Bible in 90 Days - day 55 (Jeremiah 10:14-23:8)

Gracious God,
we do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from your mouth.
Make us hungry for this your Word,
that it may nourish us today
in the ways of eternal life.
Through Jesus Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen.

I used to run every morning and spend part of the run praying. Every day Jeremiah 10:23-24 was part of that prayer.

Chapter 11 clearly explains the cause of this devastation: God’s people have broken covenant. The results are horrifying. It really sounds like judgment will be the last word. God even tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people. The old blessing was that Israel’s descendants would be as numerous as the sands of the seashore, but now God promises to “make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea” (15:8). When it seems there is no possible hope, God makes a promise in 16:14-15. There will be a deliverance so great it will compare to the exodus from Egypt. The promise sneaks in there, but it is a big promise of grace! (see also 17:24-26)

21:5 is another example of blessings turned to curses. God’s mighty hand and outstretched arm were always good news for Israel, and here they are the worst possible news. God’s strength is turned against his people.

Chapter 22 is a call to return to God. The call is to the covenant people and the king who reigns on David’s throne according to the covenant God made with David. The body of the call begins in verse 3 with these words: “Thus says the LORD: do justice and righteousness.” Covenant, justice and righteousness – these not too subtle themes keep coming up. (See 22:12 for the big contrast.) Chapter 22 ends with God saying, “None will sit on the throne of David or rule in Judah anymore.” No matter how bad things have been in the past with the Davidic kings, God has never said anything like this!

I am so glad that the first few verses of chapter 23 are included in today’s reading!