Jeremiah 15 - Captivity and Complaint

LINK: Jeremiah 15

BACKGROUND

In Jeremiah 15:1-9, God announces that judgment will come in the way of death, sword, famine, and captivity. There will be four kinds of doom: sword, dogs, birds, and animals. Not even the intercession of Moses or Samuel could stop the judgment. Remember that Moses interceded for God's people to turn away God's judgment (Exodus 32:9-14; Number 14:11-20; Deuteronomy 9:18-20, 25-29), and Samuel interceded to defeat the enemies of Israel and avert God's wrath (1 Samuel 8:5-11; 12:19-25). 

This judgment was all traced back to the evil reign of King Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 33:1-20). He crossed the line with his idolatry and child sacrifice. God had had enough. He was tired of relenting without the people repenting. Judgment day will come swiftly. 

Jeremiah 15:10-21 is the third of Jeremiah's laments, he complains to God because he is being persecuted for the message he is bringing to the people. He found God's Word, took it into His heart, and gave the message to the people (15:16), but the people were rejecting him for speaking truth. His mother has more of a reason to weep as the mother of the dead soldiers. Jeremiah 15:15-18 reveals the great turmoil of the prophet's heart. 

God rebukes Jeremiah and calls on him to repent (15:19) and continues to speak His "precious words" as His spokesman to the people (15:16). With this, He promised to make Jeremiah a fortified wall and give him victory over his enemies (15:20). 

REFLECTION

God's timing is impeccable! I had to deliver some truth to a dear friend this week. She asked me if what someone else confronted her about was true about her. I had to agree with the other person, and my friend did not receive it well, and there were some attacks back on me. But I was able to pray and wait and not take the attacks personally. After I poured out my heart to another friend (who does not know this friend) over the matter, she wrote:

"You are so good to speak truth----

even though it is often hard to hear. 

True friends do that." 

God continued to give me confidence in the words He had given me (Jeremiah 15:16), and I was able to compose a letter that was received so well. She saw my love through it, and that was better than me being defensive and her missing the point that I wanted the best for her.

But I sure felt like Jeremiah this last week!

APPLICATION

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

(Proverbs 27:6)

Stripes that wound scour away evil,

And strokes reach the innermost parts.

(Proverbs 20:30)

I do not suggest going out and blasting people with the truth, but I think I waited too long to speak the truth to my friend, and that was part of her hurt. (She said, "Why haven't you ever told me about this? Well, honestly, because I knew I would get blasted, and it would be deflected back on me, and that is exactly what happened.) 

There is a balance between truth and love, and I am still trying to find it. I encourage you to speak the truth in love. That is what true friends do. 

2023 Update: There have been a couple more incidents with this friend, and it is a pattern to get upset even when they ask for the truth. I have learned much about certain personality types, and this person's type does not like to have their "armor pierced" because image is very important to them. I continue to pray and wait. 

On a happier note, I have one friend who has handled a situation very poorly with others, and I have been looking from the outside and praying since 2015! There have been so many times when I have wanted to march over to her house and say, "You need to apologize. You are in the wrong with these people!" But God kept telling me to wait and pray.

Well, just TODAY, I got the good news that she did apologize, and they are on the road to reconciliation! WOOHOO!

PRAYER

PRAY through and MEMORIZE Jeremiah 15:16:

Your words were found and I ate them, 

And Your words became for me a joy 
and the delight of my heart; 

For I have been called by Your name, 

O Lord God of hosts.