You have seen me,
And You have btested my heart toward You.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
And prepare them for cthe day of slaughter.
And the herbs of every field wither?
bThe beasts and birds are consumed,
cFor the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in athe floodplain of the Jordan?
Even they have dealt treacherously with you;
Yes, they have called1 a multitude after you.
bDo not believe them,
Even though they speak1 smooth words to you.
I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.
| << Jeremiah 12:4 | Jeremiah 12:6 >> |
What Does Jeremiah 12:5 Mean?
Jeremiah 12:5-7
God begins by asserting, in effect, “If you think it's bad now, wait until I'm done with Judah. The worst of times are yet to come!” Jeremiah has only done battle with those in Jerusalem in a time of relative calm—the calm before the storm. The going would get really tough outside Judah, in the countries where God would eventually send the prophet, in Egypt, Spain, and Ireland.
As in His response to Baruch, God here reminds Jeremiah that he was not living in normal times but turbulent ones: “I have forsaken My house, I have left My heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies” (verse 7). When God lifts His protective hand from His people, all sorts of terrible things are likely to ensue. The wolves will pounce.
Charles Whitaker
A Tale of Two Complaints (Part One)
| << Jeremiah 12:4 | Jeremiah 12:6 >> |
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