The Park Forum

Links for today’s readings:

Sep 8  Read: Jeremiah 34 Listen: (4:15) Read: 1 Corinthians 10 Listen: (4:04)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 34.12-17

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’  Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people. You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name. 16 But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again. 17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Reflection: Ctrl-Z and Ctrl-Y

By John Tillman

“Ctrl-Z” (Command-Z on Mac) is a near-universal keystroke shortcut. It is the “undo” command in most editing programs for text, images, music, podcasts, videos, websites, or other digital documents or creations. In a digital program, any mistake can be quickly undone by Ctrl-Z.

A less widely known keyboard shortcut is “Ctrl-Y.” It is the “redo” command. If you have “undone” something with Ctrl-Z, you can “redo” it with Ctrl-Y.

In real life, fixing mistakes takes more than a keystroke. Restoration is harder than “undoing” what was done. If you trim too much off a video, Ctrl-Z puts it back. But there’s no Ctrl-Z for trimming too much off a 2 X 4 or too much fabric off a pair of pants. And the bigger the decisions, the less fixable the damage is.

Zedekiah and Jerusalem’s leaders had a “Ctrl-Z moment” when they undid something awful by freeing unjustly enslaved people. But their repentance didn’t last and they callously hit “Ctrl-Y,” re-enslaving those they had previously freed.

A CEO, business leader, or politician can fire thousands, abandon principles, betray allies, or start a war with a keystroke or two in a speech, a policy proposal, or even (apparently) a social media post. But there’s no Ctrl-Z to take back what is done if it goes badly. There’s no Ctrl-Z for the casualties, the damaged relationships, or the economic and emotional losses.

The people Zedekiah and the leaders enslaved, released, and then re-enslaved would have experienced emotional whiplash. Imagine the elation and joy of being freed, and then the shock, dismay, and anger of that freedom being taken away.

We’ve certainly all, as individuals and groups, gone back on our word, failed to follow through on a promise, or returned to sinful and harmful actions. These betrayals require more than a keystroke shortcut. What is cut off cannot easily be restored. What is damaged cannot easily be repaired.

Once we undo injustices, we must not allow them to be reintroduced, going back in time to when injustice was the norm. People often push back against efforts for justice because it is hard. Instead, we must continue in repentance, being shaped personally and as a community into the likeness of Christ.

Christian repentance goes beyond inner change, moving outward, transforming actions and fueling efforts to repair damage, restore losses, and heal harms. Once you repent, don’t look or turn back.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence

Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of your law. — Psalm 119.18

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Readers’ Choice is Coming!

Readers’ Choice is when we ask you to share your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. What posts helped you grieve?

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Read more: Slavery to Maturity

Long years of cultural ease have left us as ignorant of God as the Israelites’ long years of slavery in Egypt.

Links for today’s readings:

Sep 3  Read: Jeremiah 28 Listen: (3:05) Read: 1 Corinthians 5 Listen: (1:58)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 28.10-17

10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he said before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’ ” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. 
12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. 14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’ ” 
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’ ” 

17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.

Reflection: False Prophecies and Real Consequences

By John Tillman

Jeremiah wore his yoke in the king’s court and in the temple. (Imagine someone doing this in your church or the Oval Office!) I’m sure many felt Jeremiah’s stunt was disruptive, divisive, disturbing, and disrespectful.

Visual stunts are part of biblical prophetic tradition. Jeremiah’s yoke is just one in a long line. Hosea married a prostitute. Isaiah went naked. Ezekiel ate food cooked over dung and built a model of besieged Jerusalem.

Many modern protesters look to prophetic stunts for inspiration. They use elaborate props, costumes, artwork, and engage in strange behavior. If Jeremiah had access to an inflatable costume of an ox wearing a yoke, he probably would have worn it.

It is unclear how long Jeremiah’s stunt lasted. Days? Weeks? But eventually, tolerance ran out. Hananiah attacked Jeremiah, ripped off the yoke, and as a counter-protest, broke it into pieces to illustrate his prophetic message.

If saying so made it so, anyone could be a prophet.

Hananiah predicted one thing and Jeremiah another. Jeremiah said Babylon would conquer. Hananiah said Babylon would fall. Jeremiah said Israel would wear Babylon’s yoke. Hananiah said God would break it off. Jeremiah promised exile and suffering. Hananiah promised miraculous rescue and glory.

Which attention-grabbing prophetic stunt communicated the truth? How could Jerusalem know? Can we blame folks for wanting to believe Hananiah’s promises? Even Jeremiah hoped Hananiah was right instead of himself.

Have you felt that way? I have. I’ve heard foolish claims and obviously false promises from religious or political leaders and thought, “I hope you’re right” or “I wish you weren’t lying.” 

Making and following false prophecies has serious consequences. Hananiah broke a wooden yoke, but the real yoke God sent was unbreakable. Hananiah, and many others, died because they refused to listen to Jeremiah.

Those who keep promising things they can’t or don’t deliver bring harm on themselves and those who believe them. This harm will not go unpunished by God. We rarely have input into the consequences for leaders who do this. (Other than not trusting them in the future.) But we can trust God that consequences will come.

Also, we don’t have to choose between false hope and hopelessness. Jeremiah also promised the yoke would be broken. Just not as soon as Hananiah claimed. The proud would be destroyed and the humble saved.

There is always hope for those who humble themselves before God.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

Jesus taught us, saying: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled under foot by men.” — Matthew 5:13

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Readers’ Choice is Coming!

Readers’ Choice is when we ask you to share your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. What posts helped you explain the gospel?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

Read more: Solo Sins and Systemic Sins

Prophets address moral problems that are both spiritual and political…especially in Jeremiah’s day, when state power and religious power were synonymous.

Links for today’s readings:

Sep 2  Read: Jeremiah 27 Listen: (3:52) Read: 1 Corinthians 4 Listen: (3:15)

Scripture Focus: Jeremiah 27:16-17

16 Then I said to the priests and all these people, “This is what the Lord says: Do not listen to the prophets who say, ‘Very soon now the articles from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 17 Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and you will live. Why should this city become a ruin?

Reflection: It’s a Trap!

By Erin Newton

In the Star Wars movies, one character is known for the line “It’s a trap!” The phrase is actually repeated by multiple characters. Clearly the plot relies on the element of ruses and tricks. Situations the characters first think are good, often erupt into action-packed scenes of near disaster.

False prophets also deal in tricks and traps. 

Jeremiah warns the people about their judgment by the hand of God through the Babylonians. While their experience was painful, it was tempting to trust those who promised ease and a reversal. I don’t think I blame them. 

In fact, the prophets often began their messages with warnings of judgment and destruction and then followed those statements with promises of restoration. We rely on the conclusion of hope when we read the Bible. Why is Jeremiah warning against those prophecies now? 

If these false prophets had been able to sway the people, they would likely have attempted to act on the promises by rebelling against Babylon. Jeremiah warns that this would be futile.

Disclaimer: A glimmer of hope appears when Jeremiah indicates that restoration will happen when God decides. But the key factor is that God is the determiner of when that happens. Reacting to a false promise of restoration would likely have ruined it all. 

Pain has a way of leading us into temptation. We are tempted to listen to false prophets. We are tempted to listen to people who claim the name of God but speak a different message. 

You often see movies with these types of characters. They are the characters that cannot possibly grasp the danger that lies before them and so they convince themselves that everything is going to be just fine and that restoration is coming “very soon.” The character jumps up and flees the small net of safety and then the monster pounces. 

It is certainly tempting to believe a message that we can control. Blessing is coming very soon? Well let’s just hurry things along! That sounds rather nice. But in the end, it is foolish for us to force things to happen—force blessings, force ease and comfort. 

It’s sometimes hard to distinguish between promises of hardship or promises of coming restoration. I think we are called to be patient in God’s timing, even in pain. We must hold this life of ours loosely, never trying to turn things to our own commands.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds. — Psalm 36.5

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Readers’ Choice is Coming!

Readers’ Choice is when we ask you to share your favorite Park Forum posts from this year. 

What posts helped you heal?

https://forms.gle/Kj12Ziy4C9gQg8Xm7

Read more: Comfortable Prophecies

It is difficult to judge Jerusalem for falling for these false prophets. Don’t we also feel the pull to grasp onto any far-fetched hope of a return to normalcy?