Do you seek great things for yourself? ~ Bob Caldwell

True Greatness 45:5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."' The warning given to Baruch can surely be applied to not only the nations God warns of impending judgment in chapters 46 and 47, but to all nations and all people. Jeremiah's prophetic warning begins with God making it absolutely clear that He will act in His sovereign authority to both build up and tear down whatever and whomever He chooses. Here God uses the Babylonian Empire's expansion of territory as a tool for His own plans and purposes. God used Babylon to inflict judgment due Israel, Egypt, Philistia, and Moab. Yet even those such as Baruch and Jeremiah, who may be found as "innocent bystanders," should not think that they will not be impacted by the events around them. This is often an area of confusion for many who have sought to be faithful to God in the midst of evil and its resulting consequences. For Baruch, he is exhorted to accept the time in which he lives. He is living in a region of the world that will suffer extreme turmoil. It is not a place or time to pursue "great things." It is a time to be faithful to God, trusting Him to keep His true servants, no matter what they may go through. This has been the ongoing story of God's people throughout the ages. It is still true to this very hour. Christians who live within oppressive governments, those who must endure the consequences of corruption in business and government will be in situations where it will not be possible to obtain "greatness" without becoming a part of the corruption. Even Jesus Himself lived within the natural consequences of being born into a poor family. Joseph was a man whose job was considered incapable of a large income or greatness. However, this does not mean greatness in an entirely different sense is not possible. Jeremiah himself is proof of that. Because he lived in a time of great spiritual and moral decline, he was poorly treated for his faithfulness to God throughout his life. In the eyes of his peers and neighbors, he was an unpatriotic and eccentric—if not downright crazy--fool. But in the end, he would prove to be one of the greatest men of his generation. Greatness apart from God is no greatness at all. Egypt boasted of greatness, yet God used Babylon to bring them to their knees (46:1-26). Even the great Babylon itself would one day suffer the same fate as Egypt (50:1-52:34). What we are before God is all that we really are. And in the end, in His presence that will be made undeniably clear for all of eternity. May we, therefore, not seek greatness in the eyes of fallen man or the praise of a corrupted generation. May our praise be of God. And may He find us faithful no matter the time or place in which we must live out our faithfulness to Him. Jeremiah 45:1-47:7 Assurance to Baruch 1 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, 2 "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: 3 'You said, "Woe is me now! For the LORD has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest."' 4 "Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."'" Jeremiah 46 Judgment on Egypt 1 The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations. 2 Against Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 3 "Order the buckler and shield, And draw near to battle! 4 Harness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor! 5 Why have I seen them dismayed and turned back? Their mighty ones are beaten down; They have speedily fled, And did not look back, For fear was all around," says the LORD. 6 "Do not let the swift flee away, Nor the mighty man escape; They will stumble and fall Toward the north, by the River Euphrates. 7 "Who is this coming up like a flood, Whose waters move like the rivers? 8 Egypt rises up like a flood, And its waters move like the rivers; And he says, 'I will go up and cover the earth, I will destroy the city and its inhabitants.' 9 Come up, O horses, and rage, O chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: The Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, And the Lydians who handle and bend the bow. 10 For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates. 11 "Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured. 12 The nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land; For the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty; They both have fallen together." Babylonia Will Strike Egypt 13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and strike the land of Egypt. 14 "Declare in Egypt, and proclaim in Migdol; Proclaim in Noph and in Tahpanhes; Say, 'Stand fast and prepare yourselves, For the sword devours all around you.' 15 Why are your valiant men swept away? They did not stand Because the LORD drove them away. 16 He made many fall; Yes, one fell upon another. And they said, 'Arise! Let us go back to our own people And to the land of our nativity From the oppressing sword.' 17 They cried there, 'Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is but a noise. He has passed by the appointed time!' 18 "As I live," says the King, Whose name is the LORD of hosts, "Surely as Tabor is among the mountains And as Carmel by the sea, so he shall come. 19 O you daughter dwelling in Egypt, Prepare yourself to go into captivity! For Noph shall be waste and desolate, without inhabitant. 20 "Egypt is a very pretty heifer, But destruction comes, it comes from the north. 21 Also her mercenaries are in her midst like fat bulls, For they also are turned back, They have fled away together. They did not stand, For the day of their calamity had come upon them, The time of their punishment. 22 Her noise shall go like a serpent, For they shall march with an army And come against her with axes, Like those who chop wood. 23 "They shall cut down her forest," says the LORD, "Though it cannot be searched, Because they are innumerable, And more numerous than grasshoppers. 24 The daughter of Egypt shall be ashamed; She shall be delivered into the hand Of the people of the north." 25 The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Behold, I will bring punishment on Amon of No, and Pharaoh and Egypt, with their gods and their kings—Pharaoh and those who trust in him. 26 And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of his servants. Afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old," says the LORD. God Will Preserve Israel 27 "But do not fear, O My servant Jacob, And do not be dismayed, O Israel! For behold, I will save you from afar, And your offspring from the land of their captivity; Jacob shall return, have rest and be at ease; No one shall make him afraid. 28 Do not fear, O Jacob My servant," says the LORD, "For I am with you; For I will make a complete end of all the nations To which I have driven you, But I will not make a complete end of you. I will rightly correct you, For I will not leave you wholly unpunished." Jeremiah 47 Judgment on Philistia 1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. 2 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail. 3 At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage, 4 Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tymre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor. 5 Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself? 6 "O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! 7 How can it be quiet, Seeing the LORD has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it." Jeremiah 45:1-47:7 v. 1 the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah – This event is dated to 605/604 BC. This was the year the Babylonians conquered the Assyrians at Carchemish. This chapter fits chronologically between 36:8 and 36:9. v. 5 do you seek great things for yourself – As a scribe, Baruch assisted Elijah in recording the word of the Lord (36:4-10). Baruch sought some sort of an award for this action; however, he was told that his reward was the preservation of his life. Jeremiah 46 v. 1 against the nations – This chapter is part of the literary genre known as oracles against foreign nations. Other oracles against foreign nations in the Bible can be found in Isaiah 14-21, 23; Ezekiel 25-30; Jeremiah 46-51; Amos 1-2; Zephaniah 2; and the books of Obadiah and Nahum. v. 2 Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt – Necho ruled from 609 to 595 BC and was a member of the Egyptian 26th Dynasty. He was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar in the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. River Euphrates in Carchemish – This is a reference to the Battle of Carchemish, which took place in 605 BC and was a major turning point in ancient Near Eastern history. Nebuchadnezzar and his army were able to defeat the Assyrians who had an alliance with Necho II, the king of Egypt. This victory signaled the rise of the Babylonian empire. v. 9 The Ethiopians and the Libyans…And the Lydians – These three nations were in alliance with Egypt and provided troops to fight in the Battle of Carchemish. v. 18 Tabor is among the mountains/ And as Carmel by the sea – Tabor and Carmel are two prominent mountains in Israel. v. 20 Egypt is a very pretty heifer – This statement may be an ironic reference to the Egyptian practice of bull worship. v. 22 Her noise shall go out like a serpent – This may be an illusion to the hissing of a serpent before it strikes its prey. The serpent was closely related to Egyptian religion and was a symbol of royal authority. Jeremiah 47 v. 1 against the Philistines – The Philistines who lived along the Mediterranean coast had been enemies of Israel since the period of the Judges. Two Philistine cities are mentioned in this chapter, Gaza and Ashkelon. v. 2 the land – The land refers to Phoenicia and Philistia. The city – The city includes Tyre and Sidon, Gaza, Ashkelon and other Philistine cities. v. 4 country of Caphtor – Caphtor is usually identified with the island of Crete based on archeological and geographical evidence. v. 5 How long will you cut yourself? – Shaving one's head and cutting oneself was a sign of mourning. v. 6 scabbard – A scabbard was a sheath, which was a carrying case for a knife, dagger, or sword. v. 7 Against Ashkelon and against the seashore – Evidence concerning the fulfillment of this prophecy is found in archeological evidence and the account given in the Babylonian Chronicle. The Babylons boasted of transforming the "city into a mound and heaps of ruin." This claim is supported by archeological findings in Ashkelon, such as smashed pottery, skeletal remains with evidence of traumatic injuries and collapsed houses. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh," says the LORD. "But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go."' –Jeremiah 45:5 Lord, all that we are before You is all that we are. The rest is an illusion. Open our eyes, Lord, and show us the temporary nature of all of the things around us, and give us hearts that seek after the things of You. Prayer Ministry We have been blessed by reports on how God answered our prayers through the prayer counselors. As it's been said, the question is not whether or not God will answer our prayers, but rather the real question is how will He answer your prayer. By report, God has provided employment, healing, reconciliation, guidance, wisdom, grace, and peace in our time of difficulty. Prayer Points that those that needs to be sharpened to do His work will steadfastly pray, listen, and walk in His spirit for more leadership-type people to join the prayer counselors that people will be still and hear His voice