Why Do We Suffer?

 Jeremiah 5:12-19

12 They have lied about the LORD,
And said, "It is not He.
Neither will evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.

13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them."

14 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts:
"Because you speak this word,
Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire,
And this people wood,
And it shall devour them.

15 Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar,
O house of Israel," says the LORD.
"It is a mighty nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.

16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
They are all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread,
Which your sons and daughters should eat.
They shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
They shall destroy your fortified cities,
In which you trust, with the sword.

18 "Nevertheless in those days," says the LORD, "I will not make a complete end of you. 19 And it will be when you say, 'Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?' then you shall answer them, 'Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.'

Why do we suffer?  For our unrepentant sin.  God’s people rebelled in sin and then asked Him, “Why does God do these things to us?”  Yes, they had continued in sin and needed correction as they denied that they would suffer and that He would allow any consequences to come on them.  They supposed that they could keep on winning and He would not hold them accountable for these things.  Their own prophets proclaimed lies like these of prosperity while they kept doing what God hated and supposed that cheap grace would still reward them with good as they knowingly sinned.  These prosperity preachers of old would end up spelling out their judgment to consume them.  A mighty nation would humble and correct them in defeat that they might turn back to Him in repentance and obedience at last.  He promised not to wipe them all out, but keep a remnant for Himself to testify of the wages of sin and the forgiving grace of Him.  Their immediate punishment, however, was to be enslaved by the invading enemy to remind them how they had been enslaved or dead gods by their own choice.  God’s purpose was to make them yearn for Him and serve righteously again.  Sometimes even now He delivers us to our consequences for a season that we might turn from the things of the desire of our eyes, hearts, and flesh that we may wholeheartedly follow Him again (1 John 2:15-17, 1 Timothy 1:20).  May we instead confess our sin and follow Him while it is still day (Ephesians 5:8-11, 1 John 1:7-9).