Jeremiah 16

I have several thoughts this morning.  First, Jeremiah just as almost all the great prophets, even though they were righteous, still had to pass through great afflictions with the wicked.  Jeremiah writes -

Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.  (Old Testament | Jeremiah 15:10)

"And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in mine anger, which shall burn upon you."  (Old Testament | Jeremiah 15:14)

In other words, even the righteous may suffer as the wicked are punished.  But even so, I am reminded of the Savior's words to the Prophet Joseph Smith bringing an eternal perspective -

"...all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 122:7)

Hard but true.

Second thought...after revealing all the wickedness of his day, Jeremiah says of Judah -

"...they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?"  (Old Testament | Jeremiah 16:10)

With those words, I can't help but think of the words of Laman and Lemuel who are contemporaries with Jeremiah saying these words -

"...we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him. And after this manner of language did my brethren murmur and complain against us."  (Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 17:22)

Obviously, the wicked are blind to the truth.

Last thought was where Jeremiah prophecies concerning the work of Israel in the last days, saying -

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
15 But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
16 ¶ Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." (Old Testament | Jeremiah 16:14 - 16)

I believe this is symbolic of the last days where many descendants will be converted in mass as fish in nets.  But then the day will come where Israel will be hunted our among all nations and people, even locally, one at a time.