Readings:
Jeremiah 29-30
Hebrews 3

Jeremiah 29-30

Jeremiah writes a letter to the first exiles that are now in Babylon. They’re told that this isn’t a short term situation, that they should build houses and plant gardens, have weddings for their sons and daughters and enjoy their lives while multiplying and prospering. They’ll be in exile for 70 years, but then God will gather them and return them home.

He follows this with a chapter that’s almost like a song with lyrics concerning the hope of restoration for the descendants of Jacob. He tells them they’ll be brought home and healed and basically this is all for their benefit. The final sentence says “in the latter days you will understand this” and that’s usually how it is with many things we go through in life, that our hindsight is 20/20 but it’s still a very interesting post script to this chapter.

What this also reminds me of is the fact that despite the struggle the people have had with idolatry since they made the golden calf in the dessert of Sinai, all the way until the final kings of Judah were practicing child sacrifice in the Kindron Valley, but when they return from exile they never fall back into idolatry. I can’t speak for every person that was living in Jerusalem, but as a body it’s something that isn’t really a problem after the exile. It really did knock it out of them.

Sometimes it takes a massive trauma to get somebody’s attention. We’ve all heard stories of addicts that went sober when a friend overdosed in front of them. Also I’ve heard of someone playing around with things of the occult and seeing indescribable things that scared them so bad they came back to the church. Many such examples, and so it was here with Israel that it takes 70 years in exile to finally be done with serving other gods.

Hebrews 3

Now we move from comparisons of Jesus and angels to Jesus and Moses. To a Hebrew reading this letter, and all members of that faith, Moses was the greatest of all God’s servants. He was the prophet, he was the greatest man to ever live, but here we’re told that Jesus is greater than him. Moses was great as a servant, but Jesus is great as a servant but also as the Son.

They’re warned to not be like their ancestors who hardened their hearts against God’s will and voice in the desert, and were excluded from the promised land as a result. Those who harden their hearts against God in this age will be excluded from heaven, or which the promised was a type.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Jeremiah 31-32
Hebrews 4