How can this be happening to me?

 Jeremiah 13:18-27

 It is hard for me to get my mind around what God is commanding Jeremiah to do, he is to go to the king and his queen mother and confront them about the sin in their life and the way they are leading the nation into sin.  It required me first to understand that if God commands it, He will open the doors for it to happen.  Now let us say God spoke to any well-known pastor or priest and told them to talk with the President of the United States of America, it matters not the message they are not endangered of being put into jail or killed.  But in Jeremiah’s time that was a common thing, the king had full authority to put just about anyone in prison or have him killed.

The king at this time was 18 years old Jehoiachin, and his mother was Nehushta, and he ruled for three months.  It is clear that they were not open to the message of Jeremiah and had no fear of God.  But King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has already captured the cities south of Judah, Negev was first, but he would soon conquer all of Judah.  And Jeremiah reminded them; they are the Shepherds who mislead His people.

I bet you have ask this question; “How can this be happening to me?” I also have and so did the king and queen mother and God’s mouthpiece spoke words they were not open to: “it is the greatness of your iniquity.”  God is going to expose the darkness and bring it to light, and He uses terms like; “that your skirts are lifted up, and you suffer violence.”  It is not a good thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, and yet sin is like drug addiction, a person keeps going back for the high until they become its captive.  They are going to be slaves, and a slave has no rights, and they will be used in sexual ways, and they will run after the Canaanite gods.

I always remind the guy I see in the mirror to examine first myself and pray for self first, and a great prayer is in Psalm 19:12-13, “Who can discern his errors?  Declare me innocent from hidden faults.  Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”  A follower of Jesus would be wise in recalling 1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice