A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD's work! A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed! – Jeremiah 48:10

Today's Scripture Reading (June 19, 2020): Jeremiah 48

The famed detective, Hercule Poirot, finds himself on a train. And while on the train, a man is murdered and it is up to Poirot to find the killer. After an extensive investigation, he discovers two solutions to the crime. One is that a stranger boarded the train and committed the murder. The second solution, and the correct one, is the plot twist. Of course, the story belongs to Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express." If you haven't read the book or watched one of the movies, you might not want to read the answer to the mystery (I moved it to the end of the post). The point is that, if you didn't know the story, it is a solution that you probably were not expecting until Poirot reveals the results of his investigation.

Jeremiah includes a plot twist here in his prophecy. I can almost hear an old-time preacher hammering on the pulpit and claiming the first part of the statement. A curse on anyone who is lazy in doing God's work. A curse on you if you refuse to proclaim God's word to the people. A curse on you if you go against God's justice. A curse on you when you declare an inequality of any kind about the human race. A curse on you if you refuse to love your neighbor with even part of the love that God has given to you. A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord's work!

But that is not what Jeremiah is saying. His message isn't even directed at the people of God. The great plot twist is that Jeremiah speaks his words to the Babylonian army. They have become God's instrument, bringing justice to the nations. Judah and Jerusalem did not experience the sword of the Babylonians; they experienced the sword of God. And soon, the neighboring countries would feel the same sword. Now was not the time to mock the God of Israel. Now was the time to fall on your knees and beg for his mercy.

In Jeremiah's mind, Babylon could only extend their reign of terror with the permission of God. And it was quickly becoming evident that it was only the will of God who could stop that sword. Until God stopped it, Jeremiah believed that the violence must continue.

We know what Jeremiah likely did not know. Through the ministry of Daniel, we understand that God was hard at work in the Babylonian capital, just as God was hard at work in Israel and the nations that surrounded her. And one day soon, the Babylonian swords would fall silent because of the nation's continued rebellion. God would stop them.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 49

 

 

 

 

The plot twist in "Murder on the Orient Express" is that they all, with the exception of Hercule Poirot, of course, did it. As for why, I will let you either watch the movie or read the book.