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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Jer. 14-15
Why did God finally lose patience with His people? If He is the loving, forgiving, compassionate God that He claims to be, why did He repeatedly tell Jeremiah, “Do not pray for the well-being of these people.” (Jer. 14:11b)? Why did He say, “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, my compassions would not reach out to these people. Send them from my presence, and let them go.” (Jer. 15:1b)? Not even Moses, who on more than one occasion turned away God’s wrath, would be able to now. That’s saying something! Is there an end to God’s love and compassion?
That is a difficult question. I believe the short answer is ‘no’, though there does seem to be an end to our opportunity to accept His compassion. It has never been enough simply to believe in God. What He really wants is our devotion. These people were clearly not devoted to Him. In spite of repeated warnings, deliveries, and chances, they continued to turn away from Him to do their own thing. So I think maybe the point in all of this is to show us that there is indeed a deadline. We don’t know when it is, but God has an appointed time to unleash His perfect judgment. When that time comes, there will be no more opportunity to take hold of His compassion; no turning away His wrath. Which is exactly why we need to, “Seek the Lord while He may be found” (Is. 55:6a).
Jer. 16
God momentarily shifts from His declarations of wrath to a promise of restoration. He promises to gather His people from wherever they are and return them to the land He gave them. He then says, “I am about to send for many fishermen…and they will fish for them.” (Jer. 16:17a). When I read that, I couldn’t help but think of what Jesus said to His first disciples. “’Follow me,’ He told them, ‘and I will make you fish for people.’” (Matt. 4:19).
Jer. 17
Always, in the message of the Bible, is our choice. On one hand, “Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.” (From Jer. 17:5). While on the other, “The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed.” (Jer. 17:7). There is no middle ground; there is no some of both. I see this truth pictured in God’s words regarding the Sabbath. God told the people not to carry a load into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. From what I have seen about the Sabbath in other parts of the Bible, I’d say that the spiritual implication of God’s declaration is that we are not to bring our own efforts into His Kingdom. When we do, we are not completely and fully trusting God’s grace to save us. Thus, though we pretend to come to God, we are still that person who trusts in mankind.