I’ll use Psalms 8:1 and 16:2 for Temple worship today.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Jeremiah 17. The Mind of the Spirit engaged me at verses 12 and 19-20:

Jeremiah 17:12 ¶ A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

Jeremiah 17:19 ¶ Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

Jeremiah 17:20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:

Yesterday, Becky (my wife of 53 years) asked me a question from her devotions in Jeremiah 17:12.* It is not unusual for something out of her prayer closet to come with me into mine.

The expression seems to be a parenthetical insertion in the development of thought beginning at verse 5 and continuing through verse 18.

God’s Spirit prefaces this message to Judah through Jeremiah with a summary of His indictment in verses 1-2, and His sentence upon them in verses 3-4.

The Indictment: “The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars,” which evil manifested in their children (17:1-2). Indeed, the children faithfully followed the pattern set for them, and it was a path leading to their destruction.

The Sentence: “O my mountain in the field” (lamenting the coming destruction upon Zion), “I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever” (17:3-4).

God’s Spirit then contrasts the evil and the good man (17:5-11):

“Cursed be the man” whose heart departs from the LORD and puts his trust in man, leaning on the flesh (v. 5-6; Romans 7:18; 2 Peter 2:10).

“Blessed is the man” that trusts the LORD, whose hope is the LORD (17:7). This man will be “as a tree planted by the waters” (17:8; see Psalm 1).

Then God reminds Judah, His “nation under God,” that He searches the hearts and examines the thoughts He sees there, and gives to every man “according to his ways” (17:10; see Proverbs 21:2; 24:12; Romans 8:27; 2 Corinthians 10:5), and judges it “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (17:9). And He has decreed that those who obtain wealth by filthy lucre shall be separated from it and will in the end he will be found “a fool” (17:11).

Verses 13-18 relate the prayer that God’s words stirred in the prophet’s heart. He prays in agreement with God’s word against those who forsake Him, and pleads his case: “As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee” (17:16; see 15-18).

Now read verse 12: “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” It seems parenthetical to me, an insertion, in some ways like what we call a rabbit trail. (But as I say, rabbit trails are okay so long as you catch the rabbit.)

Along the still waters, I reflected on this intriguing verse. Besides the sense it gives of what in theater is called an “aside,” the phrase “from the beginning” introduces a puzzlement: “A glorious high throne … is the place of our sanctuary,” seems easy enough to understand. But a question arises when contemplating “from the beginning.”

Does the Spirit mean the beginning of the nation of Israel and its confirmation through the mediator of their covenant, Moses? (Galatians 3:19, see Deuteronomy 5:5; Exodus 20:19; 24:8) In which case, does it refer to the “throne” of GOD, behind the veil, the Mercy Seat?

Or does the Spirit look beyond to the minister of the sanctuary in Heaven, what the Spirit in Hebrews called “the true tabernacle, which the LORD pitched, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2)? And does the phrase, “from the beginning” refer back to Genesis 1:1, when God pitched His tent, His dwelling place, “In the beginning”?

I think Jeremiah provides a glimpse into New Testament revelation here, as he did when he said, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31; see Hebrews 8:8, 13; 12:24).

So all of this prophecy is expressly applicable to us today. As He said, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4; see 1 Corinthians 10:11).

Read again verses 1-18 as God’s call to His people in America today (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Can we pray the prayer of Jeremiah? Will we?

What of verses 19-22? I don’t have time to elaborate beyond saying that in the context of verses 1-18, God called Jeremiah to go to the capital of his nation, Jerusalem, and stand in the gates where the rulers passed in and out, and preach to them the Word of GOD! The first concern was the nations forsaking the House of God and His ways (See Jeremiah 6:16; 10:19-21).

In the valley, Jesus reminded me that the critical point of failure in our lives as individuals, and as a nation, is failure to heed His call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy follow closely.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7b1hwo-shepherds-pasture.html

[* My Dove does her devotions in the morning after she has fed everyone: one-eyed Willie (her Pug), Sebastian (her cat), the guppies, and Louie Bluey (her blue beta), then me, in that order. I come down after about an hour or so, we’ll chat about what she received from the Lord that morning, and she will ask whatever questions she has from her reading.]