Scripture Reading : Jeremiah 12
Theme : Righteous God
Jeremiah’s Puzzlement (1-4)
Like Habakkuk, Jeremiah understands God is righteous but he does not understand why a righteous God would let sinners prosper. The wicked insincerely say they love God, but their hearts hate Him. They think God does not know their hypocrisy. Why does God not punish these hypocrites immediately? Why does God let sinners ruin His land with their sins, including the righteous and even the animals?
God’s Answer (5-13).
God does not completely answer Jeremiah’s question, instead God says Jeremiah needs to be more patient and needs to strengthen his faith so that he can endure greater trials in the future. His current trial with the men of Anathoth is nothing, like a safe land, compared to his future trials, like the thicket of the Jordan. In the future, even his own family will betray him. Even though God does not judge immediately, God’s future judgement on the wicked is so certain that God uses the prophetic perfect tense to describe their future punishment as if it has already occurred. He will use foreigners (symbolized by wild beasts and shepherds) to destroy His beloved Israel.
Blessing for Repentant Nations (14-17).
The nations around Israel (Syria, Moab, and Ammon) will also be exiled along with Israel. But amazingly, God promises to bring both Israel and their neighbours back. In addition, if they repent and have faith in Him instead of their idol: Baal, then God will be their God. This promise is applicable for every nation and individual now.
Praying the Scripture
Like Jeremiah, we don’t understand some things on earth because we don’t have the right perspective. Jeremiah does not understand why God does not punish the wicked immediately so that the land can be revived because Jeremiah does not understand God’s greater plan of redemption for Israel and all mankind, not just for the Jews of Jeremiah’s days. God is working toward the Messianic Kingdom when even foreign nations and individuals can be with God through faith in Jesus, the Messiah. Immediately punishing the wicked will not usher in the Messianic Kingdom; it will not bless the whole world (Gen. 12:3). When we are puzzled by how God runs the world (for example, terrorists, killing of Christians by terrorists, and perversion of the true gospel by the prosperity gospel), we need to trust in God’s righteous character and His grand plan for the full restoration of the world through the Messianic Kingdom. God’s ways are higher than our ways.
经文：耶利米书12
主题：公义之神
耶利米的困惑（1-4）。
耶利米像哈巴谷一样，虽然明白神是公义的，却不明白公义的神为何会让罪人亨通。恶人虚情假意地说他们爱神，但内心却憎恨祂。他们以为神不晓得他们表里不一。神为何不立即惩罚这些假冒为善的人呢？神为何就让罪人以他们的罪行破坏祂的地，包括地上的义人，甚至动物在内呢？
神的回答（5-13）。
神并没有全面回答耶利米的问题，而是告诉他需要更耐心，并坚固其信心，以便日后能承受更大的试探。神或许知道耶利米的抱怨大部分归因于他所承受的苦难，并非神学知识有误。现时他与亚拿突人的试探犹如平安之地；与他将来像是在约旦河边的丛林之试探，那不算什么。将来，即使是他自己的家人也会背叛他。尽管神没有立刻施行审判，祂日后对恶人的审判是如此肯定，叫神以预言性的完成式表达对他们将来的惩治，如以发生过一样。祂将会用外邦人（以野兽和牧人为象征）毁灭祂所爱的以色列。
对悔改列国的祝福（14-17）。
以色列周围的列国（亚兰、摩押和亚扪）将会与其一同被放逐。但令人惊讶的是，神应许把以色列及其邻舍一同带回来。再者，倘若他们愿悔改并信靠神而非他们的偶像巴力，神将会是他们的神。如今，这个应许适用于每一个国家与每一个人了。
用经文祷告
由于我们没有正确的视角，我们是无法明白世上的某些事情，就像耶利米一样。由于耶利米不明白神对以色列以及全人类更伟大的救赎计划，不单是为了耶利米时代的犹太人，因此他无法明白神为何不立刻惩罚恶人，使全地更新。神正为弥赛亚的国度做工；那时，即使是外邦国家和个人也可以通过对弥赛亚耶稣的信而与神同在。立刻惩罚恶人是无法引进弥赛亚国度的；它将不能赐福全世界（创12:3）。当我们为神管理世界的方式感到困惑时（例如恐怖行动、恐怖分子杀害基督徒，以及致富福音对属实福音的曲解），我们需要信靠神公义的品格，与祂藉着弥赛亚国度更新全地的宏大计划。神的道路高过我们的道路。
