JEREMICAH - CHAPTER 5 - Mystery of the Stock Market?
Hear O’ United States of America
JEREMIAH – Chapter 5
Taught by: Carolyn Sissom
February 2, 2021, September 30, 2008
Mystery of the Stock Market?
As we are watching’s God’s hand move in our nation and on the earth, I am watching what is happening in the stock market. This is not just a judgment on the corruption of the hedge-funds, but the Federal Reserve shovels money into the stock market. If the “Reddit revolution” continues, the hedge-funds will demand a bailout from the Federal government.
I find it interesting that in my notes from 9/30/2008 on this same chapter, I wrote the following comment:
“Shanna pointed out to me that the number of the stock market drop at the end of the day was 777. She asked, “Mother does that mean God has his hand on it.” Yes, God is in the midst of all that is going on in this nation” (2008).
So, I looked up what happened on that day in the stock market:
2008 News: The stock market crash of 2008 occurred on Sept. 29, 2008. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 777.68 points in intraday trading. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Stocks rallied Tuesday, with the Dow jumping 485 points on bets that Congress will pass a version of the government's $700 billion package, following Monday's crushing defeat. Credit markets remained frozen. Several closely watched measures of bank lending fear hit all-time highs, as firms continued to hoard funds.
We are continually amazed around here at how timely God’s Word and messages are as we faithfully preach and teach what He speaks. This has amazed me (again)! I take it as a confirmation that I am to be a “watchman” not only in our government, but in the financial arena.
We had lunch with Shelly Mohammed this past Sunday. She is very smart when it comes to the financial markets. I had given her a Word when I prayed for her about “putting her head into the present stock market activity.” I asked her to brief me on the terminology which meant nothing to me: “Robinhood,” “long,” “short,” “Reddit,” “Game-stock,” etc. I did make note today that Bed, Bath and Beyond is one of the stocks which was shorted. It seems they lost a lot of money. They are one of the retail businesses which outed “My Pillow.”
NATIONAL CORRUPTION
Chapter 5 begins Jeremiah’s second sermon to Judah. The issue is NATIONAL CORRUPTION. The failure to keep God’s word results in total destruction which falls, in the words of the curses (Deut. 28) upon all classes of law-breakers, their property, means of livelihood and families. He addresses false prophets who proclaim a false peace. False prophets win wide acclaim while a true prophet is too uncomfortable to be popular. Luke 6:26: Woe unto you, when all men speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Jeremiah is charged by God to speak the verdict of Heaven’s judgment of Israel. They are charged, pronounced guilty, and judged. Jeremiah is given the power to release and activate God’s judgment through the spoken word.
I recently preached on verse 1, where the Lord instructed Jeremiah to run to and fro throughout Jerusalem and see if he could find a man that executes judgment and seeks the truth. If Jeremiah could find one man, the Lord said He would pardon Jerusalem.
United States we pass that threshold of God’s measurement. There are millions of us. However, there are cities within our nation which may be at risk of not passing that measurement. Certainly, if it pertains to leaders of cities, there are many.
However, if we measure the sins of our nation against the sins that brought the devastation of Judah, as a nation we stand guilty.
In Verse 2, the people knew the Lord lived, but they swore falsely, there was no repentance and they refused to receive correction.
5:3: You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return.
In Jeremiah’s search for someone who really wanted to know truth, he observed how the average person was foolish and did not know the way of the Lord. While the poor might possibly be excused by ignorance of His law, this would not hold for the leaders. Yet both alike have broken the covenant and perverted what has been given them by God. (D. Wiseman)
Jer. 5:5-8: I will go among the great men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goes out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are not gods. I fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning. Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Should I not punish them for this? Declares the Lord. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
They practiced promiscuous sexual indulgences, even among the married. They scoffed at the prophet’s warning and were wholly given to deceit, oppression and robbery. The leadership and government were rotten, but the people were satisfied and content to have it so.
Here in chapter 5, there is still time for mercy---but the window of opportunity is about to close. The situation is becoming increasingly urgent. Jerusalem, once again the center of attention is running out of time, and even the possibility of forgiveness is becoming more and more fleeting.
I remember hearing a prophecy from Hank Kunneman during the election of 2020, that the Lord would be fighting against the wickedness of the cities of the East Coast and West Coast with severe winter storms in 2021.
Here God’s earthly tool of judgments are characterized as a lion, a wolf and a leopard---one from the forest, one from the desert, and one lying in wait near their towns. Thus, whether they try to flight or flee, they are doomed.
5: 10-11: Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the Lord. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me, declares the Lord.
The Lord issues a command to the enemy invaders to wreak havoc on his people’s vineyards. Yet they are not to make a complete destruction. Judah is called Yahweh’s choice vine. The Lord declares they no longer belong to Him. Lord Jesus let us never transgress to where we do not belong to you. Thus, there is nothing to stop the destruction except the divine decree that a remnant be spared. For the first time since 3:18, both Judah and Israel are addressed, but only to state that both are guilty of extreme treachery against him.
5: 12-14: They have lied about the Lord. They said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword of famine. The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so, let what they say be done to them.” Therefore, this is what the Lord God Almighty says: Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.”
They have lied about God. This is the standard human response to the longsuffering of the Lord. As Paul asked the Romans, do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance (Ro. 2:4)? I stand amazed at Christians who push God’s mercy without fear.
5: 15-17: O house of Israel, declares the Lord, I am bringing a distant nation against you---an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.
The destroyer is summoned to ravage land and people on the grounds of their proven faithlessness. God himself is sending a fierce enemy against the people. The invader has endless military resources. They will devour everything in their path destroying both the fruit of the womb and the fruit of the land. Jeremiah was told that through the words of his mouth, he will uproot and destroy nations. The power of the divinely inspired prophetic word is that it sets world event in motion.
5: 18-19: Yet even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not destroy you completely. And when the people ask, “why has the Lord our God done all this to us?” you will tell them,” as you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.”
The Lord gives a divine pledge in the space of just twenty-three verses (4:27; 5:10: 5:18), the destruction will not be complete. God remains mindful of his covenantal commitment to his people, still feeling tenderness even in the midst of stern correction and rebuke.
“Even in the prophets’ darkest predictions and gloomiest moments, they retained the profound conviction that no matter how widespread the destruction a remnant will be left to form the nucleus of a better people, faithful in their allegiance to God” (Da’at Soyerim).
5: 20-25: Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. Should you not fear me? Declares the Lord. Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, and everlasting banner it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away. They do not say to themselves, “Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.” Your wrongdoings have kept these away. Your sins have deprived you of good.
The greatness of God as creator, sustainer, giver and avenger is contrasted with the meanness of man. The sovereign God who set a boundary to the sea cannot be thwarted by man’s wrong exercise of freewill. This results in all kinds of sin, stubbornness and hostility, backsliding, lack of fear of God and perversion of what is right.
The law concerning a stubbornness and rebellion son in Deut. 21: 18-21 was sentenced to death by stoning. Such a son was considered beyond hope. So how could this generation who was rebellious and stubborn escape the penalty of death?
And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This, our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. All the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so, shall you put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Aren’t we glad we live in the age of Grace under the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ? However, sins still withhold good from the doer, and without repentance there will be judgment.
By this scripture in Deuteronomy, we see the seriousness of God’s charge, judgment and sentence to Judah. He has judged them as stubborn and rebellious. Therefore, they must be punished, but because of His great love and covenant, He will save a remnant.
5: 26-29: Among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, and he that sets snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore, they are become great and waxen rich. They are waxen fat (fat cats), they shine: yea they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Should I not punish them for this? Declares the Lord. Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
September 30, 2008: “I think this pretty much sums up the present financial markets and the bailout bill which was just overturned. The fact that the bill was overturned will prayerfully save us from the judgment of verse 29” (Carolyn Sissom).
“Sep 30, 2008 · Stock markets plunged on Monday after the House voted 228-to-205 against a compromise bailout plan that would have allowed the Treasury Department to buy up toxic assets from struggling banks.”
HOWEVER, on October 3 2008 was when we had the bank bailout of 2008 just before Bush left office which I have suspected was pre-arranged. They bailed the banks out 3-days later.
“The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, often called the "bank bailout of 2008," was proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, passed by the 110th United States Congress, and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The act became law as part of Public Law 110-343 on October 3, 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis of 2007–08. The law created the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to purchase toxic assets from banks. The funds for purchase of distressed assets were mostly redirected to inject capital into banks and other financial institutions while the Treasury continued to examine the usefulness of targeted asset purchases.”
On February 1, 2021, I am not sure what I have fallen into, but some-how I don’t think this is an accident that I by chance came upon these notes on this same chapter from 2008.
5: 30-31: A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?
Jeremiah declared judgment was now fully declared for corruption of conduct. The second reason was that they did not believe the message. And lastly, the final judgment was because of the revolting and rebellious heart of the people. Prophets,
“falsely” = “By the lie” “in the name of Baal. The indictments in 23:13-14, where the Israelite prophets prophesy in the name of Baal in contrast to the Judean prophets who prophesy falsely. The priests, rather than teaching, leading, and adjudicating justly, are empowered by the prophets’ false words, ruling the people by their power (rather than by their own authority). The priests were ruling as the prophets directed. Worst of all, God’s people love it like this, since the wide path to destruction is generally preferred by the masses. But how will they deal with the disastrous consequences of their sinful choices?
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
I entered into the labors of Dr. C. R. Oliver, The Road to Captivity; Jeremiah, Michael L. Brown; F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary; Kelly Varner, Principles of Present Truth, Jeremiah; Carolyn Sissom Bible Study notes from 2008. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I have entered into their labors.