Judgment day arrives

JEREMIAH   CHAPTER 34

King Nebuchadnezzar came with his armies and took Jerusalem and Judah and the Lord gave a message to Jeremiah to go to the king of Judah and tell him the city will be burned and he will be exiled to Babylon. However, the
Lord said the king of Judah would die peacefully among his people.

The king of Judah made a covenant with the people to free all slaves. He ordered his people to free their Hebrew slaves and his command was obeyed, but later they changed their minds and made them slaves again. So the Lord gave the people a message telling them that he made a covenant with their ancesors long ago when he rescued them from slavery in Egypt. He told them every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years, but this was never done. Now you repent, the Lord said, and do what is right, then you defile my name by making them slaves again.

And so the Lord said that since the people had not obeyed by setting free the slaves, he would set the (the Israelites) free to be destroyed by famine, disease and war. And they would be disgraced by all nations of the world. So the Lord would cut them apart and give them to the enemy. The King of Judah and his officials would be handed over and the armies of Babylon would capture and burn Jerusalem and all cities of Judah would be destroyed.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? It is about broken promises and how quickly these people in ancient times refused to obey the Lord - and how quickly we too break promises and refuse to obey the Lord.

The King of Judah had finally decided to listen to Jeremiah and freed all the slaves. He was doing this to win God's favor with a kind act. But the people had been disobeying God for so long that when the seige was halted temporarily, they returned to their sinning.

God definitley shows his displeasure at being cheated or disobeyed. And he does in our times too. God expects that we keep our promises and follow through with what we say and do. The consequences of disobedience are harsh, just like in ancient times. But we must also know that Jesus Christ died for our sins hundreds of years later. Jesus Christ provides us with a peace and mercy that is never ending!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:


HEALTH: Pray for Gabe.

Pray for Gary and Steve my insurance men who have prostate cancer.

Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.

Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.

Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with a form of MS.

Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.

Pray for Gary Summers, my friend from church, who has cancer.

Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who has been undergoing chemo. Pray also for Charly who longs to be 100 percent again and walk without an aid.

Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.

SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary

RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John

LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian

SUPPORT: Pray for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom. Pray for our famers and those who raise livestock during this terrible drought.