◄ Jeremiah 11:20 ►
O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.
Study Bible
O LORD of Hosts
This title emphasizes God's supreme command over the heavenly armies, highlighting His power and authority. It reflects the military imagery often used in the Old Testament to describe God's might (1 Samuel 17:45). The term "Hosts" can refer to both celestial beings and the forces of nature, underscoring God's sovereignty over all creation.

who judges righteously
God's judgment is based on His perfect righteousness and justice. Unlike human judges, God's decisions are infallible and impartial (Psalm 9:8). This assurance of divine justice is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, where God is portrayed as the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong.

who examines the heart and mind
This phrase underscores God's omniscience, His ability to see beyond outward appearances and understand the true intentions and thoughts of individuals (1 Samuel 16:7). It serves as a reminder that nothing is hidden from God, and He evaluates people based on their inner character rather than external actions alone.

let me see Your vengeance upon them
Jeremiah's plea for divine retribution reflects the prophetic tradition of seeking God's justice against those who oppose His will. This request aligns with the imprecatory psalms, where the psalmist calls for God's intervention against the wicked (Psalm 94:1-2). It is important to understand this in the context of divine justice rather than personal revenge.

for to You I have committed my cause
Jeremiah entrusts his situation to God, demonstrating faith and reliance on divine justice rather than taking matters into his own hands. This act of commitment is a model of surrender and trust in God's plan, similar to how Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father during His earthly ministry (1 Peter 2:23).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of judgment and hope to the people of Judah. He is known for his lamentations and deep emotional connection to his prophetic mission.

2. LORD of Hosts
A title for God emphasizing His sovereignty and command over the heavenly armies. It underscores His power and authority in executing judgment.

3. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was often the focus of Jeremiah's prophecies due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience to God.

4. The Heart and Mind
Refers to the inner being of a person, encompassing thoughts, emotions, and intentions. In Hebrew, "heart" (lev) often signifies the center of one's will and emotions.

5. Vengeance
In this context, it refers to divine retribution or justice that Jeremiah seeks from God against those who oppose him and God's message.
Teaching Points
Trust in God's Justice
Believers are encouraged to trust in God's righteous judgment rather than taking matters into their own hands. God sees and knows all, and His justice is perfect.

Commit Your Cause to God
Like Jeremiah, we should commit our struggles and adversities to God, trusting Him to act on our behalf according to His will.

God Knows the Heart
God’s ability to test the heart and mind reminds us that He knows our true intentions and desires. We should strive for purity and sincerity in our relationship with Him.

Patience in Persecution
Jeremiah faced opposition and persecution, yet he remained steadfast. Believers today can draw strength from his example, knowing that God is aware of their trials.

The Role of Prayer in Seeking Justice
Jeremiah's plea is a form of prayer, demonstrating the importance of bringing our concerns and desires for justice before God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God as the "LORD of Hosts" influence your perspective on His ability to handle your challenges?

2. In what ways can you commit your personal struggles to God, following Jeremiah's example?

3. How does the knowledge that God tests the heart and mind affect your daily walk with Him?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to trust in God's justice rather than seeking personal revenge?

5. How can the example of Jeremiah's perseverance in the face of opposition encourage you in your current circumstances?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 7:9
This verse also speaks of God testing the hearts and minds, highlighting His role as a righteous judge.

Romans 12:19
Paul echoes the theme of leaving vengeance to God, encouraging believers to trust in God's justice rather than seeking personal revenge.

Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is described as discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, similar to God's ability to test the heart and mind.
Sermons
Perils of ProphesyingA.F. Muir Jeremiah 11:18-23
The Baffled PlotS. Conway Jeremiah 11:18-23
The Prophet in His Own CountryD. Young Jeremiah 11:18-23
People
Anathoth, Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Egypt, Jerusalem, Zion
Topics
Almighty, Armies, Cause, Committed, Feelings, Heart, Hosts, Judge, Judges, Judgest, Judging, Mind, O, Punishment, Reins, Revealed, Righteously, Righteousness, Test, Testing, Tests, Thoughts, Tries, Triest, Trying, Vengeance
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 11:20

     1125   God, righteousness
     1310   God, as judge
     5166   liver and kidneys
     6185   imagination, desires
     9210   judgment, God's

Library
First, for Thy Thoughts.
1. Be careful to suppress every sin in the first motion; dash Babylon's children, whilst they are young, against the stones; tread, betimes, the cockatrice's egg, lest it break out into a serpent; let sin be to thy heart a stranger, not a home-dweller: take heed of falling oft into the same sin, lest the custom of sinning take away the conscience of sin, and then shalt thou wax so impudently wicked, that thou wilt neither fear God nor reverence man. 2. Suffer not thy mind to feed itself upon any …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

"And we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6.--"And we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Here they join the punishment with the deserving cause, their uncleanness and their iniquities, and so take it upon them, and subscribe to the righteousness of God's dealing. We would say this much in general--First, Nobody needeth to quarrel God for his dealing. He will always be justified when he is judged. If the Lord deal more sharply with you than with others, you may judge there is a difference …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
THE FALL OF NINEVEH AND THE RISE OF THE CHALDAEAN AND MEDIAN EMPIRES--THE XXVIth EGYPTIAN DYNASTY: CYAXARES, ALYATTES, AND NEBUCHADREZZAR. The legendary history of the kings of Media and the first contact of the Medes with the Assyrians: the alleged Iranian migrations of the Avesta--Media-proper, its fauna and flora; Phraortes and the beginning of the Median empire--Persia proper and the Persians; conquest of Persia by the Medes--The last monuments of Assur-bani-pal: the library of Kouyunjik--Phraortes …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8

Backsliding.
"I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away."--Hosea xiv. 4. There are two kinds of backsliders. Some have never been converted: they have gone through the form of joining a Christian community and claim to be backsliders; but they never have, if I may use the expression, "slid forward." They may talk of backsliding; but they have never really been born again. They need to be treated differently from real back-sliders--those who have been born of the incorruptible …
Dwight L. Moody—The Way to God and How to Find It

The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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