“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’” The LORD said, “Say this to him: ‘This is what the LORD says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the land. Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’” - Jer. 45:2-5 NIV
What follows these verses is catastrophe upon catastrophe for the nations surrounding Israel. God promises to use Nebuchadnezzar and the hordes of Babylon to extract vengeance on all of the countries and kingdoms for their evil ways. As has always been the case, God does what he promises. This is not the time, God tells Baruch, to seek great things for yourself. Great things will be of no value, great things will not protect anyone when God has disaster planned.
For those worn out from groaning, those who can find no rest, like Baruch, God has a promise. Not that they would be delivered, but that God will let them escape with their life. Escape with one's life when all around is utter destruction, what kind of promise is that? It's a good promise, it's an encouraging promise. One that holds out hope, that once everything is taken away, once everything is totally destroyed, once there is nothing left but life itself, we would be in the position that God wanted us to be in in the first place. Totally dependent on him and nothing else.
2010 Post - Jeremiah 45-49: You Multiply Remedies in Vain
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