I am going to keep this short giving some people some “catch up time”.
We ended chapter 3 into chapter 4 with God begging His people to come back to him. They needed to cultivate soft hearts that would welcome the Lord’s words. The Judahites—having sinned greatly (ch. 2)—failed to repent (ch. 3). Consequently, judgment in the form of military invasion would overtake them. This whole section, chapters 4-10 is a vision of the enemy coming from the North (Babylon).
When I was studying this morning I came upon some commentaries that paralleled the Babylonian Captivity with Terrorists in America. It is easy for us to read about the Babylonian captivity and say “Well, God warned you” “He was patient” “They didn’t listen”…..etc. However, I was tore up a bit this morning thinking about this parallel scenario in America as terrorists invade us.
18 “Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
Ch 5
18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the Lord, “I will not destroy you completely. 19 And when the people ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.’
Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes but do not see,
who have ears but do not hear:
22 Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord.
“Should you not tremble in my presence?
I made the sand a boundary for the sea,
an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.
The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail;
they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts;
they have turned aside and gone away.
24 They do not say to themselves,
‘Let us fear the Lord our God,
who gives autumn and spring rains in season,
who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away;
your sins have deprived you of good.
Chapter 6
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11 But I am full of the wrath of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.
I could literally cut and paste this whole chapter! Can we see modern-day applications? Can we see the 2nd coming application?
Reading the Bible - 2021 