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FROM TODAY’S RECAP:
- Jeremiah 7
- Deuteronomy 18:15-22
- Image: Yoke
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The Bible Recap
Day 226 (Jeremiah 26-29) - Year 6
SHOW NOTES: - Head to our Start Page for all you need to begin!- Join the RECAPtains- Check out the TBR Store- Show creditsFROM TODAY’S RECAP:- Jeremiah 7- Deuteronomy 18:15-22- Image: Yoke- TBR Start Page- Sign up for Dwell Differently - use code “TBR”!BIBLE READING & LISTENING:Follow along on the Bible App, or to listen to the Bible, try Dwell!SOCIALS:The Bible Recap: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | TikTokD-Group: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/XTLC: Instagram | FacebookD-GROUP:D-Group is brought to you by the same team that brings you The Bible Recap. TBR is where we read the Bible, and D-Group is where we study the Bible. D-Group is an international network of Bible study groups that meet weekly in homes, churches, and online. Find or start one near you today!DISCLAIMER: The Bible Recap, Tara-Leigh Cobble, and affiliates are not a church, pastor, spiritual authority, or counseling service. Listeners and viewers consume this content on a voluntary basis and assume all responsibility for the resulting consequences and impact.
- Duration:
- 9m
- Broadcast on:
- 13 Aug 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
Hey Bible Readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. Today's reading covers three separate instances where Jeremiah has run-ins with local leadership. The first story may have felt familiar to you. God sends Jeremiah to prophesy to the people entering the temple. This feels a lot like what happened back in chapter 7, and no one really knows if it's happened again, or if it's just being repeated here in this trio of examples of Jeremiah's struggle with the authorities. I'm inclined to think that it's the same story we read in chapter 7, mostly because God indicates that the people might repent, which sounds pretty different than what he's been saying lately. If it is the same incident, we get a few more details during this version of events. After Jeremiah's message, the priests and the prophets and all the people arrest him. In his trial, they accuse him of treason and false prophecy, offenses against both the political and religious groups. According to Deuteronomy 18, the penalty for a false prophet is death. They want him dead. One thing worth noting is that when they're making their charge against him, they conveniently leave out the part where God says he will relent of the destruction if they repent. But the people either hadn't listened closely to what Jeremiah said, or they tweaked it so they could accuse him. When Jeremiah is confronted with their false accusations, he clarifies the rebuke they've misquoted, but he does it with humble confidence, submitted to their authority. And he can do that only because he knows the greater authority they will answer to in regard to whatever they decide to do with him. He trusts God, regardless of the outcome. After hearing Jeremiah's side of the story, they acquit him. The people still want to kill him and his life is still in danger, but his life is spared by a haikim the son of Shafen. Shafen, by the way, was the scribe who found the scroll in the temple during Hezekiah's renovations. We may never remember the names a haikim or Shafen, but God is using their family behind the scenes in pretty significant ways. Just a reminder before we move on to chapter 27, Jeremiah scribe Baruch had collected a bunch of stories to put into this book, but he hasn't necessarily laid them out according to a perfect timeline. So as far as we can tell, the rest of today's reading happens after Babylon has invaded. In chapter 27, Jeremiah's next confrontation with leaders happens. This time, it's with the kings of five other nations. God has him dress himself up in straps and a yoke. In case you've never seen a yoke, we'll link to an image in the show notes. Basically, it's a long piece of wood that goes on the back of an animal or two animals, then a strap or another piece of wood goes around their necks. It's attached to a plow, which the animals pull when they walk. The animals aren't in charge because they're bound up in the yoke and the straps. They go where the farmer directs them to go. The point of this image is that God is going to make the nations submit to Babylon and King Nebby, like the animal submits to the yoke guided by the farmer. Around this time, some of the nations are plotting a revolt, and the false prophets of the day are, of course, rallying behind the revolt. But God wants the nations to know it's not going to happen. Nebby also calls Nebby his servant. And we've talked about this before, but it bears repeating, Nebuchadnezzar is not a follower of Yahweh, but he's still a servant of Yahweh, because God is making him serve his purposes. Jeremiah repeats this message to the king of Judah and the priest and the people. He says, "Judah has to submit to Babylon, too." And by the way, they're going to take all the temple furniture. Don't worry about it. God will bring it back to Jerusalem when he's ready. So far today, Jeremiah has confronted political officials and kings, among others. And chapter 28 brings us his confrontation with another prophet who also claims to be a prophet of Yahweh. His name is Hananiah. The two of them meet up in front of everybody, and Hananiah contradicts some of Jeremiah's previous prophecies. He says, "Remember that yoke we're supposed to be wearing, God has broken it. Babylon's not in charge of us anymore. And within two years, God is going to bring back the temple furniture and the exiles and the captives." Then Jeremiah says, "That sounds awesome. Since we know that all prophecies that are truly from God come true, then let's wait and see what happens in the next two years." This might just be humble hopefulness on Jeremiah's part, but it could also be a subtle rebuke. He knows time will tell the truth and will expose any false prophets and prophecies. Hananiah probably feels rebuked because he walks over to Jeremiah and breaks the yoke Jeremiah is wearing. Did you guys expect him to still be wearing it? I didn't. Apparently, it wasn't just for a one-time show. It's a constant reminder everywhere he goes. I'm telling you, being a prophet was not a fun calling. So Hananiah does this dramatic gesture, and Jeremiah lets him have the last word. But deep down, he's probably slightly relieved to have the yoke off his neck and is probably wishing chiropractors existed. Not long after that, God gives Jeremiah a two-fold message for Hananiah. First, that metaphorical yoke of wood on the necks of the nations has been replaced with a yoke of ironed. Yikes. Hananiah's lies led to greater oppression for the people. And second, as a false prophet, the consequences for Hananiah is that God will enact the death penalty himself. Not long after that, he dies. Chapter 29 recounts Jeremiah's words to the exiles who are being carried away into captivity in Babylon. And by the way, one of the Pony Express writers who delivers this letter to the exiles is another son of Shafen the scribe. Jeremiah's letter tells them, "Look, you're going to be an exile for a while. 70 years, remember? So here's what God says to do in that time. Make the most of where he's put you. Build houses, plant gardens, grow your families, try to improve the lives of the people around you. Unless the very city that has taken you captive, it won't just be good for them, it will be good for you too. And PS, don't listen to any of the prophets around you, they're liars, you're not coming home early. God has a plan and it's a good one, but it's going to take 70 years. Then he'll bring you back and restore what he's taken from you." God also reminds them that anyone who didn't listen to his warnings, those who didn't go into exile with them, they'll be punished with sword, famine, and pestilence. But the exiles are the remnant, they're the ones he's preserving. Finally, God directly addresses a false prophet named Shemaiah, who had contradicted and shamed Jeremiah to the exiles, then God punishes Shemaiah and his family. Today my God shot showed up in every story. It was the theme of God's protection over Jeremiah in the midst of all his accusers. From the people in the priests who try to kill him, to Hananiah the yokebreaker, to Shemaiah the Shamer, God kept proving himself. All Jeremiah had to do was stand firm in what God had said. He didn't have to have a clever argument. He didn't have to miraculously fuse the broken yoke back together. He just had to trust God in where God had placed him, which is what Jeremiah told the exiles to do too. And that's so much easier to do when we know the God who knows. That's what God calls himself in 2923. I am the one who knows. He knows. He knows. And he's where the joy is. Our mission at TBR is to help people read, understand, and love the Bible. And our friends at Dwelled Differently have a similar mission. They want to help others fix God's Word in their hearts and minds. Their scripture memory kits help you memorize God's Word. When you sign up for a Dwelled Differently membership, you'll get a monthly kit with a keychain, a print, and either vinyl stickers or a temporary tattoo, plus a digital kit with other fun perks. Go to dwelldifferently.com/tbr. Use code TBR for an additional discount of an annual membership, or click the link in the show notes. Can I just take a second and say thank you to each and every one of you who has invited someone to read through the Bible with us? Most of you found us through word of mouth, so thank you for spreading the Word and for listening. It's my deepest hope that this podcast, the books, and the YouTube videos will help people read, understand, and love the Bible. And it makes me so happy to find out that you've invited people to do that. Tell your cousins, call your friends, invite them to read with us. And one thing to remember when you're doing this is to tell them to start at the start, as opposed to jumping in where we currently are. That's the whole point of doing this chronologically so we can follow the whole storyline. The plot is important. So whether they plan on reading the entire Bible, or the New Testament, encourage them to start at the beginning of that section, we've lined up all the details for them on the start page of our website. So the best way to make sure they get off to a good start is to send them to thebiblerecap.com/start. The end. (upbeat music)