It has been on my heart to write something about God’s love. For that purpose, I want to consult the scripture. Reading the Bible is the right way to learn about the God of the Bible.
In recent years, I have spent much time with bible texts referring to the years or decades before the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed, and most of the people were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I’ve gone over several chapters in the second book of Kings and in II Chronicles. The prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel also lived in this period of time.
Twice before, the Babylonians had taken captive selected individuals and removed them from their country. Ezekiel and Daniel were among these. But Jeremiah lived and preached in the mainland of Judah until the final doomday.
God sent Jeremiah and Ezekiel to warn their own people. As often before throughout the history of the Israelite nation, they tended to admire and to worship other gods. Prophets were to call them back to the God of Israel.
In my reading, I felt there was more at stake than just a correct doctrinal, dogmatic or liturgical position. These prophets were concerned with ethical values prevalent in society. The admiration of foreign gods facilitated corrupt practices and injustice towards the poor and the weak.
The Jews tended to overestimate their own strength. They did not want to hear any warnings. I feel Jeremiah was more realistic in his assessment of the situation than most of the others.
Jeremiah used to caution King Zedekiah. Zedekiah had been appointed king by the King of the Babylonians after they had carried his predecessor into captivity. Yet Zedekiah rebelled against the King of the Babylonians.
The result was a lengthy siege of Jerusalem. This led to many of the inhabitants dying from hunger. More were killed in the final attack. Zedekiah had to watch powerlessly when his children were executed. After that, he was made blind and carried away captive with most of the other survivors.
God had sent his messengers to warn the people of danger. Prophets called them to repent and to return to God and to God’s ways and standards.
Here is a verse of scripture that exhibits God’s love in warning people and calling them to repent from evil, wicked and sinful ways:
“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways and live?” (Ezekiel 18:23 King James Version)
God loves us even when he warns us. It is in our best interest when God tries to correct us.
What would have happened if King Zedekiah and the people of Judah had heeded the words of Jeremiah? What if they had repented, put away false gods, and turned from their evil ways?
I cannot exactly tell. Yet many years earlier, King Hezekiah had been in a similar situation. The Assyrians besieged Jerusalem. Hezekiah consulted the prophet Isaiah. They prayed to God. God provided a sudden salvation. The siege was ended. Jerusalem was free. (Cf. Isaiah 36+37).
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