Yonsei Universtiy Church 2022. 9. 18

Scripture : Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

I Weep for the Hurt of My People

Jeremiah was a prophet who was active in Judea for about 40 years from 627 to 585 BC. In order to understand the prophecies that Jeremiah proclaimed and what his activities were, it is necessary to understand the international situation of the time in which he lived. Assyria, a long-time great power, declined greatly, and Egypt and Babylon were fighting for supremacy in the coastal areas that included the territory of the Jewish nation. King Josiah of Judea was killed in war with King Necho of Egypt (609 BC), but four years later, King Necho of Egypt was defeated by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It was the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy. He proclaimed calamity to befall Judea from the north, and the prophecy of the Babylonian Empire, the cause of the calamity, had come true.

Since then, Josiah's sons and grandsons (Jehoiachin), who have succeeded to the throne of Judea, have been a catalyst for war between the great power of Egypt in the south and Babylon in the north. The kings of Judea repeatedly asked Egypt for help, often for independence from Babylon's control. This aroused the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. So the Babylonians besieged and attacked the Jewish nation in 598 B.C. Judea fell powerless, the king was deposed, and he and his high-ranking officials were taken captive to Babylon (2 Kings 24:8-17; Jeremiah 29:2; Ezekiel). Nevertheless, Zedekiah, the last king of the Jewish nation, once again carried out the reckless policy of pro-Egypt. Then the Babylonians again attacked the city of Jerusalem, and the city was completely destroyed. It was 586 B.C.E. Around this time the prophet Jeremiah was taken to Egypt.

At a time when the Jewish nation was in decline due to the Babylonian invasion, Jeremiah was always in a pro-Babylonian position. He poured out clashes with Jewish political leaders. He declared, for example, “Submit to Babylon, and you will live.” Jeremiah's views provoked public opposition. He was accused of being a traitor. Also, many believed that the city was safe because of the presence of Jehovah's temple in Jerusalem, but Jeremiah said it was not (7:4-11). From then on, Jewish history proceeded according to Jeremiah's prophecy, and in the end, that prophecy came true.

The prophet Jeremiah constantly reminded the Jewish people of the emphasis in Deuteronomy (the faithfulness of God). Jeremiah prophesied that the chosen Jewish people would be disciplined for their disobedience against God's will, which would result in captivity in Babylon. He declared that he would be restored (saved) again. In summary, God revealed His heart for His people through the prophet Jeremiah. It was punishment and restoration and salvation after that. Therefore, the prophet's prophecy is not the role of a magician who predicts the unknown future with fortune-telling, but a prophecy that delivers the word of God as it is received.

Now, let's get into today's text. In verse 19, the prophet is sandwiched between the two sides. It is an ‘intermediate being’ that cannot go this way or that way. He is a prophet who is suffering from “trouble” between the Jewish people and Jehovah God. So, in verse 18, he lamented that my “heart (heart) was sick” as an intermediary.

Continuing with verse 19, in the first half, the Jewish people lament. If we unravel that sigh, it looks like this: “The Lord God is the King of Zion, so he must protect Zion, but why doesn’t he prevent the disaster that is coming to Zion?” It was the frustration and sighs of the people who did not know what to do in the face of disaster. All regions of the Jewish nation are suffering from the Babylonian invasion, and they complain about why the God of Zion is not protecting them. “Is not the Lord in Zion?” was a sign of despair that God had left Zion. Now, the Jewish nation that believed in God became an atheistic world without God.

Like these people, God groans. “Why did they provoke me to anger with the carved image and the vain things of the Gentiles?” This is the lament of God, who is sorry that it is because of vain idolatry.

In this way, the people groan, God also groans, and groans in their own circumstances. The sighs of both sides meet each other in the Prophet. It's like the palms of both hands are touching each other. If you look at this side, the people's groanings, if you look to the other side, the sighs of God, and the sighs of both sides all flock to the Prophet, and he also sighs in pain. A people who groan, a God who groans, a prophet who groans.

This is the people suffering punishment because of their sins, and the other side is God who loves His people but has no choice but to punish them for their sins. This is the peculiarity of Jeremiah. He was a prophet called to bring judgment to the Jewish people. So he just preached the message and was able to escape from the scene of disaster and suffering and go far. But he did not leave the scene. Rather, he approached the people and went into them, grieved with them in their sufferings, and mourned with them over their sufferings.

This behavior of Jeremiah is teaching us believers in the 21st century today. This is a lesson to not leave the field, but to stay in the field and go deep into the field.

In verse 20, a more severe calamity came upon the groaning people. A famine struck throughout the Jewish nation. Summer in the country is the harvest season, when grape and fruit farming is at its peak, but there is nothing to harvest. Without food, their survival was threatened.

So, in verse 21, the Jewish people were wounded, broken in body and mind. The Prophet at the scene is also hurt and weeps in sorrow. His cry was a cry of compassion for the people, and a cry of solidarity with the people who are suffering because of disaster. The Prophet, in solidarity with a cry, showed the affection of his parents by calling the people “my daughter.” It was a sense of solidarity that suffered together as the wounds of my daughter, the people, became my wounds as her parents.

In verse 22, there is no cure for the broken people and prophets. There is a doctor who treats you, but there is no cure. “Isn’t there frankincense in Gilead?” Frankincense is an effective medicine for healing wounds. The medicine is produced in Gilead. But that special medicine is of no help to the wounded people. Also, “Isn’t there a doctor in Gilead?” Even with medical treatment, the wound does not heal. There are no signs of recovery. They lament once more, “What is this?”

The sorrow and despair of the prophet who could not do anything for the wounded, broken people. The Prophet fell into a sense of guilt that he was truly incompetent. In verse 1 of the text, it is said that the only thing a prophet can do is weep day and night. The Prophet's head became a tear gland and his eyes became a source of tears. The tearful prophet Jeremiah. It's a very desperate situation.

So far, we have looked at the text.

In today's text, we receive this message.

First. This is the behavior of the prophet Jeremiah, who is “in solidarity” with the wounded, broken people. A prophet who weeps with those who weep, a solidarity with the people who are in despair due to calamity and stay with them. Once again: Jeremiah was a prophet called by God to bring judgment to the Jewish people. So he only preached the words he was told to preach, and he was able to get out of the scene of disaster and suffering. But rather, he approached the people and went into them, grieved with them in their sufferings, and mourned with them over their sufferings (Mitleid). In the words and actions of the prophet Jeremiah “with the people,” we see the example of Jesus. In Jeremiah, we see Jesus, who had no sin, suffered on the cross that sinners had to bear because of our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, we were forgiven and freed from our sins.

Second. The Prophet lived and agonized halfway between God and the people, on either side of it. The people did not understand how the current situation was going. With the Babylonian invasion soon to bring them the calamities of war, they ate, drank, and pursued a merry life. Foreseeing the calamity that would befall this people in the imminent future, the Prophet was troubled. Also, the suffering of God, which had no choice but to inflict such punishment on this people, was also conveyed to the Prophet, so he suffered. The Prophet shared the suffering of God (Mitgefuehl).

In summary, the prophet Jeremiah was with the people and with God.

Today's Korean society is living a life of 'self-sustaining (各自圖生)'. Each of the young people who have to adapt to this social environment at one time hoped for a 'sohaenghaeng' (small but certain happiness), a work-life balance to find my life in a murderous work environment, and a life where I could live a stable life even though I had very little income. . It can be a survival strategy for young people who are worried about an uncertain future. Recently, young people in their 30s who have an unstable foundation for living due to the skyrocketing house prices have bought a house by 'attracting their souls'. It was because the future was uncertain. This summer's sudden torrential rains were fatal to the residents living in the semi-underground of Seoul. In this way, the lamentations of people who have been wounded, broken are pouring out from all corners of society.

What should the church do in this reality? In today's text, we engrave the lamentation of the prophet Jeremiah. It would be nice to be able to do something to those who are wounded and broken, but even if you can't do anything to help them, the church holding their hands, weeping and mourning together, this was the image of Jeremiah.

However, a professor of philosophy gave this diagnosis to the appearance of the Korean church that has recently passed through Covid-19. The Korean church is now “exclusive, materialistic, and selfish”. It is pointed out that solidarity with them is essential. Let us, as far as we can, follow Jesus with the prophet Jeremiah. Let's pray together.