Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 11:18-23; 12:1-6; 17:14-18; 20:7-18 (day six)
“O Lord Almighty. . .let me see your vengeance upon them.” (11:20) Jeremiah is not alone. The Bible records MANY prayers for the wicked to be brought to justice, made to experience the vengeance of God. Revelation 6:9-10 is another example. “I saw the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and they cried out, ‘How long , O Lord. . .will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood?’ ” To reconcile these prayers with the prayer of Christ on the cross (“Father, forgive them”) various approaches have been employed. Perhaps the best is to remember that justice is a permanent part of God’s character and righteousness. His anger toward all who are unholy is not unholy. It is not wrong for his people to pray for judgment to come. Higher still for us to pray for mercy which comes through repentance and faith. One prayer is good. The other is even better.
