Devotion for Monday 4 October
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Chapter Two verse Twenty Seven, “They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces; but in the time of their trouble, they say: Arise, O Lord, and save us,” ( Amplified Bible). The prophet Jeremiah started his ministry in the times of King Josiah, who was a God-fearing king who enacted many religious reforms in Judah. However, King Josiah, was slain in the year six hundred and nine before Christ, and after the death of Josiah, Jeremiah started to suffer persecution under King Johoiachim. In the year five hundred and ninety seven before Christ, Johoiachim was taken into captivity with ten thousand citizens from Jerusalem, by the Babylonians. God divinely protected Jeremiah and gave him visions and prophecies that he shared with the remnant of the faithful. Despite the constant back-sliding and rejection of the word of the Lord by the people of Jerusalem, Jeremiah continued to foretell of a time that Judah and Israel would be turning back to the Lord and would be returning from captivity. At that time they will not turn their backs on the Lord, but turn their faces towards him in repentance. God will change their situation and they will return from their captivity and be restored and reconcile to him, then they would worship God with obedient awe.
Jeremiah’s prophecies were not fulfilled in his lifetime, he realized that his words were to be fulfilled in the generations to come, and he continued to fulfil his work of God’s prophet, despite the cruel persecution he suffered. Despite the destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah did not lose hope but continued to serve the remnant of Judah. They fled to Egypt and took Jeremiah with them against his will and scholars believe that Jeremiah was stoned to death in Egypt by his own people. Jeremiah is also known as the crying prophet, the one who continued to cry to the Lord to forgive the trespasses of the people, and the one who cried on behalf of the iniquities of the people and interceded for them. In the Gospel of Luke in Chapter Thirteen verse Thirty Four, Jesus says: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who continue to kill the prophets and to stone those who are sent to you! How I have desired and yearned to gather your children together around Me, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you would not,” (Amplified Bible). Jesus alluded to the history of the prophets and their work of reform and prophecy in Jerusalem and their tragic end, which also pertained to him, as the last of the prophets, the Messiah. Jesus warned of God’s house being destitute and the help of God being taken away from Jerusalem until they welcome the Messiah as the Blessed One, who came in the Name of the Lord, as prophesied by Jeremiah in Chapter Twenty Two verse Five, “But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, by my Name, says the Lord, that this house will become a desolation,” (Amplified Bible). Ultimately the First and the Second Temple in Jerusalem became desolate and laid in ruins.
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews dedicated Chapter Eleven of this letter to the heroes of faith of Scripture. He wrote that through faith in God and his promises Abel gave his offering to God, Enoch was righteous and transferred to heaven, Noah was obedient and Abraham moved from his land and people to journey with God. Through faith Isaac invoked a blessing on both Jacob and Esau. Joseph through his faith in God’s promises referred to the departure of Israel from Egypt. Moses was prompted through faith to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and receive God’s commandment for his people in the desert. However, there were also the prophets who were stoned to death, but through faith they have all been divinely approved, but did not see the redemption that God promised in the Messiah. Those who have seen Jesus and have been born after his birth, crucifixion, death and resurrection are those who bear witness to the fulfilment of the promises of God, through the pages of scripture. We live in the times after Christ’s death and resurrection and have therefore received this faith and hope. We read in the First Chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews verse One, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen,” (NRSVB). We have received God’s promise and our hope will be made visible when Christ will appear in glory to bring peace and the kingdom of heaven on earth.
Father, we thank you that you have promised your Son to come and reconcile the world with you, to make and end to the rebellion of humans against your word and your sovereignty. We thank you that we are reconciled to you and made heirs of the kingdom of heaven, through your Son, Amen.
