Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; “Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time,” saith the LORD, “the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.”
Jeremiah 50:18-20
LORD of hosts
…And they shall not be found…
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
Jeremiah 50:18-20
The Great Name Of The LORD
“For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a pure offering: for My name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of Hosts.” Malachi 1:11 (KJB)
“For — Since ye Jewish priests and people “despise My name” (Mal_1:6), I shall find others who will magnify it (Mat_3:9). Do not think I shall have no worshippers because I have not you; for from the east to the west My name shall be great among the Gentiles (Isa_66:19, Isa_66:20), those very peoples whom ye look down upon as abominable.
pure offering — not “the blind, the lame, and the sick,” such as ye offer (Mal_1:8). “In every place,” implies the catholicity of the Christian Church (Joh_4:21, Joh_4:23; 1Ti_2:8). The “incense” is figurative of prayers (Psa_141:2; Rev_8:3). “Sacrifice” is used metaphorically (Psa_51:17; Heb_13:10, Heb_13:15, Heb_13:16; 1Pe_2:5, 1Pe_2:12). In this sense the reference to the Lord’s Supper, maintained by many of the fathers, may be admitted; it, like prayer, is a spiritual offering, accepted through the literal offering of the “Lamb without blemish,” once for all slain.” JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN COMMENTARY for Malachi 1:11
The only sacrifice for sin was/is the blood of a perfect, spotless lamb. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, God the Son was, and is God’s perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36).
I Am With You
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
‘Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’ And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
For thus saith the LORD; ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of Hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: but they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.’ ” Jeremiah 30:1-11 (KJB)
God was not at all pleased with the nation of Israel. He was sending them into captivity to bring out a people who were holy, and wholly given to Him, had a heart for Him, His word, and were obedient to all that He commanded.
The above words of the prophecy have not yet been fully fulfilled. They will be at the end of Jacob’s trouble.
“David their King” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. They have had no king since the return from Babylon; with the exception of maybe puppet kings of Rome.
This should give every Christian assurance. God is working in us as well to complete what He has began in us (Philippians 1:6).
Would You Like a Visit From The LORD?
“Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the LORD.
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of My people? Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
Shall I not visit them for these things?’ saith the LORD: ‘shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?'” Jeremiah 9:6-9 (KJB)
My answer to the title question is; Not the kind of visit verse 9 is speaking of. I enjoy and I am blessed when I really see that God has come visiting me. Yes! I know He is with me always.
We need to see a few things about the above verses…
- God is speaking to Jeremiah in verse six of the kind of people he is living among;
- God is grieved with the people of Judah and Israel because of their lies, deceit, their hypocrisy in worship;
- God is grieved because of their personal hypocrisies with one another;
- God says that He will come visit them (meaning of course in judgment) if they do not change their ways.
These thoughts lead me to ask,,,
- What about the people where I live and what about me; How is my relationship with God and my neighbor?
- Do I live honestly with my neighbor, and remember that they also are a people made in the image of God?
- Is there anything in our lives that resembles false worship? Do we have a passion for something else more than God; forsaking the assembling of ourselves with other believers in Christ Jesus; or maybe assembling but living a different life the other days?
- Do we want the visitation of God on us for the kind of living that does not honor and glorify Him?
No! We cannot live a sinless life. We can live a redeemed life because of the cross of Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son. He is God’s greatest, and gracious visitation to all Adam kind.
Christmas Day Ninety and Three
What do I want for Christmas today?
I want everything I say and do today to be for the honor and glory and praise of God my Savior Jesus Christ; and for others to come to Him.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” Zechariah 8:23 (NKJV)
Christmas Day One Hundred One
What do I want for Christmas today?
I want peace to reign always in my heart; and in my home, family, friends, and in the world; I want the world to know the peace that comes only through faith in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection, and that He is coming again and all will be made right.
But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.” Micah 4:1-5 (KJV)
Prophets Speak – Christmas Day 150
“Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you was refused, says your God. For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you. In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.” Isaiah 54:4-8 (KJV)
What do I want for Christmas?
I want to daily rest in the arms of the Maker who is loving, merciful, forgiving GOD of grace; and do know that He is everlasting, His love is everlasting, and though I may at times be unfaithful to Him, He is always faithful to me, and to all who have called on His name; that He is my Redeemer.
Prophets Speak – Christmas Day One Hundred Sixty and One
“Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5 (KJV)
A troubled prophet, is in the temple, and sees the LORD “High and lifted up” in His glory. In doing this the prophet show us what all of us should do when GOD reveals Himself to us.
What do I want for Christmas?
When I am burdened by and with my own sin, the wickedness in the world, and that of my community and neighbors; I want to always see GOD on His throne “High and lifted” up; which causes me to bow, to humble myself before Him and gives me rest from my burdens; because He is the Sovereign One, and He reigns in the affairs of mankind.
Vain Preaching versus Biblical Preaching
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise Me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.” Jeremiah 23:16-17 (KJV)
The word of God was despised in Jeremiah’s day. They claimed to hear it. They claimed to believe it. The prophets of whom God is speaking through Jeremiah were those who went by their own visions and dreams; not the Word of God.
No visions of men or women can be trusted when they in fact go against what God has spoken and said through the written word. God says, “The words of the prophets… they make you vain…” These prophets spoke comfort, encouragement, and peace when the priests, and prophets were living in idolatry, and adultery, and lusts.
They were crying “Peace, peace”; and there was not peace. The enemy was all around. Most of the people were following the liars, deceivers, and frauds. God’s judgment through Babylon was just outside the gate.
It is vanity for the preacher to preach peace, love, encouragement, and comfort without dealing with sin, and pointing the lost, condemned and dying to Jesus Christ and His finished work of the cross – His death, burial and resurrection. Paul the apostle wrote by the Spirit of God,
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
The cross is the means of your salvation, and the salvation of the world; for those who will believe.
O people, the earth is in trouble; you are in trouble without Christ. Evil abounds. Grace still abounds more, but not to the neglect of dealing with our sins, through the cross of Jesus.
There will be no personal peace, no comfort, no encouragement, until Jesus is your personal Lord and Saviour.
The Lovely Dwelling Place
“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!” Psalm 84:1
A Psalm for the sons of Korah (See Numbers 16).
The word “Amiable” means lovely. Tabernacles is the dwelling place of the LORD. The wilderness tabernacle was moved from one place to another as the children of Israel travelled, until they reached the promised land, and then it was kept at a place called Shiloh (Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 1:3, 9, 24).
When Jesus Christ came into the world and gave Himself an offering for our sins; following His ascension into heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to be God within all who will trust and believe in Him (Romans 8:9). Now we are told by the apostle Paul that we are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19).
The tabernacles of the LORD are lovely; because they are the dwelling places of the LORD of hosts. Are you one of His dwelling places? Then, prove it. Show Christ Jesus alive, and at work in you.
God’s Purposes
“The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, ‘Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand…’”
“For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:24, 27 (KJV)
Too many times we Christians think the world, and God’s purposes are all about ourselves. Well, guess what. They are not. The purposes of God are for His own glory.
The prophet’s words, God’s words above declare to us that the thoughts that He has will come to pass. His thoughts are found in His Word. No man, woman, boy or girl; no thing on earth or beyond earth can stop the thoughts and word of God from coming to pass, just as he has said.
He asked, “Who shall disannul it?” There is no answer given, because none is needed. The answer is to be understood as “NONE”. There is none who can void the Word of God. Thee is none who can stop it from coming to pass.
As Christians our purpose is to glorify the Father with our lives. Our words, our actions, and our faith should show forth the work of Christ Jesus. Jesus’s work was to do the will of the Father, and glorify Him; and He did that by going all the way to the cross.
Are you glorifying God by living His purposes?
Before God Undone
“Then said I, ‘Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, ‘Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.’ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.’” Isaiah 6:5-8 (KJV)
When the LORD had revealed Himself to the prophet he was weak in the knees, and fell before the Almighty, realizing he was undone and unclean.
When we meet God, through His Son Jesus Christ (which is the only way to meet God), we realize our uncleanness, our undoneness, our unholiness, and we fall on His grace, and into His grace.
The fire [live coal] of the Spirit and the Word do a work of cleansing in us, and we are made clean and made right for the presence of Holy God.
Our response to being cleansed by God is to hear His word and we realize there are people who do not know Him. We hear God’s call and like Isaiah we will say, “Here am I; send me”.
Trust in the work of Jesus on the cross for you. Call on His name believing Him.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts… 012514
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; ‘In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, ‘We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.'” Zechariah 8:23
God’s Word Today 081412
Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying, ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is His name, great in counsel, and mighty in work: for Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings: which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made Thee a name, as at this day; and hast brought forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; and hast given them this land, which Thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; and they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not Thy voice, neither walked in Thy law; they have done nothing of all that Thou commandedst them to do: therefore Thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them. Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what Thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, Thou seest it. And Thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, ‘Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” Jeremiah 32:16-25 (KJV)
-T.A.
Day 57 – The King, Whose Name is the LORD of Hosts
The reading of the prophecy of Jeremiah can be a difficult read; and even difficult to write about; especially if you focus on the judgment part of the prophecy. Jeremiah lived through much of the fall and destruction of Jerusalem, Judah and Israel. He also wrote many promises of God.
My reading today was Jeremiah 38 – 52 finishing up this portion of the prophecy of Jeremiah. I say this portion, because we have Lamentations to read yet, which is part of his prophecy.
“As I live,’ saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, ‘Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.'” Jeremiah 46:18 (KJV)
One of the things I learn as I read the Bible, and that I am reminded of everyday is that God is the Supreme Ruler over the earth. The phrase in the verse above, “…the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts” is used in two other verses in today’s reading – 48:15 and 51:57.
The LORD of hosts is King of every nation, tribe and tongue, and His will will be done. His name will be glorified. Egypt of the above verse was prideful. The remnant of Judah who had been left behind by Nebuchadnezzar, had asked Jeremiah to seek the LORD and they would follow His guidance about what they were to do. They were to stay in the land of promise; yet they disobeyed the LORD, and chose to go into Egypt seeking security from Babylon. They would, instead of finding security, find themselves a part of another captivity, because Babylon was going to come to Egypt conquering them. He is the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.
In the second verse the word is against Moab,
“Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.” 48:15
Moab, thinking themselves strong, mighty, and secure would fall by the “King, whose name is the LORD of hosts”. Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Bozrah, Edom, and even Babylon would fall by the decree of the King; “the King whose name is the LORD of hosts”
No king or president or senator or congressman or any leader can stand long against the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. He is the King of kings, and the LORD of lords. One day every tribe, tongue and nation will bow before Him. The One whose name is above every name. The One to which every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 