Today’s Reading: Jer 44:1–46:28, Rom 11:1–10, Prov 25:1–28
Today’s Theme: The Remnant of Israel
Today we have a short passage in Romans but it deals with a very important point which is the fact that God has not rejected His people Israel but has always until this day preserved a remnant. Just like in Old Testament days God has kept a remnant faithful to Himself and so keeps the spirit of the covenants, promises and prophecies yet to be fulfilled alive.
This serves well to challenge the ideas of replacement theology which say the church has replaced Israel in every way which is simply not consistent with the Bible.
Jeremiah 44:1–46:28
Don’t provoke God
Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? (Jeremiah 44:8, ESV)
The people were unrepentant even after judgement. We need to ask ourselves today, are we provoking the Lord to anger though some sort of idolatry.
As we will read later, those who are persistent in unbelief are cut off (as individuals) but a remnant is always saved.
Don’t forget
Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in thestreets of Jerusalem? They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers. (Jeremiah 44:9–10, ESV)
We should not forget the pit and penalty of sin we have been saved from. We should live in the light of God’s mercy and grace, never forgetting what we were and our dark heritage as sons of Adam. We should live lives which are pleasing to God in joy.
The feminine perversion
Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt. (Jeremiah 44:24, ESV)
Women seem to be prominent in the worship of the queen of heaven, identifying with the feminine.
The queen of heaven was a false god worshipped in the Ancient Near East.
In today’s world we see this demonic stronghold in two prominent places. The first is in false religion whether it is the feminine god of the occult and new age or the worship of Mary in Roman Catholicism. The second is in philosophy and politics where the feminist agenda has gained a dangerous foothold in our society and in doing so tears at the fabric of the family and the wider community.
Women are created in the image of God for a good function and purpose, not to be worshiped or to worship themselves.
Whose word stands?
And those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, who came to the land of Egypt to live, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. (Jeremiah 44:28, ESV)
The word of faith and new age movements are stupid to say our words stand and have so much power, God’s word stands not ours. So we stand on the word of God which is eternal and sure.
No full end to Israel
Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jeremiah 46:28, ESV)
This shows the special place Israel has before God as His covenant people. This prophecy was fulfilled as spoken because other nations of the time are no more but Israel and the Jews are preserved.
Romans 11:1–10
Not Rejected
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. (Romans 11:1, ESV)
God has not rejected the Jews, this flows perfectly from the last verse we read in the Old Testament, which states that God will not make a full end to His people but will discipline them.
All those who hold that the Jews have been completely rejected need to contend with this verse.
Paul identities himself as a Jew, pointing to the fact that from the start of the church there have always been an elect and remnant group of God’s people Israel who have also been believers in Jesus.
The Remnant
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. (Romans 11:5, ESV)
God has saved a remnant of Jews by grace to His honour and glory as He upholds His eternal covenants.
The Elect
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, (Romans 11:7, ESV)
The doctrine of election applies to the Jews in the same way it does to the Gentiles. The majority were judicially hardened through unbelief but this is not the end of the story. God still has purposes that will come to pass which include a time when the majority of Jews will each profess faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah (we read more about this tomorrow).
Proverbs 25:1–28
Don’t gossip
Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, (Proverbs 25:9, ESV)
When someone tells you something don’t go and tell others, that is called gossip and it is sinful.
Empty clouds
Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. (Proverbs 25:14, ESV)
This is picked up in the New Testament in Jude so beware of false teaches who have head knowledge with no power and even those who seem to be powerful but are in fact in the flesh and so hold empty promises like useless clouds with no rain in them.
Like Pastor once said, as a sponge we should soak in God and so should those who minister so what comes out of us is living water from God which will bring life and refreshment to those who drink from our lives.
Another thing about dry clouds with no water is that they unnecessarily block the warmth and life of the sun, we should not block the Son (Jesus).
Love as a weapon
for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:22, ESV)
Love is a great weapon to use, people do not know how to answer it, and the Lord rewards us. This is also picked up by Jesus in the New Testament.
Don’t give way
Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. (Proverbs 25:26, ESV)
Lord may the water of our life be clean and wholesome through standing without compromise before the wicked.
Live to glorify God
It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory. (Proverbs 25:27, ESV)
The only one that should actively seek His own glory is God.
Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.
Additional resources
Desiring God on Romans 11