Stress Test Devotional May 4
May 04, 2024
JEREMIAH 29:8-9 | 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the Lord.
What other opportunities did the exile provide? Jeremiah told the exiles to ignore the prophets predicting a quick return to Jerusalem and the destruction of Babylon. He told them they would be there for 70 years, more than three generations. This was not to be a time of sheer waiting, but a time to grow.
In fact, many of the greatest insights of Judaism were gained during the exile! Israelites had to depend on the Torah more deeply, because they had no Temple rituals and sacrifices. This shifted their religious life in a more intellectual and thoughtful direction. They came to understand Yahweh differently too, grasping His international and even cosmic rule. He was God of events everywhere, not just Palestine. Moreover, the pain of the exile forced them to wrestle with the problem of evil and suffering. As a result, they developed a theodicy that helped reconcile God’s power and goodness with the world’s sorrows.
Has your view of God enlarged through suffering?
