Theological Commentary: Click Here
Jeremiah 49
is a bit of a mixed bag. Naturally,
there is the promise of restoration after judgment. Note, though, that the promise of restoration
isn’t universal. Some of the countries
mentioned here are promised a second chance.
Other places are promised to be scattered and subsumed into other
areas. Still others are promised
destruction with no promise of restoration.
What is the
difference? The Bible doesn’t really say
what the difference is. It is hard to
tell. However, if we go to other places
in scripture it seems that the difference between the sinner who is forgiven
and allowed a second chance and the sinner who is condemned is the heart of the
sinner. The sinner who acknowledges sin and
struggles against it and who goes before God and admits their sin makes them
impure is forgiven and redeemed. It is
impossible to say that for certain about the nations who are told about the
possibility of redemption and not, but it is a good place to start the conversation.
For the rest
of the blog, I’m going to focus on Ammon.
The four questions Jeremiah asks at the beginning of the chapter are
intriguing. Has Israel no sons? Is there no heir? Why has Miclom dispossessed Gad? Why has his people settled in the cities?
In other
words, the Ammonites have filled the vacuum left in the Promised Land when the
nation of Israel was deported into the Assyrian Empire. The Ammonites settled the land and took
over. Their greed was on display. They were happy to take advantage of another’s
downfall.
God seems
none-to-pleased at this development. God
doesn’t mind us working hard and getting ahead.
God doesn’t want us taking advantage of others. God doesn’t want us to prosper at the expense
of the poor, orphaned, and displaced in life.
Judgment comes against those who do such things.
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