Egypt Punished; Israel Saved

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Jeremiah's Call and Commission

Jeremiah 4:25-28 The Message

23-26 I looked at the earth—
    it was back to pre-Genesis chaos and emptiness.
I looked at the skies,
    and not a star to be seen.
I looked at the mountains—
    they were trembling like aspen leaves,
And all the hills
    rocking back and forth in the wind.
I looked—what’s this! Not a man or woman in sight,
    and not a bird to be seen in the skies.
I looked—this can’t be! Every garden and orchard shriveled up.
    All the towns were ghost towns.
And all this because of God,
    because of the blazing anger of God.
27-28 Yes, this is God’s Word on the matter:
“The whole country will be laid waste—
    still it won’t be the end of the world.
The earth will mourn
    and the skies lament
Because I’ve given my word and won’t take it back.
    I’ve decided and won’t change my mind.”

For Reflection

(Thou shall have no other gods before me.) The essence of sin is idolatry. The turning from God's law and God's promise will always result in desolation.  Is it God who punishes or is it a dire consequence of committing such an overwhelming rejection of the One who created and who sustains life that even the Earth trembles, the birds flee, gardens and orchards shrivel?

God is angery at the human rejection of God's love.  The whole creation laments.  God cries out. God suffers but will not violate God's will to preserve human choice. Even so, God offers hope through the promise of divine forgiveness. God's overture to reconcile and return to the household is unconditional and eternal.

Pray

Pray that you will always remember that you are a child of God.  Pray that when you forget that God is the center of all things, you will be humble enough to confess your sin and return to abide in the household of God.