Stocks

Stocks.  Does that make you think of money and investing?  Well, in this use of the word, it means punishment!  Putting a criminal "in the stocks."

Jeremiah, the prophet was put in the stocks.  Can you imagine if our prophets, or missionary's were put in stocks today?  Well here was Jeremiah.  Its 600 BC.   And did it keep him silent?  No!  He just kept on preaching.  He had a lot of information he had to get out there!  Much of it was doom and gloom about how the people were going to be taken captive into Babylon for 70 years!  But chapters 30 & 31 are the "nice" chapters, about how the Lord will rescue them from captivity.  Jeremiah gives them 3 pieces of advice for when they are in captivity.  Now if you were talking to your city, telling them they were going to all be in captivity for 70 years, what advice would you give them?  Would it be the same as Jeremiah's?

While in captivity:

1.  Build houses

2.  Plant gardens

3.  Get married and have children

(Jeremiah 29:5,6)

And then the most wonderful news!  Jeremiah 31:31!  The Lord promises that He will then make a NEW covenant with them! 

If I was to sum up the Old Testament in a succinct phrase, this would be it:

"When the Israelites kept their covenants, God blessed them in many ways, including giving them a promised land.  However, when they broke their covenants, the Lord took these blessings away, and the people became separated from their promised land."  

Old Testament Study Guide for Home-Study Seminary, pg. 294

The message of the Old Testament is to be a covenant keeper.

Elder Russell M. Nelson says, "When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us.  His law is written in our hearts.  He is our God and we are His people.  Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. 

The greatest compliment that can be earned here in this life is to be known as a Covenant Keeper.  The rewards for a covenant keeper will be realized both here and hereafter." 

Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov. 2011, pg. 88

The message for us today is to be a covenant keeper.

Things really haven't changed .....except we don't put prophets in stocks.