Jeremiah 12 - 16

Complete Rejection

The series of prophecies in today's reading leave no doubt that the Lord had utterly and completely rejected Judah and Jerusalem.  Because the non-stop worship of idols and other God's, the Lord will no longer hear the cries of the people.  Their fasts, their offerings, their pleas will all fall on deaf ears. (14:11).

Chapter 12 is one of the saddest chapters in all of Jeremiah's book (possibly in all the Bible), because the Lord declares His abandonment of His people (12:7).  He will no longer protect them.  They planted wheat but will harvest thorns. They will only harvest a crop of shame (12:13).

Chapter 15 also contains an ominous prophecy.  The Lord declares four kinds of destroyers against the sinful people: The sword, the dog, the vulture, and wild animals.  All because of the wickedness of Manasseh (15:3-4).  The sword will kill, the dog will drag away, the vulture will devour the flesh, and the wild animals will devour what is left.  The imagery is unimaginable, but the ways of sin and the denial and mockery of God only lead to utter destruction.

Chapter 16 also contains more prophecies and declarations of destruction, but does end with a slight ray of hope, and a hint of restoration.  Verse 15 has this, "I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors."  So even if the destruction of the wicked is unabated, the Lord still will restore Israel and Jerusalem. Praise Him for His Mercy.