Israel Will Be Restrored

The Restoration of Israel

Book of Jeremiah 50, 51

As we have studied the Book of Jeremiah we have also seen that Mystery Babylon represents the enemies of God.

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Babylon represents the worship of Baal in many cases called Baalim which can be said to be the false trinity of the Anti-Christ.

We know that Paul called the Church a mystery because the Church was not known to the Old Testament Patriarchs or the Prophets.

Using this as our example, Mystery Babylon represents all false religions, because only a few of them realize they are worshiping the Anti-Christ!

Christ has the Church as His bride, so the Anti-Christ has Babylon the Great as his bride, who are the followers of all false religion.

Babylon had its beginning in the days of Noah who lived 350 years after the flood.

Gen 11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Gen 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

Gen 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

This is the same place where God called Abraham out of the city of Ur which was in the land of the Chaldees.

God said:

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

So let’s see the words God has given to Jeremiah:

*****Jer 50:1 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

Jer 50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

Jer 50:3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.

Jer 50:4 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.

Not many know the joy of leaving a place where they were not really welcome and going back home.

Most military men and women know something about this.

I was truly glad to get back home from the war in Vietnam!

These Jews would be in captivity for 70 years and they did not know what they were going back to because their land had been destroyed but they had learned a very valuable lesson.

They had learned that there is no power in idols nor can anything good come from idol worship. They were going home to seek the Lord their God.

Cyrus and his army would defeat historical Babylon and just as Jeremiah had said by God Himself, Cyrus and Darius who followed him, would allow the Jews to go home.

These Jews would realize that only by the Mercy of God would they be freed from captivity and they would see the truth of the Scriptures in their own life time.

They would weep for their sins and for answered prayer.

The overthrow of Babylon would be the signal they would go home to the land they had left because of sin, just as Jeremiah had prophesied.

Isa 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Isa 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

They did say "show me the way to Zion".

This has been a battle cry of the Jews ever since.

*****Jer 50:5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

Zion to these Jews meant Jerusalem. The Jews have always known that Jerusalem was the city that Jehovah God established as belonging to Him, not some false god and certainly not "Allah" whoever that name represents. The followers of the crescent moon.

God set these people free because they had repented of their sins and returned to worship Him.

God set these people free, so they could return to the Promised Land.

God set these people free, so they could recommit themselves to the everlasting covenant in which a commitment was made to obey all the Word of God.

Some say it was in these days that the Pharisees began to form, before they too became evil in their ways.

Others say this is the time that Judaism took hold of the children of Israel.

It would be the vengeance of the Lord on "Historical Babylon" that would cause these things to happen.

It will be the vengeance of the Lord on "Spiritual Babylon" that will remove this evil from God's people in the near future!

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

They had been lost sheep who could not find their way home without the True Shepherd.

*****Jer 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

It had been their own government and false prophets that had caused these things to happen by commands, but also by example. They had gone from one idol to another until they were confused about the truth of God.

They had turned away from the mountain of God and had been led to barren and dangerous regions where they got lost!

Eze 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

We had better understand that even when we have been led astray by false teachers or a corrupt government, we are still responsible for our own salvation.

We are to study the Word of God ourselves, so we will know the truth!

This Scripture proves that these Jews had gone from one idol to another and had offered sacrifices and had seen no results from these false gods. It also proves that they were seeking another God that simply did not exist because there is only One True God and His name is Jehovah!

In reality, nothing in Babylon could compare to the land of Judah when they were in the favor of the Lord!

In fact there is nothing on the face of this earth that will compare to the land of Israel when the Lord sits on the throne of David!

We should be able see this in our own lives. Our lives when we were out in sin cannot compare to our lives now in the will of God!

It would be like comparing a barren place to a fertile green valley.

Jesus said, you must be born again to see the Kingdom of God!

*****Jer 50:7 All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.

When our enemy realizes he cannot stop our salvation then he will try his best to ruin our testimony!

It was certainly the Lord who was punishing these Jews for leaving their first love, but the enemy "made matters worse" by inflicting their own means of punishment.

Even today in many places where the Jews reside, even in America, they are still exposed to the attacks of those who hate them.

Even some who say they are Jews go against the nation of Israel.

What a foolish nation we will become if allow our leaders to go against the nation of Israel!

That word race is used a lot here in America but not when the Christian is attacked and not when the Jews are attacked.

The fact remains that the Lord will deliver His people. He will fulfill all the promises made to the true Jews, but He will also fulfill every promise to the Church which is next on His agenda!

Dan 9:16 O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

Dan 9:17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

God would set these Jews free, so they could seek Him in their own homeland and repent of their sins.

God would set His people free to fulfill the everlasting covenant that been made to Abraham and King David.

These are some of the reasons God would make Babylon an everlasting desolation.

*****Jer 51:1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

Jer 51:2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

As Christians who study the Scriptures, we can look back in history and see the fulfillment of all these things.

God did stir up the spirit of the destroyer against Babylon and its people.

We know that the wind is one of the most powerful natural sources upon this earth. The hurricanes, the tornadoes can devastate any region at any time.

We also know that God uses the human in most cases and He would stir up the spirit of the Persians to be that destroying wind.

The king of Babylon had taken the people from many nations and they would also rise up at the same time.

Again the Lord would prove to be the Redeemer of the children of Israel.

He will prove this again in the future! We know that the Jews are still a scattered people with almost as many in America as is in Israel.

What is the truth of the destruction of Babylon?

Under Nabonnadus, the last king, B.C. 538, Babylon was taken by Cyrus, after a siege of two years.

In the dead of the night. Having first, by means of its canals, turned the river into the great dry lake west of Babylon, and then marched through the emptied channel, he made his way to the outer walls of the fortified palace on its banks.

He found that the brazen gates had been left open by the royal guards while they were engaged in drunken parties, just like their king, not worried about any enemy breaching the walls of Babylon.

Babylon as an empire ceased to exist.

The walls that were not destroyed by Cyrus were later destroyed by Darius.

Later Xerxes the son of Darius, plundered and destroyed Babylon and left Babylon the wilderness that it is today a place uninhabitable

Why did these things happen?

*****Jer 51:5 For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

Jer 51:6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.

God will never utterly forsake His people!

A great man of God wrote: "Even if Jesus Christ could create better believers than He has now, He would never consider doing such a thing".

If that had been the case, then He would have solved the sin problem when He flooded this world.

There were 8 sinners of the bloodline of Adam that were saved in the ark simply because Noah had found "Grace" in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord is seeking others He can show His "Grace" to, but this cannot happen unless we believe in and on Him!

To be our Savior the Lord had to first be our Redeemer!

Once we establish a personal relationship with the Lord, we are forever His children and we cannot be forsaken!

As Christians we foolishly do things sometimes that are not pleasing to the Lord, but He promises to not ever forsake us.

We must accept the consequences for the things that we do, but our Father in Heaven will always be our Father!

When God calls us to come out from this world, He certainly means it!

*****Jer 51:20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

Then comes Cyrus.

Isa 45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

It is obvious that the Lord is about to use Cyrus just as He had used Nebuchadnezzar.

No matter what else they did, God had made it a priority for them to take great care of God's people, these Jews.

God called Cyrus and his army to capture all the other nations that provided their resources to Babylon.

We continue time after time to see that God will use some human to carry out His vengeance.

In the end it will be the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus ascended in His glorified body and not as some spirit.

We can also see that this prophecy extends on into the future.

We know that the 70 years were up, but this is no proof that these Jews had been forgiven but we do know that once they returned to Israel, they no longer worshipped idols.

I believe that these things refer to the coming of the Lord.

We should also remember that Babylon had destroyed the Temple of Solomon and the city of Jerusalem.

These Jews are still in reserve throughout our days so far and there’s coming the day that they will be saved.

There is still only one way for these Jews to be saved and this is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

They must accept the one that they have rejected all these years and they must do this as a nation.

Pardon means all the sins of the Jews have been forgotten.

When we are thinking right, we can see this prophecy extends to the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to cleanse this world of sin.

Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Dan 2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

With Rome being the kingdom of iron, Jesus Christ was born in the reign of Augustus Caesar. The Kingdom of God cannot be destroyed!

The foundation of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will be built on a new spiritual and heavenly power that comes into this world for a time when the Lord returns to cause the end of the age of the Gentiles which really began with Adam and Eve.

As we go through these Scriptures let's just think of the return of Christ to set up His Kingdom for 1000 years.

*****Jer 51:21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

Jer 51:22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

Jer 51:23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

Jer 51:24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Rev 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

It’s debatable if the Saints of God will actually see the destruction of the Babylon of Sin but we can be sure it will take place when the Lord returns.

The Lord will speak with the Sword of His mouth and destruction will follow.

Psa 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Psa 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Cyrus did indeed conquer Babylon of old and the city was soon destroyed and has never been rebuilt in the location it once stood.

Jer 51:25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

Jer 51:26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.

No empire in the future will ever have Babylon as it's center!

It will be the "Spirit of Babylon that will be destroyed when the Lord returns, and Israel will be restored and Jerusalem the capitol city of this world!

Amen

Let's pray!

Israel Returns From Captivity

The Return from Captivity

Book of Jeremiah Chapter 29

The Christian life is not always an easy life, but we are still to be at peace in our heart and soul, because we know we are on the winning side.

In our own nation we know that it is divided even more than it has ever been.

Down through the centuries the greatest crimes have been in the name of race, and unfounded beliefs, and cultural wars, social status, and we cannot leave out religion.

We live knowing that those in power create these things, so they can continue in the path they have chosen which is not always the best way for the people.

We know that lawlessness is running rampant in most all places and no one seems to care but actually take advantage of these things for political purposes.

These same type things were happening in Judah in the time of Jeremiah, but he was God's chosen man to spread the Word of God to these people.

The people of Judah were being misled by a group of men who said themselves that they were called of God, but this was not true.

These things have continued, and the Church is taking heavy damage because of false teachers and preachers today.

God has already said what He is going to do, and we had better decide what we are going to do!

Jeremiah wrote a letter according to the Word of God intending to cause encouragement among those that already had been taken to Babylon.

Chapters 29-31 are so full of truth and prophecy that it is a shame we can only cover such a small portion of them.

Let's read what God had to say.

*****Jer 29:1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

Jer 29:2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

The Holy Spirit has caused things to happen so that we can read the same letter Jeremiah wrote to those who were already captive in Babylon.

Daniel, and those three Jewish boys renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego among many others had been taken to Babylon when King Jehoiakim was removed by Nebuchadnezzar. Some say there were 10,000 of the best of Judah taken at that time.

Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

Dan 1:2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Dan 1:3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;

Dan 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

Now these others would join them.

We should understand today that no matter where we travel it is encouraging to see a copy of God's Word. We should understand that the Lord never forgets those He has washed in His own personal blood!

This is the first letter of many that Jeremiah wrote to these captives.

*****Jer 29:3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

Elasah was the son of Shaphan and the brother of Ahikam who a supporter of Jeremiah was, when he faced the false charge of treason for preaching the Word of God. This was in a section we did not cover.

This Gemariah was probably the son of Hilkiah, the High Priest who was the one who had found the Books of Moses in the Temple that were read to King Josiah.

It appears that these two were good men and could be trusted by both sides and they carried with them the letter of Jeremiah written to those in captivity.

We already know the Nebuchadnezzar had a lot of respect for the Prophet Jeremiah.

Many of these in captivity would now listen to the words of Jeremiah because they were witness to the fact that what Jeremiah had said had come to be true.

The encouragement that Jeremiah gave to them were the actual Words of God!

*****Jer 29:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

Have you noticed that God does not hide the things He does, even when we may not like what He says. He will always tell us the truth!

We must understand that no matter where we are and no matter what the circumstances, God wants us to make an impact on those we are near.

The false prophets were teaching that they would soon be back home, which was not true. The words of God to Jeremiah was that their captivity would be 70 years.

They in turn were to make homes for themselves and settle into the communities where they were located.

They had lost everything they had in Judah but there never comes a time that God's people should not be content and do the very best they can.

Nebuchadnezzar had taken the best of Judah to be an influence on his empire because he knew the will of God's people are strong

He knew that God would take care of His people.

He, Nebuchadnezzar knew he could still profit because of these reasons!

Evil men are sometimes wiser in the ways of God than the true believer!

God had caused His people to go into exile and Nebuchadnezzar was only the agent God used to do this thing. Nebuchadnezzar understood this to be true.

Our world is so messed up today and foolish to cause harm to God's people.

If the world would just allow God's people to live in peace, the world would reap many benefits just because God's takes care of His children.

This letter was also going to the political power of Babylon and the Lord made sure they knew that this letter was from the Lord of all the Angelic Host, the God of all power and not only that but the God of Israel, the Almighty God!

Jer 24:5 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

Jer 24:6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

God's message does not ever change!

What was God's message on this day?

*****Jer 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

Nebuchadnezzar had taken some of the best of God's people. They knew how to build houses. Their land was destroyed but the land of Babylon was fertile, and they could grow their food according to food laws of Moses and not depend on trying to find such food in Babylon.

God's people were more vegetarian than they were big meat eaters as we should be today.

They knew how to sustain themselves in the things that the Lord would provide, the Sun and the Rain and the necessities of life along with the Bread of Life, the Word of God, not much else is really needed.

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Jer 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

Jer 31:11 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

Jer 31:14 And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

Jer 31:22 How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

Jer 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

Jer 31:36 If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

Jer 31:37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

We need to understand that wherever God has placed us, is our mission field.

We need to settle in and get to work. If the LORD opens another door, He will make us aware of it!

God celebrates the return from captivity of every one of His children!

Luk_15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Those who need no repentance are those who have made themselves righteous in their own eyes.

When we know that the Lord is keeping His eyes upon us for our good then we need to be a peace and do the work God has called us to do!

*****Jer 29:6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

This did not mean for these Jews to take husbands and wives from the people of this foreign land but from the Jews that were among them. We already know that there were more than 10,000 of them taken to Babylon and others would be brought later.

Gen 24:3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

Gen 24:4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

Today each Christian is to be a fisher-of-men, so our numbers are never to decrease as they are today in many locations but only God can save, and these are the decisions that He makes.

Our job never changes. We are to do the best we can to tell all others about the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was important for these captives to increase for they were indeed the good figs!

They were to settle down. For those who listened it would be near 70 years before the Lord would send them back home.

They would not have to worry about what the government of Babylon would do to them. They were in the hand of God while they were surrounded by their enemy. In fact they would find that many from other nations had also been taken from their homes and they would not have Jehovah to protect them.

They would see many more who worshipped idols and their god could not save them.

Jehovah had saved these Jews by placing them in captivity! They had been saved from themselves!

Eze 28:26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.

What was God's law for us all?

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

They had to understand that there is a reason for everything that the Lord does, and it is always for the betterment of His people. If we do not understand this then we need to understand one most important thing.

The Lord is God and He does what He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it!

We are never to question the ways of our Creator and our Master?

What else were they to do?

*****Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

The truth is, the Lord expects those who are Christian to be the best citizens in any place we are located! Remember the Lord relocated the "Good Figs" of Judah for their safety

The true honor of a nation is dependent on the character of its people and as Christians we are to be like Christ with the character of God Himself or as close as we can get to it here on this earth!

This is where we fail the most. We forget the sinless, loving character of our Savior!

They needed to accept that this letter from Jeremiah was the actual Word of God because it was, and they needed to study it and completely obey these words!

We sometimes forget that the Lord is the answer to every question that we have!

It is the Lord alone who can change who we are and what other people see in us!

How powerful is our prayer for each other? We must stand in the breach for each other!

Psa 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.

Our sermon from our Pastor a few weeks ago, was about how great a sin it is to not stand in the gap for each other.

1Sa 12:23 Moreover as for me, "God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you": but I will teach you the good and the right way:

1Sa 12:24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

It should be obvious that according to the truth of God, we sin against the Lord when we do not pray for one another and this does not mean we pray once and be done!

When we have the peace of God in our hearts, we can have peace where ever we are located.

None of these commandments change when we get to the New Testament!

1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

We must understand that when we become Christians and even though our home is then in Heaven and we are just visitors passing through this earth, we are also still a member of the civil society.

We are to come out from them and be separate, but we will have to deal with those who reject the Word of God most every day and the Lord says we are to act like Christians and have the peace of God which will be a welcome sight in many places of unrest.

We are to spread this peace of God to as many as we can, and the very best way is to be like Jesus Christ.

This is what the title Christian means, to be Christlike!

We are always to show an interest in the peace of our nation and be a part of that peace. This does not ever mean we will not take a stand of the truth of God because we are to do this no matter what!

We must realize there will even be those in our own group who will stir up trouble anywhere they are located, and we should never listen to anyone who goes against the Word of God.

*****Jer 29:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

We must remember these people, many of them from the royal family had lost everything they had.

They had been removed from their homes with just the clothes upon their back.

There were many more people from the many different nations Babylon had conquered.

If God's people joined in the grumbling for being in such a position it would not help matters at all.

If they listened to the false prophets of their own nation instead of the Word of God given to Jeremiah, which had already proven to be true, they would be miserable in their new surroundings.

If they showed that they had settled into their surroundings, it would make their lives at least passable until they would go home again to their homeland.

It is always easy to dream about the good old times when we are going through bad times, but the God of the mountain is still God in the valley!

As Christians we have nothing to fear in this world no matter our circumstances. The worst thing that could happen, which is our death, is really the best thing that can happen.

Jesus would not be allowed in many Churches today because He always told the truth. The truth based on the Word of God.

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Jesus said these words when He was asked about His return.

We know that according to the words of Jesus the very first sign of His return is the rise in false prophets and false teaching!

Anyone that says this is not true today need to read and study the Word of God, so they will not get confused.

We should also understand that one purpose of the 70 years was for most of these false teachers to die off.

*****Jer 29:9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

We should never mistake the intentions of the Lord. He does not desire that any human being die before they have had a chance to repent. God does not think of evil for anyone of His creations.

There will be many who will repent but there will also be many who will cross God's "Red Line" the first one being Lucifer, Satan, and the angels who followed him.

We must think of the Lord more as the "father of the prodigal son" than any other thing.

To those who repent, the Lord will rush to them with the best robe and He will kill the fatted cafe and sup with them.

God's every intention is to give all His children ever lasting peace!

We must also know that God will not call a stranger to teach you the truth of God.

The very first test for the man of God is "does he believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah, God in the flesh"!

Without this faith we will not ever please our God!

The test in this day of captivity was the 70 years.

If not for the Word of God given to Jeremiah, the children of Israel would have only gotten bad news from home!

It is easy to draw a crowd when your words are as butter and honey, but we will never get anything but the truth from the Almighty God!

We would be fools to desire anything but the truth.

In America today so many lies have been told, so many words have been twisted and slanted because of hatred, that we seldom ever hear the truth.

We have people like Soros and others willing to buy lies and liars to swing things the way that they would have the world be, but unless we stand up for the truth, we will lose the freedoms we have because of socialism and communism.

God will certainly test our "faith" and He should, when we are so easily swayed from the truth!

God does not need us to be witness of lies, when we are to be witnesses of the truth!

*****Jer 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God will never abandon Israel.

Over and over we see this in the Scriptures and we would fools to believe otherwise! We already know that the Lord will chastise those He loves.

God's "judgment" will only fall on those who hate the Lord!

When a prisoner knows the exact date of his release then everything he does is in preparation for that day.

These Jews needed to adapt to their surroundings and be useful and these 70 years would go quickly.

If they could be a benefit to Babylon, then they could live in peace while these 70 years passed.

This is what the Lord ask us all to do. Seventy years have been determined by the Lord to be the average life span of humans and the Lord only ask us to be busy about the Lord's work and watch patiently as these years pass by, until He takes us home.

In typology, this is the lesson we can learn from the Jewish captivity!

These were nation builders who Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon and these parents were to pass these skills to their children so that they could rebuild Israel when these 70 years were over.

We must also remember this one thing. These Jews would not return to Israel because they were very good in Babylon.

They would only return to Judah because of God's "mercy" and God's "grace"!

They certainly did not deserve to return to the promised land of God because of their own merits.

These things should be really familiar to us all. We will never be good enough to go the God's Heaven, it will be only because of God's "mercy" and God's "grace"!

God always has kind thoughts of all His children and all His creation.

Over and over again we see that God has no intention for the nation of Israel to cease to exist! It would be wise for the world to see this too!

God will fulfill the promises He made to Abraham and to David and we can expect it!

God does not ever forget the things He says!

God promises all His children the greatest of futures. Things this world can never provide!

We know that the Messiah, Jesus came first to save, and the Messiah will return to sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem the capital of Israel because this is the place He has chosen.

The Lord will lead us to an expected end that He has chosen and on to a life of wonderful blessings, which He has made new!

All these things are centered one object: the "good" for all those who love the LORD!

Zec 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

We must understand, God does not need a nation that depends on its own power, God needs a nation that depends on the power of the Holy God who cannot be defeated!

Zec 12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

Zec 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Nations may hate Israel today and some gather against her but when they become a Christian nation all the world will gather against her!

When we look upon the One who was pierced to shed His blood for our salvation, we will see the Almighty God who saves and who destroys!

What is the nation of Israel lacking today?

*****Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

They will fulfill the only thing they are lacking.

2Ch_7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

The ears of God are always open to hearing this prayer from any of us but especially the children of Israel!

Even King Solomon understood what the Word of God was saying;

1Ki 8:47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

1Ki 8:48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

1Ki 8:49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,

1Ki 8:50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

Where did Daniel pray? From a window facing Jerusalem.

In fact this was to the location of their prayers no matter where they were. It would not hurt if we also prayed toward Jerusalem with all our heart, all our soul in the land of our enemies.

The enemies of the Church continue to gather against her but the "Bride of Christ" must never be afraid of what this world can do to her!

This world has hated the Church from the day the Lord Jesus began His Church!

What always been the truth of God?

*****Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jer 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

What is the key? When we pray with a heart that has been given over to the truth of God!

We must humble ourselves in an act of submission to the Lord and allow Him to do as He pleases with us!

Let the Lord do what seems to Him to be good for us!

We must then have hope, "faith" in the promises of God.

Our relationship to the Lord must be on a personal nature just as His disciples.

It is a great feeling knowing that the Lord is thinking of us with His every thought!

In all His majestic creation God thinks about those who love Him the most!

How can God have good thoughts of a sinner such as I am?

God knows, who we are and what we are, and He gives the same instructions to us as He did to these captives in Babylon.

We are to make the most out of our circumstances and be patient, and prayerful, watching for the return of the Lord.

God does not ask much out of us when we think about all the benefits of giving ourselves to Him!

Listen to this Psalm of David

Psa 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Psa 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psa 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Psa 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psa 103:6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

How can we not love Him?

Amen

Let's Pray

Knowing and Then Submitting to the Will of God

Submission to God's Will

Book of Jeremiah Chapter 27

What is a lie? Many things are said to one another through ignorance of the subject end up being untruths, but a lie is an intentional violation of the truth.

The father of all lies is Satan the Devil.

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

There were many so-called prophets in the day of Jeremiah, but Jeremiah was called of God and He spoke the words God had given to him.

Today there are also many false prophets from the family of Satan who are roaming the earth to confuse the children of God.

Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Satan roams to and fro through this earth and he and his demon family to can temporarily change into the children of light again to cause the confusion of God's children.

2Co_11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Today we have the complete Word of God, that God gave to His prophets and a few other men by the Holy Spirit and all the Word of God is the undisputed truth for the Church!

2Pe_1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We must clearly understand that everyone who call themselves a man of God, or Pastor, or Preacher, or the one most abused Reverend are men who were not called of God as Jeremiah and the true prophets and the other writers of the Holy Scriptures and those who have asked the Lord Jesus Christ to come in their heart today.

What did Jesus say?

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; "but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven".

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Today as we witness for the Lord, we will find that there are many who may dispute the Word of God.

There are many who intentionally twist the Word of God into a lie and they are in the family of their father Satan!

God has warned us and all this world that there is only one way "to be close to Him and that is by His Son Jesus Christ"!

Let's begin Chapter 27 at verse 1

*****Jer 27:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Jer 27:2 Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

The writings of Jeremiah may not be in chronological order, but he does provide many time lines that can be proven by history.

Jehoiakim was the second son of King Josiah who we already know was a king who knew the truth of God and followed it, but at a young age, he died in a war that did not concern Judah.

The first son of Josiah, Jehoahaz had been deposed by Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt.

These were very turbulent years for God's people, but they were the cause of their own demise.

Many visitors representing the kings from the surrounding nations came to Jehoiakim to try to convince him to join them in a rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.

Many false prophets from all those nations, including those from Judah tried to convince their kings to link up so they could destroy the King of Babylon but The Lord God Jehovah, by Jeremiah, said to surrender to this king so that they could live, and this would stop the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and the things of the Temple but also the desctruction of those nations.

Nebiuchadnezzar would have been just as happy to make them all vasals of Babylonia and serve him.

The result of these things is that these deceitful leaders rose up in opposition to Jeremiah, the Lord's true prophet.

A bond is a physical means of restraint and metaphorically signifies oppression and captivity

A yoke is an instrument normally made of wood to make powerful animals useful in man's labor.

A yoke is then a symbol of servitude and slavery.

These two things are terrible, but they are not death and to go against the Word of God brings death!

What did God say to Adam?

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "thou shalt not eat of it": for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Jeremiah was to wear these things as he spoke the Word of God to the king and his officers and the elders of Judah.

Jeremiah was to also make enough of these things to send to the kings of the surrounding nations who were already in bondage to the King of Babylon. It was these kings who were trying to get Jehoiakim to join in a rebellion against the King of Babylon when they should have remained under his control but living in their own nation.

*****Jer 27:3 And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah;

These nations who were neighbors to Judah had sent representatives to the King of Judah and it would be these representatives that Jeremiah would present these yokes of bondage to take back to those kings with the Word of God.

Jeremiah warned them that they were all wrong to defy the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar.

We should believe it was nothing unusual for a Jewish Prophet to be listened to with respect, when addressing a foreign nation

Jehoiakim had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon and Jeremiah insisted that King Zedekiah give this same message to the King of Egypt instead of words of rebellion.

All these things may sound foreign to our way of thinking, but it was the King of Babylon who was used to "judge" Judah and no power on earth could overcome him until God allowed it to happen.

Eze 17:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Eze 17:12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

Eze 17:13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

Eze 17:14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

Eze 17:15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

Eze 17:16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

Eze 17:17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

Eze 17:18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

What was God's message for all these kings? With their own eyes they could see Jeremiah approach wearing the yoke he had prepared for himself by the Word of God.

*****Jer 27:4 And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

Jer 27:5 I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

Jehovah God is the Creator of man and beast and He will do as He pleases.

The greatest truth of Creation is the fact that all things age until they have died, including this earth that we live upon.

This goes against everything that evolution stands for!

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

This earth we live upon is not eternal and it could not have happened by chance. It is not the work of many gods because it has only one Maker!

When we are thinking right, we know that we could not survive alone because we depend on too many things that we cannot provide for ourselves!

We suffer depression when we stop short of recognizing we have a Creator!

We are foolish when we reject the truth of the Lord!

Rev_1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

We must understand God gives us many gifts but we do not ever actully have the right of ownership.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away"

We are temporary tenants on this land but we are not owners.

God does what He pleases with His Own Creation!

*****Jer 27:6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

Jer 27:7 And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

At this time in history, Nebuchadnezzar was used of God.

Dan 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

Dan 2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

God is in control of His Created World!

Deu 32:6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

Deu 32:7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

Deu 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

Deu 32:9 For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.

We seem to always forget these things today. We readily admit that our Lord never changes but we soon forget what He has already said and done!

Dan 2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Dan 2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

Nebuchadnezzar was told that his empire would belong to another and it was Jeremiah who said Judah would only be in his hands for 70 years and it was Isaiah that said it would be Cyrus would cause this to happen, all according to the Word of God.

God is very serious about His plan to come about just as He has spoken!

*****Jer 27:8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Have you ever noticed that God puts a plan into action where the most human beings can live? Even during the time of wars and rumors of wars if we would just listen to what God has to say we can live peaceable and meaningful lives.

When we go against the Word of God we will see death by the sword or wars, death by famine or death by disease.

Pro 8:14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

Pro 8:15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

Pro 8:16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

Pro 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Pro 8:18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

Pro 8:19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

Pro 8:20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Pro 8:21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

We must understand that God will give us what we ask for even if it is the wrong thing, as long as it does not interfere with His plan for all the ages!

God will certainly use one nation to punish another nation, if they will not serve the Lord who preserved them!

We should also understand that as the father of the prodigal son, the Lord will certainly rush out to meet His people who are on the way back to Him!

We must cling to the Word of God which is always the truth in every age!

*****Jer 27:9 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

Jer 27:10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

When will we ever learn that we live in a world of "deceivers"!

Satan is the invisible agent of evil in our world!

In the end, God will remove him. There has never been but one way to overcome him and his evilness.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Satan is the power behind false prophecy.

Satan is the power behind every false preacher and every false teacher.

Satan is the power behind diviners and soothsayers, and enchanters and all sorcery.

Satan is the power behind every lie that has ever been told!

Eph_6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

These things were no different in the days of Jeremiah, so he preached the infallible Word of God, which is "always" the truth!

It is this same evil that has a goal to remove everything that God has placed in our hands by His Dear Son Jesus, including our testimony.

He cannot remove us from being in the family of God.

These Jews will always be the "apple in God's eye" but who is truly a Jew?

Rom_2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

Rom_2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

God knows who His children are!

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Joh 10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

Joh 10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

When the Lord tells us something then we need to listen to what He has to say and not only to listen, but we need to obey His every Word and His every thought, which He has written down for us, so we do not get confused!

*****Jer 27:11 But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein.

Notice God was not talking to just these Jews of Judah but to all the surrounding nations who could all for the most part stayed at home even if they had to pay taxes to Babylon for 70 years.

Much worse things than these would happen if they went to war with a nation that the Lord had guided to this position in order to keep the greatest majority of His people safe, just by keeping them informed about what was happening.

We can never alter the plan of God, we can only make our lives miserable when we reject the truth of God!

What these people did not understand is, if they would be subject to the King of Babylon they would still be safe and secure from an invasion from any other power.

In fact God would have caused the land to produce plenty enough to pay the tribute to Babylon and then have enough for their personal means.

The politicians and elders of the Jews were just too full of the Devil to listen to what God had to say.

They were too greedy to give up any power they thought that they had!

This same thing is happening in every nation around us today. They refuse to listen to what "thus sayeth the Lord"!!!!!

Since they rejected the words of Jeremiah, then God said for them to surrender and those that were carried away would still live!

The study of the Book of Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra are the proof along with the Prophets Daniel, Ezekiel and others.

Jer 42:9 And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

Jer 42:10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

Jer 42:11 Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

God made sure the King of Judah and the rulers of Judah clearly understood these things.

*****Jer 27:12 I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

God's people understand what going through a little hardship means but those who live by riches and power do not understand the meaning of hardship!

2Ch 36:11 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

2Ch 36:12 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

2Ch 36:13 And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

It was the King of Babylon who had placed Zedekiah upon the throne of Judah, but he was an evil man who then sought his own place in a power vacuum in Judah.

Why do politicians never understand that hardship is much better than disaster!

God has only one question for all those who reject His message of salvation!

*****Jer 27:13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

Rejecting the Word of God is accepting eternal damnation. Therefore false preachers and teachers teach that there is no Hell or that Hell is a place that you can escape from, both terrible lies and deceit.

This is the same question all the prophets of God asked and we as the witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are to ask today!

God has no pleasure in the death of any human being!

Eze 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Eze 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Everyone that dies without Jesus Christ has lost something that they formally had in their possession which is "Life"!

There are not many who will not give up all they have just to have a good life and God offers eternal life in a place that the beauty of cannot be described by words and so many reject this life and choose death instead! Not just death but damnation!

They who die because of sin that God ask them to repent of, and because the Lord has already paid for that sin, are no more than just being foolish!

Eze 18:23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

The function of every true prophet of God, with respect to the government of the world and of the people's walk, is always a testimony to the judgment which hangs over all unfaithfulness.

When we reject the Word of God we are calling God a liar!

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God just ask us to believe!

*****Jer 27:14 Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

We started this lesson by asking what a lie is. A lie is not something said out of ignorance of the subject.

A lie is anything spoken intentionally which deviates from the truth in any manner!

This person is a deceiver! A deceiver is an imposter who attempts to lead others in some wrong manner!

These are the preachers and teachers who intentionally spew out false messages because they reject the truth of God.

These are the false so-called prophets of this world who deny the existence of a Supernatural Deity.

These are those who spit out evolution as a science when it to is a bunch of lies from those who reject the truth of God.

Peter said:

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; "by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of".

2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

John said:

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God":

1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The spirit of the anti-christ has been with this world since the time of Adam!

What did the Lord say will happen in the end?

Eze 13:22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

Eze 13:23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

We have the truth of God.

We are fools not to believe Him!

Amen

Let's Pray