I will not make a full end of thee

Jeremiah 46-48

Jeremiah 46:27-28 But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid. 28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

Jeremiah had a tough job. He had to declare to the people of Judah that they would be taken into captivity by the Babylonians. He had to call them to account for their idolatry and their lack of devotion to their Creator.

He also had the task of bringing the stinging message of God's wrath to many other nations around Judah, including announcing the fall of Babylon.

Jeremiah was not popular in his day, nor was his message well received. However, he also had the incredible privilege of announcing God's favor on Judah and the promise that he would bring them back into the land of their inheritance after a period of captivity. This would happen at the end of seventy years and God would 'save them from afar off'.

There is a great difference in the messages of Jeremiah to Judah and to the other nations. The other nations would come to an end, but God would not make an end of Judah. Their time of captivity would serve a purpose. They would be punished for their disobedience. However, God was with them.

As a loving heavenly Father, God will discipline his children. He will not let us get away with rebellion. There are consequences for our actions.

Hebrews 12:5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

If you receive the chastening of God, you can know that you are his child! He only chastens his sons. You can also know that God's chastening is for our good and God's glory.

Jesus says:

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Chastening is something that Jesus does because he loves his children and does not want us to wander in disobedience. He chastens us to bring us back to himself. Let his chastening have it's intended effect in your life!

In Christ,
Rody