BEFORE RETRIBUTION

BEFORE RETRIBUTION

-JEREMIAH 21:1-14

KEY VERSE:

"And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon..." (Jerem

The maxim, to every action there is a reaction, is not true only in scientific experiments. It holds true in every facet of life and in all generations. If you live all your life in sin without repentance, be prepared to reap the wages. And if by God’s grace you live a life of righteousness, expect the reward: eternity with the Lord in heaven. Pharaoh, king of Egypt,

could have saved himself and his subjects all the agonies they passed through, if he had heeded God’s earlier warnings. In today’s passage, we see the message of God to Zedekiah King of Judah. The entire nation had consistently and willfully sinned against the Lord. The King raised the bar of transgression when he refused to show the people the right path. God decided that they must go into captivity in Babylon. This message was delivered by Prophet Jeremiah, but the response was the persecution of the prophet by the king’s acolyte, Pashur the son of Immer. God’s word is unchanging. The more Judah resisted the message, the firmer it stood against them. Those who felt they could circumvent the message, the Lord explicitly said, "he that abides in the city would die by the sword, famine and by the pestilence; and he that goes out and falls to the Chaldeans shall live; but his life shall be unto him for a prey." As believers, we must not harden our hearts when God speaks to us. Consistent disobedience will only lead to perdition. If Judah and her king had repented of their sins and called upon God for mercy, he would have abundantly pardoned. Today, you have the privilege of going to God in earnest supplication for grace that brings salvation. Remember, there is eternal banishment for all those who live and die in sin.

Thought for the day: He who spurns God’s entreaties, spins eternal destruction to himself.

Bible Reading in one Year: ZECHARIAH 10-14

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