S) "28 'O Jacob My servant, do not fear,' declares the Lord,
'For I am with you.
For I will make a full end of all the nations
Where I have driven you,
Yet I will not make a full end of you;
But I will correct you properly
And by no means leave you unpunished.'"
Jeremiah 46:28 (NASB)
O) This is the closing verse of the chapter, after Jeremiah prophesied the destruction of Pharaoh of Egypt, and Amon of Thebes. In v.27, the LORD tells Jacob/Israel not to fear, that He will save them from afar, from the land of their captivity, and return them. The final verse (above) repeats the encouragement to fear not, but it takes a slight turn when God again tells His people that He is involved in their exile and return. He says, "But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished." That almost feels out of place, given the previous verse, and the start to verse 28. What really comes through that juxtaposition, is that God does not ignore the behavior of His people, even in the midst of His grace and mercy. Here He is simultaneously telling them, "Do not fear, I will correct you properly." He is saying, "I am with You (Emmanuel) and by no means will I leave you unpunished."
A) There is a terrible pitfall with the New Covenant, brought to us through Jesus Christ, to believe that God's standard for living has somehow changed with the grace of the Cross. I cannot begin to think that, just because He is with me, through Jesus (Emmanuel), that He is no longer concerned with how I live my life. Like, the LORD sees me as forgiven, and therefore doesn't ever see my sin anymore. I think that's very dangerous thinking. God absolutely still disciplines (correction+punishment) because He loves us as His own children. He would have no reason to discipline us, if He was unconcerned with our behavior.
P) Father, make me fearless in the knowledge that You are with me. Then, make me fear You in the knowledge that You are with me! Correct me properly, as my perfect Father, and do not leave me unpunished, undisciplined. I want Your will above all else, and so I want to change according to the man You want me to become. Burn within me, a desire for holiness that leaves no room for complacency. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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