NL-Day213 Jeremiah 23; Psalm 149; 1 Corinthians 6

07/31/24 • 18 min

JEREMIAH 23:In yesterday's reading, we heard how king Zedekiah sent two men to Jeremiah to ask him for help to pray for a miracle. And God made it ever so clear that no miracle of deliverance would be given. Jeremiah repeatedly tells the king what he needs to do, but Zedekiah just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The area of giving justice was especially prominent in yesterday's readings.

PSALM 149:We old saints should not despise all of the new songs of the young saints. Yet I totally understand the desire to avoid change. Here we see that Scripture commands that we sing new songs. And this whole psalm can be taken as a prelude to what we will see in the book of Revelation.

1CORINTHIANS 6:A few days ago I challenged you to find out what was special about the quote in John 19 about none of Jesus’ bones being broken. In yesterday’s reading in 1Corinthians 5, we heard several metaphors relating to that based on Jesus being our Passover Lamb. And now as we start chapter 6, we have a chapter break at the right place, as Paul starts a new topic.

NLT Translation notes:Jer. 23:33 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, when one of these people, or a prophet, or a priest asks you, ‘What [burden/burdensome message] do you have from the Lord?’ [(meaning a message from me,)] Tell them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you away. I, the Lord, affirm it! [There is a play on words here that is really hard to translate, and NLT doesn’t show that in a way that makes sense to me. So I am basing the reading more on the NET.]34 I will punish any prophet, priest, or other person who [refers to a message from me as a burden//says “The Lord’s message is burdensome].” I will punish both that person and his whole family.’”35 So I, Jeremiah, tell you, “Each of you people should say to his friend or his relative, ‘How did the Lord answer? Or what did the Lord say?’ 36 You must no longer [refer to a message from the Lord as a “burden”.//say that the Lord’s message is burdensome.] [NLT 1996 version: For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.//For what is ‘burdensome’ really pertains to what a person himself says. You are misrepresenting the words of our God, the living God, the Lord who rules over all.] 37 Each of you should merely ask the prophet, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? Or what did the Lord say?’ 38 But just suppose you continue to [call the Lord’s message “a burden”.//say, ‘The message of the Lord is burdensome.’] Here is what the Lord says will happen: ‘I sent word to you that you must not [call my message a ‘burden’.//say, “The Lord’s message is burdensome.”] But you [continued to say that anyway.//used the words “The Lord’s message is burdensome” anyway.] 39 So I will carry you far off and throw you away. I will send both you and the city I gave to you and to your ancestors out of my sight.40 I will bring on you lasting shame and lasting disgrace which will never be forgotten!’”====1Cor. 6:11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on [0//the name of] the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.[This is a figure of speech called metonymy. ‘The name’ stands for the whole person. First of all, even though it sounds natural to us who have been around Bibles all our lives, it really is not natural English. One never would say, “Call on the name of Obama.” We would simply call Obama, or call to Obama. Secondly, calling on a name sounds as if we are given magic words. It would be idolatry to worship a thing (even a name) rather than the Person himself.]

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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NL-Day212 Jeremiah 21-22; Psalm 148; 1 Corinthians 4:14-5:13

JEREMIAH 21-22:These verses from Jeremiah 20 have been often quoted as a reason for memorizing Scripture:

Jer. 20:9 NLT But if I say I’ll never mention the LORDor speak in his name,his word burns in my heart like a fire.It’s like a fire in my bones!I am worn out trying to hold it in!I can’t do it!

Remember the priest Pashur who put Jeremiah in stocks. The Passhur that time was the son of Immer. Today it is evidently a different Passhur who visits Jeremiah, the son of Malchiah.

PSALM 148:The ending psalms just keep getting more and more exuberant in praise

1CORINTHIANS 4:14—5:13Paul is about to drop a bombshell in chapter 5, and it is good to see the transition from chapter 4.

NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 5:2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove [that/this] man from your fellowship.3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on [that/this] man 5 Then you must throw [that/this] man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.6 [Given that situation] Your boasting [0//about this] is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?[There is no “about this” in the Greek, and this is a place where one would not want to claim this as added implicit information. They were boasting about other things and sweeping this under the rug. And I find it very silly to use ‘person’ instead of ‘man’ a little further on. Gender sensitivity has become a bit too sensitive.]7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing [that wicked man//this wicked person] from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.10 But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid [everyone/people] like that.12 It isn’t [our/my] responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. [Paul uses a rhetorical question here, “What have I to do with judging outsiders?” It is a good idea to translate this as a statement. I think that Paul’s intent is not just about himself judging, and the change of pronouns in the next sentence seems jarring to me as I read the NLT.]

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NL-Day214 Jeremiah 24-25; Psalm 150; 1 Corinthians 6:17-7:40

JEREMIAH 24-25:A stunning prophecy was given in yesterday's reading:

Jer. 23:5-6 NLT “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant* from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. 6 And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’* In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.

How amazing it is that this identity of ‘The Lord Our Salvation/Righteousness’ is specifically linked with the Righteous Descendant— whom we now know is Jesus!

Yesterday's reading, from chapter 23, verse 33 contains an interesting command about not calling the Lord's message a ‘burden’. Note that in the Hebrew this is a play on words using the word ‘burden’ which can also mean ‘message’. In other words, the people ask, “What is the Lord’s message(meaning 2)” and Jeremiah is told to reply, “You are the burden(meaning 1).”

Some Christian leaders today would do well to note God’s angry statements about the prophets who pan off prophecies that just come from their own imaginations as coming from the Lord. I would not like to be in their shoes on Judgment Day!

PSALM 150:The exuberant finale to the psalms!

1CORINTHIANS 6:17—7:Yesterday's reading in 1 Corinthians started out with Paul rebuking the Corinthian Christians for taking their fellow believers to court before secular judges. Paul returned briefly the theme of sexual sin. Then, in supporting his points, Paul gave some of the most amazing verses in all Scripture about our position in unity with Christ. Let’s review the last four verses of chapter 6 to make the connection with chapter 7.

NLT Translation notes:1Cor. 7:1 Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain [totally] from sexual relations.22 And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in [because you are joined with] the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ.