Anticipation of a New Future
Or
A New Future
Jeremiah 32:1-9, 14, 15
International Sunday School Lesson
September 21, 2014
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
Imagine asking a true prophet of the Lord why he prophesies the way he does!
In another scenario imagine asking a similar question of a true Holy Spirit gifted teacher or preacher as to why they teach the way they do!
The first seems preposterous and the second happens all the time! Why?
I would guess that if we were weak in our faith and didn’t like what we heard we might ask the question. In fact a sign of the near End of Times is just that.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3
But maybe many question those who teach and preach because of how they live out, or don’t live out their lives.
I am sure that King Zedekiah did not like to hear the bad news that there was no hope in defeating the Babylonians thus the question of why he prophesied what he did. Jeremiah didn’t cave to pressure to say what Zedekiah wanted to hear. Jeremiah answered the question by demonstration by showing him how much he believed what he spoke. He bought land that would be restored in the future even while the countryside was being destroyed and lost.
What he showed was pretty important; he had faith in what he spoke. He said in essence that resistance was futile but he also said eventually after a period of punishment things would be restored.
Operating on faith; fairly easy to teach, preach and talk about but living it out—now that is another thing.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss the pressures of teaching/preaching.
2. Discuss what happens when those positions are filled by those who shouldn’t.
3. Discuss the student’s role as a Christian.
4. Read Jeremiah 52:1-11 to see if what Jeremiah said would happen did.
5. It is interesting to read how many times Jeremiah made these prophesies especially directly concerning King Zedekiah.
6. Discuss why we can have difficulty living out our faith.
7. Discuss ways to improve the process.
Upcoming Lessons
9-28-14 Future Peace and Joy or Improbable Possibilities, Jeremiah 33:1-11
10-5-14 Rejoice Anyway or Yet I Will Rejoice, Habakkuk 2:1-5; 3:17-19
10-12-14 Even So, My Redeemer Lives or I Know That My Redeemer Liveth , Job 19:1-7, 23-29
10-19-14 Hope Complains or I Will Call on God, Job 24:1, 9-12, 19-25
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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