Jeremiah (1-31) 12:5 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Jeremiah (1-31) 12:5

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Then comes the reply of God in verse 5; it is not a very promising reply, but it comes from the Lord. ‘If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?’ The reply means this: ‘Jeremiah, if you have been involved in a running race, and your competitors have been, not horses or chariots, but fellow human beings, and that has exhausted you, how are you possibly going to manage when I call you to contend with horses? Because very soon you won't be in your priestly village of Anathoth, contending with fellow priests; you will be in the heart of the city of Jerusalem, contending with hostile princes and politicians, with horses and chariots by comparison, incredibly sophisticated men, and very hostile, and with all military power at their elbow and dungeons open and ready to receive you. How are you going to manage then, if you are complaining now?’ This is all asked for our benefit, but so too is God's reply to him for our benefit. This is Scripture; he is prophet. This is an enactment of a question and a response for our learning. ‘For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee.’ Jeremiah must be prepared to face opposition even from those who he would most expect top stand with him: his brethren, his relatives. This of course hurts us more, but Jeremiah must prepare himself for these painful experiences, and be ready to stand in a minority, even alone. ‘Yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.’ Their action in the first part of this sentence does not agree with the fair words they speak in the second part. There is duplicity and deceit going on here – a further trial for Jeremiah.

Application

Now Jeremiah’s question and his ‘complaint’ is probably from time to time in the mind of every believer. Why do such terrible things happen? How can people tear down the very standards of God in society, and seem to continue flourishing in good health, and they get away with it? If we were persecuted physically – and it must cross the minds of people who are persecuted physically (the devil will make sure it does) that this is unfair – then we might ask, why does God allow you to be locked up in prison, and to be so cruelly dealt with by hostile warders? You have been faithful to the Lord. Why is the judgment of those who persecute God’s people delayed? But that is the call of God. Don't question the delayed judgment of God. Things may get tougher in the future – that is God's response. This is a hostile world for Christians. There will always be persecution. If not physical, then intellectual, even legal and moral persecution. It will come in one form or another, and it will get worse. We are to pray for strength to stand, to stand for him no matter what. Right now there is a lot of persecution from Christians to Christians. It takes this form: people who profess the Lord and profess salvation, and who have already succumbed to the temptations of the world, want to criticise and attack and undermine fellow Christians who take a stand for the Lord and keep his standards, and who keep away from the world; they are being derided now. The work of the devil is so subtle. But all our Christian lives, the more blessing we have, the worse it will be. There will be persecution and hostility in your place of business, you will be disadvantaged and so on, and the Lord says, That is our calling. If you cannot cope with the running race, what are you going to do when the opposition is horses and chariots? So it is meant kindly, but the Lord says to Jeremiah and to us, ‘Do toughen up. Do pray for strength; do be ready for hardship; do be willing to endure it.’ I am going to stand for the Lord, no matter what until he bears me home. That is the great principle that we learn in chapter 5.

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Jeremiah (1-31) 12:5 Commentary and Bible Study