Jeremiah 46:28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure: yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
God is a Judge and a Father
God is both a judge and a father. In Jeremiah 46, we find God’s judgment on the pagans through whom He had worked. Jeremiah 46:1-2 says, “The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles; against Egypt.”
The Egyptians fancied themselves the very personification of the mighty Nile, yet there was a flood coming from the north that was going to sweep Egypt away. This flood was the mighty Babylonian army. Jeremiah 46:10 says, “For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance.” Verse 17 says, “Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.” Pharaoh and his mighty armies in whom God’s people had put their trust were nothing but a noise, and his time would end.
Egypt’s destruction was coming from Babylon. God indicated that He was going to judge them, and punish them and all those who trusted in them. He was going to deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. God is a judge, and the picture of Him here impresses us with His raw power and complete holiness.
Then there is a change in focus from God as the Judge of the pagans to God as a loving Guide to His people. Verse 27 says, “But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee…and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease.” Verse 28 says, “Fear thou not…for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.”
While God was the Judge to the enemies of His people, He was the God Who lovingly chastened His own people. In the New Testament God is our Father. Knowing how powerful God is as the Judge should make us grateful that we know Him as a Father. God is holy and powerful. He loves righteousness, but He also loves His people.
In Hebrews 11 God is speaking to His own people who were discouraged. Then in chapter 12 He says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” The same man who will do whatever it takes to stop an intruder in the middle of the night will also lovingly chasten his child. In both cases he does it for the same reason, because he loves his child. One is judgment against an enemy, and the other is the loving chastening of a father.
God loves righteousness, and God loves His people in a special way. So in response, we should love God, and we should love His righteousness. We should pray every day that we will never get away with doing what is wrong because God is a Judge and He is our Father. God hates sin, but God loves you. God loves righteousness, and God loves His people. That should be reflected in our love of holiness, our love of God, and our love of people very day.