Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 11:18-23; 12:1-6; 17:14-18; 20:7-18 (day seven)
“Behold, I am about to punish them! The young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters will die by famine.” (11:22) It is an idea often denied in this permissive generation. We do not imagine a God who punishes people for their moral choices. We doubt or deny the certainty of consequences, either positive and negative. Gradually the conviction has eroded away that 1) there is a God, 2) He is morally good, 3) He holds people responsible for their choices. It is not a new problem. People in Jeremiah’s day said, “He will not see our latter end.” (12:4) Like moderns, they imagined a morally absent and generally tolerant God. One who did not judge behavior nor shape outcomes. Jeremiah warns them to turn from such thinking. They refuse and miss the offered mercy. “Vengeance is mine, I WILL repay”, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19) What do you believe, friend? What have you taught your children?
