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Set Captives Free!
Carl HigashiJeremiah 34:17-18
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. 18 Those who have violated my covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.
I was always taught to know what the "therefore was "therefore".
The people of God were under attack by the Babylonians and the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding towns were under attack.
King Zedekiah makes a covenant with all the people of Jerusalem to set the salves that have been in service for six years be freed. Then all the officials and people agreed to free their slaves, but then renig on their word. They choose to re-enslave the slaves they had just promised to set free. Freedom that the king promised along with the slave owners.
So because of this broken covenant a willful disregard to obey God, this is why the "therefore" is "therefore", a consequence is issued by God to the people of Jerusalem, you chose "freedom to fall by the sword, plague and famine." Under the pressures of war, the people's lack of following through on their commitment resulted in their death!
The application is simple for me...if I say I am going to do something, do it no matter what!
As a pastor at New Hope there is a weight of responsibility to set people free by ushering people to Jesus, the one that can set them free. There is also a responsibility to do the things I say I am going to do, because people's lives and freedom are at stake!
Father God, I'm sorry for those times I over commit and under deliver. Lord I ask for your forgiveness and repent of my lack of follow through on things. Lord, help me to follow through till completion on all the things I have committed to and complete them all with a spirit of excellence that is fitting for a King and His children.
Lord, help me to only commit to those things in the future that I am being asked to commit to and give me the wisdom and discernment to say "no" to the things that You are not asking of me. Help me set captives free, may it begin with me.
Love You Lord with all my heart. Use me for your purposes alone for your glory. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
