Neighbors

Jeremiah 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the Lord says: “Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?

Sometimes it can be hard to make sense of the chaos happening around us. Look at the chaos of COVID-19 that has enveloped our world. The differences in culture surely can be seen. In some countries the spread was rapidly stopped because the people have a great respect for their governments and the shame it would bring on their families if they rebelled. They view the whole as more important than the individual.

Here in the United States we view the individual as being the most important unit. “We have rights!” So the spread has been very difficult to contain, because we value our autonomy. No one is going to tell us what to do with our lives!

But this happens in so many areas of life, not just COVID-19. Our world seems to be spinning out of control, and we wonder if it will ever slow down.

In this section of the text there are a series of direct messages to all of Israel’s neighbors. Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar & Hazor, Elam and Babylon. Each had the opportunity to watch Israel’s God do mighty things, to hear of their unrepentance, to see the judgment of the LORD come, and the resulting catastrophe that ensued. So the LORD warns each of them of what will happen to them.

You see, they were responsible for not responding to what they were seeing in His people. Even though the Israelites were imperfect, rebellious people, they were the instrument to show the goodness of the LORD to the world. And these nations had not responded to this clear message. They had not repented of their sins.

Each of these peoples had not just watched the LORD do His work in His people, they had even participated in the LORD’s work, often by being the hand of judgment. They had been used by the LORD and they took the credit for their victories. They boasted that their god’s had helped them be successful against the LORD, even though their successes were simply the LORD using them to correct the sinful course Israel had chosen.

Pride in what the LORD has accomplished through the United States, but it comes at a cost. If we forget the connection, the vital connection, the founders had with the principles outlined in the Scriptures, then we feel we have accomplished this. We end up in the same place as all these nations listed by Jeremiah. Our ancestors saw the LORD’s hand and gave Him thanks.

But all to often today WE take credit for the successes and point our fingers at each other when there are failures. But WE are responsible for the failures, we and our ancestors.

It is time to find our knees again. Gaining the heart of God begins with repentance for our own sins and failures. We take ownership. We raise our hands and say, “This is mine.”

Only then can we see clearly to see the LORD’s hand moving in and behind the events of human history, including what is going on right now. We trust Him, not our political system or any other human system. He alone is the answer. We trust Him.