Today, I am reading and commenting on  Jeremiah 13-15.

This is a troubling passage.  In it Jeremiah prophesies that God told him not to pray for the people of Judah.  Yet, I firmly believe that we should always pray for those around us.  This led me to read, and re-read, this passage, seeking understanding.  Before mentioning that God had told him not to pray for these people, Jeremiah warned them to listen and give glory to God.  If they would not turn to God and renounce their sins and their idols, God would bring destruction upon them.  Then, after making that prophecy, Jeremiah gave a prophecy concerning a drought in the land.  It was in the context of that drought that God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people and then I understood the message.  God had sent the drought to cause the people to turn to Him for salvation.  God told Jeremiah not to pray for Him to relieve the people from the drought because they had worse problems than those caused by a lack of water.  So, I learn from this that I should not pray that sinners, even those most dear to me, be relieved of the suffering which comes from their sin, at least not as my primary prayer.  No, my first, most heartfelt prayer should be that they turn from their sin before they suffer even worse.

Throughout today’s passage Jeremiah records God promising to destroy the people of Jerusalem, to destroy the people to whom Jeremiah was prophesying.  All in all, it seems very depressing because Jeremiah seems to be saying that it is too late for the people of Jerusalem to escape God’s wrath.  Yet, also throughout the passage are little statements which suggest otherwise: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me.”  Let us stand firm in our loyalty to God, so that if the sinners we know turn to us they will be turning to God.  But under no circumstances should we allow them to influence us so that we turn to them, and thus away from God.  If we pray that people be relieved of their suffering, God may hear our prayers and they will not turn from their sins, leading them into even greater suffering.  On the other hand, if we call for people to turn from their sins, and pray to God that they do so, perhaps they will turn from their sins, and be relieved of their suffering.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.