Greetings All…
An Old Testament Jewish fellow by the name of Baruch was the scribe
for prophet Jeremiah.
Baruch also wrote a book, though it did not make the
cut for our Old Testament, still some of the readings are part of the schedule
of Scriptural readings through the year.
This is one reading suggested for preaching…
Baruch 5:1-9
5:1 Take off the garment of your sorrow and
affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
5:2 Put on the robe of the righteousness that
comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
5:3 for God will show your splendor everywhere
under heaven.
5:4 For God will give you evermore the name,
"Righteous Peace, Godly Glory."
5:5 Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east, and see your children gathered from west and east at the
word of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered them.
5:6 For they went out from you on foot, led
away by their enemies; but God will bring them back to you, carried in glory,
as on a royal throne.
5:7 For God has ordered that every high
mountain and the everlasting hills be made low and the valleys filled up, to
make level ground, so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
5:8 The woods and every fragrant tree have
shaded Israel at God's command.
5:9 For God will lead Israel with joy, in the
light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.
Please note how verse 7
here very closely resembles verse 5 of chapter three of Luke…
3:5 Every
valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the
crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;
And also chapter 40,
verse 4 of Isaiah…
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made
low;
the rough ground shall become
level,
the rugged places a plain.
Be very
assured that whatever obstacles may seem to be in the way, God is working on
removing those obstacles and leveling our path toward him.
This
idea of leveling the path seemed important enough for God to inspire Isaiah,
Baruch, and Luke…perhaps it is an important enough of an idea that we should
cast our faith upon it!
Rejoice
this day for God
will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
Peace, Mike
