THE LORD SPOKE (October 25)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Jeremiah 34-35

There is a fork in every man’s road. He (or she) must make a choice. It’s not grey - it’s very black and white. Which will you choose? To commit yourself to God or not. There’s no middle ground. You can’t ride the fence on this one. These two chapters illustrate the startling contrast between the two ways.

A VOW QUICKLY BROKEN

Jeremiah 34 tells the story of Israel’s flip-flop decision regarding Hebrew slaves. The law provided for voluntary indenture (in order to pay a debt) but required that freedom be granted to all at the end of every seven years. Along with all the other problems in Israel, this practice had not been followed. In response to Jeremiah’s word from the Lord (34:8), the people in Jerusalem entered a covenant wherein “everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Jew in bondage” (34:9). Everyone agreed. “But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again” (34:11). What follows demonstrates why going back on your word is so wrong:

• it violates your own history (34:13)
• it violates God’s word (34:14)
• it violates God’s name and very nature (34:16)
• it violates the vow they had taken (34:18)

A VOW LONG HELD FIRM

The very next chapter relates a stark contrast to this. The Rechabites (35:2) were a group of Kenites (I Chron. 2:55). They were foreigners in the southern zone of Judah who had largely been assimilated into the tribe because they accepted the God of Israel. The Rechabites were nomads (see Jeremiah 35:7!) who had taken a vow to not drink wine. God set up a lesson for Israel by telling Jeremiah to have the Rechabites invited to one of the side rooms of the Temple, along with all the Israelite leaders and officials. The wine was offered but the Rechabites refused. That alone would have been rather surprising. It’s hard for an invited guest to turn down gift. And what could be wrong with drinking a little wine at a business meeting at the Temple?

What was more striking was to find out that the Rechabites had been keeping their vow for some 250 years! Since the time of Johadab ben-Recab, who had given the original order, they had “obeyed everything [he] had commanded [them]” (35:8-10).

Why is this important? Why did God set up this object lesson for Israel? What should we take away from it for ourselves? Keeping your word (especially when it is promised to God)...

• strengthens you for every task (strength in one area leads to strength in others)
• reminds us that we are responsible to turn from our wicked ways (35:15b)
• calls our attention to the fact that we need to reform our actions (35:15c)
• leads us to recognize that we must do better than the world (35:16)

So where are you? Have you made commitments to God that you need to reaffirm? Is there something that you’ve taken back that you need to reconsider and recommit? Do it now!


Psalms 77-78

What a horrible cycle we get ourselves into?! Psalm 78 describes the children of Israel and their experiences in Egypt and in the desert afterwards. Again and again, God delivered them and they were grateful. For a moment. But very shortly afterward, they were right back at it. Down in the dumps. Back into sin. Estranged from God their only Savior. Again!

It’s much like the story in the book of Judges. There we find the cycle repeated seven times. It goes from SIN to SUFFERING to SUPPLICATION to SALVATION, but then back to sin again.

Israel would fall miserably into sinful practices. Forgetting God and His gracious dealings, they would walk away from the Covenant. For that, they would suffer the consequences. Let it be remembered: sin always has consequences and leads to suffering. In her misery, Israel would cry out to God for mercy and help. God would, again and again, hear her supplication and give aid. Salvation would come in the form of another deliverer who would throw off the oppressors and give Israel a fresh start. You can see it clearly in vs. 34-38 - “whenever...but then...yet...time after time”.

The same cycle is found elsewhere in Scripture. Like right here in Psalm 78. Or in Stephen’s speech in Acts 7. Does it describe your own experience? Have you found yourself in the same vicious cycle? What’s the solution?

Remember! Repeatedly in this psalm and elsewhere in Scripture, we’re commanded to remember. What do we have to help us remember?

1. the Bible itself - It’s a major reason why it was written in the first place - to remind us of God’s mighty acts.
2. objects - rocks, grasshoppers, the Ark, sheep
3. place names - Egypt, Shiloh, Mount Zion
4. people (or even just people with the same names) - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David (now build your own list)
5. your kids - Every time you look at your children, remember the misery your sin has caused you and about how you don’t want them to experience the same.

God is into memory aids. Create some more yourself and use them!