Faithfulness and Hope: Lessons from Old Testament Prophets
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we explored the profound narratives of three major prophets from the Old Testament: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These prophets, though contemporaries, had unique ministries and messages that were deeply intertwined with the tumultuous history of Israel. Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," remained in Jerusalem during its siege and destruction, delivering God's messages of impending judgment and eventual restoration. Despite the dire circumstances, Jeremiah's writings are imbued with hope and faith in God's unwavering love and mercy.
Ezekiel, taken to Babylon during the second deportation, experienced profound visions of God's glory and was called to perform symbolic acts to convey God's messages to the exiled Israelites. His ministry was marked by extraordinary obedience and boldness, even in the face of bizarre and challenging tasks. Ezekiel's visions and actions served as powerful reminders of God's presence and sovereignty, even in exile.
Daniel, taken to Babylon in the first deportation, served in the courts of foreign kings. His unwavering faith and adherence to God's laws, even in a foreign land, led to miraculous deliverances and profound impacts on the hearts of pagan kings. Daniel's life exemplifies the power of steadfast faith and the influence one can have when living in accordance with God's will, even in the most challenging circumstances.
These prophets' lives and messages remind us of the importance of faithfulness, obedience, and hope in God's promises, regardless of our circumstances. They also highlight the reality of God's love and justice, which often transcends our understanding but is always aimed at our ultimate good and His glory.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Faithfulness in Despair: Jeremiah's ministry, marked by tears and lamentation, reveals that even in the darkest times, God's faithfulness remains. His writings, though filled with sorrow, consistently point to the hope found in God's mercies, which are new every morning. This teaches us that in our moments of despair, we can still find hope in God's unwavering love and compassion. [01:25]
2. Obedience in the Face of the Unusual: Ezekiel's life was characterized by extraordinary acts of obedience, even when God's commands seemed strange or difficult. His willingness to perform symbolic acts, like lying on his side for extended periods or eating food cooked over dung, underscores the importance of complete obedience to God. This challenges us to trust and obey God, even when His ways are beyond our understanding. [16:14]
3. Faithfulness in Foreign Lands: Daniel's steadfast faith in a foreign land led to miraculous deliverances and influenced the hearts of pagan kings. His refusal to compromise on God's laws, even when it meant facing the lion's den, demonstrates the power of unwavering faith. This encourages us to remain faithful to God, regardless of our circumstances or the pressures we face. [19:50]
4. God's Love Amidst Judgment: The narratives of these prophets reveal that God's judgments are always coupled with His love and desire for restoration. Even as He allowed Israel to face the consequences of their actions, His ultimate goal was their repentance and return to Him. This teaches us that God's discipline is an expression of His love, aimed at bringing us back to a right relationship with Him. [32:07]
5. Redefining Love: The sermon challenges our understanding of love, suggesting that true love is not merely about physical well-being but about spiritual health and eternal destiny. God's actions, even when they seem harsh, are driven by His desire for our ultimate good. This calls us to trust in God's definition of love and His plans for our lives, even when they are difficult to comprehend. [27:10]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[00:40] - Introduction to the Old Testament
[01:25] - The Hope in Lamentations
[02:10] - Overview of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel
[02:44] - Prayer for Guidance
[03:23] - Grouping of the Major Prophets
[04:00] - The Contemporaries: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel
[05:18] - The Boldness of the Prophets
[06:05] - Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet
[07:19] - The Hardships of Jeremiah
[09:17] - The Siege of Jerusalem
[11:05] - Ezekiel's Captivity and Visions
[13:34] - Ezekiel's Calling and Obedience
[16:14] - Ezekiel's Symbolic Acts
[17:29] - Daniel's Faithfulness in Babylon
[18:37] - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
[19:50] - Daniel in the Lion's Den
[21:02] - The Prophets' Messages of Judgment and Hope
[23:00] - The Purpose of Humanity
[24:15] - The Challenge of Believing in God's Love
[27:10] - Redefining Love
[29:26] - God's Heart for His People
[32:07] - God's Unwavering Love
[33:31] - The Promise of Restoration
[34:17] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Lamentations 3:21-24 (NKJV)
> "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him!'"
2. Ezekiel 1:1-3 (NKJV)
> "Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there."
3. Daniel 6:22-23 (NKJV)
> "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.' Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God."
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the context in which Jeremiah delivered his messages, and how did he express hope amidst despair? ([07:09])
2. Describe the symbolic acts Ezekiel performed and their significance. ([16:02])
3. How did Daniel's faithfulness in Babylon influence the hearts of pagan kings? ([19:42])
4. What does the passage from Lamentations reveal about God's faithfulness and compassion? ([32:48])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Jeremiah's experience of lament and hope in Lamentations 3:21-24 reflect the balance of God's judgment and mercy? ([07:09])
2. What can we learn from Ezekiel's obedience to God's unusual commands, and how does this challenge our own willingness to follow God's direction? ([16:02])
3. In what ways did Daniel's unwavering faith in a foreign land serve as a testimony to God's power and sovereignty? ([19:42])
4. How does the sermon redefine our understanding of God's love, especially in the context of judgment and discipline? ([25:58])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt despair. How did you find hope in God's faithfulness, similar to Jeremiah's experience? ([07:09])
2. Ezekiel performed many symbolic acts that seemed strange. Have you ever felt God asking you to do something unusual or difficult? How did you respond? ([16:02])
3. Daniel remained faithful to God's laws even in a foreign land. Are there areas in your life where you feel pressured to compromise your faith? How can you stand firm like Daniel? ([19:42])
4. The sermon suggests that God's love is more about our spiritual health than our physical well-being. How does this perspective change the way you view challenges and hardships in your life? ([25:58])
5. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all faced significant trials but remained faithful. What steps can you take to strengthen your faith and trust in God's promises during difficult times? ([07:09])
6. How can you apply the lesson of God's unwavering love and mercy in your relationships with others, especially those who may have wronged you? ([32:48])
7. The sermon mentioned that true love is about spiritual health and eternal destiny. How can you prioritize spiritual growth in your daily life and in the lives of those around you? ([25:58])
Devotional
Day 1: God's Faithfulness in Despair
In the midst of Jerusalem's siege and destruction, Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," delivered messages of both impending judgment and eventual restoration. Despite the dire circumstances, his writings are filled with hope and faith in God's unwavering love and mercy. Jeremiah's ministry teaches us that even in our darkest moments, God's faithfulness remains steadfast. His mercies are new every morning, offering us hope and compassion when we need it most. This encourages us to trust in God's love and find solace in His promises, even when we face despair. [01:25]
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt overwhelmed by despair. How can you remind yourself of God's new mercies each morning and find hope in His unwavering love today?
Day 2: Obedience in the Face of the Unusual
Ezekiel's life was marked by extraordinary acts of obedience, even when God's commands seemed strange or difficult. Taken to Babylon during the second deportation, Ezekiel experienced profound visions of God's glory and was called to perform symbolic acts to convey God's messages to the exiled Israelites. His willingness to obey, even in the face of bizarre and challenging tasks, underscores the importance of complete obedience to God. This challenges us to trust and obey God, even when His ways are beyond our understanding. [16:14]
Ezekiel 4:4-5 (ESV): "Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where God is calling you to obey, even if it seems unusual or difficult? How can you take a step of faith and trust in His plan today?
Day 3: Faithfulness in Foreign Lands
Daniel's unwavering faith in a foreign land led to miraculous deliverances and influenced the hearts of pagan kings. Taken to Babylon in the first deportation, Daniel served in the courts of foreign kings and remained steadfast in his adherence to God's laws. His refusal to compromise, even when facing the lion's den, demonstrates the power of unwavering faith. Daniel's life encourages us to remain faithful to God, regardless of our circumstances or the pressures we face. [19:50]
Daniel 6:10 (ESV): "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously."
Reflection: In what ways are you facing pressure to compromise your faith? How can you remain steadfast and faithful to God in your current circumstances?
Day 4: God's Love Amidst Judgment
The narratives of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel reveal that God's judgments are always coupled with His love and desire for restoration. Even as He allowed Israel to face the consequences of their actions, His ultimate goal was their repentance and return to Him. This teaches us that God's discipline is an expression of His love, aimed at bringing us back to a right relationship with Him. Understanding this helps us to see God's heart for us, even in times of correction. [32:07]
Hebrews 12:6-7 (ESV): "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's discipline. How did it lead you to a deeper relationship with Him? How can you embrace His loving correction today?
Day 5: Redefining Love
The sermon challenges our understanding of love, suggesting that true love is not merely about physical well-being but about spiritual health and eternal destiny. God's actions, even when they seem harsh, are driven by His desire for our ultimate good. This calls us to trust in God's definition of love and His plans for our lives, even when they are difficult to comprehend. By redefining love in this way, we can better align our lives with God's purposes and trust in His greater plan for us. [27:10]
1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
Reflection: How do you typically define love in your life? How can you begin to align your understanding of love with God's definition, focusing on spiritual health and eternal destiny?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "In the beginning there was chaos and then God spoke creating light land and life itself thus Begins the Old Testament a collection of sacred texts that tell the story of God's relationship with Humanity from the creation of the world to the formation of the nation of Israel the Old Testament weaves together history poetry prophecy and wisdom literature it introduces us to pillars of our faith like Abraham Moses King David and many more to trials and triumphs the Old Testament reveals God's faithfulness his Justice and mercy laying the foundation for the coming of the Messiah and offering Timeless lessons for Humanity." (-1212 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The purpose is to believe in God and do as he says I threw it in there Mike to worship him to serve him to glorify him and only then can we be glorified in return because we are doing what we were supposed to do but too many of us are screwdrivers trying to be Hammers and hammers trying to be screwdrivers and it doesn't work we either destroy ourselves or we destroy others in the process and we don't seem to get it the world doesn't seem to get it." (31 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "God is love God loves you in their response if God loves us then why does he allow all these bad things to happen sure the israels were thinking the Israelites were thinking the same thing maybe that's why Daniel didn't have as much of a problem as Ezekiel and Jeremiah because their world was going great it's easy to believe in God when your world is going great when America at its high point a lot of people believed in God but when the problems came when Pearl Harbor hit when the Nazis started attacking the world when all this other stuff went down Vietnam and and Cuba and all these other crazy situations that have happened in our history and slavery and and all that stuff we think where is God in this." (43 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God is love and you have to remember that because sometimes it's hard to remember that it was hard for the writers of Lamentations to remember that sometimes it was it's hard for the writers of the Psalms to remember that God is love because all these horrible things keep happening in the world over and over and over again and all we can remember is that God is love and the reason that we don't get it is because we care more about our Cosmetics than we do about our substance and God cares more about our substance than he does about our Cosmetics it doesn't matter to him if you have one arm or two arms when you come to him in glory because he wants you in glory he wants your soul not your body he doesn't want you healthy he wants you spiritually healthy he wants you to make it and whatever it takes to get you there he's going to do it he's going to make sure you make it because he loves you he's your father and he cares more than you ever will for yourself." (56 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We think it matters what we do it does it does but it doesn't matter how much God loves us you can do whatever you want to do you can hate God as much as you want to hate him you can disobey him as much as you want to disobey him his love for you is never going to waver it's never going to change but you can't be his unless you do as he tells you to do because anything less than that is not faithfulness in God it's faithfulness in yourself and God knows that's a sickness in our souls and the sickness in our souls is worse than the sickness in our bodies or in our minds and he will get rid of it any way he can." (47 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "Jeremiah Ezekiel and Daniel three awesome prophets they are the two three and four of the four major prophets Mike preached on Isaiah last week and it's interesting that they're grouped together the way they are because the Old Testament isn't necessarily chronological the Bible isn't chronological but it does start with Genesis and ends with Revelation and that's that's that's very convenient and in the middle is everything kind of scrambled up but these prophets are actually grouped together uh because of the size of their books not because of who they were when they uh were around uh they are the major Prophets The minor Pro prophets had smaller books and Daniel kind of slipped into the Major Prophets because Hosea is the book I believe after Daniel and that's about the same size as Daniel actually it's just a little bit shorter uh so maybe the the the plum line there was uh you know just the size of Daniel's book to make the major prophet but these guys are the most remembered prophets as well and they're grouped together interestingly enough they are actually contemporaries with each other these three Isaiah was uh a little over a hundred years before Jeremiah and Jeremiah comes and he is the first of these three but while he's preaching Ezekiel and Daniel start their preaching as well or their their their Ministries as well so they were actually all contemporaries it's very possible that they knew each other and within the books themselves is correspondence with each other uh Jeremiah I believe corresponds with Daniel and Ezekiel corresponds with uh someone in there and you know Jeremiah goes and he he sends a message he sends a letter to the the the courts where Daniel is and so on and on it goes and so they kind of knew of each other at least we know that." (119 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Jeremiah was left at home he was not taken he's the first one that we'll talk about Jeremiah was uh from the Priestly family we don't really know if he was going to be a priest but chances are he probably was especially with the words that he had from the Lord he was most definitely probably going to be a priest uh but uh those things were kind of done away with when the sieges started the sieges started because the Kings of Israel and the people themselves sold themselves out they had a God who loved them who guided them who got them into the promised land through a bunch of other mistrials and and Misadventures they finally got there and then they squandered it right they dropped the ball they stopped looking at God as though he was who he is and they started they stopped looking at themselves for who they were and started elevating themselves so God's here and they're here and eventually it kind of went like this in their hearts and their minds and they started worshiping other gods they started Living their lives the way they want to they started doing things they want to do they wanted a king because everybody else around them had a king they wanted uh glory and power and they wanted to do things their way they had a better idea how to do it and they went off and they chased that and unfortunately that's not how we're made we're not made to do those things." (98 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Ezekiel had to do a lot of weird things Ezekiel had to lay on his side for months and months and months I think over a year and then he had to flip over and be on his other side for another year just to show people something about what God was saying he cut his hair off and he not a problem for me but he cut his hair off and he cut it all up some of it he cut up and some of it he burned burned and some of it he let the wind take away and then other of it uh a little bit more of it was the remnant so this was a sign and then he had to eat this unkosher food cooked over human feces at one point in front of everybody this is one point where Ezekiel said H Lord I don't want to do that I've eaten kosher my whole life not using the word kosher I've only eaten what you've wanted me to eat my whole life I don't think I can do that and God said fine you can use animal poop so he used cattle poop and he had had to do it but he did it he did it and he did it because God wanted him to do it interesting character bold bold in his prophecy Jeremiah bold." (71 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Daniel was probably the first one taken he paid a little bit of a price he uh had to go to the king's court not too shabby he was given the King's food to eat you'd think that would be pretty good but then Daniel refused to eat the food that the king put before him and instead chose to follow the ordinances of God similar to what Ezekiel said Daniel said I'm not going to eat anything that the Lord doesn't want me to eat so he would only eat according to the dietary restrictions that God had placed on the Jews and the unic was a the head unic who really liked Daniel was a little upset a little worried I don't know what's going to happen if you keep doing this I'll give you I'll give you a couple days and and see what happens happens and after the time period that was allotted Daniel and his friends Shadrach mhach and Abednego looked great and the King was confused these guys what have these guys been eating they look they look very healthy and the unic told him and the King praised God for these people interesting this is interesting because then later Shadrach mesach and Abednego are in a situation where they refuse to bow to the god that put before them the bells are ringing and the horns are blowing and when that happens everybody in Babylon is supposed to bow down and and worship this God that's brought before them and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego refused to do that so the king says you're going to be in trouble if you don't do it and they say we don't care and he throws him in the furnace he comes out they bring him back out unharmed unburned there was another person in there with them the whole time which a lot of people believe is is a is a picture of Christ in the Old Testament a christophany and what does the king do praise His God and makes an ordinance these guys God is the God these guys God is the only God worthy of worship." (120 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We got Jeremiah and Ezekiel preaching to their own people preaching to their brothers and sisters of Israel preaching that God is going to destroy Israel that God is going to eventually return them to Israel but not any time soon in fact Jeremiah both and Ezekiel are given the exact time when they're to come back when the when everything will be over which is 70 years Israel didn't want to hear that they didn't want to hear that they had other other prophets who were telling them hey don't worry everything's going to be fine two years tops and you're coming back to Israel that's a good message to hear and not only will you come back but your enemies will be destroyed the Babylonians will be overthrown the calans will be dead everything's going to be great hunky dory everybody will return all the borders will be restored and we will be a people again Jeremiah and Ezekiel had the same message no that's not going to happen in fact God is going to return you but most of you will be very old when that happens or gone and when that happens we won't own the country anymore it won't be ours it'll be somebody else's we'll be taking care of it for other kingdoms that's not a message they wanted to hear but that was the message God had for them and their people refused to listen to it but Daniel who is preaching to these Kings of other countries not his people he is in he is in a world of a completely different sort he is surrounded by Foreign dignitaries he is surrounded by royalty that isn't Israeli royalty and they're not only listening to him their hearts are changing because of Daniel's message the Kings themselves are being touched this is common throughout all the scripture if you look right Joseph had the same Ministry he was thrown into a foreign land and he was faithful to his God and and the king or the Pharaoh noticed it right and he interprets his dream and then he he sees the wisdom of this kid he says Hey I want you in charge of Egypt puts him in charge Daniel had the same opportunities over and over and over again because he outlived most of the kings that were put before him and every time these Kings changed their hearts because of Daniel's Ministry not so with Jeremiah and Ezekiel because they knew they knew what it took to be a good person they knew what it took to be a viable person and Israel didn't want to hear it." (162 seconds)(Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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