Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: THE WEEK WE STUDY THE SIEGE AND FALL OF JER. IN 588
BC THE BABYLONIAN ARMY SURROUNDED JER AND LAID SIEGE TO IT. THIS
WENT ON FOR 2.5 YEARS UNTIL JER FELL. THE BABYLONIANS THEN BURNED
THE CITY, THE TEMPLE AND THE PALACE AND BROKE DOWN THE WALLS.
SO LETS START OUT JUST AS THE BABYLONIANS ARRIVE.
I. INQUIRE OF THE LORD
A. READ JER 21:1-2. ISN'T THIS GOOD NEWS? ISN'T THIS WAS JER
HAS BEEN WANTING ALL ALONG? FOR THE KING TO LISTEN TO HIM
INSTEAD OF THE FALSE PROPHETS?
1. SO WHY THE CHANGE OF HEART FOR THE KING? (REMEMBER ONE
TEST OF A PROPHET IS WHETHER WHAT HE SAYS COMES TRUE.
WELL, OLD ZED COULD EVEN FIGURE THAT ONE OUT. INSTEAD OF
THE BABYLONIANS BRINGING BACK THE TEMPLE VESSELS, THEY
WERE OUT THERE IN FORCE CARRYING WEAPONS!)
2. EGW SAYS THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR EXCEPT THAT WE
FORGET HOW GOD HAS LED US IN THE PAST. ISN'T ZED A REAL
MAN OF FAITH HERE? HE SAYS I REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE
FOR HIS PEOPLE IN THE PAST, MAYBE HE WILL PERFORM A
MIRACLE AGAIN FOR US?
a. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? (IF YOU HAVE BEEN
IGNORING GOD ALL YOUR LIFE, WHEN YOU GET INTO A JAM
SOMETIMES TURNING TO GOD TOO LATE IS JUST TOO LATE.
*NOT SALVATION*)
B. BEFORE ZED'S MESSENGER GOT TO JER GOD HAD ALREADY TOLD JER
WHAT TO SAY TO ZED. THIS IS A LITTLE LONG, BUT WE NEED TO READ
IT. READ JER 21:3-10
C. WAS IT REALLY TOO LATE? WERE THERE ANY OPTIONS? (YES. TO
SURRENDER.)
1. THIS WAS WHAT JER HAD TOLD ZED TO DO ALL ALONG: TO
JUST GO ALONG WITH BABYLON.
2. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT ZED DIDN'T DO THAT NOW SINCE HE
WAS LOOKING FOR JER'S ADVICE? (PRIDE. HE BELIEVED THAT HE
MIGHT BE ABLE TO WIN. AND HE WAS GOING TO DO WHAT HE
WANTED TO DO AND NOT WHAT GOD TOLD HIM TO DO EVEN NOW.
egw suggest fear of scorn of the nobles.)
3. THE BIBLE TELLS US IN JER 39:9 AND JER 38:19 THAT SOME
PEOPLE FOLLOWED JER ADVICE AND SURRENDERED TO THE
BABYLONIANS.
D. DO YOU SEE ANY APPLICATION TO OUR LIVES TODAY? DO WE HAVE
BABYLONS TO WHICH WE SHOULD SURRENDER?(THAT IF WE REBEL
AGAINST THE LORD, AGAINST DISCIPLINE, WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE
SOME TOUGH TIMES. BUT EVEN AT THE LAST MINUTE, IF WE ARE
WILLING TO GIVE UP SELF, GOD IS WILLING TO WORK WITH US: EVEN
THOUGH AT THAT POINT THE OUTCOME MAY NOT BE WHAT WE WANT.)
E. LETS CONTINUE OUR STORY: READ JER 37:3-5.
1. THE EGYPTIAN ARMY STARTS MOVING TOWARDS JUDAH. HOW
WOULD KING ZED REACT TO THAT? WOULD IT BRING HIM CLOSER
TO THE LORD? (NO. THIS HAD BEEN A PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME.
INSTEAD OF DEPENDING ON GOD, THE JEWISH LEADERS WERE
DEPENDING ON EGYPT. (SEE REFERENCE TO THIS IN JER 2:36.)
2. DO YOU SEE ANY IRONY IN JUDAH TURNING TOWARD EGYPT?
(THE BOOK OF JER HAS TONS OF REFERENCES TO GOD SAYING,
"I'M THE GOD WHO RESCUED YOU FROM EGYPT." SO WHY THEY
WOULD TURN TO THEIR FORMER OPPRESSOR AND TAKE A CHANCE ON
THAT AGAIN IS REALLY SOMETHING IN MY MIND.)
F. READ JER 37:6-10. ZED HAD ASKED THAT JER PRAY TO GOD FOR
THEM AND THIS IS THE MESSAGE GOD GIVES ZED.
1. NOTICE IN v.10 THAT IT SAYS THAT IF THE ZED WERE TO
DEFEAT THE BABYLONIAN ARMY THEY WOULD BURN JERUSALEM.
2. HOW CAN THAT BE?
3. WHAT IS REALLY MEANT HERE? (THE RESULT IS ORDAINED BY
GOD TO THE EXTENT THAT IF THERE WERE ONLY WOUNDED
BABYLONIANS LEFT, THEY WOULD OVERCOME ZED.)
4. WHAT IS THE SPRITUAL LESSON? (THE LESSON HAS A QUOTE
THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION: "THOSE WHO FEAR GOD THE
LEAST FEAR THEIR FELLOW HUMANS THE MOST." THE POINT HERE
IS THAT WHETHER THINGS LOOK GOOD (THE BABYLONIANS
WITHDRAW OR THEY ARE ALL WOUNDED) OR BAD FROM A HUMAN
POINT OF VIEW, THE OUTCOME IS IN GOD'S HANDS.)
G. LET ME SUMMARIZE THE NEXT FEW VERSES OF JER 37 AND 38. IN
JER 37:12-21 JER IS ARRESTED ON THE FALSE CLAIM THAT HE IS
DESERTING TO THE BABYLONIANS. HE IS PUT IN AN UNDERGROUND
DUNGEON, AND LATER WHEN ZED WANTS TO TALK TO HIM AGAIN, JER
SAYS HE WILL DIE IF HE HAS TO REMAIN IN THE DUNGEON, SO HE IS
ABLE TO TRANSFER TO A MORE BEARABLE PLACE, THE COURTYARD OF
THE GUARD.
IN JER 38:1-13 WE FIND THAT WHILE JER IS IN THE COURTYARD
HE IS APPARENTLY TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND TELLING THEM WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE CITY. THE PRINCES DECIDE (WITH THE
APPROVAL OF ZED) TO DUMP HIM IN A DRY, BUT MUDDY, WATER WELL.
JER SINKS DOWN IN THE MUD. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT PREDICAMENT?
A PALACE OFFICIAL APPROACHES ZED AND ASKS PERMISSION TO PULL
JER OUT. HE GETS THAT PERMISSION, PULLS JER OUT OF THE MUD AT
THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL AND PUTS HIM BACK IN THE COURTYARD OF
THE GUARD.
H. LETS READ ON: JER 38:14-19. ONCE AGAIN ZED WANTS TO KNOW
THE TRUTH AND ONCE AGAIN JER TELLS HIM THE TRUTH.
1. DOES ZED DO WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO? (NO)
2. WHY NOT? (HE SAYS (v.19)THAT HE FEARS JEWISH
DESERTERS.)
a. WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER HIM? (THEY HAVE SEEN THE
RESULTS OF HIS DISOBEDIANCE.)
b. DOES THIS SEEM REDICULOUS TO YOU? (HE WAS MORE
AFRAID OF THESE DESERTERS THATN HE WAS AFRAID OF
GOD.)
c. WHAT KIND OF CHARACTER DOES THAT SHOW?
(VACCILATING--AGAIN.)
I. WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS LESSON THAT ZED WANTS TO
HEAR WHAT JER HAS TO SAY, AND THEN DOES NOT OBEY. WHY DO YOU
THINK THAT HE DID THAT?
1. DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT THEY WANT TO KNOW THE
LORD'S WILL WHEN THE BIBLE MAKES HIS WILL CLEAR?
2. OR PEOPLE WHO LOOK FOR A PASTOR WHO WILL AGREE WITH
THEM THAT THE SIN THEY ARE INVOLVED IN IS "OK?"
3. NOW, WHAT ABOUT US? DO YOU PRAY THAT GOD WILL GIVE YOU
INSIGHT ON SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW IS SIN? (I HAVE A
FRIEND WHO IS CLEARLY INVOLVED IN SIN AND HE IS ASKING
WHAT GOD'S WILL IS. IT IS NOT TOO HARD (FOR ME) TO TELL
THE LORD'S WILL IN HIS SITUATION.)
J. THE EVIL CONSEQUENCES OF SIN ARE SELDOM LIMITED TO THE
PERPETRATOR. WHAT ELSE WAS HURT BECAUSE OF ZED'S COWARDESS AND
WEAKNESS? (38:18 & 52:13-14, THE TEMPLE WAS BURNED. AND JUST
ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.)
K. THIS WAS SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. THAT FOR FOUR CENTURIES HAD BEEN
ON MT. ZION.
II. NEXT WEEK: A NEW BOOK: LAMENTATIONS. STUDY IT FOR CAMP MEETING!