Read: Jeremiah 50:1-10
. . . let us join ourselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant. (v. 5)
God spent much of Jeremiah pronouncing judgment. He announced the instrument of his judgment: Babylon. Babylon was, for a time, serving God’s purposes. But at the end of Jeremiah, his instrument of judgment became the target of his judgment. Babylon was about to become “an utter desolation” (50:13). Why the apparent turn around?
In his sovereignty, God used earthly agents to accomplish his will. His will was always good, but sometimes the agents he used were not. Incorporation into God’s plans did not mean immunity from his judgment.
God’s people have been warned. At times we declare that particular practices or political movements are godly because they serve our agendas. Jeremiah taught that though God may bend oppressive forces to his will, there was nothing godly about any force that oppresses. God insisted that anyone who used violence or capitalized on injustice would pay for it.
Though God calls all sinners to account, he does not punish us as our sins deserve. He promises that seasons of difficulty and discipline won’t last forever. He gathers and forgives his straying, sinful people. The demands of his justice were satisfied at the cross of Jesus Christ. There God put an end to the oppression of sin and death, and established the everlasting covenant by which all might know his mercy. —Ben Van Arragon
As you pray, thank God for his justice and his mercy.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is the Minister of Worship and Leadership at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
