that land would be given to Israel eventually. It will be realized in the millennium. So I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. When you see that term in the under your fathers, I don't know if you remember the Bible study that I gave some time ago. This has maybe been three or four years with regard to the labor in the word study, that there are seven major dispensations, ways in which God has dealt with his people. We're now in the sixth dispensation, what is called the church age, or the age of grace and faith. And there was the age of the patriarchs, where the promises were passed from God to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to the nation of Israel.

And when we say to the nation of Israel, that does not mean exclusive, because the Israel of God is inclusive. The Israel of God includes all nations and all peoples.

God had to start somewhere, and he started with the nation of Israel physical, but for the purpose of bringing all nations into relationship with him.

Verse 19, but I said, How shall I put you among the children and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the host nations? And I said, You shall call me my Father, and shall I turn away from me?

So God wants us to look to him as our Father. You remember that passage in Romans, one of the nearest and dearest passages in the whole Bible. Let's go to Romans chapter 8. God wants us to look to him as a loving, merciful Father.

I remember that makes me think of the song that Terry Miller wrote way back years ago. He was a member of the YAs. I don't know what happened to Terry, but he wrote a song titled, Just Like a Loving Father, and all the things that a loving Father would do. But look at Romans 8, and verse 15. For we have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the Spirit of Sonship, that word that has translated adoption. I've said it a thousand times. It is huéo-thesia, and it means sonship. Why are we literally sons of God? Because the very essence of God is in us, just like when Father and Mother in the physical realm come together, and they are able to engender new life. So God, through His Spirit, gives us the begettles, the earnest, the down payment on eternal life, and we become begotten sons and daughters, and we are viewed as children of God. But we have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but we have received the Spirit of sonship whereby we cry, Abba, Father, and He is our Father, and He wants us to call upon Him our Father.

Now verse 20. Surely as a wife, treasure shall he depart from her husband. So have you dealt treasure shall he with me, O house of Israel, says the Lord. And we have already talked about her treacherousness. Verse 21. A voice was heard upon the high place, weeping, supplications, the children of Israel, for they have perverted their way, and they are forgotten the Lord their God. It seems that that voice, the scene of their idolater is the scene of their confessions, in which they cast aside their trust in these idolatrous high places and eventually turn to God.

But it seems that in order for people to turn to God, some kind of dramatic and traumatic conditions have to come upon them to the place to where they are absolutely no other place to turn. And then they turn to God. In Hosea chapter 5, and I'm sure this is referring to the Great Tribulation, return to Hosea chapter 5, the last couple of verses.

In chapter 5 of Hosea, you have Daniel, Hosea. In chapter 5 of Hosea, verse 14, For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and here Ephraim is used for the northern kingdom, and a lion, and a young lion to the house of Judah. See, northern kingdom, southern kingdom. I even I will tear and go away, I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

You see, we're in a time of a terrible pandemic at the present time in which it seems no one can rescue. They're talking about a vaccine. Some say it's very effective, some say it's not. Many say they will take it, many say they won't, and it continues to rage and ravage throughout the world.

Well, this is nothing compared to what is coming in the Great Tribulation. I will go and return to my place. So, God at some point says, all right, you want to have it that way? You can have it that way.

But I'll just go and return until you really see yourself and be willing to have a circumcised heart. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offense and seek my face in their affliction. They shall seek me early, and they'll be saying, come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, he will heal us, he has smitten, and he will bind us up.

It seems that people have to come to that state before they are willing to cry out, Abba, Father. Now we go to verse 22. Jeremiah, return, you backsliding children, so you apostasizing children. It's just, it has become a practice. It becomes a way of life. It's not just an apostasy. It is continual apostasizing. Behold, we come unto you, for you are the Lord our God.

Return, return is what God is saying over and over again. Turn in vain, salvation for from the hills. I'm misreaded. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills. You know, Psalm 15 to the hills, I will lift my eyes from whom I help comes. Truly in vain salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains. Truly in the eternal our God is the salvation of Israel. There's no other hope for the world, and the world has lost that almost completely. It's only a few, this remnant, that we are part of the nation, the holy nation, the church of God.

Now, there are many voices that are crying out. The peoples of this world know that things have gone askew, and they are terribly and awfully concerned. I just had a guy in my front yard just yesterday talking about how terrible things are, and he's involved in a prison ministry in which he's going into prisons and telling them about Jesus and about his love, which up to a certain point that's good, but the total picture of salvation. He finally asked me, well, what really do you believe? What is necessary? And I said, you have to come to the point where you understand who is God, what is God, what is his purpose, who is man, what is man, what is his purpose.

And to understand that the reason we were created in the first place was to become members of the holy nation, members of the family of God, and to rule and reign forever in the kingdom of God. It is not just give your heart to the Lord today without any understanding, though that's better than not doing anything, I suppose. Some say it's better to learn nothing than to learn error, but people are awash in the pollutions and corruption of this world. Now we go to Jeremiah 3.30-3.24. For shame has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their hers, their sons and their daughters.

We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us, for we have sinned against the Lord our God. We and our fathers from our youth, even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Eternal our God.

So this is Jeremiah's lament, his prayer for Israel to return to God and for Judah to return to God. Now at this time we are going to pause for questions and discussion and comments. If anybody has any comment, any question?

Anybody, any question, any comment?

Well, one thing I noticed, like in reading chapter 3, and then I think going into chapter 4, is like you said, God's mercy and his forgiveness. Even what Israel did, he always said return, return. And I circled all the returns in chapter 3 and 4, and there's quite a few of them.

Yeah, that's one of the main things that's emphasized. His love, his mercy, his forgiveness. Anybody else have a comment they wish to make? An observation, a question.

I think it shows that God is long suffering and more patient than we are, by far. By far, for sure. Okay, let's go for a few minutes in chapter 4.

If you will return, Israel says the Lord, return unto me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove. I mean, all you have to do is repent, and you shall swear the eternal lives in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

You know this thing, and I may be treading on deep water here with some, this part, and you shall swear the Lord lives in truth, in judgment, in righteousness, and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

Let's read Deuteronomy 6.13. Deuteronomy 6.13. You shall fear the Lord your God and serve him, and shall swear by his name.

Oh, you mean the Bible says we can swear by the name of God? Well, I didn't write this. Deuteronomy 6.13. Now we look at Deuteronomy 10 and verse 20. Deuteronomy 10 and verse 20. Just forward there a few pages. You shall fear the Lord your God, him shall you serve, and to him shall you cleave and swear by his name.

You know, we read this in James, and of course people talk about, you're not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain, but several times I could read other verses where it says swear by the name of God. Now we come to James if you would turn there. If you go to James chapter 4 and verse 13.

Go to now you that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain. Are we there James 4.13? For as you know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life, it is even a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. It is in essence swearing that you're going to do such and such.

Therefore to him that knows to do good and does not, it is a sin. Now in chapter 5 it's almost like one of the most relevant prophecies in the whole Bible, what you see unfolding before you today, is about the rich men. I just read a headline today with regard to how much richer the rich have become with regard to this virus of vaccine. That they have invested heavily in it, they'll control it, they'll get much of the profits from it. Now we pick it up in chapter 5.

Be patient therefore, brethren, under the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it until he received the early and latter rain. Be you also patient, establish your heart for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge stands before the door. Take my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience. Behold, you count them happy, which endure. Continuing in James 5, 511. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord, and that word end is in the Greek is telos, which means the result or outcome, that the Lord is very patient, compassionate, and of tender mercy. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven nor by earth, neither by any other oath, but let your yay be yay, and your nay be nay, yes, unless you fall into condemnation. So the message is, don't say you're going to do something, and you don't do it. Don't be wishy-washy. Let your yay be yay, and your nay be nay. Don't say on tomorrow you're going to do such a thing, such and such a thing, and swear by it. It is if the Lord will. God wants us to call upon His name, and He says He will deliver us in the time of trouble. Now we're going back to Jeremiah chapter 4.

And you shall swear the Lord lives in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, and the nation shall bless themselves in Him. Now this part of the nation's blessing themselves in Him. What would you say this has to do with?

I'm waiting for you to respond.

When it says, the nation shall bless themselves in Him, what is that having to do with?

How will all the nations be blessed?

By obeying God?

But more fundamental than that.

Obedience is a hunt.

Let's go to Galatians 3 and verse 15. Say, the nation shall be blessed in Him. Who is that Him? Messiah. So we see Galatians 3 and verse 15. Brother and I speak after the manner of men, though it be but a man's covenant. Yet if it be confirmed, no man dissanels or adds there, too. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said, not unto seed as many but of as of one, and to your seed which is Christ.

Therefore, you see, all nations are blessed through whom?

The Messiah. Messiah through Christ. Then you look at verses 26 to the end of the chapter, which will also confirm many of the things I've said already here this evening.

For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. So when we read from Jeremiah 4 and verse 2 that in him the nations are blessed, it's speaking of Messiah. And the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

You see how prophecy can be very subtle in this sense.

In one minute you may be talking about the immediate scene of destruction that may be coming upon a nation. But then a verse or two later you might be talking about restoration in Messiah.

Now we go to Jeremiah 4.3.

For thus saith the eternal to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Now fallow ground in the metaphoric sense means the hard heart. The hard heart. Break up the hard heart. Let your heart be tender. Let your heart be circumcised. Let the seed fall on good ground. Remember the parable in Matthew 13 with regard to this of sowing the seed among thorns. In Matthew 13.7, When some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprung up and choked them. So God is saying soften your heart. Break up the fallow ground. It's a metaphor for being tender-hearted, having a perfectly teachable heart.

The unhumbled heart is like ground which has not been cultivated. Has not been put to a good use. And what happens in ground that lies fallow? The weeds, the thorns, the thistles take it over. And we've seen that. We see it every summer in California, and especially the Western states. How that what used to be fields and forests tended have grown over, and it could be farmland anywhere. It's eventually going to be taken over by weeds and that which cannot be used. So that's what it's talking about when it says, break up your fallow ground and sow not among thorns. You have to have a perfectly teachable humble heart. And then this lays tells you for sure what that's meaning. Circumcise your hearts, circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the four skins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Lest my fury come upon you like fire and burn, that non-conquench it because of the evil of your doings. Circumcise your heart. And immediately we think of Romans 2 and verse 29. Romans 2, 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter. The letter representing that which is written. It's not just in what is written. It is in what's actually in the heart, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, take away the four skins of your heart, the hard fallow ground, and you men of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire, burn, that non-conquench, and because of the evil of your doings. Declare you in Judah and publish in Jerusalem, and say, blow you the trumpet in the land. Cry, gather together, and say, assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defense city.

So we're going to stop there for this evening. We will, the next Bible study, we'll take it up there. And Jeremiah 4 and verse 6, and once again, I want to give opportunity for questions, comments. I would like for you to be more participants than you are being at the present time. So, do we have any questions? Comment. Okay. Dr. Ward, I'll jump in with a thought. You were talking about swearing and swearing unto God, and what came to mind was in the book of Hebrews in chapter 6 and verse 13, it reiterates that God actually swore by himself. Right. Where no one higher you could swear by made promises to Abraham. And in Hebrews 6, 13, it says, for when God had made a promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, surely blessing I will bless you, multiplying I will multiply you. So after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for a confirmation is for them, an end of all disputes. Thus God determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath. Right.

God doesn't want us to take to ourselves the prerogative of swearing that we're going to do such and such and to act on our own. But we are accountable to God eventually in everything that we do. And that's one of the greatest lessons, of course, humankind has yet to learn, and maybe many of us.

So Psalm 15 talks about, we will dwell on your holy hill, and part of that is he swears by, swears unto his own hurt and does not change. If you make an oath, it's solid. And, you know, you don't, no matter what the consequence might be, I shouldn't have promised that, I shouldn't have given my word, you don't back down, you don't change. Assuming it's for righteous cause and not sin. Yeah, and that's what it says in James. Let your yes be yes and your nay nay. Don't be wishy-washy. In James chapter one, it talks about, if any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally, but let him ask in faith. And let that, let no man, the double-minded man, think that he will receive anything from God.

God does not like double-mindedness. It's singularity of mind with him first.

Thank you, Paul. Good comments. Anybody else?

Surely, somebody must have had a thought along the way.

I've got one. Okay. We had to drag it out of you.

I'm Mark Elliott.

My dad used to teach us that ancient Israel was allowed to swear because God was hoping that would keep them honest. But that didn't happen. So they would swear by God's name and then lie like a dog. So in the New Testament, Jesus took that away because they were just misusing it anyway.

Could that be the meaning of that?

Well, I don't think that erases what it says. And there are several places, as Paul pointed out, in the Old Testament that even God swore by himself that there is no greater. It just, what we're talking about, I think some people make too much out of...

Their point of righteousness is, I'm not going to say anything that I shouldn't. And that I'm not going to...

If I'm asked to raise my hand and say that I swear that I'm going to tell the truth, I'm not going to say I swear that I'll tell the truth. I'm going to say I confirm that I will tell the truth.

So what is the difference? But the main thing is, what God is saying is, if you say something to God that you're going to do, you are to do it. Let your yay be yay in your nay-nay.

Anybody else? Okay, we will wrap it up for this evening. Thank you very much for joining us.