Many Faces of WisdomFaith and Wisdom in James
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5) Two Kinds of WisdomJeremiah 38:1-6New Revised Standard VersionJeremiah in the Cistern38 Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people, 2 Thus says the Lord, Those who stay in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but those who go out to the Chaldeans shall live; they shall have their lives as a prize of war, and live. 3 Thus says the Lord, This city shall surely be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon and be taken. 4 Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to be put to death, because he is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, and all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” 5 King Zedekiah said, “Here he is; he is in your hands; for the king is powerless against you.” 6 So they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. Now there was no water in the cistern, but only mud and Jeremiah sank in the mud. For ReflectionThis story is similar to the arrest of Christ. Jeremiah warns of destruction and promotes a counter-intuitive solution. "Give in to the enemy? He cannot be thinking of our well being," they said. It was considered an absurd recommendation. King Zedekiah left the decision to the people.
Sometimes God's wisdom is informed by knowledge unknown to the people. Sometimes what sounds ludicrous is a wise choice. PrayPray and trust in the wisdom of God's reply. Pray and let God protect you from yourself.
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