Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Jeremiah 12:16

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Jeremiah’s complaint; God’s answer (12:1-17)

As he thinks back on the treachery of the people of Anathoth, Jeremiah is prompted to complain to God. Innocent people suffer, whereas wicked people live at ease. Why is it, he asks, that God allows the wicked to prosper? God gives them life and food, and they grow fat and prosperous, though their hearts are far from God (12:1-2). Jeremiah, by contrast, remains true to God, yet he suffers. Indeed, the whole land suffers because of the sins of people who are arrogant and evil. Jeremiah wishes they could all be destroyed (3-4).
In reply God rebukes his servant with some challenging questions. If he is discouraged by the comparatively small opposition of the people of his home town, how will he overcome the far greater opposition that he will face from the nation at large? If he is running from the opposition of a few friends and relatives, how will he survive when he faces a jungle of wild animals (5-6)?
God then assures Jeremiah that there is justice, and in God’s time the wicked will be punished. Judah may be compared to God’s household and God’s beloved, but she has fought against God like a wild beast or a killer bird. God will therefore use other ‘wild beasts’ and ‘wild birds’ (enemy nations) to devour her (7-9). In another picture, Judah is likened to God’s vineyard. But the leaders of the nation have trampled down his vineyard, and the enemy will now come in and destroy it completely. Judah will reap the fruits of her sin (10-13).

Not only Judah will be conquered, but also the neighbouring nations. They took advantage of Judah’s weakened position to carry out raids against it (cf. 2 Kings 24:1-2), but they themselves will now be raided. Like Judah, they will go into captivity in Babylon (14). However, if any of these conquered nations renounces Baal and swears allegiance to Yahweh, then, like Judah, it will be brought back to its homeland (15-17).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

THE RETURN OF CAPTIVES, JUDGMENT OF NEIGHBORS

“Thus saith Jehovah against all mine evil neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them; and I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, as Jehovah liveth; even as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built up in the midst of my people. But if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith Jehovah.”

God’s neighbors mentioned in Jeremiah 12:1 were identified by Dummelow as “The Syrians, Edomites, and Moabites.”J. R. Dummelow’s Commentary, p. 465. The promise that upon the condition of their repentance and conversion that they would be built up in the midst of God’s people (Jeremiah 12:16) was, in fact, to be the privilege of all pagan nations under the reign of the Messiah, an event definitely foreshadowed here by this mention of Gentiles becoming God’s children in the midst of his people, which under the New Israel would be composed of people of “every nation and tribe and tongue and people” (Revelation 14:6).

The promise of this last paragraph “is Messianic”;C. F. Keil, Keil-Delitzsch’s Old Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 229. but it should be noted that all of the promised blessings of God, whether to the “righteous remnant” destined to return from Babylon, or to the Gentiles who in the future will be “in the midst of” God’s people, are absolutely conditional.

“If they will diligently learn the ways of God’s people... then shall they be built up in the midst of my people… if they will not hear… then will I pluck up, etc.” Thus it is stated both negatively and positively. There is no such thing, nor has there ever been, nor shall there ever be any such as the blessing of God which does not meet the condition set forth here.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The accomplishment of this blessing depends upon both Judah and the Gentiles reversing their past conduct. Then shall the believing Gentile be admitted within the fold of the true, because spiritual, Israel - Christ’s Church.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

We see that this refers to the Gentiles, who were previously aliens to the grace of God; nay, they entertained the most dire hatred towards his chosen people. In short, God declares that he would be merciful and propitious to these miserable nations, of whose salvation no hope was entertained, for they had been rejected by him, and they had oftell and long, and in various ways, provoked his vengeance; and though he speaks of neighbors, as we have seen, yet this prediction belongs generally to the whole world, and was at length fulfined in the call of the Gentiles; for God then gathered a Church indiscriminately both from the Jews and the Gentiles.

But a condition is here laid down — If the Gentiles, who had hitherto opposed the true worship of God, received his law. We indeed know how much hated was true religion, especially by the neighboring nations; for their hatred was increased, because they saw that their superstitions were condenmed by this one people. As then they had been greatly incensed against God and the pure doctrine of his law, he now requires a change in them; If they will learn, he says, the ways of my people By the ways of his people he understands what he had commanded. The people of Israel had indeed often departed from true religion; but God here refers to himself rather than to their perverse conduct, for the law had not been abolished by the wickedness and ingratitude of his people. We hence see that, by the ways of his people, we are not to understand those glosses which the Jews had devised, but the law itself, which God had delivered to them. The authority of men, therefore, cannot be hence established, as though they had power to frame a religion for themselves; but God means only that by his good pleasure alone the Jews had been taught what was right. In short, Jeremiah understands the ways of the people passively, not those which the people had contrived for themselves, but such as they had received from above.

It is then added, That they may swear in my name The expression is a part for the whole, for in it is included the whole worship and service of God. Swearing, as we have said elsewhere, is a part of God’s worship and of true religion, for we profess that we ourselves and our life are in God’s hand when we swear by his name; and we also refer judgment to him, and own that he is really God, inasmuch as he knows our hearts and judges of hidden things. All these things are included in swearing. It is therefore no wonder that, in this place and in many other places, the whole of religion is designated by this expression, according to what is said elsewhere,

“Swear shall they all in my name, Live do I, saith Jehovah; to me shall bend every knee, and by me shall every tongue swear.”
(Isaiah 45:23)

And as by the altar, in another place, is meant the worship of God, so here by swearing. The meaning is, — that if the Gentiles became so changed as to submit their neck to the yoke of the law, and allow themselves to be ruled by God, they would be made partakers of the mercy which the Jews had before enjoyed.

Then follows the common form of swearing, Live does Jehovah So the Scripture speaks everywhere; and by these words men do not merely testify that they swear by the life of God, but they also ascribe eternity to him, as though it was said, “God alone exists:” for no life is anywhere to be found but in God. Men, indeed, and brute animals, and even trees, are said to live; but in trees there is only vigor without the senses, in brutes the senses without reason and understanding; but in men the life is light; yet they live not by or of themselves, but they derive life from God, according to what we see on the earth, on which light shines; but we know that there is really no light where we dwell but what descends and is conveyed to us by the rays of the sun. In the same manner it may be said that life dwells in men, being conveyed to them by the hidden power of God. Nor do angels, properly speaking, live of themselves. We hence see the meaning of the words, Live does Jehovah The eternity of God is hereby set forth; he is also owned as the Judge of the world; and further, whatever he claims for himself, men thus testify that it is justly and by right his due.

It afterwards follows, As they taught my people to swear by Baal The corruptions of heathens had greatly prevailed among the chosen people; and the greater part, when they saw that the nations prospered, had cast aside every care for true worship and sincere religion. As then the Jews had been so much given to the superstitions of the heathens, the Prophet says, speaking in God’s name, — “If the Gentiles, who have hitherto taught my people to swear by Baal, who have drawn them away to their own idolatries and fictitious and false forms of worship, begin now to swear by my name, faithfully to worship me alone, they shall be built in the midst of my people.” The metaphor of building is very common; but in this place God intimates no more than that the Gentiles would become a part of his flock, when they cast away their superstitions, and embraced the pure worship prescribed in the law. Nor is this to be applied to any particular place, as some have frigidly explained it, but “in the midst of the people,” is the same as though he had said, — “I will count those nations my people, as a part of my Church,” according to what is said in the Psalms, — that though the Tyrians and Sidonians, and Egyptians, and others who had been hostile nations, were born here and there, yet they would boast that they were all born at Jerusalem when God owned them as members of his own people. (Psalms 138:3) ⁽⁶⁹⁾ It follows —

(69) The verb למד, to learn, in this verse, has evidently two meanings, as “learn” has in old English. In the first instance, — “If they will learn the ways of my people,” it means what is commonly understood by the term; but, in the second instance, — “As they have learned my people,” it signifies to teach Jeremiah Though in English the word is not now used in this sense, yet in Welsh the word still continues to have this double meaning; and the same word, “(lang. cy) dysgu,” is used in these two clauses, according to what is done in Hebrew.

There is here a clear instance of ו being rendered “then,” and it cannot be rendered othersise, — “If learning they will learn, etc., then shall they be built up,” etc. In the first clause there is also a striking correspondence between the Welsh and the אם, — “(lang. cy) Os gan ddysgu y dysgant.” — Ed

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 12

Now Jeremiah goes on and he is talking now about the situation, the wicked man Jehoahaz that is in power. And he begins by saying,

Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee ( Jeremiah 12:1 ):

Starting from a base, from a foundation that is very important. Know this, that God is righteous and God is fair. Now, I will not always understand the righteousness of God or the justice or the judgment of God. You see, as a Christian we have problems. Because I believe that God is righteous, because I believe that God is love, I have difficulty understanding a lot of things that are happening in the world. Because it seems that if God is a God of love, then why would He allow these things to take place? If God is a fair God, if He is just, then why is it that wicked people oftentimes prosper, have great prosperity. And so many times good, righteous people are hurting, suffering. Now if I were God, I would bless all the righteous people and really put the thumb on the wicked, you know. But that would be because I'm stupid. Because then how would I really know that they loved me for me? They might just be, you know, mouthing words because they don't want the thumb to squash them out. If all righteous people were just blessed, had a great prosperity and everything else, then Satan could as he did with Job say, "Hey, does Job serve You for nothing? Look at the way You blessed that fellow. Why, anybody would serve You if You bless them like that. You don't know that Job really loves You. You don't know that Job is really faithful. He's a mercenary. He's just got good sense. The way You blessed him, he's just worshipping and praising You because of the prosperity You've given to the guy."

I was talking with a fellow the other day, very wealthy man. We were having lunch together and he was telling me of his difficulties. The difficulty lay in the fact that he was going with different young ladies but he really didn't know if they really loved him or not. He said he felt that he needed to go somewhere off somewhere and put on jeans and to put aside his fancy cars and yachts and everything else because he was looking for a woman who loved him, not his checkbook. And he said, "I really don't know." He said, "They all know me, they know who I am. They know what I've got. And so I don't know when they come smiling to me and making conversation if they are really interested in me or interested in my pocketbook, my checkbook."

Well, that would be a difficult problem. And it would be the same problem God would have if He cursed all the wicked and blessed all of the righteous. He wouldn't know if you really loved Him or not. But when here I'm seeking to live a good life and things go bad and I still love Him, I don't turn on Him and curse Him because things are suddenly going downhill and I made a foolish mistake and all and I say, "Oh God," and I begin to curse God. Then you see, He would know. So God lets me go through the fire and I still worship and praise the Lord. Say, "All right, you know, I still love You, Lord. I don't love You because I've been blessed. I just love You because I love You, because of You. Not because of Your blessings or whatever You've done. God, I just love You because You're You." And God knows that. When we in our adversities continue in our devotion and love to Him. So God allows us our adversity. God allows us problems. God allows us suffering. And He allows the wicked to prosper, because He doesn't want mercenaries. He doesn't want people just worshipping Him because of the fringe benefits, but because of Him Himself.

So Jeremiah is wrestling with this. "God, I know You're righteous. It's not a question of that. I'm not challenging." Now the mistakes that people often make is that they do challenge God. When they say, "If God is a God of love why does God... ?" And that's challenging God. If you come and say, "Now God, I know that You're a God of love, but I sure don't understand, you know, if You love me why You've allowed this to happen to me." That's all right, God accepts that. Just as long as you're not challenging His love for you. You can surely challenge the circumstances of your life. I mean, you can ask God why things are happening to you. "God, I know You love me. But Lord, why is this happening in my life? Why are things going wrong? Why?" And it may be that God will show you something that is not quite right that He's trying to correct. But it's wrong to challenge God. "I don't think God loves me."

You know, in Job in all that transpired against him, it said, "He did not curse God or charge God foolishly." Now many times you may not curse God but you may charge God foolishly. You may make foolish charges against God. And we've got to be careful about that, that we don't really charge God. "Well, God doesn't love me. I know He doesn't love me because look what's happened."

So God, I know You're righteous. No problem there.

but I want to talk to You about Your judgments, God: why do wicked men prosper? why are they so happy who deal so treacherously? [For it seems that] you have planted them, they've taken root: they grow, they're bringing forth fruit: you're near to their mouth, but you're far from their reins ( Jeremiah 12:1-2 ).

So Jehoahaz comes in on the throne, a wicked man. And it seems that he's been planted on the throne. "God, I don't understand it. Here is a good, righteous man Josiah. He's wiped out and you let this wicked Jehoahaz come upon the throne. He talks about God, but his life is not at all submitted. You're near to their mouth but far from the control center of their life."

But LORD, You know me: you've seen me, you've tried my heart toward thee ( Jeremiah 12:3 ):

Now, that's something that we can all say, "God, You know me. God, You've seen me." You remember in the messages of Jesus to His churches there in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. In each case He said, "I know thy works." "God, You know me. God, You've seen me. And God, You have tried my heart." And God does try our hearts. God does test the lot.

Now earlier in verse Jeremiah 11:19 of the previous chapter, Jeremiah said, "I was like an ox or a lamb that is being brought to the slaughter. Here I am, I love You, Lord, serving You, Lord; saying Your word, Lord, and I've become like a lamb that they're ready to kill. They told me if I prophesy anymore in Your name they're going to kill me. Now Lord, here's this wicked guy. Now set him up for slaughter. Not me."

prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long shall the land mourn, and the vegetables of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that are dwelling therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end ( Jeremiah 12:3-4 ).

They've ignored God. They've shut God out of their lives. God responds to him. "You think it's tough now? It's only going to get tougher, man."

And if you have run with the footmen ( Jeremiah 12:5 ),

If you got in a race with the footmen.

and they have wearied you ( Jeremiah 12:5 ),

How in the world are you going to race with horses? How, if you've been weary in these little things, how, what are you going to do when it really gets tough?

I do believe, I do know that things are going to get much, much tougher before they get better. I do think that our whole society has peaked as far as our standard of living, culture and all. I think that we have peaked and are on the way down. We cannot continue to use up the energy resources as we have in the past. We're going to have to start making sacrifices as far as our energy consumption is concerned. We are not producing enough food to feed the hungry world. And as more people get hungry, more demands are going to be made upon our food supplies. And we cannot ignore the Third World and its tremendous needs. And whether we like it or not, demands are going to be made upon us that are going to call for greater sacrifices and in the high standard that we've come to expect and to enjoy is over and we're on the way down. We're not going to be able to just go on forever gobbling up thirty-seven percent of the world's energy resources, because we're only six percent of the people. And it's over. The holiday, the picnic is over. Things are going to start getting tougher and they're going to get much tougher before they get better.

Now if you've run with the footmen and they have wearied you, what are you going to do when you start racing against horses? If on the level ground you've become tired, how are you going to run through the marshes of Jordan?

Now God doesn't really answer the question, "Lord, why do the wicked prosper and here I am a righteous man and they threaten to kill me? Lord, how come?" God doesn't answer. He just says, "Hey, it's not tough yet, Jeremiah. It's going to really get tough. What are you going to do then?"

Now God acknowledged that Jeremiah had been running. "You've been running with the footmen. You've been doing it." How have you been doing that? You've been doing it with the strength and the guidance of the Lord. And that strength and guidance that you've had in the past is the same way that you're going to be contending with horses. You've got to trust in the Lord. Now God has got all of us in training. The Bible says, "You are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto the good works, that God has before ordained that you should fulfill" ( Ephesians 2:10 ). God has each of us in training as He is preparing us for the future. God always prepares His children for whatever they will be facing. And God knows what you're going to be facing in the future and thus God has been training you to prepare you for it, because He'll never take you into anything by great shock and surprise. He'll never bring you to any place but what He hasn't already prepared you for that place. But I'll go one further. He's also prepared that place for you.

To the children of Israel after the wilderness experience He said, "Everywhere you pitched your tent I went before you and prepared the places for you to pitch your tent." I love that. God's gone before me, prepared every place for me to pitch my tent. I never arrive at any place but what God has not preceded me there and fixed it all up just for me. But He's also been working in me to prepare me for that place. So God is working in each of us, preparing us for the more difficult days that are to come. Teaching us to rely on Him. Teaching us to trust in Him. Teaching us the lessons of faith. Teaching us to know that God will not fail us. God will see us through. No matter what may come, the Lord will be with me and will help me. And He's been teaching me and training me because one of these days I'm going to be running with the horses. But if I haven't been running with the footmen I'll never be able to run with the horses. So God is working in your lives. So these little trials and testings that you're going through, they're all a part of God's work in His preparation of your life for things in the future that will be yet even more difficult than what we have experienced in the past.

So this is God's response to Jeremiah. The nation is going downhill. Jeremiah can see that the nation is going downhill and wicked men are in control and guiding it downhill. "God, why have You allowed the wicked to prosper? Why have You allowed the wicked to take over and to guide the people in this way of destruction?" And God just says, "Hey, fasten your seatbelt, man. It's going to really get tough. You've been running with the footmen. They weary you. But hey, you're soon going to be racing with the horses. You're just going to have to trust in Me. You're just going to have to hold on. I will see you through. I'll bring you through it, but you're going to have to have complete trust and reliance on Me."

For [Jeremiah] even your brothers, from the house of your father ( Jeremiah 12:6 ),

Your own brothers, flesh and blood.

even they have dealt treacherously with you; they have called a multitude after you: so don't believe them, though they speak fair words unto you ( Jeremiah 12:6 ).

Though they come and say, "Oh, Jeremiah, what a neat brother, you know." Don't believe them. They're conspiring against you.

God now declares concerning the nation Israel,

I have forsaken mine house, I have left my heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies ( Jeremiah 12:7 ).

Now notice how God still talks of Israel, "the dearly beloved of my soul." God still loves them. You remember the rich, young ruler that came to Jesus and said, "What do I have to do to inherit age-abiding life?" Jesus said, "Keep the commandments." He says, "Which one?" Jesus talked to him about the commandments that dealt with his relationship with his fellow men. And he said, "I've kept all these from my youth. What I lack yet?" Jesus said, "If you want to be perfect, go and take your goods and sell them and distribute them among the poor, your wealth. And then come and follow Me." And it said he went away sad because he had great riches. Now you thought that if you had great riches you'd be very happy. Here's a case where great riches made a man very sad. But it says Jesus looked upon him and loved him. This guy had a quality that was admirable. It drew out love from Jesus as He saw the sincerity in the guy's heart. Jesus looked upon him and loved him. But the guy couldn't pay the price. He went away sad. No sadder than Jesus, because Jesus loved him. And He speaks of the people though they have forsaken, though they are going down the tubes, though they have turned their back on God, God still calls them "the beloved of my soul." Oh, how great is God's love.

My heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it cries out against me: therefore have I hated it. My heritage is unto me as a speckled bird ( Jeremiah 12:8-9 ),

Now as a... birds or hens are very mean. If you have a chick that is deformed in some way or looks different, they'll peck it to death. That's where the term henpecking came from, not from wives, but from chickens. That a bird that is odd, they'll peck the thing to death. And so here, a speckled bird would be pecked by the other birds. And God says Israel has become like a speckled bird.

the birds round about are against her; come and assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. For many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness ( Jeremiah 12:9-10 ).

The shepherds have destroyed. I think today of how many men who take the title Pastor who are really destroying the fields, the flock of God, leading them astray.

They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourns unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart ( Jeremiah 12:11 ).

I think that one of the greatest problems that we're facing today is that we are living in a desperate world. Things are really getting desperate. Look at the moral situation of our country. Look at the moral climate. It's getting desperate. Look at the economic situation. It's getting desperate. Look at the international situation. It's getting desperate. Look at this tremendous arms race, getting desperate. But God's people aren't desperate. I think the time has come when we really need to take it to heart and get desperate before the Lord. When we need to really gather together more and more. Assemble for prayer that God will send a revival that will really stir the nation at its very core, at its very heart, because we're going down the tubes fast. But no one's laying it to heart and God said this is the problem. Things are going down but no one's really laying it to heart. We say, "Oh my, isn't that horrible?" And that's it. We're not really getting desperate before God over the situation. No man is really laying it to heart.

The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: and no flesh shall have peace. They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD against all my evil neighbors, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck them out the house of Judah from among them. And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, saying, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people ( Jeremiah 12:12-16 ).

Now God promises He's going to take them out of the land. They're going to be out. Further on in Jeremiah he predicts that it will be for seventy years that they'll be out of the land. But God said,

But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation ( Jeremiah 12:17 ),

If they come back and obey Me, then we'll set things up. But if not, then I'm going to destroy them.

"

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Death or life for Israel’s neighbors 12:14-17

This prophecy about Israel’s neighbors anticipates chapters 46-51, which contain oracles against Gentile nations.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

If these neighbors came to trust and worship Yahweh (cf. Genesis 31:51-53), as they had formerly taught the Judahites to trust in Baal, the Lord would accept them (cf. Ruth).

"At the same time, there is no concession to the old ways or the old gods-in our modern terms, to religious pluralism" [Note: Kidner, p. 62.]

Jeremiah 12:15-16 will find fulfillment in the Millennium (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; Zechariah 14:16; Romans 11:15).

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people,.... Not their evil ways of sin or superstition, they sometimes stray into; but the ways which God has prescribed to them, and has directed them to walk in, and in which they do walk; and which are to be learned of the Lord, by a diligent attendance with his people on his word and ordinances; see Isaiah 2:3:

to swear by my name, the Lord liveth; that is, to worship and serve the living God, a self-existent Being, who has life in himself, and of himself, and not another; and is the fountain, author, and giver of natural life to all creatures, and spiritual and eternal life to his true worshippers: swearing is here put for the whole of religious worship, as in Deuteronomy 6:13:

(as they taught my people to swear by Baal;) to worship him, and other idols:

then shall they be built in the midst of my people; become part of the spiritual building the church; being laid upon the same foundation of the apostles and prophets, and built up a holy temple; a spiritual house for the Lord to dwell in; partaking of the same privileges and ordinances as the people of God; being fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the Gospel, Ephesians 2:20, it denotes the settlement and establishment of the Gentiles with the Jews in a Gospel church state. So the Targum,

"and they shall be established in the midst of my people.''

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      14 Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.   15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.   16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.   17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.

      The prophets sometimes, in God's name, delivered messages both of judgment and mercy to the nations that bordered on the land of Israel: but here is a message to all those in general who had in their turns been one way or other injurious to God's people, had either oppressed them or triumphed in their being oppressed. Observe,

      I. What the quarrel was that God had with them. They were his evil neighbours (Jeremiah 12:14; Jeremiah 12:14), evil neighbours to his church, and what they did against it he took as done against himself, and therefore called them his evil neighbours, that should have been neighbourly to Israel, but were quite otherwise. Note, It is often the lot of good people to live among bad neighbours, that are unkind and provoking to them; and it is bad indeed when they are all so. These evil neighbours were the Moabites, Ammonites Syrians, Edomites, Egyptians, that had been evil neighbours to Israel in helping to debauch them and draw them from God (therefore God calls them his evil neighbours), and now they helped to make them desolate, and joined with the Chaldeans against them. It is just with God to make those the instruments of trouble to us whom we have made instruments of sin. That which God lays to their charge is: They have meddled with the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; they unjustly seized that which was none of their own: nay, they sacrilegiously turned that to their own use which was given to God's peculiar people. He that said, Touch not my anointed, said also, "Touch not their inheritance; it is at your peril if you do." Not only the persons but the estates of God's people are under his protection.

      II. What course he would take with them. 1. He would break the power they had got over his people, and force them to make restitution: I will pluck out the house of Judah from among them. This would be a great favour to God's people, who had either been taken captive by them, or, when they fled to them for shelter, had been detained and made prisoners; but it would be a great mortification to their enemies, who would be like a lion disappointed of his prey. The house of Judah either cannot or will not make any bold struggles towards their own liberty; but God will with a gracious violence pluck them out, will by his Spirit compel them to come out and by his power compel their task-masters to let them go, as he plucked Israel out of Egypt. 2. He would bring upon them the same calamities that they had been instrumental to bring upon his people: I will pluck them out of their land. Judgment began at the house of God, but it did not end there. Nebuchadnezzar, when he had wasted the land of Israel, turned his hand against their evil neighbours and was a scourge to them.

      III. What mercy God had in store for such of them as would join themselves to him and become his people, Jeremiah 12:15; Jeremiah 12:16. They had drawn in God's backsliding people to join with them in the service of idols. If now they would be drawn by a returning people to join with them in the service of the true and living God, they should not only have their enmity to the people of God forgiven them, but the distance which they had been kept at before should be removed, and they should be received to stand upon the same level with the Israel of God. This had its accomplishment in part when, after the return out of captivity, many of the people of the lands that had been evil neighbours to Israel became Jews; and it was to have its accomplishment in the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ. Let not Israel, though injured by them, be implacable towards them, for God is not: After that I have plucked them out, in justice for their sins and in jealousy for the honour of Israel, I will return, will change my way, and have compassion on them. Though, being heathen, they can lay no claim to the mercies of the covenant, yet they shall have benefit by the compassions of the Creator, who will notwithstanding look upon them as the work of his hands. Note, God's controversies with his creatures, though they cannot be disputed, may be accommodated. Those who (as these) have been not only strangers, but enemies in their minds by wicked works, may be reconciled,Colossians 1:21. Observe here,

      1. What were the terms on which God would show favour to them. It is always provided that they will diligently learn the ways of my people, that is, in general, the ways that they walk in when they conduct themselves as my people (not the crooked ways into which they have turned aside), the ways which my people are directed to take. Note, (1.) There are good ways that are peculiarly the ways of God's people, which however they may differ in the choice of their paths, they are all agreed to walk in. The ways of holiness and heavenly-mindedness, of love and peaceableness, the ways of prayer and sabbath-sanctification, and diligent attendance on instituted ordinances--these, and the like, are the ways of God's people. (2.) Those that would have their lot with God's people, and their last end like theirs, must learn their ways and walk in them, must observe the rule they walk by and conform to that rule they walk by and conform to that rule and go forth by those footsteps. By an intimate conversation with God's people they must learn to do as they do. (3.) It is impossible to learn the ways of God's people as they should be learnt, without a great deal of care and pains. We must diligently observe these ways and diligently obliges ourselves to walk in them, must look diligently (Hebrews 12:15), and work diligently, Luke 13:24. In particular, they must learn to give honour to God's name by making all their solemn appeals to him. They must learn to say, The Lord liveth (to own him, to adore him, and to abide by his judgment), as they taught my people to swear by Baal. It was bad enough that they did themselves swear by Baal, worse that they taught God's own people, who had been better taught; and yet, if they will at length reform, they shall be accepted. Observe, [1.] We must not despair of the conversion of the worst; no, not of those who have been instrumental to pervert and debauch others; even they may be brought to repentance, and, if they be, shall find mercy. [2.] Those whom we have been industrious to draw to that which is evil, when God opens their eyes and ours, we should be as industrious to follow in that which is good. It will be a holy revenge upon ourselves to become pupils to those in the way of duty to whom we have been tutors in the was of sin. [3.] The conversion of the deceived may prove a happy occasion of the conversion even of the deceivers. Thus those who fall together into the ditch are sometimes plucked together out of it.

      2. What should be the tokens and fruits of this favour when they return to God and God to them. (1.) They shall be restored to and re-established in their own land (Jeremiah 12:15; Jeremiah 12:15): I will bring them again every man to his heritage. The same hand that plucked them up shall plant them again. (2.) They shall become entitled to the spiritual privileges of God's Israel: "If they will be towardly, and learn the ways of my people, will conform to the rules and confine themselves to the restraints of my family, then shall they be built in the midst of my people. They shall not only be brought among them, to have a name and a place in the house of the Lord, where there was a court for the Gentiles, but they shall be built among them; they shall unite with them; the former enmities shall be slain; they shall be both edified and settled among them." See Isaiah 56:5-7. Note, Those that diligently learn the ways of God's people shall enjoy the privileges and comforts of his people.

      IV. What should become of those that were still wedded to their own evil ways, yea, though many of those about them turned to the Lord (Jeremiah 12:17; Jeremiah 12:17): If there will not obey, if any of them continue to stand it out, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, that family, that particular person, saith the Lord. Those that will not be ruled by the grace of God shall be ruined by the justice of God. And, if disobedient nations shall be destroyed, much more disobedient churches from whom better things are expected.