A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Monday,
March
15,
2021
Anchor
in Plymouth Harbor
in Plymouth, Massachusetts,
"Mistening
The Listening"
Message
summary: Twenty-six
hundred years ago Jehoiakim "felt secure"
and sadly responded to Jeremiah’s warning with an
emphatic, "I will not listen". So
many are responding the same way today as they
turn a deaf ear toward God’s message and
messengers. We hope you are listening to God’s
loving warnings, as spoken by His servants and
written in His Word. In Christ alone we have true
security for all eternity. "We have this hope as
an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me” (Jeremiah 22:21). "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear" (Zechariah 7:11). “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me” (Jeremiah 22:21). "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear" (Zechariah 7:11). “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19).
Yesterday
we attended a church in Ephrata, PA to lend
support and encouragement to our friend, Tim
Morrison, who was asked to preach in his home
church. We visit Tim regularly in the course of
our chaplain work at White Oak Display in Palmyra
and have long appreciated his earnestness as a
follower of Christ. His sermon was about listening
and the peril of what he called "mistening the
listening" using Eli as an example ("mistening"
pronounced like listening with a silent "t"). In
our age it seems many are mistening the listening
and it's something we all need to be on our guard
against!
The
prophet Jeremiah faithfully ministered during the
traumatic last days of Judah prior to the
Babylonian captivity. He served during the time of
godly Josiah who was the last king that honored
God. He courageously ministered during the time
that the four evil kings who followed King
Josiah's reign, each with relatively short reigns.
The context of the second daily verse places it at
the time of Jehoiakim, who reigned for eleven
years and whose life is summed up by the candid
phrase, "the detestable things he did" (2
Chronicles 36:8). What a dark summation of one's
life that leaves a stenching legacy for the
generations to follow!
I’m
intrigued by the first clause in this text: "I
warned you when you felt secure". In
addition to security the Hebrew word used here
conveys abundance and prosperity. It seems that
just prior to the fall of the kingdom there was a
period of prosperity and security in Judah. Even
as evil swept through the land and judgment
loomed, the economy was booming. Jehoiakim "felt
secure" and refused to listen to the
warning of the true prophet of God. By contrast
the false prophets were saying, "Peace, peace"
(Jeremiah 8:11b). That's a message many still want
to hear and believe, whether it's true or not as
long as it makes them feel secure.
Twenty-six hundred years ago Jehoiakim sadly responded to Jeremiah’s warning with an emphatic, "I will not listen!"
I’m
intrigued by the first clause in this text: "I
warned you when you felt secure". In
addition to security the Hebrew word used here
conveys abundance and prosperity. It seems that
just prior to the fall of the kingdom there was a
period of prosperity and security in Judah. Even
as evil swept through the land and judgment
loomed, the economy was booming. Jehoiakim "felt
secure" and refused to listen to the
warning of the true prophet of God. By contrast
the false prophets were saying, "Peace, peace"
(Jeremiah 8:11b). That's a message many still want
to hear and believe, whether it's true or not as
long as it makes them feel secure.Twenty-six hundred years ago Jehoiakim sadly responded to Jeremiah’s warning with an emphatic, "I will not listen!"
As
our friend Tim said in his message yesterday,
regarding Eli, he was mistening the listening! In
I Samuel 2:27ff God sent a prophet to warn the
priest Eli that his sons would die early and his
life cut short because of his abuse of the
sacrifice offerings and other flagrant sins
committed by his sons. Eli did not listen, so God
raised up the young boy, Samuel, to speak the same
prophecy to Eli and once again Eli refused to
clean up his act and to restrain his sons. So many
are responding in the same way today as they turn
a deaf ear toward God’s message and messengers
regarding God's truth and the sin in their lives.
In
yet another setting we read of God speaking
through the prophet, Zechariah, during the reign
of King Darius, when he said to the people,
"Administer justice, show mercy and compassion
to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the
fatherless, the alien or the poor..." (Zechariah
7:8). Scripture reveals the hearts of the
people because "they refused to pay attention
and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped
their ears that they might not hear"
(7:11).
We
hope and pray that you are listening to God’s
loving and oft times stern warnings, as spoken by
His servants as written in His Word. In Christ
alone we have true security for all eternity since
"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,
firm and secure".
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we want our lasting legacy to
be that of one who listened to and obeyed Your
commands. You lovingly give us warnings regarding
the right path we are to choose, as revealed through
the prophet Isaiah, "And your ears shall hear a
word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in
it,'". The path that leads to our real
security begins on the path of righteousness, where
we learn Your commands. Help us to follow Your
directions along the way as we listen to Your voice
cautioning or affirming our decisions along life's
highway. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Isaiah
30:21
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"In
Christ Alone/The Solid Rock" Video
Brentwood
Baptist Virtual Choir & Orchestra
& Travis Cottrell. This is a
very interesting presentation in the way
the choir is used virtually! Brooksyne and
many others miss the choir and it would be
neat if we could do this!
On
Saturday we attended a funeral service at
Mount Zion Road Church in Lebanon County
to honor Beatrice Mull, 98 year
old mother of our friend, Ken Mull.
Yesterday we visited a church in Ephrata,
PA especially to hear Tim preach. Later
that afternoon his family was celebrating
his dad's 98th birthday. So the
number, 98, really caught our
attention when Tim was preaching regarding
Samuel listening to God and a reference to
Eli, who died at 98 years of age!
(see 1 Samuel 4:15)
Finally
today:
Saturday
afternoon we walked down to Donegal Creek.
For many years we have enjoyed a
tree-lined portion of the trail across
from our home. It is actually an old road
known
as "Meeting House Road"
that has long been abandoned. Recently the
farm was sold and the new owner is
clearing many of the trees along the trail
which will change both our walk and the
view across the field from our home. We
are are thankful that the property is
under a designation of preservation and
will remain farmland!
Here's a photo of the same path
before the clearing.
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a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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