Slices
Prepare
Spend a while in the presence of our good God, perhaps listening to some worship music.
Bible passage
Jerusalem under siege
6 ‘Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet in Tekoa!
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster looms out of the north,
even terrible destruction.
2 I will destroy Daughter Zion,
so beautiful and delicate.
3 Shepherds with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents round her,
each tending his own portion.’
4 ‘Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5 So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!’
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘Cut down the trees
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.
7 As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8 Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you
and make your land desolate
so that no one can live in it.’
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
‘Let them glean the remnant of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.’
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so that they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.
‘Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others,
together with their fields and their wives,
when I stretch out my hand
against those who live in the land,’
declares the Lord.
13 ‘From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practise deceit.
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,’
says the Lord.
Explore
When watching war films, it’s common to see a companion cradling someone with a catastrophic injury, often repeating, ‘It’s OK. You’re all right. You’ll be OK.’ In the back of my mind, I wonder if the casualty actually believes what’s being said to them as they’re clearly dying. In today’s passage, we see again Jeremiah pleading with his neighbours and fellow Israelites to flee the disaster he foresees (v 1). As we see God giving Babylon war tactics to bring down Jerusalem’s walls (v 6), the spotlight shifts slightly more on to the prophets and priests (v 13) and the role they have played in Judah’s entrenched idolatry.
God has called time on the oppression, wickedness, violence and destruction (vs 6,7) enjoyed by Judah. These are called her sickness and wounds (vs 7,14) which, if not treated correctly through the balm of repentance, will lead God to enact the final curse of the covenant (v 8; Deuteronomy 28:58–68).
A doctor refusing to diagnose you because they’re afraid of upsetting you is doing the opposite of their job – preserving life (v 14)! There is a big challenge here for us: would we want someone to challenge us if we were straying from God, even though it might be upsetting? Or would we prefer to hear ‘Peace, peace … when there is no peace’ (v 14)?
Respond
This is a tough challenge. Pray for your heart to be soft, your ears open, that you would find pleasure in the Word of the Lord (v 10).
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Exodus 17,18; Matthew 24
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Mission Partner Southampton City Mission as they lead Question of Faith days in up to 50 different schools. Pray for team leaders Ellie, Joyce, Reuben, Charis and Teresa as they plan and prepare these Christianity RE workshops and that they will encourage pupils to think seriously about the Christian faith.
