We have all been in a situation like this before. We cry out to God over something we just can’t take anymore. Jeremiah has had it. He’s calling out the hypocrites and asking God to intervene. He does it, however, with a humble spirit, reminding the Lord that He is always just when a case is brought to him.
Interestingly, God challenges Jeremiah back. Essentially, he says, get ready! If you think this is bad, just wait. God’s sovereignty is on display all throughout this chapter, but there are two places specifically where we see his overwhelming control. He is beginning to prepare Jeremiah for what is to come, knowing what is ahead in the future. Unlike Judah at this time, Jeremiah’s heart is fertile. He can accept rebuke and continue to grow in his relationship with the Lord. God knows he will need to get over these “smaller things” if he is to “run with the horses.”
God’s sovereignty is seen a second time at the end of this chapter. He outlines for Jeremiah the destruction that has to take place as a result of the disobedience. However, he foreshadows a glimmer of hope coming on the horizon. Our God is patient and full of grace and mercy! There is even hope for the evil neighbors of Judah, that if they would bend the knee to the true God, they will be spared and granted mercy! This is amazing to me.
Through the turmoil, the disrespect, and the outlandish sins of these people, God looks into the future and keeps His promise to uphold those who genuinely turn from their sinful past and place their trust and faith in Him.