PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

Jeremiah provides a number of metaphors to describe the current state of affairs to the rulers of Judah. We see the image of good figs and bad figs which are placed before the temple. The Lord is telling the people that they need to go into exile in Babylon. The good figs are those who willingly go into exile. The bad figs are those who fight going into exile. This is directed to the people of Judah, which is why the temple is a part of this metaphor. We see the metaphor of the yoke which Jeremiah puts on himself. This is again an image of the ruler of Babylon taking over all of the land and having it in his posession for three generations, and then he will be under the yoke himself after those three generations pass.

There is an interesting dialogue that takes place between the rulers and the priests and Judah and Jeremiah. They condemn him to death because he describes the destruction of Jerusalem, but then they argue among themselves that in the past prophets had described the destruction of Jerusalem and it had changed the hearts of the rulers and spared the land as a result of the prophecy. They do not put Jeremiah to death but you do catch a glimpse of the debate as to whether he should be put to death or not because of him saying the words that the Lord has put upon his heart.

Our reading in Jeremiah begins today with probably some of the more familiar images that we get in Jeremiah, and certainly some of the most applicable. We find ourselves with the potter and the clay, and the statement whic applies to all of us in vs.6 where God says to Israel, actually to us, just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you to me. God decides how to shape and how to handle it in ways that are pleasing and make sense only to God. We are not able to dictate how God handles the clay that is in his hands. Remember, we were made from the dust, read clay, of the earth. This is a good reminder for us when we would complain and moan our fate.

There is a whole lot of destruction going on and a very unhappy God who is speaking to us. The bottom line is that Israel has been unfaithful and continues to be unfaithful. As a result God will abandon Israel to its own doings and will not support them when they are in need. It is a clear case of a conditional covenant where God agrees to protect and defend Israel if, and only if, they would obey the Lord. But since they do not obey…, well then they are going to end up going into exile and God will not protect them from going into exile.

Eventually God will bring them back to the land, but not until their nakedness is exposed. That’s the terminology that is used. A woman whose skirts are lifted over their head. The shame of Israel is a result of her disobedience.

There are a actually a few places in all of these chapters that I wanted to highlight, both in Jeremiah and in the Psalms that we read. I am always amazed when I read Scriptures such as 7:6 the discussion that is present in our country around immigration. The Bible says very clearly that we are not to oppress the immigrant, it says very clearly that we are to treat the immigrant as if they were one of the people of God, and yet that does not seem to be the case. We seem to be more concerned about the impact of the immigrant on our economy or on our safety than obeying the Word of God. I hope this doesn’t sound political, it is meant to be an interpretation of Scripture that to me is pretty evident but we choose to avoid.

Chapter 9 of Jeremiah is one of the reasons why he is called the weeping prophet. He states in the very beginning of the chapter that he wishes that his eyes were fountain of tears so that he could weep for his people day and night. The weeping prophet desires to mourn for his people because his people, the people of God, have turned their back continually on God.

Psalm 100 is one that many of us know by heart. Make a joyful noise to the Lord. When my dad was a pastor he got those words mixed up one Easter morning and he said: Make a noyseful joise to the Lord. People weren’t really sure what to make of it. Psalm 103:12 is a classic assurance of pardon which reminds us of the love that God has for us and that God forgives us to infinity and beyond.

Whew, that was a lot. We begin the book of Jeremiah. Remember, he was a prophet who worked for the Lord for 40 years and did not have a single person who listened to him. That would be 40 years as a pastor in a church and not a single new member to join the church while you are there. I would think that would be disheartening. His task was to warn Israel and Judah that they were about to be taken over by Babylon and as a result they were going to be taken to a foreign land in exile. This does indeed happen, but the people of God come up with schemes to avoid it. We will see later what that looks like.

The Psalms, similarly, are basically laments that the enemies of the author are given the upper hand and it feels like the enemies have almost a preference. Like Jeremiah, no one is listening to the Lord and they are choosing to follow those things that historically have taken people away from the Lord. The priests do not serve the Lord but rather their own interests or the interests of crooked kings. This is the primary theme in both Jeremiah and the Psalms. People and leaders who are not looking to follow the will of God but would rather follow their own desires. The more things change…

We continue along in Timothy, this time looking at the second letter that he writes to his protege. We all know II Timothy 4:6-8. It is the Scripture that I use the most for funerals and so we tend to skip past it as if we already know everything there is to know about its meaning. To some extent that is right, we know that for Paul his desire was to leave a legacy to his mentee which was based upon faith and not based upon any material items that he might have. This faith is not only the one that Paul exemplifies but also the faith that was exhibited in the family of Timothy, and especially in the women of Timothy’s family. We don’t often see the faith of the women lifted up as exemplary, good to see this.

I have never been into memorizing Scripture, but if I were…probably Psalm 130 would be one that I could and would want to memorize. We read the hope that we have in Jesus in this Psalm, that in him there is steadfast love and the power to redeem. There is only this dynamic in the God whom we love and whom we serve. Psalm 105 is a stunning reminder of all that God has done for the people of Israel. From the bondage of Joseph to his liberation and eventual claim over the land which allows his people to join him in abundance in the land of “Ham”. That would be Egypt. The Psalms provide a multiplicity of promises, not the least of which is the incessant reminder that God is in control. It is in the Psalms where we are infused with the doctrine of the Providence of God, that all things remain under his guiding and loving hand. Thanks be to God!

We read the entire book of I Timothy. Let’s set the stage, Paul is probably in Macedonia when he is writing this. He is writing to Timothy whom he considers his son, more of a mentor/mentee relationship. Timothy has taken on the responsibilities of pastoring the church in Ephesus which we know is not a town that has welcomed Paul warmly at all. Paul is trying to give Timothy some pointers on what to emphasize, how to increase your faith while you serve, and some teachings to share with the congregation that were important to him in his ministry.

Chapter 3 contains some important benchmarks to those who would serve as officers in the church. Now, let’s be clear, no one can reach completely these benchmarks, but they are goals after which we ought to strive and who knows, we just might get closer if we try than where we currently are now. It isn’t a super inspirational book for me. It does contain some advice that I might consider pretty specific to its time period and to the church in Ephesus and so not completely applicable to today, but still important enough to understand and be aware that this is a teaching that was inspired by God and God alone.

You can understand why Luther felt like James should have been left out of the canon of Scripture. If you look at chapter 2 starting at vs.14 you read an argument which lifts up works as a manifestation of faith. But it is really this verse, vs.24 where it states that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone which screams loudly against our Protestant understanding which emphasizes that we are saved by grace through faith alone. In that formula nothing is mentioned of works, and that is on purpose.

Aside from this somewhat, okay very, controversial theological matter, James is filled with precious bits of wisdom that would do us well to remember. He addresses our preferential treatment in the church of those who have material means and that God would be disappointed if this continued. He highlights the role that elders serve in healing and in bringing people to a saving knowledge of Christ by recognizing that God is still at work today. There is so much in James. If you were into memorizing Scripture this book of the Bible would be a good one to memorize. Don’t tell Luther I said so.

There are definitely some themes that deserve to be underscored, but many of them reveal themselves right at the end in the final verses of chapter 12. Before that, look at 9:17-18 “The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war.” I love this quote and it also gives the example of the wise old man who saved the city and yet his contribution was forgotten. While the city was saved, the fact that it happened because of the wisdom of an individual was lost, and so the value of wisdom in those situations was lost as well. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. Love this.

The second principle that is crucial is found in chapter 12:13 “Fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the whole duty of everyone.” If only…Some may take some consolation in the verse that states: much study is a weariness to the flesh. I don’t know, I love to study and it really energizes my flesh and my body and all of me. I haven’t found that studying creates burn out, but maybe I don’t do it enough to make that happen. Keep studying Scripture y’all!