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.
“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.” (Hebrews 9:24)
Jesus IS perfect and His perfection is imputed onto every person who believes in Him and professes His Name as their Lord and Savior.
Hebrews 7:28 says, “The Law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.” Hebrews 10:1 says, “The Law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.” Hebrews 10:11 says, “Every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Hebrews 10:14 says,
“By one offering He [Jesus Christ] has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”
“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 is Nebuchadnezzar. In Revelation 13:5, 10, Jerusalem’s nemesis is an unnamed leader called the beast. “He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months.” What is God’s Word at the on-start of the beast’s rule? It is, “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. Before the new Jerusalem comes up, the old must come down. Revelation 6:8 speaks of a pale horse on which Death and Hades ride. “Power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” And 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 except that Jesus said that the trials of the last days will be worse.
“Then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22)
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. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of judgment. Proclaiming God’s judgments is a work of the Holy Spirit and an important role of the church’s mission on earth. (John 16:8; Matthew 28:19-20)
“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? 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 15:5-6
James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Since they forsook their heavenly Father, why should He move anyone to have pity on them, or moan for them. He had given them so many opportunities to change their ways, but they never did, and they gave Him no indication that they were going to change now. God did not want to enable their ungodly behavior any longer.
Enabling ungodly behavior usually leads to compassion fatigue. Such people are like fire. Proverbs 30:16 says that “fire never says, ‘Enough!’”
“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
John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as 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 ) A winnower separates bad from good.
“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 to please God. Though he wanted friendships, he did not compromise the truth. One of the themes of George Orwell’s books is, “The farther a nation gets from the truth the more it will hate those who speak it.” Lies are spoken by thieves and deceivers to defraud people of money. Jeremiah did not lend for interest, nor pay interest on loans. In other words, he was not focused on money-making or money spending. He was focused on speaking the truth. Our Jesus Christ understands such pain. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)
“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 37:35-37 says, “I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace.” Those who persecuted Jeremiah eventually passed away, whereas Jeremiah’s life was preserved. The Lord moved the Babylonians to treat him well. And his remnant? Well, his book is still with us, and still producing good fruit today. The end of his life was peace, not regret.
Psalm 1:2, 4 says, “[Blessed is the man whose] delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” “The ungodly are not so but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.”
The house of the wicked is not built on the rock foundation of God’s Word. It is built on sand. It is just matter of time until their empire collapses. Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.” Psalm 2:4 says, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision [contempt].” God treats with contempt those who treated Him with contempt. The saints need to be patient.
“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 in Jerusalem that they would be defeated by the Babylonians. The Babylonians had superior weapons. God promised to give their wealth to their enemies due to their sins. With God and a mighty army against them, how could they 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 to turn to the Lord. 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
Jeremiah had already suffered public humiliation. He did not want his persecutors to imprison, torture and kill him.
“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 19:9-11 says, “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! Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
God judgments are desirable. When I am with Him, I experience great joy because I agree with His judgments. They are true and righteous. However, when I speak of them to people who love the darkness, they rebuke me. That is a bitter experience.
In Revelation 10:9-11, an angel handed the apostle John a book of prophecy and told him to eat it. It tasted sweet in his mouth but felt bitter in his stomach. Then, the angel said to him, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” The bitter part is when people treat what is so precious to you, as detestable.
“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.” Jeremiah 15:17
Jeremiah did not eat with mockers. He sat alone because they wanted nothing to do with God. Mockers despise do-gooders. Jeremiah preached to such at the temple’s gate, but did not sit and eat with them in fellowship. 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.”
“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 15:18
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. Jesus Messiah has come into the world and preserved His story for us. He is an example for us of perseverance during suffering. 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!
“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 the human vipers injected into him. We need to be so careful that after we have ministered to others that we do not fall. Paul wrote, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)
In regards to false teachers, Paul wrote, “We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the Gospel would remain with you.” (Galatians 2:5)
In regards to demands from religious leaders to stop speaking in the Name of Jesus, “Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” (Acts 5:29)
“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
The Lord reminded Jeremiah of his original calling. God made him a fortified bronze wall for people to fight against but not overcome. Why? Because the Lord made him a survivor.
Sometimes, God sends His servants into enemy territory to proclaim His Word there. Paul wrote of Alexander a coppersmith. Alexander harmed Paul. Everyone forsook Paul except the Lord. Paul testified to Timothy, “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.” (2 Timothy 4:15-18)
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 horribly evil people.
However, since the Lord is patient with lost souls, we too must be patient with them. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord… is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” The Lord rewards us for suffering on behalf of others. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward His Name.”
While serving the Lord in Hong Kong, one of my co-laborers shared something with me that helped me greatly. 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 I was 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 so bad about her sufferings, but after she was released, she reported back to group 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 and He is Lord. Praise the Lord!
Praise God for Jeremiah! He suffered much for daring to speak to a dying nation about their need for God. His faithful witness for God is relevant for us who live in these last days.
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