“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks, refusing to hear My words.” Jeremiah 19:15 [AMP] -> me: My reading today was the rest of Jeremiah 18 and all of 19. This passage primarily consists of God telling Jeremiah to go buy a pot (probably a vessel to hold water) and then take several Priests and elders of the Judah and using the smashing of the pot as an example of what God is going to do to Judah if they don’t repent. The pot broken so badly that it cannot be reassembled. What stood out to me through these passages is that God warns and warns and warns…providing every opportunity for repentance; but Judah never responds in humility…they respond defiantly saying “It’s no use, we will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his own evil heart.” WHAT? It is so brazen and I can’t imagine the frustration of the Lord with everything He has promised them and delivered them out of. So what do God do again, warns them….another time. My takeaway is that this is the character of our God; His patience is unbelievable for the ones He loves. What punishment one receives should never come as a surprise – all throughout God’s word He warns and the New Testament is no exception — ‘Accept the gift of Salvation through Christ or face God’s wrath’. I am so thankful for God’s word that shows us not only His patience, but the destructive power of His punishment and wrath – you either accept the promise of his protection or accept His promise of coming judgement.
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