The Human Condition

Scripture: Jeremiah 32:36

"Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.'

Insights: Let me make some preliminary remarks about the Old Testament.  The words possibly can have multiple meanings.  There may be a word specifically for the people right then or in the near future.  There could also be a word regarding Jesus’ first coming (His Pascal Lamb appearance) or His second coming (His Lion of Judah appearance).  The verses we are going to look to this week have an immediate context for the children of Judah (the southern kingdom of Israelites), but later in the week we will also see them pointing to Jesus.  So, without further delay let’s look at today’s verse for a moment.  Jeremiah was the writer of these verses and he prophesized before Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians.  This verse, therefore, was prophetic for the near future.  The king of Babylon was going to come and take the people by sword, famine and pestilence.  Why was this judgment from God going to fall on the people of Judah?  The answer was, and is still today the same, a simple three letter word—SIN.  Judah had sinned against the LORD God of Israel over and over and over again.  God had warned them and sent prophets to them over and over and over again, but the people refused to repent and turn from their wicked ways.  As a result there were consequences they had to face.  In Judah’s case the consequence was being taking into captivity by the Babylonian Empire.  The sad news is the human condition has not changed.  We, like the children of Judah, are just as sinful.  The reality for us is also the same.  We will be judged and there will be consequences for our sin.  In the case of Judah it was exile.  In our case, I do not know.  What I do know, however, is that at any point Judah would have repented from their sin, God would have forgiven them.  The same truth is present today.  All we need to do is honestly repent and humble ourselves before the Lord our God and He will forgive us our sin.  The consequence of our sin may still occur, but the restoration with the Father will be present.  The best practice is to remain in a healthy love relationship with our Savior and Lord, King Jesus, and let Him empower you against sin.

Questions:

1. What sin are you harboring in your heart?
2. Are you aware that there will be consequences for such sin?

Prayer: Father, I am a sinner.  Reveal to me the specific areas in my life that hinder our relationship so that I can repent and turn back to You.  Lord, forgive me when I return and let me experience the joy found in Your mercy.  Amen.