1 “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate.
3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion.”
Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion, so beautiful and delicate.
3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion.”
4 “Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon!
But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!”
But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!”
6 This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Cut down the trees and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.
7 As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you
and make your land desolate so no one can live in it.”
This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.
7 As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you
and make your land desolate so no one can live in it.”
9 This is what the LORD Almighty says:
“Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes.”
pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes.”
10 To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.
The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in.
Their ears are closed so they cannot hear.
The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in.
“Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives,
when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD.
13 “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.
both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives,
when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD.
13 “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD.
16 This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.”
ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations; you who are witnesses, observe what will happen to them.
19 Hear, you earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.
20 What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me.”
21 Therefore this is what the LORD says:
“I will put obstacles before this people. Parents and children alike will stumble over them; neighbours and friends will perish.”
22 This is what the LORD says:
“Look, an army is coming from the land of the north;
a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
23 They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
23 They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
24 We have heard reports about them, and our hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labour.
25 Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side.
26 Put on sackcloth, my people, and roll in ashes;
mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son,
for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labour.
25 Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side.
26 Put on sackcloth, my people, and roll in ashes;
mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son,
for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.
27 “I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore,
that you may observe and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander.
They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”
that you may observe and test their ways.
28 They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander.
They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.
29 The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.
30 They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”
TODAY IN THE WORD (See 33:1-11 too)
Cindy Howard was raised in a Christian home and made a personal commitment to Christ in high school. But when she went away to college, she quickly got caught up in the campus party lifestyle. She always intended to find a good church and a Bible study, but somehow it never happened. By the end of her freshman year, Cindy had the reputation of a party girl who could drink a lot of alcohol. By the time she graduated from college, few, if any, of her college friends even knew that she was a Christian.
Cindy Howard was raised in a Christian home and made a personal commitment to Christ in high school. But when she went away to college, she quickly got caught up in the campus party lifestyle. She always intended to find a good church and a Bible study, but somehow it never happened. By the end of her freshman year, Cindy had the reputation of a party girl who could drink a lot of alcohol. By the time she graduated from college, few, if any, of her college friends even knew that she was a Christian.
Sadly, Cindy Howard's example isn't an isolated one. As believers in Jesus Christ, our lives will bear a witness - but our witness can be either positive or negative.
Jeremiah ministered just prior to the Babylonian exile (627-580 BC). Like many other prophets, he urged the people to return to God's ways (Jer 6:16). But they refused to do so! Even though God had sent previous prophets (the “watchmen” in v 17), the people persisted in their sin. Rather than destroy all false idols, the Israelites had adopted many perverse pagan practices. Rather than trust the Lord to protect them, the Israelites had entered into dangerous foreign alliances.
The consequences of their sin were far-reaching. Instead of being a witness to the nations, we find that the nations were called upon to testify against Israel in the courtroom of God's justice and to hear His sentence against his people (v 18). This is indeed a sad point in the nation's history.
Fortunately, Jeremiah prophesied of God's wonderful restoration. Jeremiah 33 contains some of the most glorious promises of restoration, although the gruesome horrors of the destruction of Jerusalem and exile are not excluded (vv 4-5, 10). Yet after the Exile, God promised to reunite Judah and Israel and to rebuild Jeru-salem in such a way as to display His glory to the surrounding nations (v 9). The very nations that had been called upon to testify against Israel would at some point rejoice because of what God has done in and for Israel.
APPLY THE WORD
It can be easy to think of witnessing for Christ in terms of what we say to other people, but it is often what we actually do that has the greatest impact.
It can be easy to think of witnessing for Christ in terms of what we say to other people, but it is often what we actually do that has the greatest impact.
To be sure, we are called to witness in both word and deed. Still, it's always a good idea to take some time to ask if our behaviour lines up with our words. In other words, do we walk the talk? We read in 1 Peter 3:13-16 that even our accusers should give glory to God because of our good deeds.
