Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me

Jeremiah 35:1-19

Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink.

But they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us.

But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 

Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.

Why?

Compared between the Israelites and the Rekabite family, so the Lord was angry Israelites for the Lord sent many servants the prophets to them, but they have not paid attention to listening to the word of the Lord.

Just an order "do not drink and live in a tent forever, they obeyed this command until today. It is hard but they have done it.

Obey the word of the Lord, don't worship the other God. It is a simple command, but because the heart of men turns away from the Lord, people have to suffer many disasters without the blessing of the Lord.

The Lord gives us the choice to obey the word of the Lord or follow the way of this world, everyone has to take the consequence of their decision.

How?

I like to obey the word of the Lord and be a good servant of the Lord as I can. For God is good.

You have not proclaimed freedom to your own people

Jeremiah 34:1-22

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.

Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.

The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves. Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.  So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. But afterward they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth. 

Why?

The people of Judah agreed free their Hebrew slaves, but later they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed. They did it against the covenant of the Lord to proclaim freedom for the slaves.

People for their own benefit and put their neighbor to be their slaves or makes trouble. It is against the word of the Lord. All these selfish people did not know what they have done against the Lord. So they have the freedom to fall by the sword, plague, and famine.

How?

Real freedom is obeying the covenant of the Lord, and obeying God's word, there is no my own idea but walking with the way of the Lord leads me.

I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me

Jeremiah 33:19-26

In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.

I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:  “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms he chose’? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth,  then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.

Why?

Restore the David my servant and the Levites is the promise of the Lord, and let his descendants as countless like the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.

The Lord won't forsake his servant and promise forever but love them forever.

The Branch sprouting from David's line is not from the kings in Jerusalem but came from the descendant of the priest in exiled people.

Because the Lord has established the day and the night so the Lord will restore the rule to make God's people return and establish new descendants of David.

How?

Can I stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ? Jesus is my savior and my way. May my life may shine the light of Jesus!

None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them.

Jeremiah 33:1-18

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?

If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 

None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

Why?

To be a watchman has the duty to warn other people, everyone has to take their responsibility. To be Christian would mean to be God's watchman and tell others the warning of the Lord. 

Righteousness man doing the right things is good, but his former good deed can't protect him if he turns to evil. The judge's time is in hands of the Lord. Evildoers who committed their sins will be remembered no more.

No one is righteousness man in the world, so do our best to do the right things and always commit our sins before the Lord.

How?

Be humble, be strong, and be faithful before the Lord, God's blessing will be my way and my life.

you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve

Jeremiah 32:16-44

After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

Great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. 

What you said has happened, as you now see. And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it. The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.

Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes,[c] declares the Lord.

Why?

Even Judah and Israelites worship their idols, to be a Christian I have to ask myself what is my idols in my daily life. Is the Duty, the work, or my research work? What is my purpose in my daily life, except to earn enough salary, what else? Is the proud of my name, Is the succeed in my hands? 

Actually, everything is in hands of the Lord, even my research work or the succeeding word is the Lord gives me the talent and capability, and opportunity. Even my life is in hands of the Lord.

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在獄中買地，同時也見證、傳講給別人。耶利米沒有懷疑嗎？城已經是別人的還買地是否值得，其實他有迷惘、有擔心，軟弱。由耶利米的禱告看到他的擔心。神的大能，公義、施慈愛的。神的救贖、賞賜，在神沒有難成的事，先提出神的大能，我們軟弱是該受罰。軟弱中不斷提到神的全能、回想神的屬性來激勵我們的信心。

27節神的回應1)神的公義審判，人的罪   37-44節強調將來的歸回復興的應許。神不僅針對他的迷惑來回答，而是全面性的回答。神不僅回答耶利米而且說出神整體性的計劃，我們常常只看自己所關心的點，沒有看到或是不在意神整體的計劃。我們的眼光通常比較窄，求神給我們更廣的眼光，當然神說出計劃的同時也明白神廣大的計劃，如約伯原來只在意自己的受苦，神的說明更讓我們看到自己的渺小，所受的苦微不足道！

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How?

Return to the Lord and give thanks to the Lord, humble me. The Lord knows me in my heart.

Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land

Jeremiah 32:1-15

Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. 

Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.

Why?

Jeremiah said the word of the Lord but Zedekiah didn't like it so he was besieged. To be a prophet of the Lord may suffer many difficulties in worse circumstances.

Jeremiah under this situation still obey the word of the Lord and purchased the land, which signs in the future there are houses, files, and vineyards that will again be bought in this land. But he made payment and he could not see the land. 

How?

Trust in the Lord, even if there is no hope and no way, the Lord will create a new way for us if we confess our sins and look for the word of the Lord.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts

Jeremiah 31:23-40

When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The Lord bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.

At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’  because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Why?
The people in the New Testament need a new retrieve from the Law. The Lord will make a new covenant with his people. Put God's law in our hearts and our minds.

Everyone has to take responsibility for their deeds, everyone will die for their own sins, no relate to their father or family.

The Lord makes a new covenant with us. This covenant is built through the blood of Jesus. For no one could be a perfect man.

How?

Even if I am failed in my daily life, return to the Lord and ask for his love and repent before the Lord. God's love is higher than we thought. Obey God's word in my daily life.