Verse of the Week: V2 “And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.”
1. God Freed His Man (V1-6)
V4 “And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill into thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.”
God moved the heart of the captain of the Babylonian army to realize that the God of Israel was behind the defeat of His own nation, Israel. God also moved the captain to free prophet Jeremiah as well as take great care of him. Indeed, God not only delivered Jeremiah from death, but protected and blessed him through the Babylonians.
Proverbs 16:7
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
2. God Appointed His Man (V7-12)
V7 “Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;”
God moved the King of Babylon to appoint Gedaliah, one of the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, to be the governor of his people who were left behind. Indeed, God never fails to protect and provide for His people when we obey Him.
V9 “And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.”
3. God Warned His Man (V13-16)
V14 “And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.”
God warned his man, Gedaliah, that Ishmael, one of the princes of Judah, was plotting to kill him, yet Gedaliah refused to take heed of the warning, and was eventually killed by Ishmael. Let us take heed when God warns us of impending dangers as God knows best.
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to trust You as You know best.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 06:02 pm
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Verse of the Week: V18 “For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.”
1. God’s Word Shall Come To Pass (V1-7)
V1 “In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.”
The day of reckoning came as God’s Word through Prophet Jeremiah came to pass when the King of Babylon attacked Judah and killed the sons of King Zedekiah and his nobles. They then blinded Zedekiah and carried him to Babylon. Zedekiah was physically blinded for his spiritual failure to see the light of God’s Word and put his trust in God.
V7 “Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.”
2. God’s Love For The Poor (V8-10)
V10 “But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.”
Though the Babylonians were ruthless to King Zedekiah and the people of Judah, they were compassionate to the poor. They not only spared their lives but gave them vineyards and fields for their survival. Indeed, this was God’s love for the poor people of Judah.
3. God’s People Shall Be Protected (V11-18)
V12 “Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.”
God protected his people, Prophet Jeremiah and Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian, who pleaded with King Zedekiah for Jeremiah’s life. Both men had put their trust in God and they were not only delivered from harm but the Babylonians even took great care of them.
V16 “Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.”
V18 “For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to put my trust in You and You alone.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 05:39 pm
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Verse of the Week: V10 “Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.”
1. The Man Of God Is Misunderstood (V1-6)
V4 “Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.”
The people he loved wanted him dead. This was the summary of the ministry of Prophet Jeremiah. He kept warning the people of Judah that God had prophesied to him that the Chaldeans would defeat Judah and in order for them to survive they had to surrender to become the prisoners-of-war. However, the princes or the leaders of Judah misunderstood Jeremiah and charged him for treason and arrested and threw him into a muddy hole, without giving him food and water, so that he would die a slow death of hunger and thirst.
V6 “Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.”
2. The Man Of God Is Rescued (V7-13)
V10 “Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.”
A stranger he did not know rescued him. It was not his own Jewish people but an Ethiopian, who courageously pleaded with the king and rescued Jeremiah from death.
V13 “So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”
3. The Man Of God Is Courageous (V14-28)
V17 “Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:”
Despite almost losing his life, Jeremiah continued courageously warning his people to surrender in order to survive the impending invasion of the Chaldeans or the Babylonians.
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to be the man of God, courageous in crises.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 05:37 pm
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Verse of the Week: V6 “Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,”
1. God Reigns (V1-10)
V6 “Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,”
God reigns in heaven and earth as whatever He says shall be fulfilled and whatever He does shall be executed. Prophet Jeremiah trusted God and preached only the word of God. He kept warning the people of Judah that even though they might seem to defeat the Babylonians, ultimately the Babylonians shall defeat and destroy their city and people.
V10 “For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.”
2. God Knows (V11-15)
V14 “Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.”
Prophet Jeremiah was charged with treason for trying to escape to the Chaldeans or the Babylonians, the enemy of his people. He was arrested, beaten and put in prison. However, Jeremiah continued to trust God, and believed that God knew that he was falsely accused by his people.
V15 “Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.”
3. God Vindicates (V16-21)
V16 “When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;”
After many days, Jeremiah was vindicated by God from the false charge as King Zedekiah believed in him that he was truly a prophet of God. King Zedekiah commanded his guards that Jeremiah be transferred from the dungeon awaiting for his execution to the court of the prison under his watch care. King Zedekiah also commanded his guards to provide daily bread for Jeremiah for the rest of his stay in the court of the prison.
V21 “Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the baker’s street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to trust You in life or in death.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:20 pm
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Verse of the Week: V28 “Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.”
1. The Forgiving God (V1-10)
V3 “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
Prophet Jeremiah called Baruch to write down the Word that God had spoken to him. The main message was that God would judge the people of Judah and the only way to avoid the judgment of God and for God to forgive them was for them to repent their sins.
V4 “Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.”
2. The Caring God (V11-26)
V23 “And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.”
King Jehoiakim not only refused to repent but allowed his servant Jehudi to throw the Word into the fire and commanded his servants to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch. However, the caring God hid both Jeremiah and Baruch from the wickedness of king Jehoiakim.
V26 “But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.”
3. The Encouraging God (V27-32)
V28 “Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.”
King Jehoiakim thought that by burning the Word, both Jeremiah and Baruch would quit writing the Word. However, they kept on writing the Word. Indeed, God shall encourage His people and nothing shall hinder and destroy the Word, the work and the will of God.
V32 “Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to keep on, keeping on for Your honour and glory.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:16 pm
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Verse of the Week: V19 “Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before Me for ever.”
1. The Obedient Man (V1-11)
V2 “Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.”
God commanded prophet Jeremiah to test the obedience of the men of Rechab by offering them wine to drink. The men of Rechab passed the test as they resisted the wine because they were commanded by Jonadab, their father or leader, not to drink wine!
V6 “But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:”
2. The Disobedient Man (V12-16)
V13 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? Saith the LORD.”
Jeremiah contrasted the obedient men of Rechab with the disobedient men of Judah and Jerusalem. The men of Rechab consistently obeyed the commandments of Jonadab, by not drinking wine, while the men of Judah and Jerusalem consistently disobeyed the commandments of the prophets of God time and again.
V14 “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.”
3. The Blessed Man (V17-19)
V19 “Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before Me for ever.”
God blessed the men of Rechab as every one of them was obedient to the commandments of Jonadab, their leader, and ultimately, the commandments of God. Let us be blessed of God as we delight in obeying and meditating the commandments of God day and night!
Psalms 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, help me to be an obedient Christian.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 11:53 am
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Verse of the Week: V17 “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.”
1. The Defeat (V1-7)
V2 “Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:”
God told prophet Jeremiah to speak to Zedekiah, King of Judah, that Judah shall be completely defeated, burnt and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army because they had pretended to obey God when they had actually disobeyed Him.
2. The Disobedience (V8-16)
V11 “But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.”
Do you know that partial obedience is disobedience? The people pretended to obey God by freeing their Hebrew servants and handmaids after 6 years of service. However, once they freed them, they actually forced them back to be their servants and handmaids.
V14 “At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.”
3. The Destruction (V17-22)
V17 “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.”
Our secret sins are known of God. We can never hide anything from God. God sees and knows everything. The people in Judah thought they could hide from God but they were mistaken as God completely destroyed them.
V22 “... I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, help me to completely obey You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:48 pm
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Verse of the Week: V17 “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:”
1. God Can Do Anything (V1-17)
V17 “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:”
Are we worried about our health? Career? Finance? Family? Church? Country?
Do you know that the Lord who makes the heaven and the earth, and who saves you from the pits of hell to the portals of heaven, can do anything for us, if it is His perfect will?
The main reason why we are going through the storms of our lives is that God allows the storms to increase our faith in Him and mould our character to be like Him in holiness, righteousness and perfection!
Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
2. God Gives The Best (V18-25)
V22 “And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;”
God who gave the nation of Israel the promised land flowing with milk and honey shall also give the best to His children in this church age. Just like our earthly father who will give his best to bring us up the best we can be, our heavenly perfect Father shall certainly give us much more than our earthly imperfect father. We may not be healthy or wealthy or successful in man’s standard, yet God’s best is not in terms of material success, but spiritual success of love, joy and peace in our hearts, minds and souls.
Matthew 7:11 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?”
3. God Is Our God (V26-44)
V38 “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:”
When we call upon God and acknowledge Him as our personal God, we shall never be disappointed with Him, as He shall never fail us, not even once in our entire human life, as well as through all eternity, world without end!
Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, thank You for being my God and giving me the best.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 03:30 pm
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Verse of the Week: V3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
1. God Never Fails (V1-8)
V3 “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
The hardest thing for Christians to accept from God is when we have done our best and obeyed God yet bad things happen to us! Prophet Jeremiah had done his best and had obeyed God yet he ended up in prison and waiting to be executed. He must have asked God, “Why, why, why?” Let us remember that God shall never fail us and even though we go through crises and not fully understand them, we still trust God to the end!
V6 “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.”
2. God Gives Joy (V9-14)
V9 “And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.”
God never fails Israel, His chosen nation, yet time and again, Israel failed God. In spite of the failures, God continues to show His goodness and mercy to Israel and give them many opportunities to repent of their sins and return to Him so that one day He can restore their joy in Him.
V11 “… for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.”
3. God Fulfills Promises (V15-26)
V15 “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.”
God fulfilled His promise when He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins, that whosoever believes in Christ shall have eternal life through His righteousness. Trust God as He shall keep His promises now and forever!
Romans 5:21 “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, help me to trust You even when I cannot fully understand my crises.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 02:34 pm
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Verse of the Week: V3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
1. God Loves and Loves (V1-21)
V3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
God expressed His everlasting love to His people, Israel. Though Israel sinned against God time and time again, God still loved them with an everlasting love. In fact, God has never forsaken Israel even until today though Israel has yet to acknowledge the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. Today, God is also expressing His everlasting love to His people, the Christians, who have believed and trusted in Him. Indeed, God loves, loves and loves!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
2. God Satisfies and Satisfies (V22-30)
V25 “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
Even though Israel had forsaken God, yet God invited them to come to Him in repentance and He shall satisfy their weary souls and replenish their sorrowful souls.
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
3. God Forgives and Forgives (V31-40)
V34 “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Have you heard someone said, “I can forgive this person but I can never forget what he had done to me!” Yet true forgiveness means bearing no grudges and forgetting the hurt.
Matthew 18:21-22 “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
The Lord is not saying that you forgive the person only for 490 times, then by the 491st time, you can refuse to forgive. God commands us to always forgive, forgive and forgive!
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, thank You for Your everlasting love.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 07:47 pm
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