Jer 12:14 | KingComments | STEP | Suddenly a ray of hope breaks through again. Now we hear how the LORD stands up for His people against all who have sought to plunder His people for their own benefit ( ). The LORD speaks here of “My people Israel”, which is the people as a whole, the two and the ten tribes together. All His neighbors, the neighboring nations of His people – such as Syria, Moab, and Ammon – He calls “My wicked neighbors” because they have taken advantage of His people, which means that they have also taken advantage of Him. He will judge those nations by the same people who judge Judah, Babylon, and do it in the same way, namely, by uprooting them from their land. He also will remove His people, “the house of Judah”, from those nations. With them He stands in a special relationship and He will also punish them separately. Then He will return to them and have mercy on them and bring them back to their possession ( ). He will do the same with the hostile nations ( ). With His people it happened partially and in weakness at the return from the Babylonian exile. It will happen fully in the realm of peace. Each will get back his inheritance. We see here that God does discipline His people, but it is for the purpose of their restoration. The LORD also has a promise for the nations who have taken advantage of His people ( ). If they join His people and walk in the ways of His people and confess Him as LORD, they will have a place in the midst of His people. To be in the midst of His people means that they, who before that time were enemies and haters of God’s people, will now be surrounded, protected and blessed by God’s people. They will then have repented of their former conduct. They used to be out to teach God's people to swear by Baal. If they have repented, they will learn from God’s people to swear by the Name of the LORD. But the people who will not listen, He will uproot forever and destroy them ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 12:14

Promises for Penitent Nations

Suddenly a ray of hope breaks through again. Now we hear how the LORD stands up for His people against all who have sought to plunder His people for their own benefit (Jer 12:14). The LORD speaks here of “My people Israel”, which is the people as a whole, the two and the ten tribes together.

All His neighbors, the neighboring nations of His people – such as Syria, Moab, and Ammon – He calls “My wicked neighbors” because they have taken advantage of His people, which means that they have also taken advantage of Him. He will judge those nations by the same people who judge Judah, Babylon, and do it in the same way, namely, by uprooting them from their land. He also will remove His people, “the house of Judah”, from those nations. With them He stands in a special relationship and He will also punish them separately.

Then He will return to them and have mercy on them and bring them back to their possession (Jer 12:15). He will do the same with the hostile nations (Jer 48:47 ; Jer 49:6). With His people it happened partially and in weakness at the return from the Babylonian exile. It will happen fully in the realm of peace. Each will get back his inheritance. We see here that God does discipline His people, but it is for the purpose of their restoration.

The LORD also has a promise for the nations who have taken advantage of His people (Jer 12:16). If they join His people and walk in the ways of His people and confess Him as LORD, they will have a place in the midst of His people. To be in the midst of His people means that they, who before that time were enemies and haters of God’s people, will now be surrounded, protected and blessed by God’s people. They will then have repented of their former conduct. They used to be out to teach God's people to swear by Baal. If they have repented, they will learn from God’s people to swear by the Name of the LORD. But the people who will not listen, He will uproot forever and destroy them (Jer 12:17).