9 “This is what the  Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: In your own lifetime, before your very eyes, I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in this land. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard.” 10 “When you tell the people all these things, they will ask, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such terrible things against us? What have we done to deserve such treatment? What is our sin against the  Lord our God?’ 11 Then you will give them the  Lord’s reply: ‘It is because your ancestors were unfaithful to me. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my word. 12-13 And you are even worse than your ancestors! You stubbornly follow your own evil desires and refuse to listen to me. So I will throw you out of this land and send you into a foreign land where you and your ancestors have never been. There you can worship idols day and night - and I will grant you no favours!'”

14-15 “But the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’  Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this land that I gave their ancestors.” 16-18 “But now I am sending for many fishermen who will catch them,” says the Lord. “I am sending for hunters who will hunt them down in the mountains, hills, and caves. I am watching them closely, and I see every sin. They cannot hope to hide from me. I will double their punishment for all their sins, because they have defiled my land with lifeless images of their detestable gods and have filled my territory with their evil deeds.”

19-20 Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to you and say, “Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols. Can people make their own gods? These are not real gods at all!” 21 The Lord says “Now I will show them my power; now I will show them my might. At last they will know and understand that I am the Lord.” Jeremiah 16:8-21 New Living Translation paraphrase (English Standard Version link)

People may be tempted to give up reading Jeremiah as his message is like a negative ongoing tale of judgement. But that is precisely why we need to hear what he had to say because, as today's verses show, later generations often become worse than previous ones! When the people asked Jeremiah why God was so angry with them and sending such terrible judgement, God told him to say it was because of the terrible wickedness of earlier generations. (vs 11) But what does God then say about the people who Jeremiah was now preaching to? (vs 12-13)

They had become even worse that their forefathers! Verse 16-18 describe how God says He saw every evil deed that was commonplace in the nation, and that’s why judgment was upon them. And can this not be said of today's world as well? Sin has always made the world ugly. But while there has been much improvement in the world brought about by the gospel, it does appear as if we are in days of terrible decline and as if Satan has been loosed again to spread his lies. Our world really needs to hear the message God gave to Jeremiah. But there is also a glimmer of hope in the darkest of days. What did God promise in vs 14-15, and what was Jeremiah's response in vs 19-20.

The Lord promised that there would be an end to the exile He was sending His people into, and they would realize how futile the idol gods of the nations were. God would do a work when all the nations of the world will realize that they have been lied to by Satan, and that there is only one true God. (vs 21) Living at the time we do, we know that this wonderful work has taken place in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it will culminate in His return. Those who now follow Jesus know that the things the world rushes after and worships are futile. Midst the gathering darkness of our generation there is a glimmer of light that has brought hope to our hearts - our God reigns.