Jeremiah 16 is another hard-hitting chapter. There are not many “devotional thoughts” that naturally spring out from the page. But again I am finding myself understanding the person of Jeremiah more. I have heard him called “the weeping prophet” before but I never really understood it. I basically thought he just cried a lot because he ministered during a bad time in Israel’s history. His emotional struggle goes much deeper than that.
In chapter 16, Jeremiah is told not to marry or have children. The nature of his ministry and the severity of the coming judgment called for him to remain single. In our culture today that is not necessarily seen as a big deal but in the Jewish culture this was unheard of.
I read recently that the Jews did not even have a word for “bachelor.” Marriage and family were assumed. Heritage was a priority. Children were a blessing that carried on your name. Moreover Messiah was going to be born someday and so every generation, every child born, gave hope. So to remain unmarried would mark Jeremiah out as extremely different, and it would also mean that much of his ministry would be done alone.
So here is Jeremiah–preaching a message of judgment that he did not necessarily like or understand, living a life of loneliness and ostracism that he did not prefer, ministering to a people who did not listen to him or like him. No wonder he wept! His heart was broken for his people and broken over the difficulties he had to face because of the hard-hearted sinfulness of others. Jeremiah did not ask for this but it was the life that God called him to.
Despite all this, Jeremiah proclaimed, O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to You the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good” (16:19). In other words, in the midst of his difficulty and brokenness, Jeremiah chose to focus on two things: 1) his relationship to God, and 2) the hope that God would even use judgment to bring more and more people to a knowledge of Himself. Of course, Jeremiah stumbled a few times in his thought process. Sometimes his emotions and struggles got the best of him..see chapter 15. But for the most part Jeremiah kept his focus on God.
God recognizes that Jeremiah “gets it” this time and responds: Therefore I will teach them–this time I will teach them My power and might. Then they will know that My name is the LORD (16:21). It is almost as if God is saying, “Ah, you finally got it, Jeremiah. My judgment is severe because these people will not listen to Me. I have no other choice. But, rest assured, I will use this judgment to cause them to know, and to cause other nations to know, just Who I am.”
I am reminded of the four simple words that began Warren’s book, The Purpose-Driven Life, “It’s not about you.” God may take me through difficulties. I may feel the effects of His discipline and judgment upon others. I may face His discipline myself. But, in the end, His name will be known, by me and by others, and that is what life is all about–to know Him. Thus despite the brokenness, confusion, and sorrow, hopefully I can learn to say with Jeremiah, “O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of distress.”