What scriptural connections exist between Jeremiah 21:2 and other calls for divine intervention? Setting the Scene: Jeremiah 21:2 in Context “Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us according to all His wonderful works, so that he will withdraw from us.” (Jeremiah 21:2) • Spoken by emissaries of King Zedekiah as Babylon closes in • A last-minute request for the same “wonderful works” God had shown in Israel’s past • The verse ties the present crisis to a remembered history of divine rescue Echoes of Earlier Pleas for Rescue • Exodus 14:15-18 — Israel trapped at the Red Sea: “Tell the Israelites to go forward.” • Judges 6:13 — Gideon: “Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about?” • 1 Samuel 7:8 — At Mizpah: “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us.” • 1 Samuel 17:37 — David before Goliath: “The LORD who delivered me… will deliver me.” • Psalm 44:1-3, 23-26 — National lament recalling God’s “wondrous works” and asking, “Rise up… redeem us.” • Habakkuk 3:2 — “LORD, I have heard of Your fame… renew them in our day.” Royal Appeals under Siege or Threat • 2 Chronicles 14:11 — King Asa against the Cushites: “LORD, there is no one besides You to help…” • 2 Chronicles 20:6-12 — King Jehoshaphat facing three armies: “Did You not drive out the inhabitants…?” • 2 Kings 19:14-19; Isaiah 37:14-20 — King Hezekiah spreads Sennacherib’s letter before the LORD. • Jeremiah 37:3 — Same Zedekiah again sends for Jeremiah: “Pray now to the LORD our God for us!” Prophetic Intercessions for National Mercy • Numbers 14:13-19 — Moses: “In keeping with Your great love, forgive this people.” • 1 Samuel 12:19, 23 — Samuel: “Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.” • 1 Kings 18:36-37 — Elijah at Carmel: “Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that You, LORD, are God.” • Daniel 9:17-19 — “For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine on Your desolate sanctuary.” New Testament Resonance • Matthew 14:30 — Peter: “Lord, save me!” • Mark 4:38-39 — Disciples in the storm: “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” • Acts 4:24-31 — Early church prays for boldness, God shakes the place. • Revelation 6:10 — Martyrs cry, “How long, O Lord…?” Shared Threads Running through the Calls • Remembrance of God’s historic “wonderful works” (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 77:11-15) • A crisis so great that only divine intervention can save • An appeal to covenant relationship and God’s glory (Deuteronomy 9:26-29) • The expectation that God can still act in the present as He did in the past Key Takeaways for Today • Scripture consistently portrays God’s people turning to Him when human strength fails. • Genuine faith looks back (“according to all His wonderful works”) to fuel present hope. • God hears, yet He also calls for repentance and obedience (Jeremiah 21:8-10; 2 Chronicles 7:14). • The same God who opened seas, routed armies, and stilled storms remains able and willing to act for His glory and His people’s good. |
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