God’s Just Judgment

Jeremiah 5:1-11 

1 "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
If you can find a man,
If there is anyone who executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
And I will pardon her.

2 Though they say, 'As the LORD lives,'
Surely they swear falsely."

3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?
You have stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.

4 Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God.

5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For they have known the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God."
But these have altogether broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.

6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them,
A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.

7 "How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And sworn by those that are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

8 They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.

9 Shall I not punish them for these things?" says the LORD.
"And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

10 "Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not make a complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the LORD's.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me," says the LORD.

This warning was of impending judgment for Israel’s rejection of the LORD, those who did not execute good judgment themselves because they did not seek God’s truth on how to live and do what He said.  They refused to repent and hardened themselves against the Lord in utterly unfeeling rebellion.  Their foolishness resided in their ignorance of God’s way and His judgment.  Those who should have known His way broke away into go their own way instead and faced destruction from God for their backsliding and unrepentant sin.  They were consumed by idolatry and adultery and faced the consequences of justice and righteous judgment as a nation and individually.  Even so God promised to retain a remnant of their nation for Himself.  Likewise, He keeps a remnant of those who He calls out to, the ones who hear and repent by His choosing individually and not as nations.  These are the elect, called and chosen (Revelation 17:14) in Christ.  They are citizens of the heavenly country (Hebrews 11:16) because there is no “Christian nation” on earth with manmade borders, just as the invisible and universal church hidden among the many visible churches in the world.  We are called out of the idolatry and adultery of body and soul of this world from God’s just judgment by grace in mercy with reconciling forgiveness to eternal life.  May many more repent and follow Him into that heavenly country!