Jeremiah lamented over the
destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. As he overlooked the city, he
could see former protections and barriers destroyed, and even the
sacred things were not off limits to the judgment of the Lord. In
chapter two and verse eight, Jeremiah continued his overview as he
turned his attention toward more devastation and reason for the
ruination of these great places. He wrote:
The LORD has purposed
to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he has stretched out a
line, he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he
made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.
The
verse begins, “The LORD has purposed to destroy the wall
of the daughter of Zion:” When
the Lord “purposed”
which means “to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make
a judgment, imagine, or count” there was no one in heaven or on
earth who could stop Him. The “wall” or “defensive
barrier” to the city of Jerusalem was no method of prevention or
protection against God. That which provided a false sense of security
for the people of Jerusalem was revealed for its true lack of
defense.
The
verse goes on to say, “he has stretched out a line, he has not
withdrawn his hand from destroying:” Rather than having mercy
and extending further grace to the people of Jerusalem, the Lord
“stretched out a line” which means he systematically
measured the exactness with which he would destroy them. The Lord
could have “withdrawn” or “turned back or relented”
His mighty hand from destroying them, but He did not.
Finally
the verse says, “therefore he made the rampart and the
wall to lament; they languished together.” Using
personification to emphasize his point, Jeremiah said “he
made the rampart...which is the
“fortress wall or special wall of defense”and
“the wall” which
is the city wall, “to lament” or
mourn, and they “languished together” which
means “to be weak, to droop, or to be exhausted”.
Where the walls used to be effective in their measure of protection,
they were now mourning, weak and useless against all foes.
This
verse should have all of us thinking about the Lord as our true
protection and defense. As Psalms chapter one hundred and forty-two
and verses two and three say:
If
it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when
men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when
their wrath was kindled against us:
The
Almighty God was the real protector of Judah and Jerusalem, and when
they rebelled against Him, they lost their true line of
fortification. Once He was against them, no devise or person could
protect them, and they were destroyed. Perhaps as we ponder these
things, we will be sure to align ourselves with the true protection
and defense that is in this world – a relationship with God the
Father through Jesus Christ our Lord, and may we ever be within His
protecting hand.
Next
time we will see the gates, bars, kings and princes struck down, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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