Stuck Some More...But Looking...

Still working through Jeremiah 6:10 – 21.  Focus today on verse 14.  One of the things we need to avoid in Bible Study is looking at verses in isolation.  We do that a lot.  We will take a favorite passage and quote it endlessly without consciously thinking about where the verse fits into the book in which it is found.  With the exception of perhaps Proverbs, there is a continuity of thought that runs through all of the books.  The chapter and verse divisions were added centuries later so we could find our place quickly.  So each passage connects in thought and structure to those around it and serves to move the argument of the author forward.

So verse 14.  With that in mind, what is the connection between verse 13 and verse 14?  From the post “Looking for…3” we see that the first word “and” indicates that the thought from 13 is continued in 14.  What questions can we ask then?  Perhaps:

• What is the connection between dealing falsely and superficial ministry?
• What is the connection between leader’s greed and superficial ministry?
• Why would leaders dealing falsely from greed declare peace?  What purpose does it serve them?

We have said that better Bible students are those who see more and see it more quickly.  A corollary to that is that they will ask better questions.  The answers to these questions may seem obvious.  But I would suggest that the answers are not obvious to everyone.