For thus says the Lord of hosts:
"Cut down her trees;
cast up a siege mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city that must be punished;
there is nothing but oppression within her.
To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am weary of holding it in.
"Pour it out upon the children in the street,
and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
the elderly and the very aged.
"For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
I set watchmen over you, saying,
'Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!'
But they said, 'We will not pay attention.'
Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people,
the fruit of their devices,
because they have not paid attention to my words;
and as for my law, they have rejected it.
Therefore thus says the Lord:
'Behold, I will lay before this people
stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble;
fathers and sons together,
neighbor and friend shall perish.'"
The bellows blow fiercely;
the lead is consumed by the fire;
in vain the refining goes on,
for the wicked are not removed. (Jeremiah 6:6, 10, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21, 29 ESV)
God loves his people Israel. He guides them in right paths, he gave then the law. He gave them leaders, priests and prophets.
Yet they turned away.
He turned them back.
They turned again.
He gave them prophets to warn them.
Yet their whole culture turned from God against what is right. They turned to other Gods.
God was patient. But he was at work to refine his people. He was not angry without cause. He was righteous in his anger. For his people were living without him. They did not experience the fullness of life in him. Even worse they brought injustice and harm on others: the poor and widow. On their children.
And so God was at work to refine his people.
We often read the Old Testament and see only wrath. But God cares more about the world and people than we know. He would not allow this injustice anymore. He was at work to save his people. He was at work to bring the people to walk in right ways. To follow his law and him. To live abundantly in him. To take care of he poor and oppressed. To love and love justice. He was willing to do what it takes to save his people:
God brought destruction and exile unto his people. He would not spare them but turned them over to destruction by other nations and by their own sin. But not eternally. He is willing to bring this pain on his people and himself. He destroyed them in anger but not to end them, rather that they would turn again and live.
God continually refined his people.
And so I believe God is still at work refining his people. In Christ I am redeemed. But God is still at work refining me.
I am still trying to understand this concept: for God is willing to sacrifice in order to refine and save his people. For example: in ministry, God calls imperfect people who may miss opportunities or even turn people from faith. And yet God is willing to call us and refine us in leadership as his ministers to the gospel, and bring about fruit in us and in the future. And yet God I believes love the people who turned away because of me as a minister just as much as the ones I help come to know Jesus later.
In Israel: he is willing to bring about he destruction of his people and city Jerusalem. He was willing to allow the whole generation to die in the wilderness in order to save his people. God cares so much for each individual that he allows other individuals and peoples to suffer because of one person. Seems contradictory, but God is bigger than the world and our circumstances.
I don't know how to reconcile your love for all people and allowing our sin and even our imperfect church/ministry to affect others.
Even though I don't understand I trust you Lord.
I hold to these promises you gave us:
You love us even while sinners
You redeem us through Jesus
You call us who follow you to make disciples of all nations
Thank you Lord.
Thank you for loving me
Hank you for calling me to be a minister to your gospel
Humble me to learn and grow.
I am sorry for my stubborn and sinful heart.
Thank you for your mercy and Love.
Thank you Lord that you love me enough to die for me and still continue to work for your good in me.
Amen
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