Day 33 (Year 2)

When God Calls Evil to Account  

“‘Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment,’ declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:12 NASB)

The preceding verses mention that people misused their power, causing the land to be cursed and become desolate; even priests and prophets were corrupted and wicked (Jeremiah 23:10-11). Therefore, God declared that disaster would come upon them. Indeed, one of the darkest situations in the world is when places that ought to shine with light become filled with darkness. According to the passage, priests and prophets should have radiated spiritual light, yet they were full of darkness. As a result, their path became like slippery ground in the dark—pursued by enemies and will fall into perishing unexpectedly. Those who distort God’s words for personal gain are indebted to Him, and they are driven away by their evil deeds. The word “calamity” in the passage, ra’ in Hebrew, can also mean “evil.” This shows that in Israeli understanding, evil inevitably brings disaster. So, people’s wickedness will ultimately bring calamity upon them.

Some believe that as long as they verbally confess faith in Jesus, they can live however they please and still have faith to enter heaven. But their end, as the verse indicates, is to stumble in darkness and suffer the disaster brought about by their own sins. In fact, the darkness of sin causes people to fall, and once fallen, they may no longer have the strength to rise again. Those who choose to live in darkness usually do not experience disaster immediately, because God often grants them time and opportunity to repent. But after that period comes “the year of punishment.” Before that time, sinners may appear to act freely without any consequences. So, we must seize these moments when repentance is still possible, urgently dealing with areas where we have not yet submitted to God and casting out all evil from within.

Finally, we believers must clearly recognize the sin that results when we are oppressed or deceived by others. When priests and prophets distort God’s words, if someone knows this and remains silent, they become complicit in the wrongdoings and will also face God’s condemnation. Similarly, those who willingly accept oppression or violence indirectly contribute to the spread of darkness on earth. If people come to see oppression or violence as normal, it becomes difficult for them to turn from spiritual darkness to light. Therefore, those living in darkness must first become dissatisfied with it before they can rely on the Lord to break free.

Reflection questions:  

1) Do you believe there is a close relationship between the evil people commit and the disasters they will surely encounter? Why?

2) Do you think those who willingly accept oppression or violence indirectly contribute to the spreading of spiritual darkness? Why?