COMING BACK AND STARTING OVER

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”

When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

Jeremiah 40:7-12

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The conquest of Jerusalem had ended and the city and surrounding kingdom was now under Babylonian control, even though there wasn’t much left to control. A majority of the Israelites were led away to Babylon, captives who would endure an exile that would span seventy years which was the penalty that God imposed for their sinful disobedience.

Note that I didn’t say that all the Israelites were taken to Babylon for as we read in today’s scripture passage from Jeremiah 40, a remnant of Judeans were left behind, those who the scriptures refer to as “the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land.” We read where this disadvantaged portion of the Israelite population was placed under the authority of Gedaliah who was appointed “governor over the land”.

In addressing the people he would lead, we find Gedaliah giving them reassurance through the following words:

“Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. I myself will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.”

After seeing what the Babylonians had done in their attack on Judah and Jerusalem, I’m sure those who were poor didn’t exactly feel comfortable knowing that they were now serving those who had destroyed their beloved homeland and took the lives of anyone who got in their way. But notice how Gedaliah speaks words of comfort to them right away, telling the people to not be afraid but rather settle in and do what they needed to do to serve King Nebuchadnezzar for if they did that, then all would go well. If there were any issues that needed to be addressed, Gedaliah promised to represent them and their interests. The governor did not want the people worried about anything else except living in the towns they had taken over and harvesting “the wine, summer fruit, and olive oil” which they were to put in “storage jars”.

So what happened next?

The people under Gedaliah’s rule grew.

We know this because the scriptures tell us that “when all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah” as “governor over them”, they “all came back to the land of Judah” from “all the countries where they had been scattered” and “they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.”

We sense that many Jews left Judah and Jerusalem before things got really bad, fleeing to other areas for safety. But now that the invasion had ended and there was a clear signal that it was safe to come back, the people returned to join the remnant of the poor and they started over, making great contributions to the community efforts as they helped ensure an abundance of wine and summer fruit were harvested.

That’s what happened more than 2,000 years ago but how can this word of God speak to us today in a way that helps us better understand this Christian life as we know it?

Well, consider this question:

How many people do you think are scattered throughout the world today, living outside of where the Lord wants them to be?

It’s a lot, a lot of people who are walking through life without the words guidance, direction, conviction, and instruction.

They are a people who desperately need to come back to the Lord and start over, just like the Jews who had fled to “Ammon, Edom and all the other countries” before finally returning home to a fresh, productive beginning.

Friends, the same thing happens when a person returns to the Lord and makes His heart their home. They find a fresh beginning as the Lord makes them a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), leading them to His righteousness and the abundant harvest that comes from that lifestyle.

For when we are living for the Lord and seeking His will and way and word, then we cannot help but bear the fruit that comes from abiding with His Spirit and make a kingdom different here on earth.

Are you among those who are scattered and need to come back to the Lord and start over?

If so, don’t hesitate to do it today. He is waiting for you with open arms to welcome you home.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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