Read Jeremiah Chapter 41
You Murderer!!!
Ishmael and 10 men went to Jerusalem area and killed Gedaliah, whom Babylon had appointed governor over those left in the Jerusalem area. Then they killed 70 of the 80 men who were coming to the house of the Lord. They threw all 70 in a particular cistern that was a point of dissension between Ishmael’s King and Israel’s King.
Then Ishmael took captive several people from Mizpah and was taking them to his land, the Ammonites. But some Babylonian soldiers heard what happened and freed the people.
It appears that Ishmael had ill feelings towards God’s people from a dispute in previous years. It’s sad how people can’t let go of hurts in the past and feel the need to get revenge, retaliate, or get even.
In big cities, you see gangs who always seem to want to get revenge. When we hear of such unnecessary killings, we are frustrated with how immature they are to resort to such revenge. But, we probably aren’t much different. If somebody wrongs us, do we get angry, do we have bitter and hateful feelings towards the person, do we gossip about them, and do we have unforgiveness just like the gangsters have unforgiveness. Then we pat ourselves on the back because we “didn’t kill them,” but the intensity of hate we have is the same as the gangsters who did kill. We can’t let it go and we wish ill upon them. How quickly we forget when Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said you shall not kill but I tell you if you hate a person, you’re a murderer.” I’ve seen people go to their grave with a hatredness and unforgiveness they had toward a family member or a boss because they let the devil get a foothold in their heart.
Jesus, may we give you our whole heart. Take away the hate and unforgiveness we have towards another. Amen.
