Jeremiah’s Third Confession

The Text: Jeremiah 15:10–21

10 Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.
11 The LORD said: Surely I have intervened in your life for good, surely I have imposed enemies on you in a time of trouble and in a time of distress.
12 Can iron and bronze break iron from the north?
13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory.
14 I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.
15 O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.
19 Therefore thus says the LORD: If you turn back, I will take you back, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to you, not you who will turn to them.
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, says the LORD.
21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

Introduction to the Confession

Jeremiah’s third confession is one of Jeremiah’s most personal and poignant expressions of distress and struggle with his divine calling. The confession is a deeply personal lament that provides insight into the struggles of the prophet’s ministry.

In his ministry, Jeremiah faced immense opposition from his contemporaries as he delivers God’s message. This confession reveals the inner turmoil, feelings of rejection, and moments of doubt. Jeremiah laments the hardship and opposition he faces as God’s chosen messenger. This confession provides a deep insight into the emotional and spiritual turmoil that accompanies prophetic ministry which Jeremiah experienced as he faithfully serves God in a hostile environment.

Through his candid expression of anguish and reliance on God, Jeremiah’s confession reveals the cost of faithfulness and highlights God’s assurance and renewal of Jeremiah’s calling. The confession also speaks to those facing challenges in fulfilling a divine call to the ministry.

Historical Background

Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in Judah’s history. His ministry began during the reign of King Josiah. Josiah established a religious reform in the late seventh century BCE. After Josiah’s death, Jehoiakim became king in Judah. Jehoiakim brought back all the pagan practices his father had eliminated.

Jeremiah’s messages often warned of impending judgment due to the people’s persistent idolatry, social injustice, and covenant unfaithfulness. However, these warnings made Jeremiah a target of hostility. Many viewed him as a traitor for predicting Judah’s fall to Babylon, and his prophecies were met with scorn, imprisonment, and threats to his life.

The third confession must be understood against this backdrop of societal rejection and the weight of proclaiming an unpopular but necessary divine truth. Jeremiah’s message of impending judgment due to Judah’s persistent disobedience made him deeply unpopular among his people. He endured rejection, persecution, and threats to his life, which contributed to his deep personal anguish expressed in this confession.

Jeremiah’s Confession

Jeremiah’s despair

Verse 10: “Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.”

Jeremiah begins by lamenting his birth. These words highlight Jeremiah’s sense of isolation. Jeremiah is a man of contention, that is, he has verbal exchanges with people in public. Unlike others, Jeremiah has not engaged in financial dealings that would cause enmity, yet he is hated simply for delivering God’s message

By lamenting his birth, Jeremiah laments the burden of his prophetic calling, feeling as though his entire existence has been marked by conflict and rejection. Despite his innocence, he is treated with hostility.

The Lord’s Response

Verses 11–14: “The LORD said: Surely I have intervened in your life for good, surely I have imposed enemies on you in a time of trouble and in a time of distress. Can iron and bronze break iron from the north? Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory. I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

V.11: God reassures Jeremiah that he has delivered him from many troubles in the past and that he will do again. The translation, “I have imposed enemies on you” is misleading because it implies that God was the one who brought the enemies against Jeremiah. I translated the Hebrew as follows: “Have I not been with you in times of evil and in times of distress against the enemy?”

V. 12: The question, “Can iron and bronze break iron from the north?” is a reference to Judah and Jeremiah. Rebellious Judah is the iron and bronze: “they are bronze and iron” (Jeremiah 6:28). Jeremiah is the iron from the north: “I have made you an iron pillar” (Jeremiah 1:18).

V.13: “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder.” It is Yahweh who is delivering Judah’s wealth as plunder because of Judah’s sins.

V. 14: “I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know.” Judah will be sent to exile in Babylon where they will remain for 70 years. The declaration of Judah’s impending judgment, illustrates the tension between God’s justice and Jeremiah’s personal struggles

Jeremiah’s Prayer

V.15: “ O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult.

Jeremiah expresses his faith by declaring that Yahweh knows him well. He then requests God to visit him for the purpose of vindication and also to punish his enemies. Jeremiah says that all his suffering comes because he is a prophet proclaiming Yahweh’s words, words of judgment.

V. 16: Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

The statement, “Your words were found,” refers to the book of the Law found during the renovation of the temple (2 Kings 22:8). This book was a copy of Deuteronomy, which prompted the reforms of Josiah.

Jeremiah’s eating the words refers to his call as a prophet, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9) and his willingness to proclaim God’s word in Judah. Jeremiah accepted his call with joy: “your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” However, when he was rejected and criticized, Jeremiah’s joy became pain and depression.

V. 17: “I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation.”

“I sat alone.” The call of Jeremiah and his message of judgment isolated Jeremiah from his friends and family. Jeremiah laments that he is filled with indignation, that is, with a message of ruin and desolation, a message of the wrath of God against the people of Jerusalem.

V. 18: “Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.”

Jeremiah has pains because the words he received from God were at first sweet, but became bitter once they were digested, that is, once Jeremiah understood the message he was to proclaim to the people of Judah.

Jeremiah accuses God: “Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail.” Jeremiah felt betrayed by God. Jeremiah is saying to God: “You are truly deceiving streams to me, waters that cannot be trusted.”

Jeremiah said that God could not be trusted because he had promised to defend and protect him, and yet his enemies are almost prevailing against him.

The Lord’s Response

V.19: “Therefore thus says the LORD: If you turn back.” The word in Hebrew means “to turn back,” “to repent.” God is calling Jeremiah to repent from the accusation he laid against God.

“ I will take you back.” Before Jeremiah could stand before God again as a prophet, he had to repent from what he had said about God.

“If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless.” Jeremiah had spoken “worthless words.” They were worthless because what Jeremiah had said about God was not true.

“You shall serve as my mouth.” If Jeremiah repents then what he would speak would be God’s words. Jeremiah could not speak the words of God when he was speaking worthless words.

“It is they who will turn to you, not you who will turn to them.” In order for Jeremiah to overcome his enemies, he was to be true to God’s words.

“ I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze.” If Jeremiah repents and returns to God, God will make of him “a fortified wall of bronze,” one where his enemies will not be able to break.

“I am with you to save you and deliver you.” God promises to deliver Jeremiah from his enemies, from those who believed that he should be put to death.

Application for Today’s Ministers

Jeremiah’s third confession offers timeless lessons for contemporary ministers facing challenges in their calling:

Faithfulness Amid Opposition – Like Jeremiah, ministers today may face rejection and hostility for speaking biblical truth. His experience teaches that opposition is part of a prophetic ministry.

Honest Dialogue with God – Jeremiah’s raw honesty before God serves as a model for ministers struggling with discouragement. It is acceptable to bring personal pain and doubts before God in prayer.

Dependence on God’s Strength – The promise that God would make Jeremiah a “fortified wall of bronze” reminds ministers that divine strength sustains them, not human approval.

Renewal of Calling – When feeling weary, ministers should seek God’s reassurance and recommit to their mission, just as Jeremiah was called to.

Conclusion

Jeremiah’s third confession highlights the cost of faithful ministry and the necessity of divine encouragement. His lament, God’s response, and the assurance of renewal provide a powerful message for today’s ministers, reminding them to remain steadfast despite challenges, trusting in God’s ultimate deliverance and vindication.

Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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