Is it a sign of weak faith if something bad happens to good people? Ask Job about that. No reason was ever given for the disasters that hit him. There was a conversation between God and Satan, but that is only a discussion of his faithfulness. His erstwhile friends pressed him to admit some sin that caused the death of his children (among other losses). However, Job defeats their easy theology claiming that it is more complex than that. And it is. What is the purpose of a t

The Book of Jeremiah is a collection of prophetic sermons arranged by Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch. Jeremiah began preaching in 627 BC, then disappeared as a captive in Egypt around 580 BC. So, these sermons represent over 40 years of prophecy. It looks like Baruch grouped them together chronologically into various eras of Jeremiah’s life. Thus, one should expect some repetition and overlap; cycles of God’s accusations against Judah, declarations of judgments, and offers to fore

In recent stories, the women have been in conversation with a prophet. Prophets are preachers who have been sent by God to Israel or Judah (or us) with a message and a mission. Often rejected in their own time, some become highly respected after death. Jesus noted the irony of people in First Century Galilee and Judea building tombs for prophets that their ancestors killed. The Bible includes stories and even books of a whole slew of prophets. It is interesting that women ar

When we left the first half of Chapter 12 last week, we could see that Jeremiah was disgusted with the practices of his family, neighbors, and the people and leaders of the Kingdom of Judah. At that moment, he wondered why God had not destroyed them before now. It is not the only emotion that he has had, for we know that he also wept over the coming but deserved destruction of his nation. God commiserated with Jeremiah, but warned him that it was going to get worse before it