We have seen how Jeremiah
responded to the devastation in Judah and Jerusalem, and as he
describes his own reaction, we have seen parallels within Jesus
Christ as He suffered the punishment for our sins. We continue to
look at both of these in chapter three and verse seven where Jeremiah
wrote:
He has hedged me about,
that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy.
The
verse begins, “He has hedged me about, that I cannot get
out:” Jeremiah continued his
description with “He has hedged me about”
which means God “walled him up, walled him off, closed off, built a
wall” around him. It was as though a mason came in and built a
stone wall around Jeremiah so that he “cannot get out”
or “exit, escape, go forth or proceed”. Jeremiah felt impeded by
God as the wall was built around him.
The
verse continues, “he has made my chain heavy.” In
addition to feeling like he was walled in, Jeremiah said “he
has made my chain heavy” which
means “chain of brass” like a slave or prisoner Jeremiah felt
bound and laden with a “weighty, grievous, hard, burdensome and
difficult” “chain”
around him. Not only was he walled in, but he was chained within his
wall.
There
are times in life where we feel walled in and chained. Jesus
certainly knew what this was like as they bound Him, ridiculed Him,
beat Him, and crucified Him. This sense of being shut off and bound
is difficult for us, but imagine for a moment how it was for Jesus
when He cried as He spoke to the Heavenly Father, “My
God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?”
Whenever our circumstances seem to have us walled and chained,
perhaps it will help us to remember Jeremiah's plight, and in doing
so, Jesus' conditions as well.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we
are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
Next
time we see how Jeremiah felt about his prayers, so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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