Old Sandals

Thus says the Lord: “Again there shall be heard in this place…the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say: ‘Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever.'”   Jeremiah 33:10-11

God is a good God.  It is not just that God does good things.  He is good.  Ontologically.  Essentially.  In the same way, the Apostle John wrote that God is love.  Not that He loves, but that He is love.  Essentially.  It is, we might say reverently, what makes Him tick.  For God so loved…

And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.   Jeremiah 32:33

What do we mean when we sing, “…look full in His wonderful face”?  Isn’t this what faith really is?  Looking.  Looking to, not looking away.  Full into the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.  Look and live, my brother, live!

Thus says the Lord: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done.”   Jeremiah 31:37

But, of course, heaven cannot be measured.  The Lord’s mercy, His hesed, is beyond all measure.  The more we realize how wonderful the Lord truly is, the more acute is our awareness of our own sinfulness.  As the hymnwriter said, “My sinful self my only shame.  My glory all the cross!”

Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord Goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind. It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the Lord will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart.   Jeremiah 30:23-24

The anger/wrath of God is purposeful, directed.  It accomplishes its goal.  It returns.  It is the mercy of the Lord that endures forever.  The fires of hell burn forever too, but with a fire that is continually fueled not by God’s fierce, unrelenting anger, but by man’s stubborn rebellion.

Because the Lord is plundering Babylon and silencing her loud voice, though her waves roar like great waters, and the noise of their voice is uttered, because the plunderer comes against her, against Babylon, and her mighty men are taken. Every one of their bows is broken; for the Lord is the God of recompense, He will surely repay.   Jeremiah 51:55-56

He will surely repay. No one gets away with nothin. Our God is a consuming fire.

“Behold, I am  against you, O most haughty one!” says the Lord God of hosts; “For your day has come, the time that I will punish you.”  Jeremiah 50:31

It is a difficult thing to understand—the wrath of God.  If His wrath were only ever expressed in a passive, indirect way, it would be easier to deal with.  But is that true?  The flood, the fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah: Passive?  Indirect?

Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.  Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
Jeremiah 29:5-7

As Christians, we are first of all citizens of Heaven.  We desire a “better country”.  But we are to be good citizens of our earthly country as well.  We are commanded to fear God and honor the king.  We should not put too much stock in the political process.  On the other hand, if we can use it to promote or defend righteousness, we should do it.  Preach to Caesar when we can; appeal to Caesar if we must.

And it happened…that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,  “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,’ says the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'”   Jeremiah 28:1-4

Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.  Words are spoken so very easily, but do they come forth from a pure heart? “Lord, Speak To Me That I May Speak” is not just a hymn for preachers to sing.  Sound theology is important, but a pure heart is more important.  And if your heart is really pure, your theology is sound enough.

“And it shall be, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and which will not put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation I will punish,” says the Lord, “with the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.”   Jeremiah 27:8

The Lord is Sovereign.  The King of all the earth.  That is only a problem for the rebellious.  The pure in heart rejoice!

Now therefore, amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; then the Lord will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you. As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.   Jeremiah 26:13-15

You amend.  You do.  You obey.
The Lord will relent.  The Lord will pronounce.
You know for certain.  You will surely bring.
The Lord has sent me.

Sovereignty and synergy.