The Unflatterable God

Aim: To apprehend God's mercy and grace—only in Christ.

Doctrine: God is not moved to mercy by religious pretense, that presumes on His goodness and that ignores sin (and threats against it).

Exegesis: The wrong way to try to engage God's graces: to act surprised when promised trouble arises (vv. 1-2); to continue to resist divine warnings (vv. 3-7); to refuse the Lord's offers of life (because they do not suit sin) (vv. 8-10).

Further application: The right way to engage God's graces: let us come to God destitute of resources, and let us feast on Jesus, as children of God.

Key verse: v. 2 ''Inquire of the LORD for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will deal with us according to all His wonderful deeds and will make him withdraw from us.''