Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+005
Jeremiah 5 (ESV)
14 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts:
“Because you have spoken this word,
behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
15 Behold, I am bringing against you
a nation 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 what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
17 They shall eat up your harvest and your food;
they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;
they shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
your fortified cities in which you trust
they shall beat down with the sword.”
18 “But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you. 19 And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”
REFLECTION:
“A nation from afar” refers to Babylon. Babylon is an ancient country. The old Babylonian Empire appeared from 1900 to 1550 BC, and other empires were built on that land as early as 3000 BC. Babylon in Jeremiah’s time rose rapidly, established its own military force, attacked and defeated Assyria, and became another great empire that dominated the world after Assyria. Have you ever met someone you have talked with for a long time, but that person didn’t hear a word? Are you angry? God is also angry with the people who have repeatedly refused to listen to Him. However, God still has endless love in His anger, and He still leaves a way out for them and does not “make a full end of them.” God has clearly told the Judahites and Israelites that those who obey Him will be blessed, and those who rebel against Him will be destroyed, but they still ignorantly shut their eyes and ears. Instead they asked God “why have you done all these things to us?” Reflect if we are like the people of Judah who pretended to be deaf and dumb with God’s words. May our ears listen carefully to God’s words, and our eyes focus on the abundance and glory that God will accomplish for our obedient life.
PRAYER:
Ask God for clearer eyes, so that you can see the glory of God; more sensitive ears, so that you can hear more of God’s words; Ask God for a loving, wise, and humble heart, making you a suitable vessel to bear witness for the Lord before others.
HYMN:
Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) – youtu.be/61l1zx9Y_MQ
