"Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor (Jeremiah 5:26-28).

What Jeremiah reveals is unsettling. The wicked are not merely stumbling in the dark. They are hunters. Patient. Calculating. They "set traps", catching people, not animals. Their houses swell with gain, like cages crowded with stolen life. It is not chaotic evil. It is organized, profitable, even respectable. Thus, dangerous.

This passage was about Israel, so the church must see it as a mirror held up to our hearts. Sin in us is productive. We are capable of building systems, habits, and even reputations that quietly feed on injustice. The heart is a perpetual factory of idols. Here, we see one of its darker assembly lines: exploitation dressed up as success.

Jeremiah accuses, "They do not defend the cause of the fatherless… they do not uphold the rights of the needy." This is not merely about personal morality but covenantal failure. God's people were called to reflect His character, and God's character bends toward the vulnerable. To ignore them is not a small oversight. It is a denial of the God they claim to know. This is still true of God's people today.

So, these words invite examination. How do we benefit from unjust systems? Where might comfort have dulled our concern for the vulnerable? Sin often works like a quiet accountant, balancing our books to look legitimate while quietly erasing the poor from the ledger.

But Christ came to give life, to all. Where traps are set, He is the One who was trapped in our place. At the cross, Jesus steps into the machinery of injustice and lets it crush Him, only to rise and break it open from the inside. The One who perfectly upheld the cause of the needy now gives His righteousness to those who have failed to do so, even us.

What should we do? First, repent. Not vague regret, but a clear-eyed turning from the ways we have ignored, benefited from, or participated in injustice.

Second, look for the Spirit's renewal. In Christ, we are not left as we were. The Spirit reshapes us so that we begin, however imperfectly, to reflect God's own heart.

This is what Sabbath is for. As we pay attention to God, he shows us what cages need to be opened, what traps need to be dismantled so that the overlooked become visible. Sabbath helps us trust in God and pursue justice for our neighbour.

As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation into this rest:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them (Ezra 1:1-3).

The Bible is God's self-revelation meaning it's about him, not us. We tend to read scripture to fill our needs, looking for something relevant. God meets us in specific ways, yet we must remember that in Scripture God is revealing himself to us. The Bible is for us, but about God.

The book of Psalms was likely arranged in the days of the return from Babylon. The psalter ends with a concern for God's kingdom: "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations" (145:13). The returning exiles may have sung these songs as they made their way back to Jerusalem.

The story of Israel's return to Judah begins with "the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia". Here is a clear example of God of standing above all human kings and kingdoms. Israel as a nation had been crushed, her people exported or killed, her cities and buildings reduced to rubble, her land given to foreigners. From a human perspective, Israel was dead.

But now God moves the heart of king Cyrus, who proceeds to write a proclamation that all Jews who desire to return home may do so to rebuild the temple of God. How curious is that? The most powerful person in the region is moved by God to have God's temple rebuilt. Not only that, but as the Jews pack up their belongings, their neighbours are to load them up with "gold and silver, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem" (4). Not only will the temple be rebuilt, but foreigners will cover the cost.

We often say that God is sovereign, reigning over the nations. Here we see it. The temple did not spring up overnight. It took years of setbacks and political intrigue. But the story is told to encourage future generations of God followers that God is sovereign.

Earlier, Daniel, while reading Jeremiah, discovered that the exile was to last 70 years. In response, Daniel prays. He confesses Israel's sins, asks God to forgive and for God's own sake, to do something (cf. Daniel 9).

So here is the mystery of God's sovereignty: our prayers are part of it. Sometimes we say, "God will do what God will do", or some variation of that. But that is not quite right. God's sovereignty includes our prayers. We participate in some manner.

The world may seem mad to us; unstable. But God is in control. He moves the hearts of kings, bending them to accomplish his purposes. And he calls his people to pray. Pray with hope!

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is John 20:11-23. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. What do you do when you are afraid? What frightens you about living as a Christian?

2. How did Jesus respond to the disciples' fear on the first Easter? Does that encourage you?

3. What mission does the church have? How do we learn about that mission? What keeps us from carrying it out? How does Jesus encourage his disciples?

4. Jesus blesses his disciples as he sends them out. How does this combined blessing and sending work itself out today?

5. Read the story of Mary again. With what kind of emotion do you think she went to the disciples? How does joy of Easter arrive in us?

6. What is central to the mission of the church? How can we keep it in clear focus?

7. What gift does Jesus leave with his disciples? Does that encourage you?