Monday, March 21, 2016

Year 6, Day 80: Jeremiah 27

Theological Commentary: Click Here


Discipleship Focus: Obedience

  • Obedience: Genuine and satisfying obedience comes out of our identity.  Our true identity comes only from our Father.

Nobody likes to be underneath someone else’s thumb.  Nobody really likes taking orders – especially if we are in a situation that isn’t particularly enjoyable.  Human beings like to do what we want, when we want it, and how we want to do it.  Human beings enjoy having their own resources and doing what they want with them.

Jeremiah 27 is about God’s response to an international coup.  The nations have been put under Babylonian sovereignty by God.  None of the nations are happy, and they decide to get together in a meeting to see if through their collective power they might be able to overthrown Nebuchadnezzar.  They want to form a coup to get rid of Nebuchadnezzar’s ability to control them.

There is only one problem.  God wants them under Nebuchadnezzar’s control.  God sends Jeremiah to tell them to stay where they are.  The nations have some things to learn about humbleness.

God gives the nations a choice: rebel against Him or learn to be humble in any circumstance.  I’ve found that God gives us a choice, too.  We can learn to be humble in any circumstance to rebel against Him, too.  I find this to be one of my most reoccurring battles.  I am constantly struggling against my own will because my own will wants to do my own thing.  I want to be in charge of my life.  But I’m far better off letting God be in charge of my life and humbling myself before Him.  I’m much better off learning to be His servant in whatever situation that I find myself rather than always looking for ways to free myself to do whatever it is that I want to do.

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