Jeremiah has acted in good faith. He has continued to proclaim God’s word – that Judah should surrender to Babylon – in spite of the fact that no one was willing to hear it. He has followed God’s guidance, even though it did not seem to make much sense. Verse 25 is fascinating. Jeremiah points out to God that he has followed his instructions, even though the city and the land are on the very cusp of being conquered. One delight of this book is that we really do get to know Jeremiah as a human being. God, loving him, seems to allow Jeremiah to imply, ‘What on earth’s the point?’ (v 25) – and we can surely see why.

This (verses 17–25) is a great prayer in many ways. First, consider the context. We can only imagine Jeremiah’s physical circumstances, imprisoned by his own compatriots in the dying city (32:2). Now, very likely at the end of his practical and spiritual resources, the prophet chooses to pray. Only in the last section does Jeremiah speak of his and his nation’s current calamity. Instead, most of the prayer is a powerful recollection of God’s eternal nature, his power and his bounty. There is a lesson here for us. At times, we might wonder what to pray. We can always speak of God’s goodness and love. 

Sovereign Lord, for whom nothing is too hard, strengthen my feeble faith today.

Yesterday we reflected on Jeremiah’s faith, which enabled him to risk buying a field even though he was convinced that the Babylonians were about to empty the land of its inhabitants. Today we discover the source of Jeremiah’s faith. When God announced to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child, he said to Abraham, ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord?’¹ Jeremiah answers this question in verse 17: ‘Nothing is too hard for you.’ Then God asks it again in verse 27. Jeremiah’s prayer (vs 17–25) and God’s response (vs 26–44) both rehearse this idea.

In his prayer, Jeremiah looks back and lists the ‘too hard’ things God had done in Israel’s past, including creating earth and heaven, redeeming his people in the Exodus and giving them their land. Then he looks out at the siege ramps and remembers God’s instruction to buy the field. God responds to Jeremiah’s prayer by telling of the ‘too hard’ things he was about to do. First, he was about to give Jerusalem (which God loves)² into the hands of the Babylonians who would destroy it. Then, God was going to restore Israel to the land so that they would live in safety, so that once again fields would be bought and sold throughout Judah and Benjamin (where Jeremiah’s field was).

There is a more sombre aspect to God’s answer – the catalogue of Israel’s rebellion (vs 30–35). God’s response to that is another too-hard thing that God was about to do. God would make an everlasting covenant with his people and give them singleness of heart, enabling them to fear God and never turn away again. This he has done in Jesus.

Are there any too-hard things in your basket? Retrieve them today and commit them to God, who loves to do what is too hard. 

¹ Gen 18:14  ² Ps 78:68