Jeremiah 50:1-16: a reflection

1The word that the LORD spoke concerning Babylon, concerning the land of the Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet. 2“Declare among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and don’t conceal; say, ‘Babylon has been taken, Bel is disappointed, Merodach is dismayed! Her images are disappointed. Her idols are dismayed.’ 3For a nation comes up out of the north against her, which will make her land desolate, and no one will dwell in it. They have fled. They are gone, both man and animal. 4“In those days, and in that time,” says the LORD, “the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping, and will seek the LORD their God. 5They will inquire concerning Zion with their faces turned toward it, saying, ‘Come, and join yourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.’ 6My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have caused them to go astray. They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill. They have forgotten their resting place. 7All who found them have devoured them. Their adversaries said, ‘We are not guilty, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of righteousness, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’ 8“Flee out of the middle of Babylon! Go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the male goats before the flocks. 9For, behold, I will stir up and cause to come up against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country; and they will set themselves in array against her. She will be taken from there. Their arrows will be as of an expert mighty man. None of them will return in vain. 10Chaldea will be a prey. All who prey on her will be satisfied,” says the LORD. 11“Because you are glad, because you rejoice, O you who plunder my heritage, because you are wanton as a heifer that treads out the grain, and neigh as strong horses, 12your mother will be utterly disappointed. She who bore you will be confounded. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. 13Because of the LORD’s wrath she won’t be inhabited, but she will be wholly desolate. Everyone who goes by Babylon will be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. 14Set yourselves in array against Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow; shoot at her. Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. 15Shout against her all around. She has submitted herself. Her bulwarks have fallen. Her walls have been thrown down, for it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her. As she has done, do to her. 16Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him who handles the sickle in the time of harvest. For fear of the oppressing sword, they will each return to their own people, and they will each flee to their own land.

Amid a word about the fall of the great oppressor Babylon, God speaks of his own people, once lost and scattered, returning to him with weeping, seeking him, and binding themselves to him in a lasting covenant. In those days, God says, the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping, and will seek the LORD their God. They will inquire concerning Zion, saying, come, and join yourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. God's people had been lost sheep, led astray, scattered on the mountains. But God foretells their return: they come back weeping, seeking him, turning their faces toward him, and joining themselves to him in an everlasting covenant. The wandering return to the God they had left. This shows God's lost people returning to him, seeking him, and binding themselves to him. God's wandering people return to him, seeking him with tears. Return to the God you have wandered from, seeking him and binding yourself to him. The lost sheep come home to the shepherd they left. There is a homeward turn for those who have wandered from God.

Notice the picture of return that God gives. His people had been lost sheep: led astray by bad shepherds, scattered, wandering from mountain to hill, having forgotten their resting place. They had wandered far from God. But God foretells a homecoming. In those days, he says, they will come, weeping as they come, seeking the LORD their God, turning their faces toward Zion, and saying to one another, come, let us join ourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. The wandering, lost people turn back, seek God, and bind themselves to him again. This holds a picture of return that speaks to any who have wandered from God. We can be like lost sheep, led astray, scattered, wandering far from God, having forgotten our resting place in him. But there is a homeward turn: to return to the God we have wandered from, seeking him, turning our faces toward him, and joining ourselves to him again. And this return is marked by weeping, a genuine sorrow for having wandered, and by a binding of ourselves to him in lasting covenant, not a casual return but a real rejoining. God welcomes such a return; the lost sheep come home to the shepherd they had left. We do well, if we have wandered from God, to return to him, seeking him with genuine sorrow and binding ourselves to him again. If you have wandered from God, return to him, seeking him and binding yourself to him. The lost sheep can come home to the shepherd they left. Return with genuine sorrow for having wandered, and rejoin yourself to God. There is always a homeward turn for those who have wandered.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's wandering people return to him, seeking him and binding themselves to him, and we can do the same if we have wandered, as God foretold his lost sheep coming home. We can wander far from God like lost sheep; but God foretold his people returning, weeping, seeking him, and joining themselves to him in lasting covenant. Return home. If you have wandered from God, do not stay away; return to him, seeking him with genuine sorrow and binding yourself to him again, for the lost sheep can come home. If you have wandered from God, return to him, seeking him with genuine sorrow and binding yourself to him in a lasting covenant, as amid a word about the fall of the great oppressor Babylon God spoke of his own people, once lost and scattered, returning to him with weeping, seeking him, and binding themselves to him, saying they would come weeping and seek the LORD their God and say, come and join yourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten; for God's people had been lost sheep led astray and scattered on the mountains, having forgotten their resting place, but God foretells their return, that they come back weeping and seeking him and turning their faces toward him and joining themselves to him in an everlasting covenant, the wandering returning to the God they had left, which holds a picture of return that speaks to any who have wandered from God, since we can be like lost sheep led astray and scattered and wandering far from God and having forgotten our resting place in him, but there is a homeward turn, to return to the God we have wandered from and seek him and turn our faces toward him and join ourselves to him again, a return marked by weeping and genuine sorrow for having wandered and by a binding of ourselves to him in lasting covenant, so that we do well, if we have wandered from God, to return to him.

Lord, amid a word about the fall of the great oppressor Babylon, you speak of your own people, once lost and scattered, returning to you with weeping, seeking you, and binding themselves to you in a lasting covenant. In those days, you say, the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping, and will seek the LORD their God. They will inquire concerning Zion, saying, come, and join yourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. Your people had been lost sheep, led astray, scattered on the mountains. But you foretell their return: they come back weeping, seeking you, turning their faces toward you, and joining themselves to you in an everlasting covenant. Show me the picture of return you give. Your people had been lost sheep: led astray by bad shepherds, scattered, wandering, having forgotten their resting place. They had wandered far from you. But you foretell a homecoming: they will come, weeping, seeking you, turning their faces toward you, and saying to one another, come, let us join ourselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant. The wandering, lost people turn back, seek you, and bind themselves to you again. This holds a picture of return that speaks to me if I have wandered from you. I can be like a lost sheep, led astray, scattered, wandering far from you, having forgotten my resting place in you. But there is a homeward turn: to return to you, seeking you, turning my face toward you, and joining myself to you again. And this return is marked by weeping, a genuine sorrow for having wandered, and by a binding of myself to you in lasting covenant. You welcome such a return; the lost sheep come home to the shepherd they had left. Take that to my heart. If I have wandered from you, keep me from staying away; help me return to you, Lord, seeking you with genuine sorrow for having wandered, and binding myself to you again in a lasting covenant, for the lost sheep can always come home to the shepherd they left.