One on One: judgment

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Little Men

A Series on Lamentations
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Lamentations 2:1-22; Jeremiah 19:1-15

[The book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah to the Jews in Babylon who had been exiled and were lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. Known as the “weeping prophet”, his tears flowed from a broken heart for Jerusalem – the “City of God” – and her people. This series will look at Lamentations to learn about God’s justice and mercy, the consequences of sin and the hope for redemption.]

When I was about eight years old, I loved playing with my “little men”. One time I had a good western story going. It included a prairie home built with Lincoln Logs, fences, horses and “little men” cowboys.

However, when mom called me to dinner, I wasn’t quite ready to stop. After the third time and no response from me, my dad took charge. He stomped into the living room and, with one swift kick of his foot, destroyed everything that I had built.

I was devastated. It hurt more than if he had spanked me. Not only was he angry at me, but I felt like he didn’t love me.

The people of Jerusalem may have felt the same way towards the Lord. They had been disobedient by worshiping the false god Baal. They’d even sacrificed their own children by fire.

The Lord told Jeremiah to take a clay jar and meet with the elders and priests at the Potsherd Gate. This is where people would throw away their broken and worthless pots. It was also adjacent to the Valley of Hinnom, which in the New Testament was translated as hell. It’s where the people sacrificed their children.

Standing on broken shards of pottery, with the memories of dying children in his mind, Jeremiah gave them one last opportunity to repent. They refused. Therefore, as a metaphor of the judgment that the Lord would bring upon them, the Lord gave Jeremiah the following instructions.

¹⁰“As these men watch you, Jeremiah, smash the jar you brought. ^11aThen say to them, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: As this jar lies shattered, so I will shatter the people of Judah and Jerusalem beyond all hope of repair. NLT Jeremiah 19

When I was disobedient as a little boy, the only thing that I lost was the story of my “little men”. But the people of Jerusalem? They lost everything!

^1bIn his day of great anger,
the Lord has shown no mercy even to his Temple.

^2aWithout mercy the Lord has destroyed
every home in Israel.
In his anger he has broken down
the fortress walls of beautiful Jerusalem.

^11bLittle children and tiny babies are fainting and dying in the streets. ^12a-bThey cry out to their mothers, “We need food and drink!” … They gasp for life as they collapse in their mothers’ arms.

^21a“See them lying in the streets—
young and old, boys and girls,
killed by the swords of the enemy. NLT Lamentations 2

We are all disobedient to the Lord. We may not sacrifice our children, but our sin is still detestable to him. Just like it did for the people of Jerusalem, sin brings death and destruction. Thankfully, the Lord sent his son Jesus to take our punishment.

²¹So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! NIV Romans 7

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Saturday, November 1, 2025

Power and Control

A series on the book of Micah
Week 2 – God's hatred of sin
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Micah 2-3

[In the book “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, Robert Louis Stevenson explores the struggle between good and evil in human nature. “Two sides of the same coin”, if you will. Similarly, Micah contrasts God’s hatred of sin but his love for sinners. In this series, we will look at both sides of God’s character and what that means for us today.]

Power and control! We all want control over our lives. One small way that you can see my desire for power and control is through how I keep my desk and office. They need to be well organized, not looking like a tornado had just blown through it. It helps me feel in control and I have the power to do it.

However, the problem with power is that it can corrupt. You’ve probably come across at least one person where that’s been true. Think of a mall security guard who is overzealous to enforce the rules; or a supervisor who micromanages; or a paper-pushing bureaucrat who enforces the rules capriciously.

Micah spoke out against those who were not only rich and powerful, but also used it to take advantage of the poor and downtrodden.

²When you want a piece of land,
    you find a way to seize it.
When you want someone’s house,
    you take it by fraud and violence.
You cheat a man of his property,
    stealing his family’s inheritance.       NLT   Micah 2

Also, in order to show how the leaders of Israel had no respect or compassion, Micah charged them, figuratively speaking, of cannibalism.

^2bYou skin my people alive
    and tear the flesh from their bones.
³Yes, you eat my people’s flesh,
    strip off their skin,
    and break their bones.
You chop them up
    like meat for the cooking pot. NLT   Micah 3

Is it any wonder that the Lord judged Israel and Judah. God declared that He was "devising disaster" against them; a disaster that they couldn’t escape. Micah prophesied God’s judgment which came true when they were invaded by foreign powers. The result? Israel and Judah were exiled from the Promised Land.

The Lord hates sin, but he loves the sinner. He always provides a way for redemption. Even with these abuses of power, he gave Israel the promise of a future deliverance and restoration.

¹²“Someday, O Israel, I will gather you;
    I will gather the remnant who are left.
I will bring you together again like sheep in a pen,
    like a flock in its pasture.
Yes, your land will again
    be filled with noisy crowds!      NLT   Micah 2

Today, he still provides a way for redemption. Despite our sinfulness he gave you and me the promise of deliverance and restoration through Jesus Christ. Paul put it like this.

²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! NIV Romans 7