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Jeremiah 16 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
The loneliness of Jeremiah sets in as once again he looks around and sees what others have that he has been restrained from. On top of this, he is to deliver a bold message to these people of why they will be judged. I wonder what was harder for Jeremiah in these times; to sacrifice so much of his personal desires, or to be the one to deliver the fateful message to these people, even family members, whom he surely loved?
God is preparing Jeremiah for greater times, and certainly, he would not make it through had he not been protected and encouraged by God. I believe this is an important point to make. We can easily look at this life of his and think how horrible it must have been. However, he is being encouraged, protected, and commissioned by his Father in Heaven. There HAS to be satisfaction in that beyond anything he could have obtained on his own in the world. It certainly does not come easy for Jeremiah, but his God loves him very much and it using him for His glory, even if Jeremiah can’t see that completely.
The hope offered by God at the end of the chapter is much needed. He has done this several times as a repeating pattern with Jeremiah. He will give him a challenge, rebuke, or message, and then follow it up with hope for the future. There’s no question that Jeremiah needed this vision to sustain him as it seemed many times like nothing was happening. God challenges us to unimaginable levels but always is there to provide the hope and encouragement we need to continue in our faith. He is faithful.