Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Our Works and Treasures
Because you trusted in your works and treasures you shall be captured and sent into exile . . .
Jeremiah warns the people of Moab about the danger of placing all their hopes in their own hands rather than in the hands of God. Despite their efforts to create safety and comfort for themselves, a litany of towns and peoples are, instead, crafting their own destruction. Much like Jacob Marley in Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, Jeremiah warns that we forge in life of our own free will the chains that hold us down, link by link, and yard by yard. As Marley warns Scrooge, the common welfare was the business in life that he disregarded; his spirit never roamed beyond the limits of his money-changing as he ignored the common welfare of mankind. Forsaking charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence, Marley chose to harvest exile, destruction and eternal misery. And this is what Marley has in common with the peoples of Nebo, Kiriathiam, Zoar, Luhith, Horonaim, Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath.
Jeremiah cannot speak more plainly: Joy and jubilation are at an end . . . the wealth acquired has perished . . . cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work remissly.
Neither can Jesus as the writers of the Synoptic Gospels tell us. Our treasure is where our heart is. (Matthew 6:21, 13:44 and 19:21, Mark 10:21, Luke 12:33-34, 18:22) The measure that we measure with is measured out to us. (Matthew 7:2, Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38)
We may well want to consider the fate of Moab and place our hopes and hearts in God’s Words and treasures rather than our own.
A clip from the 1984 version of Dicken’s novel with Frank Finlay & George C. Scott in the roles of the deceased Jacob Marley returning from the dead to warn Ebeneezer Scrooge, his friend in life, can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh_fUMgFomk
For more information on the Mesha Stele, click on the image above or go to: http://www.bible-history.com/resource/ff_mesha.htm
The Noontimes 