November 9: Jeremiah 45–47; Revelation 2:12–29; Psalm 119:9–16; Proverbs 27:13

Jeremiah 45–47 (Listen)

Message to Baruch

45 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 You said, ‘Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ 4 Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”

Judgment on Egypt

46 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

3   “Prepare buckler and shield,
    and advance for battle!
4   Harness the horses;
    mount, O horsemen!
  Take your stations with your helmets,
    polish your spears,
    put on your armor!
5   Why have I seen it?
  They are dismayed
    and have turned backward.
  Their warriors are beaten down
    and have fled in haste;
  they look not back—
    terror on every side!
      declares the LORD.
6   “The swift cannot flee away,
    nor the warrior escape;
  in the north by the river Euphrates
    they have stumbled and fallen.
7   “Who is this, rising like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge?
8   Egypt rises like the Nile,
    like rivers whose waters surge.
  He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth,
    I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’
9   Advance, O horses,
    and rage, O chariots!
  Let the warriors go out:
    men of Cush and Put who handle the shield,
    men of Lud, skilled in handling the bow.
10   That day is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts,
    a day of vengeance,
    to avenge himself on his foes.
  The sword shall devour and be sated
    and drink its fill of their blood.
  For the Lord GOD of hosts holds a sacrifice
    in the north country by the river Euphrates.
11   Go up to Gilead, and take balm,
    O virgin daughter of Egypt!
  In vain you have used many medicines;
    there is no healing for you.
12   The nations have heard of your shame,
    and the earth is full of your cry;
  for warrior has stumbled against warrior;
    they have both fallen together.”

13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt:

14   “Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol;
    proclaim in Memphis and Tahpanhes;
  say, ‘Stand ready and be prepared,
    for the sword shall devour around you.’
15   Why are your mighty ones face down?
    They do not stand¹
    because the LORD thrust them down.
16   He made many stumble, and they fell,
    and they said one to another,
  ‘Arise, and let us go back to our own people
    and to the land of our birth,
    because of the sword of the oppressor.’
17   Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
    ‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
18   “As I live, declares the King,
    whose name is the LORD of hosts,
  like Tabor among the mountains
    and like Carmel by the sea, shall one come.
19   Prepare yourselves baggage for exile,
    O inhabitants of Egypt!
  For Memphis shall become a waste,
    a ruin, without inhabitant.
20   “A beautiful heifer is Egypt,
    but a biting fly from the north has come upon her.
21   Even her hired soldiers in her midst
    are like fattened calves;
  yes, they have turned and fled together;
    they did not stand,
  for the day of their calamity has come upon them,
    the time of their punishment.
22   “She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away;
    for her enemies march in force
  and come against her with axes
    like those who fell trees.
23   They shall cut down her forest,
      declares the LORD,
    though it is impenetrable,
  because they are more numerous than locusts;
    they are without number.
24   The daughter of Egypt shall be put to shame;
    she shall be delivered into the hand of a people from the north.”

25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, said: “Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old, declares the LORD.

27   “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    nor be dismayed, O Israel,
  for behold, I will save you from far away,
    and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
  Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
    and none shall make him afraid.
28   Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
      declares the LORD,
    for I am with you.
  I will make a full end of all the nations
    to which I have driven you,
    but of you I will not make a full end.
  I will discipline you in just measure,
    and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”

Judgment on the Philistines

47 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

2   “Thus says the LORD:
  Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
    and shall become an overflowing torrent;
  they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
    the city and those who dwell in it.
  Men shall cry out,
    and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
3   At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
    at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
  the fathers look not back to their children,
    so feeble are their hands,
4   because of the day that is coming to destroy
    all the Philistines,
  to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
    every helper that remains.
  For the LORD is destroying the Philistines,
    the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
5   Baldness has come upon Gaza;
    Ashkelon has perished.
  O remnant of their valley,
    how long will you gash yourselves?
6   Ah, sword of the LORD!
    How long till you are quiet?
  Put yourself into your scabbard;
    rest and be still!
7   How can it² be quiet
    when the LORD has given it a charge?
  Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
    he has appointed it.”

(ESV)

Revelation 2:12–29 (Listen)

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith¹ even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,27 and he will rule² them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.28 And I will give him the morning star.29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

(ESV)

Psalm 119:9–16 (Listen)

Beth

9   How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
10   With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
11   I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
12   Blessed are you, O LORD;
    teach me your statutes!
13   With my lips I declare
    all the rules¹ of your mouth.
14   In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
15   I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
16   I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.

(ESV)

Proverbs 27:13 (Listen)

13   Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.¹

(ESV)