JULY 2, 2024
“Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” (Jeremiah 51:50)
The captives in Babylon are charged to remember Jerusalem. Why? Because, for one thing, the temple of their God was there. Zephaniah tells us of the faithful, who, while in captivity were “sorrowful for the solemn assemblies.” Though God comforted them by promising to be to them “a little sanctuary,” (Ezek. 11:16), there was still within them a longing for the courts of the Lord. Is it so with us? When deprived of the sacred assemblies, do we remember them with fondness? Can we empathize with David, who being exiled in some cave with only tears for his meat day and night, sighs, “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitudes, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.” (Ps. 42:4) It should be a matter of great sadness if we for any reason are unable to gather with the people of God.
Another reason why the Lord might encourage the captives to remember Jerusalem would be to keep them from settling down in Babylon. God had promised to deliver His people out of captivity and bring them home to Jerusalem. “Thus, saith the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return from this place.” (Jer. 29:10) This world is not our home. Our Lord has ascended to heaven, to the New Jerusalem, “leading captivity captive.” Let us not drive down our stakes too deep in this life, for we shall soon be folding our tents and taking flight to the heavenly Jerusalem where we shall see our Lord and the heavenly throne. Matthew Henry commented that Christians ought to think much upon heaven and see that the subject occupies much of our conversation in this world; for it is there that we are already seated in heavenly places in Christ.
When the Lord said to His captive people, “remember Jerusalem,” He clearly desired that they should long for the holy city and keep themselves prepared to return to it. God knows that His people are prone to settle into their surroundings, get caught up in the current of the world, and forget their spiritual citizenship. May Paul’s confession in Philippians 3:20 be indeed true of us. In contrasting the superior state of believers with that of unbelievers, “who mind earthly things,” he says, “For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven, from whence we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
There is a Jerusalem here below which should come into our minds. The Church of the Living God is our holy city, the city of the Great King, and it should be foremost in our thoughts. We should gladly unite with its citizens, joining with them in open profession of faith. We ought to be united in Christian love, mutual help, and holy service worship, and communion. We should pray for the prosperity of our Jerusalem, and this practice will assure that she occupies our thoughts. To remember Jerusalem means laboring for the advancement of her holy cause. It means being mindful of her with our financial support, and with employment of our time and talents. If we truly remember our church as we should, we will prefer its privileges above earthly things. It will have primary consideration in our choices respecting place of residence, occupation, etc. With many professors, these are very small matters, but if we are to properly remember Jerusalem, they won’t be. If we remember our church as we ought, we will lament her declensions and transgressions. We are aware of how Jesus wept over Jerusalem; and how Paul wept over enemies in the church. (Luke 19:41; Phil. 3:18) Oh, that all Christians took a deeper interest in the Church of God! It should be that in all our joys and sorrows the cause of Christ were interwoven. He is a poor patriot who forgets his country, and he is no Christian who does not bear the church upon his heart.
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