Thicket

Jer 4:7  The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. 
Jer 4:8  For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us. 

Jer 4:14  O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? 

This is Bible history. Jeremiah is warning Jerusalem of a coming judgment from God; Babylon, an enemy nation was to be sent to take them captive. Another lion nation, the Assyrians had scattered the northern kingdom of Israel. The LORD sent the lion nations to judge his sinful people. From the thicket a lion comes.This is a warning for us also, to purify our hearts and to put aside idols, or stuff that keeps us from worshiping the true God. Repent, weep, be sorry and do what is right. The Lion of Judah is coming to judge the nations with a rod of iron. Jesus is coming again.

Edom Indicted

The LORD's indictment against Edom, the land of Esau, a brother of Jacob in the flesh, but also an enemy. When Israel and Judah were invaded and exported to Babylon and other lands, Edom joined with the invaders to afflict them. Israel is still surrounded by enemies. Are they any different today? God watches Israel, His covenant people,  and their enemies will be punished.

 

Obadiah 1:10“Because of the violence you did
to your close relatives in Israel,
you will be filled with shame
and destroyed forever.
11When they were invaded,
you stood aloof, refusing to help them.
Foreign invaders carried off their wealth
and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem,
but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies.
12“You should not have gloated
when they exiled your relatives to distant lands.
You should not have rejoiced
when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune.
You should not have spoken arrogantly
in that terrible time of trouble.
13You should not have plundered the land of Israel
when they were suffering such calamity.
You should not have gloated over their destruction
when they were suffering such calamity.
You should not have seized their wealth
when they were suffering such calamity.
14You should not have stood at the crossroads,
killing those who tried to escape.
You should not have captured the survivors
and handed them over in their terrible time of trouble. (NLT)

 

Do we take advantage of a brother in need? How can we not be like Esau? How can we bless God's covenant people?

Great man of faith

Caleb and Joshua were men of faith and courage. Caleb was of the tribe of Judah and Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, a son of Joseph. Jesus would come from the tribe of Judah and Joseph was a type of Jesus. These two princes of the 12 tribes believed God and came back from spying the promise land with a good report. The other 10 tribes were afraid; especially of the giants in the land, the sons of Anak. Forty five years have past and only Caleb and Joshua are left of all the adult men who left Egypt. Caleb is speaking to Joshua who is now the leader of Israel.

 

Josh 14:7  Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
Josh 14:8  Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
Josh 14:9  And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
Josh 14:10  And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
Josh 14:11  As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
Josh 14:12  Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
Josh 14:13  And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

 

Josh 15:13  And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.
Josh 15:14  And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

 

What an example of faith is this man of courage. He held onto the promises of God and God gave him strength. His faith never wavered and in the end his people overcame the giants and received the promised inheritance.

 

We have a promised inheritance as joint heirs with Christ Jesus. We too are to have faith and continue until the promise is received. God will give us strength to overcome our natural and spiritual giants and we shall overcome them all. We are to be like Caleb an heir with Jesus by faith. Be of good courage. The grace of God will be with you all the way to the promise land.