The reading for day 55 was Jeremiah 11:1-22:30.
This is not a happy portion of scripture. I hope that God never becomes as angry with me as He did with His people Israel. They were not loyal to God and they "prostituted" themselves to idols. God is so angry with them that He tells Jeremiah not to pray for them because He is not going to listen. 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear [them] in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Wow! Does it get any worse than that? In chapter 12 God actually says that He hates them 12:7 I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. 12:8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.
I am glad that I was not born into this generation of Israel. How terrible to hear that God hates you. No wonder Jeremiah is called the "weeping prophet."
Jermiah never stops crying out to God on behalf of his people. 14:21 Do not abhor [us], for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. 14:22 Are there [any] among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? [art] not thou he, O LORD our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these [things]. God's reply is not exactly music to his ears 15:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my mind [could] not [be] toward this people: cast [them] out of my sight, and let them go forth. 15:2 And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as [are] for death, to death; and such as [are] for the sword, to the sword; and such as [are] for the famine, to the famine; and such as [are] for the captivity, to the captivity. I'm glad this scripture isn't about us and that Jesus has paid the debt for all of time! The rest of this portion of scripture is pretty much the same.
There is one little verse that sticks out from the rest. In between "Let me see your vengeance on them" and "Cursed be the day I was born" is this verse. 20:13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.
I thought it was kinda weird that this little verse would be tucked into such a seemingly strange place. What do we make of it?
In God's condemnation of Israel's king there is something that we would all do well to commit to memory. 22:15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest [thyself] in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, [and] then [it was] well with him? 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then [it was] well [with him: was] not this to know me? saith the LORD. The NIV says, "Is that not what it means to know me?" What does it mean to know God? It means that you (NIV) do what is right and just and defend the cause of the poor and needy. There it is. You have your answer. The how might not be known to us, but at least we have the what. |
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