Day 255: Roots and all! - Jeremiah 12 vs 7 – 17

7-9 “I have abandoned my people, my special possession, I have surrendered my dearest ones to their enemies. My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt. My chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!”

10-13 “Many rulers have ravaged my vineyard, trampling down the vines and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness. They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares. On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the Lord devours people from one end of the nation to the other, no one will escape. My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the Lord.”

14-15 Now this is what the Lord says: “I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave my people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them. But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession.  16 And if these nations truly learn the ways of my people, and if they learn to swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’ (just as they taught my people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among my people.  17 But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Jeremiah 7:7-17 New Living Translation paraphrase (English Standard Version link)

Ongoing wickedness and disobedience by the Israelites had led to the point where God gave them up to their enemies. They had behaved like vultures (preying on the helpless) and now their enemies would do the same to them. (vs 7-9) Verses 10-13 paint a dismal picture of Babylon’s army sweeping over the land and leaving it in total ruins. Jeremiah's dismay was increased by the fact that as the army drew nearer to Jerusalem no-one seemed to really care. People refused to realize that 'the sword of the Lord (God's judgement) was on their doorstep. That can be just as true today. There may not be an enemy army about to attack us – but ever since Jesus brought the gospel the Bible says we are living in the 'last hour', and that God's final judgement day is the next event to take place. That's why vs 14-15 have a lesson for today's generation too.

God says that it wasn’t only Judah (where Jerusalem was situated) that was going to be uprooted, but many other nations as well. The nations around Judah hoped to take advantage of their defeat and claim the land for themselves. But God says those nations were going to be uprooted also. But then He says something wonderful. He speaks of a time when He would bring people back to their homelands again. But what did God hope had happened while the nations were in exile and scattered all over? (vs 16)

As the captured peoples and refugees intermingled – the opportunity was there for people to think about their lives, and the people of other nations would've heard from the Jewish captives about the God of Abraham, the only true God, the one who'd given righteous commandments through Moses. And if those people turned from their idols to love and serve God – they would be brought into God's family. But what would be the result if the nations still rejected God? (vs 17)

They would be pulled up roots and all! They would cease to exist as a nation. And this happened. Most of the nations that were there then (like Moab and Edom) don't exist anymore. God still sends 'warnings' into our world. Wars, famines and plagues are reminders that there is a final judgement day to come on all nations and all people. Those who turn to God and welcome Jesus as saviour and Lord are brought into His family. Those who reject God and continue to fill the world with sin will be removed, roots and all. Sadly, as in Jeremiah's day, many people don't seem to care. Make sure your roots are in Christ.