Jeremiah 5:1-3 – Be God’s righteous people!

If there was no cause, God’s judgment on Judah would be unnecessary. So in Jeremiah 5, we will see why judgment on Judah was warranted. Here Jeremiah was given reasons why God was bringing judgment on His people. We will reflect on the grounds one at a time. The first found in verses 1-3 was about their moral corruption. Essentially there was an absence of justice, fairness, and truth among the people.   

In verse 1, God instructed Jeremiah to personally comb through the streets and squares of the nation and see if he could search for one righteous man. One who would deal justly and fairly, not only with God but also with their fellow men. If  Jeremiah could find even one among the wicked people, God would spare the nation from His judgment. God saw and knew that the whole city was corrupt. It was brimming with unjust and selfish people. They would swear by His name but would remain unreceptive to the lessons He was seeking to impart. They had rebuffed God’s corrections and had become so stubborn that despite all the calamities they were unmoved.  

 

Unfortunately, Jeremiah’s search proved unfruitful. He could not even find one faithful among the host of people. So the Judgment eventually came. If the prophet could find even one, God would have spared the city. Today God is still looking for righteous  people. We cannot deny that such people are hard to come by. So thankfully, Jesus His Son came and through Him, God is cultivating and growing a community of righteous people. We cannot get away from the lesson that God values righteousness. Keep Matthew 6:33 at the forefront of our minds as we walk with God. Make it a priority in our lives to always seek His kingdom and righteousness first!