What other scriptures emphasize consequences for turning away from God? Facing Consequences: Jeremiah 44:12 “I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to reside there. They will all be consumed; in the land of Egypt they will fall by the sword and by famine. They will perish, from the least to the greatest. They will die by sword and famine, and they will be an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach.” Foundational Warnings in the Law • Deuteronomy 28:15 – “But if you do not obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.” • Leviticus 26:14-16 – “But if you will not listen to Me and carry out all these commandments… then I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life.” • Joshua 24:20 – “If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and bring disaster upon you and consume you, after He has done good to you.” Historical Snapshots from Israel’s Story • 2 Chronicles 7:19-20 – “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commandments I have set before you… then I will uproot Israel from My land that I have given them.” • 2 Kings 17:20 – “So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and gave them into the hand of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.” Prophetic Echoes • Isaiah 1:20 – “But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” • Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you…” • Ezekiel 18:24 – “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity… none of the righteous acts he has done will be remembered; he will die because of the sins he has committed.” Wisdom Literature Reminders • Psalm 81:11-12 – “But My people would not listen to My voice, and Israel would not obey Me. So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.” • Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” New Testament Confirmations • John 15:6 – “If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.” • Galatians 6:7-8 – “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. For whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction…” • Hebrews 10:26-27, 31 – “If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment… It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” • Revelation 3:16 – “So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!” Living in Light of These Truths • God’s covenant blessings are inseparable from covenant loyalty. • Throughout Scripture—Law, Prophets, Wisdom, and New Testament—the pattern is consistent: rejecting God leads to loss, exile, and judgment. • Jeremiah 44:12 stands alongside these passages as a solemn witness that turning away from the LORD never ends well, while steadfast faith and obedience remain the pathway to life and blessing. |
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