Devoted to Scripture

Devoted to Scripture

By Devoted to ScriptureReligion & Spirituality
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Devoted to Scripture episodes

  • #234 Jeremiah 47-48

    Day 234 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 47-48 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+47-48/

    This is day 234 of our journey.

    In our two chapters of reading today, Jeremiah speaks God's judgement on Philistia and Moab.  These people have mistreated the Israelites and mocked them throughout their many trials and times of suffering.  Now, God will bring judgement down upon these wicked nations.  They will be destroyed by God's mighty hand and their false gods will be defeated.  

    Join me in Jeremiah 47-48 to read of the destruction of Israel's neighbors.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 47:4

    For the time has come to destroy all the Philistines. The time has come to destroy all the help that remains for Tyre and Sidon. For I, the Lord, will destroy the Philistines, that remnant that came from the island of Crete.  

    Jeremiah 48:7

     “Moab, you trust in the things you do and in your riches.So you too will be conquered. Your god Chemosh will go into exile along with his priests and his officials.  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    12 min
  • #233 Jeremiah 44-46

    Day 233 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 44-46 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+44-46/

    This is day 233 of our journey.

    God continues to speak against his people who have fled Jerusalem to find refuge in Egypt.  Even after being warned by Jeremiah, they refuse to listen to the word of the Lord and instead place their hope in false gods.  God promises them that they will all be destroyed and that Egypt will also be overthrown and taken into captivity as a result of their disobedience.

    Join me in Jeremiah 44-46 and heed God's warning to his people.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 44:28

    Some who survive in battle will return to the land of Judah from the land of Egypt. But they will be very few indeed! Then the Judean remnant who have come to live in the land of Egypt will know whose word proves true, mine or theirs.’  

    Jeremiah 45:5

    Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity. But I will allow you to escape with your life wherever you go.”’”  

    Jeremiah 46:15

    Why will your soldiers be defeated? They will not stand because I, the Lord, will thrust them down.

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    16 min
  • #232 Jeremiah 39-43

    Day 232 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 39-43 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+39-43/

    This is day 232 of our journey.

    Today we will read a long narrative recounting the siege of Jerusalem and its aftermath.  Babylon breaks through the walls and takes the leading officials and prominent people into exile.  They leave the poor of the land in charge and give them land to use under the rule of a new governor who they established in the land.  In the following years, the people of Judah are in constant turmoil. As they work to restore themselves, they are attacked by neighbors and the survivors of that conflict are captured and taken toward Ammon.  The remaining officials track down the band of attackers and rescue the people, but then they lead the refugees toward Egypt against the message that Jeremiah brings from God.  We end today's reading with Jeremiah prophesying the destruction of Egypt at the hands of Babylon.

    Join me in Jeremiah 39-43 to see God's judgement come upon his people.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 39:8

    The Babylonians burned down the royal palace, the temple of the Lord, and the people’s homes, and they tore down the wall of Jerusalem.  

    Jeremiah 40:6

    So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and lived there with him. He stayed there to live among the people who had been left in the land of Judah.

    Jeremiah 41:12

    So they took all their troops and went to fight against Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the large pool at Gibeon.  

    Jeremiah 42:19

     “The Lord has told you people who remain in Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be very sure of this: I warn you here and now.  

    Jeremiah 43:13

    He will demolish the sacred pillars in the temple of the sun in Egypt and will burn down the temples of the gods of Egypt.”’”  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    21 min
  • #231 Jeremiah 35-38

    Day 231 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 35-38 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+35-38/

    This is day 231 of our journey.

    Jeremiah 35 introduces the Rechabites.  These people were a wandering tribe that had taken refuge from the Babylonians in Jerusalem.  They had, long before the events of this passage, received specific instructions from their ancestor on how they were to live their lives and had remained faithful to his commands for many generations.  The Rechabites serve as a stark contrast to the Jews who have refused to remain faithful to the Word of the Lord.  In Jeremiah 36, God has Jeremiah write down all the words he has received.  This scroll is read in the temple, to the officials, and eventually to King Jehoiakim.  King Jehoiakim burned the scroll and sent to have Jeremiah arrested.  But, God protected Jeremiah and instructed him to make another copy of the scroll.  Jeremiah 37-38 tell of the interactions between Jeremiah and King Zedekiah.  King Zedekiah ruled at the whims of his officials. At times, he seems to listen to Jeremiah and protects him from persecution but then allows his officers to throw him into a pit to execute him. Eventually, he gives permission for Jeremiah to be rescued from death.  In all this time of persecution and threat of death, Jeremiah's message remains the same.  Judah will be overthrown. Babylon will not relent until the city is burned and the King is taken into exile.

    Join me in Jeremiah 35-38 and see the difference between faithfulness and deceit.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 35:19

    So the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel says, ‘Jonadab son of Rechab will never lack a male descendant to serve me.’”

    Jeremiah 36:30

    So the Lord says concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah, “None of his line will occupy the throne of David. His dead body will be thrown out to be exposed to scorching heat by day and frost by night.  

    Jeremiah 37:9

    Moreover, I, the Lord, warn you not to deceive yourselves into thinking that the Babylonian forces will go away and leave you alone. For they will not go away.

    Jeremiah 38:23

     “All your wives and your children will be turned over to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from them but will be captured by the king of Babylon. This city will be burned down.”  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    24 min
  • #230 Jeremiah 32-34

    Day 230 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 32-34 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+32-34/

    This is day 230 of our journey.

    As Jeremiah is confined to the courtyard grounds for prophesying against Judah and King Zedekiah, he receives a word from the Lord: "Buy a field."  It is a simple thing, but Jeremiah uses it as an object lesson for the people to understand that there will come a time when the people will buy and sell land again.  Trouble is coming, but God promises to bring them back to the land.  Jeremiah speaks specifically to the lines of David and Levi and proclaims that they will be restored to their rightful positions among the Israelite people and will lead them faithfully before the Lord.  But, all of this will happen AFTER the Babylonian empire has ruled over them for the proper time.

    Join me in Jeremiah 32-34 and recognize your future hope!

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 32:40

    I will make a lasting covenant with them that I will never stop doing good to them. I will fill their hearts and minds with respect for me so that they will never again turn away from me.

    Jeremiah 33:7

    I will restore Judah and Israel and will rebuild them as they were in days of old.  

    Jeremiah 34:21

    I will also hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them. I will hand them over to the army of the king of Babylon, even though they have temporarily withdrawn from attacking you.

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    22 min
  • #229 Jeremiah 29-31

    Day 229 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 29-31 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+29-31/

    This is day 229 of our journey.

    Today's reading contains one of the best known verses in all the prophets: "'For I know what I have planned for you,' says the Lord. 'I have plans to prosper you and not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.'" What is often missing though is an understanding of the context.  This verse is a message to the Jews in exile.  It is accompanied with instructions to settle down and live in the land of Babylon.  They will be there for 70 years!  The message of this verse, both then and now, is that despite the hard times that surround us, we can trust that God is working out a greater plan.

    Join me in Jeremiah 29-31 and remember that God does have our best interest in mind!

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 29:11

    For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.  

    Jeremiah 30:17

    Yes, I will restore you to health.I will heal your wounds. I, the Lord, affirm it! For you have been called an outcast,Zion, whom no one cares for.”

    Jeremiah 31:33

    “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    23 min
  • #228 Jeremiah 25-28

    Day 228 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 25-28 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+25-28/

    This is day 228 of our journey.

    As the full exile approaches, Jeremiah continues to prophesy the judgement coming on Judah.  They will live in exile in Babylon for 70 years.  But, at the end of the 70 years, Babylon will also be judged for their wickedness.  As Jeremiah is prophesying judgement, the other prophets of his time are prophesying restoration.  They say that the trouble that has come on Judah will soon pass and that those who have been removed from Judah will soon be able to return.  Because of this difference, Jeremiah is placed on trial as a false prophet.  But in the end, he is vindicated and the false prophets that are speaking against him and against the judgement of the Lord are destroyed.

    Join me in Jeremiah 25-28, heed the Word of the Lord.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 25:12

     “‘But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Babylon an everlasting ruin. I, the Lord, affirm it!

    Jeremiah 26:24

    However,  Ahikam son of Shaphan used his influence to keep Jeremiah from being handed over and executed by the people.  

    Jeremiah 27:17

    Do not listen to them. Be subject to the king of Babylon. Then you will continue to live. Why should this city be made a pile of rubble?’”  

    Jeremiah 28:9

    So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.”  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    23 min
  • #227 Jeremiah 22-24

    Day 227 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 22-24 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+22-24/

    This is day 227 of our journey.

    Jeremiah's message today begins with an indictment on the last kings of Judah.  He calls by name Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jeconiah and speaks of their judgement: death or exile.  He promises new leadership that will gather the people back together after the exile and lead them in a way that is upright.  He speaks against the false prophets that proclaim oracles from their own imagination and do not submit to the Lord.  He ends with a parable of a basket of figs. The good figs are those people that have been taken into exile, God will eventually restore them.  The bad figs are those people left in the land to perish.

    Join me in Jeremiah 22-24 and seek the true message of the Lord.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 22:16

    He upheld the cause of the poor and needy.So things went well for Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘That is a good example of what it means to know me.’

    Jeremiah 23:5

     “I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David. He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding and will do what is just and right in the land.  

    Jeremiah 24:7

    I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I am the Lord. I will be their God and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly return to me.’  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    19 min
  • #226 Jeremiah 18-21

    Day 226 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 18-21 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+18-21/

    This is day 226 of our journey.

    Jeremiah is sent to a potter's house to watch him work and to listen to God's message there.  God is the potter, we are clay in his hands.  Sometimes, the clay needs to be crushed and reworked in order to correct something that has gone wrong.  Jeremiah then complains to God about the poor treatment he receives from those who hear his message.  Jeremiah is constantly the target of people wanting to kill and silence him.  He is thrown into prison.  But Jeremiah's message is the truth.  When Jeremiah wants to keep silent in order to protect himself from persecution, he can't. God's message is like fire in his bones, he MUST speak regardless of the consequences.

    Join me in Jeremiah 18-21 and allow the master potter to mold you and use you!

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 18:6

    “I, the Lord, say: ‘O nation of Israel, can I not deal with you as this potter deals with the clay? In my hands, you, O nation of Israel, are just like the clay in this potter’s hand.’  

    Jeremiah 19:15

    “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel says, ‘I will soon bring on this city and all the towns surrounding it all the disaster I threatened to do to it. I will do so because they have stubbornly refused to pay any attention to what I have said!’”  

    Jeremiah 20:9

    Sometimes I think, “I will make no mention of his message. I will not speak as his messenger any more.” But then his message becomes like a fire locked up inside of me, burning in my heart and soul. I grow weary of trying to hold it in;I cannot contain it.

    Jeremiah 21:9

    Those who stay in this city will die in battle or of starvation or disease. Those who leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging it will live. They will escape with their lives.  

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    18 min
  • #225 Jeremiah 14-17

    Day 225 of the podcast, reading Jeremiah 14-17 NET, read along at:

    https://netbible.org/bible/Jeremiah+14-17/

    This is day 225 of our journey.

    Jeremiah begins chapter 14 with a warning of the upcoming drought, punishment for the failure to adhere to the terms of the covenant as laid out in Leviticus 26.  God, renounces the false prophets that are claiming that Israel will be secure.  He did NOT commission these men and they speak worthless predictions to comfort a sinful generation.  Jeremiah cries out for mercy on his people, but God refuses to listen. They are past the point of saving and must be punished.  That punishment will be severe...there will be no time to mourn the dead and no opportunity to rejoice.  But, the punishment will come to an end and the people will, one day, be restored to the land!  In the end, they are reminded to keep the Sabbath.  That is the key to a prosperous future with the Lord.

    Join me in Jeremiah 14-17, listen to God's word in your life.

    Key verses:

    Jeremiah 14:14

    Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind.  

    Jeremiah 15:1

    Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I would not feel pity for them! Get them away from me! Tell them to go away!

    Jeremiah 16:13

    So I will throw you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your ancestors have ever known. There you must worship other gods day and night, for I will show you no mercy.’”  

    Jeremiah 17:9

    The human mind is more deceitful than anything else.It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?

    All Scriptures are from the NET.

    23 min

About Devoted to Scripture

From the publisher's feed

This will be a daily posting of my trip through the Bible. I will be reading the NET aloud. Each day I will introduce the passage with a brief commentary. But mostly I will simply be reading the Word of God for you.