I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies. (Jeremiah 12:7)

Judah deserved to be judged. The book of Jeremiah is committed to making sure that the reader gets this. God’s people have forsaken him. They hewed out their own cisterns. They have ignored his voice (note the particular language of the Pentateuch, 7:22-24; 9:26). They have worshiped Baal. They have refused to repent. Therefore, the LORD will send a punisher from the north (4:1-9:26). It’s going to be ugly.

Do you think that the Father is happy about this? Is he malicious? Do you hear a creepy, deep-voiced laugh? How do you picture him?

I hope that you envision none of the above. Look at Jeremiah 12:7. The LORD comments on the reality of his righteous anger. He is far from laughing. There is anguish in his judgment. This is his people–his house, his heritage, his beloved.

Somehow and in some way, God can both exercise his anger in righteousness and exercise his anger with sorrow. Stop. Don’t try to picture that. You just can’t. “Who are you, O man, to think that God is only capable of doing the things that you can encapsulate in your feeble mind?”

It’s hard. It’s not us. But it is true. God can do that. He has done that. He feels indignation everyday (Ps. 7:11) and he rejoices over his people with gladness (Zeph. 3:17). He really poured out the full cup of his wrath on Jesus, while at the same time, Jesus died as the Son in whom the Father is well-pleased.

May the LORD grant us grace to shake our heads in awe, bow before him with humble hearts, and be stunned that he would set his love on us…