Vs. 2, “he (Pashur) had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin at the LORD’s temple.”  What before was threats…now became a reality.  Pashur, the security officer/priest of the temple would have Jeremiah beaten.  Spending all night with your body bent and twisted wouldn’t be at all comfortable, and when you add the pain of the beating, you can imagine how Jeremiah felt.  But, unfortunately for Jeremiah…this would be the first act of several more persecutions he would face for standing up for God & righteousness.  Jeremiah would mention the actual name Babylon for the first time, in the past he referred it to a nation from the North.  If the events described in Jeremiah 18–20 took place during the reign of Jehoiakim (607–597 B.C.), then it didn’t take long for Jeremiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled. In 605, Nebuchadnezzar plundered the temple and took Jehoiakim and the nobles to Babylon. In 597, he carried off over 10,000 people, and eleven years later, he burned the temple and the city and left it in ruins. Five years later, he would deport another group of exiles.

Regarding application…Jeremiah’s Lament.  Vs. 7-18.  Jeremiah’s complaint or lament is a human blending of grief and joy, prayer and despair, praise and perplexity.  Regardless…Jeremiah would live above his moods/feelings and do the will of God no matter how he felt.  In this honest expression of his deepest emotions, the prophet dealt with why he was called, his dangerous living and the despair of knowing the disaster to come.  There are going to be times and have been times where we cry out to the Lord.  We wonder why me?  We wonder why it’s so hard?  We wonder what is the point?  It is in these times of despair that we must remember a key element!  Our tendency in times of trouble is to retreat and get away from people.  But whether it was Jeremiah, Job or Paul…each of them would do the exact opposite.  Yes, they were doubting, questioning, etc…but they still turned to God!  That is the key to sustaining their faith and helping them to be obedient.  Don’t retreat from God…but always let him know how you feel!  He is the one person that will hear your cries and help you along the way.