Jeremiah 12 - Bible Study, Explanation, and Application
Jeremiah 12 Bible Study
INTRO AND TIMELINE:
Jeremiah was a priest who lived in Anathoth (3 miles from Jerusalem). His ministry was directed towards the people of Judah, immediately before and during their exile in Babylon. His work as a prophet dates from 627 BC through the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
Jeremiah is the longest book in the English Bible by word count. The book has 52 chapters.
Jeremiah prophesied under the following Kings of Judah:
Josiah (640-609 BC)
Jehoahaz (also known as Shallum, 609 BC)
Jehoiakim (also known as Jeconiah or Coniah, 609-598 BC)
Jehoiachin (598-597 BC)
Zedekiah (His reign ended when Babylon conquered Judah, (597-586 BC)
THE THICKETS OF THE JORDAN:
Jeremiah 12:5 mentions the “thicket of the Jordan.”
Jeremiah 12:5 – “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?”
The thicket of the Jordan was an area on the banks of the Jordan River where thick vegetation grew.
This vegetation was often the hiding place of predators, including some dangerous to men.
Lions could hide in the thicket and wait to pounce on prey. Therefore, it was a place associated with threat and danger. This aligns with the thought presented in Jeremiah 12:5.
OUTLINE:
WHY DOES THE WAY OF THE WICKED PROSPER? (12:1-4):
Jeremiah respectfully complained to God about something he saw in the human experience.
He didn’t understand why God allowed so many wicked people to live blessed lives. They had money, power, and influence. They seemed to thrive even though they were terrible people.
Jeremiah lived a righteous but hard life.
He asked God to pluck out the wicked like sheep picked for the slaughter.
GOD RESPONDS TO JEREMIAH’S QUESTION (12:5-14):
God responded to Jeremiah’s question with a figure of speech.
“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?” (12:5).
It seems God was warning Jeremiah that if he was disturbed by the opposition he was receiving from the men of Anathoth (11:18-23), he would not be ready to endure the harder work for which God had appointed him in the future.
Later in his life, Jeremiah would face imprisonment and abuse in Jerusalem.
Jeremiah’s own people, the men of Anathoth, who should have been supporting him, had turned against him, some openly and some in secret.
In a similar way, God’s own people had turned against Him. God had to abandon His house and heritage (the people of Judah and the Promised land).
Judah was like a lion that lashed out against God.
The land was like a wilderness, unsafe, and unwelcoming to anything sent from God.
The evil people and their leaders had turned the land flowing with milk and honey into a desolate and hostile place.
Because of their sins, God planned to send the sword of destruction against them. The sword would devour from “one end of the land to the other” (12:12).
Judah planted wheat but God would give them a harvest of thorns. They planned for the future, but God’s judgement would see to it that none of their plans were ever accomplished.
Though God would use foreign nations to punish His people, He promised to punish those nations if they participated in similar evil.
A PROMISE OF GRACE (12:15-17):
The chapter concludes with a promise of grace. After punishing His people, God committed to reestablishing them in the land someday.
He also promised to establish foreigners who learned to honor Him and keep His instructions.
APPLICATION:
A few days ago, the United States and Israel launched large scale attacks on Iran.
I’ve heard the conflict framed by the US government and private citizens as a war between the righteous and the oppressors.
If there is one thing we learn from the Old Testament, its that God can use nations to punish oppressive nations, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the nation putting down the oppression is righteous.
Both nations can be evil!
Don’t get fooled into thinking that God’s use of your nations is His stamp of approval.
God may use your nation, but that doesn’t mean your nation doesn’t need some deep spiritual and moral reforms.
