Obey the Lord and Do Justice
Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 22:1-9(NASB)
1This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and there speak this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: “Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. And do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed perform this instruction, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, the king himself, his servants, and his people. 5 But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a place of ruins.”’” 6 For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“You are like Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you a wilderness,
Cities that are not inhabited.
7 For I will set apart destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will cut down your choicest cedars
And throw them on the fire.
8 “Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this great city?’ 9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”
SUMMARY
God gives a warning to the king of Judah that his wrongdoing and disobedience would lead to devastation. The Lord continues that Judah should not mistreat the weakest of the land who are strangers, orphans and the widows. The people of Judah are corrupted with idolatry and God reminds them that they will be destroyed if they do not follow the covenant of the Lord.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
God gave the people of Israel the laws and words so that the generations of Abraham could continue to worship the only God who kept the promise He made with Abraham. God did not create the laws to destroy the people but to have continuing relationships with the people for generations. When God promised to bless the people who followed His words, God made sure that the vulnerable groups of the land who were strangers, widows or orphans were to be protected. However, when people receive blessing from the Lord, it is so easy to self promote themselves and hard to share with the people who are in need.
The people of Judah continued their idolatry of fertility and forgot to protect the people they were to protect. We need to remember it is God who could not only bless with so many things but also could take away anything.
APPLICATION
I need to thank God for everything he has provided me through all my life. The blessings and abundance that I receive whether it is material or spiritual, I will make sure to use it for the people who are in need.
PRAYER
Dear God, I know your ultimate power which is above and beyond my knowledge. Please give me a heart to love others. Give me wisdom to use the blessings you provided me in the ways You want me to spend. Help me feel fulfillment only when I obey your words. Amen
Please share your personal meditations on this Scripture passage with the HolyWave community in the comments section below. (We reserve the right to moderate comments.)