15th.: Jeremiah’s Intercession, part 3
Over the past two days, we saw Jeremiah ask God several questions about Israel.
God answered Jeremiah (Jer. 15:1),
“Though Moses, and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people.”
Sometimes the sins of a people are so grievous that even God’s 'elite' prayer warriors
(in this case, the prophets Moses and Samuel) cannot sway God.
Sometimes, it takes the prayer of a whole nation to turn God’s wrath away.
Rather than ‘moving’ God from judging a people, we may need to ask God to raise up more people to help us pray for mass repentance.
Nevertheless, years later, God addressed Jeremiah’s specific concerns about God forsaking the Jews.
Jeremiah’s Concern 1, “Have thou utterly rejected Judah? Has thy soul loathed Zion? Why have thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us?" (Jer. 14:19a-c).
God answered, “… yet, will I not make a full end of thee, but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” (Jer. 30:11).
Jeremiah’s Concern 2, “We looked for peace, and there is no good, and for the time of healing, and behold trouble.” (Jer. 14:19d).
God answered, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, … thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jer. 29:11).
God may not always answer our questions right away.
“For there is a time there for every purpose” (Eccl. 3:17b)