Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Jeremiah 25 contains this verse, "Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made." Then, concerning what your hands have made, he says this, "...you have brought harm to yourselves."
These verses started us thinking...what do our hands make now that provoke God to anger and bring harm to ourselves? Our list got quite lengthy. How about you? Can you come up with some examples?

Also some very thought-provoking reading concerning the Recabites. These people were also known as Kenites, descendants of Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. They faithfully obeyed the commands of their forefathers. They did not drink wine, build houses, or plant crops. In other words, they were nomads. God used them as an example to Judah. These people obeyed the words of an ancestor, a human being. The people of Judah wouldn't obey God. This lesson is all about obedience.  Obedience is rewarded. Additional lessons we learned:
1. Don't put too much value on pleasurable things (wine)
2. Don't put too much value on earthly possessions (houses)
3. Don't put too much value on what to eat or drink (planting crops)

Jeremiah 25 lists the punishment for spiritual leaders.  Not a pretty picture!

Jeremiah 25 CUP OF GOD'S WRATH
The wrath of God is not a very popular topic. We hear a lot about His love but not His hate, His grace, but not His wrath. To fully understand His love and grace we must understand His hate and wrath. God hates the sin with as much intensity as He loves the sinner. Because the wrath of God is seldom taught, this phrase may sound strange to many.

In Jeremiah 25 listed under the heading JUDGMENT AGAINST NATIONS we are told of the severity of God's punishment.  This is a multi-layered prophecy, locally and literally fulfilled for the people then.  It will be fulfilled in our future during the Day of the Lord.  Also is listed punishment for the spiritual leaders.
"The peaceful meadows will be laid waste because of the fierce anger of the Lord."
Spiritually speaking, many spiritual leaders today are at peace with the world but not at peace with the Lord.

During the last days the believers will be protected from the wrath of God. Paul explained this to the church in Thessalonica.

II Thessalonians 1:9b-10
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

The believers will have no reason to fear the wrath of God because they are saved. We hear that word a lot…saved. What does it mean exactly? We are saved from what? We are saved from the wrath of God. Jesus saved us from the wrath of God. That is why we as believers have no fear of the CUP OF GOD'S WRATH.

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