The Plowman

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An exposition of Jeremiah 34:1-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 30, 2008.

Introduction
Do you ever have trouble keeping your commitments? Do you ever promise and then fail to deliver? I find it is very easy to over-commit. To promise to do something because it is needed and I really want to help but the truth is there just isn’t time. The end result is that I disappoint and end up making matters worse. Have you ever promised to pray for someone and then forgot? Ever tell someone that you would call and let them know and then realize too late that you didn’t call? We all fail in these areas and thus cause hurt feelings, strained relationships and at times long-term emotional harm. But what if the one you fail is the Sovereign King of the universe? What happens when you promise God and fail to deliver?

Do you ever think about that? Do you ever consider what it means when you promise God something and then fail to follow through? I’m convinced most do not. I know that a lot of people repeat wedding vows with no thought to what ignoring them means. When you stand before a preacher in a wedding ceremony you take an oath before God to love, cherish, honor, respect and keep yourself only unto your spouse so long as you both shall live. Now with more than half of all marriages ending in divorce do you think those couples have given serious thought to what it means to toss that commitment aside? How many people make God a “promise” if He will just get them out of a jam? “Lord if you get me out of this I promise I’ll never…” – you fill in the blank. Too often we are like the man in the old joke who, fearing he was drowning, began to promise God great things. “If you just let me live I’ll give my life to foreign missions. I got to the jungles of Africa and live out my days preaching your word and loving natives into the kingdom.” As he got closer to the shore, “I promise Lord if you get me out of this I’ll take a week’s vacation and go on a mission trip.” Closer to shore he said, “Honest Lord I’ll give a huge offering every year to Lottie Moon.” Still closer he cried, “I’ll try to go to church more often.” As he drug himself up on the beach he said, “I’ll see you Christmas. Maybe.”

Is it an insignificant thing to promise God something? Is a commitment to God ever to be taken lightly? What does God think about it? We get an idea in our text this evening found in Jeremiah 34 beginning with verse 1.

Text: Jeremiah 34:1-26

Remember the context. Jerusalem is surrounded. They have been under siege for three years. Times are desperate. Word has already come through the prophet – Judah is going into exile. They will be in Babylon for 70 years. The king himself will be taken and will die in Babylon. Are you tempted to promise things when things seem hopeless? Is it reasonable to assume that desperate people take desperate measures? As we explore this chapter I think we come away understanding that…

Thesis: Failure to fulfill a solemn vow before God ignites His sovereign wrath.

Let me give you just a few examples:

For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have
despised the oath in breaking the covenant… Ezekiel 16:59

~

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my
covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. Ezekiel 17:19

Lets walk through this chapter together and note a few things along the way.

I. A troubling and yet gracious announcement. (34:1-7)
34:1 – sets the stage and reminds us of the severity of the situation. These are desperate times.
Nebuchadnezzar, his army, all the kings under his dominion, all the peoples. The whole world is against us. 34:6-7 reinforces it. So Jeremiah is sent to the king with a message from God. Keep in mind Jeremiah has already been imprisoned because of his preaching! How would you like to deliver this message?
34:2 – “A…king, your majesty…God said to tell you He has given your kingdom to the enemy and they are going to burn it to the ground and you are not going to escape. You will meet with Nebuchadnezzar face to face, eye to eye.” This was not going to be a pleasant chat! And yet note God’s kindness to Zedekiah – 34:4-5. All of this is background to what happens next. God was faithful and gracious though the king was not.

II. A treacherous deal. (34:8-11)
This is the Israelite version of the emancipation proclamation. A declaration setting slaves free. Slavery as practiced among the people of God in that day was scandalous. It was a clear violation of the law of God:

“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. Exodus 21:1-2

The same command is given in Deuteronomy 15:12.

“If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. Leviticus 25:39-42

The Sabbath Year and the Jubilee Year granted freedom to the captives. Because the people belonged to God, the could not be sold to one another. Now the king and the people had ignored God’s law for centuries. But now with the real prospect of “facing God” they decided to repent and obey God’s law. So they set their prisoners free. Why? Was it political? Was it “cramming for the final exam?” I don’t know what the motivation was – I just know it was not sincere!

34:11 – they revoked their repentance. They repented of ever repenting.

Back to where we started.

The threat is over? “Lord, I’ll see you Christmas. Maybe.” This is the way the ungodly respond to crisis. How many ungodly people send for the preacher when in the hospital but completely fail to acknowledge God once they are well? Crisis confessions often ring hollow. Not all. But most. That brings us to the final section…

III. A call for sovereign justice. (34:12-26)
God reminded them they were once slaves. He reminded them He promised deliverance. Yet He was faithful while they were faithless. 34:15-16 – this is a stinging rebuke. So this is what I will do – 34:17-19. I’m going to pronounce a little “freedom” myself. Freedom to the sword, pestilence and famine. He is handing them over to their enemies. Justice will be done.

What’s the point of all this? Failure to fulfill a solemn vow before God ignites His sovereign wrath. In practical terms – you are better off not to promise God you’ll so something than to promise Him and not do it. When you violate a vow you bring judgment on your own head. Be careful what you promise. You may take a bad situation and make it worse.

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An exposition of Jeremiah 33:17-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 23, 2008.

Introduction
Do you remember when you were a kid how hard it was to wait for something you really wanted? I remember going on vacation and we would be driving to Arizona or Florida and I’m sure it was before we even got out of town I began to ask, “Are we almost there?” Zac used to ask, as we would be on the way home from a trip, “’most home yet?” Children can be impatient. And some of us never grow out of it! Have you ever promised someone you would do something and then they hound you about when you’re going to get it done? You keep reassuring them and they keep asking. You find yourself getting a little irritated and you want to say, “Did I say I would do it? Then I’m going to do it – now back off!” But when the shoe is on the other foot and you are the one awaiting the promise you are just as impatient. And it gets much worse if you are waiting for something that is critical to you. Have you noticed doctors and hospitals have a completely different system for telling time? They are never in a hurry and it always, “This is something we really need to take care of so I’m scheduling you for next October.” If it is critical to my well being I don’t want to wait. I want to see some action now.

The army of Babylon had surrounded Jerusalem for 3 years. Things were desperate. They were dismantling their homes in order to reinforce the walls of the city. Even the palace of the king was being ransacked in the effort. The nation has turned a deaf ear to the warnings of God through the prophet Jeremiah and now when defeat and destruction are imminent they suddenly become “Bible scholars.” “God how can you let this happen? You’ve made promises are you going to fail us now?” I would laugh if it were not so tragic. I would launch into a scathing rebuke of the citizens of Judah were it not for the fact their attitude strikes too close to home. Have you ever felt that God has failed you? Do the troubles of life ever seem to cast shadows of doubt on God’s promises? Do you ever struggle with whether or not God is doing all He said He would do? If you say, “No” we need to talk because you are living in denial! When times are difficult and you are hard-pressed on every side you are going to falter. It is part of the “struggle of faith.” It comes with living in a fallen world and the fact that you are in the process of being made holy. God speaks to the prophet Jeremiah about His promise and His faithfulness. As we listen in we learn some valuable truths related to living by faith in less than favorable circumstances. Our text is found in Jeremiah chapter 33 beginning with verse 17.

Text: Jeremiah 33:17-26

Make sure you set this in context. Jeremiah had said this day was coming.
He told them Babylon would take the city. He also said that the king would be taken in exile and would die in Babylon. You are watching all of this come into reality. What’s going to happen to the kingdom once the king is gone? That was a very real worry.

Sometimes we worry about things not worth worrying about – but that is not the case here. This was a justifiable worry. You see God made a promise to David. Now the word on the street was that God had failed. David’s dynasty was coming to an end. So God called Jeremiah in for a little conference. And from this encounter we discover that…

Thesis: God responds to the troubled, questioning heart with a firm yet reaffirming reminder of His grace and faithfulness.

I want to just point out three things quickly.

I. God’s promise questioned. (33:23-26)
God says to His prophet – “Have you heard what the people are saying?” Do you understand what their questioning implies? They are saying that I have rejected the two clans I have chosen. The word “rejected” = cast off, scorned or treated with contempt. How could they accuse God of that? God says they have “despised” my people. The word means = to provoke or blaspheme (to speak evil of).

Are they thinking clearly? First you have to look at what God promised – that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 1 King 2:4

Do you remember what God had said earlier in Jeremiah 22:29-30:

O land, land, land,
hear the word of the LORD!
Thus says the LORD:
Write this man down as childless,
a man who shall not succeed in his days,
for none of his offspring shall succeed
in sitting on the throne of David
and ruling again in Judah.

Our problem is that we have a selective memory. We remember promises while forgetting obligations. We cling to privileges while ignoring responsibility. God is not obligated to do anything for them. They have repeatedly and flagrantly violated the covenant. Yet God is gracious even with these harden rebels. Keep in mind this is before there is any repentance!

There are times when we fail to recognize God’s grace towards us. Times when we feel slighted, overlooked or wronged. But the truth is we have it far better than we deserve and it is all by the grace of God.

Let’s back up and look at God’s response to this questioning attitude.

II. God’s promise restated. (33:17-18)
Context! He is still discussing “the branch” (33:14-16). Note – “a man” to sit on the throne…a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings…” The Branch will fulfill God’s promise to David of an eternal kingdom. Messiah’s coming will also mean the covenant with Levi will be kept. The Lord Jesus serves as both priest and king. He is the son of David; He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.

But do you sometimes wonder? Do you sometimes struggle with whether or not God has failed you? Are there times when the cares and sorrows of life are overwhelming? Times when your grief clouds your vision and faith is stretched to its limits? He is faithful to His word. Just how faithful is He? Look at this next section.

III. God’s promise assured. (33:19-22)
How certain is God’s promise? About as certain as the sun coming up in the morning! It He isn’t faithful – it won’t matter the world will come to an end. It you (sinful, fallen, rebellious man) can stop the sun from shining then I guess I could break my word. Translation – it isn’t going to happen.

Did the message take with Jeremiah? Well listen to his testimony from Lamentations 3:22-23:

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

The next time your heart is burdened or your faith is stretched beyond measure tune your ear to His voice and hear His firm yet reaffirming reminder of His grace and faithfulness.

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An exposition of Jeremiah 33:10-16. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, November 9, 2008.

Introduction:
How do you handle bad news? Are you the type that takes a deep breath and then carefully, strategically begins to map out a plan of action? Do you take bad news in stride and say, “This is the hand we are dealt – let’s deal with it?” Or would you say Chicken Little has nothing on you? For you bad news brings on full panic? Or maybe you’re the type that quietly retreats inwardly thinking, “if I ignore it – it might just go away.” Whether you are the type to wither at the first sign of trouble or you’re the type that would charge hell with a water pistol – given enough bad news we all have a breaking point. It could not have been worse than it already was for Judah. Jeremiah had warned them for 4 decades. He told them repeatedly their sin would find them out. God will not be mocked. You cannot ignore Him and not experience His judgment. Unless you repent His judgment will come and it will be devastating. But his preaching fell on deaf ears. Now the time of judgment had come. Nebuchadnezzar’s army had surrounded the city. Siege walls were built. Jeremiah is in jail. After 3 years under siege the citizens of Jerusalem have resorted to tearing down their own houses in order to reinforce the city walls. Not even the palace of the king was spared. Times were tough. They were about to enter into 70 years of exile. Jerusalem would be destroyed. The temple would be burned – its treasures taken to Babylon. The holy city would be a wasteland. Broken, demoralized and disheartened the people were ready to lay down and die when they received an extraordinary word from God. Our text this evening is found in Jeremiah chapter 33 beginning with verse 10.

Text: Jeremiah 33:10-16
We are in the “good news” section of Jeremiah’s prophecy. That section that tells of the “new covenant” that God is going to make with His people. In the opening verses we find some of that “new math.” You know – that math that doesn’t exactly add up. 33:5-9 – what? The things in 33:5 do not seem to go with the “Behold…” of verse 6.

Just when you are expecting the “finishing blow” God speaks of grace and mercy. This is not in response to repentance and faith – this is God’s choosing to be merciful. This is unmerited favor in the ultimate sense. This is God’s being faithful to His promise even when Judah was unfaithful to hers.

Thesis: Jeremiah 33:10-16 provides a powerful reminder of God’s gracious dealings with His wayward children. Let me point out just two things quickly from this text.

I. To downtrodden, discouraged and defeated followers God promises an amazing reversal of fortunes. (33:10-13)
This is an amazing thing because God promises to reverse the reversal in verse 11. “I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.” He is going to put things back as they once were. Before He brought this judgment on them. This is not cheap grace. This is not an immediate fix. They are going into exile. They will stay 70 years – but they will be kept as a people and restored to their land.

God will be gracious but there is a price to pay – look at how Judah and Jerusalem are described in verse 10 – “a waste without man or beast, in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast…”

The same thing is repeated in verse 12.

• There will be an end to joy and laughter.
• There will be an end to the joy of weddings and celebrations.
• There will be an end to economic prosperity.

But he promises three things in this passage:

• He promised to turn sorrow and mourning into gladness and joy – 33:10-11.
• Further He promises to bring praise and thanksgiving out of bitterness and loss – 33:11.
• Finally God promised that out of economic chaos and depression would come a thriving economy – 33:12-13

II. To a demoralized and shepherdless people God promises a good and righteous king. (33:14-16) Jeremiah joins the other prophets in telling of the coming of the Lord’s Christ or the Messiah. This is the basis for all those other promises. The blessings of God are yes and amen in Christ.

This will come about in those days of peace and prosperity. Not in the midst of hardship and struggle. Interestingly – in a time when shepherds are in the fields about Jerusalem and the land of Benjamin.

A righteous Branch will spring up for David and note “he” shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

This is in keeping with the other promises:

• “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5
• In that day the branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. Isaiah 4:2
• There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1
• Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. Zechariah 3:8
• And say to him, Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. Zechariah 6:12

Jeremiah 33:10-16 provides a powerful reminder of God’s gracious dealings with His wayward children.