Today's Reading:

Jeremiah 49
Jeremiah 50

God gives grace and mercy at His will. His goal is always for restoration with His people. In the oracles of judgment in Jeremiah, the Lord gave a few surprising promises. Moab, Ammon, and Elam were all given grace when He declared, “I will restore their fortunes.”

These nations were not Israel. They had been against God’s people from the beginning, trusting in their own strength and walking in idolatry. Yet in the end, God still gave them mercy. Judgment is real and always deserved, but that does not mean God is done with the people. He is sovereign and can restore those He has judged.  

This was pure grace, even when the nations had slid far from His laws and ways. God’s heart is large, and He promised to restore Moab, Ammon, and Elam. Even today, His heart offers hope to anyone who turns back to Him. What is one thing your heart needs most from the Lord right now, and are you willing to ask Him for it?

Jeremiah’s oracles from God continued against Ammon, Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, Elam, and then Babylon. Jeremiah used most of the book to warn Judah that Babylon was coming due to their disobedience and sin. Then the book felt like it stopped and seemed to look around to declare that the message from God would also go to the surrounding nations. God was not only worried for His people; He also disciplined and judged Judah’s oppressors. For the exiled Israelites, this was confirmation that their enemies’ victories were only temporary.

The messages to Ammon, Edom, Damascus, and the desert Arabs of Kedar and Hazor were shorter than the long oracle given to Babylon. The Ammonites, like the Moabites, were descendants of Lot and lived north of Moab.  When Assyria had exiled the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Ammon moved into the area of Gad to claim it. Why did they think the inheritance rule did not apply (Numbers 32, Joshua 13:24-28), or that the exiles would not be returning? Even though the people of Gad were gone, the land still belonged to them by divine allotment. God would judge Ammon, and their villages would burn for this mistake. Again, in God’s mercy, He gave the people a second chance and a promise of future restoration.

Edom (Esau’s descendants) held a grudge for centuries against Jacob, ever since Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. The whole book of Obadiah focused on the judgment to come to them. They lived in the mountainous area south of the Dead Sea (Petra, Jordan). The town of Teman was famous for its wisdom. When they had celebrated Judah’s downfall, God mocked them for their famous wisdom: “Has their wisdom decayed?” (49:7). Thieves can only take what they can carry, and grape pickers leave some gleanings, but God would leave Esau/Edom with nothing. Bozrah would become like Sodom and Gomorrah. God would come like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan to chase them away. No shepherd could stand against Him.

Damascus, the capital of Syria in the north (who had earlier attacked the Northern Kingdom of Israel) was nextfor judgment. The city received the bad news that they would be in pain as their young men would fall in the streets, the walls would be set on fire, and the fortress of Ben-Hadad would burn.  

The next oracle was for the Arab nations of Kedar and Hazor, who were descendants of Ishmael’s lineage. Living like the Bedouin people, their tents and flocks would be taken. They felt secure with no walls or city gates, living in the wilderness, but now they would be hunted. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would plunder their camels and herds, and the land would be desolate forever.

Elam, the area known for their archery skills, was east of the Tigris River near Babylon. Including Elam, showed how far God’s reach went past the boundaries of Judah to judge the other nations. The Elamites had military strength which they trusted in (Isaiah 22:6) and were often allied with Assyria and Babylon. The four winds from the four directions represented judgment coming from all sides, driving them out of the land. God would break their bows and scatter them. In the ancient Near East, when a conquering king took over an area, he often set up his own throne in the defeated land as a symbol for all to know who won the battle and had authority over the land. God declared that His throne would be set up in Elam, declaring His sovereignty over Elam. He would remove Elam’s king and reign with judgment, making His power known to all. Even here, theywere given God’s mercy with a note of hope at the end with restoration in later days. This was partially fulfilled under Persian rule, and the Elamites were even present in the days of Jesus when they were mentioned as being at Pentecost in Acts 2:9.

Chapter 50 was a long oracle devoted entirely to Babylon. They were the most powerful nation at the time. Jeremiah was told by the Lord to announce the downfall of Babylon for their pride when they destroyed the Temple and conquered Judah. Their gods Bel and Merodach (Marduk) would also be put to shame. A nation from the north (Medes and Persians under Cyrus) would make the land desolate.

During this time, God would see Judah and Israel come together to seek Him, wanting to know the way back to Zion (Jerusalem) They had been lost sheep, scattered first by Assyria and then by Babylon, but God would bring them back to good pastures. God listed Babylon’s offenses. They rejoiced in destroying God’s people, so He set a trap for them. No guilt would be found with the remnant of Israel or Judah; they would be forgiven. Cyrus took Babylon in 539 BC, and the Israelites were allowed to return (Ezra). Babylon was repaid for their deeds,proving that He alone is sovereign over all nations.

Young men would fall. Wealth would not save Ammon. Wisdom and mountain fortresses would not save Edom. Fame would not save Damascus. Isolation would not save the Arabs. Archery would not save Elam. Military arrogance would not save Babylon. Pride was the common thread with these foreign nations. Whether the nations were totally wiped out or given the chance at restoration, it was all dependent upon how evil they were to God’s people. Restoration rested in His hands.

 

Today's Discussion question:

What is one thing your heart needs most from the Lord right now, and are you willing to ask Him for it?

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