Kingdom Divided Lesson 29 – Micah 7:18-19; Jeremiah 4:22 and Various Scriptures

 

Knowing the truth about God secures and prepares us for eternity.  In Isaiah 40:21-31 Isaiah can’t believe anyone could doubt the greatness of God when they see His glorious creation.  He sits above all His creation.  He brings the princes (political powers) to nothing and makes judges (legal powers) of the earth useless.  His power in not only in His creation, but over men of the earth.  He is master over the heavens and all creation by the fact that He brings out the stars and calls them by name.  “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” – Isaiah. 40:28b.  There is no one like God.  He pardons sin and forgives transgressions.  He doesn’t stay angry with us when we sin; He delights to show us mercy. (Micah 7:18-19)

God revealed Himself to Israel, Judah and His prophets and He reveals Himself to us.  Many don’t seem to understand the fact that there is a God of all creation and He makes a difference in everyday life.  Unbelievers need to hear what they already know:  The Lord God is the Creator of everything.  We can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature.  All we have to do is just look around and see His glorious creation – the sky, the vast oceans, the majestic mountains, or the miracles of the inter-workings of the human body.

The fact that God reveals Himself to us is important.  The greatest way He has reveals Himself is through His Word.  He reveals Himself to us through our consciences by convicting us of sin and impressing His law on our hearts.  Within the heart of every person God has planted a longing to know Him. “God has made everything beautiful its own time.  He has also planted eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11.  He reveals Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.  He is the living, breathing human presentation of God.  Many people acknowledge that there is a God, but God wants us to know Him intimately – to spend all eternity in close fellowship with Him.

Principles: 

We see Creator God’s invisible qualities by just looking around at His glorious creation.

Knowing the truth about God secures and prepares us for eternity.

Jeremiah 4:22 – The people of Israel and Judah persistently rebelled and rejected God and His ways, but God remained faithful and compassionate despite their failures.  It’s the same for us today.  People are prideful and hard-headed.  People rebel and reject Jesus, but God still shows mercy when we repent and turn to Him.  None of us is perfect.  We all have doubts and battle with sin.  But God is always ready to forgive and forget.  The sacrifice of Jesus should enlarge your gratitude for God’s heart for sinners.  “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:6.

There is nothing more important than knowing and walking with God.  God created us.  We are His offspring.  He is the source of our existence; life comes from Him.  Without Him we can do nothing.  (Acts 17:28). 

God is light and in Him there is no darkness.  Jesus is the light; sin is the darkness.  Believers walk in the light; we have fellowship with other believers and we experience forgiveness.  “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus , his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  - 1 John 1:7.

Israel and Judah squandered God’s grace and missed out on His blessings.  They were stubborn and had rebellious hearts; they lied; their hearts were full of deceit; they turned away from God; they did evil deeds; they worshipped idols.  Their sins deprived them of any good. (Jer. 5:23-31; Hosea 11; 2 Chron. 34:23-26)

Does this remind you of people today?  People are stubborn and rebellious.  People do all the same things today as they did in Jeremiah’s time.

How are you squandering the blessings of God?

What is keeping you from God’s blessings?

How are you tempted to take God’s grace for granted?

God’s chosen people, Israel failed Him miserably.  They split into two kingdoms, endured a parade of evil kings, they didn’t seek God but worshipped idols, they felt God’s judgment as they fell to the Babylonians and were held in captivity.  By God’s grace He preserved David’s royal linage and the promise of Messiah.  God preserved a remnant to return to their land.

A greater King was coming – God’s own Son, Jesus the Messiah.  The failure of Israel and our own reveal how much we need a Savior.  The good news – God has provided a Savor – Jesus Christ!

Principle:  Human failure cannot thwart God’s purposes.

God sent prophets to warn the people of judgment if they didn’t repent, but they didn’t listen.  He is warning us today.  But do we listen?  He sends Christians to share the gospel to the world.  Every believer has a message that someone needs to hear.  We are to submit to God because He alone is worthy of our loyalty, trust, and devotion.  Israel’s story is our story; Israel’s Savior is our Savior.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Faithful.  He loves us and will do all He has promised.  He gives us a purpose for life.  That purpose is to know Him, love Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him.  We belong to God because He created us.  Nothing can separate God’s people from His love.  He is faithful to His Word and we can trust Him.

I hope you have enjoyed this study of Kingdom Divided.  Next time we will be on Final Reflections of our study.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Kingdom Divided Lesson 28 – Habakkuk

 

Habakkuk was one of the minor prophets.  We don’t know much about him and his life except for what is in his short book.   He prophesied about the Babylonians and the destruction of Jerusalem.  He was not only a prophet, but a poet.  His book is a conversation between him and God.

Habakkuk 1-2 – Habakkuk’s Questions

Habakkuk saw the violence and injustice around him in the nation of Judah.  He wanted to know where God was and why He didn’t set things right.  He saw trouble and sin everywhere which distressed him so much that he cried out to God for answers. (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

God answered telling him not to worry about it and to look at the surrounding nations who will become His instrument of judgment on Judah.  God told him that the judgment would come and it would be terrible and dreadful. He was raising up the Babylonians as an instrument of His judgment. (Habakkuk 1:5-11) 

God’s answer prompted Habakkuk to ask a second question.  How could this be?  Why would God use such a treacherous nation as Babylon who was more evil than Judah.  Then he remembered truths about God in Hab. 1:12-13a – He is everlasting, He is holy, His eyes are too pure to look on evil, He can’t tolerate wrong.  He wanted to know why God tolerated such treachery.  Then Habakkuk waited for God’s answer.

God welcomes our questions.  We can ask Him the same type of questions.  When we see injustice and immorality and violence, it’s only natural that we pray for God to do something about it.  Why does He allow us to see sin in ourselves and in others?  Maybe He allows us to see the sin in ourselves to keep us humble and submissive or to make us value salvation even more.  We’re allowed to see the sin in others perhaps to show us what we might have been ourselves.  Or so we won’t fall into sin and to even to hate sin.  Also to admire the grace of God when He saves sinners. 

Principle:  God welcomes honest questions of His people.

In Habakkuk 2:1 he expects God to answer and he waits patiently.  That is a great example for us.  We should wait and let Him work.

Habakkuk described two different ways people respond to God.   Some are ‘puffed up’ with pride and self-will or they are righteous and live by faith. (Hab. 2:4; rom 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb 10:38)  Believers are justified by faith and live awaiting for eternity.  They humbly look to God for salvation.  God calls us to trust Him.  People will live by faith in God or they refuse Him.  Proud people defend their actions and want to rule their own lives. 

You can be proud no matter your status in life.  A rich man is proud of what he has; a poor man can be proud of his honor; a talented man can be proud of what he can do; a man of talents can be proud of his hard work; a religious man can be proud of his religion; an unbeliever can be proud of his unbelief; a learned man can be proud of his intelligence.  Pride is a universal sin.  God hates pride.  It can be dangerous among the people of God. 

Habakkuk used the phrase ‘woe’ five ties upon Babylon to indicate God was really serious and will not decrease His standards when it comes to His holiness.  Woe to aggression, woe to greediness, woe to violence, woe against inhumanity, and woe against idolatry.  To summarize his message – God will always do justice by punishing the wicked and bring deliverance to the righteous. (Hab. 2:6-20)

The truth God declared speaks to Habakkuk’s confusion and to us today.  “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” – Habakkuk 2:20.  God is holy and above all.  He is in charge so we should let Him do what He does best.

Habakkuk 3 – Habakkuk’s Prayer

(Habakkuk 3:2) Habakkuk plead to God for revival.  He knew how God once worked and how His people responded and he wanted to see that again.  Revival is the work of God and not of man.  We can also pray for God to revive us.  Check your conduct – does it glorify God; check your conversation – is your speech pure and do you talk about Jesus with others; check your communion – are you living a growing, abiding life with Jesus.

We remember times in our lives when God seemed more real than at other times.  It seemed His power was more evident.  We want God to do what He did then.  It all starts with remembering.  We need to remember what God has done.  That’s what Habakkuk did.  When confused about what’s going on in our lives or in the world, we need to remember.  Go back and remember who you know God to be and what’s He’s done.  Then we need to accept what God is doing and trust Him for what He’s going to do in the future. 

In Habakkuk 3:3-15 Habakkuk remembered the acts of God as he remembered God’s power on behalf of His people.  Habakkuk confessed his weaknesses in verse 3:16.  He shook with fear under God’s power as he waited for day of calamity to come.  He realized that he was nothing and God was everything.  In Habakkuk 3:17-18 he praised God unconditionally and declared that no matter what, he will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God his Savior.

He said in the last verse, “The  Lord God is my strength.  He makes me like a deer that does not stumble so I can walk on the steep mountains.” – Hab. 3:19.  The point is this – if you trust is in God, He will give you stability in those slippery moments of life.  He will give you the ability to stand when everyone else is falling apart.

Nothing has changed for Judah.  The people have still forgotten God.  Violence still reigned in Jerusalem.  The wicked still oppressed the righteous. The Babylonians were still God’s appointed instrument for judgment.  Hard times were coming and there was nothing anyone could do about it.  But Habakkuk changed on the inside.  He realized God is in control and that he could completely trust God.  God would make all things right in due time.  The wicked will be punished and those who were righteous will be rewarded.  If we remember that our God is in control, then we can relax and stop worrying.

Principles: 

We can rest on God’s sovereignty even when we don’t understand His ways.

God is in control and He will make all things right in due time.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Sovereign.  He controls all things.  No one can stop His plans.  He can be trusted when we can’t understand His ways.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided with various Scriptures.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Kingdom Divided Lesson 27 – Lamentations

 

Lamentations is believed to be written by Jeremiah.  He was grieving about the destruction of Jerusalem.  He is often called ‘the weeping prophet’.  He lived through the desolation.  He realized that the total destruction happened to Jerusalem and the temple because of the judgment of a righteous God.  He understood that the Babylonians were God’s tool for bringing judgment on Jerusalem.  Knowing that God is merciful he appealed for mercy in prayer. 

Each chapter of Lamentations highlights different pronouns.

Chapter 1 – She and her (the ruined city of Jerusalem as a widow who lost everything)

Chapter 2 – He (the justified judgment brought by God)

Chapter 3 – I, me, and my (Jeremiah’s personal grief and hope)

Chapter 4 – They and their (the people’s loss under the Babylonian siege)

Chapter 5 – We and us (the prayer on behalf of the people)

There are expressions of lament throughout the Bible.  Examples are in Job 3:3-26; Psalm 10; Matthew 23:37-39.  The word lamentation means ‘funeral song’.  It’s an expression of grief or sorrow or weeping.  As we live this life on earth we feel loss, pain, and death.  God doesn’t guarantee a smooth path in this life.  He doesn’t exempt us from this world’s grief, but He does provide the strength to persevere through our hurtful moments.

In Lamentations 3:31-39 we learn that God doesn’t leave sinners forever.  They bring Him grief, but He will show compassion and unfailing love when they repent.  All calamities and all good things come from the Most High. 

Jeremiah pleaded with the people and he pleads to us and with God in Lamentations 3:40-66.  He said to examine your ways and test them.  Admit that you have sinned and rebelled.  Turn away from sin and turn back to the Lord.

God knows and understands your pain and He hears your hurting cries.  He has purposes beyond your pain.  You don’t tell Him anything He doesn’t already know, so why should you pray?  Talking to Him about your problems brings you closer to Him.  He wants to hear from you and to connect with your spirit and your soul.  He treasures you and knows beyond what you’re praying for.  He knows your soul really wants is Him.  Praying reminds us of our weaknesses, needs and sin as we ask Him for help.  Prayer brings us into fellowship with Him.  The Bible says to persist in prayer and to pray about everything (Phil. 4:6).  “Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thess. 5:17.

Even in terrible judgment, God is a God of hope (Lamentations 3:24-25).  No matter how far we’ve gone from Him, we have the hope that we can return to Him and find Him compassionate and forgiving (1 John 1:9).  He is a loving and faithful God (Lamentations 3:23).  God is the God of many chances – He is also the God of the last chance!

Jeremiah 4:1-10 tells how the people were traumatized by the city’s destruction.  The people were once as valuable as fine gold.  But now the best and brightest were taken and only the poorest and least able were left behind.  They were regarded as cheap clay pots.  Those who ate delicacies were now desolate in the streets.  Their princes were brighter than snow and like sapphires in their appearance.  Now their appearance was blacker than soot.  Their agony was worse than what fell upon Sodom.  Their hunger was so bad that the compassionate women cooked their own children.

Lamentations 4 can be summarized by saying that things are not good in Jerusalem.  The temple was in total ruins, tragedy had degraded the people, people were dying of thirst and no food, and those who died were better off.

Phrases from Lamentations 4:11-22 of God ‘s response to the sins of the people:  “The Lord has given full vent to his wrath; He has poured out his fierce anger.  He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations…. The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them.  The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor…. The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps…. he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness.”

When we consider God’s judgment, we may be troubled especially if we are not a follower of Jesus.  You should be very troubled if you are not saved, because you will experience the full hand of His judgment.  Knowing this as Christians should help us because it keeps us accountable and can prevent us from sinning.  Remember, God is always just and fair.

Lamentations 5 is a prayer for God’s mercy.  Jeremiah remembered the people’s suffering and their weariness.  He believed that the relationship between God and Judah still existed.   He looked forward to the future possibility for forgiveness, not the past.  In Jeremiah 5:19-21 he recognized God’s sovereignty and asked that God restore them to Himself.

He ends the book without positive hope for the future.  He feared that God had utterly rejected them and His anger would remain forever.  But we know from other Scriptures that God had not and did not utterly reject His people and His anger did not last forever.

There are many lessons in Lamentations:

It helps us learn to cry out to God when we are hurting.  When we do that, we find a sense of peace in a world full of suffering.

It also reminds us that it is impossible for God’s people to sink so far into sin that they should lose hope in His mercy and forgiveness. 

It gives us comfort when experiencing extreme times of sorrow and grief and suffering as we reflect on the character of God. 

It helps us understand the working of God’s heavy hand of discipline because of sin.

It helps us appreciate His abundant lovingkindness, compassion and faithfulness – no matter how bleak our circumstances might look.

It helps us confront how seriously God takes sin and the consequences of His anger.

It reminds us of God’s Sovereignty over all nations and His future promises.

Principles:   

Actions have consequences and sin needs correction.

Even in terrible judgment, God is a God of hope.

Key verses in Lamentations:

Lamentations 3:22-23 – “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:24 – “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations  3:25 – “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks him.’

Lamentations 5:19-20 – “You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.  Why do you always forget us?  Why do you forsake us so long?  Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.”

This week’s attribute of God is He is Accessible.  He was accessible from the beginning with Adam and Eve.  He made covenants with the patriarchs and promised a relationship with them.  He made Himself near to people in the tabernacle and then through Jesus.  Now He is available to us through the Holy Spirit and through prayer.

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided in the book of Habakkuk.  Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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