Sun.’s Devo God of Justice

Read: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34 Jeremiah goes to the one who always had given him justice in the past. He wanted to know why the wicked were so prosperous.They seemed to be the happy ones who speak of the Lord with their mouths, but he is far from their hearts. Even all of nature had responded to the sins of the people. It was dying and Jeremiah wanted the people to have to pay. The wicked thought God couldn’t see what was up ahead for them because they weren’t honoring his prophecies. God responded by asking Jeremiah a question. “If racing against mere men makes you tire, how will you race against horses?” In other words he was telling Jeremiah to put on his big boy britches. His family had turned against Jeremiah just like God’s family had turned against Him. His chosen people had roared against him and he could take it, so Jeremiah needed to get a harder shell. The Lord had watched his beautiful creation be trampled on and left desolate and no one cared. God is coming with his sword and would bring vengeance on the whole nation. No one would be able to escape. Once the Lord emptied his land of people, he would bring them home - a different people who call will on his name. God told Jeremiah to buy a linen loincloth and wear it but not to wash it. After wearing it for a while he was to take it and bury it in the rocks by the Euphrates. A long while later he was to go and dig it up and show the people the rotted cloth that was good for nothing. He was to tell them that this loin cloth represented their pride that God was going to rot away from them. God had created Israel to cling to him as a loin cloth but they refused to honor him. Next, God told Jeremiah to tell the people, “May all your jars be filled with wine.” They would joyfully agree with this is a blessing, but Jeremiah would explain that he was filling everyone with drunkenness and from the king on down, they would not be able to make good decisions. God would not have any pity or mercy on them because they chose this. Jeremiah begged the people to repent and weep because of their sins. They would soon be taken captive but maybe God would have mercy if they repented. Jeremiah pled with them to open their spiritual eyes and try to see what he saw. He saw the enemy coming to take them. They had made allies with wicked nations who would turn on them. In Chapter 14, Jeremiah paints them a picture of Judah after the siege. The land is desolate because their sins had finally caught up with them. Paul had preached for three weeks in the synagogue in Thessalonica. Most of the Jews rejected the teaching but many Gentiles believed and suffered the persecution they received to walk in the Gospel of Christ. They continued meeting in the home of Jason and became a body of believers know as the Church in Thessalonica. After Paul left Thessalonica, Silas and Timothy remained. They were accused of speaking against Caesar by claiming Jesus as king so they had to flee for their lives. Paul begins his letter to them by praising them for their faithfulness and charity. He will deal with their needs later. Lord, thank you that you don’t wait forever in bringing justice. Help us to be patient in waiting on your to move. Thank you that you know the end from the beginning.