Jeremiah 14:21
For the sake of Your name do not despise us; do not disgrace Your glorious throne. Remember Your covenant with us; do not break it.
For the sake of Your name do not despise us;

Israel appeals to the holiness, faithfulness, and mercy bound up with the Lord’s name. The nation deserves judgment for persistent rebellion, yet the Lord’s dealings with His people also bear witness to His character before the surrounding nations. Moses made a similar appeal after Israel’s sin, asking God to preserve the honor of His name and His promises rather than allowing the nations to conclude that He could not save His people (Exodus 32:11–12; Numbers 14:13–19). God’s mercy does not excuse sin, but it reveals His righteousness in keeping His word and providing a way for repentant sinners to return.

Psa 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name…
Psa 25:11 For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity…
Ezk 36:22-23 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is…

do not disgrace Your glorious throne.

The Lord’s throne represents His sovereign rule, perfect justice, and covenant presence among Israel. Jerusalem and the temple had been appointed as the earthly center of worship, where God placed His name and where His people were to seek Him. Judah’s approaching ruin would bring shame upon a people called by God’s name and would leave the temple desolate. Jeremiah pleads that the Lord would not abandon the place associated with His dwelling among them, even as he recognizes that their sin has provoked divine discipline. God’s throne remains glorious and secure, though earthly institutions and sinful nations may fall.

Jer 17:12 A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning,…
Jer 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem…
Ezk 43:7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne…

Remember Your covenant with us;

The covenant with Israel established them as the Lord’s treasured possession, called to live in obedience and to display His holiness among the nations (Exodus 19:5–6). Their repeated idolatry, injustice, and refusal to heed the prophets had violated covenant obligations and brought the curses warned in Deuteronomy. Yet the Lord had also revealed Himself as faithful to His promises, remembering His servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and preserving a people for His name. Jeremiah’s prayer rests not on Judah’s merit but on God’s covenant faithfulness.

Exo 2:24-25 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant…
Lev 26:42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob…
Psa 105:8-10 He remembers His covenant forever, the word…

do not break it.

The request seeks mercy in the midst of deserved judgment. God would discipline Judah through famine, sword, and exile, but He would not utterly cast off His covenant people. The exile would demonstrate the seriousness of sin, while the preservation and eventual restoration of a remnant would demonstrate the Lord’s steadfast commitment to His redemptive purposes. God’s faithfulness reaches its fullest revelation in Jesus Christ, through whom the new covenant provides forgiveness and enduring reconciliation with God.

Jdg 2:1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim…
Psa 89:33-34 But I will not withdraw My loving devotion from him…
Deu 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God;…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. He is the author of the Book of Jeremiah.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing severe drought and impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness to God.

3. God's Glorious Throne
Represents God's sovereign rule and His presence among His people, often associated with the temple in Jerusalem.

4. Covenant
Refers to the solemn agreement between God and Israel, where God promised to be their God and they promised to be His people.

5. Drought
A significant event during Jeremiah's time, symbolizing God's judgment and the people's need for repentance.
Teaching Points
The Importance of God's Name
God's name represents His character and reputation. Our prayers and actions should reflect a desire to honor His name.

The Significance of the Covenant
God's covenant with His people is a foundation of His relationship with them. Understanding this helps us grasp the depth of His commitment and faithfulness.

Intercession and Repentance
Like Jeremiah, we are called to intercede for others and seek God's mercy, recognizing our need for repentance and His grace.

God's Sovereignty and Faithfulness
Despite circumstances, God remains sovereign and faithful. Trusting in His promises provides hope and assurance.

The Role of Suffering
Suffering can be a call to return to God, prompting reflection on our spiritual state and dependence on Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jeremiah's appeal to God's name and covenant in Jeremiah 14:21 reflect the nature of intercessory prayer?

2. In what ways can we honor God's name in our daily lives, and how does this relate to the teachings of Jeremiah 14:21?

3. How does the concept of covenant in Jeremiah 14:21 connect to the new covenant established through Jesus Christ?

4. What lessons can we learn from the drought in Judah about the consequences of turning away from God, and how can we apply these lessons today?

5. How can we incorporate the themes of repentance and intercession from Jeremiah 14:21 into our personal and communal prayer life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 32
Moses intercedes for Israel, appealing to God's name and His covenant, similar to Jeremiah's plea.

Psalm 106
Reflects on God's faithfulness to His covenant despite Israel's repeated failures.

2 Chronicles 7:14
God's promise to heal the land if His people humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways.

Isaiah 48:9-11
God acts for the sake of His name, emphasizing His commitment to His glory and His people.

Hebrews 8
Discusses the new covenant established through Christ, fulfilling and surpassing the old covenant promises.
A Dreadful ApprehensionS. Conway Jeremiah 14:21
Invoking the Honor of GodA.F. Muir Jeremiah 14:21
Marks of a People in Danger of the Divine AbhorrenceJ. Somerville, D. D.Jeremiah 14:21
The Distracting Power of Great DistressS. Conway Jeremiah 14:17-22
Prayer a Fruit of ChastisementA.F. Muir Jeremiah 14:19, 22
People
Jeremiah
Places
Jerusalem, Zion
Topics
Abhor, Agreement, Annul, Break, Broken, Contemn, Covenant, Despise, Disgrace, Disgust, Dishonor, Dishonour, Glorious, Glory, Honour, Mind, Name's, Remember, Sake, Seat, Shame, Spurn, Throne
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 14:20-22

     6746   sanctification, means and results

Library
Triumphant Prayer
'O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee. 8. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? 9. Why shouldest Thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet Thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by Thy name; leave us not.'--JER. xiv. 7-9.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him,
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Question of the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. 7 ad 3m II. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. 19 III. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 18 " Ep., cxxx. ad probam IV. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

A Message from the Crowned Christ
(Revelation, Chapters ii and iii) "The glory of love is brightest when the glory of self is dim, And they have the most compelled me who most have pointed to Him. They have held me, stirred me, swayed me,--I have hung on their every word, Till I fain would arise and follow, not them, not them,--but their Lord!"[64] Patmos Spells Patience. Patience is strength at its strongest, using all its strength in holding back from doing something. Patience is love at flood pleading with strength to hold steady
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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