Choosing Sides: Judgment or Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 5:14-31

 

Jeremiah 5:18-19

“But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you. ¹⁹ And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

(ESV)

 

Last night I was greeting people at the door to my Church and handing them a bulletin that contained an invitation card for the upcoming Easter services.  With all the craziness of 2020 that has continued into 2021, it is important to take time out to reflect on the grace of God extended to each of us by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  We deserved God’s judgment but instead have received His grace.  While most reading this are familiar with John 3:16, I encourage those reading this to take the verse in context by reading John 3:16-18.  This context tells us that Jesus did not come to condemn and that any condemnation in our lives is a result of whether we accept the death burial and resurrection of Christ or reject it.  The choice of judgment or grace in our lives depends on whether we choose to believe in Jesus by professing Him as our savior or rejecting Him.  Before beginning this study, I want to offer the chance of accepting Jesus as savior by asking those reading this to pray with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

In a court of law, the text of Jeremiah 5:14-31 would represent a pronouncement of a sentence by a judge.  The pronouncement of the sentence is in two parts,

 

1)      Details about the sentence and what Israel and Judah can expect (Jeremiah 5:14-19) – Before entering the Promised Land, God had told Israel the blessings of obedience, consequences of disobedience to God (Deuteronomy 28).  The details provided in Jeremiah 5:15-17 are how God will deliver the punishment prescribed in Deuteronomy 28 by,

a.       Attacking their food supply – Israel and Judah have lived under the blessings of God with His provision of autumn and spring rains that result in abundant harvests (Jeremiah 5:24).  This will end with an invasion from the north and the invaders eating all the food harvested.

b.       Attacking their families – The thought of cannibalism is offensive to most people, especially if it involves children.  Jeremiah 5:17 may reference the sacrifices of Jewish children during exile but could also refer to the devouring of the soul and spirit of future generations.  Either one is destructive to Israel and Judah and something they must avoid. 

c.       Attacking their herds – This represents additional devastation of the food supply but also the elimination of animals necessary for sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. 

d.       Attacking their vineyards – The vineyards and the grapes they produced were used in the making of wine.  Those drinking wine could experience a temporary joy, so this is symbolic of a loss of joy due to the nation going into exile.

e.       Attacking their fortified cities – The purpose of the fortified cities was protection against enemy attack, leaving the nation open to attack and carrying off the people of Israel and Judah into exile.  Spiritually this symbolizes Israel and Judah going into exile in a foreign land that worships the same foreign gods they worshipped in the Promised Land in rebellion against God (Jeremiah 5:19).

2)      A summary of the charges against Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 5:20-31) – Although warned in Deuteronomy 28 about the consequences of disobedience to God, Israel and Judah have chosen to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to what God says (Jeremiah 5:21).  Instead, they have fallen for the deception that God in His infinite grace could not possibly punish them.  This leaves God with no choice but to pronounce judgment that will result in Israel and Judah going into exile, not for their destruction (Jeremiah 5:18; 29:11) but their benefit as they realize the consequences of rebellion against God.  Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:15-19), Israel and Judah must spend time in the pigpen of exile to appreciate what they have received from God. 

 

After numerous warnings and mounting evidence of rebellion against God, God proclaims judgment against Israel and Judah.  This should not be a surprise to them for Scripture clearly states the blessings of obedience to God as well as the curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28).  The first commandment of the law also clearly commands God’s people to have no other Gods other than the one true God (Exodus 20:1-6).  Unfortunately, the people of Israel and Judah believe they can have it both ways believing that the grace of God will overlook the hypocrisy of saying they believe in God while worshipping pagan gods and somehow escape the consequences of God’s judgment.  Fortunately for Israel and Judah, their destruction will not be complete (Jeremiah 5:18) but a period of serving foreigners in a foreign land in exile until turning back to God and experiencing His forgiveness (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 6:19). 

 

The Church must learn from Israel and Judah for while the Church presently lives under the New Covenant of grace, we are not to use the grace of God as an excuse to continue living in sin (Romans 6:1-4).  Instead, we are to bury that old life with Christ in the grave and live with newness of life for Christ, serving Him.  The Church is not to conform to the world and its sinful ways but experience transformation by the renewing of the mind through the truth of God’s word and the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24; Romans 12:2).  The start of a revival in our communities and our world will begin as the Church becomes less conformed to the world and transformed through Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  The Church must become a non-conforming transformative force in the world for then it can turn the world upside down as happened with the early church (Acts 17:6).  The Church must not be a place using God’s grace as an excuse to sin but instead, be a place extending the grace of God to others so they can escape God’s judgment and have eternal life (John 3:16).  It is not a matter of choosing the side of judgment or grace but instead, choosing to serve Christ through a transformed life and inviting others to experience a similar transformation.