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 A Bible Teaching Ministry of Galyn Wiemers
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August 6 - Evening
"Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing.
I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;
I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,
'Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.'
But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously
and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying,
'Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or
you will die by our hands!'
— therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:
'I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.
Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth
in the year of their punishment.' ”
- Jeremiah 11:18-23 |
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| Hometown Haters Will Hate the Hometown Prophet |
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There was a plan to kill Jeremiah that the Lord revealed to Jeremiah. Even though the Lord warned Jeremiah at the beginning of his ministry by telling him that his words would not be accepted and people would oppose him (Jeremiah 1:17-19), Jeremiah like all of us, assumed that people would be ready to hear the truth and pleased with the hope the Lord offers to those who embrace his Word.
So, Jeremiah is caught off-guard when his life is threatened by the people of his own hometown, the priestly village of Anathoth.
“I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter;
I did not realize that they had plotted against me.” - Jeremiah 11:19
The reason for the hatred of the local boy by his own townsfolk would include the fact that Jeremiah had sided with King Josiah’s reforms. These reforms included the shutting down of the high places located in all the villages and towns throughout the land of Judah. The shutting down of the Anathoth high place religious center effected the economy, the prestige and the job opportunities.
In his twelfth year he (King Josiah) began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem.
- 2 Chronicles 34:3-5
In this case, imagine Jeremiah as a talk show host that supported the president’s policy!
The people realized Jeremiah was speaking words as a prophet and that his words would either have a supernatural effect and come to pass, or Jeremiah’s words would have a social effect and turn public opinion. Jeremiah’s priestly relatives knew the only way to stop a prophet and the influence of his words (be it spiritual or social) was to “destroy” the prophet himself. In other words, uproot the tree in order to prevent the fruit from forming. |
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“The purpose of the government is to maintain order not impose the Christian faith.”
- Galyn Wiemers |
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93% of John’s material in the Gosple of John does not appear in the synoptic gospels (Mt., Mk., Lk.). The gospel of John was written for both believing and non-believing Greek readers. John’s introduction is full of Greek thought. Clearly John is writing to a non-Jewish group sometime after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD since he explains Jewish customs, translates Jewish names, and locates sites in Israel. John’s purpose is to present Jesus as divine. He begins his book by saying “the Word became flesh” (1:1) and ends by quoting Thomas as saying, “My Lord and My God” (20:28). John’s purpose statement can be
found in 20:30-31:
“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John records seven signs done by Jesus and follows each of them up with a discourse taught by Jesus
to explain the intended meaning of the sign. |
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Greater desire
to know God |
Avoid legalism |
Minorities |
South Korea |
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| Reps & Sets is a daily Bible devotional for Christians from Generation Word Bible Teaching used each morning and evening. |
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