8 “You shall also say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 He who dwells in this city will die by the sword and by famine and by pestilence; but he who goes out and falls away to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as booty. 10 For I have set My face against this city for [b]harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.”’
11 “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, 12 O house of David, thus says the Lord:
“Administer justice [c]every morning;
And deliver the person who has been robbed from the [d]power of his oppressor,
That My wrath may not go forth like fire
And burn with none to extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.13 “Behold, I am against you, O valley dweller,
O [e]rocky plain,” declares the Lord,
“You men who say, ‘Who will come down against us?
Or who will enter into our habitations?’
14 “But I will punish you according to the [f]results of your deeds,” declares the Lord,
“And I will kindle a fire in its forest
That it may devour all its environs.”’”
As Jeremiah continues to share the message from God with the priests and King Zedekiah, God gives them one more chance. There is no escape from the Chaldeans, but there is a way out (vv. 9-10). They can either die fighting, stuck in their rebellion, or they can choose to trust what God says and surrender. Any who choose the latter will no doubt be carried into captivity, but they will live to see another day.
That doesn’t seem like a great choice, but in light of their stubborn hearts, it’s a miracle that God gives them any hope at all. But, that’s just what He does. God knew that there were some who would finally repent in the face of certain doom, and He does not ignore such repentance, late as it might be.
For anyone who still thought they were secure, hiding in the rocks or in the forested valley, God promises they will not find safety any other way. Ultimately, it’s a hard cold lesson in trust: trust or die. Though God gives us a similar choice today, we don’t have to suffer the burden of captivity (hopefully) when we choose Him. Not that life on this earth will ever be all sunshine and roses, but God gives us hope for the future.
It reminds me of the old hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, where the last verse sums up God’s offer rather well:
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.
And that is worth all the toils of this earth, and ten thousand more…