Jeremiah 4:18
“Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
Amplified Bible
“Your ways and your deeds Have brought these things on you. This is your tragedy and doom; how bitter, How it has touched your heart!”
Contemporary English Version
“People of Judah, your hearts will be in pain, but it’s your own fault that you will be punished.”
New Living Translation
“Your own actions have brought this upon you. This punishment is bitter, piercing you to the heart!”
Jeremiah was a prophet of doom. He prophesied doom for Israel because of their sins. A prophet of doom is a true prophet just like the prophet of hope. God sent Jeremiah with a message of coming doom because of their sins. Jeremiah warned the people that unless sins are repented, doom is inevitable.
When God calls a prophet, He is the one who decides what the prophet will deliver. We may not like the prophet of doom, but he is God’s servant anyway. The prophet of doom may not even like his own work, but he has no option but to serve the God who called him. Jeremiah is called by God when he is young and he is assigned the heavy responsibility to warn Israel that their sins will now cause a national disaster of heretofore unknown magnitude.
In chapter four of his book, Jeremiah tells the people of Israel that the only way to avert disaster is to genuinely return back to God, Jeremiah 4:1-2. A genuine return is critical. God will no longer bear the fake pretended repentance that lasts a short time then they go back to sin. God is tired of their erratic commitment. God demands a genuine complete return or they face the deadly consequences of their sins.
God warns them that a foreign nation will come and kill people, Jeremiah 4:7. God asks them to run away for safety, Jeremiah 4:6. God who is punishing them is giving them a chance to run for safety. It is good to provide a safe exit for someone you wish to punish. Always give others a chance because someday you will need that chance too.
Jeremiah 4:14 God pleads for His people to wash away their sins from their hearts. When disaster comes, it should find you safe in Jesus and you will survive. If disaster comes and finds you still planning and hoping to be a believer, you will suffer external consequences. God pleads the last plea that people should have a good relationship with Him, but it seems no one is listening.
In our text today, God seems to have done everything He could to save the people but they couldn’t listen. Now disaster has begun. Now the people are being killed. Now the majority of the population is going into captivity. Now people are crying to God and pleading for mercy and asking why He has allowed them to suffer. God responds as follows.
Jeremiah 4:18
“Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
God is telling them that they rejected salvation hence their suffering. God tells them that it is their own conduct and actions that have brought us all these. Did you know that Our own conduct and actions could be the reason why we are struggling in life without a breakthrough? Do you know that a promise you made to orphans who are suffering and you haven’t honored the request, could be the reason why nothing seems to work for you? God says that your own conduct and actions have brought you this.
Jeremiah 4:20. Are you moving from one crisis to another crisis? Do you seem to be in a continuous threatening situation after another? God has not forgotten how you hurt others unapologetically. God has not forgotten those you didn’t pay. God has not forgotten those you shortchanged. God has not forgotten those who cried helplessly as you watched in the thrill of your seeming impunity. Now God says to you and me that your own conduct and actions have brought this on you.
Jeremiah 4:27
This is what the LORD says:
“The whole land will be ruined,
though I will not destroy it completely.
Even though we are suffering because of our own conduct and actions, God has a message of hope. God says while He will ruin the whole land, yet, He will not destroy it completely. Because of our conduct and actions, we will suffer financially and physically, but God says that He will not destroy us completely. God will stop and give us another chance to have the right conduct and actions. God will stop and give us another chance to forgive and be humane. God will give us another chance to repent our sins. I will punish you but I will not destroy you completely.
Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you, though I will not destroy you completely. May this be our hope that God will save us from punishments we deserve, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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May God have mercy on us and forgive and restore us… Now I know why we are in this mess…
Amen!
“Do you know that a promise you made to orphans who are suffering and you haven’t honored the request, could be the reason why nothing seems to work for you?”
What a piercing word.
May God save me from the promises i made and not honored. May He reminds me of them and enable me to honor them. Amen.
Amen!