Corona Devo 1666

The people in (the prophet) Jeremiah's town (Jerusalem) were not putting God first and were not following God's Law.  And after a while of not-putting-God-first, and not-obeying-His-Law--do you know what happens?  

It gets easier for us to not-put-God-first.  

We become distracted, and we focus on other things, instead of God.  Slowly, we become absent from God's Word, because we forget the importance and holiness of God's Word.

And that is precisely what had happened in Jerusalem in Jeremiah's day.    

The people were doing their own thing (which is called sin when it contradicts with God's thing), and they had allowed their allegiance to God to erode and become distorted.  

The Israelites in Jerusalem were neglecting to honor God on the Sabbath day.  They were dishonoring Him by carrying on their trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day.

The Sabbath day is God's day, but the Israelites were treating it like any other day, and like anyone else's day.  

And God was not honored.  

No--God's desire was for them to refocus on Him (instead of working and engaging in trade) on the Sabbath day (which we would call Sunday). 

That was where God started when attempting to reform His people: by commanding them to keep the Sabbath day holy.  

Is that where God is starting with us today?  What is on our Sabbath day (Sunday) docket?  Have we made it a holy day honoring God?  

God told Jeremiah to go to the city gates of Jerusalem (right where the people were engaged in trade), and God told Jeremiah to have a voice for honoring Him and His day (the Sabbath).    

This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand in the gates of Jerusalem, first in the gate where the king goes in and out, and then in each of the other gates. 

(20) Say to all the people, ‘Listen to this message from the Lord, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem. 

(21) This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. (22) Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day.  ~Jeremiah 17:19-23

God had beautiful promises for the people of Israel if they would stop their trading and working on Sundays.

The only job of the Israelites was to listen to what God told them about keeping His day holy.  But God had told the ancestors of the Israelites not to work/trade on the Sabbath too...and they didn't listen.

Will we?

I gave this command to your ancestors, (23) but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept my discipline.  

(24) “‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, 

(25) then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. 

(26) And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.  

(27) “‘But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates. The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.’”  ~Jeremiah 17:22-27

~~~

Can we see that the people of Israel had a choice?

God leaves our obedience to Him up to us.

God had beautiful promises for the people of Israel if they would stop their trading and working on Sundays, and if they would honor Him first.

But would they listen this time?  (Their ancestors had not.)  And their ancestors had missed out on God's promises. 

But (Oh, the glory of this...) if God's people will listen to Him and chose to keep His Sabbath day holy...then God promises change to our commerce, our business, our Nation, and to us.

God knows how it plays out when His people obey Him: It works out really well.  

Are we willing to set aside our plans and work and trading on Sunday, in order to honor the Lord?

God speaks of having kings and their officials coming in and out of the city gates forever.  If God's people will obey Him and honor Him,...then God will take care of His people and their city.  

Jerusalem will do well if it's people will choose to honor God and the worship of Him.  And while God gave us these verses a couple thousand years ago, His principles do not change.  He provides the same rules and the exact same outcome-options to the United States of America.  

Will we obey Him and the honoring of His (Sabbath) day?

...“‘But if you obey me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy..."  ~Jeremiah 17:24

Will we (as a Country) choose to come back to the Lord today?  Will we leave the trading and cease our working on Sunday's?

If we will return to the Lord and if we will obey Him, then (Oh, the glory of this...) God promises positive change to our American commerce, and other (countries and people) will fall in line to honor what we have going on here in America.  

(25) then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever... Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever. 

Other nations will notice our obedience to God and our blessings from Him, and they too will come to worship our God. 

(26) And from all around Jerusalem, from the towns of Judah and Benjamin, from the western foothills and the hill country and the Negev, the people will come with their burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will bring their grain offerings, frankincense, and thanksgiving offerings to the Lord’s Temple.  

What more could we want than for others (people and nations) to see our example in honoring the Lord...and imitate it.  

What if our (individual and National) obedience to God's Sabbath day could change (first) our lives and then the livelihood of our Nation?  

God says that it will.

Let's try it.  

First step: clear your Sunday calendar.

Second step: Worship God without distraction today

This is what the Lord says: Listen to my warning! Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. (22) Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day.  ~Jeremiah 17:21-22  

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com