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The Bible as the Book of Gods Revelation

The Bible as the Book of Gods Revelation. Sermon Jeremiah 35 ICEL, Oct. 17, 2010 Pieter Boersema. Introduction. The Bible as Gods Revelation to let us know God. The Bible consists of many books but there is a wholeness. The narratives as a way to study Gods Word, even difficult passages.

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The Bible as the Book of Gods Revelation

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  1. The Bible as the Book of Gods Revelation Sermon Jeremiah 35 ICEL, Oct. 17, 2010 Pieter Boersema

  2. Introduction • The Bible as Gods Revelation to let us know God. • The Bible consists of many books but there is a wholeness. • The narratives as a way to study Gods Word, even difficult passages. • The stories in the Bible are so close to us when it comes to human feelings and the like. • Jeremiah 35 is a peculiar chapter on first sight. • Perhaps it is not what we expect in the story of the people of Israel. • A story about people living in the margin of Israel at the moment of spiritual decline of the people of Israel.

  3. Shortened version of Jeremiah 35 • 1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 "Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink." • 3 So I went to get …………. the whole family of the Recabites. 4 I brought them into the house of the LORD, …………. 5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, "Drink some wine."

  4. Jeremiah 35 : 6 - 8 • 6 But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us…………

  5. Jeremiah 35 : 12 - 13 • 12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying: 13 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem, 'Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?' declares the LORD. ……….

  6. Jeremiah 35 : 15 - 16 • ……….15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, "Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your fathers." But you have not paid attention or listened to me. 16 The descendants of Jonadab son of Recab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.'

  7. Jeremiah 35 : 17 • 17 "Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.' "

  8. Jeremiah 35 : 18 - 19 • 18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' 19 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' "

  9. The context of Jeremiah 35 • The situation of Judah in the times of Jeremiah: wealthy. • Jeremiah 34: At first freedom for the slaves but they enslaved them again. • Economic goals are more important than human relations. • Remember God’s covenant with their forefathers after God brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. • The people of Israel are not listening to the warnings of the prophets. • At the end Judah (the 2 tribes of Israel) will go into exile.

  10. The Recabites • Recabites: nomads living in the margin of Israel. • Living in tents and have no fields or vineyards, a real type of nomads. (see the similarity with migrants). • The Recabites as a ‘conservative’ group set as an example for the people of Israel. • Their behavior is grounded in the value of obedience to their forefather Jonadab. • A small behavior is blessed with a great honor: • “there will always a son of Recab to serve the Lord”

  11. The role of the Recabites • The Rechabites are related to the Kenites. • They are not one of the 12 tribes of Israel but living ‘apart together’ (Judge 1:16). • Jethro, the priest of Midian is Moses father-in-law. • His descendents are the Kenites. • The important role of the Kenites in the story of Israel: • Jethro gives advise to Moses (Exodus 18) • Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite killed Sisera the oppressor (Judge 4) • Jonadab supported Jehu in his rebellion against King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, supporter of the god Baal (2 Kings 10:15-17, 23). • And what about Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses ?

  12. Numbers 10 : 29 - 32 • 29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel." • 30 He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people." • 31 But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us."

  13. The Recabites as an example of Nazirites( set apart for JHWH) • Amos 2:11: The Judgment on Israel. • Prophets and Nazirites as the servants of JHWH • The sin of Israel: “You gave them wine to drink”. The difficulty for Israel not to follow the religious rituals of the other people in Canaan. • Jonadab as a warning for Israel: see his meeting with Jehu. • When Israel is focusing on prosperity and following the Gods of the Canaanites like Baal, the Kenites show their focus on JHWH, their example of obedience is blessed by a promise from God. • In this context Jonadab gave an example by not drinking wine. • The position of Nomads is like the foreign people in the Bible. • The foreign people as a metaphor in the Bible: their focus in life is directed to their home in heaven (Hebrew 11).

  14. People in the margin • How do we see the present day migrants from the South to European ‘Fortress of Christianity’? • The descendents of Jonadab, after the exile, are living together with Israel to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:18). • This is the message to us how we, people from different cultures, can build together in Gods Kingdom as a testimony of the church in this world. • As Gentiles we were separated from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenant of the promise, but now in Christ Jesus [through His blood] He has destroyed the barrier and made us one (Ephesians 2: 11 – 15).

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