They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. – Psalm 79:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 31, 2023): Psalm 79

Jan Hus (1369 -1415) was an early church reformer. Some hold Hus as the first reformer, while others point to John Wycliffe (1328–1384). Regardless of which should be considered first, the early reformers built upon the work of both of these men. Hus, Wycliffe, and a few others laid the foundation for the Protestant Church we know today.

On July 6, 1415, Hus's life came to an end. He had been tried and found guilty of heresy and was sentenced to be executed. Specifically, Hus spoke out against the church practice of selling offices and roles in the church to those who were willing to pay. No office or position was not for sale, including the papacy; money had become more important than piety. So, Hus was sentenced to be burned at the stake. Witnesses on that summer day watched as Jan Hus was chained at the neck to a stake. Then his hands were tied behind him, and straw was piled up around Hus to his neck. Finally, Hus was offered a chance to save his life by recanting his beliefs. Hus refused, simply saying, "I am ready to die today."

According to some witnesses, the reformer's executioners struggled to get the fire going, only prolonging Hus's agony. After the reformer had been completely burned, his ashes were thrown into the Rhine River, denying his followers a chance to bury and possibly venerate his remains.

Many cultures have believed that not burying the remains of someone who has died was the ultimate humiliation. Today, the scattering of ashes is often done voluntarily, especially in a place where the deceased felt connected. But that appears to be a recent development. Leaving a body unburied, even if it was just the ashes, was to treat the human body as if it were no more special than that of an animal that has died and is left where it once stood.

For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people died, and no one was able to bury the bodies. Many were dead, others were taken prisoners, and the Babylonian destroyers didn't care enough to give honor to the Jewish dead. And so, the bodies just lay there unburied and with no one to give them honor. It was the ultimate desecration of Jerusalem and the Temple and a horrible memory for those lucky enough to live through the experience.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 137

O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? – Psalm 74:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 30, 2023): Psalm 74

We love to read the Shepherd's Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever (Psalm 23).

The Psalm often feels like a security blanket in the turbulent moments of our lives. God is our shepherd; he leads us beside quiet waters. He is the one who restores us. He sets a place at his table, and his blessings overflow in our lives. Yes, we might have to walk through the darkest valley, but God promises to be with us even there. And not only is God with us here, but we will dwell where he is … forever. When anxiety shows its ugly face in our life, the Shepherd's Psalm often has the ability to calm our lives and recognize once more that our God is still on the throne, and he is still with us.

Psalm 23 was likely written by King David when he was a young shepherd. It has a simplicity that might lend itself to a young person's writing. And that simplicity often is what draws us to the Psalm.

If there is an antithesis to Psalm 23, it might be Psalm 74. Instead of hope and security, there is depression and defeat. God, rather than being the Shepherd of his people, is Israel's rejector, and Israel is not just rejected for now but rejected forever. And in a passage, the Psalmist seems to point to the Shepherd's Psalm. "Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture" (Psalm 74:1)? Once, you guided us by still waters, but now your anger burns against us.

Who was this mystery poet? The Psalm itself tells us that Asaph wrote it, but it is unlikely this is the Asaph that ministered during the days of David, the Shepherd King. More likely, this Psalm was written by a descendant of that Asaph, who lived during the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and watched the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. And with both of those things gone, it seemed to the Psalmist that Israel had been rejected forever. Gone was the security of the Shepherd Psalm; security has been replaced with desperation, and the song of the Shepherd has been replaced with the wail of a hurting believer.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 79

Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. – Jeremiah 52:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2023): Jeremiah 52

This year, 2023, I lost my last grandparent. Aura Baker, to me, Grandma Baker, and to my children and grandchildren, simply Grandma B, although there was a time when my kids called her the Great B. Grandma passed away at the incredible age of 107, just a month and a half short of her 108^th birthday. So, over the past weeks and months, I have spent an incredible amount of time considering the incredible legacy passed down to me. Both of my grandmothers lived passed the 100-year mark, while one of my grandfathers lived well into his eighties, and my other grandfather died in his seventies, the result of a fall off a ladder while he was in his garage fixing some pipes.

I admit that I am lucky, but at the same time, I miss each of them for very different reasons. I have some great memories of my grandparents, and I feel blessed to have had each of them in my life. In one of the last conversations I had with Grandma Baker, she apologized for all the work she was putting me through. I hugged her and reminded her of everything she had done for me over the years. And if she had lived another fifty years, I think the balance would still tip in her favor; I would still be in debt because of all the kindness she had lavished on me. And if you want to hurt me, all you really have to do is tell me that my grandparents would not be proud of something I have done. I would want them to be proud, and I have to admit that there are still times when I wish I could sit down with them and just talk about the events of the day or even the interpretation of particular biblical passages. Did I always agree with them? No, of course not. But I always respected them, and I felt that they respected me.  

So, it is a bit of a surprise to find out that not only is Zedekiah, the twentieth and last King of Judah, not only had the righteous King Josiah as a father but was the grandson of Jeremiah of Libnah. Was Jeremiah of Libnah the weeping prophet? We are not sure. The prophet was from Anathoth. But there are similarities between the two cities. Both Libnah and Anathoth were Levitical cities and served Aaron's descendants. And the two cities were not far from each other. But if this is the Weeping Prophet, you have to wonder, during the eleven years that Zedekiah spent on the throne of Judah, how many times had he heard his grandfather prophesy in the City of David. Did he have any private meetings with Grandpa Jeremiah? We know that Jeremiah was banned from the Temple at one point, but was he also banned from the Palace? I just can't imagine having such a significant disagreement with my grandparent.

If Jeremiah of Libnah was a different Jeremiah, he still likely held some of the same opinions of the prophet, growing up under very similar circumstances, which means that Zedekiah was still at odds with his grandfather and his deceased father.

Maybe that is just more evidence of how lucky I am. I am unsure how Jeremiah felt about his grandson, but I know how I feel about mine. And more than anything, I want to keep an open line of communication with all of my grandchildren. And I hope they know they can always come and talk with me, even if we are in disagreement; much like my relationship with my grandparents. And I hope always to make my grandparents proud of their grandson.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 74

Therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will wipe you out from among the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD. – Ezekiel 25:7

Today's Scripture Reading (July 28, 2023): Ezekiel 25

I admit that I have a morbid curiosity about how different Empires have ended. Maybe that is because I have lived my life in an era of World History where there has been a significant change in the Table of Nations, with some countries ceasing to exist while older Kingdoms have reinserted themselves on the World Stage. When I was growing up, I had a huge National Geographic map that hung on my bedroom wall. And I spent significant time considering the various nations on the map. I have always been interested in various geopolitical events, and I remember times when it seemed that Canada might devolve into two or more countries. The situation that would instigate the destruction of Canada was the threatened independence of Quebec. If Quebec decided to leave the country, I theorized, as a kid, that maybe the Atlantic provinces might be absorbed into the United States. At the same time, Quebec would become a French-speaking nation, Ontario would become Canada, and the Western Provinces would become a separate nation; maybe we could call them Adanac, which is Canada spelled backward. And as I looked at my map, the thought of such an upset to the well-ordered nations represented in various colors on my wall seemed unthinkable.

But all of that was before the dissolving of the Soviet Union and then the almost constant reorganizations of the nations in Eastern Europe and Asia that have almost become a constant reality throughout my adult life. I wish I still had that map of my youth, although it wouldn't look anything like a map that reflects the world as it stands today. A contemporary World Map includes many nations that my youthful self would not recognize.

Ezekiel asserts that Ammon would disappear from the Table of Nations. If maps were printed and placed on the walls of interested children, there would be a time when Ammon would be on those maps, followed by a time when it would not. But exactly when that happened has been a matter of open debate. For some, that moment of disappearance came during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II and the Babylonian Empire. But we aren't sure. It might be that the nation disappeared at that time, but the people remained a significant presence in the world for another six or seven centuries. The people may have influenced the world nations even after the time of the ministry of Christ and the development of the early Christian Church, just as the Jewish people remained a real force in the world for almost 1900 years, between 70 C.E. and 1948 C.E., a time when there was no Jewish nation that existed on the world stage. But, at some time after the ministry of Christ, even the Ammonites became an extinct race, absorbed into the other nations and people of the area.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 52

For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "Woe to the city of bloodshed, to the pot now encrusted, whose deposit will not go away! Take the meat out piece by piece in whatever order it comes." – Ezekiel 24:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 27, 2023): Ezekiel 24

Jerusalem. We often think of the city as the City of David or even the Holy City. It is a city central to the belief of three different religions. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all of whom believe that Jerusalem is Holy. But it is also a city of conflict. Jerusalem has been fought over at least sixteen times in its long history. And every day, the city seems to exist in an uneasy peace between the people who believe the city is essential to their faith.

In 701 B.C.E., Sennacherib and the Assyrians laid siege to the city. It was a siege that both sides claimed to have won, and that is likely true. The Bible argues that the Assyrians laid siege to the city but that God moved against the Assyrian army, and 185,000 soldiers died overnight around the Judean Capital. Modern guesses range from some miraculous phenomena that resulted in the death of the Assyrian soldiers to the presence of disease, likely carried into the camp by the rats that had invaded the Assyrian outpost. But, whatever the reason, the Assyrians left the siege and never returned with the same kind of force that they had amassed at the city in 701. However, at the end of the siege, Hezekiah and Judah did become a vassal state of Assyria. They paid tribute to the Assyrian Empire, which would lend itself to the Assyrian declaration of victory in the conflict.

In 586 B.C.E., The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed the city, even leveling Solomon's Temple. We have no idea how many Jewish lives might have been lost during the siege of 701 B.C.E., but there was much bloodshed and loss of life in the city of 586.

The Romans laid siege again to the city in 70 C.E. And in a very similar series of events to the Babylonian siege and once again, the city was leveled, and the Second Temple, one that had been significantly improved during the reign of the Herods in Jerusalem, was once again destroyed.

In 1099 C.E., the first Christian Crusaders laid siege to the city and eventually captured the city. In an event that was not Christianity's finest hour, the Christians slaughtered most of the city's Muslim and Jewish residents. At this time, the Dome of the Rock was transformed into a Christian Church, and Godfrey of Boullion, the pre-emanate leader of the Crusade, became the Protector of the Holy Sepulcher. Godfrey narrowly escaped being named King of Jerusalem, preferring the title of Prince. Baldwin I of Jerusalem became the city's king in 1100. Saladin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 C.E., reconsecrating the Dome of the Rock as a Muslim shrine.

Speaking to Ezekiel, God calls Jerusalem a "city of bloodshed." And there is no doubt that Jerusalem has also been that, with the blood of the many prophets who had died in the city, added to the blood of those who died in the Assyrian siege as well as the coming bloodshed that would be spilled in the city by the Babylonian army in the destruction of the city. But the history of bloodshed in the city is much deeper than just those instances. History has revealed that Jerusalem is indeed as much a city of conflict and bloodshed as it is the City of David or even the Holy City.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 25

Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life. – Jeremiah 45:5

Today's Scripture Reading (July 26, 2023): Jeremiah 44 & 45

He spoke with authority to those who had gathered around him. "If you are poor, if you do not have the prestige that you want, it is because you lack faith. Because God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, to whom do you think he wants to give that kind of wealth? Why would God deny his children the wealth that he has? Let your neighbor live in sin; if you will live in faith, you will reap treasures from everything your father owns." It is a good message, and it even makes a measure of sense. However, while the message is found on the lips of many people who possess a measure of spiritual authority, it is also a message that is rare in the Bible. Is God's blessing on us? I think the answer is yes, but that blessing often takes a different form than material possessions.

God's message to Jeremiah is clear. Even though Jeremiah has done everything right, the prophet will suffer from the effects of the nation's sin. There will be no special handling or dispensation. All that God would promise is that Jeremiah, wherever he was, would escape with his life. But he will not receive great things for himself.

Of course, I am not sure Jeremiah would have it any other way. He was a man of the people and wanted nothing more than to preach a message of reconciliation and repentance to his national brothers and sisters. And he was quite willing to suffer with his people in exchange for the opportunity to share the things God had told him with them.

We are called not to be above the people but to stand in their midst. I must admit that I seriously question pastors and ministry leaders who receive much more salary than the average person in their congregations. I remember hearing one pastor defend his salary by arguing that he preached a message of material blessing, so why shouldn't he reap the benefits and be among the richest of the congregation? It is a dangerous thought pattern for any of us who are called to stand among the people and intercede for them and with them. Why should we expect greatness? That has never been our call. We share in the call of Jesus to minister to the poor and spend time with those far from God. To share in their world and their fears, knowing that our futures are secure in the hands of God. And until God calls us home, knowing that even in the worst moments, we will escape with our lives.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 24

So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD’s command to stay in the land of Judah. – Jeremiah 43:4

Today's Scripture Reading (July 25, 2023): Jeremiah 43

I have a few pet peeves, and one of them is people who ask for my advice and then promptly and consistently ignore it. Several years ago, I was asked to meet with a couple who were going through some marital problems. And I have employed various strategies in these situations, but for this one, I decided to meet individually with the couple before we came together to talk. In these individual sessions, I felt like I got a reasonably good feel for the marital situation. And then we came together. I had developed a couple of plans that I thought might help heal the differences that had developed in the marriage, but when we began to talk together, neither of these people was willing to admit what we had talked about when we were alone. In the individual sessions, mountains were to be climbed to keep the relationship healthy, but together, they denied anything wrong; and I felt like we had wasted a lot of time. There was no fourth meeting, and the couple remain together, so maybe they did know what was best.

I have developed a habit that whenever someone asks me for advice, my response is, “Do you really want to know?” Because I won’t pull my punches, if you are going to ask, I will tell you what I think. And you can take it or leave it. But if you continue to ask my advice and consistently ignore what I say, then I will begin to resent that you bother asking.

The people of Israel have come to Jeremiah to enquire of God. What does God want us to do? Their commitment to Jeremiah is whatever God tells you; we promise to follow the advice. So, Jeremiah tells them that God wants them to stay in the Promised Land. If they did, God would heal them and heal the land. He would take the remnant and build it into a nation. There was no reason to fear Babylon; God was still in control.

But that wasn’t the advice that the people wanted to hear. And so, despite their commitment, they chose to ignore the advice. Obviously, Jeremiah was wrong. While they had committed to following what God told them through the prophet, they meant they would follow any advice that matched their desire. Give us that advice, and we will do it. But if God thinks differently from me, well, I think I will trust what I believe is right.

There is an old joke about two people arguing about the advantages of traditional and contemporary worship. And when they get to the subject of the moving of the Holy Spirit in worship, one comments that “The Holy Spirit is free to move in our services, as long as he doesn’t do anything weird.” But that is part of the problem. The moves of God can often be weird, which was precisely the problem in Judah. Escaping to Egypt made sense; staying in Judah was weird. And the people were not about to follow any weird moves of God.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 44 &45

Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. – Jeremiah 42:5

Today's Scripture Reading (July 24, 2023): Jeremiah 42

It is always interesting when we try to get into the mind of God. Often, we seem to believe that God thinks as we do. And I hear it all the time. Of course, God would want me to do this because it makes sense to me. In the same way, I have heard many people pray that prayer, "God, get me out of this mess, and I promise that I will serve you," without ever considering that God might want us in the mess. In our minds, life with God is easy and without stress, so whenever stress or something that is hard to do enters our lives, we believe we are being punished. God would never place us there.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is the Sermon on the Mount. And the Sermon on the Mount begins with a group of verses that we know of as "The Beatitudes." Consider some of these verses;

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom (Matthew 5:3-4, 10, The Message).

You are blessed when you have nothing left to give and when you have lost everything you value. You are blessed when you suffer persecution because of your beliefs. None of this matches up with what we expect as followers of God. I used to have a pastoral friend who offered, "You are blessed when the activities of the church happen while the pastor is at home, reading in front of a fire." It is hard to find anything like that in the teachings of Jesus.

As the people come to Jeremiah, they promise to do whatever God tells them to do through the Weeping Prophet. Admittedly, biblical readers are unsure if this promise is just words for the people on which they have no intention to follow through or if they expect that God will command them to follow the path that makes sense to them. But the command that is coming is going to challenge their belief. God will instruct them to stay in Judah, and he will restore them. It is an action that will make no sense to the people who want to escape to Egypt. And God will propose a path that, in the shadow of losing everything they hold dear, will take them to the point of being at the end of their rope and being in a position where their belief will threaten to bring them persecution. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 43

… to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. – Jeremiah 41:18

Today's Scripture Reading (July 23, 2023): Jeremiah 41

A friend of mine was with a non-profit in New Orleans during the days after Hurricane Katrina hit the city. And during his visit, there were neighborhoods that he was strictly told not to visit under any circumstances, not because of damage from the storm but because of an unstable authority structure in those areas. But one night, he found himself, accidentally, in one of those forbidden areas, the victim of a wrong turn. He quickly turned around to find his way out of the area but found himself with a police cruiser, with lights flashing on his tail. He phoned the police officer who had told him to avoid the area and told him what was happening. He received an interesting reply from his police contact. "Do not stop. Keep driving. I am on the way, and I will meet you."

It must have been a weird feeling for a law-abiding citizen to be driving with a police car with lights flashing, requesting him to pull over, and yet my friend had been instructed to ignore the request by the police. He just kept driving and kept talking to his police contact. A few minutes later, his contact approached him with his lights flashing. But by this time, the single police car behind him had multiplied. When my friend pulled over, multiple police officers drew guns and pointed them at the non-profit van.

The question was automatic. "Why didn't you stop?" The inference was plain. We see it in almost every police drama; if you were innocent, why did you run? Maybe, to their surprise, the answer didn't come from my friend; it came from the police cruiser that had pulled up in front of the van. "He didn't stop because I told him not to." The response was disbelief and surprise. My friend's contact added, "You would have given the same response if he was your responsibility. And with a laugh, all the tension disappeared, and my friend was safely guided back into the safe areas of the city.

As I think of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem, my mind compares it to the aftermath of a city after a destructive hurricane. Nothing is as it seems; everything has changed. It seems that the plan had been to try to rebuild the area under the leadership of Gedaliah. But after Ishmael assassinated Gedaliah, those plans seemed to go off the track. The military, officials, and people weren't sure that it would matter to Babylon who killed the leader they had chosen. And so, the safest way to respond to the death of Gedaliah was to get out of the country. As a result, Egypt really was the only alternative, and it was time for the remnant that was left behind in Jerusalem to go there.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 42

But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” – Jeremiah 40:16

Today's Scripture Reading (July 22, 2023): Jeremiah 40

Tokyo Rose was the name given to a series of women who gave false English language war updates during World War II on Radio Tokyo. Radio Tokyo would play the music that the Allied soldiers might want to hear, but the price of admission for the music was these false reports about the war. These reports would give false updates on various battles, as well as things they tried to suggest were happening at home, such as your wives having affairs and the economy and society failing. The point of these reports was to demoralize American troops, hoping to get some to defect from the war to take care of things happening back home.

The most famous of these women was probably Iva Toguri, who went by the name of Orphan Ann, probably trying to capitalize on the comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The difference with Orphan Ann is that she seemed to take this practice over the top, purposely making it so ridiculous that, she hoped, no one would believe anything she said. Her Japanese handlers missed her message's substance without knowing English innuendo and tone. Toguri, an American citizen and the daughter of Japanese immigrants was found guilty of treason, although it doesn’t appear that she did the things for which she was convicted. As a result, she was pardoned by President Gerald Ford and died in Chicago in 2006.

But the Tokyo Rose broadcasters opened up a genuine question. Who can we trust? Are people trustworthy because they speak our language and sound like us? Are they trustworthy because they believe similar things? I am continually amazed by those that people decide that they trust. And often, I must admit that I disagree, but then again, they probably marvel at who I trust.

Gedaliah was warned that Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, planned to assassinate him. Gedaliah disagreed. For whatever reason, Gedaliah trusted Ishmael. Gedaliah, the descendant of scribes, probably believed that he and Ishmael, a descendant of Jewish royalty, were on the same page and trying to accomplish the same thing; rebuilding a country. Gedaliah couldn’t imagine why Ishmael would want him dead.

But Ishmael was not on the same page. He spoke the language but, much like some of the women who played the part of Tokyo Rose, wanted to accomplish something quite different from the governor. Ishmael may have been angry because, as a Jewish prince, Ishmael believed he should have been made governor instead of Gedaliah. Or he may have been working for a foreign government that wanted Gedaliah out of the way. Either way, Gedaliah had trusted someone who didn’t deserve his trust. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 41

In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it – Jeremiah 39:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 21, 2023): Jeremiah 39

Every once in a while, I meet with some of the wise men of the residential area where I live. This meeting of the wise examines the conditions of the city and the various problems that the city has to face. Some of the recent topics included on the agenda for the most recent meetings have included  whether the city has set aside enough money for next year's snow removal (it hasn't), places where money might be saved (one of the current targets is the building of new bike lanes on the downtown streets), the homeless problem of the city (and how it is spilling over into traditional residential area), and a new childcare business that seems to be going forward without proper planning or inspections. Before you begin to raise your expectations about the wisdom of this group, we meet in the alley at about 8 in the evening. But the environment doesn't seem to dampen the conversation, although I recognize that very little is changed by these meetings. But that doesn't stop us from meeting.

The ninth year and tenth month of the reign of Zedekiah brings us to 587 B.C.E. It was in that year that the final chapter of Judah's rebellion against Babylon began to be written. Babylon had had enough of Judah, and they had decided that the city and the people had to go. Notably, the best, brightest, and much of actual royalty had already been removed from the city and were living in Babylon. That means that the ones left in the city were not the best and brightest; they were the ordinary, the poor, and probably a lot of people like the ones I meet with in the alley.

Babylon did what was a common way to attack a walled city. They began a siege. The siege prevented trade and business from getting in and out of the city. The people inside the city had no way to get food; as a result, conditions in the city declined. People begin to get hungry and sick, and there is no way to heal the pain. Eventually, the people within the city give up and walk out, or the outside army is able to weaken the walls and break into the city, and no one inside has the strength left to try and stop them.

Jeremiah lived through these days inside Jerusalem and offers us this view of the circumstances inside the city. 

Because of thirst the infant's tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.

Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple
    now lie on ash heaps (Lamentations 4:4-5)

Once significant distinctions between people disappear, everyone shares just one dream, to survive until tomorrow.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 40

So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. – Jeremiah 38:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 20, 2023): Jeremiah 38

Eustache Dauger was arrested on July 28, 1669. And that is the beginning of the mystery that surrounds his life. The reason for his arrest is unknown; none was ever given. As far as we can tell, there was no trial. Dauger was simply arrested and incarcerated. Dauger would spend the rest of his life in four different prisons in the care of one jailer, Benigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars.

Even the name, Eustache Dauger, is in doubt. According to the arrest records, the name was written in a different hand, likely indicating that it was added later. Adding to the mystery, Eustache Dauger was never seen by anyone, possibly except for his jailer, without wearing a black mask. Eustache Dauger has become known in popular culture as "the Man in the Iron Mask," although the "iron mask" part is a bit of a misnomer. It was Voltaire who suggested the mask was iron, when in reality, it was likely made of some kind of black fabric.

Who was Eustache Dauger? That is an open and argued question. Some theories suggest that the man in the mask was a relative of King Louis XIV, possibly the King's twin brother or the King's biological father (which assumes that Louis XIII was not the father of his successor), amid several other suggestions. But the truth is that we don't know. What we know, or can assume, is that Eustache Dauger would have been recognized if he was seen, that his existence would have been problematic, probably to the King, if his identity was made known to the public. And, while the authorities wanted him out of the way, they did not want to kill him or maybe feared the repercussions if he was killed and that was discovered by the public. And so, Eustache Douger was hidden away in prison and behind a mask until he died in the Bastille on November 19, 1703.

The authorities in Jerusalem want Jeremiah dead, but no one wanted to be the one to kill the prophet. And so, they take Jeremiah to an unused cistern, and instead of unceremoniously throwing him into the hole, possibly allowing the prophet to die or, at least, sustain life-threatening injuries, as a result of the fall, they lower him gently into the cistern until the prophet sinks in the mud. But the hoped-for result would have been the same. Jeremiah, unless something changed, would eventually die of hunger or disease. The hope was that the prophet would be dead, but no blood would have been shed, and no one could be blamed for the death of Jeremiah.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 39

Pharaoh's army had marched out of Egypt, and when the Babylonians who were besieging Jerusalem heard the report about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem. – Jeremiah 37:5

Today's Scripture Reading (July 19, 2023): Jeremiah 37

Pharaoh Apries rose to power in Egypt in 589 B.C.E.  after his father's death. Immediately upon his ascension to power, Apries began to scheme how Egypt could step onto the world stage. Soon after gaining power, he looked north to Judah and Jerusalem and sent his armies north to help defend Jerusalem from the approaching Babylonians. However, before we try to honor Apries with a belated Humanitarian of the Year award, his motive was less about helping Jerusalem and more about gaining a foothold in the Levant.

So, Apries marched his army out of Egypt and toward Jerusalem. But the problem was that he seemed to have arrived a little late. By the time the Egyptian Army arrived, the Babylonians had already encircled the Judean Capital. The result would have been that instead of supporting the Judean army in protecting Jerusalem, the Egyptians would have to face the Babylonians alone before they could free the Judean army from the confines of the city.

For a moment, the Babylonian army changed their plans. The Egyptians were more of a threat than Israel, so the Babylonians began to chase the Egyptians out of the Judean territory. As a result, the Egyptian army turned and headed back home, with the Babylonians hot on their heels.

Zedekiah likely believed that God had saved the city once again. The Babylonians had arrived, but then they had been diverted, just as had happened a century and a half early when the Assyrians had tried to take the city. The Assyrians had never returned, and Zedekiah likely believed that the Babylonians would never return either.

But the Babylonians did return, and they laid siege to the city until it fell in 586 B.C.E. Apries did gain a foothold in the Levant by taking Sidon and terrifying other cities on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Still, they never were able to gain any territory more inland. And even their time on the coast was short-lived. They were no match for Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon. And soon, the Babylonians would rule over the entire area, and Apries and the Egyptians would be driven back into Africa.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 38

So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. – Jeremiah 36:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 18, 2023): Jeremiah 36

Letters. Over my lifetime, the concept of letter writing has changed. When I was young, we used to write letters to people in far-flung places to communicate with them. Some even had pen pals, relationships built over long distances by sending letters. My mom and I went on a trip when I was eight. We traveled 3200 km (2000 miles) from home and stayed in this place for about a month. And during that time, I remember receiving one significant package from home. It was a package filled with letters from my grade two classmates. Since our trip involved traveling from east to west, most of my classmates wanted to know how many cowboys and Indians (not a politically correct term now, but common among my grade two friends when I was young) I had seen. Apparently, when you are eight years old, west still means "the old west."

When I was in college, letters from home were an essential feature of life. In an important daily ritual, we gathered at the mailboxes to see if we had received anything from home, often gathering there when the mail was due to be placed into our mailboxes. I remember one day when my roommate received a letter from home. But as he read the letter, he became perplexed. The news was old, stuff that he had known for quite a while. And as he read the letter, he began to get worried about the health of the letter's sender, his mother. Was this the early warning sign of dementia? And then he looked at the postmark on the letter. Mom had sent the letter over a year earlier. Somehow, it had gotten lost in transport. Who knows where it had been, but it took over a year to go from home to the college we were attending.

Today, we still write letters; we just don't often send them by mail, or at least not by what we would now call snail mail. We send our mail electronically, and instead of taking days or even weeks, and occasionally over a year, to get to us, the letters we write arrive in seconds. Or if it gets lost in transport, which still happens, maybe minutes from the moment when the sender sends the message. But, our letters still take our words to places we can't get to ourselves.

God has commanded Jeremiah to write down everything that God has told him until now. Likely, this writing is the root of the Book of Jeremiah that we are studying in this blog. Jeremiah gets Baruch to act as his secretary or scribe. And while Jeremiah speaks, Baruch writes down everything that Jeremiah is saying. But Jeremiah is "restricted" (verse 5). He is not in prison, he can go where he wants, but the officials have likely excommunicated him from the faith and Israel. The result is that he is not allowed to enter the Temple area.

But Baruch was able to go. And so Jeremiah asks his partner to take the letter that he has written containing all of God's instructions and read it to the Israelites that have gathered at the Temple. If Jeremiah couldn't go to the Temple, maybe he could become a pen pal with those who could go into the Temple area, so they could still hear the teaching God continued to give Jeremiah.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 37

But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.' – Jeremiah 35:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 17, 2023): Jeremiah 35

American poet Maya Angelou argued, "Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently." We all must possess the courage to live our lives according to what we believe is important.

And one example of this might be the behavior of Peter on the night that Jesus was betrayed and arrested. I have often argued that we need to give Peter a bit of a break for his denial of Jesus during the trials that night. While the rest of the apostles ran and hid after Jesus's arrest, Peter and John dared to be where Jesus was as the events of the evening progressed toward the cross. Peter, more than John, was clearly out of his element. It seems clear that John was a known commodity on that night, but Peter was not. The High Priest's courtyard was a place where Peter was uncomfortable, which had much to do with his denial of Jesus. But Peter's behavior could also be blamed on his lack of courage to act as he believed, even when he was in a strange place with people who were not like him. Although, I still maintain that Peter had much more courage than those disciples who scattered and hid on that fateful night.

Jeremiah introduces us here to the Rekabites. The Rekabites were a nomadic tribe instructed by their forefather Jehonadab to live a humble and simple life. They lived in tents, not houses, and moved from place to place, much as the early Israelites had when they left Egypt as enslaved people.

But as Babylon began to take over the countryside of the nation, the Rekabites ran to Jerusalem in an effort to find safety. They were out of their element; they were a nomadic people who found themselves out of necessity living in a major city. They would have been uncomfortable in their unfamiliar surroundings. And then God instructs Jeremiah to bring them into a side room of the Temple and offer them some wine. Drinking wine was a practice that Jehonadab had firmly forbidden for his descendants. The question seems to be, in this unfamiliar environment, will the Rekabites have the courage to follow the commands of their forefather?

The Rekabites pass the test. Even in these unfamiliar surroundings and in the impressive embrace of Solomon's Temple, they have the courage to refuse the request to drink the wine. And God wants Jeremiah to use them as an example. The Rekabites were willing to follow the commands of their ancestor even though they were out of their element. And yet Israel refused to follow what God had instructed them to do. Israel needed to gain the courage of the Rekabites somehow if they were going to survive. In a relatively short time, the nation would find itself in a foreign land, trying to live out its faith in an unfamiliar environment. And if they were unwilling to follow God while they were in familiar surroundings, what would they do when their surroundings became unfamiliar?

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 36

While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD. – Jeremiah 34:1

Today's Scripture Reading (July 16, 2023): Jeremiah 34

At the beginning of World War I, the German Empire realized they could have a significant problem. Germany could be forced to fight a war on two fronts. To the west were the armies of France and Britain, and to the East was the army of Russia. If Germany were forced to fight on both their Eastern and Western flanks, it would mean a significant split of their army. And so, the German military developed the Schlieffen Plan. According to the plan, the Germans would quickly take Belgium and the Netherlands; the plan to take the Netherlands had to be abandoned because of their continued neutrality during the war, and then turn south, quickly gaining control of France. The idea was that if Paris fell, France would quickly follow. Britain would be left as a problem on the Western flank, but the English Channel separated Britain from the mainland, and a minimal military buildup could hold the mainland in German hands. After the defeat of France, German forces would turn east and attack Russia before it could mobilize. With the fight against Russia secure, Germany could finally turn its armies toward Britain.

The Schlieffen Plan failed because Germany was unable to complete the objectives. And the nation ended up having to fight a two-front war for much of the early part of the conflict. Who knows if the result would have been different if the Schlieffen Plan had been able to be executed as dreamed? Russia ended up pulling out of World War I in 1917 because of a civil war being executed in its territory. But by then, the Germans were already feeling the toll of the two-front war the  German forces were required to fight.

Jeremiah reminds his readers that Babylon was careful not to fight on two fronts. The reigning world empire brought all of its force against Israel. In reality, they fought on small fronts, often taking little bites out of the nation until it controlled everything but Jerusalem. The Babylonian plan was almost the reverse of Germany's strategy of hitting the French capital, Paris, and then watching the rest of France fall. Babylon strategically worked around the Judean countryside until the Empire controlled all of Israel except for Jerusalem. And with Jerusalem surrounded, they were able to lay siege to the city without fear of being attacked on a second front. And eventually, the city would fall, and then the Babylonian military would enter the city and tear it apart. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 35

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. – Jeremiah 33:6

Today's Scripture Reading (July 15, 2023): Jeremiah 33

In early May 2023, two mass shootings rocked the nation of Serbia. Serbia possesses the third most guns per capita behind the United States and Yemen. The United States has 120.5 guns per 100 people, while Yemen possesses 52.8 guns per 100 people. In Serbia, that number is 39.1 guns per 100 people. Even if there are no more mass shootings in the United States this calendar year, the nation has already passed more than one mass shooting for every day of this year, 2023. These shootings produce are always responded to with anger and prayers, but little seems to change. After all, guns don't kill people; people kill people. And of course, that is true, but at the same time, it is an oversimplification of the situation because guns can't kill people alone. There is always a person at the helm of the gun. And for most people, the possession of a gun isn't problematic. But for the few, possessing a gun, especially one with a large magazine and a high rate of fire, is very troublesome. And a person in possession of a gun can kill many more people than someone with a knife.

And so, the dance of almost every society is a dance between the idea of individual gun ownership, what types of guns are okay to own, and the need to protect society from the few who can cause significant damage with their guns. Kinds of weapons, limits on magazines and fire rate, psychological evaluations, and requirements to keep all weapons in a gun safe when they are not being used are examples of the kinds of things many societies use to help allow gun ownership while keeping the society safe at the same time. In the United States, these methods are often rejected under the complaint that such regulations would interfere with the Constitution's second amendment, which allows for private gun ownership. Four hundred 2023 mass shootings have not moved the needle for American gun owners.

But in Serbia, two mass shootings that killed seventeen people were too many. Gun owners began to turn in their guns voluntarily. A two-year moratorium on new gun sales, a re-evaluation of recent changes in gun ownership, and an in-person psychological evaluation for those who wish to own guns were the starting point for their reaction to gun ownership in the nation. It seems that for Serbians, security and the protection of society are more important than who can own a gun.

A bomb named Babylon is about to go off inside Jerusalem. It is a destruction about which Jeremiah has repeatedly revealed to the people, so much so that the authorities have taken several steps to try to stop the prophet. But God also reveals to Jeremiah that health and healing for the nation will come after the destruction. A remnant will live, return, and change the nation in ways even Jeremiah can't imagine. This isn't the end; it is the interlude.

I believe in gun ownership. But I also believe there should be common sense restraints on who can own a gun and what kind of gun should be in citizens' possession. I have hunted, and this I know; if you miss your target with your first shot, you rarely get a chance at a second shot, and never a third, so a large magazine makes little sense. However, a large magazine makes abundant sense if you are interested in shooting many people. I know none of us like restrictions placed on our freedom, but sometimes restrictions are necessary so that we can keep each other safe. The answer to Cain's question in Genesis 3 might be surprising. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The answer to that question is, "Yes, I am."   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 34

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They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. – Jeremiah 32:33

Today's Scripture Reading (July 14, 2023): Jeremiah 32

Much research has gone into what things can help us teach or get a message across to both a willing and unwilling audience. And one of the things is that we learn best from the things on which we can focus. So, anything that enhances our focus will also enhance our learning ability. As a result of this finding, we have started to realize that lighting matters beyond just the aesthetics of the presentation. When we center stage lighting on something, we enhance the attention paid to the teaching. A presenter at the center of a staging area where everything is lit helps understanding better than a presenter standing on a dark stage and can't be seen. But what is even better is a well-lit presenter where the rest of the stage is kept in shadows. Instead of everything on the stage receiving equal treatment and attention, attention is focused a little more on precisely what the presenter is attempting to teach. Often, lighting is considered more of a reflection of ego than anything else, but the reality is that adequate and focused lighting has a lasting effect on what we are about to learn.

But could you imagine what it would be like if you went to a lecture and the presenter stood at the back of the auditorium, or maybe in the sound booth, instead of at the front? You would still be able to focus on the voice, but it might be even harder to learn from the presentation. My wife and I recently watched a news presentation where many people stood on the stage, and it was often hard to tell which person was speaking. I remember my wife voicing the question, "Who is speaking." I pointed the person out, but because it was hard to identify the speaker, it was also hard to understand the message. This is sometimes true when I am reading as well. If I am unsure which character is speaking, it is also hard to derive meaning from the conversation.

God tells Jeremiah that he has taught Israel, but they have turned their backs to him rather than their faces. It is not their literal stance about which God is speaking. But instead, God is telling us something about learning and focus. Turning their backs to God has taken their attention away from what God is attempting to teach his people. And because they are not paying attention, they are also not learning. And because they are not learning, they are not responding to God's discipline. And it all begins with where they are willing to put their attention.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 33