Jeremiah (1-31) 12:1 Commentary and Bible Study

This passage is sometimes called the complaint of Jeremiah, but complaint is the wrong word. Jeremiah is genuinely troubled over the question he brings to the Lord, but he presents it in a thoroughly submissive way. ‘Righteous art thou O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet’ – underscore the word ‘yet’; here comes the problem – ‘yet, let me talk with thee of thy judgments.’ He doesn't dare say, ‘Let me question thy judgments’, but that is very much what it means. He carefully begins by affirming that God is righteousness. Jeremiah assures himself that whatever the reason God does this, he must be righteous. This is how we should approach all difficulties we have with God’s ways and his providence, or in understanding his word. Having prepared his mind, Jeremiah comes with his question and asks to be able to state it plainly without minimising the difficulty he feels over it. He doesn’t hide the fact that what he has come to ask concerns God’s judgments and his justice. Jeremiah in effect admits that it is his weakness that has led him to ask this question. ‘Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?’ These people in Anathoth; they are so wicked, and yet they live so well out here in this priestly village. ‘Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously [deceitfully]?’ This is the crux of the matter: why is justice not exercised and seen in this world, so that the wicked are punished and the righteous prosper? Why does the opposite often happen? Why do the wicked do well for themselves? See how their prosperity goes to their heads, so that they strut around so pleased with themselves. They point to their success as evidence that they have chosen the best policy in life, and that they can get away with behaving as they like because God is never going to catch up with them. Surely God sees all this, so why does he not deal with the wicked? Why do they seem to have fewer troubles than the righteous, so that they draw all the wrong conclusions about God’s attitude towards them? They act with deceit and in a treacherous way, and nothing seem to come of it. Inevitably, they think they can go on doing more of the same.‘Thou hast planted them,’ – called them, commissioned them, ordained them – ‘yea, they have taken root’ – they have an established place among men and are looked up to. They go down to Jerusalem when their time of service comes and administer, and yet they are idolaters; they are playing double. ‘They grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins [their feelings].’ They often speak of God, and pious words trip off their tongues, but they mean nothing. God is far from their reins, their feelings, which are a more accurate indication of what they are. So it is all an act, designed to convince the gullible, and make them appear to be genuine. What a terrible trap hypocrisy is!‘But thou, O LORD, knowest me.’ Jeremiah presents himself as though he is complaining further. ‘Thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee’, I make conscience of how I live, and strive to please thee in all things. I have tried to be sincere before thee, so why don't you pull them out like sheep for the slaughter? Why don't you at long last judge them, and deal with them according to all the warnings that I have given? ‘How long shall the land mourn?’ The whole land seems to be punished on account of these worthless priests, ‘and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein?’ The rains have been withheld. True, the whole land has been disobedient too, but, after all, they are getting an appalling example from the priests. ‘For the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.’ They are virtually atheists, these priests.