Our Vindication

The nation that God raised to bring Judah down and destroy Jerusalem, taking the populace into captivity, was Babylon. During the time of Jeremiah the prophet, Judah was facing the worst suffering in its history. Captivity and judgment had been threatened before, but the people had always repented and the Lord had relented. Now, judgment was coming and it could not be avoided. The only way anyone was going to be able to survive was to surrender to the invader...a hard message for patriots to swallow and one that got Jeremiah into lots of trouble.

Jeremiah’s prophecy, however, was not just about the judgment of Jerusalem. He also included, at the direction of the Lord, of course, news about the future of Babylon. Even though Babylon was to be used as God’s instrument of judgment (and King Nebuchadnezzar understood his role in that, probably from 20 years or so of exposure to a young man taken captive early in this drama...Daniel), they were not to escape judgment themselves.

Jeremiah tells his people: Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, for this is the Lord's time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her (Jeremiah 51:6). Later kings of Babylon would forget that God was the One Who gave them Judah and would think too much of themselves. God was going to destroy Babylon. Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The Lord has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; for it is the vengeance of the Lord, vengeance for His temple (Jeremiah 51:11).

As we said in a previous post, sometimes we suffer as a direct consequence of the things we have done ourselves. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Still, it is not pleasant. In fact, sometimes the consequences of my actions are downright painful, embarrassing, dreadful, or any number of other descriptions we could all probably add. The worst consequence of all, of course, is sin, which separates us from the love and grace of God (Isaiah 59:1, 2). We could be looking at eternity away from the presence of God and, in fact, that's what we deserve. Aren’t you glad that God has provided a way for us to deal with that sin and avoid that worst of consequences?

Notice how Jeremiah puts it: The Lord has brought about our vindication; come and let us recount in Zion the work of the Lord our God! (Jeremiah 51:10). I am so thankful that God has brought about our vindication! The apostle Paul said that such vindication is associated with our godly sorrow which brings about a repentance without regret (2 Corinthians 7:10, 11). That’s the key! Whether your suffering comes from the consequences of your own actions or just the sinful actions of others, the Lord will bring your vindication if you will submit yourself to Him! Let me encourage you to come and recount the work of the Lord our God! Tell somebody this week about what the Lord has done for you. Tell them that He loves you (and them) and so do I.