Not many people would jump at the chance to have the type of ministry to which God called Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s message to the people was that of anguish and sorrow over the forthcoming and certain judgment of God on their sin. God’s message that Jeremiah delivered was not popular making people hate him and want to kill him (Jer. 11:18-23) instead of discovering their inward potential and grow in their faith journey. Jeremiah knew going in that he would be ignored but he remained faithful to his calling, but this didn’t mean that he didn’t have questions, doubts and even bouts with self-pity as he fought to remain faithful to the God in whom he took refuge. In chapter 15 Jeremiah is feeling the pressure of his assignment going so far as to express sorrow that his mother gave birth to him (v10). Then in verses 15 and following we watch as Jeremiah brings his complaint to God revealing Jeremiah’s source of joy but also the deep emotional turmoil he is experiencing.
O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach.
It’s important to note to whom Jeremiah addresses at this time of distress. Possibly Jeremiah feels like God is the only one who will listen to him, but the fact that Jeremiah recognizes that God is the only one who can vindicate him is quite clear. Jeremiah “reminds” God that he is bearing the reproach of man for the sake of God. We might stop now and wonder “why?” Why would Jeremiah endure these hardships? Why would he willingly subject himself to public scorn and ridicule, to persecution and death threats? Jeremiah answers that in the next verse.
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.
The impact of this verse becomes even more meaningful when it’s put into the context of the emotional prayer Jeremiah is praying and the heaviness of Jeremiah’s ministry. Why did Jeremiah answer God’s call to perpetual earthly sorrow? Because Jeremiah found lasting heavenly joy in the words of God, in his relationship with God, in God himself! The fact is that whether God calls you to preach to a church of thousands or less than a hundred, He is to be our delight and joy! Whether God uses you to influence many lives, or spend your life trying to influence one but having no visible effect, our joy and delight must be in God! But be warned, if our joy and delight is truly in God, it will have visible effects that will cause the world to notice. Jeremiah points this out as he continues his prayer.
I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation.
Jeremiah did not take part in the earthly celebrations of sin. It’s very clear that he separated himself from such temporal reveling. In fact itappears that the sin of his country caused him righteous indignation. Instead of seeing how close to the sinful practices of the culture he could get, he was being different, separate, set apart. We live in an age (that’s not really different from any other age) where God’s people are pushing their liberty rather than seeking their holiness (to be set apart). How many body piercings are too many? Is it ok to drink? Is swearing really bad? Why is dressing respectfully for worship necessary? What a joy it is when a person decides that instead of obsessing about how much they can be like the world, they want to be obviously different for God? Praise God for liberty, but our joy is not found in our Christian liberty, our joy is found in God who desires us to be set-apart for his glory!
But now Jeremiah allows his self-pity to get the better of him. As he feels the pain that is associated with being set-apart from the world for God he begins to wonder if it is worth it, or if God will leave him high and dry.
Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail?
The truth is that while on earth we must fight for joy. Satan is constantly bombarding us with cheap substitutes and endless doubts. But we must fight! We must not stoop to self-pity as Jeremiah did for even that would seek to rob us of our joy. God gives Jeremiah a stiff rebuke:
Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.
Two things to note. First that self-pity is a sin and must be repented of. Jeremiah’s self-pity damaged his relationship with God and repentance was the way of restoring that relationship. A good New Testament verse that would go along with this would be 1 John 1:9. Secondly, self-pity is ultimately worthless, and therefore unbecoming for a child of God and even more so for a minister of God. As children of God seeking to glorify Him in everything we say or do, let our words be full of worth. The last statement of that verse should be a rebuke to the so-called “seeker sensitive” movement or the crowd that is overly preoccupied with “cultural relevance.” The world should be turning to us to find out how to find joy in God, we should not be turning to the world to find out how to keep God from robbing their temporary joy…a.k.a making God less offensive to them.
Finally God reminds Jeremiah that his trust is not misplaced. That God is truly his only source of salvation:
“…for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the LORD.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Repentance is turning away from the wrong and turning to the right. It’s not an exercise to make us feel worse than we already do, but rather it’s necessary for us to find the joy that we have lost! God’s call for Jeremiah to repent of his self-pity is a call for him to turn his focus away from his ultimately helpless self and back toward the source of his strength and joy…The Lord God of hosts, by whose name he is called.
Who are we focusing on? Ourselves? Our family? Our leaders? North Korea? None of these will bring us the strength and joy we need to live in this sin-cursed earth filled with pain especially for those who are different. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full on His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
