In this chapter, Jeremiah is feeling persecuted, but the Lord confirms He will rescue and protect him. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight! And if they say to you, ‘But where can we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: Those who are destined for war, to war; those who are destined for famine, to famine; those who are destined for captivity, to captivity.’ (Wow! The Lord is fed up with His people!)
“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” says the Lord. “I will send the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left. Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.”
“Who will feel sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will weep for you? Who will even bother to ask how you are? You have forsaken me and turned your back on me,” says the Lord. “Therefore, I will raise my clenched fists to destroy you. I am tired of always giving you another chance. I will winnow you like grain at the gates of your cities and take away everything you hold dear. I will destroy my own people, because they refuse to turn back to me from all their evil ways.” (Wow…I know we can all relate to how God is feeling! Sometimes we just get tired and fed up with people, family, and everyone in between! God has washed His hands with His people!)
“There will be more widows than the grains of sand along the seashore. At noontime I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of young men. I will cause anguish and terror to come upon them suddenly. The mother of seven grows faint and gasps for breath; her sun has gone down while it is yet day. She sits childless now, disgraced and humiliated. And those who are left, I will hand over to the enemy to be killed,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
Then I said, “What sadness is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go. I am neither a lender who has threatened to foreclose nor a borrower who refuses to pay – yet they all curse me.”
The Lord replied, “All will be well with you, Jeremiah. Your enemies will ask you to plead on their behalf in times of trouble and distress. (Nice! In Jeremiah’s despair and deep sadness, the Lord comforts him. The power of having a close relationship with the Lord!) Can a man break a bar of iron from the north, or a bar of bronze? Because of all my people’s sins against me, I will hand over their wealth and treasures as plunder to the enemy. I will tell their enemies to take them as captives to a foreign land. For my anger blazes forth like fire, and it will consume them.”
Then I said, “Lord, you know I am suffering for your sake. Punish my persecutors! Don’t let them kill me! Be merciful to me and give them what they deserve! Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty. I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I burst with indignation at their sins. Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook. It is like a spring that has gone dry.” (Wow…even in Jeremiah’s service and commitment to the Lord, he is still suffering and feeling abandoned. Let that be a lesson for all of us! Help us, Lord, be patient and continue to wait on you in our time of despair and suffering. For your quietness doesn’t mean you are absent.)
The Lord replied, “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak words that are worthy, you will be my spokesman. You are to influence them; do not let them influence you! They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall. They will not conquer you, for I will project and deliver you. I, the Lord, have spoken! Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.” (Jeremiah 15) (Yes, Lord! The Lord is saying, “If you keep serving me, I got you!")
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us establish a committed relationship with you. And in that committed relationship, help us be patient and trust in you and your Word in both joy and deep sadness. For you have never failed us, so why would you start now? Lord, thank you for your unfailing love! We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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