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This week we are studying the exile of the people of Israel. These are the questions we are asking: (1) What is home? (2) What might we feel in exile? and (3) How are we to live in exile? In this text we read how the people of Israel struggle to live in exile (in Babylon). What makes this even more challenging is knowing that God sent them into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. There are people through out history and the world who live/have lived in exile (i.e. refugees) and we may ourselves experience exile as Christians, recognizing that heaven is our home. Yet God calls the people of Israel to create a sense of home in exile, in Babylon. They hope that their time in exile will be short but God calls them to prepare to live there for generations and to seek His peace among their enemies. In exile they will experience peace as they seek his peace. God promises to bring them out of exile. God is their/our home, now and post exile.

When we look at some of Jeremiah’s prayers, we might want to ask the questions: 1. How do we

have courage to live out our convictions? 2. How do we live out a life of faithfulness?

We observed as Jeremiah struggled with his disappointment and questions. But Jeremiah continued to live a life of faithfulness. He understood the heart of the Lord to save his people from their own self-destruction. He understood God’s desire for the hearts of his people.

God refers to his relationship with his people as a relationship between husband and wife. God is saying, “I don’t just want to be your king. I want to be your spouse. I don’t just want your dutiful service. I want your most intimate love. God is saying, I want to be your lover, your husband!” But, we have forsaken God, the spring of living water and have dug our own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. We have forsaken God through our idolatry. And to God, our idolatry is adultery. How can we be redeemed from our adultery? This passage foreshadows the coming of Jesus and his death of the cross to redeem us. It is through the cross that we are accepted back as his bride, to a life in the Kingdom with Christ as our faithful husband.

Steps 10-12 are about how to make sure we continue to grow and maintain our recovery after we are done with Steps 1-9. How do we live a vibrant Christian life in the Spirit? Step 10 focuses on continued humility. Step 11 focuses on living in a rhythm of spiritual practices. And Step 12 focuses on living on God’s mission.

Matthew 4:19 says: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men [people].” In this passage, Jesus says to “follow me” (enter into an intimate relationship with him—Steps 1-3) “and I will make you” (enter into a process of being transformed to be like Jesus—Steps 4-11) “fishers of men” (he gives us a mission that’s about others, not just about ourselves). The call is to live on God’s mission of making disciples.