let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

Jeremiah was willing to stand and speak the word of the Lord to a hard-hearted and rebellious people with courage. Upon prophesying his heart out to the leaders of Judah in the temple hoping they would repent, they wanted him dead. They were far from repenting and turning back to God.

Jeremiah's response was, “As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you. But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” (Jeremiah 26:14-15)

The only way that Jeremiah could have stood in this place with such courage and surrender was because He knew deeply the God he served. He truly and deeply knew God and was desiring to lead others to turn their hearts toward Him and follow Him too.

Jeremiah tells the Lord when he was under immense persecution in Jeremiah 18:20, “Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.”

Jesus suffered this same rejection and persecution. One article notes about Him, “Jesus faced opposition as He tried to influence the existing leadership system. Where did He find the stamina to keep going? He kept His eyes on the goal and maintained a close relationship with the Father.”

Jeremiah was leading his friend and scribe Baruch to this same place of knowing and trusting God in speaking forth His words in the face of opposition. Baruch wrote down the words of Jeremiah on a scroll. Then Jeremiah sent him forth to read the scroll to all the princes and people. (Jeremiah 36)

Baruch then came back after the king burned the scroll and Jeremiah sent him back again to the king to confront him and pronounce doom and judgment against him for failing to heed the word of God. (Jer. 44:28-32)

Jeremiah then encourages Baruch who was feeling faint. Jeremiah tells him in Jer. 45:2-5, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:

'You said, 'Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.'

Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the Lord:

'Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,' says the Lord. 'But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.''”

What God was giving Baruch was the same as he was giving Jeremiah – His friendship. He was given the opportunity to share His heart and share in bringing about His greater purposes. What he gets from God is a promise not that he will have riches or significance in the world for stepping up, but that his life will be spared in the places he is sent.

Both Jeremiah and Baruch were coming to know the Lord in deeper and more meaningful ways by being willing to say yes to the Lord's purposes. They were not gaining the world, but through their suffering and living out in obedience, they were gaining a greater depth in their friendship with the Lord.

Jeremiah could so clearly reflect the words and will of the Lord because he so deeply knew God for himself. It was not in being spared difficulties that he came to know God this way but because he had learned to walk through fires. God was training, growing and revealing Himself to both Jeremiah and Baruch through their trials and suffering.

Jeremiah prophesies out of a heart that truly knows in Jer. 9:23-24,

“'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,

Let not the mighty man glory in his might,

Nor let the rich man glory in his riches,

but let him who glories glory in this,

That he understands and knows Me,

That I am the Lord, exercising

lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.

For in these I delight,' says the Lord.”

God was angry with the false prophets who did not really know the Lord. What they knew was ease and their own prosperity. They had learned to say what people wanted to hear so they could be affirmed. Rather than hearing from God themselves, they were repeating what they heard others prophesy.

The Lord says to these in Jeremiah 23:30-32, “'Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,' says the Lord, 'who steal My words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, 'who use their tongues and say, 'He says.' Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,' says the Lord.”

What was happening to the people is that they were moving towards the dictates of their own heart rather than knowing the Lord. They believed that being a part of the temple of the Lord was what saved them (Jer. 7:4). They had become proud and self sufficient and they lacked any real knowledge or love for the Lord. They forgot the first commandment and were living in emptiness without realizing it.

The Lord longed to draw them back and make them His people again. Jeremiah 13:8-11 the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Thus says the Lord: 'In this manner I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing. For as the sash clings to the waste of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,' says the Lord, 'that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.'”

Because of their emptiness and lack of love for the Lord, the fruit in the people's lives reflected this. They lacked love for their neighbor and care for the poor. (Jer. 7:5-7). And they were headed towards greater and greater lack in their lives. They were calling forth eventual desolation and plagues upon themselves.

Jeremiah 19:8-9 the Lord proclaims, “I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and his because of all its plagues. And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the desperation with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair.”

This is part of the curse that the Lord says will come upon the people for breaking covenant in Deuteronomy 28:53-57. In Deuteronomy 29:22 -28 Moses prophesies that time would come where the people would be driven out of their land and experience the curses because of their unfaithfulness.

I would take “eating the flesh of one's children” as more symbolic such as is sometimes used in the prophets and apocalyptic scriptures. To “eat” is ʾakal, H398, and means to devour, consume or oppress.

Makes me think of parents consuming and oppressing their children with their words rather than building them up and speaking life to them. Perhaps even where a parent expects perfection in their children and then is constantly pointing out what is wrong with them. Under constant criticism, children are diminished.

Often what is driving this behavior in a parent is that the parent feels bad about themselves. They are critical of themselves and they see themselves in their child so they then turn with the same criticisms on their child that they dislike about themselves. Their perfectionism in themselves comes out by trying to control and make perfect their children.

The word “friend” used in Jeremiah 18:8-9 is the Hebrew word rea˓, H7453 and it means intimate companion or someone who is family or like family. It could be a longstanding friend or even a spouse. [1]

In the same way one can devour and oppress children by constant criticisms, one could do the same to their friends or spouse. They can diminish them by their words and constant criticism. The bible warns in Proverbs about a “nagging wife.” To nag is to “annoy by constant scolding, complaining, urging, tormenting persistently, as with pain, and to find fault constantly.” [2]

The scripture in Jeremiah speaks of one feeling forced to consume and devour their child and friend because of their own lack and hunger. There is such barrenness and famine that they turn on their own children as sustenance for themselves. Jeremiah speaks of a place of desperation and despair.

It was “because the people abandoned the covenant of the Lord” and “went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them” that they came to this place of lack.

The unfaithfulness was all the way through Judah, starting with the king. As demonstrated over and over in the bible, the hearts of those in leadership can have a tremendous impact on the people. Proverbs 29:2 says, “As the righteous grow powerful, people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, people groan.”

Jeremiah confronted the king at the time. This king was looking to build himself up and gain luxuries for himself at the expense of the people. Rather, God would have him look for what he had to contribute to others rather than use his power to take from them and drive them.

Jeremiah confronts the king and prophesies judgment against him in Jeremiah 22:13-15: “'Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?' says the Lord. 'Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence.'”

Whenever we are coveting something in our hearts it is going to draw us toward using and manipulating the people around us to obtain gain for ourselves. For instance, if it is money that we covet, we may make our co-worker look bad in order to get ahead. If it is appreciation, we may struggle with envy if someone else is appreciated over us. We do not seek their benefit and may even secretly hope or try to make them look bad.

Somewhere in our thinking, we think that whatever it is that we covet is going to be a source of life for us. That it would provide the security, happiness, and/or inner fulfillment that we long to have.

What we find out though is that it never fills or satisfies us. It actually is a source of torment.

The verse in Jeremiah 19:8-9 also speaks of torment as it says, 'their enemies and those who seek their lives shall drive them to despair.'

I once had a dream about someone who I knew that was very driven. They seemed really stuck and couldn't get out of wanting to appease those they served. This person worked really hard at it but never could seem to get there – fulfilled by or achieve their objective they strove so hard for.

In my dream, there was this big black bird that was tormenting them. The bird continually harassed them. Then eventually they got away from this bird for a season and had freedom. Ultimately, they gained total freedom from this tormenting bird.

I think that coveting can be a form of torment. We think 'getting there' is always right around the corner but we never make it. Some people sacrifice their marriage, family, and friendships just to make it 'there.' Some devour their own children, pushing them out of the way or using them to obtain what they want. Even if they do get 'there', such as getting into a job they want, then they feel they have to always strive to protect it.

Just as we can taste of eternity now by walking and talking with God in the garden of our lives, I believe we can also taste of hell now. We can experience and know torment in our lives by endless striving after something that really doesn't matter at all. We can devour all around us to obtain something only to find it leaves us empty and unfulfilled.

The resulting curse of eating the flesh of one's children and friends (using and diminishing those we are called to care for) is is opposite of the restoration that God's kingdom brings under God's covenant.

Malachi 4:5-6 the Lord speaks, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."

God's kingdom coming forth is evident by the restoration that it brings. God has promised that before He returns He will send the Spirit and power of Elijah to bring restoration. This restoration will turn families heart's towards each other. Rather than criticizing or tearing each other down, families will be places of peace and restoration.

The word 'children' used in Malichi is ben, H1121, can specifically mean children but also refers to 'descendants' in general. It can also refer to the hearts of the younger and older generations turning towards each other. [3]

When restoration and revival come, it reverses the curse and brings forth a different way of living. This was clear in Acts when the Spirit was poured out and people began to come together in community, sharing among themselves all that they owned and going house to house breaking bread.

Rather than tearing other's down and competing with each other, when God brings his restoration, people do righteousness and justice, building each other up and making room for others. They stop striving toward their own interests and look at how they can prefer and build up others around them. They complete each other, becoming the body of Christ – joining together in unity and oneness.

Just as the curse of devouring of one's “children” (used loosely here) is evident in some countries where the leaders are known for “covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, and practicing oppression and violence” like in the days of Jeremiah, God can bring this kind of restoration to whole countries.

Jeremiah prophesied God's judgment and purposes over entire nations of people. An entire nation can transformed by the power of God. He can bring whole countries from places of complete desolation into places of restoration.

There will come a time before His full return that God may transform entire nations from places of poverty and corruption where the people suffer tremendously, to places of restoration. Where hearts are turned toward each other in unity with a desire to build each other up rather than to seek their own individual gain.

Leadership can have a huge influence on the land and the people moving towards the curse and desolation or towards His kingdom coming forth and restoration. He can change leadership and turn the hearts of those in charge away from corruption and seeking their own gain to desiring the best for the people.

It is not the style of leadership that it used that matters most, but that the leaders are seeking the best for the people they serve. I recently heard a TED Talk where China, a communist country, was showing amazing success, but it was based upon the sacrifice and servanthood of leadership. By the leadership not coveting and seeking their own gain but being servants, the people were benefiting greatly. 

Lord, we long to see more of Your kingdom come.  Bring your restoration in greater measure both to our land and in the land of those who are suffering in desolation.   In these latter days, I would love to see entire nations turn from poverty, oppression, abuse, and fighting to places of peace and restoration.

1. Strong, James: The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996, S.

2. Nag. Free Dictionary Definition.  Located at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nag.  Last Accessed: 8/13/13.

3. Strong, James: The New Strong's Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996, S.