The passage

1“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction. 29The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out. 30They are called rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.”

Also referenced today

The shape of the message

1. Warning to Benjamin: flee the besieged city
2. The siege as God’s work, not merely Babylon’s
3. Uncircumcised ears and delighting in God’s Word
4. False peace, shallow healing, and the call to return to the ancient path
5. Rejected worship, rejected Word, and accountability even for thoughts
6. Refining fire and the verdict of rejected silver

Questions to hold while you listen

• Where have you been tempted to look for security in something that cannot protect you when God is confronting sin?
• What does an “uncircumcised ear” look like in practice, and how would you know if the Word of God no longer interests you?
• Where are you most vulnerable to a false peace—ignoring sin, postponing change, or distracting yourself—and what would honest confession look like?
• How can a group keep the “ancient path” simple rather than overcomplicating obedience to God’s Word?
• What “impurities” do you see that should be burned away, and how will you take time to reflect and thank God for what He has already refined?

Notes

This week

Take time to reflect on the areas of your life that God has already refined; then thank Him for what He is doing. Confess any impurities you see and allow Him to purify you as He sees fit.