Word In Life Study Bible
IT TAKES ONLY ONE TO SAVE THE CITY
Jer.5:1
The prophets frequently compared Jerusalem to the ancient city of Sodom. God destroyed Sodom for its persistent wickedness and rebellion against Him. However, the Lord would have spared the city if Abraham could have found even ten righteous people living there. Apparently he could not (Gen. 18:32–33; 19:24–25).
How many righteous people would have spared Jerusalem from similar judgment? Only one, according to Jeremiah (5:1). But the prophet searched in vain for that one.
First he went to the poor, but quickly discovered that they were ignorant of justice and truth (5:4). Then he went to the “great men,” the leaders, because they at least could read the Law, which had been rediscovered by Josiah (2 Kin. 22:8–23:3). Yet he found every single one of them to be guilty of departing from God’s ways (5:5).
So Jerusalem was bound for judgment. It had become so degenerate that God would have settled for even one righteous person rather than ten.
By this standard, how would you evaluate the cities of today? Are they morally better or worse than Sodom? How do they compare with Jerusalem? If Jeremiah were to search in your city for the “one righteous person,” would he find one? Would that person be you? If not, what changes do you need to make in your life? What changes do the people of your city need to make?
Study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible, copyright 1993,1996, by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. The study notes from the Word In Life Study Bible appearing at this web site are for personal use only.
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