Year 6, Day 104: Jeremiah 52

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Protection

• Protection: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray that God might deliver us from evil – even the Evil One.  Sometimes we need God’s protection from the sin around us.  Sometimes we need protection from the sinful people around us.  Other times we need protection from the sin that lies within ourselves. In any case, Jesus’ point is clear.  We need protection from the Father to make it through each and every day.

Protection may seem to be an interesting topic to choose on the day that we hear a recap of the destruction and deportation of the Hebrew people.  Certainly the topic of the deportation, Jeremiah’s kidnapping, and the destruction of the temple is not a chapter that sounds like God is watching over His people.  I get that.

However, notice how this book ends.  After all of the bad things – the judgment due to Judah – happen, we see that the king of Babylon releases Jehoiachin from prison and Jehoiachin is treated nicely by the king.  In fact, we are told that Jehoiachin is treated more favorably than any other vassal king under Babylon.  What God is showing in this action is that if God can spare a single person in Jehoiachin, the rest of the people can look forward to redemption as well.  God typically starts with one person as an example before bringing His action into the greater context.

This shows us that we are in God’s hands, even in a time of judgment.  Even when God is in the process of judging us and bringing us to a point of humble repentance, He is watching over us.  If we are willing to be humble, He is willing to forgive and bring us into new life.  And He is willing to watch over us and protect us through that process.  That’s why we can talk about protection even at a time when we are reading about the fall and destruction of Jerusalem.

For what it is worth, this is seen in the prophets as well.  Remember Daniel?  Daniel was brought to Babylon from Judah.  But Daniel was lifted up and protected in Babylon by God.  Even in the midst of judgment, God protects.  We can rest comfortable even as we are judged because God is in control of it all.

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