THE REFUGE DEVOTIONAL
Jeremiah was called by God to preach a hard message to a disobedient people. The Lord’s people had descended into an abyss of perversion. Jeremiah’s message was full of impending judgment for idolatry, dishonesty, adultery and child sacrifice.
The iniquity of the people had reached its limit, therefore The Lord sent His servant as an act of mercy to warn them of what was going to take place. The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah told them, “Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, declares the LORD. It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand.”
The Babylonians were going to be the vessel of judgment in which The Lord would use to turn His people from sin, back to Him. The Lord, who cannot wink at sin, out of His mercy told His people, “If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.”
The message Jeremiah spoke on behalf of God was not wellreceived. He was beaten and confined in a cell for many days with only bread to eat. He was later taken from the confined cell and lowered into a muddy cistern, to never be heard again.
Though Jeremiah was saved, the nation was destroyed. Zedekiah, the king, was taken captive along with all the people and the city was burned. The king, who was responsible for warning the people, watched his sons be slaughtered and then his eyes were put out. He was bound in fetters and lead way into captivity along with the whole nation.
Throughout all of Jeremiah’s ministry his message never changed. Even though the people refused to listen, living only in a form of religion, he was unwavering. Today, The Lord has given His children a message much like that of Jeremiah. It is a message that is rejected by many in our culture; that there is a day set aside in which The Lord will judge the world in His righteousness. We are commanded not to be deceived, but to stand with love, lifting up our voices under heaven calling all who have given themselves over to sin to repent, and turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The scriptures tell us, “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” The day of God’s vengeance will be a day of sheer terror, a day of horror like never before, when the cloud of divine judgement breaks forth upon all who refuse to listen to message of the cross and be saved. Remember my brothers and sisters in Christ, sinners who do not know Christ, are objects of compassion and not our wrath, their eyes are blinded to his matchless glory, their hearts do not understand his unparalleled love.
Rodney Nantz
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive.” Jeremiah 38:17 NASBS