Jeremiah 8:1-2
“‘And when the time comes’—GOD’s Decree!—’I’ll see to it that they dig up the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of the princes and priests and prophets, and yes, even the bones of the common people. They’ll dig them up and spread them out like a congregation at worship before sun, moon, and stars, all those sky gods they’ve been so infatuated with all these years, following their ‘lucky stars’ in doglike devotion. The bones will be left scattered and exposed, to reenter the soil as fertilizer, like manure.’”
“‘In that day,’ says the LORD, ‘the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon, and stars—the gods my people have loved, served, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure.’”
When Babylon comes its armies will not be content with consuming everything above ground. They will also desecrate graves in search of treasure, even the graves of the common people. Death was the abode of rest to the ancient Hebrews. Coming destruction is such that even this will be denied them and their remains will be exposed to those stars they so lovingly worshipped. They will move from rest to fertilizer.
We who were born and bred in peace time cannot identify with this kind of terror. We are soft, with no experience of war’s brutalities, easily judging and moralizing from a distance. War may be the only thing that can shake us from our self-indulgence. May God have mercy on our land.
Lord, a thousand times I beg you, have mercy on us, even if mercy means judgement. Heal us from the ulcers of our self-indulgent lives. Expose to us our frivolities. Open our eyes with conviction and repentance. Let the character of American’s peoples return to the self-discipline that made her great. Please begin with me.