Fri.’s Devo - The Promise of Justice

Read: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18: Proverbs 24:11-14 Jeremiah was sent directly to the king of Judah and his attendants with a message from the Lord. Jeremiah condemned them for the injustice they were doing. The injustice of his day was much like ours today. The people were being robbed and oppressed by their government - think income taxes, laws that were against the common people getting ahead and downright slavery. Foreigners, orphans, and widows were being oppressed - think about illegals coming into our country and being trafficked and enslaved. Innocent people were being murdered - think the murders of many whistleblowers, innocent people who were at the wrong place at the wrong time. If they repented and stopped doing these things then they would have a king that would have a powerful king to rule them. But if they didn’t pay attention to this warning, the king’s palace would be turned into a pile of rubble. *** When people looked at the ruins of their city in the future they would ask why the Lord destroyed it and the answer would be that they violated their covenant with the Lord by worshipping other gods. *** God told them not to mourn the death of Josiah who was a good king, but to weep instead for Jehoahaz his son who was not a good king. He would be led captive to Babylon and never return. Jehoahaz had built a beautiful palace with forced labor, but a beautiful palace doesn’t not make a great king. Josiah had been just and right in his dealings so God had blessed. Jehoahaz was greedy and dishonest and murdered the innocent and oppressed the poor, reigning ruthlessly. The people would not mourn his death or give him a proper burial. His body would be dragged out of the city and dumped by the gates. All of his friends would be taken as captives and his wickedness would be exposed. *** Jeremiah then turned to give a message to the leaders of the nation, the shepherds. They were suppose to care for the people but instead they had deserted them and driven them to destruction. God would pour out judgment on them for the evil then had done. But God would gather his remnant together and bring them back to their own sheepfold and they would be fruitful and increase. God would appoint responsible shepherds over them who would care for them. *** God promised them a righteous King who would rule with wisdom and his name would be “the Lord Is Our Righteousness.” Then, Judah would be saved and Israel would live in safety. The people would boast that the Lord was the one who brought them back to their land. *** Jeremiah mourned the curse the land was under because of the false prophets. They abused their power and did evil. The priests and prophets were ungodly, wicked men who did despicable acts in God’s Temple. They prophesied in the name of Baal and led the people into sin. They were as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were. *** God said the prophets would be fed bitterness and poison because that is what they had fed the people. The false prophets today are the main-stream media who spout out lies to put fear and anxiety into the hearts of anyone who will listen to them. Don’t listen to them! That is what Jeremiah told his people of them also. They filled the people with futile hopes and made everything up. *** In Jeremiah’s day they were offering false hope like the media today offers false hope in a vaccine that will end up harming you instead of helping you. *** God’s anger would not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. One day in the future we will understand all of this clearly. *** In the second letter to the Thessalonians he thanked God for their growing faith and love for one anther. He was proud of how they endured the persecutions and hardships of their day. God would use all of this to show his justice and make them worthy of his Kingdom. He would pay back those who persecuted them. *** When the Lord appears from heaven he will come with his angels in flaming fire and judge the wicked and reward his chosen people who received him with praise. Until then, God will give us the power to accomplish all the good things our faith prompts us to do. The name of Jesus will be honored because of the way we live. *** Lord we look forward to that day. We will live our days honoring you and praising you for all you have done, continue to do and have promised to do in the future.