Chapter 3
Jeremiah had a long ministry as a prophet, but it can hardly be described as a happy one. He was told that he would destroy and build (Jer 1:10), but mostly he only saw destruction. The building was all in the future, long after his life on earth was over. Jeremiah’s insight from God did not make the experience of the years he lived in any easier, if anything it made it all the harded. For he knew the truth of what was going on, the truth of the spiritual state of the land. Sometimes God’s work in our lives make our experience of suffering all the more acute. It seemed that all God’s leading in his life, all his following the Lord and staying true to His word simple worked to make life all the more difficult, with no escape from the path. The people mocked him, and his heart was pierced within him.
“I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is” (3:17).
Down to v21 we have the absolute depths that Jeremiah has experienced, and there is no denying that this is what he felt. But he was not without hope, even in the darkest valley there is hope.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail”. (3:22) So after the verses of torment we have verse of hope, verses of trust and faith.
There is no hiding from the reality of the situation, and no hiding from the reality of what Jeremiah was feeling. Yet despite all this Jeremiah knew that God was his saviour. There is also a cry for vengeance as well. We are very uncomfortable with these parts of Scripture, but the key thing is that we let God deal with the vengeance. He will bring judgement where it is needed, and He will bring mercy where it is right to do so. We do not need to be afraid of feelings like those expressed by Jeremiah (and by David in a number of the Psalms), but we must never take up vengeance. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us. For only the Lord is righteous enough to enact vengeance in a proper manner.
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