Jeremiah;- The Lord's grief (ch12)

In the second half of ch12, the Lord mourns over what the fate which his people must meet.

We have seen lamentations in previous chapters, but then the speaker appeared to be the prophet himself, or perhaps “the spirit of the nation”. But in this chapter there is no doubt that the Lord himself is speaking directly.

V9 He refers to “my heritage”. She has become “like a speckled bird of prey”. Part of the point is that the bird of prey is “unclean”, for eating or sacrifice. The nation has become unclean in the eyes of God. The other birds will attack her, as will the wild beasts.

From v10, he complains about the how his people “have been” destroyed (this is prophetic anticipation, referring to the invasion in the near future). Many shepherds (that is the Babylonians) “have destroyed my vineyards”, and trampled down the land, turning it into a desolate wilderness. The word “desolate”, incidentally, which is used four times, means “devoid of people”, or “detached from people”. It’s not quite the same thing as “devastated”, though obviously the two concepts may overlap.

These destroyers are also “the sword of the Lord” (v12) because he has sent them to do what has to be done, That doesn’t mean that he likes doing it, but he can’t reform the people without cleansing them first.

“No flesh has peace”. And the worst thing is that “no man lays it to heart” (v11). Nobody cares about the situation as much as he himself does.

But his people have brought all this upon themselves, by their misdirected activities;
“They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns, they have tired themselves out but profit nothing.”
The only “harvest” which they have managed to achieve is the fierce anger of the Lord, and they shall be ashamed of themselves.

In the last part of the chapter (from v14), the Lord turns his attention to the “evil neighbours” of Judah, who will invade the land after the best part of the nation has been taken into exile. For example, we see from later history how the Edomites forced their way up from the south to extend their territories, and Ammonites are found on the west side of the Jordan in the book of Nehemiah. They are touching the inheritance which the Lord gave to his people for them to inherit.

“I will pluck them up from their land”. The invaders will also be taken into exile, and removed even from their original homes.
“I will pluck up the house of Judah from among them”. That is, I think, they will lose their power to trouble the house of Judah. I don’t think both sentences can be about physical movement, because that would imply that the invaders were remaining after all.
In fact the first impression, that the invaders will be removed, is confirmed by the following promise, namely that they may be brought back again;
“I will have compassion on them [the bad neighbours], and I will bring them back again each to his heritage and each to his land” (v15). There was a short-term fulfilment of this prophecy, in that Cyrus chose, as a matter of policy, to release back to their homes not just the Jews but also the other nations which the Babylonians had taken into exile.

The promise to the formerly bad neighbours is developed in v16. “If they diligently learn the ways of my people and swear by my name, i.e. ‘as the Lord lives’”, instead of teaching the Lord’s people to swear in the name of Baal, as they were doing previously, then ”they shall be built up in the midst of my people.”
This is one of a number of Old Testament references hinting at the conversion of the gentiles.

“However, if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it”. The nations will be given their chances to repent, but ultimately time will run out and there will be judgement.