Sermons / Jeremiah / Jeremiah 12:1–17
Why is Life Un-Fair?
Jeremiah 12 faces the question of why wicked people can seem to prosper while the faithful suffer. God doesn’t give Jeremiah a neat explanation; He calls him to trust, to keep running, and to let hardship mature him for harder days ahead.
The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.
In this message
- God’s reply to questions about life’s unfairness is often a call to trust Him rather than a full explanation.
- God uses challenge to grow His servants, because there is no growth without challenge, and there’s no challenge without change.
- Hard days aren’t proof that God has abandoned you; they can be part of how He prepares and equips you for what’s ahead.
- God can use the injustice around us to do a deep work within us, shifting the question from “How can I get out of this?” to “What can I get out of this?”
- God may allow things to look worse before they look better, while still doing the right thing and keeping His promises.
The passage
The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 12 in full.
Jeremiah 12:1–2
1You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? 2You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.
Oh, they talk about You Lord, but they’re far from You, and they prosper. Why do You permit that?” That was Jeremiah’s question. That’s my question too. I’d like to ask God that today: “Lord, why do You permit it?” I don’t have the answer, and I don’t think Jeremiah or David ever had the answer either. God allows the wicked to prosper, and we see them spreading themselves like a green bay tree (green bay tree" here is likely a symbol, not a specific species of tree. It conveys the image of a luxuriant, flourishing, evergreen tree—strong, impressive, and seemingly thriving). Why doesn’t God prosper those who are really interested in supporting fine Christian missionaries. I’ve asked him that, and I don’t have the answer.
Jeremiah 12:3
3Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!
Many people have asked, “Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Jeremiah knew that God’s justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient because he wanted justice to come quickly. God didn’t give a doctrinal answer; instead, he gave a challenge – if Jeremiah couldn’t handle this, how would he handle the injustices ahead? It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. But when we call for justice, we must realize that we ourselves would be in big trouble if God gave each of us what we truly deserve.
God has a plan which extends far beyond the circumstances that Jeremiah could see.
What we have seen
- God has a plan which extends far beyond the circumstances that Jeremiah could see.
- God’s reply to Jeremiah is not what he expected.
- there is no growth without challenge, and there’s no challenge without change.
- things may look bad to us today, but they are going to get worse.
- Whether we like to admit it or not, there are difficult days, trials, and challenges ahead for each of us.
Why do the wicked prosper while people who try to obey God suffer?
Life can look deeply unfair when those who ignore God seem to thrive while the faithful take hits. Jeremiah asked God that very question, and David raised it too (Psalm 37:35). The teaching here is that God doesn’t always give the reason we want, but He does call His people to trust Him because what He is doing is right, even when it seems peculiar. Justice will ultimately come, but impatience with timing doesn’t change God’s plan.
What was surprising about God’s answer to Jeremiah’s complaint in Jeremiah 12?
God’s reply to Jeremiah is not what he expected. God didn’t focus on explaining the wicked; He focused on strengthening His servant. Instead of giving Jeremiah a doctrinal answer, God challenged him about the harder injustices ahead and asked, in effect, whether he was ready. The passage pushes the sufferer from demanding explanations to holding on to God’s promises.
What does “If you have raced with men… how will you race with horses?” mean?
God’s point is that the difficulties Jeremiah is facing are training for greater difficulties to come. The imagery describes service to God like a race that intensifies—foot soldiers now, horses later; peace now, then the thick jungles of the Jordan with dangers. The teaching is that the life of service becomes harder, not easier, but those challenges also grow maturity. God is preparing His servant, not simply giving him immediate relief.
Does Jeremiah 12 teach that hardship can actually help a believer grow?
There is no growth without challenge, and there’s no challenge without change. Each new challenge helped Jeremiah develop faith and grow in ministry skills, even when it hurt. The easy life can stifle maturity, while a difficult life can build “spiritual muscles” and make a believer more useful. Growth still requires a choice: staying in the race and accepting new challenges rather than resisting change.
What does the “speckled bird” image mean in Jeremiah 12?
Standing for God can make a person look like an outsider among their own people. J. Vernon McGee’s point is that Jeremiah was “speckled” because he wasn’t like the crowd that expected him to be on their side. The application given is simple: if you stand with God, you should expect to be seen as different. Accepting that helps you keep serving without being surprised by rejection.
Is God sending the trials, or just preparing people for trials He knows will come?
Difficult days, trials, and challenges are ahead for each of us, whether we like to admit it or not. The teaching here is not that the Lord sends challenges, but that He sees they will come and trains and equips His people for them. That reframes hardship as preparation rather than abandonment. Complaining now becomes a warning sign: if you’re weary with smaller battles, you’ll be unready for heavier ones.
Why does Jeremiah 12 talk about the land mourning and creation groaning?
Jeremiah 12 portrays the land itself as mourning under the weight of what is happening. The connection is made to Abel’s blood crying from the ground (Genesis 4:10) and to creation groaning (Romans 8:22), showing that sin and God’s chastening affect more than just individuals. Ray Comfort is cited to say that when people draw near with their lips but keep their hearts far from God (Isaiah 29:13), they disturb the balance of everything around them. Hope is held out in the promise that God will make all things new (Revelation 21:5).
How can God use an invading nation like Babylon and still be in control?
God can use human nations as instruments without surrendering His rule. The teaching says that although the Babylonians wielded it, the sword that devastated Judah was still “the sword of the Lord,” with Babylon functioning as a tool in His hand. That means judgement is not random and history is not out of control. Even severe events can sit inside God’s larger plan.
Does Jeremiah 12 leave any hope after judgement and chastening?
God’s people could undergo severe chastening and still not be forgotten or forsaken. The teaching is that God would honour His covenant relationship with them even though they had abandoned theirs with Him. J. Vernon McGee is quoted to the effect that they would go into captivity, yet God remembered the land and would bring them back. Hope rests in God’s faithfulness rather than in the people’s deserving.
What does Jeremiah 12 say about salvation being offered beyond Israel?
Jeremiah 12 shows an invitation extended to the Gentiles. The teaching is that if they would accept the almighty God of Israel rather than worthless idols, they could be included. That widens the horizon of the chapter beyond judgement on Judah alone. God’s plan reaches farther than Jeremiah could physically see.
Where else scripture speaks
Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.
Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:
Take this with you
So let me ask you—have you ever been there?
Keep going
Scripture shown in NIV. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.