Jeremiah’s personal suffering, similar to that of Job, and picturing that of Christ. The pronouns ‘I,’ ‘me,’ and ‘my’ occur several times.

v1-3: Suffering at the hand of God. This has a purpose and, for the faithful man, is limited by God’s mercy. Jeremiah speaks of God as ‘He,’ not wanting to mention His Name.

v4-6: Jeremiah’s physical pain.

v7-9: Life without direction and purpose. His prayers hit walls, and barred doors – God seems not even to hear, let alone answer. God is present, yet absent.

v10-12: Sudden and hard trials; likened to attacks from a bear or a lion (see 1 Sam 17.34-37), or a target for archers.

v13-15: Deep and painful hurts, arrows piercing his heart, bearing ridicule from his own people, enduring mocking chants.

The Lord had also endured much enmity from the people of Israel. See also Is 53.3-4, speaking of Christ’s suffering at the hands of God and men. And see Job 9.18.

v16-18: Jeremiah felt he had lost hope. His past peace and prosperity had gone. He had no memory of good experiences, only of bad.

v19-21: In the midst of his affliction and wandering, his absence of rest, Jeremiah found hope. While we look within we may find a downcast soul, but when we look up to God, we can find hope in Him. Even in the darkest of days, God is with His people.

v22-24: As someone said; ‘Nothing is heavier than one’s head when one is struggling.’ Issiaka Coulibaly (Ivorian theologian). Our hope can only be in the Lord, as in v31-33. We have mercies (plural). He is the unwilling Judge (v33), but the willing Saviour. When there is nothing else, there is God, who gave His Son.

v25-27: The place of true devotion; seek Him, and wait quietly for Him. There is sorrow to bear, for that is the way of life.

v28-30: The yoke of suffering; the attitude of meekness, refusing to retaliate. Christ is our perfect example here, and Jeremiah had to learn that lesson. Sometimes the path that God has for us holds deep pain. We are not to grumble, but to trust.

v31-33: The Lord’s compassion and mercies will return.

v34-36: The God of justice; He is never unfair, and never condones injustice. He sees all wrongdoing. Thus, where His people are the objects of others’ injustice, He will act to deliver His own.

v37-39: The Sovereignty of God; why should any living man complain? See Rom 9.20.

There is a melody of God’s character here; His compassion, His justice, His sovereignty; these are difficult for human minds to reconcile. We may observe that, in some situations, one or other of these characteristics is more dominant. Yet our observation is so often by sight, not faith.

Our confidence is that He is sovereign over our calamities, and our good things. We cannot say that He is only sovereign over some things, and not over all things.

v40-42: The proper response, compare Job 22.21-23; examine our hearts. Our trials may indicate personal sins that we have not confessed and forsaken. We are commanded to examine our ways AND to turn back to the Lord; self-examination must lead us to repentance. It is one thing to identify a sin, it is another to forsake that sin.

v43-45: Slain without pity, see 2.21. God was, apparently, deaf to their prayers. For the Jew, all things, even judgment, came from God Himself. Yet, even in judgment His people find mercy.

Paul uses similar words, “scum and refuse” to describe the apostles, 1 Cor 4.13.

v46-48: Jeremiah’s sorrow, seeing the people suffering. As in his own book, Jeremiah cannot record his people’s pain without responding with real sorrow.

v49-51: Constant prayer until the Lord acknowledges the suffering and, by implication, begins to change their circumstances. This constant pain is further evidence of Jeremiah’s empathy.

v52-54: The unfairness of suffering. So often, the people of Israel suffered the attacks from others ‘without cause.’

v55-57: See Ps 40.1-3; dependent upon God to deliver. Prayer commits the situation to the Lord, teaching us not to rely upon our own strength.

The Lord answered Jeremiah, “Do not fear.” He drew near quickly, fully aware of the prophet’s circumstances.

Jeremiah speaks of his own suffering, when he found no mercy from man, 2 Sam 24.14.

Verse 57 marks the change of pronoun to ‘you,’ perhaps indicating a powerful reconciliation.

v58-60: He looks to the Lord to vindicate him, “you have seen …” The Lord is not ignorant of the suffering we endure, and He sees and knows the whole picture. Jeremiah moves into a prayer of some boldness.

v61-63: The Lord knows what we endure. These are not just the ordinary sufferings of life, but real persecution of a godly and faithful man.

v64-66: Vengeance belongs to the Lord, so we may look to Him to repay.