A Broken Home, Captivity, and Correction

Jeremiah 10:17-25 

17 Gather up your wares from the land,
O inhabitant of the fortress!

18 For thus says the LORD:
"Behold, I will throw out at this time
The inhabitants of the land,
And will distress them,
That they may find it so."

19 Woe is me for my hurt!
My wound is severe.
But I say, "Truly this is an infirmity,
And I must bear it."

20 My tent is plundered,
And all my cords are broken;
My children have gone from me,
And they are no more.
There is no one to pitch my tent anymore,
Or set up my curtains.

21 For the shepherds have become dull-hearted,
And have not sought the LORD;
Therefore they shall not prosper,
And all their flocks shall be scattered.

22 Behold, the noise of the report has come,
And a great commotion out of the north country,
To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals.

23 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

24 O LORD, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.

25 Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.

Captivity and correction were coming for Judah.  The Gentiles, the nations outside of God’s people, these were set against Israel and Judah and God’s people had wandered away so as to be just like the godless ones surrounding them.  Their broken home is seen as the tent which was plundered and its cords holding it up broken so it could no longer stand, symbolic of their sin’s destruction among their nation.  They were hurt and scattered away from God as sheep without their Shepherd, wounded and sick from their continued disobedience.  Even their own shepherds who should have been leading them were dull-hearted, not understanding God’s word and following it to follow and lead others to follow Him.  Therefore they could not be fruitful and multiply as was their task and instead were scattered about and brought destruction on themselves by God’s hand of correction.  Their captivity to sin and broken house where God used to dwell were instrumental in that correction.  The LORD told them here that our way is not in ourselves to direct our own way, for the Lord God does this as Proverbs 16:9, 20:24 remind us.  God would correct them according to His word and their petition with justice and grace to replace His due wrath on their sins of rejection and disobedience in forgiveness and restoration.  Their enemies around them would instead take the full load of His wrath because they did not call on the LORD, just as all who reject Him and His Christ do now until His return and completion of His kingdom on earth.  Those will find desolation while the ones who call on the name of the Lord will find restoration in reconciling grace in Christ alone (1 Corinthians 1:2-23).  Amen.