Jeremiah asks an age-old question to the Lord.
Righteous are You, Lord, when I plead my case with You;
Nevertheless I would discuss matters of justice with You:
Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? Jeremiah 12:1
Why do the wicked prosper?
We see rich people avoid punishment for crimes, even crimes against humanity. We see rich companies prosper during the pandemic while small businesses were forcibly shut down. We see corrupt politicians prosper. Celebrities participate in debauchery. Sometimes it feels like we're swimming in the gross sins of the wicked.
You can see why Jeremiah pleads his case to the Lord. Those same kinds of sins were happening in his time by God's own people.
It goes to show that we haven't changed much. Still being led into wickedness by the prince of the power of the air.
And it's important to be honest with ourselves that we'd be vulnerable to these kinds of attacks if we had access to the money, power, and opportunities of the rich and famous. Some of our virtue flows from not having enough resources for this level of vice.
In verse 2 Jeremiah "reminds" God that He is the one who planted them. He even admits that they do bear some fruit from that plant. But then he let's God know that there lips serve Him, but their minds are far from the Lord.
Verse 3 reminds me of a psalm. It starts off as gratitude to the Lord for knowing him, seeing him, and knowing the attitude he has for the Lord. Then the second half of the verse is a plot twist--
Drag them off like sheep for the slaughter,
And set them apart for a day of slaughter! Jeremiah 12:3b
Wow. That escalated quickly.
In verse 4 Jeremiah laments the specific consequences the land is suffering because of the sins of the people.
According to the Ryrie footnote, verse 5 is God responding to Jeremiah and letting him know things are going to get worse. If you struggled with the people of Anathoth (from chapter 11, who plotted against Jeremiah), then how can you contend with those on horses? Verse 6 gets even worse. The Lord lets Jeremiah know that even his own brothers have turned on him and cannot be trusted.
Poor Jeremiah. I cannot imagine the number of crowns he earned to throw at the feet of Jesus. Some people are just granted to suffer more. But this is all suffering for the Lord.
Starting in verse 7, the Lord forsakes His house, His people, and the beloved of My soul (which might mean Jesus, since He'll have to pay to redeem these people.) He states that His people have turned on Him and He has come to hate her.
Starting in verse 9 He describes several ways He people have brought harm and the harm they will suffer.
In verse 14, He once again promises to uproot them from the land.
But God.
Verse 15 is the promise He always comes back around to because of His forgiveness and lovingkindness.
And it will come about that after I have driven them out, I will again have compassion on them; and I will bring them back, each one to his inheritance and each one to his land. Jeremiah 12:15
Of course, verses 16-17 emphasize that after that reprieve, it will still be expected that the people to learn His ways and worship Him and not baal, they will be built up. If they return and do not do these things, they will be destroyed.
Sometimes I fall victim to the helplessness of watching some wicked people prosper. I remember closely following the second trial of Michael Jackson and the terrible things heard on the witness stand from the victims, parents, and even servants of Michael Jackson--all the while there were large numbers of fans in the streets outside the courthouse protesting on his behalf and hounding those who came to protest on behalf of the children he defiled. When he was acquitted I felt sick. Same with the OJ Simpson verdict and other verdicts of college and pro athletes that committed crimes, the evidence seemed pretty clear, but the juries seemed star-struck. It sometimes feels like we have a two-tiered system of justice.
But when Michael Jackson died we learned that he was having to use an anesthetic similar to what is used for major surgery just to get to sleep. In my mind, because of the wickedness in his life, he wasn't even able to sleep like a normal person. He had to be knocked out completely. He wasn't actually enjoying the wicked life he was leading, as I assumed he was. OJ's life didn't go much better.
Just to be clear, even if they had been thoroughly enjoying their debauchery, which I assume some wicked people do, the Lord is on His throne and is a God of justice. The time is coming when the prince of the power of the air will be finally defeated and Peace will reign. We can trust God's justice in the fullness of time.
However, I think the point I was trying to make earlier is that anything other than God's way is not of God. There is no neutral means of sinning. You're either following the Lord or you're making choice that fall under the jurisdiction of the prince of the power of the air. And evil can always be defined in just one word- destruction. Even if it's raining money and fame on your head right now...evil can only destroy. It can never give life and goodness.
In proverbs 8 and 9 there is a contrast between wisdom calling to a young man, giving him food and drink and helping him prosper and then folly calling to a young man, giving him stolen and secret food and drink and dragging him down to Sheol.
It's a binary choice. There is no third way.
Choose wisely everyday and don't base your choice only on what you can see ans feel before you. Base it on God's word and your interaction with the Holy Spirit.
Amen.