Daily Bible Study

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Day 15 Jeremiah 15 15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. 2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? Then thou shalt tell them, Thus says the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. 3 And I will appoint over them four kinds, says the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. 4 And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall go aside to ask how thou do? 6 Thou hast forsaken me, says the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting. 7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. 8 Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city. 9 She that hath borne seven languishes: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the LORD. 10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me. 11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. 12 Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel? 13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders. 14 And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou know not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you. 15 O LORD, thou know: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? 19 Therefore thus says the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20 And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, says the LORD. 21 And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. How many times do you warn your children of the consequences of their behavior before you punish them? God had been warning his people for hundreds of years, and still Israel and Judah refused to turn to him as their King and God. God determined their punishment and said that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him, he would not relent on the punishment he was about to mete out. Why would God give so many warnings of the consequences? Why not punish and get it over with? God loves his people. He always has and always will. He doesn’t want to punish his people, any more than a parent wants to punish their children, but he must. God even gave the time for the punishment, after Manasseh. God’s love for his people, and the world, was such that in order to give mankind an opportunity for redemption, he sent his Son, Jesus, to die, taking your place on the cross, so you could enjoy eternal life with him in heaven. The only thing you need to do is accept the blood sacrifice of God’s Son, and your punishment will be traded for eternal life with him in heaven. It’s that simple and easy. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. All you need to do is believe. Jesus did the rest. He died, was buried, went to Hell in your place, and rose again the third day. If that isn’t enough, he sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you when you sin against him. Will you turn God’s punishment against you into a testimony of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness, as you accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, trading your chains to freedom in knowing him, the one true God, and Jesus, his Son. Let’s pray: Father, help me trust you more each day. Clothe me in righteousness, because I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Do not let your punishment rest on me, as I seek you daily with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 3 November 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay