Jeremiah 38-39, Proverbs 5, 1 Corinthians 14
What God said to me – As holy God I must judge sin because “I AM” righteous and holy. When I bring judgment on the world, a few will repent but most will curse Me and reject Me. However, I don’t only judge the world for their sin, I also judge My people for theirs. The severity of that discipline is dependent on their response – are they quick to repent and turn back to me or are they stubborn and unrepentant. When I brought Babylon to judge Israel for their sin, I told king Zedekiah through My prophet Jeremiah that if he would go out and surrender to the king of Babylon that although they would still go into captivity, he and his household would be saved, and Jerusalem would not be burned. But if he refused then they would burn the city and kill his family, and he would not escape either. King Zedekiah refused to repent and accept his discipline, so the judgment was harsh – he was blinded, and his family and the city were destroyed. Sin is serious – no one is immune, and the consequences are always painful. You must be quick to repent and return to Me because I will not let you go, and I will do whatever it takes to bring you back to Me.