Jeremiah 13

I was very much moved by this passage from Jeremiah 13 because it amazes me, though I suppose it should not, when I see how relevant the word of God is to the time of today. As I read these words and study them I am amazed that they are so relevant to today. As a reminder, I have been working on reading the Bible daily, - following the M'Cheyne Reading Plan "Secret." Yet, I struggle and fail often. It takes time for me to study and my time gets displaced often. But, I am thankful for coming back to the Word. Today I read from Jeremiah 13 and I have prepared this outline based upon my thoughts from Enduring Word.

TWO WARNING SIGNS

The Sign of the Linen Sash

Hiding the linen sash - verses 1-5

• Lord tells Jeremiah - Get a sash (decorative belt) and put it around your waist (1)
• Sash was a priestly garment for High Priest and Regular Priest - a sign of dignity and nobility
• Go to Euphrates (not sure if this was actual journey or vision) for if it would have been a 3 month journey that would have alarmed people of Anaathoth (4)
• Hide the sash in a rock (4)
• The direction of the Euphrates was where Babylon would be coming from to destroy Judah

Finding the Decayed, Useless Sash - verses 6-7

• Go to the Euphrates and retrieve the sash (6)
• It was still there, but had deteriorated and was ruined, good for nothing (7)

Ruining the Pride of the People - verses 8-11

• In the same manner of the sash, the pride of Judah and Jerusalem will be ruined (9)
• These people would be taken to the Euphrates and beyond
• 3 main sins of Judah (10)
• Refuse to hear God's words (Not reading His Word)
• Follow the dictates of their hearts (trusted in themselves, looked to self instead of the Lord)
• Walked after other gods to serve them (trusting in themselves, they were led to idolatry)
• As the sash clings to a man, so we are to cling to God
• But they would not listen (11)

The Sign of the Wine Bottle

Every bottle filled with wine - verse 12

• Every bottle shall be filled with wine echoes the proverb - Everything will fulfill its purpose

The people of Judah drunk and destroyed - verses 13-14

• Wine breaks people and God's rebellious people would be in a state of stupor and stupidity, drunk with wine (13)
• The people would be dashed against one another (fighting among themselves - we are really seeing this today like never before) (14)

How to Respond to God's warnings

Humble yourself and give glory to the Lord - verses 15-16

• We are told of the biggest problem we have for not listening to God - our pride (15)
• "For the Lord has spoken" - as he speaks we have a choice on how we will respond - yea or nay
• Thus, give glory to God before darkness is all we know (16)

The price to be paid for not heeding God's warnings - verses 17-20

• Jeremiah didn't merely observe, he experienced weeping and tears because judgment was coming (17)
• And so he keeps pleading "humble yourselves" (18)
• It should begin with the leaders - King and Queen (18)
• The invaders are coming for the beautiful sheep (20)

The guilt of those whom the Lord punishes - verses 21-23

• When the punishment actually happens, the people were incredulous that such calamities had overtaken them (21), just as a woman in labor would exclaim "Why have these things come upon me?" (21,22)
• Them (enemies) are taught to be lords (chieftans) over them (21)
• Your skirts have been removed (22)
• Judah commits spiritual adulteries and they would be terribly and tragically violated by their conquerors
• "Lift up the skirt" is a euphemism for sexual attack both here and elsewhere in the OT
• Can the Ethiopian change his skin or leopard his spots? (23)
• God changes/transforms the nature of man

The determination of the Lord to scatter His people - verse 24-25

• Their lot was to be scattered across the Babylonian empires (24)
• And because you have forgotten Me and trusted in Falsehood (25)

The exposed shame of God's people - verses 26-27

• For not humbling oneself, a greater shame results (26)
• The Lord exclaims that they still are not clean (27)

Promise: In this chapter is the promise that the primary sins of Judah can also be sins of our day and they are not reading God's word, trusting in ourselves and in turn trusting in idolatry.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the truth of your word and showing me continually the importance of listening to you and keeping my focus on You. Not on You means it will be on me and I will find fulfillment instead with me. Lord, I pray that I will humble myself and I would get out of the way from what you are teaching me and accept it.