How do I plead my cause before the Lord (Jeremiah 20:12)?

In the consciousness of being personally right before God, who tries the righteous and sees the very reins and the heart, Jeremiah casts his cause into the Lord’s hands. He asks to see His vengeance on his enemies (v. 12), and then, as if prayer had freed his soul from an oppressive burden, he breaks out: SING UNTO THE LORD!

The rest of this section is of deep interest, where the prophet bemoans his sad testimony and shows how truly the treasure was in an earthen vessel, that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of men. After all his inward conflicts, the result is his own fresh confidence in Jehovah. "But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for to thee have I opened my cause. Sing to the Lord, praise ye the Lord; for he has delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of the evildoers." Even then however the chapter (ver. 14-18) closes with cursing the day of his birth and the messenger who congratulated his father on such a child, the prophet of woe for Israel. Certainly prophecy came not at any time by the will of man, but holy men spake as borne along by the Holy Ghost.

Nevertheless the prophet regains possession of himself. In the midst of so many trials, the Lord is with him (v.11-13). The feeling of God’s presence even induces him to sing, to praise, to look forward to the deliverance (v.13); as also with Paul and Silas in prison much later on.

Believe me, you can only plead with God as you know Christ. He alone is the channel by which God can bless.

(vv. 121-122) Conscious of his own uprightness, the psalmist can, with a good conscience, look to God not to be forsaken, “Leave me not to my oppressors.” But while appealing to God on the ground of his own integrity, it is to God, Himself, the servant looks to vindicate him against pride and oppression, and not to his own estimate of his righteousness (cp. 1 Cor. 4:4-5).

49 The soul is lifted up to Jehovah in its difficulties - the true secret of overcoming them, and of having peace in the midst of them. The true heart has no other refuge. Another distracts it from this. It says, my God in them - it can now through Christ, and trust in God; and looks not to be ashamed, nor its enemies to triumph over it. This in difficulties is the first desire of faith. But it cannot confine itself when real to self. It is linked up by grace with God's goodness, felt in this very hope but then with all those who wait on Jehovah. It desires that the wicked (causeless transgressors, that is, those who love iniquity, not who fall in it) may be ashamed. This, as a general principle, is no way un-Christian. The Christian cannot desire that an individual enemy come under judgment; but he does desire that evil be set aside, and that the adversaries of good be made ashamed. He loves and desires righteousness, and that the oppressor of righteousness, and of the lowly and meek and just be put down, and put to shame. In his own case he can desire it as to result, without wishing evil to the individual. His trust in Jehovah prevents his taking the smallest step for the injury of his enemy; but he refers his case to Jehovah, and leaves it in His hands, looking for His deliverance.

Fourthly, He "committed Himself to Him that judges righteously." To do no sin, to speak no guile, to keep silence in the presence of malicious words, have a negative character. This last step is positive. If we keep silence in the presence of insults, it is not that there is no answer to evil and malice, but rather that the answer is left with God. We are never to attempt to take vengeance upon the wrongdoer. God retains all vengeance in His own hands. He has said, "Vengeance belongs to Me, I will recompense, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people" (Hebrews 10:30). Our part then is to follow in the steps of the Lord Jesus, and in the presence of insults to commit ourselves to Him that judges righteously, remembering that word which says, "Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I will repay says the Lord" (Rom. 12:19). Again we may recall the words of the prophet, "Jehovah is good to them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah" (Lam. 3:24-26).

And this is what the Church is called upon to do amidst enemies whom it cannot set aside. If seeking God's glory, we shall not want to justify ourselves; there may be entreaty - "being defamed, we entreat" - but not haughty self-vindication. Peter says, "If when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." This is a strange principle for anything but faith. But, as a saint, I cannot, whilst the usurper is in power, take my portion (just as David could not touch the Lord's anointed). There is "a morning without clouds", coming, when the true King will be set up - then I shall have it; now it is doing well, suffering for it, and taking it patiently, just what the Lord Jesus did, but with this comfort - the consciousness that "this is acceptable with God."

99 And this is what the church is called upon to do amidst enemies whom it cannot set aside. If seeking God's glory, we shall not want to justify ourselves: there may be entreaty ("being defamed, we entreat"), but not haughty self-vindication. Peter says, "If when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." This is a strange principle for anything but faith. But as a saint I cannot, whilst the usurper is in power, take my portion (just as David could not touch Jehovah's anointed); there is "a morning without clouds" coming, when the true King will be set up - then I shall have it: now it is doing well, suffering for it, and taking it patiently, just what the Lord Jesus did; but with this comfort - the consciousness that "that is acceptable with God."

(Vv. 5 - 7). In the presence of this great trial the god-fearing man does not take the smallest step to injure his enemy, or call down vengeance upon him. He finds consolation in turning to the Lord, and counting upon His mercy and faithfulness.