LA BENEDICTION DE L’ETERNEL AU MILIEU DU CHȂTIMENT

MESSAGE DE FIN D’ANNEE 2020

Par Pasteur Marc E Siméon

LA BENEDICTION DE L’ETERNEL AU MILIEU DU CHȂTIMENT

THE BLESSING OF GOD IN THE MIDST OF CHATISEMENT

De l’Espoir au Milieu du Désastre

Hope in the Midst of Chaos

Jérémie 29: 1, 4-7, 10-13

1 ¶ Voici le contenu de la lettre que Jérémie, le prophète, envoya de Jérusalem au reste des anciens en captivité, aux sacrificateurs, aux prophètes, et à tout le peuple, que Nebucadnetsar avait emmenés captifs de Jérusalem à Babylone,

4 Ainsi parle l’Éternel des armées, le Dieu d’Israël, à tous les captifs que j’ai emmenés de Jérusalem à Babylone:

5 Bâtissez des maisons, et habitez-les; plantez des jardins, et mangez-en les fruits.

6 Prenez des femmes, et engendrez des fils et des filles; prenez des femmes pour vos fils, et donnez des maris à vos filles, afin qu’elles enfantent des fils et des filles; multipliez là où vous êtes, et ne diminuez pas.

7 Recherchez le bien de la ville où je vous ai menés en captivité, et priez l’Éternel en sa faveur, parce que votre bonheur dépend du sien.

10 Mais voici ce que dit l’Éternel: Dès que soixante-dix ans seront écoulés pour Babylone, je me souviendrai de vous, et j’accomplirai à votre égard ma bonne parole, en vous ramenant dans ce lieu.

11 Car je connais les projets que j’ai formés sur vous, dit l’Éternel, projets de paix et non de malheur, afin de vous donner un avenir et de l’espérance.

12 Vous m’invoquerez, et vous partirez; vous me prierez, et je vous exaucerai.

13 Vous me chercherez, et vous me trouverez, si vous me cherchez de tout votre cœur.

INTRODUCTION

In Haiti when your parents are chastising you, you can be in for a real treat, especially if you did something very bad to make your parents mad.
From a child standpoint there is very little difference between chastisement and punishment.
The consequence is similar.
The means are similar
The pain is similar
The anguish is similar.
All children feel that reprimanding or giving a lecture should be enough, but history proves that more is often necessary to get the point across.
The next set of events after a good whooping was often very positive.
If the parent feels bad for you, you may get candy or a lot of other treats as a consolation.
Although you the child may still be mad at your parents, but the gratuities are always welcome and help to numb the pain very quickly.
In Jeremiah 29 we see a mixed message of love and chastisement.
Though God was very disappointed with the Jewish people to the point of allowing great calamities to fall upon them.
The invasion of the Babylonians in Judah, the bloody massacre of the Jews, the destruction of the Jerusalem, the demolition of the temple, the rape of the young women, the successive deportations of the choicest Jews, and much more, have left the Israelites in a state of shock.
Jeremiah expressed the horror of the scène in the book of Lamentations.

God sent a message to the Jews in exile who were hoping for God’s intervention to escape the captivity, but the message was the least that they would have expected.
Instead of talking about rescue operations and repatriation, God instead asked them to settle down in Babylon.
God reminded them that another 70 years would pass before their case would be reopened in the judgment seat of the Almighty.
God encouraged them to make the most of the captivity.
Forget about going back home for anytime soon.

Jeremiah 29:4-6

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: (NKJV)

4 Ainsi parle l’Éternel des armées, le Dieu d’Israël, à tous les captifs que j’ai emmenés de Jérusalem à Babylone: (LSV)

5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. (NKJV)

5 Bâtissez des maisons, et habitez-les; plantez des jardins, et mangez-en les fruits. (LSV)

6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters-that you may be increased there, and not diminished. (NKJV)

People really prefer to hear illusions than the real word of God.
False prophets were telling them that Jerusalem would not be destroyed; yet it was.
False prophets were telling them that God would never allow people to destroy his temple; yet He did.
False prophets gave them the assurance that God would intervene mightily should a nation attacked Israel; yet He did not.
All the while Jeremiah was telling them the true dispositions of God; but they did not listen.
After they got in captivity, another round of false prophets were telling them that God was about to intervene mightily to send them back home hastily; yet that did not happen.
People generally like to hear what they would want God to say instead of what God really says.
False prophets are always more popular and more loved than true prophets of God because they are pragmatic.
They tell you exactly what you want to hear.
The put words in the mouth of God in order to deceive you.
God only speaks through the mouth of his true prophets.

Jer 29:8-9

8 ¶ For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. (NKJV)

8 ¶ Car ainsi parle l’Éternel des armées, le Dieu d’Israël: Ne vous laissez pas tromper par vos prophètes qui sont au milieu de vous, et par vos devins, n’écoutez pas vos songeurs dont vous provoquez les songes! (LSV)

9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD. (NKJV)

9 Car c’est le mensonge qu’ils vous prophétisent en mon nom. Je ne les ai point envoyés, dit l’Éternel. (LSV)

The people who were giving false hopes were not from God.
Right now, many of the people who are telling you what you want to hear are not necessarily be from God.
God wanted them to make the best of the captivity.
God wanted them to be a blessing to the city in which they lived in during the captivity.
God wanted them to be proactive in engaging life in all aspects during the captivity.
God promised them that He was not through with them.
God reminded them that they were still in His plan.
When God chastises His children, it is always out of love and for the purpose of correction.
When God brings calamities to His children it is for the purpose of improvement.
When God disciplines his children, it is always for their own good.
God had a great plan for them before, during and after the captivity.

Jer 29:11

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (NKJV)

11 Car je connais les projets que j’ai formés sur vous, dit l’Éternel, projets de paix et non de malheur, afin de vous donner un avenir et de l’espérance. (LSV)

The fact that God did not alter the Babylonian captivity of the Jews doesn’t mean that He was finished with them.
You may be experiencing some setbacks because of your sins, but that doesn’t mean that God is through with you.
God has some good plans about each one of us that predate our birth.
The corona virus is not the end of life.
God dealt mightily with all the inhabitants of the earth this year.
The world was already on the brink of destruction even before covid-19 made its apparition.
When all seemed so dark and the future so uncertain, yet God is working on a brand new plan of hope for humanity.
I hope that the lessons we learn from this year 2020 will be so significant to prompt us to attest one day, that the corona virus was the best thing that could ever happen to mankind in that point and time in history.

HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS

La 3:19-26 Quand je pense à ma détresse et à ma misère, A l’absinthe et au poison;

20 Quand mon âme s’en souvient, Elle est abattue au dedans de moi.

21 ¶ Voici ce que je veux repasser en mon coeur, Ce qui me donnera de l’espérance.

22 Les bontés de l’Éternel ne sont pas épuisées, Ses compassions ne sont pas à leur terme;

23 Elles se renouvellent chaque matin. Oh! que ta fidélité est grande!

24 L’Éternel est mon partage, dit mon âme; C’est pourquoi je veux espérer en lui.

25 L’Éternel a de la bonté pour qui espère en lui, Pour l’âme qui le cherche.

26 Il est bon d’attendre en silence Le secours de l’Éternel.

La 3:19 Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul still remembers And sinks within me.

21 ¶ This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.

CONCLUSION

May the experience of 2020 bring you closer to God!
May your faith be strengthened by the calamities of 2020!
May your understanding of God be improved by the plagues of the year 2020.
God is again proven to be sovereign over the affairs of mankind.
God is again proven to be a mighty protector, Jehovah nissi, the healer.
God is again proven to be an excellent provider.
May the passing of 2020 remind us how fragile we are!
May the passing of 2020 remind us how dependant we are on God!
May your hope be restored with the coming of the new year.
Plan to settle down
Plan to exploit life like you never did before.
Plan for a glorious future.
Plan for stability and fulfillment in the future.
Plan to do something significant to be remembered by after you’re gone.
This is a new year
This is a blank year just a blank sheet of paper.
It’s up to you what you write on it.
You may choose to write the same old stuffs of 2020 on it, or you may use it to write a new file.
Let’s write the best poems of hope on it.
Let’s draw the prettiest image on it.
Let’s draw the best blueprint for the future on it.
Let’s make a list of our blessings on it.
Let’s use the coming year as a stepping stone to soar higher than we’ve ever soared before.
While life and good health were proven to be so valuable in 2020, let’s us treasure the eternal life that we’ve received in Jesus Christ.
2020 came to pass just like the calamities in your life.
Let’s welcome 2021 with these words.
THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.
C’EST ICI LA JOURNEE QUE L’ETERNEL A FAITE, QU’ELLE SOIT POUR UN SUJET DE D’ALLEGRESSE ET DE JOIE!

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