Jeremiah Pleads For The People
May 30, 2022
Commentary
Jeremiah pleads for the people and excuses their actions on the basis of the false prophets who cried for peace (v.13). God answers that the prophets will be judged, but that still does not excuse the people (v. 14). He says that by sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed (v. 15), and the people to whom they prophesy will be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with no one to bury them (v. 16).
Jeremiah became very sorrowful over the thought of Jerusalem’s judgment and he cried continually day and night for them (v. 17). In the countryside surrounding Jerusalem lay the corpses of those who had been slain by the sword. Those who escaped fled to the city and were slowly dying by the ravages of famine. Prophets and priests who should have set the people aright were deported to Babylon (v. 18).
The people again addressed God and pleaded for His intervention (v. 19). They acknowledged their wickedness, and the iniquity of their fathers, and said, “we have sinned against you” (v. 20). They begged Him not spurn them, or break His covenant with them (v. 21). They ask if there are any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain (v. 22)? They finally admitted that the idols they had worshiped could not bring rain to quench the drought. Then they state, “We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.” Of course, God was the only one who could all of this.
Application
Sometimes God permits disasters to occur to bring nations, churches, and individuals to their knees in repentance. Lord help this to never happen in my life because I have failed to listen and obey.
Jeremiah 14:13– 22 (NET)
13 Then I said, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, look! The prophets are telling them that you said, ‘You will not experience war or suffer famine. I will give you lasting peace and prosperity in this land.’”
14 Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind. 15 I did not send those prophets, though they claim to be prophesying in my name. They may be saying, ‘No war or famine will happen in this land.’ But I, the Lord, say this about them: ‘War and starvation will kill those prophets.’ 16 The people to whom they are prophesying will die through war and famine. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to the men and their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out on them the destruction they deserve.”
17 “Tell these people this, Jeremiah: ‘My eyes overflow with tears day and night without ceasing. For my people, my dear children, have suffered a crushing blow. They have suffered a serious wound.
18 If I go out into the countryside, I see those who have been killed in battle. If I go into the city, I see those who are sick because of starvation. For both prophet and priest— they go peddling in the land but they are not humbled.’”
19 Then I said, “Lord, have you completely rejected the nation of Judah? Do you despise the city of Zion? Why have you struck us with such force that we are beyond recovery? We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it. We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror.
20 Lord, we confess that we have been wicked. We confess that our ancestors have done wrong. We have indeed sinned against you.
21 For the honor of your name, do not treat Jerusalem with contempt. Do not treat with disdain the place where your glorious throne sits. Be mindful of your covenant with us. Do not break it.
22 Do any of the worthless idols of the nations cause rain to fall? Do the skies themselves send showers? Is it not you, O Lord our God, who does this? So we put our hopes in you because you alone do all this.”
Illustration: Stop And Turn Around is Repentance
Think of a husband and wife in a car, the wife tells her husband to turn right at the next junction and by mistake, he turns left. When he realizes what he has done, he says to his wife “I’m sorry love, I went the wrong way.” But if that is all he does, it isn’t enough. His saying sorry isn’t getting them any closer to where they want to be; it isn’t even stopping them getting further away. To get where they want to be, he needs to stop the car, turn it around and go back on to the correct road that his wife told him to take in the first place. That is repentance. (Steve Gladwell – Sermon Central)