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It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these chapters. Back in Chapter 21 of Jeremiah, we saw the Lord first introduce this idea of submission to Babylon. The whole time, Judah has been hostile to repentance, and so God has said, “I am giving power and authority over to Babylon because I control all things.” This idea is twofold in nature. First, it forces Judah to humble themselves under Babylon’s rule, and second, it serves as a punishment for their lack of repentance.
God has said many times, however, that anyone who does not fall under Babylon’s reign will be subject to a horrible death. He has also promised to destroy Jerusalem which Jeremiah predicted in the previous chapter. With that being said though, God has shown tremendous grace by offering them the alternative of going into captivity under the reign of Babylon for 70 years, after which God will bring back the captives and restore Jerusalem.
This chapter is all about hammering this point home. You must submit to Babylon. God knows this is a huge shot to their pride as a nation. It would have made sense, with all that God has been through with these people, to wipe them off the face and start fresh. He gives them options though. Because of their lack of repentance, they will suffer – but that suffering can come in a lesser form of captivity to Babylon or a greater form of total death and destruction.
The natural assumption is to take the better deal right? Go to Babylon and serve your sentence. Pride gets in the way. Have you ever known someone (or maybe this has happened to you), who, even when faced with a logical decision, chooses to go down with the ship simply to save face? This was the decision at hand for Judah’s leaders.
Pride is no different today. It hinders our ability to humble ourselves in a better way. It blinds us from seeing the error of our thinking. Read this chapter and apply it to your own life. Where have you been pridefully refusing to submit to the plans of God, and what kind of destruction lies on the other side?