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The Lord Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
1People of Judah,
your sins cannot be erased.
They are written on your hearts
like words chiseled in stone
or carved on the corners
of your altars.
* 2One generation after another
has set up pagan altars
and worshiped the goddess Asherah
everywhere in your country—
on hills and mountains,
and under large trees.
3So I'll take everything you own,
including your altars,
and give it all
to your enemies.
4You will lose the land
that I gave you,
and I will make you slaves
in a foreign country,
because you have made my anger
blaze up like a fire
that won't stop burning.
Trust the Lord
5I, the Lord, have put a curse
on those who turn from me
and trust in human strength.
6They will dry up like a bush
in salty desert soil,
where nothing can grow.
7But I will bless those
who trust me, the Lord.
8 They will be like trees
growing beside a stream—
trees with roots that reach
down to the water,
and with leaves
that are always green.
They bear fruit every year
and are never worried
by a lack of rain.
9You people of Judah
are so deceitful
that you even fool yourselves,
and you can't change.
10 But I know your deeds
and your thoughts,
and I will make sure
you get what you deserve.
11You cheated others,
but everything you gained
will fly away, like birds
hatched from stolen eggs.
Then you will discover
what fools you are.
Jeremiah Prays to the Lord
12Our Lord, your temple
is a glorious throne
that has stood on a mountain
from the beginning.
13You are a spring of water
giving Israel life and hope.
But if the people reject
what you have told me,
they will be swept away
like words written in dust.
14You, Lord, are the one I praise.
So heal me and rescue me!
Then I will be completely well
and perfectly safe.
15The people of Judah say to me,
“Jeremiah, you claimed to tell us
what the Lord has said.
So why hasn't it come true?”
16Our Lord, you chose me
to care for your people,
and that's what I have done.
You know everything I have said,
and I have never once
asked you to punish them.
17I trust you for protection
in times of trouble,
so don't frighten me.
18Keep me from failure
and disgrace,
but make my enemies fail
and be disgraced.
Send destruction to make
their worst fears come true.
Reflect
We can well imagine that when Jeremiah hears disparaging reports about the nation and sees similar evidence around him, that he might slide into despair. The many messages of judgment that God gives him and which he must communicate to the people he loves and cares for do not ease his discouragement.
These verses in chapter 17 outline one of those messages; in verses 1-6 and again in 9-11 God makes it clear that he is deeply disappointed in Judah’s choices. They continue to worship false gods, they rely solely on their own abilities and they accumulate wealth unjustly. They are like partridges that hatch eggs they didn’t lay; their foolishness is going to become obvious “once the eggs hatch.”
But God provides hope for the nation. It is possible to choose to be obedient to God and to trust him. God promises that those who do so will be like trees planted beside water with their roots able to drink ample water.
As for Jeremiah, well, that is his hope too. Despite the many sarcastic and cynical comments from those who think his words are not really from God, Jeremiah reaches out in faith. Having spoken so many times about God’s deep disappointment with and his judgment on the people, Jeremiah is just a little fearful. “Do not frighten me” he prays and then confidently and in faith continues: “I trust in your protection in times of trouble”. The strength of character that Jeremiah displays and the intentional decision he makes to believe God in the midst of his struggles is wonderful to see and is a beacon of hope for us in our difficulties.
Respond
Lord God of heaven, you are the constant in the midst of change, the hope in the midst of judgment. Grant us your grace and the confidence to still believe in you even when life around us looks hopeless. Give us a good measure of your Holy Spirit through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Henry Friesen
Henry A. Friesen has lived in Saskatchewan, Canada all of his life. He and his wife Eleanor have three children and three grandchildren. Henry took his post-secondary education at the U of Regina from which he earned his BA (History) and the Canadian Theological Seminary from which he earned his MDiv (Pastoral Studies). He served as an Adult Ministries pastor for 16 years but has recently retired. Among his many interests are Biblical history, adult education and family history.