The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. (Jeremiah 34:8-10) But they changed their mind soon afterwards, with devastating results.

Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

Jeremiah 34:17

What could be so difficult about setting people (your own people!) free especially when it is a centuries old practice and policy? It seems that some people choose having servants over doing the right thing. Sounds familiar, does it not?

Jubilee – release and pause

The jubilee (yobel ) was the noise of trumpets that announced the freedom ( dor ) of the Hebrew people and their land (a) every 7th year and (b) every 50th year. The 7th and 50th years provided pauses that refreshed the land and prevented the impoverishment of all citizens. No miracle or four year term can imitate the jubilee.

The so-called tax breaks that governments hand out are a corruption of the principle that every citizen has a piece of the pie which cannot be diminished in perpetuity. God said “adjust it every 7th year and fix it every 50th year”.

The road to ruin is paved by nationalist cruelty and the exploitation of poverty

God can do no less to the nations of our modern era than he did to Judah. Some people may think that God has parked his justice eye, but all dictators and capitalists with or without colonialist dreams are either on shaky legs or facing ruin. We are witnessing the mighty – who swear they need a perpetual workforce that serves 1% – heading for an encounter with sword, pestilence, famine; and removal into all the kingdoms of the earth.

Witness Yahweh’s gracious wit: proclaiming a release.

If the American government “answer” to the pestilence of 2019 includes unprecedented injections into health care why is the forked-tongued GOP and the dear leader holding up the delivery of adequate and affordable health care to all Americans? Pants down again! There is not enough Personal Protective Equipment, there are not enough beds, ventilators, or tests for the president’s base. There’s the love of a misfiring 45! The consequences are eerily similiar to those when Jeremiah watched Judah fritter away a “last chance” to behave like humans instead of animals.

“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Jeremiah 34:17

it is no coincidence or strange happening that the voices of the people who know righteousness are silent in the face of public deceit and criminal intent in high places. Little children know that the leaders of the nations are selfish, brutish, ignorant and corrupt. There is no jurisdiction where bad things are not happening. We have come from a tradition – African Diaspora – where consciousness began with hard questions about identity and the function of justice. The case of Nathan, a prophet in King David’s house, illustrates a missing element in bringing truth to bear in the halls of power.

We have leaders who seem eager and ready to throw the library at wrongdoing in the church but never have even a “small rebuke” to the people who oppress us in the courts of justice and rob us blind of our wages, and they love to be called ‘man of God’.

Courage! Are you still with us?

We know what our leaders have done and someone – just one – must have the courage to tell the story to them. You think? Nathan told David’s story to David. The king’s response is legendary.

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die: 6. And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7. And Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel…

2 Samuel 12:5-7a

IS THERE a general, a great economist or person of scientific or medical expertise who dares to tell the truth? Is there only one lawyer who knows the score and has courage to tell? Where are the Nathans? What will become of the dumb prophets near the throne? For now they are comfortable sitting in the seats of power. Waking up or standing up seems delayed.