The people of Judah and Jerusalem repeatedly sinned against God. God corrected them over and again at the hand of their enemies.  Jeremiah prophesied just prior to their being taken to Babylon that the Babylonians would destroy Jerusalem, kill those who refused to submit to their king, and take all but a remnant to Babylon as captives for seventy years.  Those living during Jeremiah’s prophecy died before God returned the captivity of Jerusalem from Babylon seventy years later.  The repeated corrections from God on their sister nation, Israel, are compared to wounds and bruises in familiar and graphic language in Isaiah chapter 1:

“Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers” (Isaiah 1:5-7).

To Israel, it is as if God is saying, “Because you do not learn from correction, further corrections will do you no good,” implying that any reasonable person would simply destroy the entire nation.  But the LORD goes on in Isaiah 1:18 to teach how He will do His people good,

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:18-19).

Free, full and complete forgiveness, because of Christ’s work alone for us, taught to us in our heart by the Spirit of God, out of the misery of our sin, is the only thing that causes us to love and worship God and be obedient to Him.  Everything else irritates our flesh.

But back to Jeremiah. The people did not listen to him or believe God. Many false prophets told the people “smooth words”, that Nebuchadnezzar would not destroy Jerusalem and take them captive, as God had said.  Nevertheless, Jeremiah faithfully told the people God’s word, though it cost him much personal pain and loss in this life.

The people were not calling on God. In Jeremiah 10:23-24, Jeremiah turns from speaking to the people to speaking to God in prayer and supplication as the people ought to have done.  He personifies the nation and prays what they should have been praying, but did not.  His prayer teaches us God’s sovereignty, His loving correction of His people for their good, and what every child of God should do in trouble: call on God as He reveals Himself in Christ.

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing (Jeremiah 10:23-24).

The people sinned repeatedly and grievously.  Have you?  They denied their guilt and corruption.  Do you?  The king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, was determined to carry out his plan.  Jeremiah addresses God as if the nation were a single man.  Oh, that each of us would so come to God!  He says, “I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”  

It was ultimately God, not Nebuchadnezzar, who brought the Babylonians against Judah. God predetermines all that will be done and brings all of His will to pass in every situation (Ephesians 1:11).  Jeremiah knew this. He says so in his prayer. God determined to bring Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem. Jeremiah knew that Nebuchadnezzar was just a man, and that God controlled all that he did.  Jeremiah’s prayer should have taught the Jews and should teach us that God rules and therefore we ought to pray to Him as the Almighty, Absolute Sovereign.

Jeremiah continues his supplication in the person of the nation, as the Spirit of God teaches all of His people to do. The Jews were hardened and did not know God and therefore did not pray to Him as Jeremiah did.  Jeremiah prays, “Correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.”  The word translated “judgment” in this verse is also used in Jeremiah 30:11, but there it is translated “measure”:

“For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished” (Jeremiah 30:11).

Jeremiah’s petition is that God would not deal with him and his people according to strict justice, and therefore punish them in wrath as their sins deserved. Jeremiah knew that if God corrected in anger, the entire nation would be destroyed. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Psalm 130:4). He asks that God would therefore correct them as a father corrects his son whom he loves, and not as a holy God who judges His enemies that rebel against Him because they do not know Him or love Him. He can only pray thus with Christ in his view. We must come to God by Christ’s blood and righteousness, as Abel and every saint since comes, as they are taught by God the Holy Spirit.

Habakkuk says a very similar thing. “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2).

God corrects His people.  His correction causes us to believe Him and love Him more dearly.  If we think God deals with us in wrath, then His just punishments will only cause us to hate him. All of us hate God before we are saved (Romans 8:7; 5:10). This is why the non-elect never repent. God has chosen not to show them mercy. They therefore cannot see or believe or worship Christ as Savior.  Psalm 130:4 establishes this truth: “There is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared.”  God, not man, determines to whom He will be merciful in Christ.

Correction is a great mercy. When we experience it, however, it is painful.  “No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11). Correction causes us to walk in God’s ways. “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67).

The gospel is never sweeter than when we know ourselves to be deserving of God’s wrath, yet discover that by God's grace, He has taken away His wrath from us by the death of His Son.

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10).

“And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-2).

“LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation” (Psalms 85:1-7).

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes" (Psalm 119:1-5)!

Who would deny that those who walk in God’s law are blessed in body and soul? “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12). Psalm 119:5 expresses the desire of every child of God: “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!”.  But sadly, our experience leaves us far short.  The law testifies against us. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).  “There is none that doeth good” (Romans 3:12). Our personal law-keeping leaves us hopeless. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

Wonderfully, the gospel comes to our aid. “David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:6-8). Though in ourselves we are defiled and unrighteous, yet there is a Righteous One.  “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only” (Psalm 71:16). “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4).

Christ kept the law. He obeyed its every precept. He kept its testimonies and suffered its curse against sinners.  God received from Him for His people. God then gives to His people faith because of Him. With this faith, His people look to Christ and come to God by Christ and in Christ.  In this way, all who believe are truly blessed. They are undefiled and holy before God in Him. They long to be found only in Christ and in Him alone. We therefore cry with the Psalmist, “O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes!”  "This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He hath sent" (John 6:29). “Lord, increase our faith” (Luke 17:5)!

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. -- Mark 10:13

“They” brought little children and infants to Jesus (Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). “They” believed Christ. Faith looks for ways to bring its loved ones to Christ. How? By prayer. By bringing them to hear Him in the preaching of the gospel: God was in Christ, reconciling His children, His sons, to Himself from all of the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8; John 11:52). The gospel is about Christ, how He died, that He was buried and rose again, according to the scriptures.

“They” knew that their children needed a Savior. Children are conceived in iniquity (Psalm 51:3). Children need a Savior, One who is able and One who is willing to save little ones from sin. “They” knew the Savior and brought their children to Jesus, leaving them in His hands, entrusting them to His arms and committing them to His prayers. If Christ undertake for their children, all will be well. If Christ make their children His children, “they” want nothing more (Romans 9:3).

The disciples rebuked those bringing their infants and their children. This greatly displeased Jesus. He is Christ the Lord. He came to save valueless, diseased, impotent, helpless, sinners to the glory of His grace.

He was displeased that His own disciples would think that little ones were of no concern to Him, that He had higher priorities, that He came for something more important, that His teaching was for intellectuals and theologians. But Jesus never sought or taught to impress men. He did not come to please men. He came to honor His Father. He came to save sinners, to free captives, to preach to those who had nothing to contribute, nothing to bring; who needed to be bought, who must be sought and who must be brought.

There was no greater business than saving children for the One who came to finish the will of God. His chief business from eternity (Proverbs 8:31) was to reconcile sinners to His Father (2 Corinthians 5:19), to bring His many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). This end would end His life, but the end of His life would be the end of death, over which, by His resurrection, the grace of God would reign. Grace reigns through righteousness to seek His lost sheep, to bring them to Himself and to save them to the uttermost.

And, He was much displeased that His own disciples would turn away those who intently sought to bring their little ones to Jesus. It displeased Him that His own disciples would discourage those who brought their children to Him, and waited on Him to bless them.  May we ever seek and bring little ones to Christ and never discourage or impede those who bring them!

Never think that Christ has more important business than children. Never impede the way of a child! May we have grace to speak the gospel so that a child can understand it. Spend what you have and be spent yourself in bringing little ones to the Shepherd of their souls!  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people” (Isaiah 62:10).

“Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” (John 21:15).

To the disciples, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).

How do we feed Christ’s lambs, His little ones?  How do we, as Psalm 34:11 foretold of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, teach children the fear of the LORD? We must teach them His goodness as Lord and Savior. We must teach them they are guilty. We must teach them they are without strength. We must teach them they are without hope in themselves. We must teach them that God sent Christ to save His people, that He accomplished their salvation as the Surety and Substitute for His people. We must teach them to look to Him who was lifted up, whom God made sin, whom God cursed, that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God.  Don’t teach your children that you are good. They will see your failures and disbelieve your message.  If you would humble yourself to your children, you must first humble yourself before God. Teach them what the apostle Paul taught the children of God to whom He ministered.  “I am the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9), unfit to be called an apostle. “I am the least of all saints” (Ephesians 3:8).  Of himself he said, “O, wretched man that I am” (Romans 7:24): no goodness, only badness in myself. Among sinners, Paul said, “I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15). Yet, the grace of God worked mightily through him, more mightily than through all of the apostles.

What do we learn from this? To cease from pride, I must own my pride. To cease from self-righteousness, I must own my hypocrisies. To believe Christ, I must own that I am bound by unbelief, and that without the free, sovereign, omnipotent gift of faith in Christ crucified for me, I am lost.

Lord! make yourself known to me and my children! Dwell in our hearts by faith. Cause us to love you and serve others for your sake through the preaching of Christ. Make me to know your all-sufficiency to all, who like children, have nothing in themselves and are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 1:30).