When God's Plan Doesn't Seem Logical

 “But I am afraid to surrender,” the king said, “for the Babylonians may hand me over to the Judeans who have defected to them. And who knows what they will do to me!” Jeremiah replied, “You won’t be handed over to them if you choose to obey the Lord. Your life will be spared, and all will go well for you.
Jeremiah 38:19, 20 (NLT)

The dialogues between Zedekiah and Jeremiah prior to the fall of Jerusalem are very intriguing. Jeremiah never had good news for Zedekiah when asked what message the LORD had for him. Still, Zedekiah kept asking, as if he hoped that somehow the message would change. It never did, though. The only hope he was given was, if he surrendered to Babylon, his punishment would be less severe than if he fought to the end.

Zedekiah's response is predictable. Surrender did not seem logical for a king that was under siege. He fears what others would do to him. Kings who surrender are normally put to death by the conquering king. Worse yet, what would happen to him if the Babylonians turned him over to the Judeans who had already defected?! Anything could happen. He may likely die at the hands of a mob. What God commanded was not the reasonable thing to do. The fear of what humans could do kept him from obedience to God.

Sometimes God asks us to do things that do not seem logical or reasonable. It is easy to list several rational arguments of how others will respond and what could go wrong if we obey. Will we be misunderstood? Or ridiculed? Or ignored? There can be many reasons to fear the response of humans when we seek to obey God, but in the end, He promises that it will go well with us if we obey.

The fear of humans won out with Zedekiah. He and the entire city of Jerusalem paid a severe price.

But the Babylonian troops chased the king and caught him on the plains of Jericho. They took him to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the land of Hamath. There the king of Babylon pronounced judgment upon Zedekiah. He made Zedekiah watch as they slaughtered his sons and all the nobles of Judah. Then they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon.

Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned Jerusalem, including the palace, and tore down the walls of the city.
Jeremiah 39:5-9(NLT)

We may not face as severe of consequences, but we may well miss a much better outcome if we ignore the voice of God because of the fear of people.

Living In An "Empty" City

This evening our city is hosting a meeting to discuss ways to resolve the problem of abandoned properties. (http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/vacant-homes-a-danger-for-indy) Last fall a list was published that had Indianapolis ranked as the second "emptiest" city in the United State in terms of abandoned properties: http://www.wthr.com/story/15976887/indianapolis-near-top-of-emptiest-us-city-list.  In spite of all the positive headlines this city received over the winter by hosting the Super Bowl, this statistic leaves a dark shadow.  It speaks of loss.  It speaks of a void that is not being filled.

I can't help but think of the spiritual implications of such a shadow.  An empty city speaks of more than empty houses.  Each of the houses that is empty speaks of a family that is now missing from their community for whatever reason.  Those around are left to wonder what happened to the family across the street.  Sometimes they know, but not always.  Children lose contact with classmates.  Perhaps, a school loses a volunteer.

It also speaks to me of a greater emptiness.  Though I live in a very religious city, I see many who have a spiritual emptiness that shows through all appearances.  We feel empty and then fill the void with what will never satisfy.  So, we seek out more things to fill that void.  In our part of the city many of the empty homes are remnants of the search for the most space for the dollar.  The quest for more sometimes costs us everything.

So I live in an "empty" city, but I pray that it will be filled again.  Filled with purpose.  Filled with Divine Presence.  Filled with a realization of completeness found only in union with Our Creator and nothing else.

Words That Must Be Spoken

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord
or speak in his name,
his word burns in my heart like a fire.
It’s like a fire in my bones!
I am worn out trying to hold it in!
I can’t do it!  Jeremiah 20:9 (NLT)

Jeremiah prophesied in a hard season.  It was a time when destruction was eminent.  It was a hard and unpopular task he had.  He suffered physically. He was called a traitor for telling people to surrender to Babylon.  Even those who claimed to speak for God ridiculed him.

Jeremiah often wondered why God gave him this message.  It would be easy to play it safe and just stay quiet.  He could simply go along with what was considered acceptable prophetic ministry.  If he did, though, he felt the words just burn within him and he could not hold it in.

Sometimes I identify with Jeremiah.  I feel a burning sense that things are not right with the world.  It feels as if things are off kilter.  Sometimes it even rests within attitudes considered acceptable by popular religious culture.

Speaking of these things seldom bring a pleasant response, except by those whose hearts have been softened by the Spirit and have ears to hear.  It is easy to be misunderstood, even by those who claim to follow Christ.

It would be easy to play it safe: just be quiet and go along with the flow.  Still, I cannot.  I cannot help but feel that some attitudes need to really change if we are going to ever truly be Christ's royal priesthood on this earth.  So, I say something.  I must.  To hold it in would only be more painful than any negative response from those who do not want to hear.

Basis for Compassion and Justice

Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.
Deuteronomy 24:22 (NLT)

Many of the codes listed in Deuteronomy 24 deal with justice and compassion the people of Israel were to observe in their business dealings with others, especially the poor.  God gives Israel a reason for observing these regulations in verse 22.  They should have compassion on the oppressed and needy because they were oppressed themselves and needed God to deliver them from slavery in Egypt. 

The heart of compassion was not based in the how great they may become, but in their own history of neediness.  No matter how much their nation prospered they needed to always remember this.  Loosing sight of this would inevitably create a hierarchical system of benevolence that dehumanized those in need.  Remembering their own need would create a healthy bond of identity between the benefactor and the beneficiary.

In the same way my compassion for the poor needs to be based in the realization that I have been freed from bondage to sin and the unjust system of this world by the grace of God through the work of Christ.  I am no better than the one receiving my charity or my acts of justice.  We share a common bond of being people in need of compassion that connects us much more strongly than any act of benevolence can.  I and the beggar are one.