Tuesday, August 3, 2021
The Grasp of the Violent
The Lord said to me: Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me, my heart would not turn toward these people.
Conditions have reached a dreadful pitch. God’s people have gone so far astray that no one is listening to anyone. They ignore God’s words of warning delivered through Jeremiah and now their very existence is in the hands of the wicked. The Lord tells Jeremiah that he has done with words. Even from the wisest of prophets.
Then who will guide and protect God’s faithful remnant who suffer because they have obeyed God’s word?
Who will pity you, Jerusalem, who will console you?
Jeremiah sees no reason for his existence and delivers his plaint to the Lord, a plaint that many peoples of the world might lift to God today.
Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth! Tell me, Lord, have I not served you . . . I did not sit celebrating in the circle of merrymakers; under the weight of your hand I sat alone . . . why is my pain continuous, my wounds incurable . . .?
Then from the ferocious maelstrom, God says: If you bring forth the precious without the vile, you shall be my mouthpiece . . . I am with you to deliver you. I will free you from the hand of the wicked, and rescue you from the grasp of the violent. Listen to my prophet Jeremiah for he brings you words of wisdom, words of life, words that will break the fist of the vile, wicked and violent.
Enter the word remnant into the blog search bar and consider how each of us might bring forth precious acts rather than return violence for violence.
For more information about the prophets Moses and Samuel visit: http://biblehub.com/dictionary/m/moses.htm and http://biblehub.net/searchdictionary.php?q=samuel
For another reflection on Jeremiah 15, enter the words God’s Words into the blog search bar and explore.
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