Jeremiah the Message and Messenger—Chapter 33

For Jeremiah chapters 1-16 click here: https://vallee7.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/jeremiah-the-message-and-messenger/

For Jeremiah chapters 17-29 click here: https://vallee7.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/jeremiah-the-message-and-messenger-part-2-2/

For chapters 29-32 click here: https://wordpress.com/post/vallee7.wordpress.com/7073

My photo of Shetland Sheep that I shot in Shetland, Scotland

Christians are the sheep of God’s pasture

Through this study, we have certainly come to know a man who was unafraid to stand solo on righteousness. Was he the only one who preached against cultural ways in Jerusalem at this time? Yes! All other preachers followed a let’s blend-in philosophy or let’s be trendy. Not desiring to offend with asking people to repent of their sinful ways including sexual and idolatry—statue/dolly worship. They even murdered their babies in worship of satan when offered to idols. Yes, I have repeated this often regarding separation. Repeated warnings are crucial as we note with highway warning signs continually set before us. The roads we frequent, we navigate perfectly; yet, the signs never vanish lest we forget.

A woman on the radio stated she aborts her children in worship of satan. And abortionists say, “Hail satan.” Ladies can view the video on Rumble. You can type in the search bar, “abortionists chant hail satan.” While pro-lifers sing Amazing Grace you can hear satanists speaking, in the background, the words. I am not posting due to some immodesty.

God’s warning to believers—2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 14-16: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God . . . “

This separation can also include separation from the world’s entertainment that can penetrate the heart to compromise. We must be cautious of staged, bright flashing lights with special effects and alluring costuming. Our minds are to be set on innocent purity. We are commanded to expose evil not reveal any approval.

2 Corinthians 7:1 teaches that we must cleanse ourselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. We must fear God as a child fears a parent’s punishment for disobedience. Parents are to spank and God spanks, in His own way, His beloved children if we disobey. And, we praise God for His discipline as we, dumb sheep, require the guiding, shepherd’s crook to move us to the right path at times. God informs that His children who reject His disciplining spank are fools—“Fools reject discipline.” We require transplanted hearts that are not prone to wander from our Savior. We are commanded to be strong and immovable, abounding in the work of the LORD; 1 Corinthians 15:58. And the LORD is able to make us stand. (Romans 14:4)

In verse one of this chapter, we note Jeremiah is still in the court of the guard at King Zedekiah’s palace. If you will remember, this sentencing occurred at the beginning of chapter 32. Even though imprisoned, we read that he offered praise to God in verses 17-25 in chapter 32. We see similar actions in the book of Acts where those jailed for their faith uplifted praises to the LORD. They counted it a privilege to suffer for His name!

We read as well in verse one that the “word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.” This was how verse one commenced in the previous chapter; however, “the second time” is added here. The Lord immediately reminds Jeremiah of His omnipotence. This is something magnificent to dwell on when you are suffering for God and His ways of holiness. Those who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted and this includes even in the church with so-called Christians who hate the holy ways of purity and justice. And will not confront those living in sin/Biblical disobedience.

It was our all-powerful LORD who made the earth and “formed it to establish it!” There is no questioning this truth. This is the same immense God who spoke to Jeremiah; He is the One who resides in our hearts today if we are born again to the living hope.

Verse 3 is an inductive truth to keep in the forefront of our minds as we are to always desire His knowledge—not men’s. Jeremiah is given a promise from God. If He calls on the LORD, He will answer and tell him “great and mighty things” which he does not know. Even in prison, Jeremiah can be blessed with godly, inductive fellowship with His LORD. God will answer Jeremiah in this because he is a godly man. The LORD did not offer this act of knowledge and grace to the false teachers. This is something we should continually seek to request as we desire the understanding of our LORD’S Word not the familiarity of a sinful world. And we must be Bereans, making sure all things taught in the name of Christianity align perfectly with Scripture.

I am always grateful and amazed at the insights Christ grants me from His Word. He is a very gracious God. However, we are all aware that many of His ways are beyond human comprehension. His ways are past finding out. Our new heavenly bodies will be able to grasp what we are unable to at this point. What a day of rejoicing that will be!

God speaks of the dreadful facts of annihilation in verse 4. The truth is Babylon is invading and they have made siege ramps to conquer Jerusalem’s city walls.

Siege Ramps: “The engineers who supervised the construction of siege ramps applied sophisticated mathematical calculations to the task, as an Old Babylonian mathematical problem reveals. This calculation reveals how many men and how much time would be necessary to complete the ramp to reach the top of Jerusalem’s walls. The ramp neutralized the wall, but assault teams had to fight their way uphill, a severe disadvantage in shock tactics. However, the limited space at the top of the wall prevented the defenders from drawing up in depth. Finally, the time required to construct the ramp gave the defenders time for countermeasures, such as raising the height of the wall or building an interior wall to seal off the section of outer wall against which the ramp rose.”

Jerusalem has to defend herself! She had to build more protection within the city. She was desperate to make fortification within as she, no doubt, had ascertained it would not be long before the Babylonians would conquer the walls through the implementation of their strategic ramps. Jerusalem tore down magnificent buildings, using the rubble to construct protection from her enemies. This is desperation at its zenith. God informs the people through Jeremiah that their tactics are useless. They will be conquered—they will be mass murdered. Some will be removed to captivity. God lets it be known that He is slaying the people though it appears that the Chaldeans or Babylonians are performing this judgment. This is His entire plan as He is executing His attributes of anger and wrath. Things are not always as they appear.

Verse 6 is a promise of hope amidst all this terror, death, and disease . . . God will someday restore this broken land. We know that the future Jewish descendants of these cursed ones were blessed by being re-established in the land. They obtained the “peace and truth” and the “healing” guaranteed in this verse. God is a God who heals and restores. Countless believers can testify to this fact. We read also that their fortunes would be restored. Homes and crops would begin to appear 70 years hence the promised captivity; Jeremiah 25:12.

Verse 8 is the most amazing of assurances as the Lord would wash away and pardon all their sins or iniquities. He was going to bring total cleansing. He informs, “They sinned against” Him. David penned, he had sinned against God and Him alone; Psalm 51:4. Of course, this also can remind us of the promise of forgiveness in 1 John 1:9—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Most wondrous to know He cleanses us of all unrighteousness!

Future generations, generated from these Jews, would repent of their sins with all sincerity of heart.

Within the book of Esther, we see humble people readily ready to call upon the LORD when distress arises. Through living in pagan captivity, they learned to appreciate their God and this was one purpose of the captivity. Also, to learn to be obedient and live in holiness and truth.

Because the LORD is going to perform such a great feat amongst these people, it will cause the pagan nations to acknowledge all that the LORD has done. They will not be able to deny His faithfulness.

The interesting crux is these nations will experience “fear and trembling” due to the power of the magnificent, eternal, LORD King. We are commanded to fear and tremble before God as well in Philippians 2:12. We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling! If we truly know our holy God, we will fear Him. This should cause us to tremble, keeping us from sin. We all reap what we sow. And we must recognize all our sin pains the heart of our LORD God.

We may have felt fear and trembling when we experienced God’s omnipotent power through His creation marvels, such as being caught in a lightning storm with intense flashes surrounding us. I had been in such a storm in Spain and I, in fear, prayed to the LORD for His protection and He did preserve me.

The right kind of holy fear can never be accomplished if we have pride held in our hearts. We and others deserve not to be feared and trembled before. It is God, who can kill both the body and soul and cast into fiery hell, that deserves reverential fear.

We must always keep this in mind when in prayer when we approach our omnipotent Father of Glory. Great reverence and fear for our God and King is to be an intricate part of our relationship with Him. Paul spoke of trembling when he came to the Corinthians in all humility and fear as a nobody; 1 Corinthians 2:1-3.

There is a wrong kind of fear enacted by gaslighters and there are many gaslighters who can come into our lives. They are manipulators and controllers. They are in our midst if we associate with many people. They may even be family members. We must not allow them to control us by trying to make us fear them via their arrogant tactics, angry words, and threats. They may even recruit others to verbally attack you or set traps if you do not submit. Sadly, there are many pastors who love to gaslight congregants to keep them bowing down to them in a sense. They put themselves first and God and His holy Word last. If you show them in the Bible any false teaching they spout, they will go on the defense and may even push you out of the church through hateful acts. Pastors often have their little cliques/Mafia of hate who will do anything he tells them, even lie for him, just to be elevated by him with many thanksgivings. They can even be physically intimidating. I know one woman who was shoved into a door because she refused Calvinism/reformism. And another who was held down as Calvinism was verbally pushed on her. Interestingly, Dr. John MacArthur stated that Christ Jesus pushed Paul into the dirt and forced him to follow Him. Of course, this is a lie and not what Scripture states. People have told me of violent acts of even pushing things over that have occurred in Calvin-minded churches. Usually, this results from the pastor’s Mafia going crazy over questioning what is unbiblical. One woman told me she could tell a pastor wanted to jump over his desk to choke her for bringing sin to his attention regarding one of his counselors. He knew it was true and didn’t want it exposed.

Parents must be all so cautious as church leaders have moved child-molesting pastors to other churches where they rape children again. These pedophiles need to be hung from the highest of trees.

We note throughout this book that Jeremiah was continually sought after; the religious leaders even wanted him dead for being true to God’s Word. He did suffer physical persecution in his day of the religious apostasy.

On the day of judgment, many will think they are going to heaven, but Christ will say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity/sin/Biblical disobedience.

Paul confronted these types of people in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. The Corinthians would even let the arrogant hit them in order to remain in their good graces and in their clique of uppity persons. We must walk in caution in churches as the apostasy is grave, walk with the lowly, and consider all better than ourselves as Scripture exhorts.

Returning to Jeremiah, the LORD continues His truths by reaffirming all His previous words, and He adds that the voice of rejoicing in a marriage will occur again in Israel; verse 11. We note that this rejoicing is giving thanks to God for His lovingkindness which is everlasting.

This possibly became part of a thanksgiving song or benediction/blessing for weddings after their return to the Holy Land for we note in this verse that all would state these truths. Of course, this praise resembles many praises we find in Scripture that we can implement as we worship. This praise was also a part of temple worship for the Jews as they brought the thank offering/peace offering; Leviticus chapters 3-7.

“This was, indeed, a season of happy fellowship with God in which He would oversee as Israel’s Guest at the sacrificial meal, even as He was always their Host. Thus, it symbolized the spiritual truth expressed in Revelation 3:20, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will have supper with him (sweet fellowship and holy communion), and he with Me.’ In peace-offerings the sacrificial meal was the point of main importance. It is this sacrifice which is so frequently referred to in the Book of Psalms as the grateful homage of a soul justified and accepted before God (Psalm 51:17; 54:6; 56:12; 116:17,18).

“The two lambs that were offered every year at Pentecost (Lev 23:19) were a public peace-offering, and the only one which was regarded as ‘most holy.’ (From Deuteronomy 27:7 commentary from Clark’s Commentary)”

These people would be immensely grateful at the time of their return. The praise with offerings would be deeply heartfelt. All that they possessed before the captivity was restored when they arrived in their homeland. Our LORD God always holds to His promises. He is good—full of gracious love and compassion.

God will also bless His animal sheep as they will be at peace, able to lie down without fears; verse 12—“. . . In this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all its cities, there shall again be a dwelling place of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.” This cannot help but remind one of the 23rd Psalm where David says He makes me to lie down in green pastures. What a restful thought for us who have the peace of Christ on us in all circumstances, including the deadly.

I heard a loving pastor tell of a fellow pastor/friend who had just lost his son in a car accident. He was grieved beyond imagination, but his first words to him were “The Anchor Holds.”

Sheep Smart

Sheep have always been a staple commodity for the Holy Land. This critter is full of blessings from the LORD. They assist mankind in providing the bare necessities—food, drink, clothing, insulation, and more.

God consistently exposed the domestic herdsman’s role to teach us illustrations concerning Christ’s love for His children. We also learn how stupid we are by observing sheep and how needy they are, requiring tender leading and constant oversight.

This subject continues in the next verse as “The flocks will pass under the hands of one who numbers them.” Our Lord devotes two verses to these wooly, dull-witted animals. I always thought counting sheep was a joke, but obviously, it was something herdsmen engaged in with significant performance. They had to ensure all were accounted for. If one or more were missing they had to be found; even at significant personal cost at times. Christ gave His life for we, His sheep. The shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep is a true shepherd. (John 10) Many pastor-shepherds have sacrificed their lives for their sheep congregations in other lands for standing strong in Christ.

Persecuted pastors often remain steadfast in evangelism, preaching, and discipleship even when their lives are threatened.

Some are imprisoned, and even after being imprisoned, they return to ministry. We need to always remember the persecuted church through our intercessions for them. Also intercessions for the families of pastors/shepherds who have been murdered.

David is a picture of an excellent true shepherd who fully knew how to guard his sheep. This assisted him when he later slew Goliath and later still as a reigning military leader and king.

Our mighty, holy Shepherd is the One who provides and restores as we read here in Jeremiah.

In John 21:15 and following we read, that Peter was to be an apostle-shepherd. He was commissioned by Christ to pastor the church as a human shepherd. This was a great calling that Christ assigned to him in this passage. It is a high calling of responsibility and faithfulness. It was all to be performed out of his great love for His Savior-Shepherd. We, as Christ’s lambs, need all the Biblical assistance we can obtain. We all must grow through discipleship and that is part of the pastor’s role in tending God’s lambs, rightly teaching the Bible and only the Bible with no added teachings.

Peter resigned all as a follower of Christ, him becoming a shepherd to believers. Jesus Christ let Peter know in John 21:18-19 that he would be a sacrificial keeper of the sheep.

Sheep-worthy facts:

My video about sheep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZQrECzAX7w

And another video:

God created sheep to assist with man’s daily needs. Sheep are silent when sheared, but not goats!

I have crafted handcream using lanolin that God allows sheep to produce, though this unique substance does more than just soften hands. It conditions and protects the wool on sheep.

“Wool fibers are hygroscopic (retaining moisture from the air), and are hollow. Wool ignites at a higher temperature than cotton and other fibers, making it self-extinguishing. It is often used in firefighters’ uniforms and in other environments where safety from fire is concerned.”

Coming blessings galore are revealed in verses 14 and following. In some instances, Jeremiah resembles John with his revelation disclosures.

God is our hope revealed in ages past, now, and in times to come. Verse 14 informs us—that days are coming when God will fulfill the good word concerning His people, the Jews.

Verse 15 is Messianic as Christ the “righteous Branch” is mentioned here. He will come and “execute justice and righteousness on the earth.” We all look forward to a time when wicked and vile mankind of this earth will no longer be present. Christ’s justice will not allow infamous debauchery to exist and it will exit. Crimes of the unthinkable are increasing with acceptance, and we wonder how long before Christ will reign in all His holiness and righteousness.

Judges and juries seem to uplift child molesters as they did with Michael Jackson. He vocalized filthy, perverted, sexual lyrics. What is disheartening is how many children are held in bondage to the rock beat, listening with pleasure to the wicked and filthy recordings of countless, so-called music artists.

When Jackson was exonerated, many young people and adults rejoiced. Many so-called Christians adored him and still do.

Christ is our only hope; our only hope of not being sucked into society and its tolerant ways of minimizing the evil everywhere present. He is our only hope of not being sucked into the open-door policies of churches, where all are welcomed no matter their lifestyles and beliefs. You have so-called churches flying gay flags and the deadly, Black Lives Matter flags.

We look toward Christ’s reign when Israel will dwell in safety; verse 16. Jerusalem will “be called the Lord is our righteousness.” Jerusalem means “The Holy City.” It will be righteous and holy when Messiah reigns. Oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be! There will be no fear. No one will have to lock their doors as all will be safe! No one will be stocking others to murder or molest. No sinful activities will be witnessed.

Christ will reign forever and ever on David’s throne, therefore it will never lack a righteous man. (Verse 17)

Verse 18 speaks of the future temple where Aaron’s descendants, the Levites, will minister “continually.” We do not know why there will still be sacrifices. I believe it may be to look back to what Christ accomplished on the tree of crucifixion. Before His death and resurrection, sacrifices looked forward to His perfect atonement for all sin.

Numbers chapter 25 informs us of righteous Phinehas—a man who murdered a man and a woman. A Jewish man joined with a pagan woman, a Midianite, to be his as they both desired one another despite the unequal yoking/union. Phinehas removed the sin from Israel by piercing them through. Because of Phinehas’ righteous act, God declared there was a covenant of perpetual priesthood. (Numbers 25:13) Someday all that is stated in Jeremiah and other passages concerning “continual” sacrifices will come to light.

World Time Zone: Jeremiah 33:25 caused me to recognize something new, the covenants of day and night that possess their “appointed time” and “fixed patterns.” This “appointed time” establishes day and night throughout the earth. It can be one day here and another abroad extending from the International Date Line. You can perform a search and view this date line that illustrates the variation of a day’s passing or coming according to Christ’s appointed times as He rotates our synchronized globe.

Our God is past or beyond finding out. Who can even begin to explain global rotation in its exact promptness?

It is beyond stupidity when secular news media keeps proclaiming life can be ascertained by going deep in the ocean or by probing exploding stars—cosmology’s dark energy. If the so-called scientific among us simply evaluated time’s intricacy, he would know it omnipotently excels any human-designed watch. Absolutely nothing, they believe, brought all into existence. Men, who are not absolutely nothing, cannot even produce a single strand of human hair from nothing.

We are entirely blessed to be able to just praise the LORD out of the gift of faith for all His attributes displayed through visible creation without having to figure anything out. What peace we enjoy that the unrestful world cannot even begin to comprehend. The unregenerate wish to find proof there is no God so death holds no fear with eternal consequences. They hope God cannot resurrect them if they are cremated or better still, if their ashes are dispersed over land or water. They cannot truly comprehend a totally omnipotent God who can resurrect everyone who has ever lived no matter the obliteration of bodily remains.

God continues to affirm His Word that cannot be changed or invalidated just as His covenant with David, verse 22, of an eternal king who will forever reign on His throne, the righteous Branch—Christ, verse 15, 23:5, and Zechariah 3:8-10.

This verse, in Jeremiah, also states the Levitical priests will always minister as well. These priests do not minister today, but they did when the Jews returned to the land and they will again during the millennial period as was stated above.

More of the omnipotence of God is revealed in verse 22. The creation of God is so intricate that we cannot even begin to count the sands of the sea. What evolutionist, who boasts in his arrogance, has ever counted the sands of the sea or the stars of heaven that extend beyond this universe. What evolutionist has ever created one minuscule grain of sand or a magnificent planet of the heavens?

As the Bible reveals, they become fools when they look to the creation for answers and not the Creator. (Romans chapter 1)

Verse 24 speaks of the two families rejected by God. Verse 21 exposed these two lineages, the Davidic kingly line and the line of the Levites that ceased their functions during the time of captivity. Upon return, the Levites continued in ministry but no king ever again ascended the throne.

The Davidic line was rejected and is still rejected by God. Only Christ was the un-rejected one in the line of David. Though He did not take the throne when on the earth, He was King and is King and is to come, the King. All are yet to bow down before Him.

God is forever faithful to His promises; that is the message of verses 25-26 of this Jeremiah chapter. As His covenant of day and night stand in their “fixed patterns” so stands His faithful covenant to His people, the Jews.

To learn of God’s personal love for you, please click here: https://vallee7.wordpress.com/category/paradise/