In the wake of continuous rebellion, vs 6, a time comes when God’s judgment will not tarry any longer, even if it be His own people who are the objects of His wrath, vs 5,11-14!

For God’s holiness demands that sin must be punished, even though God always loves the sinner, and hates only his sin! Even the intercession of Moses and Samuel would amount to nothing in the light of Israel’s sin in Jeremiah’s day, vs 1!

Judgment would come in the form of death by the sword of the enemy, or fowls of the heaven or dogs that tear, beasts of the earth that devour or destroy, bereavement of children, vs 7, widowhood and even death of the widow herself, or famine or captivity, vs 2,3,8,9.

And all because they did not repent of the sins of Manasseh, King Hezekiah’s son, vs 4! And, as if to add insult to injury, just because Jeremiah spoke the truth to God’s people, and took a stand against their sin and refused to sit in their company, but instead delighted in God’s Word, vs 16,17. he was cursed by them and treated with contempt, vs 10.

Jeremiah, therefore, exhorts God to intervene and deal with vengeance against his persecutors, vs 15. He wonders how God is allowing them to go scott free, inspite of their evil deeds, for such a long period of time! This makes him feel as if God Himself had become an unreliable liar towards him, vs 18!

God rebukes him for his foolish words against God, though they were spoken under great stress, and exhorts Jeremiah to repent of the same, so that he can continue as God’s spokesman, vs 19, and God also promises to strengthen him and make him one whom they would never prevail over, even though they attacked him, for God, Himself would protect and deliver him from their hands, vs 20,21.

Thus it is important for us to take a stand against all sin that we see in our own lives first, so that we can continue to stand on God’s Word and refuse to participate in the sins of others too. And even, if we have to face the reproach of men on this account, we can be assured that God will never leave us, nor forsake us until we complete our life’s work here on earth. Amen.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.