Week 30, July 20–26: Jeremiah 42–52; 1 Peter 1–5; Ezekiel 1–3

• Sun      Jul 20  Jer. 42–44
• Mon     Jul 21  Jer. 45–47
• Tue      Jul 22  Jer. 48–49
• Wed     Jul 23  Jer. 50–52
• Thu      Jul 24  1 Pet. 1–3
• Fri        Jul 25  1 Pet. 4–5
• Sat       Jul 26  Ezek. 1–3

The last several chapters of Jeremiah consist of oracles of judgement against the nations surrounding Israel and Judah. These are prophesies of doom the Lord has planned for these nations who have been enemies to his people over the course of their history. This includes nations geographically near Israel and Judah, like the Philistines and Moabites and Ammonites, and also includes nations farther away, like Egypt and Babylon. Each of the nations included in these oracles has played a part in the story of God’s people and in the narrative of Scripture. They have all played the role of nemesis to Israel at different points in their past.

We have seen this kind of oracle of judgement against enemy nations in Isaiah, and they will be a recurring part of the rest of the prophetic literature too. The consistent message is that, even though Israel is experiencing deserved defeat at the hands of these wicked nations, they will also be judged one day. Whether Egypt, Babylon, or any other nation, these represent all that is at odds with the Lord and his purposes in the world. These nations, and the evil forces of sin they represent, may seem like they are prevailing upon the people of God—and at times they are; but in the end, the Lord will defeat them in judgement, just as he will strike a final blow to sin and death itself.

With the themes of exile so prominent in the prophetic books, it is appropriate and perhaps providential that our reading of 1 Peter is nestled in between our reading of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. In fact, the reason we are reading 1 Peter at this point, out of the canonical sequence of the NT, is because we will be preaching through the book on Sunday mornings starting in a few weeks.

1 Peter is addressed, by

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” (1 Pet. 1:1–2)

This opening, as with many biblical books, lays the groundwork for the five chapters that make up this short letter. The Apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers and companions, wrote this letter to Christians from the Jewish diaspora scattered around the regions listed in verse 1. He refers to the recipients as elect exiles, which designates the recipients as those God has chosen and called to himself from among the nations where they are scattered. It also sets the tone for the themes of the letter and signals towards its purpose and main message.

He will have much to say about enduring in the midst of suffering, and the persecution they are facing and will face is well described as an experience of exile. They, and we, are in many ways away from home and awaiting the final da of the Lord, or the “end of all things,” when the glory of Christ will be revealed (4:7, 13). Peter’s message to those who are facing suffering in exile is to persevere in the face of persecution, and to remain holy, set apart from sin. One commentator sums up Peter’s main message like this: “It’s better to suffer than to son.”

We move from this short NT letter to a community of Christian exiles, back to the prophetic book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a prophet and a priest who was called by God to speak for him to the people of Israel and Judah during the time of their exile. Ezekiel was taken from Judah in one of the earlier waves of deportation to Babylon, sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem and the final stage of Babylonian exile. The book begins in the fifth year of the Judahite king Jehoiachin’s exile (see 1 Kgs 12–15) and with Ezekiel’s firsthand account of a vision of God’s glorious presence.

The genre of literature here, where we read of Ezekiel’s vision, is referred to as apocalyptic. Apocalyptic literature depicts realities that could only have been known by God’s own revelation. We see similar depictions in Daniel and the book of Revelation in the NT. Apocalyptic literature is unusual, mysterious, even outlandish. It paints fantastic pictures of heavenly scenes, using imagery that is hard to imagine. In fact, this is the point of such imagery. The otherworldly creatures, and especially the visions of the Lord himself, are things that cannot be fully captured using the categories of human language. When Ezekiel, or Daniel or John, sees these revelatory sights, they do the best they can, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to communicate what they saw. They use limited human vocabulary including descriptions of creatures, body parts, and other objects our finite minds can grasp. We are meant to read this and understand that what is being described cannot be fully described. Ezekiel is conveying a glorious revelation, and it should elicit a sense of wonder and awe as we read.

Within this apocalyptic framing to open the book, we read Ezekiel’s prophetic message of judgement on the people of Israel. God calls Ezekiel to speak for him to the “people of Israel, to nations of rebels… a rebellious house,” whether they will listen to his words or not (Ezek. 2:1–7). He is to say to them, “Thus says the Lord,” and then proclaim whatever message God gives him. And even before he goes and speaks these words from the Lord, God tells Ezekiel the people will not listen to him. For they are not willing to listen to God, “because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.” (3:4–7)

Nevertheless, the Lord will strengthen his prophet to continue speaking. He has made him a watchman to call out warning and to urge the people to repent. Ezekiel’s unrelenting message from the Lord is that judgement is coming, Jerusalem’s destruction is imminent, and a full exile from the land is an impending and unstoppable reality.

As we read through this book it can be discouraging. Much of it is about judgement and God’s righteous wrath in response to the idolatry and sin of his people. We may be tempted to respond by relegating Ezekiel (and perhaps other OT books) to a status of less valuable or less relevant for us as Christians. We could find ourselves slipping subtly into viewing Ezekiel as a book written for another people back then that has little bearing on our lives today. After all, we now live under the new covenant, after Jesus’ first coming. But that line of thinking would not be consistent with what we believe about the Bible, with the claim that all Scripture is God’s word and profitable for our instruction and edification (2 Tim 3:16).