Focus Passage: Jeremiah 12:1-5 In Jeremiah chapter 11, Jeremiah is given a word from the Lord to deliver to the people of Judah. He is told to proclaim in all the cities of Judah and Jerusalem, that everyone who did not uphold the covenant established between God and their ancestors would be cursed. The end of this covenant was that they would be God’s people, and be given a fruitful land, in which to prosper.
Jeremiah is then told of how the people of Judah had turned to worshiping many idols, just like their ancestors had done. God instructs Jeremiah not to pray for these people, and tells him that their prayers will not be heard in their day of trouble. Jeremiah then speaks of how the Lord revealed to him that those to whom he was instructed to speak the word of the Lord had conspired against him to kill him. In light of this, Jeremiah asks to see these people punished. God responds saying that none of these people would speared during the year of punishment.
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It is revealed in chapter 11 that Jeremiah’s life has been threatened, while the focus passage only identifies those who want to kill Jeremiah as treacherous or guilty without identifying exactly what they were guilty of. Knowledge of the events of Chapter also sheds light on why Jeremiah would so as far as to petition God to slaughter these people like sheep.
Picking up after Jeremiah 12:5, the rest of chapter 12 details God’s response to Jeremiah’s complaint about the wicked thriving without punishment of justice. The Lord responds saying that justice will be distributed. God says that though they will be