“Time Critters”

December 20, 2016

Jeremiah 21:11-14

We humans, build our lives around time, I like the term “Time Critters” I borrowed it from Bill Gillham, and he is now enjoying not being a “time critter.”  But being a “Time Critter” can be somewhat of a problem when reading prophet’s writings, especially Jeremiah’s in that we have been learning about God’s judgment on Judah and how the Babylonians are going to kill and destroy and take some back as slaves.  In these verses, it seems none of that has happened, and there is still time for seeking God and repentance.  If the leaders and the people turned to seeking God and His righteousness the threatened judgment of God can still be reversed.  Verse 11 begins in this manner; “And to the house of the king of Judah say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord,”

Now the coma at the end of verse 11, tells us that verse 12 is staying with the same thought.   So let's read; “Thus says the Lord: “‘Execute justice in the morning, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of your evil deeds.’” I’ve read that the job of the king and his officials was to hear from the people who had been wronged early in the morning and to administer justice that was not happening at this time in Judah.  The under-resourced people needed men of integrity then, as they do in our time, leaders who would stand against evil people and people of wealth.  Yes, they had problems with robbers and con men, but the ones they encountered most was all sorts of economic thieveries, such as cheating them on their pay and taking their land or their sons and daughters as slaves, all of this was against God’s law given to Moses.

As we look at verse 13, “Behold, I am against you, O inhabitant of the valley,
O rock of the plain, declares the Lord; you who say, ‘who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?”  The layout of the land, Jerusalem and the king and the very wealthy live above the people in a walled city, and the people lived and worked in the valleys below.  The attitude was much like ours today; ‘who shall come down against us, or who shall enter our habitations?”  The short answer is God!

Verse 14 uses the forest to depict the royal palace, and it's burning to the ground; “I will punish you according to the fruit of your deeds, declares the Lord; I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is around her.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice