Today's passage continues the interplay between the prophecy that God gives to Jeremiah, the persecution Jeremiah faces upon delivering these messages to the resistant people, and Jeremiah's interactions with God. While Jeremiah has complained of his rough treatment, he will come to praise God amidst his struggles at the end of today's reading.
The text brings out three key lessons, with applications for us:
1. Keeping the Sabbath holy. God indicates His displeasure with the people's callous attitudes regarding the Sabbath. They had disregarded their covenant relationship with God: "Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline. But if you are careful to obey me, declares the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy by not doing any work on it, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever." (17:23-25)
God instituted the Sabbath to remind us of our desperate need for Him and to receive restoration. While we are to seek and honor Him each day, the Sabbath provides a special day to reflect on His goodness. One great means of drawing near to God is to share your thankfulness to Him in a journal or with a friend or family member. If speaking with another person, you might encourage them to offer their "thankful list" too. This activity pulls out from our worries to reflect on how blessed we truly are. It also directs praise to God as the Giver of all good gifts (James 1:17).
2. The Potter's hands. The image of the potter's working the clay is one of the strongest in all of Scripture. The potter may direct the movement of the clay to fit his purposes. Will the clay become a beautiful pot? Or a bowl? Or a cup? The image directly ties God's interventions in our world to our everyday situations. We often don't understand why events transpire as they do. We become impatient and frustrated, but the difficult times often prove more beneficial for our growth. We know God's character -- His goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and justice -- from watching the world around us, its created order, and His speaking to us through His Word, prayer, and other people. We may trust His all-good movement in our lives.
3. Praising God through challenging times. For his obedience to God, Jeremiah earns verbal abuse, beatings, and imprisonment. In today's reading, the people's mistreatment of the prophet turns physical for the first time. While we might imagine that this turn would bring even deeper sorrow, his words reflect an attitude of praise (after moments of self-pity and cries of betrayal). His words reflect the some of the same sentiments that David offered in the Psalms:
"Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me." (Psalm 35:1)
"The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
QUESTIONS
1. In what ways would you like to see more of God's revelation in your life?
2. Where do you see "enemy forces" in your life? How can you seek God's protection and victory more earnestly in these manners?
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