Thursday, July 30, 2015

Our Redeemer is Strong

God's Prophets Demand Justice
God' Prophets Demand Justice


Advocates of Justice for All


Our Redeemer Comes

Jeremiah 50:28-34  The Message

25-28 “I, God, opened my arsenal.
    I brought out my weapons of wrath.
The Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
    has a job to do in Babylon.
Come at her from all sides!
    Break into her granaries!
Shovel her into piles and burn her up.
    Leave nothing! Leave no one!
Kill all her young turks.
    Send them to their doom!
Doom to them! Yes, Doomsday!
    The clock has finally run out on them.
And here’s a surprise:
    Runaways and escapees from Babylon
Show up in Zion reporting the news of God’s vengeance,
    taking vengeance for my own Temple.
29-30 “Call in the troops against Babylon,
    anyone who can shoot straight!
Tighten the noose!
    Leave no loopholes!
Give her back as good as she gave,
    a dose of her own medicine!
Her brazen insolence is an outrage
    against God, The Holy of Israel.
And now she pays: her young strewn dead in the streets,
    her soldiers dead, silent forever.” God’s Decree.
31-32 “Do you get it, Mister Pride? I’m your enemy!”
    Decree of the Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
“Time’s run out on you:
    That’s right: It’s Doomsday.
Mister Pride will fall flat on his face.
    No one will offer him a hand.
I’ll set his towns on fire.
    The fire will spread wild through the country.”
33-34 And here’s more from God-of-the-Angel-Armies:
“The people of Israel are beaten down,
    the people of Judah along with them.
Their oppressors have them in a grip of steel.
    They won’t let go.
But the Rescuer is strong:
    God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Yes, I will take their side,
    I’ll come to their rescue.
I’ll soothe their land,
    but rough up the people of Babylon.

For Reflection 
Yeah, I know!  Vengeance is the Lord's.  But, I always have trouble with the war language in the Bible. I suppose that I shouldn't, but, in the light of the New Testament, I can't help understanding these passages metaphorically.

Babylon is the seat of Godlessness.  Her destruction may be literal. However, taken metaphorically, Babylon is the seat of prideful self-determination and, as such, Babylon is the master of its own defeat.  Pride has been her executioner.

To what extent are you proud of your Christianity?  Does your pride color your thoughts and action?  Does your pride get in the way of your holy commission to love, forgive and compassionately work for justice?  Does your pride overpower your humility?  God does not offer Pride a hand.

Pray
pray for humility.   Pray that your pride will not lead to the defense of a God who needs no defense.  Pray for humility that leads us away from destructive action and toward creating peace.  Pray that your humility will set the enemies of God afire.

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