October 23
Jer 42:1-44:23 | PS 92:1-93 | Prov 26:3-5 | 2 Tim 2:1-21
Most don't give a second thought about God or His Word, the Bible. Of those who do, many, if not the majority, use it to affirm themselves. Approaching the Bible with preconceived thoughts, lifting up their own opinions, they seek God's Word to bolster their own opinions and prove their stance. With a verse here, a chapter there, more often than not taken completely out of context, they can erroneously make the Bible say things which it really does not. That is why the only way to approach the Bible is in humility, submitted to the authority of Scripture, taking in the entirety of its contents and allowing the words to speak for themselves rather than trying to make them fit into our pre-existing construct. The Word of God is not a self-help book though it can indeed help self. It is not a mystery novel in which we look for hidden and concealed meanings behind every passage. The Bible, except for obvious areas of allegory in the poetic sections, is meant to be taken literally. The Bible is common sense if taken in context, rather than trying to allegorize sections. When we try to fit the Bible into our construct, as harsh as this might sound, the one doing so has elevated themselves to demi-god like status and designated the God of the Universe as their employee.
We read in Jeremiah 42:1-4, "Then all the military leaders, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, approached Jeremiah the prophet. They said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. As you can see, we are only a tiny remnant compared to what we were before. Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go.” “All right,” Jeremiah replied. “I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked, and I will tell you everything he says. I will hide nothing from you.”" After Jeremiah approaches the Lord and ten days later receives the message that the people remaining are to stay in the land of Judah and not defect to Egypt, along with the consequences that will happen if they ignore God's message through Jeremiah, we read their response in 43:1-2, "When Jeremiah had finished giving this message from the Lord their God to all the people, Azariah son of Hoshaiah and Johanan son of Kareah and all the other proud men said to Jeremiah, “You lie! The Lord our God hasn’t forbidden us to go to Egypt!" They weren't truly seeking, they wanted God to affirm their plans. They went off to Egypt and we see their true heart in 44:15-17, "Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols—a great crowd of all the Judeans living in northern Egypt and southern Egypt—answered Jeremiah, “We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like—just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles!"
God needs to be seen accurately, not presented in a way to tickle the ears of people who want to fashion the God of the Bible into a god of their own making to make themselves feel good or to justify their pre-conceived thoughts. We read Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:9-10, "And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen." He further states in 2:15, "Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth." We can only present God's Word honestly if we, ourselves, are willing to be students of the entirety of Scripture and approach it being submitted to its message. It is God's Word, not our words, may we never forget this. He is God, and we are not, but all praise to God that He has given us these sixty-six books called the Bible to direct our steps and straighten our paths and direct others to do so as well through the entirety of His Word.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: