Tuesday 27 July 2010
- Bible Book:
- Jeremiah
"For both prophet and priest ply their trade throughout the land, and have no knowledge." (v.18)
Background
The prophet Jeremiah is a sharp observer of the social scenearound him and a fierce critic of those who gloss over therealities. He says that a true God's-eye view of the world is onethat sees it as it really is, and not simply how we'd like it tobe.
Jeremiah's words reveal a deep knowledge of the national andinternational situation that Judah found itself in at a time whenthis little nation proved vulnerable to the imperial ambitions offirst Egypt, and then Babylon. Of equal concern in this chapter isa drought that has brought devastation to the land. Jeremiah isscathing about those prophets who say that there is nothing toworry about - that there will be "peace in our time". It does thepeople no good to hear only what they want to hear, he says.
Earlier in the chapter, the prophet delivered a portrait of thenation in a manner similar to BBC correspondent Michael Buerk, whofirst drew to our attention the terrible realities of the Ethiopianfamine in 1984. Jeremiah reports: "The ground is cracked. Becausethere has been no rain on the land the farmers are dismayed ... Thewild asses stand on the bare heights, they pant for air likejackals; their eyes fail because there is no herbage" (Jeremiah14:6). His words would surely draw the same response as Buerk's didfrom fellow journalist John Humphreys - "He wrote a spare andpowerful commentary and left us to form our own judgement."
In these verses, that is precisely what happens. In response toGod's condemnation of those prophets who ignore reality, ahorrified people realise that they have been misled. They turn backto God (who alone tells them the truth of their situation) and askfor forgiveness and support.
To Ponder
What situations do you most easily gloss over? Isthere a situation at the moment that you are trying to ignore andneed to be more honest about?
What one thing could you do this week to raise animportant issue in your community or amongst friends - an injusticethat needs addressing, perhaps, or an untruth that needscorrecting?