Every Jug Filled With Wine, A Chicken In Every Pot

“Therefore you are to speak this word to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “Every jug is to be filled with wine.”‘ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?’ then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings that sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! I will dash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will not show pity nor be sorry nor have compassion so as not to destroy them.”‘” - Jer 13:12-14 (NASB)

God told Jeremiah to use this picture to illustrate the trouble that was coming on the nation, because of their persitence in rebellion, and their failure to follow His word,-they wouldn’t even listen to Him anymore.
The image of “everyone’s jug being filled” reminded me of the phrase “a chicken in every pot.”
First spoken by Henry IV of France, he said: “I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday.” This phrase became part of the Hoover election campaign for President. It was the idea of general prosperity for all, certainly an effective campaign idea.

These ideas resonate with us, we want our pots full. We want prosperity and provision.
The problem is, the context of Jeremiah’s words, was judgement from God on a nation who was in rebellion.
So, God pronounced… “yeah, I’m gonna fill your jugs with wine, but your are going to become drunkards.”
It’s similar to the story of the children of Israel complaining about not having any meat when they were wandering in the wilderness. (Numbers 11) They wanted meat, and they were unhappy with God’s provision. So, God gave them meat. He sent quail. Not only did God give them meat to eat, he gave them so much meat, that it made them sick. One can only imagine the kind of sickness that over 3 million people gorging themselves on oily meat (for an entire month) might bring… I picture mass dysentery. Ponder that for a moment.

Isaiah wrote about a particular problem with the tribe of Ephriam:
And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment. For all the tables are full of filthy vomit, without a single clean place. -Isaiah 28:7-8 (NASB)

In one case, the pots were full of chicken, so to speak, in another, the jugs were full of wine. In both instances sickness ensued. Isn’t it interesting that when we get the thing we crave, when it’s something other than the Lord Himself, it never works out, we are never satisfied, but rather, we are sick. Wine is symbolic of blessing and joy, meat is symbolic of God’s provision of food. Both are good, but neither should be craved as something that will satisfy us.

God revealed to Jeremiah what He intended for His people…  ”…I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’ - Jer 13:11 (NASB)

This is what God wants, not to fill our jugs, or fill our pots, but to fill our hearts with His Spirit. He wants to have a relationship with His people. When we find ourselves seeking anything other than that for satisfaction or enjoyment, we should know that it won’t work out for us. This is just a simple truth of life. Make the Lord the pursuit of your life, and you will be blessed. He is pursuing you, He’s been pursuing you for your whole life.
There is no greater source of contentment and joy than being filled with the Spirit of God!

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalms 37:4 (NASB)

 

 

 

Don’t Be A Bad Wife. -Part II, Michal

But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” -2 Sam 6:20

David had been rejoicing before the Lord in dance as the ark of the covenant returned to Jerusalem -something worthy of celebration. David celebrated in a way that Michal perceived as beneath David’s royal position.

David got it right, and Michal got it wrong.

He understood, that even as king of Israel, God was his King, and worthy of not only a royal processional, but of humble worship. David was worshipping God, and that, with abandon.
For Michal, who had been influenced by her now deposed father, humble worship was foreign to her, and she despised her husband, the king, for his dance of praise.

Worship is the one right thing for all men and women. Do you know that? It is the one thing that is really necessary. Remember Mary and Martha? Jesus commended the one who sat at His feet and worshipped Him.
It is that moment when we bow to God, acknowledging who He is, and who they are before Him.
I wonder how many trials of life would dissolve, if we would take that position more often, even as a lifestyle.
Something I have noticed over the years, is how many Christian men refuse to sing to Jesus during worship at church, -seemingly afraid to look or sound foolish, perhaps afraid to engage on en emotional level.

I’m sure very few Christian women would be like Michal, despising their husband for worshipping God.
However, it is possible, to hinder them in other ways. Do you quickly yield when your man wants to serve at church at the expense of time with you and the family? Do you support him fully, or is your own neediness your priority? I’ll let you in on a secret,… if you support your husband in every spiritual pursuit, you will have a better husband. The question is, do you trust the Lord enough to release him to worship? Try commending him, even encouraging him to serve, to be involved, to go on retreats, etc…. yes, at your emotional expense.

I’m not advocating that husbands abandon or neglect their wives,.. in no way do I support that. But when a man  begins to make the Lord more of a priority in his life, his partner should wholeheartedly support that -even if it costs her some of his time and attention.

Worship by it’s very nature takes the priority off of us and our needs, and puts it on God, who is worthy of our praise, and sacrificial attention.

How sad that David’s day of happy celebration ended with this kind of insensitive and heartless reception from his own wife, but often God’s servants go quickly from the glory of the mountain to the shadows of the valley.—Wiersbe

 

Daniel Was A Radical

…Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.” – Dan 6:3-5 (NASB)

Daniel was an exceptional young man, a man in whom was an “extraordinary spirit.” There is no record of Daniel being highly skilled above his peers in any physical way, he wasn’t the best stone-mason, he wasn’t the best chariot racer, but the quality of his character is what was different.

When the other government officials saw that Daniel was being blessed,and promoted above them, they plotted together to bring him down. As they were considering how they might bring him into disfavor with the king, it says that they could find no ground of accusation, and no corruption in him. Daniel was the real deal. He was a faithful follower of God. Eventually, these jealous colleagues would resort to accusations about Daniel’s religion.

Here, in the practice of his faith, these opponents could find fault, -Daniel was a radical. He was one of those guys who actually practiced what he believed, and he was uncompromising, and unintimidated.
Daniel is a beautiful picture of what we need more of in our day, men of principle and conviction, men who have authentic integrity, and live their lives with complete transparency. This was the kind of man that the (human) king wanted to promote to rule his kingdom. How much more will the Lord honor the man (or woman) who is completely His.

 

Woe To My Hometown!

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 ” Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” -Matt 11:20-24 (NASB)

Jesus really ramps it up in His preaching, here in Matthew 11. He names Chorazin, Bethsaida, and His hometown of Capernaum, and lays some pretty strong rebuke on them. Why? Because He presented Himself in each town, teaching and performing miracles, and in general, they rejected Him.

Sometimes I wonder how to translate Jesus into the church today. Would He be accepted in the Christian community with outbursts like this? Jesus rebuked these cities with language of hell and judgement. It would be unimaginable to speak this kind of judgement in our politically correct, overly sensitive world without strong criticism from every quarter. What was He thinking? You can’t reach the lost with this kind of language.

These cities had witnessed a brief visit from Christ, yes it was personal, but it was brief, and without complete revelation of His person and ministry. So, what about the cities of our western world, where the gospel has gone out far and wide? We see miracles every day, with greater and greater revelation of God’s good creation. We have access to the full gospel story from Genesis to Revelation like no other generation before us. And yet, we remain just as stubborn and unrepentant as any generation before.

Woe to my hometown!