By Allen White
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have
loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah
31:3
Jeremiah
prophesied these words during a time of Babylonian supremacy over the known
world. The sinfulness of God’s people in the Old Testament usually resulted in
their submission to a conquering nation. Rebellion toward God resulted in
surrender to another power. (There’s a lesson there, but for another day).
The
Babylonians weren’t interested in rehabilitating God’s people. Babylon’s
interest was self-interest. They wanted to take over the world. They were the
conquering empire of the day having defeated the Assyrians. Their only motive
was to take as much as they could and to keep it under control. God used people
who were completely uninterested in the well-being of His people to teach His
people.
It’s
easy to portray biblical prophets as all gloom and doom. They are often
presented as borderline lunatics wearing sandwich signs proclaiming, “The end
is near.” They were the original sources of hellfire and brimstone preaching.
Yet, ever prophet in the Bible speaks a message of hope and reconciliation. This
passage is no different.
God
through Jeremiah reminds the people that He has shown His grace and mercy to
them in the past. It was undeserved then and it’s undeserved now, but that’s
the nature of grace. God loves His people with an everlasting love – a love
that will never change regardless of what we’ve done. As long as we have breath
in our bodies, God will give us another chance.
Then,
God says, “I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” God doesn’t drive us
with guilt and fear and shame. Those are the devil’s tools. God doesn’t back us
into a corner – turn or burn! God draws us out with His kindness. When we
deserve the stick, God gives us the carrot.
God knows who He is. He is not threatened by our sinfulness.
He is greater than our sinfulness. God doesn’t need to make us feel bad about
ourselves. We already feel bad about ourselves, and if we don’t, then we will
soon enough. Life is just that way.
But,
this may sound too good to be true. The people of Judah received the assurances
of this prophecy (Jeremiah 30-31) while they were headed toward captivity. It
would be about 60 years until they saw their deliverance. But, in the middle of
their situation, God extended His mercy, His grace, His compassion and His
kindness to them.
What
are you in the middle of? Do you feel like God is on your side? God wants to
love you. God wants to forgive you. God wants to help you. Ask Him to show you
His kindness today.
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