Jeremiah 15

12–14 The Lord again speaks to the people of Judah. Just as a man cannot hope to break iron from the north (verse 12), so Judah will not be able to break the power of Babylon. Instead, Judah will be plundered by the Babylonians, and its people will be enslaved (verses 13–14).

15–18 Here Jeremiah again descends into self–pity. He pleads that he is suffering reproach for the Lord’s sake (verse 15). Whenever the Lord’s words came to him, he ate them (verse 16)—that is, he took them into his heart and made them part of himself, so that he might more faithfully proclaim them (see Revelation 10:9–11). He has remained alone, unmarried and with only a few friends, because of the Lord’s hand—the Lord’s call—upon him (verse 17). And he has taken the Lord’s side against Judah; he is filled with indignation at the sins of the people.

But then Jeremiah goes too far; he questions the Lord’s faithfulness and dependability: Is the Lord a deceptive brook—a dried–up brook—or a spring that fails? (verse 18). King DAVID and even Jesus Himself came close to feeling the same anguish that Jeremiah expresses here (see Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34).

19–21 The Lord calls on Jeremiah to repent of his lack of faith (verse 19). Then He renews Jeremiah’s call, using some of the same words He used when He first called Jeremiah as a young man (see Jeremiah 1:17–19 and comment). After hearing this strong reassurance from the Lord, Jeremiah didn’t question the Lord’s dependability again.

In verse 19, God tells Jeremiah: “Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.” As we proclaim God’s word, people will be drawn to hear it. But as God’s spokespersons, we must not be drawn to the people—that is, to the world and its ways. As Christians, we must be prepared to endure the ridicule and opposition of the world. We need to follow in the footsteps of Jeremiah—and our Lord (1 Peter 2:21–23).