NOTES for Jer 14:7

The prophet Jeremiah conducts a dialogue with God. Sometimes he speaks for himself, sometimes on behalf of the people of Israel. And God answers both Jeremiah and the people. More precisely: God calls the prophet and speaks to him, addressing him now personally and now, through him, the people.

And here we read what Jeremiah brings to God on behalf of the people: repentance, true repentance, in which, besides awareness of one's sin, there is an appeal to God as the One who can do something to correct the situation. Let us note that here there is not the slightest attempt at self-justification or at searching for reasons for one's lawlessness; there is only statement of fact and hope in God: hope that He will do something with us "for His name's sake" - not for our past merits and virtues, but solely according to His own inner essence.

Well then, all this, about repentance, is quite fitting for our own time. But a couple of questions remain over which it is worth reflecting: what right does Jeremiah have to offer repentance on behalf of an entire people? And another: what should one do if one sees the apostasy and lawlessness of a people, but there is no national repentance?