Reading: Jeremiah 49-50
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord (Jer. 49:34-39).
Today’s reading is especially satisfying for anyone who has ever complained, “But God, what about that other guy?” After 45 chapters of using Jeremiah to prepare His people to receive His judgment, God abruptly changed the subject. The fact that His people were being chastised for their rebellion and disobedience did not excuse the ill-treatment they had received at the hands of other nations. God might have used their neighbors' worldly, sinful natures to rebuke and mold Judah, but He never once disregarded those natures. Starting with Chapter 46 and continuing through Chapter 51, God had Jeremiah pronounce the fates of those proud and faithless nations.
Even more so than His warnings to the citizens of Judah, Jeremiah’s words of condemnation regarding the pagan nations were not intended to modify their behavior in any way. No if/then warnings were issued, just verse after verse of simple, terrifying judgment. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the Lord (Jer. 49:2). But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not (49:10). These nations had given themselves over to sin to such an extent that their hearts, eyes, and ears were completely closed to their Creator. They had taken malicious pleasure in tormenting God’s people, often for the simple reason that they were God’s people. The message God imparted through Jerimiah made it clear that was something the Lord would not tolerate. Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the Lord; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities (49:1)?
God owes us no explanation for why He does what He does or the timeline in which He chooses to do it. It is especially not our business what He does concerning anyone else. But He has given us more than enough information in His Word for us to be confident that, no matter how unfair or unbalanced a situation may be in the present, God is handling it. Our suffering at the hands of others does not escape His notice, and it will not go unanswered forever.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Rom. 12:19).
Thought for Today: No one escapes God’s judgment; if you believe you have felt it sooner than those around you, take comfort in the chance to repent.
Christ Revealed: As the Redeemer who pleads our cause (Jer. 50:34).
Word Studies:49:1 their king = Ammonite god known as Malcham/Malcam, Milcom, Molech or Moloch, to whom children were sacrificed through fire; 50:5 thitherward = toward it; 50:31 visit = punish.
Pray overnment Official: Rep. Julia Brownley (CA) • Country: Azerbaijan (9,686,210) Southwesterm Asia • Major Language: Azerbaijani • Restricted Religious Freedom • 93.4% Muslim; 2.5% Russian Orthodox; 2.3% Armenian Orthodox; 1.8% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Remember that the Lord is always ready to help you in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1).
Optional Readings: Revelation 2