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Suffering and sickness in the bible – Part 30

By Emeritus Prof. Mercy Olumide
29 May 2022   |   4:04 am
Read Jeremiah 15. The Lord will not relent: “And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,” says the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts...

Emeritus Prof. Mercy Olumide

Read Jeremiah 15. The Lord will not relent: “And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,” says the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy,” Jer.15: 3. 

“I WILl hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem,” Jer.15: 4.

The goal of these “forms of destruction” was to destroy the living and devour the dead. This would happen because of Manasseh’s evil reign and the people’s sin (2 Kings 21:1-16; 23:26; 24:3), and the destruction would be complete. The people may have argued that they should not be responsible for Manasseh’s sins, but they continued what Manasseh began. If we follow corrupt leaders knowingly, we cannot excuse ourselves by blaming their bad example.

“Because of Manasseh” (v4). Manasseh was Judah’s most evil king, the one who had led the people into great apostasy (2 Ki 21:10-15; 23:26; 24:3). He was now dead, but the effects of his sins remained; judgment would come because of the people’s willingness to persist in the unfaithfulness and rebellion inspired by Manasseh.
Suffering Because Of Sins Of Ancestors

• Jehoram’s sin of murder, idolatry and misleading people (2 Chr. 21)
“And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, thus says the Lord God of your father David: because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa King of Judah, but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself,” 2 Chr. 21:12-13.

• behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction – your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15: And you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestine come out by reason of the sickness, day by day,” 2 Chr. 21:14-15.

“After all this the Lord struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19: Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers,” 2 Chr. 21:18, 19.

• Gehazi’s sin of greed and lies (2Kgs. 5:20-27). “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow,” 2Kgs. 5:27.
• Email:mercyolumide2004@yahoo.co.uk www.thebiblicalwomanhood.com Mobile: +234 803 344 6614; +234 808 123 7987

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