This week we take a look at Jeremiah’s last lament psalm in which he claims God has enticed, deceived, or even seduced him. We are looking specifically at Jeremiah 20:7-13. This deception of God mirrors the language used to describe rape in the book of Exodus. This is language that shows that Jeremiah feels as if he never really had a choice in life on whether to be God’s prophet. Indeed, in Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” In modern times this verse gets used as a proof text as for why abortions should be illegal or to teach children that God has some grand purpose for them. However, there is no indication here that this is a universal pronouncement by God, but is instead spoken just to Jeremiah. And for Jeremiah, this grand purpose God has for him causes him grief and is the very nature of the start to this lament psalm.
Jeremiah never gets the chance to say no to God. He tries, in words that echo Moses (Bandstra, 327) but ultimately God rebukes his argument and then puts God’s words into his mouth before he consents to his role as prophet. This runs counter to Moses where God never forces Moses to accept, but instead answers each of Moses’ concerns (of which there are many) until Moses finally leaves having accepted his task (Ex. 3-4:17).
So Jeremiah has a valid point in that God overpowered him. In another contrast to Moses, Jeremiah only learned what message he was to deliver after God’s overpowering action. It is this message that has caused him so much grief “for whenever I speak, I must cry out, I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’ For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long” (Jer. 20:8).
Jeremiah has grown tired of the message of doom that God wants him to deliver. In verse nine he talks about being unable to stop despite it being his one wish. Again, his desire is to no longer be a prophet, but God’s overpowering word inside him will not let him cease.
Even Jeremiah’s closest friends want Jeremiah to fail due to his message. In an ironic twist Jeremiah says, “For I hear many whispering: ‘Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’” (Jer. 20:10). This is ironic because in the narrative just before this lament psalm it is Jeremiah who renames the priest Pashhur and calls him “Terror-all-around”. Now it is Jeremiah who has this nickname due to the nature of the message he has to give.
Towards the end of his lament, Jeremiah asks God to let him see retribution onto his enemies and his reason for asking this seems to counter his earlier lament because he says, “for to you I have committed my cause” (Jer. 12). Despite the fact that Jeremiah feels he had no say in his lot in life he remains fully committed to God’s will.
What is not immediately clear is what causes Jeremiah to add this lament at this part of the book. He had just suffered under some persecution under Pashhur in which he is struck and then is locked up for the night (Jer. 20:2). God had earlier promised that the people of Judah, from the kings to the peasants, “will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you” (Jer. 1:19). Perhaps then it is this clear example of Jeremiah suffering under persecution that leads to his lament feeling as if God did not live up to the promise.
It is hard for me to call this an actual lie by God. Jeremiah is released the next day after all. Though perhaps Jeremiah thought that if his enemies weren’t to prevail against him that this would mean that he wouldn’t be harmed at all. The notes in my NRSV study Bible mention that this is the first time, of many, that Jeremiah is physically assaulted for his message. So this seems the likely catalyst for his lament. So it would be better to look at God as withholding the full truth from Jeremiah, leading him to feel a bit more secure than he actually is. God will keep him safe, but that doesn’t mean that no harm will come to him.
Jeremiah expects God will follow through on God’s end and he will be vindicated. This is a strategy used in the modern day to deal with things not going our way. Another common response from people today is to say, “God works in mysterious ways”. This is similar to Jeremiah’s response, although it is much more general in its scope of things. It also let’s God off the hook, as it were, from having to act in ways that are recognizable to us as being faithful to God’s word.
While this modern day example is by and large considered to be bad theology, it is not what Jeremiah’s ultimate statement is on this. The end of this section ends with the praise and thanksgiving portion of the lament psalm and Jeremiah proclaims, “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers” (Jer. 20:13). No matter how we feel God has lied, hidden the whole truth, or deceived us, Jeremiah ultimately affirms that God has the last say and does deliver the needy. Jeremiah never claims that this will look like what we want it to look like, but neither does he simply state the mystery of God’s way due to lack of an answer. God is a God who works for some and against others. Hope is not lost.
I also found it interesting whenJeremiah says, “For I hear many whispering: ‘Terror is all around! Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’” (Jer. 20:10). And the irony in the narrative just before this lament psalm where Jeremiah who renames the priest Pashhur and calls him “Terror-all-around”. I like how you mentioned that "Now it is Jeremiah who has this nickname due to the nature of the message he has to give."
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Jeremiah is caught in a cycle of proclaiming doom and gloom, resting in hope that God will redeem his people, and lamenting in the message he is called to give.
Great post and great details. What I wondered as I read your post was how much of Jeremiah's lament and feeling of deception was due to the combination of past prophecy pointing to the promised prosperity of his people combined with the impending approach of kingdoms jockeying to destroy or at the least conquer Judah? Perhaps there was a Titanic feeling of unsinkability combined with a later reality that he was going to have to suddenly go down with the ship because God wasn't there to prevent his suffering?
ReplyDeleteEither way, an interesting parallel to the life of Jeremiah would be the promise Christ makes to the disciples in John during the last supper. "You will have troubles". I think for Jeremiah, feeling like he had no choice is a great weight to bear, but could he really not have walked away? What would it have been like to be a disciple walking with Christ in person, witnessing miracles and his death and resurrection? Did they feel like they had a choice (well, Judas aside)?
I do think it's important to read Jeremiah through a few lenses, and not always sink down to the common wisdom regarding each of us being chosen from the womb for a purpose. Great discussion points! Well done.
I really appreciated your look into the terror that Jeremiah is striking into people. This is something that I had not explored and is good to look into. In addition, it was interesting to read about the reason he is lamenting. I found your discussion very interesting.
ReplyDelete"In modern times this verse gets used as a proof text as for why abortions should be illegal or to teach children that God has some grand purpose for them."
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you bringing this up! It's so helpful to understand the proper context of these words and how grossly they're taken out of context!
I also really liked this part of the scripture, which I think really illustrates the personal nature of Jeremiah's feeling of being chosen without having a choice himself:
(Jeremiah 20:9)
"If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
then within me there is something like a burning fire
shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot."
I think your ideas about why Jeremiah might be writing this are valid. The feeling that God has not lived up to his promises would be discouraging, especially for someone whose life's work is prophecy (and not by choice). One of (what I imagine to be) Jeremiah's only comforts came from God's promises to preserve him and support him. He has no other alternatives but to do what he's been called to do - and God's assurances are the only thing he really has to cling to.
Excellent post! I like the way you wrap up your post by saying that no matter how we feel, God has the last word, and that word normally has something to do with the saving of the oppressed and the needy. That last line of the lament helps put this whole lament into focus. We are free to complain, but we have to keep in mind that God's mind is set on those who are hurting.
ReplyDelete