JEREMIAH’S PAIN

Passage: Jeremiah 15:1-21

Key verse: 19

NIV

15 Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses(A) and Samuel(B) were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people.(C) Send them away from my presence!(D) Let them go! 2 And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;(E)
those for starvation, to starvation;(F)
those for captivity, to captivity.’(G)

3 “I will send four kinds of destroyers(H) against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword(I) to kill and the dogs(J) to drag away and the birds(K) and the wild animals to devour and destroy.(L) 4 I will make them abhorrent(M) to all the kingdoms of the earth(N) because of what Manasseh(O) son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

5 “Who will have pity(P) on you, Jerusalem?
    Who will mourn for you?
    Who will stop to ask how you are?
6 You have rejected(Q) me,” declares the Lord.
    “You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out(R) and destroy you;
    I am tired of holding back.(S)
7 I will winnow(T) them with a winnowing fork
    at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement(U) and destruction on my people,(V)
    for they have not changed their ways.(W)
8 I will make their widows(X) more numerous
    than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer(Y)
    against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
    anguish and terror.(Z)
9 The mother of seven will grow faint(AA)
    and breathe her last.(AB)
Her sun will set while it is still day;
    she will be disgraced(AC) and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword(AD)
    before their enemies,”(AE)
declares the Lord.

10 Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,(AF)
    a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!(AG)
I have neither lent(AH) nor borrowed,
    yet everyone curses(AI) me.

11 The Lord said,

“Surely I will deliver you(AJ) for a good purpose;
    surely I will make your enemies plead(AK) with you
    in times of disaster and times of distress.

12 “Can a man break iron—
    iron from the north(AL)—or bronze?

13 “Your wealth(AM) and your treasures
    I will give as plunder,(AN) without charge,(AO)
because of all your sins
    throughout your country.(AP)
14 I will enslave you to your enemies
    in[a] a land you do not know,(AQ)
for my anger will kindle a fire(AR)
    that will burn against you.”

15 Lord, you understand;
    remember me and care for me.
    Avenge me on my persecutors.(AS)
You are long-suffering(AT)—do not take me away;
    think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.(AU)
16 When your words came, I ate(AV) them;
    they were my joy and my heart’s delight,(AW)
for I bear your name,(AX)
    Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat(AY) in the company of revelers,
    never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand(AZ) was on me
    and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
    and my wound grievous and incurable?(BA)
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
    like a spring that fails.(BB)

19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you
    that you may serve(BC) me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
    you will be my spokesman.(BD)
Let this people turn to you,
    but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall(BE) to this people,
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
    but will not overcome(BF) you,
for I am with you
    to rescue and save you,”(BG)
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save(BH) you from the hands of the wicked(BI)
    and deliver(BJ) you from the grasp of the cruel.”(BK)

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Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Lord Will Not Relent

15 Then the Lord said to me, (A)“Though (B)Moses (C)and Samuel (D)stood before me, yet my heart would not turn toward this people. Send them out of my sight, and let them go! 2 And when they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord:

(E)“‘Those who are for pestilence, to pestilence,
    and those who are for the sword, to the sword;
those who are for famine, to famine,
    and those who are for captivity, to captivity.’

3 (F)I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the Lord: the sword to kill, the dogs to tear, and (G)the birds of the air (H)and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 (I)And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what (J)Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem.

5 (K)“Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
    (L)or who will grieve for you?
Who will turn aside
    to ask about your welfare?
6 (M)You have rejected me, declares the Lord;
    (N)you keep going backward,
so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you—
    (O)I am weary of relenting.
7 (P)I have winnowed them with (Q)a winnowing fork
    in the gates of the land;
I have bereaved them; I have destroyed my people;
    (R)they did not turn from their ways.
8 I have made their widows more in number
    than (S)the sand of the seas;
I have brought against the mothers of young men
    a destroyer at noonday;
I have made anguish and terror
    fall upon them suddenly.
9 (T)She who bore seven has grown feeble;
    (U)she has fainted away;
(V)her sun went down while it was yet day;
    she has been shamed and disgraced.
And the rest of them I will give to the sword
    before their enemies,
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah's Complaint

10 (W)Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! (X)I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me. 11 The Lord said, “Have I not[a] set you free for their good? Have I not pleaded for you before the enemy in the time of trouble and in the time of distress? 12 Can one break iron, iron (Y)from the north, and bronze?

13 (Z)“Your wealth and your treasures I will give as (AA)spoil, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. 14 I will make you serve your enemies (AB)in a land that you do not know, (AC)for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

15 (AD)O Lord, you know;
    (AE)remember me and visit me,
    (AF)(AG)and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
    (AH)know that (AI)for your sake I bear reproach.
16 Your words were found, (AJ)and I ate them,
    and (AK)your words became to me a joy
    and the delight of my heart,
(AL)for I am called by your name,
    O Lord, God of hosts.
17 (AM)I did not sit in the company of revelers,
    nor did I rejoice;
(AN)I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
    for you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unceasing,
    (AO)my wound incurable,
    refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me (AP)like a deceitful brook,
    like waters that fail?

19 Therefore thus says the Lord:
(AQ)“If you return, I will restore you,
    and you shall (AR)stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
    you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
    but you shall not turn to them.
20 (AS)And I will make you to this people
    a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
    (AT)but they shall not prevail over you,
(AU)for I am with you
    to save you and deliver you,
declares the Lord.
21 (AV)I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
    and redeem you from the grasp of (AW)the ruthless.”

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Footnotes
  1. Jeremiah 15:11 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

The Lord was going to bring about the complete destruction of Judah and Jerusalem (1-3). He prophesied this through Jeremiah, so Israel would know that it was the result of their great sin. With each generation, Judah slid further and further from God, culminating in the evil king Manasseh, who practiced every kind of cruelty and idolatry over a 55-year reign (4). This should remind us that once we begin to slide away from God, it is very difficult to change our direction.

The message that Jeremiah had to bring was almost too much for him to bear. Though he had never taken advantage of anyone, everyone cursed him because he brought words of judgment (10). The Lord tried to comfort Jeremiah (11), but still, Jeremiah asks: Why do I have to suffer so much pain when I only deny myself to serve you? (18) In reply, the Lord commands Jeremiah to repent and recommit himself to speak only worthy words, not becoming like people of the world (19).

It is indeed too hard for us to keep standing against the pattern of the world with our own strength. But if we commit ourselves to God and resolve to speak only his words, no one will be able to overcome us (20-21).

Prayer: Father, thank you for the privilege of being your messenger, even when it brings trouble. Let my true joy be in your words.

One Word: Speak worthy words.