The context reveals that this is a particular declaration of judgement against Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim (609–597 BC) during the years when the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar was already in the process of conquering Judah and Jerusalem. Yahweh had consistently warned his people at many times through his prophets that his patience with wayward Jerusalem would run out. Jehoiachin had only been king for three months when the end of his rule was announced.
The triple repetition of the summons makes it a solemn and important announcement: “Oh land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!”
This passionate appeal to—“hear the word of the LORD”—is written upon the entrance of one of the most beautiful church buildings (also a tourist attraction) in the heart of Windhoek. As far as I know, this church does not exercise a sound gospel ministry. And yet it has this amazing prophetic verse that speaks loudly to so many people that walk through the doors of this church building every day.
I believe that the churches that constitute Sola 5 must have this word written upon the tablets of their hearts.
One of the five solas—sola scriptura—reminds us that it is our God-given duty to let the word of the Lord sound clearly and authoritatively in our southern African lands (and beyond) so that the nations shall see, hear, and believe that Jesus Christ is Saviour and Lord. We passionately believe that the word of God that is in our hands and in our hearts is life giving and powerful to save. We are confident that the Lord has many sheep that must yet be gathered into the fold before his return.
The Scripture leaves us in no doubt that the Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word, will return to judge this earth. As surely as Nebuchadnezzar was appointed by God to conquer and destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC, and as surely as the Roman general Titus was appointed to conquer and destroy Jerusalem in AD 70 by appointment of the Lord God Almighty, so also the Lord Jesus is appointed as the faithful and true Judge who comes to strike down the nations (Revelation 19:15) and judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31).
Before that great and terrible day comes upon those as yet unreconciled with God, we have the privilege and duty to preach the word “in season and out of season,” wherever God has planted us in southern Africa. We are called to preach that word to the land whether it is warmly received or not. Jeremiah preached in a time when no one listened to him, and yet he fervently and uncompromisingly continued to preach the word of the Lord.
We trust that, as you read this, you will sense with us that we have the Great Commission imprinted upon our hearts. Sola 5 is committed to spread the word of the Lord in southern Africa and beyond through churches that are committed to authentic Christian living. This we hope to accomplish through promoting God-centred theological training, deliberate missions, and church planting efforts and conferences.
I would also take this opportunity to remind our churches that central to our spiritual vitality lies the discipline of fervent prayer. The apostle Paul writes in conclusion of his letter to the Colossians:
About the author
Joachim Rieck is the pastor-teacher of Robertson Reformed Community Church in the Western Cape, South Africa. He is married to Marcelle and together they three adult children (two married and one single) and have been blessed with three grandsons.
