The Family Bible Journey Podcast

God promised to give His people a soft, tender heart towards Him instead of the rock hard heart of stubbornness. We see this promise fulfilled when the exiles returned in faith. Pentecost also fulfills this promise. Indeed, all who have received the Holy Spirit have been given a tender heart by God.

Peter explains the great blessings of being a part of God's holy people. They had been called to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. "In Christ," they were a new creation, sealed and elect for a salvation. God's eternal gifts far surpass anything this world could offer.

In a sad vision, Ezekiel sees the Lords presence depart from His Temple. He had promised to dwell with His people in His Temple so long as they kept His covenant. Having proven themselves false, He left because of  their unfaithfulness.

In these chapters, Ezekiel sees the Lord take note of those who were guilty of idolatry and executing judgment upon them. But before judgment is executed, God marks for mercy all who were devoted to Him. Here we see the twin realities of mercy and judgment.

Peter's letters were written to a bunch of people who had been cast-off for their faith. Their families didn't like that they had renounced the family gods and religious systems. Many other Christians didn't welcome them either. Peter encourages them and encourages us, especially when we feel like the outcast.

The unfaithful Jews left in Judah will die around the altars they built to worship false gods. In pride and idolatry they would die. Ezekiel warns against pride and idolatry, but these aren't two sins, they are one and the same.

Ezekiel is known for prophetic dramas. He acted out his visions, so that the people would see the Lord's determinations in his actions. Crazy and confusing, they clearly demonstrate the Lord's judgment of Israel.

When we underestimate the power of prayer, is it because we underestimate God or our own abilities? Either way, let us lean in to prayer and pray boldly, so that we are blessed by seeing God do what only He can do in our lives.

God calls the priest Ezekiel to be a prophet. He will prophecy to a nation that will refuse to listen. But instead of caving, Ezekiel is called to be faithful and true, determined to do good instead of placating evil.

Ezekiel is a contemporary of Jeremiah, who prophecied to the exiles from Judah in Babylon. Much like John the Apostle's Revelation, Ezekiel sees things that defy human comprehension. But what is crystal clear in these visions is that God is on His throne, reigning over all things, no matter what.

Corrie Ten Boom is famous for saying, "hold your plans lightly." There is great wisdom in this, because only when we are intent on listening to God, and following His way, will we be blessed to see Him work more and more in our lives. My Grandpa Lepley always used to say, "Lord willing," when someone asked him about his future plans. Now I know why.

In exile, God's people finally repent and return to the Lord in faith! How much needless suffering could have been avoided had they listened to the Lord instead of being destroyed for their disobedience? May we learn to listen to the Lord in faith, instead of learning the hard way by suffering needlessly for our own sin.

Osteriches are notoriously awful parents. They abandon their eggs in the sand, trusting the sun will incubate and hatch them. They bury their heads in the sand when danger comes. Recognizing the futility of sinful self "preservation," we seek the Lord and live selfless lives for the benefit of others.

Not only do faith and works go hand-in-hand, so to do peace and righteousness. We are warned in this chapter about the "wisdom" of this world that teaches the ends justify the means. Instead, we are taught to listen, learn, and hold our tongues while doing good to all, as Jesus did.

This central chapter of Lamentaations is full of hope and promise in Christ. We consider the depth of our sin and the depth of God's love for us in Christ Jesus. In Him we are saved, through repentance, even though we are no better than those whom Jeremiah mourned and lamented.

This great chapter describes the hope we have in God, despite the difficulties and persecutions we face as His people.

As Jeremiah recounts the pitiful state of Jerusalem towards the end, where mothers were eating their own children, we consider the depths of sinful depravity. When we put ourselves first in pride, humans can justify doing anything to anyone else. The ultimate end of sin, pride and selfishness is suffering and death.

"Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith through my works." James challenges the individual spiritualism that was as prevalent then as it is today. A living and active faith is revelaed by the conduct of our lives. When God calls us to faith, we are called to action!

Lamentations is a poetic summary of Jeremiah's longer work. Written largely as accrostic poetry, all chapters are in multiples of 22 verses, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Two chapters front and back, recount Judah's faithlessness, while a central chapter is all about God's grace.

Jeremiah ends with a summary of Jerusalem's demise. Only hundreds were left of a nation that once numbered in the millions. But there is a ray of hope at the end of the book as a former king of Judah is restored to honor. This brief foreshadowing shows that there is hope for God's people.

Luther called the epistle of James an "epistle of straw." He resisted its strong tone in tying together works and righteousness. Despite Luther's reservations, we appreciate James as a necessary antidote to the lazy faith so prevalent today.

"Philadelphia" is the greek word for "brotherly love." William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, named the capital of what would become known as his state, and for a time, our nation's capital, after this sentiment. What a great encouragement for us Christians to strive for "Philadelphia" in all we do, with all whom we serve.

God's wrath falls on Babylon, who was puffed up with pride after defeating most of the known world at the time. She mistakenly took credit for her many victories, failing to recognize she is only a tool in the Lord's hand. Here we learn how God uses the good, the bad and even the ugly to draw His people back to Himself.

Israel's nearest neighbors to the East are condemned for following dreadful idols instead of seeking the Lord. We learn that pride was their downfall, and repent of our own pride and shameful attempts to find salvation in money, our military or false sense of security. Instead, let us be humble, finding our only hope in Christ and Christ alone.

Building on the Hall of Fame chapter of the Bible, we are encouraged to run with endurance the race that is set before us. Great training and discipline go into training. Distance running is a test of physical strength, determination and endurance. We should not be shocked that even more discipline and training go into life and death spiritual exercise.

As God's wrath is prophecied on Judah's neighbors, including the Babylonians, we hear a few verses of promised redemption. God had to punish His wayward children for their sin, so that they would return to Him and be healed by His mercy. Here we learn that the Lord's plans for His people is as prophesied in chapter 29, to give them a future and a hope.

Baruch has suffered in everything right along with Jeremiah as his faithful scribe. When he despairs of their lot, God promises to preserve him. Here we are encouraged when we are down, because the Lord knows those who are His, and He will redeem us in the end.

This list of heroes of the faith demonstrates the power of God's power at work in the lives of His people. We are greatly encouraged by these men and women of faith, because we see how God has blessed them and used them mightily.

After staying in Judea, Jeremiah witnesses a coup, wherein the faithful Governor, Gedaliah, is killed by ruthless men. The people ask Jeremiah what they should do, and he tells them to stay and be blessed. Instead of listening, they flee to Egypt, where Jeremiah prophecies a certain demise. Poor Jeremiah is then taken, against his will to Egypt, as a human shield from the wrath of God.

When Jerusalem falls, King Zedekiah is captured while fleeing. For his stubborn unbelief, he will witness the death of his sons, friends and closest advisors, before being blinded by the King of Babylon. Jeremiah, on the other hand, is treated better by these heathens than he was by God's own people. He is given food, an allowance, and freedom to choose where he will live. Instead of choosing the "easy" way of going to Babylon and treated as royalty, he stays with the remnant in Judah, because this is his calling.

We are encouraged with the knowledge of God's plan fulfilled in Christ Jesus! Despite our differences and difficulties, we are encouraged here, to encourage one another with the hope we have in Jesus.

Jeremiah is a type of Christ in this passage! He is literally lowered into the bowels of earth as punishment for proclaiming the Lord's Word for His people. Jesus likewise was held in the Dungeon of Caiaphus. Even though these chapters are not easy, and make us sad for the prophet, we marvel at how the Lord preserved him through such difficult trials.

In this section of Jeremiah, we see how the prophet's suffering for truth grew worse over time. Not always arranged chronologically, we see a building resentment and mistreatment of Jeremiah. In this, we see many parallels to Christ, and all He suffered for us.

In Christ Jesus, heaven and earth collided. Throughout the Old Testament, we saw earthly representations of heavenly realities. In Jesus, we see the eternal reality of God and man united forever in mercy, faith and love.

It is a sad, sad time when truth is treated as treason. Even though Jeremiah had been nothing but faithful, and much of what he prophesied came true before the eyes of his hearers, he is jailed for his proclamation. He had to flee and hide to save his life. Wicked King Jehoiakim burned with anger, even after burning Jeremiah's prophecy, ordering the prophet be jailed. When we suffer for speaking truth, we have a great friend and encouragement in Jeremiah.

The Rechabites were a family known for their abstinence from alcohol and perpetually living in tents. They persisted in the ancient way of the shepherds, leading a simple life. They were commended by God through the prophet, even as He challenged godless Judah with the humble faithfulness of this family.

When we make an oath, we swear by something greater than ourselves. Since God can't swear by anything higher than Himself, He has sworn to love and forgive us by His own blood shed on a cross. This mystery is profound, yet it assures us of a good standing before God.

King Zedekiah does not deserve the Lord's mercy, because he's been a horrible king. But mercy is undeserved love, given when God relents of punishing us for our sin. Since all sin has been punished in Christ Jesus, we all live with the hope of mercy, which is God's undeserved love in Christ Jesus.

More great promises of hope and restoration are shared in this passage. To know that God clearly foretold even the earthly lineage of the Savior through the prophet Jeremiah, nearly 600 years before Jesus was born, gives us great hope! No matter what the world throws at us, we receive with great joy in the love of God in Christ Jesus.

How can a holy God be reconciled with fallen humanity? Only when fallen humans are somehow made righteous. This has happened in Jesus, who is both our Lord and Savior, the God-man who has come from heaven to earth to forgive us.

Jeremiah does a great act of faith, in buying for himself a field in the midst of the siege. He knows that Isreal will be restored, so his apparently foolhardy investment is a a bold proclamation of faith, even in the face of defeat.

This great chapter of prophecy was uttered under seige! We hear great promises of Pentecost, and a sad prophecy of the Slaughter of the Innocents by wicked King Herod. But the difficult things are happening, to open heaven's doors for God's children Israel.

The writer of the Hebrews warns his readers about the dangers of human nature, which is inherently turned away from God. He reminds them that we are saved not by human effort or will, but simply for the sake of Christ, who has become our eternal High Priest. May we also find our assurance in the accomplished sacrifice of Christ, instead of our faulty faithfulness.

Here we hear very clear prophecies of the Messiah, God Himself, who will become a man to save us! Were it not for God taking our sins upon Himself, there would be nothing for us but judgment and punishment. But in Christ, through the forgiveness of sin, we are assured of a future full of hope, life and peace.

God promises that He will restore His people, even though they are going into exile for their stubborn rejection of Him. These chapters are sunny rays of grace and mercy in the midst of death caused by disobedience. We cherish the gift of God's love that is ours in Christ Jesus.

In this section of Hebrews, we are reminded of that enigmatic character from the Old Testament named Melchizedek. How does this person, only appearing shortly during the life of Abraham, teach us much of Christ? In Melchizedek, we see a number of types of Christ! 

There is a growing "prophetic" movement in America today. These "prophets" often claim to have foreseen events after they happen. Their prophecies are vague and subject to interpretation. Jeremiah, and all true prophets are allowed to speak clearly about the future, but only when God allows. Instead of presumptuously claiming to be something we are not, or listening to those who lie, let us test the words of the prophets. Sadly, most "prophets" are delusional, and leading many astray.

Jeremiah is here imprisoned and faces capital punishment, is threatened with death, for preaching the truth. Here we see that often the godly suffer at the hands of the godless. Jeremiah is a great encouragement to those who are called to speak the truth in love and suffer for doing so. Ahikam is a great example for those who are called to support prophets and pastors called to speak truth, regardless of the personal cost.

God's Word is not inert. It is the very power of God for salvation. Having warned against ungodliness and unbelief, the writer to the Hebrews assures us of God's ever-present work and power in our lives.

Good people produce good fruit, and evil people produce bad. Even though sin lives in everyone of us, Christians are led by the Holy Spirit to turn from sin and live. If we refuse, we are destined to follow the ways of the world and our sinful flesh. When we do bad, and are punished, we get what we deserve. When we do good and are blessed, God gets all the glory and honor.