21st.: Let Me See Thy Vengeance
The people of Israel did not like Jeremiah's preaching.
They pressured him (see Jer. 20:1-6).
He took this pressure to the Lord,
“O Lord, thou has ‘opened up’ me, and I was ‘opened up’. Thou art stronger than I, and has prevailed.
I am in derision daily, every one mocks me. For since I spake, I cried out,
I cried violence and spoil, because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily” (Jer. 20:7-8).
Jeremiah then told himself that he would stifle the word of God that would come to him.
But he could not (Jer. 20:9-10).
Jeremiah then bolstered himself with God’s promises of protection (Jer. 20:11, see also Jer. 15:19-21.
Jeremiah then turned his attention back to the Lord,
“But, O Lord of hosts, that tries the righteous, and sees the reigns, and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them, for unto thee have I opened my cause.” (Jer. 20:12).
For all the verbal abuse that he received, Jeremiah requested the satisfaction of seeing that he was right for having listened to the Lord - that all the suffering he endured was not in vain.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Mt 5:11-12)