anitasanecdotes

In Jeremiah 49 and 50 God continues his judgment against the nations. All of them, including Babylon will be destroyed. Some though will be brought back because they may have helped Israel and Judah at one time.

In John 18 Jesus and his disciples go out to an olive grove. Judas brings soldiers and some religious officials to the grove and betrays Jesus into their hands. Peter tries to protect Jesus but Jesus says this is what must happen. Jesus is brought before the high officials. Jesus states that he has done everything out in the open for all to see and hear. They have nothing against him. During this time, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times just as Jesus had said.

They Jewish officials take Jesus to the Roman governor Pilate. They want Pilate to execute him. He finds no basis for a charge against Jesus and gives them a choice between killing Jesus or a thief and murderer Barabbas. They free Barabbas.

Jeremiah 47 and 48 speak to the countries that surround Israel and Judah. They will be laid waste because they have led the people of God astray.

In John 17 Jesus prays. The time has come for God to glorify him. He has completed his work on earth and is ready to take his place back with God.

Jesus asks that God be with those who have followed him He asks protection for them when he is gone. Jesus prays for those who will hear the gospel message through his followers that they, too, will become one with God through him.

In Jeremiah 44, 45 and 46 God confronts those who have escaped to Egypt. They are continuing to worship other gods, particularly the queen of heaven. He tells them that they will not survive. They must stop worshipping other gods and repent.

The people say they will not listen to God.  They believe that when they worshiped the queen of heaven they had food and it was when they stopped that they suffered. They are going back to their own ways. Jeremiah tries to convince them that it was because they worshiped the queen of heaven that they were punished in that way. God could no longer bear to see their unfaithfulness.

God tells the people that he will not tolerate their disobedience. They will have no more chances to repent. He will send Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt to conquer it. They will not survive. God knows, though, that a few in Egypt are faithful and they will escape back to Judah.

Baruch is still writing down what Jeremiah is dictating. He is being weighed down by what he has heard. Jeremiah has a message for him from God. God will carry out what He has promised but Baruch will be protected wherever he goes.

God tells Egypt that it will be punished for enticing the people of Judah into worshiping its gods. God has scattered His people but He promises to save the faithful of Jacob, the remnant. They may be punished but they will not be destroyed.

Again, we see that even when confronted with the truth we often want to believe lies and superstitions. We cling to those things that do not work even though we are being told differently. We continue to do the same things say in and day out and expect a different result. What we really need to do is to admit our mistakes, change our behavior and move forward it a new direction. Why is it that we prefer to go our unproductive and even destructive way instead of turning and following God?

Psalm 119:49-72 is the prayer the people in Jeremiah should be praying. We should learn from our affliction and turn back to the word of God. Even when others would lead us astray we should put our trust in His word.

In Jeremiah 42 and 43 those who remain in Judah ask Jeremiah to pray to God on their behalf. They promise to obey whatever God tells them to do. God tells the people to stay in Judah and they will be protected. If they are obedient God will have compassion on them and restore them to their land. If they decide to go to Egypt God will punish them for their disobedience.

The people didn’t believe Jeremiah and went to Egypt. God sent Nebuchadnezzar to attack Egypt and punish the unfaithful.

In John 16 Jesus tells his disciples that soon he will be gone. They do not understand what he is saying to them. He warns them of the difficult times to come. He says that the Spirit will come to guide them revealing sin and righteousness. They may have trouble but they need to remember that Jesus has overcome the world.

In Jeremiah 40 and 41 Jeremiah was released and allowed to go wherever he wished. He decided to stay in Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar appointed a governor over Jerusalem. One of the king of Judah’s officers killed the governor, the Jews who were with him and the Babylonian soldiers who were there. He and his friends escaped to Egypt to hide from Nebuchadnezzar because of what they had done.

In John 15 commands us to love each other as Jesus loved us. He died for us and expects that we will be willing to die for those we love as well. He knows that the world is looking at us as His followers and they will judge Him by our behavior. He wants them to know that we are believers by how much we love each other.

This love is manifested in our willingness to serve one another. We may be hated by the world but we should be known for our love.

In Jeremiah 38 and 39 Jeremiah warns the officials of Jerusalem to turn themselves over to Babylon when it comes to attack the city. They do not want to listen and put him in a cistern. The king allows Jeremiah to be saved from the cistern and secretly asks his counsel. Jeremiah repeats that the king and officials must turn themselves over to Babylon. The king protects Jeremiah.

When the Babylonians come the king and the officials run away. But they are caught and either killed or harmed physically. Nebuchadnezzar protects Jeremiah who is allowed to remain in Jerusalem. God tells the faithful who are left in Jerusalem that they will be spared.

John 14 contains words that often bring us comfort when a loved one dies. Jesus is speaking about his own death. He tells his disciples that he is going to prepare a place for us in heaven. Because he lives we are assured that we will live also. He reminds them that he is the way and the truth and the life. It is through him that we will be able to see God.

Jesus assures us that while we are separated from him we will have his Spirit inside of us helping us to be obedient. It is through our obedience that we show our love for both the Father and Jesus.

In Jeremiah 36 God told Jeremiah to write down all the words He had spoken to him. Jeremiah had Baruch take dictation. Then Baruch read the words aloud in the Temple. The people were frightened by the words. But King Jehoiakim burned the scroll when he heard it. God punished him and the people of Jerusalem and Judah. God had Jeremiah rewrite the scroll.

God is trying any means available to reach the people of Judah. Some listen and are afraid. Some continue to reject God’s attempts at reconciliation. They certainly cannot say they weren’t warned about what was going to happen to them. God is very explicit. And yet, it is as though they are fooling themselves into believing somehow it couldn’t happen to them. Isn’t that the way all of us are. We hear advice and warnings of many kinds and yet we continue to do things we know we shouldn’t, telling ourselves that somehow we are immune to the effects. We read the scriptures and know how we are supposed to live and yet are surprised when things fall apart because we go our own way. Will we ever learn?

In Jeremiah 37 Zedekiah was now king. He didn’t pay attention to Jeremiah’s prophecies. But Zedekiah did ask Jeremiah to pray. He asked what God had said and was told that while Egypt had come in support of Judah Babylon would eventually prevail.

In Psalm 119:25-48 the writer is struggling but is putting his trust in God’s word. He asks that God will preserve his life. He promises to continue to be faithful to the word.

In Jeremiah 34 and 35 King Zedekiah is still holding out. Jeremiah is told to tell the people to release any of their slaves and give them freedom. They do this but only for a short time. God says that since they did not repent even of this, when God freed their ancestors, they would become slaves to the Babylonians.

There were some in Jerusalem who were faithful to God’s commands to their ancestors. God promised to bless them even though most others would be punished.

John 13 tells of the Passover meal. Jesus begins the meal by washing the disciples’ feet. Peter refuses to let him wash his feet but Jesus says that he must so the Peter may be made clean. He tells all of the disciples that they must be willing to serve others if they are to follow him.

Jesus knows that Judas Iscariot is going to betray him and tells everyone that someone will betray him. He give bread to Judas and tells him to do what he is going to do quickly.

In Jeremiah 32 and 33 King Zedekiah of Judah is still holding out against the Babylonians. Jeremiah has been imprisoned. God speaks to Jeremiah and lets him know that He will bring Judah and Jerusalem under the control of Babylon. They too will spend time there until God determines their debt has been paid. God repeats His prophecy concerning Jesus who will save Israel and Judah.

Periodically throughout the book of Jeremiah, God has Jeremiah do something that becomes symbolic of what God is doing to and with the people of Israel and Judah. Jeremiah has insight that these are things God wants him to do or visions that God gives him that will be explained.

John 12 begins the last week of Jesus’ life. His feet are anointed by Mary, sister of Lazarus. Jesus says that she is preparing His body for burial.

Jesus enters into Jerusalem as a king. The people cry out for Jesus to save them.

Jesus knows that soon he will die. He says that He could ask the Father to save Him but that this is the reason He is here at this place and time. Jesus asks God to glorify his name and God replies that it is glorified. The crowd just hears thunder.

He tells the people that it is through His death that people will be drawn to Him. Even some of the religious leaders were beginning to believe in Jesus.

In Jeremiah 29, 30 and 31 the people of Israel are now in exile. Jeremiah is commanded to send a letter to the exiles. He tells them to live their lives in Babylon and pray for that kingdom. They will remain there 70 years. During this time they are to remain faithful to God and turn back to Him. They are not to listen to the prophets and priests in Babylon who would lead them astray. Those prophets and priests who lie to the people are destroyed.

God promises restoration to Israel and Judah when the time of their exile is complete. They will have been disciplined and will be restored.

Psalm 119:1-24 is the beginning of the longest psalm. It is based upon the Hebrew alphabet with each section corresponding to a different letter. The focus of the psalm is the law of the Lord. It speaks of treasuring God’s word in the heart and following its teaching.