Old Testament – Page 5 – A Thimble-full of Theology for Daily Living

Jeremiah 26, Jeremiah’s Life Threatened

Freedom of speech is a highly prized freedom in our country, protected by the First Amendment to our Constitution. It was not a codified law in Judah. And Jeremiah almost lost his life because of it. 26:1 Early

Jeremiah 25, Yahweh’s Wrath and Mercy

In the latter half of this prophecy Jeremiah makes a cryptic reference to Babylon as Sheshak. The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary explains: The atbash is a code that interchanges the

Jeremiah 24, Good Figs and Bad

Expositor’s Bible Commentary writes: “Fig trees in Palestine produce fruit three times a year. The first-ripe figs are especially juicy and are considered a delicacy; they ripen in June (cf. Isa 28:4; Hos

Jeremiah 23:9-40, Judgment of the Prophets

When Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof, realizes that his daughter, Tzeitel, is greatly opposed to marrying the man, the butcher, Tevye and his wife agreed could marry her, he concocts a story of a dream he

Jeremiah 23:1-8, The Righteous Branch

A shepherd’s responsibility is the safety and care of his flock. He must tend them, herd them, feed them, and guard them. Israel’s leaders and kings have not been doing that. They have been doing

Jeremiah 22, Faithless Leaders

We kind of need a history lesson to understand this passage. Josiah was the reforming king who died fighting Egypt on behalf of Assyria. He reigned for 31 years. His son, Jehoahaz (also called Shallum)

Jeremiah 21, Zedekiah’s Request for Deliverance

The catch phrase “I told you so” was given classic expression in a Randy Travis country song by the same name. He sings, If I told you that I realized you’re all I ever wanted, and it’s

Jeremiah 20, The Prophet’s Anguish

Verywllmind.com notes: “A mood swing is a fast, significant change in mood. The “mood swing” phenomenon is a common concept used to describe rapidly and intensely fluctuating emotions.

Jeremiah 19, Broken Pot Judah

The term for “jar” used here is baqbuq, which helps in identifying the kind of jar or earthenware jug referred to here. Most scholars agree that the jug Jeremiah buys is an expensive, ring-burnished

Jeremiah 18:18-23, Jeremiah’s Cry for Justice

He declared a holy war against the United States in 1998, leading to the bombing of two American embassies, in Tanzania and Kenya, killing 224, twelve of whom were Americans. When questioned about the

Jeremiah 18:1-17, Judah in the Potter’s Hands

It is pretty amazing to watch a skilled potter shaping clay. 18:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” 3 So

Jeremiah 17:1-18, Hard Hearts and Deceitful

It is hard to know if this is one prophetic message or a series of messages. If it is a single message it is hard to find a theme. 17:1 “Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a

Jeremiah 16, No Mercy…Mercy

A pallor of shock and sadness has hung over Israel since October 7, 2023, when they were attacked by Hamas fighters. Life can’t go on as normal. It is the same when someone meaningful to us dies. Judah

Jeremiah 15, No Pity, Poor Prophet

The words of repentance Judah has given to Yahweh (ch.14) are not matched with a genuine change of life. Though they sound genuine, Yahweh sees that they are not. 15:1 Then Yahweh said to me: “Even

Jeremiah 13, Symbols of Judgment

The World Economic Forum has identified seven scientifically proven ways to capture someone’s attention: 1) activate the senses, 2) contextualize your argument to appeal to your audience, 3) break

Category Archives for Old Testament