Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / The Broken Pot - The Book of Jeremiah

Transcript

The Broken Pot - The Book of Jeremiah · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And the vessel that he made of
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: clay was marred in the hand of the potter, so
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: he made it again in another vessel, as seemed good
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: to the potter to make it. Jeremiah 18.4 As the
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: words of today's reading echo deep in my ears, may
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: the truths be etched on my heart like tattoos. for
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: today is the day that I accept my call to
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: be set apart and consecrated to do great works for
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: your name, Heavenly Father. When doubts begin to arise in
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: my mind, like Jeremiah, I thank you that your word
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: will rise up within me like a flame and burn
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: all limiting beliefs that seek to hold me back. Your
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: word in Jeremiah 1.5 says that before I was in
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: my mother's womb, you had already called me. So I
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: thank you that no name, no words, no harmful lies
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: that were ever spoken over my life can bear any weight,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: because before they spoke them, you already spoke blessing of
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: purpose over me. Whether I had people who believed in
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: me or people who doubted me, It doesn't take away
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: from my calling and my destiny. Therefore, like Jeremiah, I
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: will stand tall and speak what you tell me to speak.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: I will build what you called me to build, knowing
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: that nothing can stop the momentum of my life, because
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: the potter of my life has me on his wheel
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: of destiny and in his hands. I am molded and
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: created for greatness. And I thank you, Lord, that through
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: you it shall be done. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: you for making prayer a priority in your day. To
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: The Broken Pot In our last story, Josiah continued his
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: reform over the nation of Judah. He cut down all
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: the remnants of old idols and reinstated the Passover to
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: remember the freedom in God. However, the people continued to
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: long after their corrupt ways. The Lord gave Josiah a
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: gentle warning. Judgment was coming upon Judah for all its
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: past sins. There would be a reckoning for all the
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: innocent souls that were led astray by past kings. Now
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: we peer into the life and calling of Jeremiah, who
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: was a prophet during the reign of Josiah. We learn
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: of Jeremiah's first call from God and the images that
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: were shown to him, inspired by the book of Jeremiah.
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: Hello and welcome once again to the Bible in a
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: Year podcast. This is Jack Graham. And in our last reading,
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: we heard how Josiah brought the people back to God,
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: reading the book of the law, the covenant to them,
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: and calling them to renew their faith in God, the
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: covenant that God had made with Israel in the days
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: of Moses. He then went through the land and destroyed
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: altars and shrines to honor God and protect people from
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: falling back into idolatry and spiritual bondage. Josiah had already
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: received word from God that his people would be judged
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: for their unfaithfulness. And today, we'll see the beginning of
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: this time with the initial call of the prophet who
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: would have great significance in the story of God's people.
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: That prophet is Jeremiah. So, let's listen to God's word today.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: In the days of King Josiah the righteous, Jeremiah was
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: walking in the temple courtyards. It was dusk and the
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: sky was a shimmering amber. Jeremiah watched the sun slide
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: behind the horizon. The west wind whistled gently, and the
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: trees beside the temple swayed to the evening lullaby. Jeremiah
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: sat down as the daylight left the land. He was
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: a very young man. Often he sought the Lord in
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: the coolness of nightfall. As Jeremiah closed his eyes, he
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: could hear a quiet voice in the wind. Along with it,
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: a gentle warmth and presence. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: as he sat beside the temple. Before I formed you
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: in your mother's womb, I knew you, Jeremiah. His voice
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: was firm and strong, but refreshing to the soul. Jeremiah
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: was equally mesmerized and afraid. Before you were born, I
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: set you apart for the nations. I have chosen you
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: as a prophet to them. You shall be the declarer
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: of my wisdom and judgment. The Lord spoke past Jeremiah's
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: mind and straight to his heart. Jeremiah quivered at the
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: Lord's call. He knew that the position of prophet was
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: a great responsibility. With it came trials, judgment, and persecution.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: My God, Jeremiah stuttered. I do not know how to
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: speak your truth. I am only a boy. How could
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: I do such things? Do not say to me, I
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: am too young, the Lord replied. Wherever I call you,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: you will go. What I tell you, you speak. Fear
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: is for those who do not have my presence. A
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: bright light then burst through his mind's eye, and Jeremiah
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: was swept into the presence of God. He felt a
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: hand stretch out to him and touch his mouth. Behold,
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: I have placed my words in your mouth. You are
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: to be set apart to watch over all the nations
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: and kingdoms. You shall witness the building and breaking of
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: all things before you. Jeremiah turned his mind's eyes forward.
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: He saw a budding almond branch slowly growing before him
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: and budding beautiful little flowers. He heard the Lord behind
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: him asking, Jeremiah, what do you see? I see an
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: almond branch, Jeremiah whispered. Yes, you see well. It, like
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: everything else, grows according to my word, the Lord replied.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: Now what do you see? Jeremiah felt the whistling wind
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: pick up as he was shown the image of a
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: pot facing north. The pot was over a fire and
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: the water was simmering into a boil. Jeremiah watched as
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: the boiling water grew heavier. eventually spilling over onto the
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: fire below. I see a boiling pot, Jeremiah answered God.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: It is facing away from the north. The Lord continued.
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: This time his tone was intense and filled with warning.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Out of the north disaster is boiling. Soon the kingdoms
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: of the north will boil over onto the land of Judah.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: They shall come, and it will be with my permission,
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: for I am allowing them to come into the land
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: as judgment for Judah's past sins. They will burn and break,
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: but they shall not destroy, for I am still a
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: merciful God. Jeremiah still struggled to completely understand the will
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: of God, although he was meant to be a messenger
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: of the Lord that did not mean he was particularly
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: equipped to give it. The Lord was gracious to Jeremiah
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: and showed him several images of his plan to help explain.
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: Arise and go down to the potter's house in Jerusalem.
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: There I will show you my will. So Jeremiah packed
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: his things and made his way to the potter's house.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: It was dawn by the time Jeremiah made it, and
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: the potter was already hard at work. The room smelled
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: like clay and campfire. Jeremiah watched as the potter worked
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: at his wheels. The clay spun fast on the wheel,
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: tamed by the potter's guiding hands. Jeremiah watched as the
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: potter gracefully worked his hands up and down the clay,
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: molding it into a tall and thin shape. The vessel
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: continued to spin on the wheel, however it began to
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: wobble and lose its thin frame. The top began to
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: sag and its edges became sloppy. Jeremiah became worried that
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: the pot was ruined and expected the potter to throw
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: away the clay and start over. Instead, the potter pressed
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: his fist down on the top of the clay. It
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: continued to spin and form into a round and wide bowl.
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah's eyes widened as he saw the potter form a
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: pot far more beautiful than the one before. The potter
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: meticulously designed the handles and spun the pot into a
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: marvelous work of art. Jeremiah did not realize it, but
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: he was crying watching the potter work. The Lord then
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: spoke to Jeremiah's heart. Can I not do the same
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: thing that the potter has done? God said softly. The
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: clay in the potter's hand was unruly and unbalanced. It
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: had to be broken down to make something more marvelous.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah watched the potter as he listened to the Lord.
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: I am shaping disaster so that something more splendid may
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: be made. Jeremiah was filled with purpose after this. He
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: left the potter's house and began to call out the
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: declarations of God in the temple courtyards and the city streets.
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: Amen your ways, Jeremiah declared. Turn from your evil ways
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: and embrace your Savior. Much of Jeremiah's words fell on
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: deaf ears. People passed and paid no attention. In fact,
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: many of them began to grumble at his words. Yet
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah continued to speak. We have turned our backs on God.
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: He says to us, My people have forgotten me like
• 10:18
  Speaker 2: a bride running away from his groom. As Jeremiah spoke
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: the words given to him by God, his heart began
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: to break. He could feel the hurt in the Lord's words.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: He loved his people, and year after year, since freeing
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: them from slavery, they had found new ways to turn
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: away from him. Sorrow filled his heart, so he continued
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: to proclaim the warnings of God unashamed This caused some
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: elders to conspire against Jeremiah and sent him threats. He
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: did not cease preaching. He leaned on God for courage
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: and pressed on. It was midday, and Jeremiah was outside
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: the temple gates proclaiming the word of the Lord. He
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: spoke with the love and intensity of God, warning people
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: to repent and turn back to their first love. Pashur,
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: the chief officer and priest, watched Jeremiah from afar. He
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: could not stand the man speaking as though he was
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: the only mouthpiece of God. Jealousy dug its roots down
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: deep into his heart. Eventually, hatred boiled over in him.
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: He picked up a club that was often used to
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: protect the priests in case of a robbery and stormed
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: towards Jeremiah. The prophet could barely see the shadow of
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: Pashur before the club struck him over the side of
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: his face. Jeremiah fell onto the floor and smacked his
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: head on the cobblestone floor. Disoriented, Jeremiah stumbled to his knees,
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: only to be kicked in the jaw. Blood dripped from
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: his mouth. He finally glanced up to see Pashur looming
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: over him. Before Jeremiah could say a word, he received
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: a swift kick in the ribs. He could feel them
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: crack on impact. Writhing in pain, Jeremiah managed to open
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: his eyes, only to see the club descending down once again,
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: knocking him unconscious. Jeremiah woke up the next day. The
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: sun was beating down on the back of his neck.
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: He tried to move his hands to rub it, but
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: could not. Regaining consciousness, Jeremiah discovered that his head and
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: hands were bound in the stocks outside the temple gates.
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: People passed by him, giving him grim looks of disapproval
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: or hatred. Jeremiah hung there all day, receiving the spitting
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: and ridicule of passerbyers. He did not stop praying the
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: entire time. Although many of his prayers were asking God
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: to release him He maintained his mission to preach repentance.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: The day was drawing to a close and Jeremiah could
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: hear the footsteps of Pashur behind him. Without a word,
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: Pashur released him from the stocks and began to walk away.
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah cleared his throat. His head was throbbing due to
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: dehydration and the beating from the day before. He stood
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: to his feet and stuttered out a few words. The
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Lord no longer calls you, Pashur, Jeremiah said. The officer
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: turned his head in curiosity. Jeremiah looked him deeply in
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: the eyes. You are no longer called Pashur, but terror
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: on every side. Pashur reached for his club to give
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah another beating. But Jeremiah continued, this time with the
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: full intensity of God behind his words. Thus says the Lord,
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: I will make you a terror to yourself and to
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: all who love you. Pashur froze, listening to Jeremiah intently.
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: They shall all fall by the sword of Babylon. All
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: of Judah will be given into the hand of the
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: great northern kingdom. Your friends shall be carried away as
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: captives and all the wealth of the city shall be
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: taken and you, Pashur, will be carried away as a captive.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: You shall die as a captive like many. Pashur fled
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: from the prophet and Jeremiah fell to his knees and wept.
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: He lamented that he was given the role of warning
• 14:06
  Speaker 2: Judah He wanted to stop. He wanted to cease preaching
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: the word of the Lord. However, as Jeremiah prayed to
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: the Lord, he knew that he must continue. If I
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: did not preach your truth, there would be a fire
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: in my bones to speak. I cannot help but proclaim
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: your name. I would be weary if I held it in.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: Jeremiah felt the heart of God. He would preach to
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: people who would not listen. He would love people that
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: would hate him in return. This was the burden and
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: calling of a shepherd.
• 14:41
  Speaker 3: Today's reading begins with a calling. God's voice goes out
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: to a young man in the courtyard of God's temple. Jeremiah,
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: that man, wasn't expecting this, but God had planned things
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: for him since before he was conceived, even in his
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: mother's womb. If there was ever any doubt how God
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: views the unborn, the words he speaks to Jeremiah leaves
• 15:05
  Speaker 3: us no doubt. There was a prophet in the womb
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: of this woman, his mother. God knew him and had
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: a purpose for him before his life began, and that
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: life began when he was conceived. A calling from God
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: is a privilege, and it should not be taken lightly.
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: Jeremiah seemed to understand the depth and gravity of this call.
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: This would be costly and often uncomfortable. People would even
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: hate him and want to take his life. And his
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: first reaction is to object.' I am too young to
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: speak for you,' was his reply. But God was not
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: interested in Jeremiah's objection or excuses. Still, he encouraged the
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: young man, saying in Jeremiah 1.8, Do not be afraid
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: of them, for I am with you to deliver you,
• 15:52
  Speaker 3: declares the Lord. God was reminding Jeremiah what we also
• 15:57
  Speaker 3: need to hear. That he who calls us is greater
• 16:01
  Speaker 3: than any obstacle that we face. That if God be
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: for us, who can be against us? We should always listen.
• 16:08
  Speaker 3: to the still small voice, to the word of God
• 16:11
  Speaker 3: that calls us to his service. The Lord then gave
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: Jeremiah a vision. A pot filled with water over a fire.
• 16:20
  Speaker 3: The pot was pointing north and the fire brought the
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: water to a boil. God then gave Jeremiah understanding of
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: what it meant. God's judgment was coming from the north
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: to punish Judah for his past sins. This would only
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: happen with God's permission. a reminder of the Lord's total
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: sovereignty and supremacy. God would use a foreign enemy for
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: his purposes to correct and cleanse his own people. And
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: though the enemy would invade, burn, and break Judah, they
• 16:49
  Speaker 3: would not destroy the people. Jeremiah was beginning to understand,
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: but he still needed more. The Lord showed him many
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: things that were going to happen, and yet he struggled
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: to grasp God's plan. We then heard how God sent
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: him to the house of a potter, It was time
• 17:06
  Speaker 3: for an object lesson. He watched as the potter worked
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: the wheel, spinning the clay and shaping it into a pot.
• 17:13
  Speaker 3: But the clay lost its shape and all seemed lost.
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: But rather than toss out the clay, the potter began
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: to work it again. God used this to explain how
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: he can use brokenness in our own lives to shape
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: his people. Jeremiah was filled with confidence and went about
• 17:31
  Speaker 3: speaking God's words and warnings to all who would listen. Unfortunately,
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: not many did. They turned away from God and his word.
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: And just like the prophets who had come before him,
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: Jeremiah faced opposition, hatred, and even physical harm. We heard
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: the story of Pashur, the chief of priests, who was
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: so angry he beat Jeremiah and placed him in stocks
• 17:55
  Speaker 3: to be ridiculed by those who passed by. But just
• 17:58
  Speaker 3: as God had promised, in the end, those like Pashur
• 18:02
  Speaker 3: did not prevail against Jeremiah. and he continued working for
• 18:06
  Speaker 3: God's purposes. Speaking God's truth is not always easy, but
• 18:11
  Speaker 3: we should surely always speak God's words. Whether in ancient
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: Judah or in our culture today, when we speak God's truth,
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: it can be costly. It can be tiring. It can
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: be frightening. But as Jeremiah testified, he had no choice
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: but to cry out with God's word. Holding it in
• 18:32
  Speaker 3: was not an option. And even when we speak to
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: people who do not listen, it is our calling as
• 18:37
  Speaker 3: Christians to be witnesses of the good news, the gospel
• 18:40
  Speaker 3: of Christ, and to reach as many people as we
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: can with God's truth. This was what God was doing
• 18:47
  Speaker 3: through Jeremiah and what God wants to do through you.
• 18:52
  Speaker 3: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We pray
• 18:56
  Speaker 3: that you would give us strength and courage to always
• 18:58
  Speaker 3: stand for you and your truth, even when people don't
• 19:01
  Speaker 3: listen or are even hostile. Give us the resolve and
• 19:06
  Speaker 3: the resilience, the courage and the bravery to speak your
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: words with clarity and conviction. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. You can download
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make Bible study and prayer the
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: priority of your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, please
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: share it with someone you love because the Word of
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: God will make a tremendous difference in people's lives. And
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: if you want to know more as to how you
• 19:39
  Speaker 3: can grow in your Christian life and faith, how you
• 19:42
  Speaker 3: can develop as a follower of Jesus into a strong,
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: dynamic witness, then be sure and visit jackgram.com. We have
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: multiple resources there available for you. Again, that's jackgraham.org. God
• 19:57
  Speaker 3: bless you and good day.