What is the meaning of Jeremiah 14:21? For the sake of Your name Jeremiah opens with the most powerful appeal he can make—God’s own reputation. • In Scripture, the Lord often acts “for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3; Ezekiel 36:22-23), showing the world His holiness and faithfulness. • By invoking the name, Jeremiah reminds God of His public commitment to Israel (1 Samuel 12:22). • The prophet is saying, “If You abandon us, the nations will question Your character.” God’s honor and Israel’s rescue are intertwined. do not despise us A candid admission that Judah deserves judgment, yet pleads not to be treated with contempt. • Similar cries appear in Psalm 74:1 and Lamentations 5:20, where the faithful ask God not to cast them off forever. • Jeremiah is not denying guilt (Jeremiah 14:20); he asks for mercy within discipline, reflecting the balance found in Isaiah 54:7-8—momentary wrath, everlasting compassion. do not disgrace Your glorious throne The “throne” points to the temple in Jerusalem where God chose to dwell among His people. • Jeremiah 3:17 pictures Jerusalem as the place “all nations will gather to the name of the LORD.” • Psalm 99:1-5 shows the ark and temple as the earthly seat of His reign. • If the city falls, it would appear that God’s rule has been shamed, something contrary to 1 Kings 8:13, where Solomon dedicated the temple as “a place for You to dwell forever.” Remember Your covenant with us Jeremiah anchors his plea in the binding promises God made. • The Abrahamic covenant guaranteed a people and a land forever (Genesis 17:7-8). • The Mosaic covenant set terms of blessing and curse (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 28), but always with a path to restoration (Leviticus 26:45). • God’s covenant with David pledged an enduring throne (2 Samuel 7:16), echoed later in Jeremiah 33:20-21. • By asking God to “remember,” Jeremiah recalls Psalm 105:8—“He remembers His covenant forever.” do not break it A bold yet reverent statement of trust that the Lord’s word is unbreakable. • Numbers 23:19 affirms God “does not lie or change His mind.” • Deuteronomy 7:9 calls Him “the faithful God, keeping His covenant of loving devotion to a thousand generations.” • Even when Israel is faithless, “He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13; Romans 11:29). • Jeremiah holds God to His own character, confident that judgment will never nullify the eternal promises. summary Jeremiah 14:21 is an intercessor’s masterpiece. He appeals to God’s name, asks not to be despised, protects God’s throne from disgrace, invokes the everlasting covenant, and rests in the certainty that God never breaks His word. The verse teaches us that our surest ground in prayer is always God’s own character and promises—anchors that hold fast even when discipline is deserved and circumstances seem hopeless. |
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