Dan 5:1-31  Thou art Weighed in the Balances and Found Wanting

[Study Aired December 13, 2021]

Dan 5:1  Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 
Dan 5:2  Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 
Dan 5:3  Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 
Dan 5:4  They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 
Dan 5:5  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 
Dan 5:6  Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 
Dan 5:7  The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:8  Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 
Dan 5:9  Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. 
Dan 5:10  Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 
Dan 5:11  There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 
Dan 5:12  Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. 
Dan 5:13  Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 
Dan 5:14  I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 
Dan 5:15  And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 
Dan 5:16  And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:17  Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
Dan 5:18  O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 
Dan 5:19  And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 
Dan 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 
Dan 5:21  And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Dan 5:22  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
Dan 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26  This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
Dan 5:27  TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
Dan 5:28  PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

This chapter deals with God’s judgment. The first part of the chapter shows us our sins while in Babylon and the need for us to be judged.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

The second part of the chapter depicts God’s judgment which is meted out when our iniquity is full.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Dan 5:1  Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

In this chapter, Belshazzar is portrayed as the king but actually, he was the son and crown prince of king Naboridus who was the last king of the neo-Babylonian empire. Usually, in certain parts of the scriptures, the first few verses of the chapter talk about the subject matter of that chapter before the details are given. This chapter is rendered in that pattern. King Belshazzar drinking wine before a thousand of his lords signifies that the time has come for Babylon within us to experience the wrath of God through judgment. Outwardly, the religious system of this world will be judged at the appointed time set by God.

Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

It is while we are in Babylon that the wrath of God is unleashed through judgment to destroy the old man or the beast within us. The king drinking wine in the presence of a thousand of his lords means that our sins have reached the heavens, and God has remembered us. This remembrance is to judge us. This is because the number thousand is made up of ten multiplied three times (1000 = 10x10x10). The number ten represents the fullness of the flesh, and the number three tells us that we are in the process of being judged to complete our spiritual process.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

The next few verses show us our sins which have reached the heavens.

Dan 5:2  Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
Dan 5:3  Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
Dan 5:4  They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

From these verses, it becomes obvious that while in Babylon, we took God’s gold and silver and made images of men with them.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

These images of men are the false doctrines we imbibe while in Babylon which becomes our idols of the heart.

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

In verse 3, the king’s princes, his wives and concubines all drank from the gold and silver vessels indicating that we, the elect, are all guilty of perverting the word of God (Gold and Silver vessels) into false doctrines. In the final analysis, we become adulterous by worshiping another Jesus whose characteristics are not consistent with our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4 tells us that we end up praising and worshiping another Jesus, signified by gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Dan 5:5  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 
Dan 5:6  Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

This finger of a man’s handwriting on the wall is the finger of God. In a negative connotation, this finger of God signifies judgment. It shows that our sins have caught up with us. In other words, our sins have reached heaven, and therefore our Lord is ready to judge us.

Joe 3:5  For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.

Joe 3:14  Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
Joe 3:15  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.
Joe 3:16  The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

The changing of the king’s countenance from being in a festive mood to that of being troubled is to let us know that we all, in our time in Babylon, did not like to hear about an impending judgment. We become troubled when we hear about judgment. In the final analysis, our judgment is better for us.

Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The king’s joints of his loins being loosed and his knees smiting one against another is to let us know that we become incapacitated through our judgment so that we will learn how to rest in the Lord. It is through judgment that our feeble knees become strengthened, and our Lord makes straight paths for our feet.

Heb 12:11  For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Heb 12:12  Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
Heb 12:13  and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (ESV)

Dan 5:7  The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 
Dan 5:8  Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

As indicated in an earlier study, the astrologers, Chaldeans and the soothsayers represent the leaders in Babylon or the churches of this world who are not given to know the mind of Christ and therefore cannot interpret the word of God in the spirit.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 
2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 
2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Verse 7 also says that if one can read the writing and interpret, he shall be clothed with scarlet and have a gold chain about his neck and shall rule with the king. This is to let us know that if we are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, then we shall surely inherit the promise of reigning with Christ.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Dan 5:9  Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

We are troubled by the wrath of God just like king Belshazzar. However, in the end, we reap the harvest of entering our Lord’s glory.

Psa 30:7  LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

Psa 90:7  For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Dan 5:10  Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: 

The queen here represents the elect or the wife of the bridegroom who is Christ. Part of what every joint supplies is that we should not worry about the troubles we go through. Our Lord will make a way of escape for us so that we can bear every trial that we go through.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Dan 5:11  There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 
Dan 5:12  Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

We are the men in the kingdom of our Lord who are endowed with the spirit of the Lord so that we can walk in the fear of the Lord which is understanding and wisdom.

Pro 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

We, like Daniel, are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Dan 5:13  Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 
Dan 5:14  I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 
Dan 5:15  And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 
Dan 5:16  And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

As we have said earlier, it is us who are given to have light, understanding and wisdom. The wise men of Babylon, representing the leaders of the churches of this world, are not given the understanding to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. God showing mercy to us by granting us the grace to understand His words means that if we continue in what we are doing, we shall surely receive the prize of rulership.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Dan 5:17  Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

This verse is not suggesting that Daniel did not want the reward or the joy that was set before him. However, it is showing us that Daniel was not using the wisdom and insight that the Lord had given him for his personal advantage or reward. He was not like Balaam who ran greedily after the reward.

Jud 1:11  Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Dan 5:18  O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
Dan 5:19  And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
Dan 5:20  But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 
Dan 5:21  And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

The Lord used the life of Nebuchadnezzar as an example for us to know that in the fullness of time, we shall reign with Christ. As we know, Nebuchadnezzar became proud and taught that it was through his own effort that his kingdom was built. This pride relates to our self-righteousness or iniquity which characterized our walk in Babylon. We are then humbled through our experience of evil which brings us to acknowledge that we are not different from beasts just like Nebuchadnezzar’s life as a beast. It is then that the Lord comes in with the brightness of His coming through His word to destroy the old man or beast within bringing us to offer our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. This ensures that we shall reign with Christ.

Verse 19 indicates that Nebuchadnezzar slew or kept alive whomsoever he will letting us know that our reign with Christ shall be characterized by the rod of iron which signifies discipline.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

As we indicated in the previous review, the whole essence of Nebuchadnezzar’s story is to show us Christ and His ways. That is what it means when the scripture says that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. The kingdom being given to whomsoever He will signifies that the kingdom of heaven is given as a gift, and therefore it is not obtained by our own efforts.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Dan 5:22  And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 
Dan 5:23  But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

These verses are spelling out our sins while in Babylon. We become proud because we think that it is through our own supposed freewill that we have come to Christ. We therefore glory in our self-righteousness which is iniquity, and we end up perverting the word of God to suit our carnal desires. All these lead us to worship another Jesus whom we have created in our image.

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Eze 16:17  Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

Being shown our sins gives the Lord the occasion He is seeking to come and judge us.

Joe 3:5  Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

Joe 3:7  Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

The next five verses, therefore, show us our process of judgment.

Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Dan 5:26  This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

The Lord numbering our kingdom and finishing it is to let us know that the boundaries of the kingdom of our old man in our lives has been marked. The old man, or the beast within, cannot go beyond what he has caused us to do against the Lord. In other words, the old man’s reign over our lives is being brought to an end through judgment.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Dan 5:27  TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 

This verse shows us that we have missed the mark of the high calling of God. In other words, our deeds are not according to the standards set by the Lord for His children. We gloried in our own integrity and taught like Job that our Lord will find us up to His standard. However, this integrity that we taught we have just like Job, is this self-righteousness, which is iniquity.

Job 31:6  Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

Dan 5:28  PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

According to Strong, the primitive root of the word divided is to break up into pieces. So, what we are being told here in verse 28 is that the kingdom of our old man is going to be destroyed through judgment and replaced by the new kingdom of our new man. This new man is represented by the Medes and the Persians. Persians means ‘pure’ or ‘splendid’ and Medes means ‘the middle lane’. This means that the new man is pure and splendid and is after the image of Christ and will take us through the narrow or middle lane of life.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Mat 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 
Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Dan 5:29  Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

As we indicated earlier, our eyes seeing and our ears hearing what the spirit of the Lord is telling us is what makes us able to understand and accept our Lord’s ways of judgment. This is what guarantees our inheritance of reigning with Christ in the age to come.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Dan 5:30  In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 
Dan 5:31  And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Our old man, represented here by Belshazzar, must be slain through judgment by the Lord before the new man, signified by Darius, dominates our lives within. This judgment of Belshazzar is the same as the judgment of the harlot or Babylon within us.

Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Jer 11:1-12 Though They Cry Unto Me I Will Not Listen

[Study Aired June 13, 2021]

Jer 11:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 11:2  Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
Jer 11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
Jer 11:4  Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:
Jer 11:5  That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.
Jer 11:6  Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
Jer 11:7  For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.
Jer 11:8  Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.
Jer 11:9  And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Jer 11:10  They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.
Jer 11:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
Jer 11:12  Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

Throughout the prophets, each prophet reminds us to whom it is that “the Word of the Lord [comes]”:

Jer 11:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 11:2  Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

“The Word that [comes] to Jeremiah” is the Word that comes to you and to me. Jeremiah, along with all the prophets of the Old Testament, typifies the Lord’s elect. They alone are given ‘eyes that see and ears that hear’:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Jeremiah and all the Old Testament prophets typify those to whom the word of God comes in this age. The entire nation of Israel is typified by the multitudes who came to Christ to hear His parables, eat His loaves and fishes and be healed by Him. “But to them it is not given… to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” Those who are blessed with ‘eyes that see and ears that hear’ are called to be judged and purged of their sins and their false doctrines and rebellions against their Lord in this age (1Pe 4:17, Rev 1:3, Rev 14:6-13, Rev 15:8).

So what is ‘the Word of the Lord’ to Jeremiah and to you and me?

Jer 11:3  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
Jer 11:4  Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:

In this study we will learn that “obey[ing]… the words of this covenant” and “obey[ing] not the words of this covenant” typifies and foreshadows obedience/disobedience to the new covenant. This phrase, “The words of this covenant” here in verse 13 referred originally to the old covenant. Our Reformer, Christ, has revealed that the entire economy of the ancient nation of Israel was a type and a shadow of His reforms and His new covenant, which  is “not according to the covenant

Jer 31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Heb 8:8  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Heb 8:10  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

In the next chapter of Hebrews, Paul makes clear that the entire Old Testament economy was a type and shadow of Christ’s new covenant:

Heb 9:9  Which [the original tabernacle (vs 8)] was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Christ came to be a high priest of good things to come “by a greater and more perfect tabernacle”. Where is this “greater and more perfect tabernacle [by which] Christ [became] an high priest of good things to come?” Where is this ‘tabernacle’? “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands” refers to us as the place of His dwelling, and the law of Moses and all the events in ancient Israel leading up to the giving of that law were mere types and shadows of Christ and His Christ, His ‘tabernacle’, through whom He has come to be our high priest.

Paul elsewhere puts this same message in these words:

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Of course, Christ died for our sins and “all things are for [our] sakes”, but that is not what is being said in this verse. The two occurrences of the word ‘for’ in this verse are the Greek word ‘dia’, G1223. ‘Dia’ is the Greek word from which we derive our English word ‘diameter’. This is Strong’s definition for this word:

G1223
διά
dia
dee-ah’

A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional). In composition it retains the same general import: – after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) . . . fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through (-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general import.

Our heavenly Father saw us in Christ before He ever created Christ (Rev 3:14). Our heavenly Father does not think of Christ without us to the extent that He tells us that “all things are for our sakes”:

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by [Greek: ‘dia’, through – G1223] Jesus, and shall present us with you.
2Co 4:15  For all things are for [Greek: ‘dia’, through – G1223] your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

If we put Romans 4:25 together with this verse, it is not at all adding to the scripture to read 1Co 4:14 in this way: “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus [through our justification] shall raise up us also [through] Jesus and shall present us with you.”

Romans 4:25 and 2Corinthians 4:14-15 are both telling us that Christ was “delivered through our offences and was raised again through our justification. What this tells us is that all of this was planned by our heavenly Father “before the world began” (2Ti 1:9 and Tit 1:2), and it was all prefigured through ancient Israel, through the law of Moses and through the entire economy of that time.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

The “body” being prepared for Christ and His Father is His church. It is you and me if we are granted ‘eyes that see and ears that hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven’ (Mat 13:9-15).

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

Now, with this knowledge we can understand why Christ told us:

Luk 16:16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

John’s ministry was the bridge between the old and new covenants, but John was under the law of Moses and did not partake of Christ’s new covenant. Therefore, Christ make this revolutionary statement which few believe even until this day:

Luk 7:28  For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Christ also told us that the physical manna of the Old Testament was merely a type of Himself and His doctrines.

In Hebrews 9 and 10 we are being told that the physical tabernacle and the physical temple were types of His true tabernacle and His true temple which we are:

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

The most difficult type for us to see and grasp as a mere shadow of “the True” is that the law of Moses is just a type and shadow of the covenant Christ is making with us. As with all shadows and types, unless we are given eyes that see, we will inevitably mistake the shadow and type for the reality which it prefigures. Such spiritual blindness is God’s tool to keep the masses from seeing and perceiving His True Covenant, which the first covenant foreshadowed. So, the covenant the Lord made with Israel, the covenant of which Jeremiah speaks in this 11^th chapter, is not the covenant Christ is making with us. That old covenant, with its blessings and its curses, typifies the new covenant which Christ is bringing to us with its blessings and its curses:

Jer 11:5  That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD.

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

That is to be our prayer… “So be it, O Lord… Not my will but Thine be done”.

We know that even our sins are an integral part of the work the Lord is doing to drag us to Himself:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

We are just as guilty of sinning against the new covenant as ancient Israel was of sinning against the old covenant. We cannot remain under that old covenant and expect to reap the benefits and blessings of being obedient to the words of the new covenant.

When the rich young ruler asked Christ:

Luk 18:18  And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Christ’s answer was:

Luk 18:20  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
Luk 18:21  And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
Luk 18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
Luk 18:23  And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful:  for he was very rich [very self-righteous in ”the righteousness which is in the law”].

Matthew calls this “certain ruler” a “young man” (Mat 19:20). Christ told this young man that keeping the law outwardly was nowhere near enough to “inherit eternal life”. When Christ told this young ruler, “Yet lackest you one thing: sell all that thou hast…” He is not requiring him to forsake his wife and children. None of the apostles were required to forsake their responsibilities to their families to follow Christ. While we are not given the details, we are told that Christ healed Peter’s wife’s mother of a fever, and we are told:

1Ti 5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

What Christ is telling this young ruler, and what He is telling us, is that we, too, must divest ourselves of our own self-righteousness and give it to those who are destitute of the Truth. Give it “unto the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven…” When we give our own self-righteousness to those who are spiritually poor, we are giving up what we thought was ours to others who think they, too, are righteous “according to the law [of Moses]:

Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Deu 6:25  And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Php 3:6  Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

The great lesson of the book of Job is that none of us is righteous of ourselves, rather we are all just naturally self-righteous, and like Job we must come to see ourselves as vile, and we must recognize that what makes us so very ‘vile’ is our insidious self-righteousness, which always leads us to condemn our own Creator and heavenly Father for our fiery trials with which He is in the process of humbling us:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

Like the rich young ruler and as Job, when we see ourselves as being righteous by our own will, then we see no need for God to judge and chasten and scourge us. When we see ourselves in that light, we are the “ninety and nine [who] need no repentance”:

Luk 15:4  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
Luk 15:5  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luk 15:6  And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
Luk 15:7  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which [self-righteously think they] need no repentance.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

When Christ told the rich young ruler to “come and follow me” what He was requiring of this man, and what He is requiring of each of us, is to believe and live our lives in accordance with His “…but I say unto you…” doctrines which directly contradict the law of Moses… “love thine enemies” versus “hate thine enemies”; “turn the other cheek” versus “eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth”. These are just a couple of the beginning changes Christ made to the law of Moses which is later revealed to be merely “a carnal commandment… [with nothing more than] a shadow of good things to come”:

Heb 7:16  Who [Christ… “our high priest”] is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Heb 10:1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

It is this “shadow of good things to come” to which our next verses refer:

Jer 11:6  Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.
Jer 11:7  For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

Yes, it is true that at this time Jeremiah is referring to the old covenant, but he and his prophecies are “a shadow of good things to come” and that “Good Thing” is Christ and His new covenant”, which we are to “hear… and do… and obey.” He is “even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice”.

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Act 20:31  Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Just as with our original parents, the Lord’s method of operation is to give us commandments which He knows we will not obey. The Truth is that He ‘makes us to err from His ways and He hardens our hearts from His fear’ so that we cannot even see or hear His words:

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day.

It is all summarized as “an experience of evil” for which He can judge us and destroy our rebellious old man who wants to remain under the first covenant and maintain his own righteousness. As we will see, the Lord reveals to us that we are in reality incapable of doing anything – good or evil – of ourselves.

Jer 11:8  Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.

These words are just as applicable to the new covenant and to us as they were to ancient Israel’s disobedience of the old covenant. The Lord will not give us His strength to be obedient to “the things that [He] says” until after He has demonstrated to us beyond any doubt that we do not have it within us to obey His Words. In and of ourselves this is what is within us:

Jer 11:9  And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Jer 11:10  They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.

We may well want to be obedient to the things Christ commands us to do, but the “one lawgiver” has “made us to err from His ways and has hardened our hearts from His fear” (Isa 63:17) by placing within our flesh, within “[our] members… the law of sin”, which brings us all, “to [our] wits’ end” (Psa 107:27).

This is what we are up against before the Lord “teaches [Greek: ‘paideuo’, chastens] us to forsake ungodliness and worldly lusts” (Tit 2:11-12):

Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law [the ten commandments] had said, Thou shalt not covet.
Rom 7:8  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9  For I was [considered myself to be] alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12  Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14  For we know that the law [of Christ] is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin [under the law of Moses].
Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I [No free will, but slaves to sin].
Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do [No free will].
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

We have just twice been told “it is no more I that do it”, referring to our sins. That is how the Lord fulfills this next verse within each of us. He does so through a law which He has placed “in [our] members” from our mother’s womb, and there is but “one lawgiver”:

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

Jas 4:12  There is one lawgiver, who [through His laws] is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

It is this “law of sin in [our] members [which brings us to] our wits’ end”:

Psa 107:24  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

It is only at this point that we all, with the apostle Paul, are made to cry out in desperation to the Lord:

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself [my “new man] serve the law of God; but with the flesh [my old man] the law of sin.

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God [“I myself”, my new man] doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

This is all addressed to those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 13:9-15). Paul had just clarified to whom he was speaking:

Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Rom 7:2  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Rom 7:3  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another [“another man”, with another law], even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Look at those words, “Ye also are become dead to the law by the [physical] body of Christ”. To what end? “That ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.” There we have the mind of Christ on this subject. Christ’s flesh and our flesh is “another man” which “cannot inherit the kingdom of God”. These words here in Romans 7 are the basis for this statement from Paul in 2^nd Corinthians:

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more [after the flesh].
2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Christ had His Father’s spirit ‘without measure… from His mother’s womb’. Yet the risen Christ is “another man”. Each of us who will be given “the purchased possession”, meaning a part in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”, are becoming ‘another man’ which we are now in “earnest”, in down payment form:

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest [Greek: ‘down payment’] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”], unto the praise of his glory.

I must repeat that the Lord will not give us His strength to be obedient to “the things that [He] says” until after He has demonstrated to us beyond any doubt that we do not of ourselves have it within us to obey His Words. That is the meaning of our last verses of our study today:

Jer 11:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.
Jer 11:12  Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

Yes indeed! That is exactly how it is when we are on the raging seas of our rebellious, carnal life, and being brought to our wits’ end. That storm is not our doing. It is a work of the Lord Himself. That God-ordained storm in our lives is what it takes to drag us to “[our] wits’ end], and make us to cry out to the Lord, “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” At that time, the Lord Himself has forsaken us and does not hear us as we are brought to face the fact that our false doctrines, the idols of our hearts, are doing nothing to give us any relief from the desperate straits in which we find ourselves.

If we are blessed to be given eyes that see and ears that hear these mysteries of the kingdom of heaven in this age, then our calling is to be “hated of all men” including our sons and daughters, husbands and wives, families and friends, and our old man is just naturally repulsed by such a thought. Yet Christ was clear about what we should expect if we are given to be His witnesses in this age:

Mat 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Mat 10:18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles [“all men”].
Mat 10:19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Every great leader among men recognizes the crisis of His time, and he challenges those he is given to lead to face that crisis and to overcome all obstacles which are in the way. Great leaders, such as Christ, do not promise their followers coffee and doughnuts while they are struggling to overcome the crisis they face. Rather, a great leader prepares those he leads for the challenges that lie ahead.

Christ is the greatest of all leaders, “the captain of [our] salvation”:

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

That is why He tells us right up front, “Ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake”, then goes on to be much more specific about what we can expect if we are blessed to be given to follow in His steps:

Mat 10:34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
Mat 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Every great leader also gives those he challenges to follow Him an incentive to do so.

Mat 10:41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Mat 10:42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

The apostle Peter later asked the Lord to be more specific about what rewards lay ahead for those who followed Him. Peter’s inquiry was after Christ invited the rich young ruler to follow Him, and after that young man refused Christ’s offer Peter wanted to know what exactly would those who give up all for Christ receive in return for their sacrifice:

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the [first] regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 19:30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Christ promises us, “…he that endures to the end shall be saved [from the white throne judgment/lake of fire/second death, Rev 20:11-15], and in the beginning of the 20^th chapter of Revelation we are promised to be placed as the judges over the kingdoms of this world for a thousand years, followed by the judgment of Satan and all of his angels, including all of mankind in the “lake of fire”.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

“Judgment is given to them” only who have already been judged in this present time:

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves [in “this present time” – Rom 8:18], we should not be judged [In “the resurrection of damnation” G2920: ‘krisis’, judgment].

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [G2920: ‘krisis’ same word translated as ‘judgment’ in verse 27].

Why is the first ‘resurrection’ here called “the resurrection of life”? The answer is that this is the one resurrection in which those being resurrected were already judged in “this present time”:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings [judgment] of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you [in “this present time”, Rom 8:18], as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
1Pe 4:19  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

There are great rewards awaiting those who love the Lord’s judgments. Those whose names are in the book of life will be given a crown of life, and they will be kings and priests who will rule with Christ a thousand years, after which they will judge those who are cast into the lake of fire.

That is why the Lord caused Isaiah to minister not to himself but to us (1Pe 1:12) these words:

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Thank the Lord for His judgments against our old man, “the way of [which] judgments” we will learn more in our next study, which will cover these last 11 verses of this 11^th chapter:

Jer 11:13  For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
Jer 11:14  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Jer 11:15  What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.
Jer 11:16  The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
Jer 11:17  For the LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
Jer 11:18  And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
Jer 11:19  But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
Jer 11:20  But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Jer 11:21  Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:
Jer 11:22  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
Jer 11:23  And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.

​Hi Mike,

R​eading about Egypt and A​ssyria and I​srae​l being blessed…but what of Isaiah 65:20 (sinners accursed…likely E​gypt…yet again…with child)

T​his confuses me…

T___

Hi T​____​,

I will say that your confusion arises from a lack of understanding of these verses of scripture:

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25  He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 

We are this “kernel of wheat”, and it is our old man, “the first man Adam, Esau, King Saul, Judas”, you and me, who must die before our new man Jacob, Joseph, King David, all of whom supplanted their predeccessor, as types of Christ in us supplanting the old you and the old me to become a new man, which is the very same thing as a new kernel of wheat coming forth from that very dying process. Every gardener knows exactly what Christ is saying here.

One does not and cannot go back and change the sins of the past. King David did not divorce Bathsheba, and you need to give your past over to where it already is, meaning a work of Christ in your life to bring you to where you now are. You and your husband are fine where you are. You just need to “go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon  you”.  “Sin no more” in no way means that you must never again break the speed limit. What it does mean is that sin should no longer have dominion over you:

Rom 6:13  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Read this FAQ and the links within it to begin to understand the meaning of the words ‘olawm‘, (​Hebrew​) and ‘aion‘ (​Greek​) and to learn what the function of grace is in our lives.

Will I Make it to Heaven?

It is my prayer for you that you will be given to see what I have shown you about all the people of the Old Testament:

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

I understand how radical this all is,​ but it is right there in scripture: “Not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister.” Everyone in the Old Testament will be raised up and purified in the lake of fire along with everyone since Christ who has never been given eyes to see or ears to hear the mysteries of “the kingdom of God [which] is within you” (Luk 17:19-20).

Your days were all written in God’s book before there were any of them (Psa 139:16 [​ASV]​), and your sins are not your sins, but the product of the “marred vessel… in t​he Potter’s hand” (Rom 7:17-25 and Jer 18:4).

I pray you will take the time to read the links I have given you. They will help you immensely, if the Lord permits.

YbiC, Mike