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Fourth Quarter 2015 October–December)
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH
Week 9: November 21–27
COMMENTARY ON JEREMIAH'S YOKE
Following is a combined commentary on the material included in the Bible Study Guide with references as necessary to the supplemental passages included in the E. G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all biblical quotes are from the English Standard Version (ESV).
Sabbath Afternoon, Nov. 21: Introduction
Overview
The lesson for today begins with Luke 9:23:
And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:21-27)
The memory verse in today's lesson compares the words of Jesus, who is teaching his disciples, with that of how God set apart Jeremiah for a special mission. This may be a good way to begin the lessons for this week but there are significant differences that should be kept in mind. The commentary for today will expand upon this comparison by focusing on the context of Jesus' words.
Observations
The immediate context of the lesson memory text follows upon Jesus' question;"Who do you say I am", Luke 9:18-20. Peter responded by saying; "The Christ of God". Then Jesus says to tell this to no one. If we explore the broader context of what was happening at that time we would realize that the Jews desired to be free of Roman rule with many wanting to achieve this by crowning Jesus as 'King of the Jews' believing Jesus would make this happen right right then in their lifetime.
Instead of allowing what the people wanted to occur at this time, Jesus explained that first "the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised". When Luke 9:22 is compared with 1 Cor. 15:1-5 we see that Jesus has just outlined to his disciples what Christians (New Covenant members of the 'Body of Christ') know as the 'gospel of Jesus Christ' for the remission of the sins of fallen mankind first promised by God in Genesis 3:15.
While there are valid parallels between God's instructions to Jeremiah with what Jesus said to his disciples, there are also important differences to keep in mind. Jeremiah's mission was to bring an apostate people to repentance and return to their God. Whereas the Messiah Jesus Christ' mission was far more significant. The people in Jesus time were looking for 'social salvation now' by crowning Jesus 'King of the Jews' whereas Jesus' caution was that he must first die a sinless death at Calvary for the remission of the sins of the whole world.
Summary
- The people in Jeremiah's day wanted 'social salvation' independence and freedom from foreign invasion but were 'chasing after other gods' while refusing to repent of their sins.
- The one thing they had in common with the people of Jesus' day is that most were only looking for 'social salvation'.
- Jesus cautioned his disciples that his real mission, one that only the perfect sinless Messiah could do, had far more eternal consequences than just the Jewish desire for freedom from foreign rule. His mission was to die for the sins of the whole world, thereby bringing the offer of eternal freedom from sin and death for all people, Jew and Gentile alike.
- When the Messiah Jesus Christ assumes the eternal throne of the 'King of the Jews' he will be the eternal holy righteous King of the whole world which is far more significant than what the Jewish people desired to have.
Sunday, Nov. 22: A Solitary Life
Overview
In today's reference passage, Jer. 16:1-13, Jeremiah is instructed by God not to marry and have a family. Nor is he permitted to lament with those who suffer nor is is he to 'go into the house of feasting'. The context of these instructions is that Jeremiah is to separated himself from those God had passed judgment upon.
The lesson then makes this statement:
'How should this account help us learn to appreciate the human support that we enjoy getting from others, or that we give to others? However important this support, how can we learn that, ultimately, our best support comes only from the Lord?'
Observations
Overall the lesson for today is good. The context for God's instructions to Jeremiah seems to be that God doesn't want Jeremiah to be personally involved in the terrible consequences that the people will soon suffer because of their refusal to repent of apostasy.
While it is without argument that the best support in our lives is centered on our love for the Lord we should couple this with what Jesus called the two greatest commandments which are the foundation for all the Old Covenant law:
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matt. 22:36-40)
Our love for 'our neighbor' is modeled after our love for God. Jesus reference to "...all the Law and the Prophets" makes it clear that what he said certainly applied to Jeremiah as well.
In-other-words Jeremiah, who obeyed and obviously loved God 'with all his heart, soul and mind', was to show his love for those around him in the midst of their apostasy by setting himself apart from their normal family times of sorrow and joy.
Monday, Nov. 23: Jeremiah's Yoke
Overview
The lesson defines Jeremiah's yoke this way:
"The yoke Jeremiah had to put on his body was an unmistakable sign of the humiliation that the nation suffered; it’s what we call a military occupation."
Then the student is asked to compare Jer. 27:5 with Dan. 4:25. In this commentary the surrounding verses have been included to help understand the context and meaning.
Observations
Yes they were humiliated yet what Jeremiah's yoke really symbolized was the results of Judah willfully chasing after other gods resulting in the bondage they had willfully placed upon themselves. This was symbolized by Jeremiah being the one who made the yoke and placed it upon himself. Yes, it was humiliating but Nebuchadnezzar's yoke was the natural consequence of what the people had done to themselves. At this time their only real choice was to accept the 'wooden yoke' instead of the 'iron yoke'.
In Jeremiah chapter 27 the Prophet Jeremiah makes a yoke at the command of God and then publicly places it upon himself as he addresses Judah along with the envoys of the surrounding kingdoms of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. The symbolism is that if they willingly submit to Nebuchadnezzar it will be only temporary.
“It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave...." (Jer. 27:5-7)
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream and asks Daniel to interpret it":
"...this is the interpretation, O king:It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. And as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you:break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." (Dan. 4:24-27)
As we shall see as we progress through the rest of the lessons for this week Judah did not willingly submit to Nebuchadnezzar's yoke. Nor did they repent of their sins and submit to the will of God. Yet, in contrast, Nebuchadnezzar did eventually repent of his own sin and submit himself to God:
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?" (Dan. 4:34-35)
Tuesday, Nov. 24: War of the Prophets
Overview
In the opening Ellen G. White quote we read this phrase:
“The amazement of the assembled council of nations knew no bounds when Jeremiah, carrying the yoke of subjection about his neck, made known to them the will of God.”
Observations
In Jer. 27:1 & 2 God instructs Jeremiah to make and wear a yoke. In verses 3-8 Jeremiah is instructed by God to also send the message of the yoke he is wearing to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon via the envoys who came to see Zedekiah king of Judah.
Summary
- While it may seem a minor point, Scripture does not say these envoys who came from the kings of the surrounding nations were an "assembled council". We are only told that these envoys had come to see Zedekiah and that they were to return to their respective sovereigns with this message of 'Jeremiah's yoke'. There is no Scripture record of "amazement" expressed by them. Jeremiah chapters 27 and 28 do not reveal to us how these envoys or the kings they represented responded to the message of 'Jeremiah's yoke'.
- While the consequences of Hananiah's prophecies directly affected the future of Judah and the city of Jerusalem we should take note of what happens when we also follow after a false prophet.
- Considering the example of what happened to Judah and the false prophet Hananiah, for those who believe Ellen G. White to be a modern day prophet for our times there is a very pertinent message to consider. Have you really tested her words? What are the consequence if you are wrong about her? Upon what is your faith founded upon?
Wednesday & Thursday, Nov. 25 & 26: The Yoke of Iron & Trusting in Lies
Overview
While the title for today is "The Yoke of Iron" the real subject covered is their rejection of God's offer because they, in the hardness of their hearts, would rather listen to the lies of Hananiah.
Hananiah's false prophecies, which he symbolized by breaking Jeremiah's wooden yoke, encouraged the people to reject God's final offer of redemption. God ordained that they either willingly wear the 'wooden yoke' or they would be forced to wear the 'yoke of iron'. There was no other choice.
The example of what happened because of Hananiah's false prophecy provides us with an important warning. Therefore, in our own time, it is prudent for us to do what the Jews failed to do by examining the validity of the works of Ellen G. White to determine whether she was a true or false prophet of God.
Observations
Concerning the credentials of Ellen G. White:
- Even though the written Mosaic Law (was added in because of transgressions) and did not exist in the time of Abraham, Adventism teaches that this very same law existed at least from the time of creation. Since it didn't exist in Abraham's time it certainly didn't exist before him, Rom. 5:1-18 (note verses 12-13) & Gal. 1-20 (note verse 17).
- Even though Jeremiah prophesied that a new covenant with a law unlike the written law would replace the written law of the Mosaic old covenant, Adventist teach that the 'Ten Commandments' of the old covenant law are eternal moral laws that are still binding upon Christians, ignoring the fact that such a definition cannot be found in Scripture, Jer. 31:31-35 and Rom. 8:1 (the new law of the New Covenant differs from the old written law). Even in Old Covenant law of Sabbath keeping the keeping of the law of circumcision superseded that of resting on the Sabbath meaning Sabbath keeping could not possibly be an eternal moral law without that act becoming sin, Lev. 12:3 & Gen. 17:12-14. Since Jesus was sinless anything he did or approved of doing could not be a sin including the picking and eating grains in a field on the Sabbath day, Matt. 12:1. See also Matt. 12:10-12 about rescuing an animal in need on the Sabbath day. Since there are many exceptions to the keeping of the Sabbath day of rest, this commandment found listed as one the the Ten Commandments, is certainly not an eternal moral law.
- The Old Covenant commanded only Israel to rest on the Sabbath day as a sign of the covenant he made only with them. Adventist have somehow, unbiblically, morphed this into a sign of who will be saved, at least during 'end times events', ignoring that the Old Covenant including the written law of this covenant has been totally replaced by the the New Covenant, see Rom. 7:1-7 & 8:1. Sabbath keeping is not mentioned in Scripture as having any part of the requirements for becoming a New Covenant believer, Acts 16:27-31 (note verse 30). Adventist doctrine also ignores that Jesus' gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is what brings life to a New Covenant believer's human spirit, John 3:1-21 (note especially verses 6-7 and then compare this with Adam's death on the day that he sinned, Gen. 2:16-17). The question you should be asking yourself is; What part of Adam died on the day he sinned?
- A core Adventist doctrine, which is referred to as "the right hand of the gospel", is patterned after the Jewish Old Covenant 'food laws'. This doctrine is primarily formed around a restrictive list of foods you should not eat founded upon the concept that if you do so you are defiling (or polluting) your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit with the primary proof text being 1 Cor. 3:16-17. If you back up to the beginning of this chapter that this proof text is a part of you will discover that what the Apostle Paul is addressing has nothing to do with food. He is speaking to the local Corinthian body of Believers and and is concerned with the 'jealousy and strife' they are having amongst themselves that is taking their eyes off of Jesus Christ, the foundation and finisher of their faith. This is Paul's topic. It has nothing to do with so called 'food laws' that Adventism claims Christians must obey. Taking their eyes off of Jesus Christ, the one and only foundation of the New Covenant Christian faith, is what was defiling the Corinthian Church. As for what defiles an individual person Jesus clearly explains in Mark 7:14-23 & Matt. 15:7-20 that the only things that can defile a person are the evils that come from the heart of a person. Food does not do this because after eaten it ends up being expelled. Notice that when Jesus explains this, his audience includes "Ye hypocrites" that are "teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men". In-other-words, modern day teachers of such ideas have aligned themselves with the very same hypocrites Jesus confronted.
- Even though the Apostle Paul emphatically warns against altering the gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1-5) with a curse pronounced against such a person, this is exactly what Ellen G. White does. Like Hananiah she is a false prophet leading people away from God's only salvation message, Gal. 1:6-12.
- Even though we are command to test the words of anyone who claims to have a message from God Adventist fail to test their doctrine in accordance to the word of God. Instead, Scripture is interpreted by what Ellen G. White says it means. Christians are to evaluate anyone who claims to be speaking the prophetic words of God in accordance with what is already to be found written in Scripture. Scripture defines what is God's truth, not the other way around as practiced in Adventism, 1 John 4:1-3; Acts 17: 10-15 (note verses 11-12); 1 Thess. 5:14-22 (note verses 20-21).
Friday, Nov. 27: Further Thought
Overview
Today the quarterly lesson begins with this statement:
"As we have seen, people want to believe good news, not bad."
Observations
While people do seem to want to believe good news without acknowledging the reality of bad news this denial of their desperate condition wasn't their core the problem in Jeremiah's day and it certainly isn't our real problem now. Denial, at heart level, pointed to their problem. To make such a statement as the lesson does ignores the clear warning given in Scripture about why God, through the words he put into the mouth of Jeremiah, was bringing this disaster upon the people of Judea and Jerusalem. They were on a path of self-destruction and could not rescue themselves because of their denial.
Instead of repenting of their sins and falling upon the mercy of their God they would rather 'work out their own salvation'. Instead of submission to God, those that didn't die as rotting corpse in the streets of Jerusalem would end up being carried off as slaves of iron taskmasters.
As King Solomon once said; "there is nothing new under the sun", Ecc. 1:9, In this day and age we are doing the very same thing. Even today, it ranges from pagan practices of Jeremiah's time to that of when Jesus' confronted the religious hypocrites of his day, the Pharisees who didn't understand the meaning of the law of God.
For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways:behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned:in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved? For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment:and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities. (Isa. 64:4-7)
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season:that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus. (Rom. 3:21-26)
Jesus didn't come and live with fallen mankind to prove and teach that it is possible for sinners to become righteousness through personal conduct founded upon a righteousness they do not have. No, what Jesus did was to be born then live among sinners and die for sinners at Calvary because only his sinless sacrifice could pay our debt of sin. Only our sinless Messiah Jesus Christ had the authority and power to come back from the grave three days later. As New Covenant believers we are imputed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, Phil. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:16; 1 Peter 2:24 & Rom. 8:1-4.
In Ephesians chapter six we are commanded to wear 'the full armor of God'. Reading through this list of God's armor you will note that nothing a Christian puts on is made from self works. All our righteousness is a work of God. Either you repent of your own works and accept God's gift of salvation or you will have the Iron Yoke of Babylonian slavery to wear.
When you take up the 'yoke of Jesus' he will give you his Sabbath rest. Jesus, not a certain day, is our rest:
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:29-30)
Copyright 2015 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised November 9, 2015. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Camp Verde, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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