Read chapter 3 of Jeremiah this afternoon. There's an amazing future prophecy for the reunion of Israel and Judah in verses 14-18.

These chapters are fairly long, so while reading through the book, I've been highlighting the text. The colors help me to distinguish the different types of messages. Blue shows God's promises and actions, pink ( Read more... )

We're beginning a study of Jeremiah and Ezekiel at church and I started reading through the first few chapters. Tonight I'm in chapter 2 of Jeremiah. God is giving the prophet a message for the nation of Judah. He is going to judge them for their sins. What sins? Here's a list from this chapter ( Read more... )

"In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious;
And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing
For those of Israel who have escaped." Isaiah 4:2

"There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots ( Read more... )

Doves, turtledoves, and pigeons are mentioned quite often throughout the Bible. Are these turtledoves the same kind as the ones we see out the window here in Pennsylvania - the ones who coo so nicely? According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, there were three main types of turtledoves in ancient Israel:

-Palm Dove (also called ( Read more... )

As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And their neighbors,” says the Lord, “So no one shall reside there, Nor son of man dwell in it. Jeremiah 50:40

I discovered today that Sodom and Gomorrah are mentioned quite often throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation! What does God's word tell us about Sodom and Gomorrah and its neighbors?

( Read more... )

I've seen a bumper sticker that says, "Come the rapture, we'll have the earth to ourselves." This is nothing new. The people of old said the same thing to Jeremiah: "Indeed they say to me, 'Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!'" (Jeremiah 17:15) But the prophets warn us:

"Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord ( Read more... )

Jeremiah 17:5-8

'Thus says the Lord:

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land which is not inhabited.

"Blessed is the man who trusts in ( Read more... )

Jeremiah 16:10-13
"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the Lord pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?' then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the Lord; 'they ( Read more... )

Why is death an enemy? Because "...death cannot praise You..." Isaiah 38:18 ( Read more... )

I've been curious to get a better grasp on how the Old Testament saints quote the Old Testament. I found one reference book that's provided a helpful starting point. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge by Jerome H. Smith notes places where the prophets quote/reference the Torah. I skimmed through the references for Jonah, Habakkuk, Nahum, ( Read more... )