20150915 Tuesday, September 15 2015
Jeremiah 22: Crooked Houses

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness"

It's common knowledge that Jesus of Nazareth was the son of Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth (see Joseph Of Nazareth; also Who Was The Carpenter That Built The Cross?). But the Messiah and His spiritual Father have been in the "building business" since the very beginning when the foundation upon which all of Creation was constructed.

"48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together." (Isaiah 48:13 KJV)

Abraham, and all other righteous (i.e. morally upright) people of the LORD understood that righteousness is not about "religion" - it's about a time and place when and where Paradise will exist for those who choose to not be perverted, deviant and crooked (see Which Way Is Right And Left? and Strait And Straight). Abraham "looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

"11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:8-10 KJV)

The Son of God (i.e. the LORD God; see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) is not only the Chief Builder. He is also the "chief corner stone" of Creation.

"2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (1 Peter 2:5-8 KJV)

The Messiah sometimes used builder's terminology to contrast the upright way, that will provide an eternal home, with the liberal way that seeks only to tear down or make crooked what others have built (see The First Liberal and What Did Liberal Mean Before Liberals Changed It?).

"7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 7:25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

7:26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:21-27 KJV)

The Kingdom of Israel was created by the LORD as a living prophecy of the coming Kingdom of God that (as the Israelites were) will be composed of people from all nations who choose to be patriotic to the Father ("patriotism" literally means faithful to the father; see The Patriotism Prophecy) of the only nation that will exist in eternity (see The First And Last Nation). When the kings of Israel or Judah became corrupt and made for themselves a crooked house, they no longer served the prophetic purpose for which the LORD gave them to exist. The LORD sent His prophets to warn them to "straighten up," but when they refused, the LORD sent the wreckers in to tear down what was collapsing down upon itself anyway (see Why Did Judah Fall To Babylon?).

"22:1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 22:2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates: 22:3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 22:4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 22:5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

22:6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah;

Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 22:7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

22:8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? 22:9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

22:10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

22:11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: 22:12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

22:13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 22:14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

22:15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. 22:17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

22:18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah;

They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 22:19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

22:20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed. 22:21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice. 22:22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. 22:23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

22:24 As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 22:25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 22:26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

22:27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

22:28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 22:30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah." (Jeremiah 22:1-30 KJV)

Fact Finder: What is it that causes people to fail to recognize how crooked that they have become? What is "iniquity"?
See Iniquity In History And Prophecy; also Is Your Spirit Level?