The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Jeremiah 38:2,
"This is what the Lord says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.'"
This is the message of the Lord that Jeremiah gave to the inhabitants and to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. The city was threatened by overthrow of the Babylonians. The message was, stay in the city to defend it and die or flee into the hands of your enemy to be spared.
Think about that for a moment... voluntarily throw yourself at the mercy of your enemy, rather than defend yourself? Jerusalem was well fortified, and the safest place to be would certainly have thought to have been behind the city's walls. To voluntarily walk out into the hands of the enemy, thinking that would be safest, would definitely be an act of faith. Faith in what the Lord had Jeremiah prophesy to the city.
Recall Jeremiah 24:5-7, "Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart."
"This is what the Lord says: 'Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives; they will live.'"
This is the message of the Lord that Jeremiah gave to the inhabitants and to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem. The city was threatened by overthrow of the Babylonians. The message was, stay in the city to defend it and die or flee into the hands of your enemy to be spared.
Think about that for a moment... voluntarily throw yourself at the mercy of your enemy, rather than defend yourself? Jerusalem was well fortified, and the safest place to be would certainly have thought to have been behind the city's walls. To voluntarily walk out into the hands of the enemy, thinking that would be safest, would definitely be an act of faith. Faith in what the Lord had Jeremiah prophesy to the city.
Recall Jeremiah 24:5-7, "Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart."
God viewed those who embraced him in faith as "good". That faith was manifested in their response to Jeremiah's warning. These are the ones whose lives were spared as they believed God's prophecy through Jeremiah and walked out, into the hands of their enemies. Not only did they walk into the hands of their enemies, they walked right into the hands of God who promised to protect and save them. Walking out of Jerusalem at that time was certainly a walk of faith.
God has determined that we can have a righteous standing before him if we embrace him in faith. It was true in Abraham's day, Jeremiah's day, Jesus' day and our day today. Life with God is all about faith and it will always be about faith.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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