[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (JAC), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
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"He
put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to
Babylon."
Zedekiah
indeed saw the King of Babylon but because of his disobedience, it wasn't for
good; he saw no more. The last thing he saw with his eyes was the slaughter of
his children and nobles. He was responsible for their cruel death. God had a
plan for them to be safe. They including Zedekiah wanted a better solution, and
that's how they ended: Slaughtered.
Last
year November, a famous Canadian evangelical blogger, Tim Challies lost his son
in the USA. Because of travel protocol, it took many days for his dead body to
be brought home. When his body finally arrived, they could open the coffin and
look at the decomposed body or choose not to.
It
was a tough call. It was the last moment the family will ever see his body on
this side of heaven. It was their son, they wanted to. But they decided to not
look at him because they didn't want that picture of their beloved son to be
the last thing they had seen. They preferred to remember the day when he went
to America.
Last
thing seen matters. Zedekiah had to bear that horror till his death! That's
what God has for disobedient people!
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"The
captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, "The LORD your God
pronounced this disaster against this place."
Nebuzaradun,
the captain of the heathens had a better theology than the priests, prophets,
princes, and the king of Israel. And he was kind to Jeremiah unlike them. He
esteemed Jeremiah well!
The
wise men from the east came to the infant Jesus.
It
is said that Genghis Khan used to say, "I am the instrument of God to
punish you" whenever he terrorized the cities.
God
has revealed enough about who He is and what He requires even outside the Bible
and outside the man Jesus. But knowledge of Salvation is only through His Son,
through His Word, the Bible.
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"But
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to
the sons of Ammon."
A
disappointing verse at first read, right? Such a wicked man should be executed,
but he escaped. Actually, it's comforting to have such an account in the
inspired word of God. That there will be some wicked people who will seem to
escape human judgment. And when we see that, we can be reminded that it is not
unprecedented. And that the righteous Lord will bring justice, which none will
escape. If not in a lifetime, after a lifetime (after death, on the Day of
Judgment).
The
demand for justice in our today's life is temporary and actually not 100 just.
We, Christians should not act like there is no other justice. Actually, God
says, "Vengeance is Mine." Not ours!
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“For
you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the LORD your
God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God
says, tell us so, and we will do it.’”
These
guys were hypocrites. They pretended to be what they were not. They acted like
they wanted to obey God, but clearly, they didn't. To be gracious, let's say
they really wanted to obey God if it was according to their likes. But that's
using God to serve them. That's slaving God.
They
deceived themselves by telling Jeremiah that they wanted to obey God. Well, I
am sure I had been like them in some areas, which I ain't comfortable to recall
now. But I have also seen a lot of such people.
They
would ask for counseling but would reject when they didn't like it. For
example, a friend of mine asked me whether he could marry a non-Christian girl,
because he wanted to honor God. Well, he married her anyway deceiving himself.
He didn't deceive or fool me because I knew his heart was not right. He was
fooling himself.
Jeremiah
knew these people—their hypocrisy. But since they asked, he told them the
truth. And they just disobeyed, not liking what they were told!
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“Azariah
the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men
said to Jeremiah, "You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent
you to say, 'You are not to enter Egypt to reside there.'””
This
is what people do when they don't want the truth. They don't want to accept it.
They don't want to believe it. To the extent that they will suppress the truth
with the kind of truth they like. Actually, most people do the best thing, the
righteous things. It's just that it's their version, not God's standard. When
they deviate from God, nothing's good.
Adam-Eve
wanted to be wiser, which looks good to them, and even to us, right? Saul
wanted to make a sacrifice to God, which look good to him, and even to us. We
commit any sin because it looks good to us at the moment. All this perverted
thinking because we don't want to believe.
The
Israelites refused to believe and made Jeremiah a liar. Lucky that he wasn't
killed. Jesus was accused to be a liar (blasphemer) and they crucified Him! Be
not unbelieving, Believe.
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"As
for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not
listen to you."
Sin
hardens hearts! They were collectively openly rebellious. They claimed to be
God's people doing what they wanted. We see it in our time as well. Gay and
Transgender people are ordained as bishops. I would say even those women who
contested to be ordained as pastors!
It's
worshipping the queen of heaven, not the God of Heaven!
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"And
do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing
disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a
prize of war in all places to which you may go."
Smallest
chapter in the book of Jeremiah. And it's a personal message for Baruch, the
secretary of Jeremiah.
God
sees his hard life and hears his complaints. So, God answers him with a mild
rebuke and assurance of God's protection.
Are
you seeking after a great thing other than the plan God has for you?
