August 7, 2012 … Not One Is Worthy of Saving

Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Day 220 

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Jeremiah 4-6 [NIV] To study these chapters, go to this link - 
============

Highlight Passage: Jeremiah 4: 3; 19; 22; 27 :[NIV] … 3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem: "Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. … 19 Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. … 22 "My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good." … 27 This is what the Lord says: "The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it completely.
============
Highlight Passage: Jeremiah 5: 1-2; 4-5; 20-21 :[NIV] … 1 "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. 2 Although they say, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' still they are swearing falsely." … 4 I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. 5 So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. … 20 "Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: 21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: … 23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away. 24 They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.' 25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.
============
Highlight Passage: Jeremiah 6: 1; 9-10; 29-30 :[NIV] … 1 "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction. … 9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes." 10 To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. … 29 The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. 30 They are called rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them."

My Journal for Today: Well, it looks like I’m going to be journaling out of Jeremiah’s book in three chapter bites for a few days. So be it! There’s much to glean from this bereaved prophet and his journal of the pitiful children of God and how they were allowed by God to be plundered and preyed upon by Babylon.

There’s really not much to observe or say if one takes in the highlighted/copied verses above from Chapters 4-6 of Jeremiah’s journal of these terrible times in the history of the Old Testament Jews. Yet, there is much that can be interpreted and applied to whom we are as believers which parallels the people which caused Jeremiah so much grief when God had called him to be His messenger of doom.

Just like the peoples of those days, it can be said, as I’ve titled my journal entry today, ”Not one [was] worthy of God’s saving grace. God looked about in those days; and really could not find anyone in Judah worthy of being saved; and that reminds us – here in the New Covenant age of grace – of the truth the Apostle Paul proclaimed in Romans 3: 23 … All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

But … another infinitely big “BUT” … God is faithful to His promises … ALL of His promises; and the Lord had made a covenant with Abraham and his seed, especially to King David, that he would never extinguish the seed of Judah, from whom would come the Lamb of God to save the world. And though God did allow Babylon to be His fire of purification on Judah; God has kept His covenant promise in retaining a remnant of believers to carry on His Name and His light in this dark, dark world.

And more will come as we read through Jeremiah of God’s continued and faithful promise of the coming Messiah. Stay tuned. God is merciful even though we don’t deserve His mercy.

My Prayer Today: … Oh, Lord, … thank you for Your mercy and forgiveness through Your Son and our Savior even this day. Amen