“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city." -Jeremiah 5:1 NIV
My initial thought while reflecting on this passage is that, with COVID-19 quarantines, it’d be even harder to find someone in the streets....
This is not the most uplifting passage, I’ll say that. I was not previously very familiar with this book, and I found this summary helpful: “This book is intended as a message to the Jews in exile in Babylon, explaining the disaster of exile as God's response to Israel's pagan worship: the people, says Jeremiah, are like an unfaithful wife and rebellious children, their infidelity and rebelliousness made judgment inevitable, although restoration and a new covenant are foreshadowed.”
I think this passage really goes to show God’s anger at the Jewish people, especially in their infidelity and worship of false idols. Despite this anger, God ultimately demonstrates his forgiveness through Jesus. The Old Testament can sometimes feel rough to read through, especially when compared to the often more uplifting New Testament. Still, it is important to understand that God is the one in control, and we should do our very best to stick to God's ideals.
Thought for the day: In what area of my life do I need to remind myself that God is the one in control, not me? To lighten the mood a bit, the “avenge” line at the end of this passage made me think of this scene from Marvel’s Avengers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSnHM3rn1jc
--David Oakley
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