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In 588 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar’s army surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Two years later, this army succeeded in entering the city, burning down the Temple and other buildings, and deporting some of the citizens. This was a time of great destruction. Even the prophet Ezekiel posted on his prophetic Instagram account that Jerusalem would be destroyed (Ezk 24:1 -14). But in the middle of this destruction God showed Jeremiah a different world.(Reference: “The Bible Timeline” by Thomas Robinson for the historical dates)
But as the great singer and songwriter Rev. James Cleveland sang “This is God’s Good Time”. In the middle of tough situations is when God does His work. In this case, God took Jeremiah back to his origin back story. Jeremiah was born a priest, and called to be prophet at an early age. We can imagine that he saw himself living a priest’s life since his father Hilkiah was of the priests, who lived in the territory of Benjamin (Jeremiah1:1).
From our study of the Old Testament, we understand that one of the primary responsibilities of the priests was not just to minister to God and to the people, but to also take care of their families. The priests were also fathers and husbands. We see an example of this in the story of the birth of John the Baptist. John’s father Zechariah was a priest, married to Elizabeth. The priests were split into divisions, and took turns serving before the Lord. Luke 1:8(NIV) ‘Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ‘
But God did not allow Jeremiah to get married Jeremiah 16:1-2(NIV) ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me: “You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place.” In some ways God’s refusal to let Jeremiah marry separated him from what his life might have otherwise been. While everyone else was marrying, giving in marriage, and attending wedding parties, Jeremiah stood apart from all of that. He didn’t have a wife and the kids running in the yard of a house with a white picket fence. He couldn’t be the guy who was throwing the football with his son and his daughter. God had not allowed him any of that. In this respect Jeremiah was a type of Christ. Christ did not have a family of His own, or even a house. Matthew 8:20 (NIV) “Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
God called Jeremiah to spend his life prophesying to the Nation of Israel. What was Israel’s response? The rulers beat Jeremiah and threw him into prison. Even after the siege of Jerusalem began, the king threw Jeremiah into a muddy cistern. The Ethiopian eunuch Ebed Melech pleaded for Jeremiah’s life, and rescued him from the cistern (Jeremiah 38:9).
This was a tough situation for Jeremiah and everyone in Jerusalem. They were surrounded by King Nebuchadnezzar’s army. King Nebuchadnezzar was seemingly undefeatable. In our lives King Nebuchadnezzar represents the things that seemingly cannot be defeated. For you, it could be a financial situation, an addiction or something in your household, that is seemingly undefeatable that’s got you surrounded but just like Jeremiah, God has prepared a message for you.
God sent a messenger to Jeremiah. Sometimes God will send a message even to His messengers. In this case, God sent cousin Hanamel with a message to Jeremiah. We all have a cousin Hanamel. This is the cousin that is trying to sell you some property in the middle of a siege! But God told Jeremiah it was okay. Jeremiah 32:8 (NIV) “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ “I knew that this was the word of the Lord;
God used that message and that messenger to show Jeremiah God’s promise.
Jeremiah 32:15-17: For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’ “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord: “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. ‘
God showed Jeremiah a vision of a world that didn’t exist yet. Because of the evil of times, Jeremiah never had a wife. He didn’t have those kids. He didn’t have that house with that white picket fence. He spent his whole life, trying to warn the nation of Israel and what did he get in return? Beatings, torture and imprisonment. Even as the Babylonian army was outside the city of Jerusalem, God showed Jeremiah an alternate future, a new beginning. God showed him that one day He would restore Jerusalem.
God has a message for you this morning. You might be surrounded by something that seems undefeatable, but God is showing you that your restoration is on the way.
In 1963, John Phillips and Michelle Phillips were living in the Washington Square Hotel in New York City. John Phillips would sit up at night and write song lyrics. He wrote these lines one night, and the brought these lyrics to his wife Michelle on morning:
All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day
I’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day
(Reference “Echo In the Canyon” documentary, and Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Dreamin%27)
John and Michelle Phillips saw a different world other than the world they were living in. They recorded the song, and it became a hit.
What is God speaking to you today?
This past week, Pope Leo hosted the Third Meeting on Human Fraternity”. At the conclusion of the meeting was the “2025 Grace for the World” concert. Below is a link. Hope you enjoy. https://youtu.be/30pUA5I0xoo
We Love You,
Pastors Willie and Rochelle McIntosh
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