Jeremiah 21
Day 1486
Surrender or Die!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, April 11.
There are two things a military commander never wants to do – retreat or surrender. Strategically, both can be the right decision when it is the only way to save your people, so that you can fight another day. That was the exact situation facing the people of Jerusalem, as declared by the prophet in Jeremiah 21:8-10:
“You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.” ’ ”
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was sieging Jerusalem, and Zedekiah, the king of Judah, was hoping God would rescue them. That was why he sent messengers to Jeremiah, just like King Hezekiah sent messengers to Isaiah when the Assyrians were besieging Jerusalem, over a century prior in Isaiah 36-37. Unfortunately, the destruction of Jerusalem was imminent as a righteous judgment against them for not seizing the moment of God’s former clemency to repent and walk in His ancient paths (Jeremiah 6:16). God’s direct response to Zedekiah, in Jeremiah 21:5, was clear, “I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation.” There is only one right response to God’s wrath against sin, “I surrender all.”
Seize the moment and repent by walking in the ancient paths of God by taking on the easy yoke of Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30).
God bless you!
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