Jeremiah Chapters 11 - 15 Q&A: Bible Study for Atheists

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[00:04:24] at burrow.com slash ACAST. Specifically he's got like vengeance against specific people. He's like, can you go kill those fuckers, please? Right as while you're at it killing everybody. Can you kill those? Yeah, but also can you not kill any of us cuz like you're kind of you're kind of a mean dude, right? But also hey everybody he's gonna come kill us. Right? Like Wow You're you got some mixed messaging going on here man. Very much a waffle. Mm-hmm. Yeah

[00:05:44] so, um, I don't know if you recall but

[00:06:44] even talk about. Okay. There's some controversy as to whether or not the Israelites had access to the Pentateuch at this time. Really? As it had been lost

[00:06:49] by priests and scribes in the temple you'll recall. Now this, okay, so this gets

[00:06:54] to another point that I've kind of harped on. Yes. Without knowing this

[00:06:57] information. Right. Throughout and that's that do these people actually know what

[00:07:02] they're being held to account for? Right. You know and it doesn't feel like they

[00:07:05] are because there's all these prophets saying different things so if they're Like if it was written hundreds of years later and then like backdated, you know. Well look, no, so I mean, I'm gonna, our reference point is today, right? Yeah. And I could totally see, like, let's say, let's say all scripture disappeared overnight, right? Sure. I could totally see some, you know,

[00:08:20] profity type person in the evangelical Christian right, being like, but then you know if you look at the so if I'm looking at that instance of something like that happening in history I have to question okay but how well he he says he remembers it all right but is he is he ad libbing bits is he you know what I mean like right which does he does he really know at all brought them out of the land of Egypt from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice and do according to all that I command you. I said this at the time, but I don't think it like struck because we were talking about the chapter itself instead of like various interesting notes.

[00:11:01] This is the third place in the scriptures where Israel of on the cusp of Bronze Age, Iron Age, the early stuff. Okay. So that might be what was going on and obviously Egypt was a very...and I'm just talking out my ass here. Don't take any of this as like historical fact or anything. But I mean they were a more advanced society. They were more...so I mean maybe they had it

[00:12:22] before the Israelites did or...I don't know our hand. So this was the bit where we learned that the people of Anathoth, which was Jeremiah's home,

[00:13:40] Yeah.

[00:13:41] was the people of his own village wanting to kill him.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:45] And that was like, whoa, dude. around telling these priests, y'all are doing this shit wrong. Y'all are talking like you know what the fuck God is saying and he ain't saying that. Well it sounds to me like he's pushing the king's agenda, not necessarily God's agenda. But he keeps on even after Josiah. Right, but I'm just saying like you know these things get started in a way and then they continue but I mean. Sure. But he

[00:15:01] was just some guy. Like yes he was from a I do that people who want to find a way to present a certain idea will find a way to present that certain idea. And people who want to believe a certain idea will twist their mind into pretzels to make

[00:16:24] an idea work.

[00:16:25] Yeah.

[00:16:26] That shouldn't.

[00:16:27] Yeah. How's he gonna bear in Jerusalem where the people are gonna be much more cruel because they won't be as townsmen family and friends Yeah, they'll be strangers and people in high places I find it a bit laughable that God is giving advice on how to deal with humans, right? Because yeah, his answer is always just kill him. Yeah, I'm like he's no better at dealing with shit than anybody else

[00:18:46] destructive rage, but he ends with a look toward the future and a hope for Israel to be returned to its inheritance.

[00:18:48] And that's where in the chapter we were like, my guy is going back and forth.

[00:18:54] God is going to kill him, but there will be a remnant, but he's going to wipe them all

[00:18:57] out, but there'll still be some fucking grapes left.

[00:18:59] Right, right.

[00:19:00] Like he's going to bring them back.

[00:19:01] And I'm like, how are you going to bring will draw a predator. So we will peck you to death not just cloth. Got it. So it's not likely that it was... I mean like the reading that we did in that chapter of underwear was fun, but it's probably more likely meaning some sort of a priestly garment. No, it was definitely...

[00:21:45] I'll get into that in a second, but it... well actually this paragraph. Yeah. Um, various explanations have been offered regarding the command not to put the girdle in water before Jeremiah wore it. I do recall that being said. Nobody said it like that. Yeah. See, I don't recall it. So I'm glad you do. Now, most scholars think that he was to wear it as made in its rough was to remain unwashed in order to show that it was newly made and had not been Worn by another nor polluted. Okay, so, you know to Show as part of the symbol like look everybody this is not grody because I'm about to you know, put it away in a You know crevice here, right? So that's interesting and still others think that the purpose

[00:25:25] dig up his nasty undies and bring them back.

[00:25:27] Meanwhile, this whole time he's supposed to be like walking around town, you know,

[00:25:30] with a sandwich board singing the end is nigh.

[00:25:33] Right.

[00:25:34] So it doesn't seem likely that he would have taken time out

[00:25:37] to travel for this.

[00:25:38] It was more likely a narration of like a story, a parable.

[00:25:44] Not a real transaction as something who regard Jeremiah

[00:25:47] as having actually gone there. and pretend it's a fact. Like, oh, you don't say. So what you're really saying is that we have to put into question everything in the Bible. Yes. And in question whether it's an actual fact or if it's just something they made up. Yes. Okay. As a parable. Right. Yes. That is what I took from that. I'm glad that you also.

[00:27:04] So then we continue in this chapter to verse 18. Say the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts. So this portion of Jeremiah's prophecy clearly came during a season when Judah was afflicted by droughts, you don't go to your family doctor You go to the people who handle fucking bones, right? You see a specialist Well, and the more the more we learn about this the more that this whole thing like Judaism, right?

[00:29:43] Yeah threatened by God for disobedience and was part of the covenant curses, which I will get to that in just a second. The Lord's purpose in sending the drought was to bring the nation to repentance, which is ironic since the punishment just pushed the nation further into the arms of the other gods. So, okay, let's talk about the covenant

[00:31:02] because I was gonna get into that

[00:31:04] and then we got of other petty bullshit. Got it. That's all I ask of you is a thousand minor little Sabbath day, don't pick up the wrong sticks, that kind of thing, right? Yeah. And if you disregard these, you just signed up for all those curses

[00:32:21] that you shouted to each other from curse mountain.

[00:32:23] You say you just signed up,

[00:32:25] but we're talking about generations ago.

[00:32:27] Right. from a legal standpoint, God is saying, you, fill in the blank, Israelites made this deal with me, I held up my end of the bargain, I've held back punishing you for ages, and y'all are beyond repair to where when you pray now,

[00:33:41] I'm not even gonna listen to you anymore.

[00:33:44] You broke the last one,

[00:34:44] reiterate these things. Right. And not just to some random prophet when there's other prophets saying different shit. Exactly. But it needs to be clear. Yeah.

[00:34:48] Like at least back in the times of Moses, at least the Bible made it seem like

[00:34:54] Moses was very clearly the prophet. Right. The person. Right. Right. Was there still

[00:34:59] some contention? Yes, there was still some contention. There was the, I forget

[00:35:04] who the rebellion of, I can't remember what the name was the Pentateuch. Yeah, so then just to bring it back, the generational, the holding account for generations of this doesn't make sense to me if you don't have the correct information. Right. And I don't agree with it. Yeah, no, I totally, I stand with you on this.

[00:36:20] Right.

[00:36:21] So in verse 11, God says, about it today, as long as you ask for forgiveness, you're good to go. You could be the worst rapey killer motherfucker on the planet and you could ask for forgiveness and you're good. Yeah, at least according to God's law, not necessarily man's law. But yeah, I find that interesting and I'm kind of curious to see how that plays out in the New Testament if there's

[00:37:40] a point of no return. I've actually thought about this on a personal level as far as,

[00:38:47] like you know there there is no there is no they don't care they don't they don't have any problem just allowing anybody in as long as you're gonna pitch their

[00:38:53] viewpoints they don't care who you are and especially if you didn't if you used

[00:38:57] to be exactly opposite yeah they're like oh shit man this is this is this is

[00:39:02] awesome I could never do that oh I is the absolute most I could say about these books. But to like go out and sell this religion as authority and stuff. Yeah, no, no, no, never. Me neither. No, I, I swear right now we will never not be atheists. Like I, I keep coming across this in social media and talks you back into religion sure I can see it happening sure I can believe that it happens But the amount of people that I see with that. I'm just like no this is just a This isn't what it is you were never an atheist you were just a non-practicing

[00:41:46] Religious person right right you see the same thing popping up with people who claim to be prophets, which we discussed earlier. The message of the other prophets was that there would be deliverance from sword and famine, so the exact opposite. God would rescue. This was a hopeful positive message that contrasted with what God gave to Jeremiah. Jeremiah probably hoped to explain or excuse the lack of repentance among the people and leaders of Judah.

[00:43:03] They didn't truly repent because other prophets told them everything would be So I don't think that you would turn... Okay, you're right. I mean, I have a skeptical mind. I like to think critically about things that are happening. And so, yes, you're probably right. I would not accept the good news just on the face value. But I can understand. I can understand why people would want to flock to the good news versus the bad news.

[00:44:21] But what's interesting is that that's not what sells newspapers. Good news than this person has a phrasing the bad news like if you're gonna pitch the the fire and brimstone You got to pitch it hard. Yeah, you got to go all in you got to believe it and even in this book so far Jeremiah has kind of you know floundered back and forth between You know begging for forgiveness from God for the people to tell him and I mean like he does

[00:45:41] I don't feel I don't feel like he fully believes his own message that he's giving right? That's how I feel about

[00:46:46] the words of the false prophets as without guilt. They were responsible for rejecting the words of the true prophets, Jeremiah's and others like him. They were responsible for receiving the smooth

[00:46:52] but false words of the false prophets. Okay, they get what they get and they don't get upset. Whatever.

[00:46:58] I'm like, I think God's a dick. God is pray to certain saints. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so the saints are up there floating around and they pray for the saints on earth, right? And they can intercede on your behalf, right?

[00:48:21] But this is, God is saying, even if they stood before me,

[00:48:26] oh, so they don't then.

[00:48:28] Got it. Throwing that out there is a you know, I'm just saying that Dude is like can you please like you've done this before? Jeremiah's like God, please God is like hell No, even if those two guys stood before me, I wouldn't keep in mind I don't like being thrown in the position of defending Catholicism at all

[00:49:42] Well Shit, so okay moving on to

[00:50:45] of the idols of Manasseh's reign. And then when Jeremiah's prophecies appeared to be a hindrance to this resurgence of paganism, they plotted to kill Jeremiah. Got it. So it was very political.

[00:50:52] Yeah. This whole thing is very political. Very. Yeah. I found that statement interesting. Yeah.

[00:50:57] So it wasn't just because of Manasseh gold. Yeah. I can imagine that was at least a few of them. Well, and who was even King David, right?

[00:52:20] He was at the, remember the last chapter

[00:52:23] of the book where we read about David.

[00:52:25] And he had suddenly married like thousands of women fucking great and just and righteous. Yeah. But like these folks are trying to kill me. So can you kill them? Yes. But also could you not kill any of us? But also could you save me? Right. And so he was like hoping that he would be, you know, saved at least from his neighbors. Right,

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