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Jeremiah 27 (ESV)
1 In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. 2 Thus the Lord said to me: “Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck. 3 Send word to the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the sons of Ammon, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon by the hand of the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. 4 Give them this charge for their masters: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: This is what you shall say to your masters: 5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave.
REFLECTION:
The yoke on the neck (v2) is a sign that King Nebuchadnezzar attacked Judah for the first time in 593 BC and took a large number of Judahites abducted. The yoke is a wooden frame used to put livestock on the rake. Jeremiah’s yoke symbolizes that Judah must obey Babylonian rule or they will be destroyed. God can appoint rulers of other countries who do not worship God to be his “servants” and impose judgments on Judah. This method is really unimaginable. God did not actually ask King Nebuchadnezzar to preach His word, but through Nebuchadnezzar fulfilled the prophecy that God would judge sin. God’s power is in charge of everything. Today, He can still choose anyone at will, including those who do not believe in God, to accomplish His will, and even discipline us through unexpected methods. Therefore, we should be ready to receive God’s discipline at any time, even if it is a way beyond our expectations. At the same time, we should also know that for those who love God all things work together for good. As long as we love the Lord faithfully and obey God’s will in all things, we will be led and edified by God. Not only do we need to be fearless before God, but we must also rejoice and receive His rewards.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to make you more humble and obey God’s sovereignty in all things; for God to enlighten you so that you can see clearly what you have offended God, confess your sins to Him, and repent sincerely. At the same time, pray for God to make you understand that God is loving, and for those who love God all things work together for good. Whether it is smooth or difficult, you are willing to obey God and benefit from God.
HYMN:
Give Me Faith – youtu.be/SjFIhTNDyz0
