The nation of Judah had been repeatedly warned. The prophets called for the people to forsake their idols and return to the Lord. The nation ignored the warnings. One of the prophets, Jeremiah, not only delivered the message, he also witnessed firsthand the fulfillment of judgment. The people were attacked by the Babylonians as they had been repeatedly told. In an attempt to save their lives, the people tore down their own houses to build what was needed in a futile attempt to keep the enemy from victory.
Jeremiah 33:4-5a
For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians…
What the nation of Judah did then is the same thing we do today. Households, and families are broken down in human-strategized attempts to fight the enemy. This only leads to defeat. What was needed for Judah is what we need now. Victory occurs when we repent of our sin and forsake our idols. If they had heeded the warnings from the prophets, repented from sin, and turned away from idols; the attack from the enemy would never have taken place.
How many battles do we cause ourselves? Instead of an honest evaluation of our sins, we tend to blame others or blame the enemy. What are the sins in our lives that we keep excusing? That sin damages not just us, but those around us. What do we rely on instead of God? That is our idols. Maybe it is money, a relationship, your own reasoning, your opinion, your decision-making abilities, control, power, or even enabling the sin of others is sin as well. Refusing to forsake the idols allows the enemy access into our lives. This can destroy our families. The next generation suffers because of our own choices to disobey the Lord.
The enemy was allowed by God to attack Judah because they refused to give up their idols. They had ignored the prophets who had warned them of the coming destruction. They continued with their same ways, same lifestyles, same sins. Just like this nation, we destroy our families by our own hands.
Jeremiah 33:5
‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
None of this had to occur. The people did not have to suffer, lives did not have to be lost, enslavement did not have to take place. If only this generation had chosen to repent and forsake their idols! Their lives would have been spared and their children would have been delivered from harm. It comes down to a choice. The same choice we have today. We can choose to ignore the Word of God and stay in sin, or we can repent.
I want to make a note here, this message was given to the people of God. Of course, those who do not know the Lord need to repent and turn to Jesus. But here, I am writing to us believers. We cannot coddle sin in our lives any longer, to excuse it as “not a big deal”. In the nation of Judah, the sacrifices in the Temple of God were still taking place. The people had “church” and their idols, too. This is what we are being called to stop. We must repent from having our lives somewhat in God and somewhat in the world. This sin is what led to the destruction of families, the downfall of a nation, and children forced to live in slavery. The choice to save our families comes down to our decision today. When we repent, God will restore our families in an amazing way.
Jeremiah 33:6
“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.
God wants to bring health and healing to our families. Once again, this is not just for the “unsaved”. God says He will heal “My people” (emphasis mine). This is referring to the people of God. We must face our sin and idols, not excuse them any longer. What needs to be removed from our lives so that blessing may come? God desires to brings us an abundance of “peace and security”. Another version of the Bible says an abundance of “peace and truth”. This is the standard. If any part of our lives or our households showcase chaos, worry, anxiety, falsehoods, instability, etc. then it is the evidence that we are not living in God’s healing but living in our own sin. But we can be changed!
Jeremiah 33:7-8
I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
The Lord desires to set us free and help us to rebuild what we broke and tore down. We can be cleansed and forgiven. We then become new, which is reflected in our families. Instead of having broken lives and broken families, we will be testimonies of joy!
Jeremiah 33:9
Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’
Our families can be known for joy, praise, and glory instead of pain, chaos and destruction. Others will hear of the good in our families, not the problems. Instead of fearing the enemy attack, we can live in reverence to the Lord and His goodness towards us.
Jeremiah 33:26b
…For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”
Lord, please have mercy on us. In all ways we have torn down our own household, will you please restore us? We are sorry for the excuses we made about our sins instead of repenting from our sins. We choose to forsake our idols and serve you alone. Thank you for Your compassion on us. Thank you that when we repent, You rebuild us and our families. You are so good to us. Amen.