©Laura Haverkamp
Chapter 15:15-21 (ESV) - O LORD, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
know that for your sake I bear reproach.
Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O LORD, God of hosts.
I did not sit in the company of revelers,
nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
for you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
Therefore thus says the LORD:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
declares the LORD.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Question to consider: In what ways was Jeremiah a type for Christ in this song?
As difficult as it was to face the constant persecution from his own brothers in the faith for pleading with them to repent and turn from Baal worship, Jeremiah feared what would become of him when he was taken away with the rest of Judah into captivity. Even though he stood alone against those in Anathoth, he found joy in the word of the LORD, and it was a delight to his heart.
In these statements, Jeremiah was a type for Christ, although instead of asking for vengeance against His persecutors, Jesus asked that they be forgiven. We are never more like Christ than when we endure hardship and unjust suffering for His sake. We may feel like Jeremiah in that our pain may seem unceasing, but all of it is used for the sake of the gospel, and ultimately, our pain and Jeremiah’s pain is all temporary. How much are we willing to endure when we realize that it may result in more people repenting and turning to Christ?
While Jeremiah may have considered giving up at this point, the LORD gave him the assurance that if he endured and continued to give His words to the people, they would not prevail over him, and the LORD would be with him, save him, and deliver him from the hand of the wicked.
Those who preach that we should experience our best life now fail to grasp the glory of what is eternal and imperishable. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the things of this world, I encourage you to delight in the word of the LORD and find the peace and joy that only comes through Christ. All of the chaos in this world is temporary. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.
Dear heavenly Father, like Jeremiah, we all become weary in expressing truth to a world that is not willing to hear it. Help us to rejoice in Your promises and look forward to the day when there will be no more sin and death. Amen.