Day 64: An Object Lesson

Jeremiah 13:1-11

Yahweh said to me, “Go, and buy yourself a linen belt, and put it on your waist, and don’t put it in water.”

So I bought a belt according to Yahweh’s word, and put it on my waist.

Yahweh’s word came to me the second time, saying, “Take the belt that you have bought, which is on your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.”

So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as Yahweh commanded me.

After many days, Yahweh said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take the belt from there, which I commanded you to hide there.”

Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the belt from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the belt was ruined. It was profitable for nothing.

Then Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Yahweh says, ‘In this way I, will ruin the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have gone after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, will even be as this belt, which is profitable for nothing. For as the belt clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to me,’ says Yahweh; ‘that they may be to me for a people, for a name, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’

God’s teaching style is one that even a child can understand. In this case, He told His prophet to buy a belt, wear it for a while and then hide it by the river. Then, after a long time, God told him to go back and find it. Jeremiah had to dig to find his belt and discovered that it was now ruined. God used this to describe Israel’s pride.

Israel is like a belt to God. When God wears them, they have pride, but when they are stubborn and go after other gods, they rot and become worthless.

God expects mankind to have pride because they cling to Him, not because they have found or created their own way. It’s really too late for mankind to correct the problem though. We are ruined because we have already gone away from God, but God has prepared a miracle. Just as Jesus was ruined when He died for us, He came back from the dead. The Bible says that Jesus is the first one to rise again like this. Anyone who trusts in what the Bible says about Jesus, will be resurrected like Jesus. They are also to be made useful again. They won’t just be resurrected after they die, they are also new inside right away.

Day 41: The Problem of Immortality

John 5:24-30 : “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

Here, Jesus tells us that everyone will be brought back to life from the dead. He will give the command and everyone will be brought back. Here we find out more about how this eternal life works. Those who do good will be raised to life and those who have done evil will go to judgment.

Notice how it says that he who believes in Him will not come into judgment and later it says that those who have done good will be the ones who miss judgment. By believing in Jesus, you will become one who does good. This is an important thing. It isn’t by trying to be good that you become good. It is by believing in Jesus. This a critical change that Jesus made when He brought us His salvation. Jesus’ own way of doing things is an example for us as well.

He said that He “can of myself do nothing.” This is how it is for all of those who become Christians today. None of us can do anything of ourselves. If we think we can, we only fool ourselves (and make fools of ourselves). We need God’s power in our lives in order to do the good that we want to do. When God changed us, He made us want to do His will inside just like Jesus does. We should follow Jesus’ example and do nothing of ourselves. This will make it possible for us to live a good life like Jesus did.

Here we see the severe importance of human immortality. After this life, all will be raised. This changes everything. If the here-and-now was all that there is, then it would make sense to party and make the most of this short miserable life. The fact is, we are all going to shed our immortality. After that is when the most important things happen. This is why Christians focus on the time after death. That is the point of no return. Until then, everyone has a chance to believe in Jesus.