Podcast Introduction

Today our reading is  Jeremiah 17-21.  I’m calling the episode “Is It Time Yet?” 

Comments on Jeremiah 18

The Lord showed Jeremiah a potter who was not happy with a pot he made, so the potter made a new pot with the clay. God said to Jeremiah, “Can’t I do this with Israel? But if a nation turns from its sins, I will change my mind, and I will not tear it down.”

God made a great nation here in America. But then we turned from Him. Can’t He tear it down? Of course he can. But I believe we can stay His hand if we again turn to Him and turn away from our evil ways. Stop the abortions. (62,502,904 in the U.S. since Roe v Wade. 664,496 just this year as of the time of this writing – Oct 8, 2020) Stop victimizing children. (According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, roughly 800,000 go missing each year in the U.S. The number is 460,000 according to the FBI) The things that are done to children in the country and around the world are unspeakable. Terrible. From the very pit of hell. We must learn again to honor God as a nation. We must do what is right. 

And since there are LS Fam members around the world, let me include a world statistic. Over 42 million abortions occurred worldwide in 2020, far surpassing the totals of people who perished as a result of the world’s leading causes of death. That number comes from the World Health Organization, lest you think this is an overinflated number by a group with a pro-life agenda. 

Yes, I am an American, so I care deeply what happens here, but that does not mean that I don’t care what happens around the world. People are hurting everywhere. And there will come a time when God will say, “Enough!” And the Great Tribulation will begin. Jesus said only the Father knows when this will happen, but it would certainly not be surprising if it was soon.

Back to Jeremiah. He brought a message from the Lord that called Israel out for their sins, and told them that destruction was on the way. 

But the people hated the message, and would not turn away from their sins. 

In v. 18, the people said, “Come and let us hurt him (Jeremiah) with our tongue, and let us not listen to any of his words.” This is literally cancel culture. Because they did not like Jeremiah’s message, they wanted to silence him.

Did that make Jeremiah lash out at them? Did he take things into his own hands? No, he prayed to the Lord, “Do not forgive their wrong-doing or cover their sin from Your eyes. Let them be taken down before You. Punish them in the time of Your anger.” 

This is counter to the prayer that Jesus prayed on the cross. “Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.”

But is there a time where it is right to pray Jeremiah’s prayer? As we heard in the rest of today’s reading, the Lord’s anger had been kindled toward Israel, and He did not rebuke Jeremiah. 

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 17-21 NLV

Today’s Music

Links Mentioned On the Show

Mentioned by Scott Fuller: Episode on 1 Samuel 6-10

Kirsty’s Christmas Music Spotify List

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