{"id":69221,"date":"2020-01-27T22:33:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-27T20:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=69221"},"modified":"2023-08-23T17:43:12","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T14:43:12","slug":"jeremiah-blames-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/jeremiah-blames-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeremiah Blames God"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[547,571,400],"acf":{"old_id":"69221","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34250,"related_cahpter":"404","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Does he prefer repentance - or punishment?\r\n","content":"

What happens when God\u2019s own representative is upset with God?<\/span><\/p>\n

Warning his people of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, Jeremiah faces continual opposition from \u201cprophets\u201d who claim everything is and will be fine. The people and their leaders prefer those cheerful predictions over Jeremiah\u2019s words of gloom and doom \u2013 and because of that, the prophet says, they are in for a surprise when that day of destruction finally arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does Jeremiah himself feel about the prospect of having his prophecies proven right? Another surprise: he blames God, accusing Him of deception.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I said: Ah, Lord GOD! Surely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: It shall be well with you\u2014 Yet the sword threatens the very life!\u201d (4:10)<\/span><\/p>\n

This accusation is shocking not only because it blames God for human sin (using the same Hebrew root used to blame the serpent for the first human sin, as Metzudat Tzion points out) but because it seems patently false. When did God say it would be well with them? Isn\u2019t Jeremiah\u2019s career basically one big attempt to refute claims that He said that, to convince the people they should repent?<\/span><\/p>\n

Some explain he means that since God didn\u2019t bring swift justice against the people for their sins, and\/or against the false prophets for their soothing lies. The people thought those \u201cprophets\u201d were right\u00a0 – which is why they didn\u2019t repent, and why the sword is now upon them (v. 10).<\/span><\/p>\n

It seems, then, that Jeremiah would prefer God strike sinners at the moment of sin, to clarify that it was indeed a sin \u2013 an odd perspective from a guy whose life mission, to inspire repentance, exists only in the space between sin and punishment.<\/span><\/p>\n

But perhaps that\u2019s exactly (part of) the point. Emotion isn\u2019t logical, and even a prophet can question from a place of personal emotion \u2013 even if the questions and complaints contradict the prophet\u2019s own divine message.<\/span><\/p>\n

As surprising as the fact of Jeremiah\u2019s outburst, is how quick it is. In verse 9, \u201cthe word of God\u201d describes the shock of the destruction to come. In verse 10, heartbroken at his own message, the prophet offers an aside \u2013 \u201cand I said\u201d \u2013 regardless of the truth of God\u2019s wisdom and justice, he lashes out: \u201cCouldn\u2019t You have made it more obvious, so they would listen to me in time?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And then \u2013 close parentheses. Jeremiah refocuses, back to faithfully delivering God\u2019s word. \u201cAt that time, it shall be said concerning this people and Jerusalem\u2026\u201d (v. 11). Menachem Bula, in the Daat Mikra commentary, points out how the phrase \u201cat that time\u201d returns our focus to what will happen \u201con that day\u201d (v. 9), and how the verse shifts from Jeremiah\u2019s words back to the word of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because even a prophet will have complaints and questions about God and His justice.<\/span><\/p>\n

But ultimately, the prophet remains loyal to God\u2019s message, even when it breaks his heart and even if his challenges go unanswered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":69222,"id":69222,"title":"jer4-blame","filename":"jer4-blame.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/jeremiah-blames-god\/jer4-blame\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"jer4-blame","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":69221,"date":"2020-01-27 20:33:00","modified":"2022-03-16 08:37:45","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1920,"height":932,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-300x146.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":146,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-768x373.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":373,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-1024x497.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":497,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":746,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame.jpg","2048x2048-width":1920,"2048x2048-height":932,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-1200x583.jpg","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":583,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/jer4-blame-865x420.jpg","home_baner-width":865,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Jeremiah Blames God","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Does he prefer repentance - 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