Why is justice so hard to find in our world? Let’s look at Jeremiah 5.
What kind of person was God looking for in the streets of Jerusalem?
“Wander through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and investigate; search through her squares and see whether you find anyone—even one person there—doing justice and seeking truth. Then I’ll forgive them. Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” (Jer 5:1-2 ISV)
Did God realize that some people refused to receive any correction from Him?
O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. (Jer 5:3-5 KJV)
Will God just sit by while people have forsaken Him and not punish them?
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down; A wolf of the deserts will devastate them; A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces Because their transgressions are many; Their acts of faithlessness are mighty. “Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. I had satisfied them to the full, Then they committed adultery And trooped to the harlot’s house. They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish these people,” declares Yahweh, “And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? (Jer 5:6-9 LSB)
Have the house of Israel and the house of Judah both dealt very treacherously with the Lord?
“Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction; Strip away her branches, For they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord And said, “Not He; Misfortune will not come upon us, Nor will we see sword or famine. The prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. So it will be done to them!” (Jer 5:10-13 NASB)
Would God bring a distant nation against Israel to devour and destroy?
Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. People of Israel,” declares the Lord, “I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust. (Jer 5:14-17 NIV)
As they served foreign gods at home, would they serve foreigners in another land?
“Nevertheless in those days,” says the Lord, “I will not make a complete end of you. And it will be when you say, ‘Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’ (Jer 5:18-19 NKJV)
What did God explain to Israel and Judah was the cause of their punishments?
“Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. (Jer 5:20-25 NLT)
Are wicked and deceitful men found among God’s people who have grown rich? Are even the prophets and priests crooks?
For wicked men are found among my people. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich. They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They don’t plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they don’t defend the rights of the needy. “Shouldn’t I punish for these things?” says Yahweh. “Shouldn’t my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? (Jer 5:26-31 WEB)
Because Israel refused to listen to God, what kind of spirit and eyes did He give them?
As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day. (Rom 11:8 CEB)
Why is justice so hard to find in our world? You decide!
