Jeremiah Chapter 16 – When God Closes a Door

This chapter begins a very specific command that God has for Jeremiah.

‘The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”’ (Jer 16:1-2) 

No wife, no children.

For a weeping prophet against whom stood everybody, this would mean a path subjected to being rather alone.

For us, this may seem like an unreasonable demand God has of him.

Furthermore, God Himself had said that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).

Why then was God subjecting Jeremiah to such a lonely state?

Is God being unfair?

However, eyes of faith will see that this “bad” thing is in fact God’s mercy.

God knew the immense sufferings that were going to befall the people of Israel because of their grave sins. His explanation comes immediately after the commandment.

‘For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them and their fathers who begot them in this land:

“They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.”’ (Jeremiah 16:3-4)

Having begun with, “For thus says the Lord…”, we see that it is (at least in part) because of these horrible fates awaiting the people that God had asked Jeremiah not to take a wife or have children.

Jeremiah was already a prophet whose heart grieved greatly for His countrymen.

We see the distress Jeremiah carries for them in these heavy words:

“O my soul, my soul!

I am pained in my very heart!

My heart makes a noise in me;

I cannot hold my peace,

Because you have heard, O my soul,

The sound of the trumpet,

The alarm of war.

Destruction upon destruction is cried,

For the whole land is plundered.

Suddenly my tents are plundered,

And my curtains in a moment.” (Jeremiah 4:19-20)

Already Jeremiah carried the burden that most of his peers and countrymen did not believe his prophesies.

Imagine, then, living with the knowledge that your life partner and children whom you love deeply were could be meant for death by sword, or famine, or captivity (Jeremiah 15:2)

However counterintuitive it may seem, this was God’s way of protecting Jeremiah’s heart from greater pain.

This was God’s mercy to Jeremiah.

Perhaps we too have encountered difficult situations that we cannot comprehend.

Perhaps we cannot fathom why God would lead us a down a certain thorny path in life.

Or wondered why God does not grant us our pleas.

We sometimes conclude, rather brashly and faithlessly, that God is mean or no longer loves us.

But He is a God whose love is everlasting. He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”! (Jeremiah 31:3)

No matter what storms you meet in life, make this truth as your firm foundation.

Consider that God closing a door is still His love and mercy.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

God saved Peter from prison (Acts 12:7), but allowed John the Baptist to be beheaded (Mark 6:24-28).

Rather than compare God’s plan for you to God’s plan for someone else, remember this.

Upon knowing what Jesus had planned for Peter’s life, Peter looked at the disciple whom Jesus loved and said, “But Lord, what about this man?”

It’s human nature to compare.

Peter likely wanted to know how God’s plan for his death—one of surrender and powerlessness—would fare against someone else’s.

But Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” (John 21:18-21)

Look upon God’s plan for your life without comparing it to God’s plan for anyone else.

God loves all of us dearly, and He wants the very best for every one of us – however that looks.

Because His love for you stands, no matter the path God has planned for you.

The path God has planned for someone else does not change His love for you either.

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