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“But the time is coming,” says the Lord , “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors. “But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them,” says the Lord. “I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves. I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”
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Okay folks get your thinking caps on. Are you ready to dig in a bit and not just get your ears tickled?
Jeremiah has been asked by God to reveal a terrible judgment God had in store for his wretchedly wayward people. This judgement was so hideously harsh it is difficult to read. In fact, if you understand your sinfulness, (oh I do hope you properly see your sinfulness) then you will rightly fear God. I would suppose reading about the prophesied judgment God was declaring and knowing a bit of history of the Jewish nation will make you sit up and take notice. You'll take God a bit more seriously. This kind of stuff should make you question your views about God.
So God says due to thier sin, his people would be judged very very harshly.
Then he says as he always does someday he'll restore his people and rescue them from thier own sinful hearts, from the surrounding nations, and from God's own judgement. They needed God to rescue them from God, himself.
You too more than anything else, need God to rescue you from God himself.
So up to the point that Jeremiah records God saying he'll put them back in the land he gave to their ancestors we're on a restoration theme (Jeremiah 16:14-15).
But the next bit is not part of this welcomed restoration message. God says, "I see every sin" (v. 17) and "I will double their punishment" (v. 18).
God's point is you will not escape judgement.
God's point is you will not escape judgement.
So how will God make sure he judges every last one of the sinners among his people?(Just, a reminder if you are reading through Jeremiah with me you already know that God had said every single one of his people were sinners worthy of harsh heinous judgement)
God will have helpers. These helpers will make sure that judgment comes to everyone. God says he sees every sin and no matter where you hide, he'll find you.
So God's judgment bailiffs, his subpoena servers, would be fishermen and hunters!
Yep you heard right. Fishermen are the messengers of judgement.
Now you should read these verses in a new light.
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Matthew 4:19 NLT
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Mark 1:17 NLT
His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
Luke 5:10 NLT
So just before the good news of restoration there will be a wrapping up of judgement. There will be a transition between the end of exile and judgment and the beginning of restoration and promise.
The transition will be fishermen.
This happened then at the time of Jesus with his disciples.
But if today in any way we are in a microcosm living the bigger story,it is that before people can be saved they must face judgment. Now for me as a fisherman it means telling people why Jesus died on the cross for them.
But if today in any way we are in a microcosm living the bigger story,it is that before people can be saved they must face judgment. Now for me as a fisherman it means telling people why Jesus died on the cross for them.
You see you can't have the good news till you've had the bad.
You are a sinner worthy of judgement.
When I say that, I'm a fisher of men.
Now let me tell you that Jesus took your judgment for you.
When I say that, I'm a fisher of men.
Now let me tell you that Jesus took your judgment for you.
That's what this passage of Scripture is about.
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