Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, it could be worse”. I’m not sure if that’s much consolation, since it often causes me to worry about all of the things that could go wrong, rather than trying to address the current situation as best I can (and trusting God for the rest). It’s probably more comforting to hear, “I’ll stick with you through these trials, no matter how bad they get”, or “How can I help?”
As God speaks to Jeremiah (who is under guard, but that situation doesn’t stop God from speaking to Him) in chapter 33 of the Bible book that carries Jeremiah’s name, the message continues:
For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword in the fight with the Babylonians: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness.
Jeremiah 33:4-5 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/jer.33.4-5.NIV
Things are pretty bad for Jerusalem, but it’s going to get even worse. The Lookout says, “…the people’s futile efforts to defend themselves was evidence they trusted more in their own intelligence and power than in God’s faithfulness. They sought to protect themselves from their oppressors by tearing apart their houses and palaces to use as plugs for the holes in the city walls” As people scavenge from their own homes to get supplies for defending themselves, it sounds like those homes will be used to store bodies. (I wonder if the dead would normally be buried outside of the city, but that was not an option during the siege.)
Beyond an army laying siege to the city, though, the people have truly lost the battle, because they have lost God’s support, and piqued His “anger and wrath”.
Do you remember what Jesus said on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46, where He was apparently quoting Psalm 22:1) While it might not seem like it to those of us who experience physical pain, I don’t think that the crucifixion itself was the worst part of Jesus’ willing sacrifice. Of course, the cross was a terrible, excruciating means of execution, but I don’t think that we can even imagine the pain of Jesus (God the Son) being separated from God the Father (because of our sins that Jesus was carrying), after an eternity in perfect fellowship and communion together. That was a terrible, terrible thing, indeed.
Now, there’s a subtle difference here between the NIV and the NASB (two translations that I like to use together when preparing lessons). The NIV arranges verses 4 and 5 as a declaration of what will happen. However, the NASB starts verse 5 with “While”, where the message about dead bodies is something that might still be happening when the good news of verse 6 will arrive. Regardless of the best translation to English here, the fact is that sometimes God brings us healing and blessings while we find ourselves still in the middle of trauma. The start of healing doesn’t have to wait for disaster to be over and some sort of “waiting period”. God can bless us in the middle of our tragedies.
So, as God offered in His word to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3, may we call out to Him – in our joy; in our pain; in our insight; in our confusion – not to force Him to answer our questions, but to plead with Him to grant us a word of knowledge and wisdom that we can’t find on our own.
Our hurts might not go away, and we probably won’t know all of the answers (at least, not on this side of eternity). In fact, unlike the people of Jeremiah’s day, God might not even tell us what’s going to happen next. Things could get even worse. However, any word from God is worth more than all of the speculation of limited human beings, and is regularly a source of hope.
And, while we don’t necessarily know if we’re in the part of God’s plan where things will be getting worse, or where things will be getting better, let’s be prepared for either, and glorify Him all the way through our lives. His power hasn’t changed from when He did amazing things for the Israelites, and He can still turn around even the darkest situation.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for July 30, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, July 30, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Jeremiah-Lamentations, by Timothy M. Willis. © 2002 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 