All the Nations

by: Michael Wilcock

“A prophet to the nations,” not just to Judah, was Jeremiah’s calling from the very outset. Here in the middle of his book this universal ministry reappears.

God’s plan was that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would punish Judah for its sins; and after that, that Cyrus and his Medo-Persians (v. 25) would punish Babylon for doing so! These kings were just pawns on God’s chessboard, yet still held accountable for their actions. Is that fair?

Ask Nebuchadnezzar. He would be adamant in claiming that he was doing exactly what he wanted to do. So would Cyrus, and indeed the rulers of “all the kingdoms of the world” of those days (v. 26). The nations of our own time claim the same: to be acting purely and willingly out of their perceived self-interest. Babylon, like every other earthly power, was not compelled to do evil. Therefore it deserved what came when God’s judgment fell.

Yet at the same time the nations really are like pieces moving here and there across the board; pieces with minds of their own, but with a Master Mind overseeing their every move and determining the outcome. Last century saw the rise and fall of both Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. This century has its own cruel regimes, which literally get away with murder, and worse. Does God not care?

He does. Judgment awaits unrepented evil in every nation. Which is a comfort, but also a warning.