Ezekiel 1

Ezekiel 1:27

Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.

I have to admit, I'm having trouble piecing together what this is supposed to mean.  I can read the words, but not sure how to turn them into a picture.  I understand glowing metal, but what's it mean by fire all around within it?  Is it semi-translucent, where the fire within is visible through?  Or does he mean it's so hot it looks like it's on fire, or being heated by fire within?

And for the lower half, having legs like fire is just odd.  Normally, you'd think of metal below and the fire above it, where the metal is used for a base to work on.  But here it seems to be the opposite, the metal is being worked on fire without foundation.  Is that representative of God and how He control the laws of nature?

Lamentations 5

Lamentations 5:22

Unless You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly angry with us.

In this last verse of the book, Jeremiah raises the fear that no one likes to talk about:  that we've gone too far.  We screwed up so bad, that God has decided we've run out of second chances.  He's had it with us, and now will leave us to our fates, alone.

Fortunately, to the Christian this is an empty fear.  I won't claim I don't still experience it, or think it's what should happen because I deserve it.  However, I have to keep reminding myself that it won't happen, because we have the promise of eternal life, even when things here look impossible.

Lamentation 4

Lamentation 4:6

For the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the sin of Sodom,
Which was overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands were turned toward her.

Sodom is generally considered the most sinful city of all time.  There's never been anywhere else that God specifically decided had to be destroyed, to prevent contaminating the rest of the world.  But He did decide that there, and obliterated it with no survivors except Lot and his daughters.

Now, we're told that Jerusalem was worse?  That's quite the charge to level, but He is qualified to make that decision.  So if it was that bad, is the only reason He didn't obliterate it as well the protection he had promised the Jews as part of the covenant?

Lamentations 3

Lamentations 3:8

Even when I cry out and call for help,
He shuts out my prayer.

I have to admit, I feel like this a lot of the time.  There's a song on the radio a lot that talks about feeling like your prayers are bouncing off the sky.  That's how I feel often, like I'm talking to empty air, or I'm on God's block list.

However, I have to keep in mind that it's not true.  God has no block list, and doesn't mute people either.  It's just a matter of whether they're asking for what is in His will, which makes me wonder where I stand on that.

Lamentations 2

Lamentations 2:14

Your prophets have seen for you
False and foolish visions;
And they have not exposed your iniquity
So as to restore you from captivity,
But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

The Jews had many prophets they relied upon.  Those prophets gave them instruction, and interpreted the signs for them.  They told them what God wanted of them.

However, they were a lie.  They were seeking their own benefit, not listening to God.  They told the people whatever would get them to keep listening, not what God would have spoke to them had they been worthy of the message.

Lamentations 1

Lamentations 1:18

"The LORD is righteous;
For I have rebelled against His command;
Hear now, all peoples,
And behold my pain;
My virgins and my young men
Have gone into captivity

Jerusalem has fallen, and Babylon has taken away anyone of worth.  The people know why this has happened, even if they don't all admit it to themselves.  They were given many chances to change their ways, but decided not to.

Now, they must bear the consequences of their actions.  But never let it be said that God is cruel.  He told them what they must do, and even after they disobeyed how to make things right.  Yet they refused, and it came to the point where God would no longer tolerate their sin.

Jeremiah 52

Jeremiah 52:30

In the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all.

We think of Jerusalem as a huge city, and Judah as a fairly impressive nation for the time.  Yet when only those necessary to work the fields were left, they'd only removed 4,600 people.  We tend to think in terms of tens of thousand, but less than 5,000 decimated the nation.

If I'm remembering correctly, when the Jews came out of Egypt there were over 2 million of them.  How badly had they fallen to be to the point where under 5,000 people left them as a mere remnant of themselves?  They had clearly been on the decline for a very long time, and Babylon merely finished off the poor scraps.  Yet in their exile they would rebuild, and I believe tens of thousands returned a few decades later.

Jeremiah 51

Jeremiah 51:54

The sound of an outcry from Babylon,
And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans!

God used Babylon to punish the Jews for their sins.  They had ignored God's commands and turned away to worship other gods.  He therefore brought destruction upon them, via Babylon.

However, that doesn't mean that Babylon got a free pass.  God can use any tool He wishes; in fact, unless He decides to intervene directly, His only option is to used flawed tools.  But Babylon was no better than Judea (in fact, much worse), so they had to be punished in turn, as well.

Jeremiah 50

Jeremiah 50:20

In those days and at that time,' declares the LORD, 'search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.'

God had compassion upon those who survived the exile by Assyria and Babylon.  They had definitely sinned against Him in many ways, but after the time of the exile was complete, God chose to forgive them.  He could/should have left them to die away from Him, but instead forgave them.

Why did He do this?  In part, to keep the promises He'd made, but also because it was necessary.  Without Israel, there could have been no Christ, because there would have been no one left to know God or teach His word.  But also, because He wants that closeness to us, and that means He has to forgive some (but not all), or we as a species would be wiped out in short order from our own failures.

Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49:1

Concerning the sons of Ammon.  Thus says the LORD:

"Does Israel have you sons?
Or has he no heirs?
Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad
And his people settled in its cities?

God is about to punish the Ammonites because they've made a mistake.  God gave the land of Israel to Jacob's descendants, and no others.  But this Malcam, whom I presume was the king or other official in Ammon, has decided to move into their territory.

On the surface, it makes sense.  The Israelites have been conquered, most of them removed from the land.  So why not move into some nice prepared areas that no one else is using?  But God still has control, and is saving the land for when the Israelites return in a few decades  Until then, the land will lie unused, to make up for the years it was not left fallow by the Israelites.  Any who try to break that rest will be punished.

Jeremiah 48

Jeremiah 48:42

"Moab will be destroyed from being a people
Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD.

God is patient, but His patience does sometimes reach a limit.  At the time of Jeremiah, His patience had largely run out.  He's pronouncing judgment on many people, including Israel.

However, He seems to have saved something special for Moab.  I know their parting of ways with God's commands goes way back to pre-Israel days, but don't recall what the original break was.  Whatever it was, God's decided enough is enough, and now will pay them back for their flouting of His law.

Jeremiah 47

Jeremiah 47:5

"Baldness has come upon Gaza;
Ashkelon has been ruined.
O remnant of their valley,
How long will you gash yourself?

So, it appears that whatever will happen to the Philistines, it won't just affect them.  Their ruin will be so complete, it will lay waste to their territory, and make the land almost uninhabitable.  The land will be laid bare, and their city destroyed.

This devastation will take a major toll upon the people who survive, as well.  They will be so grief-stricken or traumatized, they will cut themselves.  Today that would be classified as a mental illness, or PTSD.  This is how God will deal with a long-standing enemy; I'd rather not be on His bad side.

Jeremiah 46

Jeremiah 46:15

"Why have your mighty ones become prostrate?
They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down.

So, the greatest soldiers of Egypt could not stand against Babylon.  They have been cast low, perhaps even killed.  From the beginning of the chapter, it sounds like they fought a major battle, and lost.

But Jeremiah is saying that it's not because Babylon is great.  Instead, he's saying that God was against Egypt for whatever reason.  Regardless, He made a decision to favor Babylon over Egypt, and therefore, caused Egypt's army to be laid low.

Jeremiah 45

Jeremiah 45:4

Thus you are to say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, what I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land."

I don't know who Baruch was.  I guess maybe a leader of some kind, either a priest or military commander?  Whatever he was, he felt the disaster of the people upon himself.

However, God has not abandoned him completely.  He is given a notice by God of what is coming, even though it's not good.  Apparently, this gave him a chance to prepare himself, even though he could do nothing to chance the future.