Jeremiah 32:17
‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah doesn't just call God "mighty"; he reminds Him that His power is so vast, it created everything from nothing, making any current problem inherently less formidable than that original act. The phrase translated "too hard" literally means something wonderful or beyond the ordinary, highlighting that God's power operates outside our normal understanding and limitations.
Jeremiah is in a desperate situation, having just purchased a field amidst the impending destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. He prays to God, acknowledging His immense power in creation as a foundation for his faith, even as the circumstances seem impossible. This prayer serves as a precursor to God's reassuring response, which will ultimately confirm the prophet's faith and the certainty of redemption.
Jeremiah starts this prayer by reminding God of His incredible creative power. What does that tell us about how we should approach God in prayer?
Jeremiah begins his prayer with a powerful declaration: 'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!' This isn't just a poetic opening; it's a strategic theological move. By focusing on God's creation of the entire universe, Jeremiah grounds his plea in God's ultimate authority and ability.
Creation as Proof
Think about it: bringing the cosmos into existence from nothing requires power beyond human comprehension. This act of creation is presented as undeniable evidence of God's omnipotence. It’s like saying, 'God, if You could do that, surely You can handle this situation I'm facing.' This reminds us that God's power isn't limited; it's the source of all reality.
The verse concludes with 'nothing is too hard for you.' But what does 'too hard' really mean in this context? It's more profound than just difficult.
When Jeremiah says 'nothing is too hard for you,' he's not just saying God doesn't find things difficult. The original language hints at something more. The word often translated as 'hard' can also mean 'wonderful' or 'beyond the ordinary.'
Stepping Outside the Norm
This implies that for God, there's nothing that lies outside His capabilities or control, nothing that is so strange or unprecedented that it catches Him off guard or is beyond His power to manage. It means no situation is so bizarre, so complex, or so far beyond the normal order of things that God cannot handle it. It speaks to His unique, sovereign ability to act in ways we might deem impossible or even miraculous.
Understand the original words
Adonai YHWH · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A title for God (Adonai Yahweh) emphasizing His absolute sovereignty, lordship, and authority over all creation as the Master and Ruler.
koach · Hebrew Noun
The divine attribute of power that is unlimited, majestic, and effective in accomplishing God's sovereign purposes in creation and history.
zeroa netuyah · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A metaphorical expression of God’s active, personal, and powerful intervention in human history to deliver His people and judge His enemies.
Jeremiah's prayer, acknowledging God's absolute power in creation, comes during the devastating siege and fall of Jerusalem. This profound contrast between God's ultimate authority and the immediate destruction highlights the prophet's struggle to trust God's promise of future restoration amidst overwhelming despair.
~1400 BC
Exodus and Wilderness Journey
God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt through mighty acts, symbolized by His outstretched arm, and leads them through the wilderness.
c. 700 BC
Assyrian Empire's Dominance
The powerful Assyrian Empire, a major regional force, casts a long shadow over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, creating widespread fear and instability.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire begin deporting Judean nobility and skilled workers to Babylon, initiating a period of increasing foreign domination.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon, intensifying the pressure on Jerusalem.
This passage directly recounts God's creation of the heavens and the earth, mirroring Jeremiah's opening statement and underscoring the immense power of God that Jeremiah is invoking.
Psalm 146:6This Psalm also speaks of God as the maker of heavens and earth, reinforcing the theological truth that His creative power is the ultimate demonstration of His omnipotence, which is the basis of Jeremiah's prayer.
Matthew 19:26Jesus echoes the sentiment of Jeremiah's verse, stating 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,' directly linking the concept of God's unlimited power to humanly impossible situations.
Luke 1:37This verse is a direct parallel, stating 'For no word of God will ever fail,' and is spoken in the context of the miraculous conception of John the Baptist, illustrating that nothing is too hard for God, even when it seems impossible to human understanding.
Jeremiah 32:27This is God's own response to Jeremiah's prayer in the very next section, confirming His power by saying, 'Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?' This shows the direct application and divine affirmation of Jeremiah's statement.
pooleJeremiah 32:17: "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:"
He beginneth his prayer with a recognition of God’s omnipotency, and the infiniteness of his power, which was showed in his first making the heaven and the earth, as we read, Genesis 1:1 Psalm 146:6 . God himself used this instance to confirm his people’s faith in his ability to do what he pleased, Jeremiah 27:5 . It is observable, that…
pulpitJeremiah 32:17: "Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:"
Verse 17. - Ah, Lord God! rather, Alas! O Lord Jehovah (as Jeremiah 1:6). Too hard for thee. It is the word usually rendered "wonderful," but rather indicating that thing or person lies outside the common order (comp. Genesis 18:14).
Jeremiah doesn't just call God "mighty"; he reminds Him that His power is so vast, it created everything from nothing, making any current problem inherently less formidable than that original act. The phrase translated "too hard" literally means something wonderful or beyond the ordinary, highlighting that God's power operates outside our normal understanding and limitations.
Jeremiah is in a desperate situation, having just purchased a field amidst the impending destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. He prays to God, acknowledging His immense power in creation as a foundation for his faith, even as the circumstances seem impossible. This prayer serves as a precursor to God's reassuring response, which will ultimately confirm the prophet's faith and the certainty of redemption.
Jeremiah is in a desperate situation, having just purchased a field amidst the impending destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. He prays to God, acknowledging His immense power in creation as a foundation for his faith, even as the circumstances seem impossible. This prayer serves as a precursor to God's reassuring response, which will ultimately confirm the prophet's faith and the certainty of redemption.
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586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and exile the majority of the remaining population, leaving the land devastated.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Purchase of Land
In the midst of Jerusalem's destruction and imminent exile, Jeremiah, following God's command, purchases a field from his cousin. This act symbolizes a future hope for restoration and return to the land.
"‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." — Jeremiah doesn't just call God "mighty"; he reminds Him that His power is so vast, it created everything from nothing, making any current problem inherently less formidable than that original act.…
