Post by Woody Williams on Jun 24, 2008 10:01:21 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Jeremiah 38:1-13
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Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of
Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah
was saying to all the people, Thus says the LORD, Those who stay in
this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but
those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their
lives as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the LORD, This city
shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be
taken. Then the officials said to the king, ‘This man ought to be put
to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in
this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For
this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.’
King Zedekiah said, ‘Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is
powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the
cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the
guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the
cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king’s house, heard that
they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. The king happened to be
sitting at the Benjamin Gate, So Ebed-melech left the king’s house
and spoke to the king, ‘My lord king, these men have acted wickedly
in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the
cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the
city.’ Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Take three
men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the
cistern before he dies.’ So Ebed-melech took the men with him and
went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and
took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to
Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said
to Jeremiah, ‘Just put the rags and clothes between your armpits and
the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up by the ropes
and pulled him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court
of the guard.
Devotional
----------
If we are unwilling or unable to discern the movement of God in our
personal or community life, we will tend to deny that God would ever
work against us. Giving up what God is taking and taking what God is
giving is a principle of spiritual discernment. Jeremiah's
discernment was that God was bring them to defeat and destruction.
Others thought that God would never do that to them and plotted to
kill Jeremiah as a traitor. The doorway to resurrection is death; the
pathway to transformation is letting go.The judgment of God may
appear in our lives when we are unwilling to die or to let go of
whatever is killing us. Notice also how God cared for his
truth-teller, Jeremiah.
Prayer
-----------
Give me wisdom today, Lord, to notice where you are working in my
life - what you are taking and what you are giving. Amen
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Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of
Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah
was saying to all the people, Thus says the LORD, Those who stay in
this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but
those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their
lives as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the LORD, This city
shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be
taken. Then the officials said to the king, ‘This man ought to be put
to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in
this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For
this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.’
King Zedekiah said, ‘Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is
powerless against you.’ So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the
cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the
guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the
cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.
Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch in the king’s house, heard that
they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. The king happened to be
sitting at the Benjamin Gate, So Ebed-melech left the king’s house
and spoke to the king, ‘My lord king, these men have acted wickedly
in all they did to the prophet Jeremiah by throwing him into the
cistern to die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the
city.’ Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Take three
men with you from here, and pull the prophet Jeremiah up from the
cistern before he dies.’ So Ebed-melech took the men with him and
went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe of the storehouse, and
took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to
Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said
to Jeremiah, ‘Just put the rags and clothes between your armpits and
the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up by the ropes
and pulled him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court
of the guard.
Devotional
----------
If we are unwilling or unable to discern the movement of God in our
personal or community life, we will tend to deny that God would ever
work against us. Giving up what God is taking and taking what God is
giving is a principle of spiritual discernment. Jeremiah's
discernment was that God was bring them to defeat and destruction.
Others thought that God would never do that to them and plotted to
kill Jeremiah as a traitor. The doorway to resurrection is death; the
pathway to transformation is letting go.The judgment of God may
appear in our lives when we are unwilling to die or to let go of
whatever is killing us. Notice also how God cared for his
truth-teller, Jeremiah.
Prayer
-----------
Give me wisdom today, Lord, to notice where you are working in my
life - what you are taking and what you are giving. Amen