Justice but Not Anger
After Jeremiah gives a stinging prophecy about God and idols, he pauses to pray. He may feel he has no other choice after giving the people God’s stern warning.
Jeremiah’s prayer is not like one we might hear—or say—today. His words are not positive. He doesn’t talk about God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. He doesn’t even mention God’s love or praise him.
It sounds like an Old Testament prayer. This makes sense because Jeremiah is an Old Testament prophet. Even so, we should not ignore his words. Instead, we should embrace them. We must.
Jeremiah’s prayer reflects God in a different way and reveals us as his creation in a different light.
Jeremiah opens with an acknowledgment of God’s omnipotence. He says that the people’s lives are not their own. They do not get to direct their steps. In fact, they are nothing, and God is everything.
Having established himself in relation to his Creator, Jeremiah’s prayer continues. He asks for God to discipline him—imagine that—but only to the extent his actions warrant it.
In essence, he’s asking for justice from God. At the same time, he asks God to not react in anger. If he does, Jeremiah realizes he will be reduced to nothing.
This reflects Jeremiah’s view of God as everything and him as nothing.
Though this may seem like an extreme perspective for us today who live under the grace, mercy, and forgiveness that only Jesus provides, it is not a wrong conclusion. God is indeed everything, and we are nothing in comparison.
Jeremiah’s prayer concludes with a petition for God to pour out his wrath on the nations that don’t acknowledge him. On the people who don’t call on the Lord’s name.
Jeremiah likely has in mind the nations that oppose his own people. But the reality is that through much of their history, Jeremiah’s people have likewise failed to acknowledge God or call on his name.
They, too, deserve punishment. So do we today. Yet we have Jesus who took our punishment on himself when he died in our place for the wrong things we have done.
If not for Jesus, Jeremiah’s prayer for punishment would apply to us today.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is Jeremiah 10-12, and today’s post is on Jeremiah 10:23-25.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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