October 13
Jer 22:1-23:20 | PS 83:1-18 | Prov 25:11-14 | 2 Thes 1:1-12
We read in Jeremiah 23:5-6, "“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." This is a title for God: Jehovah Tsidkenu. This portion of Scripture was considered Messianic according to all of the Jewish sources: the Targum, Talmud, and Midrash. In the Targum of Jeremiah, it reads, "I will raise up for David the Messiah the just". That all the genealogies were lost in the Temple destruction in 70 A.D., no candidate after this time will fit. Jesus' genealogy is clearly written in Matthew 1, and Luke 3. Also, as in Isaiah 9:6, where we read, "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.", the coming Messiah would indeed be God. This really should not shock the Jewish individual, as the creation account in Genesis 1, along with the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4, “ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”, the most prayed portion of Scripture, distinctly uses the plural noun for God, “Elohim", which indicates three or more, rather than "El" which is singular, or "Ela" which signifies two. Additionally in the Shema , the word for one used is "echad" which signifies compound unity, as in Genesis 2:24, when a man and woman become one flesh, rather than "Yacheim", which denotes singularity. I write all this to encourage all of you that the deity of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was clearly written well before the incarnation. Also, the truth of His deity and the reality of the Trinity does not take away from our worship of One God, our monotheistic view, but is supported by Scripture for any with eyes to see and ears to hear.
Most have no heart for the things of God and look to our world to satisfy their deepest desires and to offer hope. Caught in the climate of one election cycle after another hopes are either elevated or dashed. But sadly, we often, even in the church see our world and our nation through rose colored glasses. Sorry, to say, we are just not that good. We read in Jeremiah 22:3 directed at the leaders, “This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent!” Can this be said of us? Is this not rampant? We read further in 22:9, “And the answer will be, ‘Because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshiping other gods.’” Worshiping anything other than the One True God is another god, by definition. This could be politicians, sports stars, celebrities, and even the most popular false god, “self”. May we read this verse soberly as it screams at America in 22:21, “ I warned you when you were prosperous, but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’ You have been that way since childhood—you simply will not obey me!”
So, we have a choice. We can stake our hope on our Living Hope, Jesus Christ, who was prophesied about clearly as we see in Jeremiah 23:5-6. Or we can continue to misplace our hope on anything or anyone else, as we read in Jeremiah 23:1, “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.” Leaders then, as now, will lead the flock away with false and lofty promises, as we read in 23:16-17, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord! They keep saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No harm will come your way!’” Though names of nations and people change, people are people, and leaders will be leaders. So, please choose wisely.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: