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God’s Words Shall Not Pass Away!

Today’s reading is the culmination of several of God’s promises. Sometimes, when we think of God keeping His promises, we think of His “good” promises. The promises kept here are the ones of judgment. God’s chastening and judgments show His faithfulness. Notice with me several of these promises.

God’s Word Came to Pass

In Deuteronomy 28, we have a thorough description of what would happen if God’s people forsake the Lord, detailing their condition, culture, and the siege and exile of the people. Did this come to pass? Yes.

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. … And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: (2 Chronicles 36:17, 20, KJV)

In 2 Chronicles 7, God warned His people that if they forsook Him, He would uproot them from the land, exiling them, and destroy the Temple that Solomon had built. The people thought that God would never destroy the Temple (Jeremiah 7:4, 8-10) and were safe to commit their idolatry so long as the Temple stood. Did God keep His word? Yes.

Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees … And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. (2 Chronicles 36:17–19, KJV)

The Faithfulness of God in the Future

Amid the judgment of God, however, we get a peek into the future and another promise of God.

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up. (2 Chronicles 36:22–23, KJV)

As much as God is faithful in His judgments against His people for their sins, he is steadfast in His promise to restore them to the land. The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail this to come.

What a reminder of how faithful God is to keep His Word! Everything that God has promised will come to pass. Even when everything seems to fall apart, God’s Word will endure!

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: But the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8, KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35, KJV)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Kings 24–25; 2 Chronicles 36.

The Temple: An Idol of False Security!

Jeremiah stands at the entrance to the Lord’s Temple and preaches a very direct message to Judah. But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The Lord’s Temple is here! The Lord’s Temple is here!” (Jeremiah 7:4, NLT)

The Temple had Become an Idol

Judah thinks they have pinned God in the corner! They falsely assumed that God would never destroy His Temple and that as long as they had it, they were safe. Judah had become so spiritually bankrupt that they were trusting in the Temple to keep them safe from the judgment of God—the one who put His name on the Temple—so they could continue in their wickedness against Him!

“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? (Jeremiah 7:8–10, ESV)

God Will Destroy The Temple

So what does God say to such arrogance, pride, and delusion?

So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors. (Jeremiah 7:14, NLT)

What false peace Judah has, thinking it can violate God, and God can do nothing about it because they have the Temple!

A Call to Repent

Yet, for how arrogant and insulting Judah had become before God, what did He say to them?

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. (Jeremiah 7:3, 5–7, KJV)

A Message for Today

The call to repentance reminds me of a similar message for us today. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. As believers, we have experienced God’s mercy, for all, including us, have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Were we not all on the path of destruction? Yet how did He deal with us? He offered forgiveness!

As believers, let us rejoice that our sins are forgiven because Jesus took our judgment. Let us rejoice in the newness of life that Salvation has brought, in loving God, obeying Him, and praising Him for His goodness!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Jeremiah 7-9.

God is not beholden to the Temple!

Today’s chronological reading finishes up the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. Solomon prayed a humble prayer, and God answered with fire coming down from heaven and consuming the sacrifice. God also answers Solomon directly. For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. … But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. (2 Chronicles 7:16, 19–20, KJV) In other words, God accepted the Temple for now. Still, if they disobey and worship other gods, God will destroy it to the astonishment of the world. Wow!

If we jump ahead to the prophet Jeremiah’s day, when Israel chose disobedience and idolatry, notice what the Bible says they were saying. “…But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the Lord’s Temple is here. They chant, “The LORD’s Temple is here! The LORD’s Temple is here!” (Jeremiah 7:4, NLT) In other words, Israel thought they were safe from the judgment of God because He would never destroy the Temple. Wow! And yes, God did destroy the Temple.

What a mistake for Israel to think they could defy God with their Temple! What a lesson to show the value of obedience and worship and that there is nothing so precious as to stand in the way of God correcting us when we stray. What a picture of God’s faithfulness to keep His Word.

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Chronicles 6-7; Psalm 134.