262. End of Enemies, but Correction for You
Jeremiah 46:28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
The Lord promises His people that their enemies will be made a full end of. This promise introduces Jeremiah’s next four chapters, in which He declares judgment on Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Elam, and finally Babylon. These judgments on the enemy nations represent the Lord’s judgment on our spiritual enemies (sin, death, devil). The promise for us is that He will make a full end of our deadly spiritual enemies. All of this is prophesied to come true in the Book of Revelation, especially the judgment on Babylon (the world). Sin, Death, and Satan are all thrown into the Lake of Fire to burn forever. We appreciate the fact there will be a full end of all enemies of the soul. There will come a day when we shall no longer be tempted and tormented and frightened.
A part of the promise for believers is that the Lord will not make a full end of us, His people. In other words, judgment is good since it finishes the power of the Enemy. The judgment sets us free; the person is not judged but the sin within the person is judged. All Enemies are judged decisively at the Cross, completely at the Tomb, and ultimately on the Last Day. The believer escapes the judgment by faith in the forgiveness of sins earned and granted by Jesus Christ. The sin is judged; the person is saved through the judgment. I will not come to a full end.
However, one aspect of this promise does not at first appear good or pleasant: the Lord will correct us in measure; we are not wholly unpunished. This is the discipline of the Lord, which the Holy Spirit uses to train us up. The experience of discipline is not pleasant, but the benefits and results are pleasing. Everyone, even Job, needs “correction in measure.” We actually learn and grow through the discipline of the Lord, even while we do not always know what is being disciplined and what it is for. We can still trust God to correct in measure for our spiritual growth. Discipline of the Lord is good, and it is temporary. But I will not come to a full end.