Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
We are looking at Jeremiah Chapter 21. I never want to find myself in the position King Zedekiah found himself in when he finally inquired of the Lord after the King of Babylon had laid siege on Jerusalem. He was hoping that God would perform a miracle and the enemy would turn away as they did during Hezekiah's reign. Look what God says to the King of Judah in verses 3 through 7.
But Jeremiah answered them, “Tell Zedekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in furious anger and in great wrath. 6 I will strike down those who live in this city—both man and beast—and they will die of a terrible plague. 7 After that, declares the LORD, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who want to kill them. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.--Jeremiah 21:3-7
Not only would the Lord not deliver the city from the enemy but He would fight on their side! The Lord's arm would not be outstretched this time to help and to show mercy but in wrath against His people. It says in Romans 8 if God is for us who can be against us. The converse of that verse is very frightening indeed! This is where King Zedekiah and the people of Judah found themselves. As always though the Lord's wrath is tempered with His mercy. See what God tells the people of Jerusalem in verses 8-10.
“Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. 10 I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the LORD. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire."--Jeremiah 21:8-10
God gave them a choice...surrender to the enemy and live or die in the city by the sword, famine or plague. You decide. Don't miss the picture here. In surrendering...in submitting to the enemy...they were actually confessing their guilt and submitting to the will of God because Nebuchadnezzar was God's instrument in judgment. Those who submitted lived. Those who did not surrender to the Babylonians and remained in the city perished. I am pretty sure there is a lesson in there for us...I will get back to you. : D
Girls, the only sane response to God's chastening hand is submission. Hebrews 12:9 says this: "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? It is important also to remember here that the leaders of Jerusalem had been given better choices earlier...unfortunately they waited until the enemy had surrounded them before asking the Lord for help. If you are practicing sin, the time to turn and repent is now...don't wait for disaster and judgment to be upon you.
The last several verses pronounce doom on the kings of Judah...the House of David. Here are the verses from Jeremiah 21:11-14
“Moreover, say to the royal house of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says to you, house of David:
“‘Administer justice every morning;
rescue from the hand of the oppressor
the one who has been robbed,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.
13 I am against you, Jerusalem,
you who live above this valley
on the rocky plateau, declares the LORD—
you who say, “Who can come against us?
Who can enter our refuge?”
14 I will punish you as your deeds deserve,
declares the LORD.
I will kindle a fire in your forests
that will consume everything around you.’”
God is simply reminding them of His covenant with them and urging them to obey. The words to the covenant can be found in 2nd Samuel Chapter 7.
As I end girls, remember that God is for us. If we have His Son we have life in His name. God, the creator of the universe, who conquered Satan, the ruler of this world, at the cross is FOR US! He who is in me, is greater than he who is in the world. Girls, there are many times during the day when my eyes just fill with tears and I am overwhelmed by His goodness and kindness toward me. If God did not spare His own Son when I was still His enemy, I can be sure that He will not withhold His gift of salvation from me...I can be sure that He will not condemn me...I can be sure that He will give me everything I need to live for Him..after all He gave His life for me when I hated Him. How much more will He freely give to me those things that are for my best as His daughter.
Love
Mom
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Same Lord is Rich to all who Call on Him...
But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”from above) or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls (that is, to bring Christ down on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”--Romans 10:6-13
Below are the verses from Deuteronomy 30:10-14 that Paul was quoting. I have included verse 10 for clarity.
10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
These verses in Deuteronomy emphasis heart belief and not just outward compliance. Paul changes the quote from Deuteronomy to refer to the gospel in Romans... "He saw “the commandment” or “the Word” as meaning “Christ, God’s Word.” So, he substituted “Christ” for “the commandment.” I really love this! Paul is saying here that the gospel is not hard...it does not tell us to do what is humanly impossible. Christ has already descended from heaven in the Incarnation. He has already risen from the abyss in the resurrection! He has already done it all. The work is finished and He is near! The gospel is easily attained, easily understood and and can be expressed in conversation! Jesus is known not through the philosophies of men but through a childlike faith.
What do you have to do obtain salvation. It's so simple. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and believe in your heart that He died for your sins at Calvary and that God raised Him from the dead in order that those who believe could live with Him forever. That's it. When a person does this, he is instantly justified. He now has Christ's righteousness imputed to him...he is saved. So simple...believe and confess.
Contrast that to what the Jew had to do and you can understand why they stumbled. They were so used to doing and obeying the law to obtain righteousness that this seemed ludicrous. There was nothing they could do to be justified before God except believe. Many rejected it out of hand. Their pride could not take the blow. Others, however, saw their own inability to keep the law and through that saw God's grace, surrendered and accepted His free gift.
Next, Paul quoting Isaiah 28:16, reminds us that when you do confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, God's word guarantees you will not be put to shame. Matthew 10:32 says, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. Our confession of Him here on earth, leads to His confession of us in heaven. He goes on to say that there is no difference between Jew and Greek and I love what He says next...the same Lord is rich to all who call on Him. How beautiful is that.! "They looked to Him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed."
Joel 2:32 is the last verse Paul quotes from in this section acknowledging that WHOEVER calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no difference in salvation...the Jew and the Gentile all need to call on the name of the Lord to be saved!
Romans 10:6-13 present a real challenge to the Jew both now and then. In order to accept the gospel, they needed to believe that God became a man and then rose from the dead. (Incarnation and the Resurrection) They also need to believe that they were just as guilty before God as the Gentiles they condemned. So many of us stumble here The gospel is so simple but it is in direct opposition to our pride and our desire be righteous in our own selves. We look at others through the eyes of our own pride and accomplishment and think that we will be acceptable to God in and of ourselves. We think that because of our good works God has to accept us...that He owes us some how. We forget that God is a debtor to no man...He cannot be controlled. He lays before us two paths...the path of righteousness by acceptance of His Son and His finished work on the cross or the path of destruction...the path we choose when we go our own way.
Warren Wiersbe presents a chart to his readers comparing faith righteousness to works righteousness...It is worth copying here.
Law Righteousness Faith Righteousness
Only for the Jew For “whosoever”
Based on works Comes by faith alone
Self-righteousness God’s righteousness
Cannot save Brings salvation
Obey the Lord Call on the Lord
Leads to pride Glorifies God
Law righteousness was only for the Jew, based on works and led to self-righteousness. It could not save. The Lord needed to be obeyed...instead of glorifying God it led to pride...
Faith righteousness was for whosoever and comes by faith alone. It is God's righteousness imputed to us that brings salvation when we call on Him. This kind of righteousness does not lead to pride because we can do nothing to earn it...we can only accept it as a gift. It glorifies our Father in heaven.
Love
Mom
Below are the verses from Deuteronomy 30:10-14 that Paul was quoting. I have included verse 10 for clarity.
10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
These verses in Deuteronomy emphasis heart belief and not just outward compliance. Paul changes the quote from Deuteronomy to refer to the gospel in Romans... "He saw “the commandment” or “the Word” as meaning “Christ, God’s Word.” So, he substituted “Christ” for “the commandment.” I really love this! Paul is saying here that the gospel is not hard...it does not tell us to do what is humanly impossible. Christ has already descended from heaven in the Incarnation. He has already risen from the abyss in the resurrection! He has already done it all. The work is finished and He is near! The gospel is easily attained, easily understood and and can be expressed in conversation! Jesus is known not through the philosophies of men but through a childlike faith.
What do you have to do obtain salvation. It's so simple. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and believe in your heart that He died for your sins at Calvary and that God raised Him from the dead in order that those who believe could live with Him forever. That's it. When a person does this, he is instantly justified. He now has Christ's righteousness imputed to him...he is saved. So simple...believe and confess.
Contrast that to what the Jew had to do and you can understand why they stumbled. They were so used to doing and obeying the law to obtain righteousness that this seemed ludicrous. There was nothing they could do to be justified before God except believe. Many rejected it out of hand. Their pride could not take the blow. Others, however, saw their own inability to keep the law and through that saw God's grace, surrendered and accepted His free gift.
Next, Paul quoting Isaiah 28:16, reminds us that when you do confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth, God's word guarantees you will not be put to shame. Matthew 10:32 says, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. Our confession of Him here on earth, leads to His confession of us in heaven. He goes on to say that there is no difference between Jew and Greek and I love what He says next...the same Lord is rich to all who call on Him. How beautiful is that.! "They looked to Him and were radiant and their faces were not ashamed."
Joel 2:32 is the last verse Paul quotes from in this section acknowledging that WHOEVER calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is no difference in salvation...the Jew and the Gentile all need to call on the name of the Lord to be saved!
Romans 10:6-13 present a real challenge to the Jew both now and then. In order to accept the gospel, they needed to believe that God became a man and then rose from the dead. (Incarnation and the Resurrection) They also need to believe that they were just as guilty before God as the Gentiles they condemned. So many of us stumble here The gospel is so simple but it is in direct opposition to our pride and our desire be righteous in our own selves. We look at others through the eyes of our own pride and accomplishment and think that we will be acceptable to God in and of ourselves. We think that because of our good works God has to accept us...that He owes us some how. We forget that God is a debtor to no man...He cannot be controlled. He lays before us two paths...the path of righteousness by acceptance of His Son and His finished work on the cross or the path of destruction...the path we choose when we go our own way.
Warren Wiersbe presents a chart to his readers comparing faith righteousness to works righteousness...It is worth copying here.
Law Righteousness Faith Righteousness
Only for the Jew For “whosoever”
Based on works Comes by faith alone
Self-righteousness God’s righteousness
Cannot save Brings salvation
Obey the Lord Call on the Lord
Leads to pride Glorifies God
Law righteousness was only for the Jew, based on works and led to self-righteousness. It could not save. The Lord needed to be obeyed...instead of glorifying God it led to pride...
Faith righteousness was for whosoever and comes by faith alone. It is God's righteousness imputed to us that brings salvation when we call on Him. This kind of righteousness does not lead to pride because we can do nothing to earn it...we can only accept it as a gift. It glorifies our Father in heaven.
Love
Mom
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