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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 463

"Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves"

Text: Jeremiah 44:7

SPEAKING TO THE JEWS IN EGYPT CANDIDLY

The LORD gave a word to Jeremiah concerning the Jews who lived in Egypt. They had become idolatrous like the Egyptians.

“Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves,
to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant,
out of Judah, leaving none to remain,
in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands,
burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell,
that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach
among all the nations of the earth?'”
Jeremiah 44:7-8

1. “Now therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:
‘Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman,
child and infant, out of Judah, leaving none to remain'”

a) This word came from the LORD.

b) Two other titles were employed to strengthen this word.

i) The God of hosts.

ii) The God of Israel.

c) God’s sovereignty was not confined to Israel.

d) He was still the LORD and the God of hosts ruling over the children of Israel, regardless of where they live.

2. The problem highlighted

a) They had gone to Egypt, believing that they would have a better life.

b) They had become like the idolatrous Egyptians.

c) Their idolatry was a great evil.

d) It would end up in the extinction of the people.

i) Man and woman

ii) Child and infant

iii) Those who came from Judah would be cut off.

3. “In that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to
other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may
cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth”

a) The sin identified specifically:

“Burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt”

b) They will end up being:

i) Cut off from the LORD.

ii) A curse.

iii) A reproach.

c) Idolatry in particular provoked the LORD to wrath.