God’s message through Jeremiah to the Children of Israel who were refugees in Babylon is very relevant today.
“Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jeremiah 29:5-7 NKJV).
We have all watched the growing disunity, rioting, racial tension, and violence across the United States of America; and we ask ourselves how the church should respond in times of violence in our cities.
Violence does not have to define your city.
Multiple times in the Holy Scripture God demonstrated the level of authority He has given His sons and daughters in praying for peace and safety for the city where they live.
When Sodom and Gomorrah was filled with moral impurity and violence at a level that could no longer be endured council God said:
“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.’ And the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know’" (Genesis 18:17-21 NKJV).
The level of authority over cities delegated to Abraham is revealed in his conversation with the Lord about Sodom and Gomorrah.
“And Abraham came near and said, ‘Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right’?" (Genesis 18:23-25 NKJV)
As the conversation between Abraham and the Lord continues it is Abraham dictating the terms by which the city will be destroyed.
God is not angry with the boldness of His servant, rather seems to be pleased that he is graciously standing between the city and God crying out for mercy.
When it is clear the level of wickedness has reached such severity, ten righteous people could not be found judgment was inevitable.
There is a similar conversation between Moses and God when the Children of Israel rebelled against God in their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 32:1-18).
The sin of the Israelis had become so severe God was prepared to destroy them. Moses immediately began interceding on their behalf.
His authority was great and God said, “I have seen this people and indeed it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore, let Me alone…”
But Moses continued to plead for the people and God responded with grace and mercy.
Isaiah 62 clearly portrays the authority God has given to His people and the role
