This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Prepared For Redemption", 9/21/14

PREPARED FOR REDEMPTION

 

Jeremiah 32:2-9, 14-15

 

Jeremiah was chosen by God before his conception in his mother's womb to be a  prophet

to the nations (Jer  1:5). He was sanctified and ordained by God for the adverse job of

proclaiming the evils of Israel and their punishment. His strength to endure the hostility

he faced doing his job came from the Lord.   Jer 1:8

 

Our lives are not about us, but the fulfillment of God's plan. The Lord's plan for us includes trials and tribulations. 

 

V:2. " The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah."

A. Jeremiah was put in prison because he proclaimed the Word of the Lord to the nation

     of Israel.

    1. Jeremiah proclaimed that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people of Israel

        would be taken captive by the Babylonians.

   2. Jeremiah proclaimed that King Zedekiah would be taken captive.

B. At the time of Jeremiah's prophecies, Israel was under attack by the Babylonians.

   1. Zedekiah the King of Judah put Jeremiah in prison to shut him up.

   2. You can take a man out of the street, but you may not be able to take the street out

       of the man.

   3. You can put a man in prison, but you can't imprison his heart.

       a. Once you develop a love for the Word, nothing can shut you up.

       b. At one time, Jeremiah said he was not going to speak for the Lord.

       c. But he found out that it was like fire shut up in his bones. Jer 20:9

   4. Jeremiah was imprisoned for the sake of the Word, but he freely spoke the Word.

 C. When you proclaim the Word, there will always be those who will be against you.

    1. Right is right all the time, but people don't always want to hear what is right.

    2. From time to time, you can expect to suffer for the Gospel sake.

        a. When you are doing what God called you to do, you are under His protection.

            Jeremiah 1:8

        b. When you suffer for Christ's sake, rejoice because your reward is in heaven.

    3. Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me."

 D. Just because the Lord has not done what He said He will do, does not mean He want

      do it.

   1. Zedekiah and the people of Israel were taking the Lord's commands for granted.

      a. Their major sin was the worship of idol gods.

      b. They quit following God's commands and did follow the evil ways of the world.

   2. Israel had a history of disobedience.

       a. In the past,  when God punished Israel for their sins,  they would cry to the Lord

           and He would restore them to fellowship with Him.

   3. The temple was built around  1000 BC.

       a. God appointed David as King and promised that his kingdom would not end.

       b. In more than four hundred years of disobedience, God had not destroyed the

           Jerusalem or the temple.

       c. God promised that their disobedience  would lead to destruction.

       b. God is not mocked and a man will reap what he sows.   Gal 6:7

  4. The God we serve is longsuffering.

     a. Israel was given God's commandment by Moses around  1490 BC.

     b. They were never obedient to God's commands for any long

         length of time.

     c. God tolerated Israel disobedience for almost 1500 years.

 5. Sooner or later, God will chastise those He loves.

     a. Sooner or later, God will stop tolerating our sins.

     b. The nation of Israel reaped what they sowed.

     c. They sowed disobedience and reaped the harvest of destruction.         

 

V:3. " 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 hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it."

A. The king did not want to hear that that his forces would be defeated by

     Babylonians.

   1. The Word of the Lord is not always pleasant to those who are disobedient to His

       commands.

  2. You cannot expect God to be pleased with your disobedience.

B. The king wanted acceptance  even though he was misleading God's people.

   1. The King wanted God's support while he was worshipping idol gods.

   2. When you turn away from God, He will turn away from you.

C. You must  teach the Word as God has recorded it.

   1. You can't change the Word of God to fit someone's circumstances.

   2. The Word of God is the truth.

       a. It is a sin to add to or take away from God's Word.

      b. The King wanted God to ignore His promises.

      c. The answer to the King's "Why" is because God said so.

 

" V:4.  Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hands of the Babylonians but will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes."

 A. The truth must be spoken regardless of who's feeling it hurts.

     1. Only the Lord knows what is best for us.

     2. It takes faith to teach the Word when we are going to be adversely affected by it.

     3. It is not man we should seek to please.

     4. In all circumstances we must please God.

 B. Jeremiah had the task of telling the King that his reign was coming to an end.

     1. Sometimes, God uses us to inform others of the consequences of their sins.

     2. Sometimes, God uses others to tell us the consequences of our sins.

 C. What goes around, comes around.

     1. King Zedekiah imprisoned Jeremiah for teaching the Word.

     2. King Zedekiah was imprisoned by God for disobeying His Word.

 

 V:5. " He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,

   declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed".

  A. It is useless to fight against God.

      1. When you reject God's commands He can cause your enemies to defeat you.

      2, God will leave you in your distress until He decides to deal with you.

  B. God may have stages of punishment stored up for your chastisement.

     1. Zedekiah's army was defeated,.

     2. His beloved city was burned down.

     3. Zedekiah  was taken captive and held in Babylon until his death.

     4. We need to be careful to follow God's commands.

          a. This was a case of when it rains, it floods.

          b. When we continue to willfully disobey God, He may unleash a flood

              of trials and tribulations.

 

 V:6-7. " Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me: 7 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."

A. God revealed an event to Jeremiah before the event took place.

    1. We should always be open to the Word of God  regardless of our circumstances.

    2. It is God who encourages us in the mist of our troubles.

    3. It is God who guides us in our troubles.

B. God can bless us in the mist of our troubles.

    1. While our enemies are planning our destruction, God plans our restoration,

    2. God is always in control of our situations.

    3. According to Jewish Law, property never left the family line.

       a. Property was transferred from one generation to the next in the same family.

       b. Jeremiah was next in line to inherit a field held by Hanamel

    4. Jeremiah was required to buy the field to keep it in the family.

 C. God used this transaction to show that Israel would be restored to their land

     at some point.

     1. They were taken out of the promise land.

     2. God planned  to restore them back to their land.

 

 V:8. "Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, 'Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.' "I knew that this was the word of the Lord,"

 A. Sometimes God uses others to confirm His word to us.

     1. What God says He will do for you; trust that He will do it.

     1. While Jeremiah was in prison, he was able to receive guest and transact

          business.

     2. Sometimes God uses our troubles as an opportunity to show His love for us.

     3. Sometimes God uses our troubles to draw us closer to our families.

  B. Sometimes it is in the mist of our troubles that others can observe the kind of person

       we are.

      1. By being imprisoned, the king observed the faith Jeremiah had in His God.

      2. The King had no faith in the Word of God, but He heard the Word from

           Jeremiah.

      3. The King would soon learn that the Word from Jeremiah came from the Lord.

 

V: 9. " So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for

  him seventeen shekels of silver. "

  A. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, God gave him the resources to take care of

       family business.

      1. No matter where we are, God can take care of us.

      2. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, his focus was on the work of the Lord.

      3. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, his attitude remained positive.

      4. Even though  Jeremiah was in prison, he followed God's commands.

      5. Don't give up on God, because your circumstances are not good!

  B. We are never out of the sight of God.

      1. We are never in need when we keep our mind focused on the Lord.

      2. Spiritually, we are never without when we keep our focus on the Lord.

      3. We are never alone when we focus on the Lord.

      4. Financially, we are never without when we focus on the Lord.

 

Jeremiah 32:14-15

 

V:14. "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."

 A. What God wants you to have, you will have.

     1. God holds in trust that which He gives to us.

     2. Even though we may not physically possess it, God holds in reserve what He wants

         us to have.

     3. The land that Jeremiah purchased was held in trust until the day he could take

          possession of it.

     4. The promised land that God gave Israel was held in trust until they could take

         possession of it again.

         a. Israel was held captive for 70 years in Babylon.

         b. The promised land was held by God until their return. 

 B. Heaven is ours and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of

      redemption. 

     1. We were purchased by the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

     2. Our salvation is secure.

     3. Our salvation is eternal.

     4. Our salvation comes with responsibilities, obligations, God's promises and trials.

 

V:15. " For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and

  vineyards will again be bought in this land."

 A. God's plan for us is prosperity in Him.

    1. Israel lost possession of the promised land because of their disobedience.

    2. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed because of the disobedience of the nation.

 B. God's punishment of Israel was for a season (70 years).

    1. At the time of Israel punishment, God promised their redemption and restoration.

    2. God chastises us to prepare us for our redemption.

 

PUT ALL YOU TRUST IN THE ALMIGHTY GOD

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,   Asst. Pastor of GMBC