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Our Choices Bring Consequences
July 3rd, 2018
Jeremiah 18:13-23
Seneca the Younger, an ancient Roman philosopher, emphasized the continuity of the final hour of life with all the hours before it. Thus, the hour of judgment is merely the completion of a process.
Although the Christian attitude is love (see Matthew 5:44) and patience (see Romans 12:20), consequences are a necessary part of discipling. Behaviors permitted or excused rarely change. The LORD described Israel as having become a spiritual harlot, even strangers recognized the impacted on their land. As YHWH’s representative, Jeremiah’s concern was not simply his wounded pride but Israel’s disregard of the covenant. Israel’s rejection of YWHW and plot to kill the prophet was the final straw or culmination shifting Jeremiah’s plea for deliverance to a cry for judgment. The hope for future redemption rather than the final judgment (see Revelation 20:11-15) rests in the paradox of repentance following disciplinary consequences.
Author: William Coker Jr.
Tags: Redemption
