“O great and powerful [mighty] God, whose name is the Lord Almighty…”

If ever a prophet of God had his own cause to help, Jeremiah didn’t do it.  Not at all.  Living in a time of national deterioration, rampant idolatry had become endemic leading to political corruption, priestly defilement, false prophetical pronouncements and moral disintegration.  So it was definitely the worst of times, to quote half of Dickens’ opening line of The Tale of Two Cities.  And that’s when God’s prophets shine, when they do God’s bidding, not their own.  Think Jonah as a point of contrast.

Yes, the times were bad enough, and God’s directions to Jeremiah didn’t smooth out his path.  His ministry was highly unpopular to wicked leaders as well as the rank and file idol worshipers.  In and out of prison, and accused of trumped up charges of treason, Jeremiah wouldn’t have been on the cover of People magazine or made an appearance on American Idol.  Maybe the Israeli version of the crime show, America’s Most Wanted.

In over 50 years of ministry, Jeremiah had seen it all: the rapid succession of kings, increasing corruption at the highest levels, the fragmenting effect of idolatry on family life, and a failed distinction between inspired Jewish religious and cultural practice with that of the nations surrounding them.  With the loss of this distinction came a surrounding army, the Babylonians, headed by one Nebuchadnezzar who wasn’t just fooling around.  He was serious.  God knew it and told Jeremiah to warn his people to submit to the invading army.  This sounded treasonous, of course, so the unbelieving Jews took it out on him.

Then God told Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin Hanamel (32:7).  Property values fall when you’re about to be overrun.  Who wants to buy real estate when you’re going to be hauled off into slavery?  But God told Jeremiah to buy it anyway as a sign that the Jews would return.  Huh?  After all this time telling us, Jeremiah, to submit to the coming captors and willingly go to Babylon, now you start buying real estate?!  Looks a little schizophrenic, doesn’t it?  Or at least inconsistent.  It did to the Jews.  But God never changes his message to suit a warped audience.

In this garbled context Jeremiah describes God as “powerful” (v. 18), or mighty (NKJV).  It is the same word David used repeatedly of Saul and Jonathan in his lamenting their deaths (1 Samuel 1:21, 22, 25, 27) as well as describing his “mighty” men.  The word carries the idea of warrior, champion, valiant and strong.  It describes those who exceed their natural abilities, who do amazing feats.

That’s when it’s used of men.  How about God?  Indeed, just before this description, Jeremiah says, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by our great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.”  God repeats this last statement in verse 27.  Making the universe takes might!  How much might?  More than any of us can know or imagine.  Think of the power, the planning, and the brainpower behind launching a satellite into space.  Say it’s just an unmanned orbiter to make things “easier.”  Think that’s doable for 99% of the population?  Even the ones who know how to do it need the help of countless others to make it happen, indicating their own measure of powerlessness.  Now imagine “launching” a few planets or solar systems or one “small” galaxy.  Now that’s might!  But the entire universe?  We’re way out of our league now.  No one can even fathom that, let alone pull it off.

As much as I feel for those trapped in the cults, sometimes I chuckle to myself about their doctrinal absurdities.  For example, Jehovah Witnesses talk about Jesus being the “Mighty God” in Isaiah 9:6 (same Hebrew word as here), but Jehovah being the “Almighty.”  This latter term is the translation for El Shaddai.  Their point is that a mighty God is somehow less than the almighty God.  But if the mighty God in Jeremiah is the one who created the heavens and earth, how is that different than what the Almighty has done?  It isn’t.  But of course, cults were never known for teaching context, which would wipe out their ridiculous notions and evil doctrines.

The mighty God never does things capriciously.  When he judged sin on the cross, he did so wonderfully, splendidly and mightily.  How much of a mighty man or woman are you for the mighty God?