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The Bible Breakdown
Jeremiah 49: God's Plan is Always for Good
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The More We Dig. The More We Find.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, jeremiah, chapter 49, and today's title is God's Plan is Always for Good. God's plan is always for good. I know a lot of times it doesn't seem like that's what's going on, because sometimes we're in the middle of God's plan, and so God's plan is like a roller coaster it goes here, it goes there, but it always ends up in a good place. We just have to stay on the ride. We'll get into all that in just a moment. But if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like share, subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast, make sure you leave us a five star review on the podcast it really does help and make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook, because the more we dig, the more we find, and there's a great group of people doing wonderful work there all the time.
Speaker 1:Well, if you have your Bibles, I want to turn with me to Jeremiah 49. Remember that the overall goal of Jeremiah is to constantly tell us about God having a future and a hope. Constantly tell us about God having a future and a hope, and in this one we're going to see how he is pretty much telling the nation of Ammon or the Ammonites, that judgment is coming for them because of the sin that they have committed. But I always love, at the end of this, god's bringing it back around again, and I love that because that speaks to what he does in our life, that when things go wrong and things aren't the way they're supposed to be, god's saying, hey, there's some stuff that's coming, but I still got a big idea for you, and I just love that that God's never done with continually working things out in our life, and so we'll get into all that as we read. But if you're ready, jeremiah, chapter 49, verse 1, says this this was given.
Speaker 1:This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns? In the days to come, says the Lord, I will sound the battle cry against your city of Reba. It will become a desolate heap of ruins and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her, says the Lord. Cry out, o Heshbon, for the town of Ai is destroyed. Weep, o people of Rabba, put on your clothes of mourning Weep and wail, hiding in the hedges For your God, molech, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands. You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you. But look, I will bring terror upon you, says the Lord, the Lord of heaven's armies. Your neighbors will chase you from your land and no one will help your exiles as they flee. But I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites in the days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken. Now the Lord is going to speak to the nation of Edom. This message was given.
Speaker 1:Concerning Edom, this is what the Lord of heaven's armies says. Is there no wisdom in Teman? Is there no one left to give wise counsel? Turn and flee. Hide in the deep caves, you people of Dedan, for when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you too. Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. If thieves come at night, they will not take everything, but I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide. Its children, its brothers and its neighbors will all be destroyed and Edom itself will be no more. But I will protect the orphans who remain among you. Your widows too can depend on me for help. And this is what the Lord says. If the innocent must suffer, how much more must you? You will not go unpunished. You must drink this cup of judgment, for I have sworn by my own name, says the Lord, that Bozrah will become an object of horror and a heap of ruins. It will be mocked and cursed and its towns and villages will be destroyed forever, desolate forever.
Speaker 1:I have heard a message from the Lord that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say form a coalition against Edom and prepare for battle. The Lord says to Edom I will cut you down to size among the nations. You will be despised by all. You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks and the eagles, I will bring you crashing down, says the Lord. Edom will be an object of horror. All who pass by will be appalled and will gasp at the destruction they see there. It will be like a destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It says the sheep and its pasture. I will chase Edom from its land and I will appoint the leader of my choice. For who is like me and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will? Listen to the Lord's plans against Edom and the people of Teman. Even the little children will be dragged off like sheep and their homes will be destroyed. The earth will shake with the noise of Edom's fall.
Speaker 1:Then he had a message for Damascus. This message was given concerning Damascus. This is what the Lord says. The towns of Hamath and Arpad are struck with fear, for they have heard the news of their destruction and their hearts are troubled. Like a wild sea in a raging storm, damascus has become feeble and all her people will turn to flee. Fear, anguish and pain have gripped her as they grip a woman in labor. That famous city, a city of joy, will be forsaken. Her young men will fall in the streets and die. Her soldiers will all be killed. This is what the Lord of Heaven's army says. I will set a fire to the walls of Damascus and will burn up the palaces of Ben-Hadad. Now here is a message for Kadar and Hazor. So, in other words, god is just finally saying this is what's about to happen to everybody.
Speaker 1:Here we go, verse 28. This message was given concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which were attacked by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. This is what the Lord says Advance against Kedar, destroy the warriors from the east. Their flocks and tents will be captured and their household goods and camels will be taken away. Everywhere, shouts of panic will be heard. We are terrorized at every turn. Run for your lives, says the Lord. Hide yourselves in deep caves, you, people of Hazor, for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has plotted against you and is preparing to destroy you. Go up and attack the complacent nation, says the Lord. Its people live alone in the desert, without walls or gates. Their camels and other livestock will all be yours. I will scatter to the winds these people who live in remote places. I will bring calamity upon them from every direction, says the Lord. Hazor will be inhabited by jackals and it will be desolate forever. No one will live there. No one will inhabit it.
Speaker 1:And then this message concerning Elam came to the prophet Jeremiah from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of King Zedekiah in Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven's army says I will destroy the archers of Elam the best of their forces. I will bring enemies from all directions and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds. They will be exiled to countries around the world. I myself will go with Elam's enemies to shatter it In my fierce anger. I will bring great disaster upon the people of Elam, says the Lord. Their enemies will chase them with the sword until I have destroyed them completely. I will set my throne in Elam, says the Lord, and I will destroy its kings and officials. Here we go, verse 39. But I will restore the fortunes of Elam in the days to come. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Speaker 1:So, as you can see, all throughout this, there's this constant theme of time's up. And we can see this because, if you remember, over the theme, over all of Jeremiah, as we can see, we're getting toward the end of the book and we're getting toward the end of the ministry of Jeremiah. The end of the book and we're getting toward the end of the ministry of Jeremiah, even though most scholars believe that not all of these oracles of God are in chronological order. But, as we can still see, though, at this point God's fed up. Over and over again, he has told them if you don't get right, this is what's coming, if you don't get right, this is what's coming. And they didn't.
Speaker 1:And now God is not just saying that this is what the judgment is going to be for the nation of Judah, but this is also the nation surrounding Judah. In other words, nebuchadnezzar is coming and Joker's going to clean the house. I mean, he is going to absolutely wipe out everything, and he does. He does come and wipe out everything. And God is saying this is what I didn't want, but this is what's coming. But what I love is, in several of these, what we can see.
Speaker 1:At the end, god still gives some hope. God says bad things are coming, but I've not given up on you. I will still restore you in the end, and I don't know what that might mean for you. But maybe the Lord is kind of putting in front of us that bad things will happen, but that doesn't mean that God has given up on us. Isn't that how it feels sometimes? Doesn't it feel sometimes, when bad things are happening and it just seems like bad things are getting worse and worse and worse, that somehow God's just turned his back on us, that we're just frustrated with the things of God, but what God is clearly saying is is even though those bad things are going to happen, I've still got a big idea for you. I still want good for you.
Speaker 1:Can I just challenge you to let that be a comfort for you today, if you're going through a busy season, a difficult season, a season where you don't understand what's happening and you're frustrated because just things and stuff that has nothing to do with God's love for you, that, even if the bad things come, god still loves you. Maybe that's not for you, maybe that's for someone today, maybe you're going to walk into the life of somebody today and you're going to just see them and they just look like they are stressed out, and if you ask them, they may find a way to say you know, I'm stressed out because X, y, z, you can say you know what, though? Even if you're having car trouble, even if you're having family trouble, even if you're having health trouble or financial trouble or whatever, god has not changed his mind about you. He still loves you. Yeah, but the reason why I'm having financial trouble is because I made bad decisions. Right, god still loves you. The reason why I'm having relationship decisions is because I've made some terrible, terrible decisions. I know God still loves you and maybe that needs to be your mantra today. God has not given up on me and God has not given up on you Because clearly, even though these nations were going to experience some really bad times, god still finishes off with but Things are going to happen, but I haven't given up on you.
Speaker 1:Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you that you never give up on us. You are always for us. I pray today, god, that we will lean into that. So, no matter what goes on in our life, we will remember you are for us in every way. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen and don't forget. God's word says in Jeremiah 29, 13,. He says if you look for me, wholeheartedly, say it with me, you will find me. I love you. I hope that God shows himself to you fresh and new every single day and I will see you tomorrow. For Jeremiah, chapter 50.
