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The Doctrine of Israel (Part Five): A Remnant of Judah
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe punishment of Judah unfolded through successive Babylonian deportations that removed the people from their land because of persistent rebellion against God. Zedekiah and the leaders, along with the priests and people, multiplied transgressions, defiled the temple, and refused to heed repeated warnings sent by the prophets. Their refusal to humble themselves before the Lord and to keep the covenant brought Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem. In successive waves beginning in the seventh year of his reign, the Babylonians carried away thousands of captives, including the king, officials, craftsmen, and warriors, leaving only the poorest of the land. Jerusalem and the temple were burned, the walls broken down, and the remaining inhabitants taken into servitude in Babylon. This captivity fulfilled the word spoken by Jeremiah, allowing the land to observe its neglected sabbaths for seventy years. Although the deportations were organized rather than indiscriminately brutal, the people endured separation from their homeland, forced labor, and the prohibition against return. The same pattern of sin that had provoked earlier judgments reappeared after the Medo-Persian reversal of the resettlement policy permitted a remnant to rebuild. Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi record renewed neglect of the temple, failure to tithe, profanation of the sabbath, intermarriage with pagans, and corrupt offerings. These continuing violations demonstrated that the returned community had not truly repented. Jesus later confirmed that this generation filled up the measure of their fathers' guilt, resulting in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The entire sequence of punishment, exile, and partial restoration served God's larger purpose by preserving a line through which the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, minister in the land, and accomplish the work of salvation.
Lamentations (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe book's five acrostic songs (chapters) answer the question, 'Why did this happen?' God brought the punishment on Judah because of gross and sustained sin.
Lamentations (Part Eight)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAs we approach the coming self-examination prior to Passover, we can apply six significant lessons taught to ancient Israel through the book of Lamentations.
Lamentations (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPersonified Jerusalem, whom God depicts as a grieving widow, blames others for her troubles while overlooking her own sins as the real cause of her sorrow.
Lamentations (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Lamentations show poignant before-and-after vignettes of formerly happy times contrasted with the horror of the present as God punishes Judah.
A Tale of Two Complaints (Part One)
'Prophecy Watch' by Charles WhitakerThe prophet Jeremiah was grieved over the injustice of the prosperity of evil men, dismayed at their abuse of the land.
Baruch's Complaint (Part Two)
'Prophecy Watch' by Charles WhitakerJeremiah and his scribe, Baruch, lived during a time of great upheaval. Baruch complained that God's plans against Judah were crimping his own ambitions.
The Second Exodus (Part Two)
'Prophecy Watch' by David C. GrabbeThe timing of the regathering of Israel is uncertain, but here are the Scriptural markers that narrow the time frame to a significant prophetic event.
Baruch and His Wrong Priorities
CGG Weekly by Charles WhitakerGod told Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, "But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking!" He thought he could leverage his privileged position.
Lamentations (Part Six)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIn Lamentations 3, the narrator finally convinces Lady Jerusalem that her own sins have caused her necessary punishment and affliction by God.
Habakkuk
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughHabakkuk learns to look, watch, wait, then respond, realizing that God is sovereign and will rectify all the injustices in His own time.
Grace, Faith, and Love
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPride condemned Satan to a fate of manipulating rather than serving. This presumptuous self-centered trait creates disunity and ultimately destruction.
Faith (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughFaithfulness in a person ultimately rests on his or her trust in God, and if a person is going to be faithful, its because he or she believes what God says.
Are the Jews Cursed for Deicide?
'Ready Answer' by Charles WhitakerIs Matthew 27:25 a Jewish admission of deicide? Rightly understood, it is absolutely not a curse. God has not bound Himself to chastise Jewry as a whole.