“Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.” (Jeremiah 49:23)
Chapter 46 begins the prophecy God gives Jeremiah about the judgement coming on different cities. The prophecy continues to chapter 50 and 51 of Jeremiah with the judgement and destruction of Babylon and the last chapter, 52 with the fall of Jerusalem. Our Scripture of study is the judgement of Damascus.
All the commentators seem to agree that this prophecy actually pertains to all of Syria. Damascus is the capital, but naming the three cities seems to outline Syria from the south to the north and west. In other words, the judgement is for the entirety of Syria. Syria had been invaded by the Assyrians and was prospering again. Hearing about the coming invasion and possible conquer of Syria again confounded them. The word that was translated confounded means that it paled them. Some translations interpret the phrase, “... there is sorrow on the sea...” to “... there is sorrow like the sea...” which explains their restlessness.
I think all of us have in our lifetime have received news that have paled us. We can relate to the way the Syrians felt. When unknown tragedy is likely, we imagine all kinds of terrible things happening. The Syrians had recovered from the Assyrian conquest. They knew what could possibly be awaiting them. But the most appalling thing is that this is a judgement coming from God.
God has pronounced judgement in the New Testament. It’s against sin, those who practice sin and refuse to repent. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Those who practice sin and do not accept God’s gift of eternal life will die, not only physically like all humankind, but spiritually, eternally apart from God and in torment forever. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12-15) But this is not enough judgement that some don’t repent and accept God’s merciful and unmerited gift of life. They are not “paled” by the condemnation because of their sin.
There is judgement also coming to the Christian. But it’s a different kind of judgement. It’s judgement coming to test and prove our belief. It’s opposition against us for loving, obeying and following God. It’s persecution. Persecution in the west is very different from persecution in other parts of the world. Nevertheless, it’s still persecution. And we don’t know as the world hurls toward more ungodliness, how severe persecution will evolve even in the west. “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” (1Peter 4:14-19) This persecution is judgement, judgement on our commitment, on our devotion on our true belief. Will we stand firm in the face of persecution? We are wimps in the west. We have not known persecution. We don’t even think about it. And we dislike it when it’s brought up. But persecution is a certainty for the believer who stands apart from culture and societal norms which are ungodly and unscriptural.
Will we stand firm with God? Or will we be condemned with them? “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (1Corinthians 11:32) There is only one option for us. To stand with God. To stand for righteousness. To stand for rightness. And it’s hard in a world that not only accepts things that are an abomination to God but applauds it. To stand apart will bring persecution. We don’t have to condemn it. But standing for righteousness will condemn it on its own. It’s necessary that we be “paled” by the judgement coming on believers and abandon our watered down and ineffective Christian lives so that, “... that we should not be condemned with the world...” (1 Corinthians 11:32)
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