Jeremiah 52:24-28: a reflection

24The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold, 25and out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war; and seven men of those who saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the middle of the city. 26Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. 27The king of Babylon struck them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. 28This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand twenty-three Jews;

In the sober account of Jerusalem's fall and the carrying of its people into exile, we see the reality of consequences God had long warned of coming at last to pass, a reminder that his warnings are not empty. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land, the account records, after describing the leaders taken and the people numbered for exile. For generations, God had warned his people, through prophet after prophet, of the consequences of persisting in turning away from him; and here those long-warned consequences came to pass, the city fallen, the leaders taken, the people carried into exile. What God had warned would happen, happened. This shows that God's warnings are not empty; the consequences he warns of are real. God's warnings are not empty; the consequences he warns of are real. What God warns will happen, in his time, comes to pass. Take God's warnings seriously; they are not idle words. Do not presume that God's warnings will not come to pass.

Notice what this sober record represents. For generations, God had patiently warned his people, sending prophet after prophet to call them back and to warn of the consequences of persisting in turning from him. These warnings were not idle; they were real, and they gave the people every opportunity to return. But the people persisted; and here, at last, the long-warned consequences came to pass: the city fell, its leaders were taken, and the people were carried into exile. What God had warned would happen, happened. This holds a sober lesson. God's warnings are not empty threats or idle words; they are real, and the consequences he warns of, if we persist in the course he warns against, do come to pass, in his time. It can be tempting to hear God's warnings, in Scripture and to our conscience, and to presume they will not really come to pass, to persist in a course God warns against, assuming there will be no consequence. But the fall of Jerusalem stands as a witness that God's warnings are real. We do well to take God's warnings seriously, not presuming they are idle, but heeding them and turning from what he warns against, before the consequences come. Yet even here, God's purposes did not end with exile; his warnings aim not at our ruin but at our return. Take God's warnings seriously; they are not empty or idle words. What God warns of, if we persist, comes to pass in his time. Do not presume God's warnings will not really come about. Heed God's warnings and turn, before the consequences come.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's warnings are not empty, and the consequences he warns of are real, as the fall of Jerusalem and the exile, long warned of, came at last to pass. We can presume God's warnings are idle and persist in what he warns against; but the long-warned consequences came upon Jerusalem at last. His warnings are real. Do not presume God's warnings will not come to pass; take them seriously, heeding them and turning from what he warns against before the consequences come. Take God's warnings seriously and heed them, turning from what he warns against rather than presuming his warnings are idle, for the consequences he warns of are real, as in the sober account of Jerusalem's fall and the carrying of its people into exile we see the reality of consequences God had long warned of coming at last to pass, so that Judah was carried away captive out of his land; for generations God had warned his people through prophet after prophet of the consequences of persisting in turning away from him, and here those long-warned consequences came to pass, the city fallen, the leaders taken, and the people carried into exile, so that what God had warned would happen happened, which holds a sober lesson, that God's warnings are not empty threats or idle words but real, and the consequences he warns of, if we persist in the course he warns against, do come to pass in his time, since it can be tempting to hear God's warnings in Scripture and to our conscience and presume they will not really come to pass, persisting in a course God warns against and assuming there will be no consequence, but the fall of Jerusalem stands as a witness that God's warnings are real, so that we do well to take them seriously, not presuming they are idle but heeding them and turning from what he warns against before the consequences come, yet even here God's purposes did not end with exile, his warnings aiming not at our ruin but at our return.

Lord, in the sober account of Jerusalem's fall and the carrying of its people into exile, I see the reality of consequences you had long warned of coming at last to pass, a reminder that your warnings are not empty. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land, the account records, after describing the leaders taken and the people numbered for exile. For generations, you had warned your people, through prophet after prophet, of the consequences of persisting in turning away from you; and here those long-warned consequences came to pass, the city fallen, the leaders taken, the people carried into exile. What you had warned would happen, happened. Show me what this sober record represents. For generations, you had patiently warned your people, sending prophet after prophet to call them back and to warn of the consequences of persisting in turning from you. These warnings were not idle; they were real, and they gave the people every opportunity to return. But the people persisted; and here, at last, the long-warned consequences came to pass. What you had warned would happen, happened. This holds a sober lesson. Your warnings are not empty threats or idle words; they are real, and the consequences you warn of, if I persist in the course you warn against, do come to pass, in your time. It can be tempting to hear your warnings, in Scripture and to my conscience, and to presume they will not really come to pass, to persist in a course you warn against, assuming there will be no consequence. But the fall of Jerusalem stands as a witness that your warnings are real. Yet even here, your purposes did not end with exile; your warnings aim not at my ruin but at my return. Take that to my heart. Keep me from presuming your warnings are idle; help me take them seriously, Lord, heeding them and turning from what you warn against before the consequences come, knowing that your warnings are real and aim not at my ruin but at my return to you.