Jeremiah 15, Remember Me (DRAFT)

(This DRAFT study has been done fairly quickly, without the further guide of commentaries. I hope to improve on it later.)

Jeremiah struggles to take a stand against the evil of Jerusalem. In this chapter he alternates between speaking for God to Jerusalem and speaking to God about his own pain and frustration.

Jeremiah 15:1-2, Even if Moses and Samuel...

 Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! And if they ask you, `Where shall we go?' tell them, `This is what the LORD says: 

"`Those destined for death, to death; 

those for the sword, to the sword; 

those for starvation, to starvation; 

those for captivity, to captivity.' 

God is adamant about the coming judgment. Everything has already been planned and everything will happen as planned.

Jeremiah 15:3-4, Four destroyers

"I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem. 

The battles will involve death and its aftermath -- the sword will kill and the dogs, birds, beasts will then devour the corpses. This coming action is due to the evil of Manasseh in his reign.

Jeremiah 15:5-9, You keep on backsliding

"Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? 

Who will mourn for you? 

Who will stop to ask how you are? 

You have rejected me," declares the LORD. 

"You keep on backsliding. 

So I will lay hands on you and destroy you;

 I can no longer show compassion. 

I will winnow them with a winnowing fork 

at the city gates of the land. 

I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, 

for they have not changed their ways. 

I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. 

At midday I will bring a destroyer 

against the mothers of their young men; 

suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror. 

The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. 

Her sun will set while it is still day; 

she will be disgraced and humiliated. 

I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies," 

declares the LORD. 

The people keep returning to their sin. They repeatedly reject YHWH. And so the coming destruction is described in great detail.

Jeremiah 15:10, Cursed by all

Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, 

a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! 

I have neither lent nor borrowed, 

yet everyone curses me. 

Jeremiah pauses to describe his pain and isolation. He has not deceived or deprived anyone. Yet his prophetic statements are met with cursing.

Jeremiah 15:11, A good purpose

The LORD said, 

"Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; 

surely I will make your enemies plead with you 

in times of disaster and times of distress. 

God responds with encouragement. There is a purpose for Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 15:12-14, Enslavement

"Can a man break iron--

 iron from the north--or bronze? 

Your wealth and your treasures 

I will give as plunder, without charge, 

because of all your sins throughout your country. 

I will enslave you to your enemies 

in a land you do not know, 

for my anger will kindle a fire

 that will burn against you." 

The people will be plundered and enslaved.

Jeremiah 15:15-18, Remember me

You understand, O LORD; 

remember me and care for me. 

Avenge me on my persecutors. 

You are long-suffering--

do not take me away; 

think of how I suffer reproach for your sake. 

When your words came, 

I ate them; 

they were my joy 

and my heart's delight, 

for I bear your name, 

O LORD God Almighty. 

I never sat in the company of revelers, 

never made merry with them;

 I sat alone because your hand was on me

 and you had filled me with indignation. 

Why is my pain unending

 and my wound grievous and incurable?

 Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, 

like a spring that fails? 

Jeremiah begs for God to "remember" him, that is, pay attention to Jeremiah and end his pain. Is his defense, Jeremiah says that he "ate" God's words abd delighted in them and, as described in Psalm 1:1, refused to sit in the company of sinners.

Jeremiah 15:19-21, Be my spokesman

Therefore this is what the LORD says:

"If you repent, 

I will restore you that you may serve me;

 if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, 

you will be my spokesman. 

Let this people turn to you, 

but you must not turn to them. 

I will make you a wall to this people, 

a fortified wall of bronze;

 they will fight against you

 but will not overcome you, 

for I am with you to rescue and save you," 

declares the LORD.

 "I will save you from the hands of the wicked

 and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel." 

Jeremiah is called to repentance and service. He is to stand alone, speaking out to the people and not swayed by them.