Chapter 34—Jeremiah, the Man Who Felt God’s Anguish
Jeremiah had hoped for a permanent reformation under Josiah. Called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth, a member of the priesthood, Jeremiah had been trained from childhood for holy service. In those happy years he little realized that he had been ordained from birth to be “a prophet unto the nations.” When the divine call came, he was overwhelmed. “Ah, Lord God!” he exclaimed, “I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” Jeremiah 1:5, 6, RSV.
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In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and stand for the right against great opposition. In childhood he had proved faithful, and now he was to endure hardness as a soldier of the cross. “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’ ... Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”“Say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land ... . They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.” Verses 7, 8, 17-19, RSV.
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For forty years Jeremiah was to stand as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the true God. He was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful temple built by Solomon. Imprisoned, despised, hated, rejected of men, he was finally to share in the sorrow and woe that should follow the destruction of the fated city.
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Yet Jeremiah was often permitted to look beyond the distressing scenes of the present to the glorious future, when God’s people should be planted again in Zion. “Their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.” Jeremiah 31:12. Jeremiah wrote: “The Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:9, 10.
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Thank God for the words, “to build, and to plant.” The Lord’s purpose was to restore and to heal. Prophecies of swift-coming judgments were to be fearlessly delivered, yet the prophet was to accompany these messages with assurances of forgiveness to all who should turn from their evil-doing.
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Jeremiah sought to encourage the men of Judah to lay spiritual foundations broad and deep, by thorough repentance. Long had they been building with material likened by Jeremiah to dross: “Refuse silver they are called, for the Lord has rejected them.” Jeremiah 6:30, RSV. Now they were urged to build for eternity, casting aside the rubbish of apostasy and using as material pure gold, refined silver, precious stones—faith, obedience, and good works—which alone are acceptable to God. The word of the Lord was, “Return, thou backsliding Israel, ... and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, ... for I am married unto you.” Jeremiah 3:12-14.
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And in addition the Lord gave His erring people the very words with which they might turn to Him: “We come unto Thee; for Thou art the Lord our God.”“We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.” Verses 22, 25.
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The reformation under Josiah had cleansed the land of idolatrous shrines, but the hearts of the multitude had not been transformed. The seeds of truth that had sprung up and given promise of an abundant harvest had been choked by thorns. Another such backsliding would be fatal.
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Jeremiah called attention repeatedly to the counsels given in Deuteronomy. He showed how these might bring the highest spiritual blessing to the nation. “Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16.
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On one occasion, at one of the principal entrances to the city the prophet urged the importance of keeping holy the Sabbath day: “If ye diligently hearken unto Me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, ... and this city shall remain for ever.” Jeremiah 17:24, 25. If the admonitions to obey the God of their fathers and to hallow His Sabbath were not heeded, the city and its palaces would be utterly destroyed by fire. Only by the most decided measures could a change for the better be brought about; therefore the prophet labored most earnestly for the impenitent. “O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.” Jeremiah 4:14.
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But by the great mass of the people the call to repentance was unheeded. Those who ruled the nation had been untrue to their trust and had been leading many astray. From the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, Jeremiah had little hope of saving his beloved land from destruction and captivity. Yet he was not to remain silent while utter ruin threatened the kingdom. Those loyal to God must be encouraged to persevere in rightdoing, and sinners must be induced, if possible, to turn from iniquity.
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Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all who might pass in and out. He must diminish not a word!
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The prophet obeyed; he lifted his voice in warning and entreaty. “Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates ... . Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord.” Jeremiah 7:2-4.
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The unwillingness of the Lord to chastise is here vividly shown. He yearns over His erring children; in every way possible He seeks to teach them the way of life. See Jeremiah 9:24. Though the Israelites had wandered long in idolatry and slighted His warnings, yet He now declares His willingness to defer chastisement and grant yet another opportunity for repentance. He makes plain that only by thorough heart reformation could the impending doom be averted. In vain would be their trust in the temple and its services. Ceremonies could not atone for sin. Reformation of heart and of the life practice alone could save them from the result of transgression.
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Thus “in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem” the message of Jeremiah was, “Hear ye the words of this covenant”—the precepts of God as recorded in the Scriptures—“and do them.” Jeremiah 11:6. “Why,” the Lord inquired, “is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?” Jeremiah 8:5. It was because they had refused to be corrected. See Jeremiah 5:3. “The stork in the heavens knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But My people know not the judgment of the Lord.”“Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?” Jeremiah 8:7; 9:9, NKJV.
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While Josiah had been their ruler, the people had some ground for hope. But he had fallen in battle. The time for intercession had all but passed. “Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me,” the Lord declared, “yet My mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of My sight.” Jeremiah 15:1.
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A refusal to heed the invitation that God was now offering would bring the judgments that had befallen the northern kingdom more than a century before. The message now was: “If ye will not hearken to ... the words of My servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, ... then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.” Jeremiah 26:4-6.
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Those who stood in the temple court listening to Jeremiah understood clearly this reference to Shiloh, when in the days of Eli the Philistines had carried away the ark of the testament. The sin of Eli consisted in passing lightly over the evils prevailing in the land. His neglect to correct these evils had brought on Israel a fearful calamity. Eli lost his life, the ark had been taken from Israel, thirty thousand people had been slain—all because sin had flourished unrebuked and unchecked. Israel had vainly thought that, notwithstanding their sinful practices, the ark would ensure victory over the Philistines. In like manner, during the days of Jeremiah, the people of Judah were prone to believe that observance of the appointed temple services would preserve them from punishment for their wicked course.
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What a lesson is this to men holding positions of responsibility in the church! What a warning to deal faithfully with wrongs that bring dishonor to the cause of truth! Let none charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp from evil-doing. The desolation of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah is a solemn warning that the admonitions given through chosen instrumentalities cannot be disregarded with impunity.
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Jeremiah’s message aroused the antagonism of many. They cried out, “Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.” Verse 9. Priests, false prophets, and people turned on him who would not speak smooth things or prophesy deceit. God’s servant was threatened with death.
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Tidings of the words of Jeremiah were carried to the princes, and they hastened from the palace to learn for themselves the truth of the matter. “Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.” Verse 11. But Jeremiah boldly declared: “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now ... obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you.” Verses 12-15.
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Had the prophet been intimidated by those high in authority, he would have lost his life. But the courage with which he delivered the solemn warning commanded the respect of the people and turned the princes in his favor. They reasoned with the priests and false prophets. Thus God raised up defenders for His servant.
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The elders also united in protesting against the decision of the priests regarding Jeremiah. Through the pleading of these men of influence the prophet’s life was spared, although many priests and false prophets would gladly have seen him put to death on the plea of sedition.
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To the close of his ministry, Jeremiah stood as “a tower and a fortress” (Jeremiah 6:27) against which the wrath of man could not prevail. “They shall fight against thee,” the Lord had forewarned His servant, “but they shall not prevail against thee.” Jeremiah 15:20.
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Naturally timid, Jeremiah longed for the quiet of retirement, where he need not witness the continued impenitence of his beloved nation. His heart was wrung with anguish over the ruin wrought by sin. “O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears,” he mourned, “that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them.” Jeremiah 9:1, 2.
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His sensitive soul was pierced by the arrows of derision hurled at him. “I have become a laughingstock all the day; every one mocks me.”“Say all my familiar friends, watching for my fall ... ‘Perhaps he will be deceived, then we can overcome him.’” Jeremiah 20:7, 10, RSV.
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But the faithful prophet was daily strengthened. “The Lord is with me as a dread warrior,” he declared in faith. “Therefore my persecutors will stumble, they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed.” Jeremiah 20:11, RSV. He learned to pray, “Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure; not in Thy anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.” Jeremiah 10:24, RSV.
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When tempted in his misery to say, “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord” (Lamentations 3:18), Jeremiah recalled the providences of God in his behalf and exclaimed: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22-26, RSV.
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