Meditation on Jeremiah 5

A few days ago I began the Book of Jeremiah in my quiet time. It was a book I hadn’t previously read and I have found great spiritual benefit from reading though books of the Bible a chapter at a time and meditating on the chapter and using this as the basis of my prayers.

Jeremiah was a priest who was called by God, to preach of the coming destruction of Jerusalem by invaders from the north because of the way Israel had turned from God. God’s people had gone so far that they had set up many temples to Baal on the hills of Israel.

This morning I was struck by three scriptural truths from Chapter 5.

FIRSTLY sin is serious, have a look at v28-29:

“Their evil deeds have no limit;
they do not seek justice.
They do not promote the case of the fatherless;
they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
Should I not punish them for this?”
declares the LORD.
“Should I not avenge myself
on such a nation as this?”

So often I’m tempted to down play the ways in which I turn from the way that God would have me live. I choose the things which put me at the center of my life, I choose the things which look good even if I know that always fail to satisfy. This is particularly stupid as I know that God made me and the way He wants me to live is the way in which I will find most satisfying. Notice from the verses quoted though God expects us to take care of others and when a person or a society turn from God it shows itself in the way that person or society treats the most vulnerable around them.

SECONDLY Judgement is coming, this is apparent throughout Chapter 5 and indeed in all of the previous 4 chapters and v15 sums this up well:

“People of Israel,” declares the LORD,
“I am bringing a distant nation against you—
an ancient and enduring nation,
a people whose language you do not know,
whose speech you do not understand.”

The nation which God is speaking is Babylon, the superpower who would capture the people and take the leading members of their society off to exile for seventy years. Though Israel wouldn’t believe Jeremiah it didn’t stop the inevitability of the judgement and the same is true for us today. Judgement has been prophesied for the whole world with the return of Jesus and we are presently in a period waiting for this to happen. This period is given so that people might turn back to God, but just as with Israel, whether people believe or not Jesus will return, judgement and justice will be done.

THIRDLY and finally though, God is merciful. The chapter begins with God showing His merciful character in v1:

“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.”

and then later in v18:

“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not destroy you completely.”

Whoever we are, whatever we have done the character of God is such that He longs to be merciful and to welcome us back. Jeremiah can’t see this but this mercy would be seen in God coming to earth Himself in the form of His Son. Jesus comes to take the judgement we deserve, that I deserve, so that there is a way back to God. God provides us with an option to turn back, to choose Him and should we choose it He will forgive us and withhold His judgement from us for it has been taken by Christ on our behalf. What a great way to start my day, to be reminded of who I am (fallen) and who God is (just and merciful) and help me to start my day in the right frame of mind.

These themes of sin, judgement and grace (that is the merciful forgiveness of God) are the key to understanding the Christian life and it was great to be reminded of these truths this morning as I opened up the Book of Jeremiah. What did you read this morning in your quiet time? How has it helped you to keep going in the faith?