“Run for cover, Benjaminites, out of Jerusalem!” (v. 1)
Run!
Because God’s judgment will come to Jerusalem and Judah. His mercy is long but there comes a time when God must act and it’s at this time. The fullness of evil has topped out and it’s time for the judgment of God.
“As a well gushes out its water, so she pours out her evil. Violence and destruction resound in her. Sickness and wounds keep coming to My attention” (v. 7).
“For from the least to the greatest of them everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest everyone deals falsely…Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren’t at all ashamed” (v. 15).
“All are stubborn rebels spreading slander. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt” (v. 28).
God has warned them.
“Look, an army is coming from a northern land; a great nation will be awakened from the remote regions of the earth. They grasp bow and javelin. They are cruel and show no mercy” (v. 22-23).
It isn’t that God didn’t call them to repentance. He did over and over and over.
“This is what the LORD says:
Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!” I appointed watchmen over you and said, “Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn. But they protested, “We won’t listen!” (v. 16-17).
He says a final time to listen up.
“Listen, earth! I am about to bring disaster on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to My word” (v. 19).
He goes on to say that he is not pleased with their offerings and sacrifices, because he knows their hearts are far from him. For us it would be like a woman saying to her lover, ‘Listen, you bring me flowers but I take no pleasure in them because I have seen you with other women.’
God has made the fire hot, working to refine them. Working so that the evil could be purged from them like a silver or goldsmith purges impurities with fire, but it didn’t work.
“The bellows blow, blasting the lead with fire. The refining is completely in vain; the evil ones are not separated out. They are called rejected silver, for the LORD has rejected them” (v. 29).
The metal is bad. The impurities too great.
And now it’s time for judgment.
My thoughts
When thinking of this, I think God is bringing warning to us too. The fire is growing hot to see who we will become.
And what is our response? Is prepping the main response? Ignoring and hoping things will get better?
Is repentance our response to the times?
I wish I could say I was responding righteously, but I’m not. Each day I look at what is unfolding and see new levels of evil wondering how we got this far. But I find myself being more amazed at evil than God.
My concern is how will we survive what’s ahead? And I think in my mind how can we prepare? Then I remember how God is leading me, and it’s different.
And where is my repentance? My lengthy time of praying for God’s mercy? I too have contributed to all this with my sin. But my repentance isn’t there. My prayers for God’s mercy are missing. It’s like I am numb to what is to come even though I feel the rain intensifying on my face.
We are all tired after several years of crazy. We are all numb. Perhaps this is part of the enemy’s plan
Revive us, Lord, that we may seek your face with fresh strength.
