If God could, He would have preferred not to bring such a harsh chastening upon Judah. He seemed to have a tinge of disappointment with how His people had behaved that made it necessary for Him to bring such an onerous judgment on them. God only had the best intention for them. How different it would have been for them had they been more receptive to His leading and teaching. Their “well-being would be like a river, and their righteousness like waves of the sea.” Furthermore, their descendants would be as numerous as the sand and their offspring would be in multiplied numbers like countless grains of sand. Their refusal to follow God’s leading necessitated God’s hard chastening.
In life, it would be possible for some
like the people of Judah who would act contrary to God’s good plan. When they
do so, they would unwittingly forfeit the untold blessings God has installed
for them. Perhaps, this is a wake-up call for any one of us who had
wandered away from God’s blessed plan for our lives. To avoid this from
happening, it is needful that we constantly set aside time to do some
self-examination. This will help us to get our conduct and ways in alignment
with the confession of our faith in God.
Despite being disappointed with Judah, God assured them of His deliverance from their Babylonian captivity. His overwhelming love and concern could be felt even in promising them their liberty. In verse 2o, we get the feeling that He anticipated that there would be those who would be so acclimatized to their bondage that they could refuse to go free. So, He is seen here cheering and goading them to go forth boldly and joyfully. So, He called them to go forth from their exile in celebrant mood and great triumph, as arduous and painful as their captivity might be. And as they go forth, He urged them to declare to the end of the earth that it was Him who had redeemed them. In verse 21, He promised that they would be guided safely home. He would provide water to see them through the arid desert and wilderness where water would be a limited resource. The last verse indicates that peace will only be found in trusting God. The wicked are those who refused to trust Him. To such people, peace will be far away.
These verses suggest the possibility that believers can get so accustomed to a life of bondage that they may refuse to adopt the new life in the Lord. No wonder Paul in Romans 12:2 exhorts believers not to let the old worldly value and ways of life limit the new life in Christ. We must not be conformed to the world but instead be renewed in mind so that we can enter into the perfect will of God and experience the joy and liberty our new life in Christ offers. This is God’s perfect will for us. Let us pursue it!
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