Jeremiah’s Victorious Vision

The Confessions of Jeremiah, part 3

Jeremiah 17:12-18

In this world of woe and war, we need a victorious vision. As Moses saw Him who was invisible (Hebrews 11:27), Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up sitting on His throne (Isaiah 6:1), the Apostle John saw Jesus glorified (Revelation 1:12-18), so Jeremiah sees the glorious throne of God as His place of ultimate safety. While he endured so many setbacks, Jeremiah could still proclaim, God’s heavenly throne was his victorious vision:

A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12).

Jeremiah was able to endure the chaos of his culture that faced the devastating destruction of a Babylonian invasion, by getting a glimpse of absolute stability, God in His sovereignty on His everlasting throne.

A sanctuary is a place of protection, where no one can follow you, of peace where you can have quietness, and of purity where you are free from the world’s defilement. While this word “sanctuary” is often used to describe man’s temples, Jeremiah sees that the ultimate sanctuary is God’s glorious high throne in heaven itself.

Jeremiah sees God’s throne as glorious, high, and from the beginning.

While Jeremiah’s contemporaries viewed the earthly temple as the ultimate sanctuary that could never be destroyed, Jeremiah knew better. He knew that God would bring judgment to His earthly temple (Jer.7:20), but His glorious high throne in heaven would always remain secure. God’s heavenly throne is the nerve center, the ultimate center, the fixed center, and the eternal center, of the universe. His throne is the ultimate place to experience God’s presence, protection, peace and purity.

With this victorious vision, Jeremiah gives three notes of confidence in His everlasting God.

1. God is on His throne

God was his hope for eternal salvation (Jer.17:13). Jeremiah was confident that God, His fountain of living water, was on His throne. Jeremiah’s name was not written on earth where it would be wiped away, but his name was written in heaven’s Book of Life. When we see and experience our great King on His throne we will always maintain a confident hope of eternal salvation. We know as His people that because God gives sure deliverance over eternal death He also is able to give victory over any earthly trial.

2. God is our Healer

A second note of confidence for Jeremiah was God gave him healing from anguish (Jer. 17:14). Jeremiah faced continual ridicule and mockery from his peers. While he experienced deep discouragement and in pain, he also tasted God’s healing. God on His glorious high throne was Jeremiah’s healing from discouragement, depression, and pain from rejection. God our King is also our healing from backsliding, from lust, from anger, from jealousy, or from pride. Do you need healing today?

3. God is our Help

A final note of confidence was God was His help in ministry (Jer.17:15-18).

Jeremiah confessed three truths to God. First, that he did not run from God’s will and from being God’s shepherd for his people. Second, that he did not take pleasure in the coming judgment. He took no delight in predicting doom and in fact it caused him great weeping and brokenness of heart. Third, Jeremiah only spoke what was right (v.16). This is successful ministry for all those called to serve and speak for God.

Jeremiah passionately called upon God as he lived with the deep burden of Babylon’s coming invasion. While Jeremiah knew that a day of destruction was coming, he also knew he could call upon God, his “hope in the day of evil.” He asked God to not desert him or allow him to be destroyed during the coming assault. Jeremiah honestly asked God to bring his enemies to shame when the word that he proclaimed would be fulfilled. He said, “Let them be confounded that persecute me,” or let them feel the terror of judgment so they will know Your word is true, but Jeremiah asked God to protect him during the great siege of Jerusalem.

In Lamentations 5:19, with the devastation of Jerusalem still fresh in his mind and heart, Jeremiah knew that God was still on His glorious high throne. He wrote, “Thou, O LORD, remainest forever; thy throne from generation to generation.” While Jeremiah was broken hearted at all that happened as God’s earthly temple lay in ashes, but because God was on His throne, Jeremiah knew that His compassions still did not fail and His faithfulness was still great (Lamentations 3:22, 23) Make God’s heavenly throne your ultimate place of safety and peace, and you will victoriously endure the most trying moments of life.

Notes:

(1.) The confessions of Jeremiah can be found in Jer. 11:18-23; 12:1-6; 15:10-12, 15-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-13; 14-18. The first four of these confessions also reveal God’s personal counsel to Jeremiah in his agitated state.

(2.) In each of these confessions, Jeremiah prays for God to bring His vengeance on his adversaries. (11:20; 12:3; 15:15; 17:18; 18:21-22; 20:12).

Matt Recker is the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in New York City.

Click here for Part One and here for Part Two of this series.