Ok, now run with the horses…
Our text this week is Jeremiah 12. The opening verse includes a transparent cry from the weeping prophet to God.
“Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would please my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?”
As New Covenant believers, we treasure the promise of Scripture found in Hebrews 4:16 that we can boldly approach the throne of our King in prayer. We have confidence that we will obtain mercy and grace, and that we can freely. Yet, we know we approach with fear and reverence and anything we utter we do with awe in the Lord as He extends His scepter graciously towards us. So, Jeremiah rightly and reverently begins His approach to the throne. “Righteous are you, O LORD”. But… Wow. “But, I would plead my case before you. “ Have you ever prayed like this? “God- you are sovereign”…. “But….” Of course you’ve prayed like this. And I have too. No doubt, Jeremiah did not do this flippantly. Jeremiah now says, “Why do the wicked prosper?” Like Psalm 73:3 explains, “For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death, for their bodies are fat and sleek”. The thing about this “Yes, Lord, but…” is that is really is an exceptionally self-centered complaint. The issue is not just that the wicked are prospering, but that Jeremiah and God’s people are not. Is that not what we do? It’s not the others get away with things, that we don’t. Why isn’t this fair to me?
“But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you.”
Could it be that Jeremiah’s bold approach to the throne might have gotten a bit too bold? Jeremiah moves on with his plea. “Listen, Lord, you know me….”. Yep. God knew Jeremiah alright. Just has He knows our thoughts, our heart, and our intentions. Jeremiah lays out the universal reality of the human heart in chapter 17:4. The heart is self-deceived and desperately sick. Remember that next time you pray to the Lord and say “But God, you know my heart”. He very much does. Yet, it’s doubtful that this truth should afford you much, if any, consolation.
“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?”
God now graciously acknowledge’s Jeremiah’s prayer by responding directly to him. And God does so with a pair of rhetorical questions. These questions are meant to cause Jeremiah to evaluate his own faith, and not God’s fairness. After all, Jeremiah began with acknowledging the Lord’s righteousness. So, the Lord gets right to it. It’s not His justice, or even the unfair prosperity of the wicked that need to be talked about here. It’s Jeremiah’s faith and obedience that need to be evaluated. Let’s look a bit more at these two questions that God asks:
If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?
In not so many words, God is saying to the prophet he called, “You think it’s bad now, just you wait”.And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
Here, the NASB is helpful. It says “If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket by the Jordan?”. The idea of question number two follows the first question. If you think this is hard, wait for it, Mr. Jeremiah”.
Neither of these questions reflect an answer we’d like to receive from the Lord as answer to prayer. But it is the very grace and mercy of God that He would directly respond to our inquiry. In verses 7 thru 17, God goes on address the short-lived prosperity and the eventual, imminent vindication of the wicked. But God lovingly address the heart of Jeremiah first. With questions that inspect and correct his heart, God responded.
Application: In your prayer life, approach the throne boldly, but with great reverence as you lay your complaint before Him. If you have an issue with God’s justice or His sovereignty, before you file your complaint, be prepared that God will inspect and correct your heart.