Jeremiah 12:1-17

One of the most difficult questions for us to answer is: “why do the wicked prosper?”  This just does not seem fair to us and will always raise questions in our minds.  In reality, we should wonder why anyone would prosper because none of us deserve anything but judgment from God.  When we don’t understand God’s dealings with men it is best that we simply understand that His ways are higher than our ways and He deals with men according to His sovereign will.  The apparent prosperity of the unjust will not last just as the suffering of the apparently just will not last.  In God’s perfect timing all of these things will be made right.

GOD PERMITS THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED: Jeremiah does not understand why the wicked and evil men seem to prosper while he suffers hardships.  God’s response may take us by surprise but He simply tells Jeremiah that things will only get worse.  Our sense of fairness has very little in common with God’s sovereign justice.  In our minds, the suffering of the just and the prosperity of the wicked is unfair.  However, God knows He is working in both of these situations to accomplish His perfect will.  When He judges all men these temporary “injustices” will make perfect sense and will demonstrate God’s wisdom and glory.    


GOD PROMISES THE RESTORATION OF THE REPENTANT: Israel is about to be taken into captivity, but God is already promising their restoration.  They are a peculiar people and as such they have been the target of many persecutions.  However, God has a special plan for them and will restore them when they repent and severely punish those nations who were so cruel to them.  However, God’s grace and mercy do not only extend to the nation of Israel.  God promises to restore all those who repent and reconcile with them.  God punishes sin in order to promote repentance so that He can provide restoration.

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