Jeremiah 10

17–18 Jeremiah warns the people of Judah that destruction and exile are coming quickly; let them leave the land before it is too late.

19–22 Here Jeremiah offers a lament on behalf of his people. He takes the part of Judah: My wound is incurable (verse 19). My tent is destroyed (verse 20). Jeremiah says: My sons are gone—that is, the people of Judah are gone; Jeremiah himself had no wife or children. He places the major blame for Judah’s predicament on the shepherds (verse 21)—the leaders of the people—who have allowed their flock to be scattered. The enemy is coming; a great commotion can be heard! (verse 22). The invaders will leave the land desolate; nothing but wild animals will remain (see Jeremiah 9:11).

Jeremiah’s Prayer (10:23–25)

23 I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own. It belongs to God. As far as our own lives are concerned, there is no truth more crucial than this. We are not our own; we belong to the Lord. We have been bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19–20); the price was the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:18–19; Revelation 5:9).

Since we are not our own, it is not for us to direct our steps; it is not for us to go where we please and do what we want. Rather, it is for us to do what our Owner wants. When we make ourselves His servants, we experience peace, joy and freedom. We become truly free by making ourselves “slaves” of God (John 8:31–32).

All of our fears and anxieties, all of our pride and self–centeredness, arise from this fundamental sin: we seek to be the “god” of our lives. We seek to “direct our steps.” We may ask God to bless our plans, but we are the ones who make the plans. True conversion, true spiritual rebirth, takes place only when we acknowledge that God is our Owner and we submit our lives to Him (see Romans 12:1).

24–25 Here Jeremiah prays as an advocate for Judah’s people. He acknowledges the need for correction, but he also pleads for justice; he prays that the people might not be reduced to nothing (verse 24). He prays that they might be corrected but not destroyed completely.

And yet ungodly enemies were trying to destroy Judah completely. In that context, Jeremiah prays that God will pour out His wrath on the nations (verse 25)—the nations that have devoured Jacob (see Psalm 79:6–7). These ungodly nations have themselves acted wickedly in their attempt to wipe out God’s people; therefore, Jeremiah prays that God will stop them and save His people from complete destruction. Jeremiah is not praying here with a vindictive spirit; rather, he is praying for justice and for deliverance.⁴⁹