The merits of the prophets Moses and Samuel were great but not perfect. God listened to their prayers, but they were not great enough to outweigh the sins of Jeremiah’s listeners, nor are they great enough to offset the weight of even one sin. They needed a superior Deliverer than Moses and Samuel.
Only Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. The only perfect Mediator for people is Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:24 says, “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
“And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.” Jeremiah 15:2
In Jeremiah’s day, Jerusalem’s nemesis was Nebuchadnezzar. In the end-times, Jerusalem’s nemesis is an unnamed leader called the beast. Revelation 13:10 says of the end-times, “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity. He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”
It appears that once this judgment begins, people will not change their position towards God. Unbelievers will continue to doubt God, and saints will continue to patiently trust in Christ.
“And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction, says the Lord: the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.” Jeremiah 15:3
The Lord appointed four forms of destruction in Jeremiah’s day, and He does this again during the end times represented by four horsemen in Revelation 6:8.
Revelation 19:17 speaks of the birds gathering together for the supper of the great God.
The tribulation in days of Jeremiah is a type of the tribulation in the last days.
Knowing these things in advance, we do well to learn how to speak of them from the prophets, from the apostles, and from Jesus Christ. In John 16:8, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment. Proclaiming God’s judgments is a work of the Holy Spirit.
“I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.” Jeremiah 15:4
2 Chronicles 33:9 says, “Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.” Manasseh seduced the people to forsake the Lord and they followed him. Manasseh was a type of the end times antichrist and those who followed were him a type of end times compromisers with evil.
“For who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Or who will bemoan you? Or who will turn aside to ask how you are doing?” Jeremiah 15:5
Pain without comfort is not pleasant. In Psalm 69:20 wrote, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.”
“You have forsaken Me, says the Lord, You have gone backward. Therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting!” Jeremiah 15:6
Why should the Lord move anyone to pity them. He had given them numerous opportunities to repent with no result. God did not want their misbehavior to continue any longer.
“And I will winnow them with a winnowing fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, since they do not return from their ways.” Jeremiah 15:7
Jesus is a winnower. “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12 )
“Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, a plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly.” Jeremiah 15:8
The widows will be many because their husbands will be slain.
“She languishes who has borne seven; she has breathed her last; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded. And the remnant of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 15:9
She languishes because she had seven sons but not even one is left.
“Woe is me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent for interest, nor have men lent to me for interest. Every one of them curses me.” Jeremiah 15:10
Jeremiah spoke the truth. George Orwell wrote, “The farther a nation gets from the truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” Thieves speak lies to defraud people of money. Jeremiah focused on truth not money.
“The Lord said: ‘Surely it will be well with your remnant. Surely I will cause the enemy to intercede with you in the time of adversity and in the time of affliction.’” Jeremiah 15:11
Psalm 106:46 says, “He made them to be pitied by all those who carried them away captive.”
Proverbs 16:7 says, “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
The Lord moved the Babylonians to treat the remnant of believers well. For example, Jeremiah, his cousins Baruch and Gedaliah, and the king’s servant Ebedmelech.
“Can anyone break iron, the northern iron and the bronze? Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder without price, because of all your sins, throughout your territories.” Jeremiah 15:12-13
The Lord made it clear to the leaders of Jerusalem that they would be defeated. Babylon had superior weapons. With God and a mighty army against them, they could not win.
“And I will make you cross over with your enemies into a land which you do not know; for a fire is kindled in My anger, which shall burn upon you.” Jeremiah 15:14
Jeremiah warned his listeners. The outcome... Repentance??? No, persecution!!!
“O Lord, You know. Remember me and visit me and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.” Jeremiah 15:15
Many opposed Jeremiah for speaking for God in their hearing. Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord.”
In Matthew 19:29, Jesus promised, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” The Lord is aware of sacrifices made for Him. No one outgives God.
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your Name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
Psalm 19:9-10 says, “The fear of the Lord is pure enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold. Yea, than much fine gold! Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb!”
Closeness with God keeps Jeremiah going.
1 John 1:3-4 says, “Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are reproached for the Name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”
Jeremiah’s love for God and His Word yielded negative reactions from his countrymen.
“I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, nor did I rejoice. I sat alone because of Your hand, for You have filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, as waters that fail?” Jeremiah 15:17-18
Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the high priest. He grew up in the priestly town of Anathoth. His two brothers rallied people against him. His peers mocked and threatened him. They wounded him deeply. Thus, he wanted the Lord to be a reliable stream and waters that do not fail him. He needed healing waters from the Lord to flow over him.
Psalm 42:1-3 says, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, ‘Where is your God?’”
Jeremiah wanted God to quench his thirst for fellowship and he wanted his listeners to see God.
We enjoy an advantage over Jeremiah because Jesus Messiah has come into the world. Jesus is an example for us of perseverance. Hebrews 12:3 says, “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
Christ on the cross!
Hurt! Betrayed! Hated! Crucified!
Deeply wounded to the core of His being!
What salve heals such a wound?
What drink conquers such a deprivation?
God Himself must fill the void!
Amidst mockers we must turn to the Lord for fellowship. King David prayed, “I spread out my hands to You. My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah” Psalm 143:6
“Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘If you return, then I will bring you back; you shall stand before Me; if you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, but you must not return to them.’” Jeremiah 15:19
Jeremiah needed the poison removed from him that human vipers injected into him. We need to be so careful that after we have ministered to such that we do not fall.
The Lord reminded Jeremiah of His promise to him at the on-start of his ministry...
“And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; and they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the Lord.” Jeremiah 15:20
Sometimes, God sends His servants into enemy territory to proclaim His Word there. Alexander a coppersmith harmed Paul. In 2 Timothy 4:15-18, Paul wrote, “I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.”
The Lord told Jeremiah, “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.” Jeremiah 15:21
Praise God for delivering His servants out of the hands of evil people.
God delivered Paul and his coworkers from death: “We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
While serving the Lord in Hong Kong, one of my co-laborers shared something with me that helped me. She said, “We are all amazed at the trials that you have been going through for us and we appreciate that.” Wow! I assumed that my trials were sabotaging my witness for Christ. Not so, those trials and the grace and love that God gave me to power through them was a very bright witness for Christ.
While holding discipleship gatherings in Guangzhou City, one of the disciples, a doctor, was warned by her hospital administrators not to share with her dying cancer patients. She did not stop. So, they sent her to a reeducation camp for two years. I felt bad about her sufferings, but after she was released, she reported that her father was now a believer in Christ. She said that her joy in Jesus throughout her time at the camp convinced him that Jesus Christ is real.
In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul wrote, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” “Momentary” is a good word to remember. The trials will end. In Romans 16:20, Paul wrote, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
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