August 9: Jeremiah 48-49

Jeremiah prophecizes judgement against other nations, enemies of Judah. But God is not against nations per se - He is against their sin. There seems to be an underlying root cause behind the actions of those nations for which they are being judged. One theme stands out in the reading that might explain the root cause: pride and self reliance.

Against Moab:
"Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive..."
"We have heard of Moab's pride - her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and arrogance..."

Against Ammon:
"you trust in your own riches and say,'Who will attack me?' I'll bring terror on you..."

Against Edom:
"The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you..."

It's also intersting to notice that the only people in Edom whom God mentions that He will spare are the orphans and the widows in the land - those who have nothing else to trust and rely on but God: "Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me."

Against Kedar and Hazor:
"Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence..."

Against Jehoiakim, king of Judah:
"I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, 'I will not listen!'"

Everything good, from our ability to breath to all 'our' possessions, are give to us from God. To each one he's given unique privileges and responsibilities, regardless of how big or small they are in the eyes of the world. To each one of us He's assigned a unique place to occupy 'under the sun,' as part of His master plan. The problem starts when we begin to think that we've deserved our own standing in life or that we are entitled to it, withholding due credit to God. Consequently we think we can manage our existence by ourselves and on our terms. Pride. The nations mentioned in the reading today all suffered from it and so do we. It ultimately leads to evil actions.

I pray that we look at our own motivation behind our actions. I pray that we learn to rely more on God and less on ourselves. I pray that God exposes our pride to ourselves and that He teaches us how to replace it with humility and love.