Have you ever had the feeling of impending doom? You don’t know what it is, but you just feel like something bad is on the horizon. There are many stories of people who had such experiences. Some say it’s a premonition; a warning of something to come. In Jeremiah 4:5-18 we see the announcement of an imminent invasion. This announcement is getting all the more real for the people of Judah. War is looming. Judgement is coming. They could feel it in the air.

                It is in this context that we see four effects of judgement. Four things that impending judgement brings.

                Brokenness. The alarm has sounded throughout Judah. Everyone is scrambling to find shelter. They are told to take refuge without delay. You can hear the screams. The cries of children clinging to their mothers while they run in fear are heard throughout the city. The people mourn and wail over the impending judgement that has come as a result of their sin. They have been brought low. They have been humbled. There is no escaping the judgement now. When we have found ourselves rebelling against God and choosing to continue a life of habitual sin; we ultimately come to a place where we hit rock bottom. We are brought low and our only response is to cry out to God. Have you or someone you know ever got to that point? Do you know what it is like to be broken? Have you come to a place where you have come to the end of your rope? In such times of brokenness there is only one way to go and that is up. It can’t get any worse. Therefore, in many cases, this state of brokenness is right where God wants us to be; when our only hope is to reach up and cry out to the Lord for deliverance. Sadly, this is where most of us end up, but it is not God’s best for us. He wants us to always be close to Him. Sometimes to get our attention He must break us. But this is only for our good, there is certainly no joy found in it. It is good for us to live in such a way that we never have to be broken. To always stay close to the Lord and live in obedience to Him, so that we may never hit rock bottom.

                Frozen. In times of brokenness, it is as if everything just stops. We are frozen. It is like time stands still and we are not sure what to do. As the people of Judah flee for their lives, we see the leaders of Judah unable to do anything. (1) Kings and Leaders lose courage. You know you have come to a desperate state when your leaders lose courage. They don’t know what to do. They don’t know how to respond. They cannot give an answer. They cannot give any assurances. There is nothing worse than being in a moment of crisis and you look to those who are supposed to lead you and they have no answer. As a leader, I have been in situations where people were looking to me for answers and hope in a hopeless situation. I have learned several things in those moments. One, is to remain calm. Don’t be frantic. Don’t get over excited. Another thing to do is just be honest. Don’t hide reality. If we are all going to die, then say it. Don’t hide the truth. At the same time, give assurance that though I don’t know what to do, I know One who has the answer and His name is Jesus. As a leader, if people see you putting your hope and trust in God, it gives them greater assurance and hope that though things look bleak, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. (2) Priests tremble in fear. Can you imagine? The alarm has sounded. An invasion is coming. You look to your king for help and protection and he has no plan, no strategy to get you through. You look to your religious leaders and they are huddle in corner hiding in fear. They have no answer for you. They have no help to offer. (3) Prophets are scared speechless. The fiery preachers who always know what to say are silent. They are so scared; you cannot get a word out of them. Everything is frozen. No one knows what to do.

                Wash. When you hit rock bottom, the climb upward begins with cleansing yourself from sin. You have to start somewhere. It begins by confessing sin and coming clean. Anytime someone is caught in sin and they have covered it up far too long; it gets to a point when there is no place to hide, you have reached the edge, and you must come clean. Repentance is the only path to restoration. Therefore, if there is any hope, it is found in repentance. Coming clean and getting your sin out in the open can be a very difficult thing to do. It is embarrassing. It makes you vulnerable. You may lose creditability. The respect that others have for you is now lost. Confession and repentance is not easy. Yet, in order for there to be restoration and healing, that first step of coming clean and repenting is essential. As hard as it is, once you do come clean, often there is a sense of relief. A weight has been lifted. You don’t have to hide anymore. You can now work toward making things right.

                Blame. In verse 18, it is declared: “Your ways and your doings have procured these things for you. This is your wickedness…” When it comes to the reality of our sin and the consequences we face; we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. It is so easy to ‘pass the buck’. It is easy to make excuses and blame others. The hard thing to do is to search deep within and come to grips with the reality of our own depravity. Blame lies solely on ourselves. It is only when we are able to admit our own fault that we can begin the process of repentance. Remember, repentance is the only path to restoration.

                There are times when God is forced to take drastic measures to get our attention and bring us to our knees. The people of Judah found out just how much God loved them. He would not allow them to continue in their sin. Therefore, He allowed destruction to come upon them in order to keep them from going further and further in their sin and further and further away from Him. Something had to be done. After multiple warnings, they would not repent. They forced God’s hand. There was nothing left for Him to do, but to allow His judgement to fall upon them. If you are true believer in Christ, He will discipline you. Because He loves you, He will not allow you to go too far in your sin. He will do whatever must be done to get your attention and bring you to repentance. It is best that we repent as soon as we are aware of our sin, lest we must endure more drastic measures.