Verse 1 invites a search of the streets of Jerusalem of that day, to find if there be one person that does justice, that seeks fidelity, faithfulness to God. It is plain that there was not one there, for Jerusalem was not pardoned. What fearful decline there had been, during the four centuries since 'David was king! But a far more solemn day was to come, when the only righteous One, the Son of God, was crucified just outside the city walls.
In Genesis 18, another city, Sodom, was the subject of a search before its judgment took place; there was one, and only one, righteous man there—-a rather worldly-minded believer whose name is not to be found in Hebrews 11. Yet, though Lot's course is not one we are encouraged to follow, the Holy Spirit has given a pleasing testimony in his favor (2 Peter 2:7-87And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:7‑8)).
Jeremiah pours out his heart in lament over his people (verses 3-5). God looks for faithfulness in His people today, as He did in the days of His servant Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah. Jehovah had smitten Judah, because they were His people, and as we read in Hebrews 12:6,6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Hebrews 12:6) "Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth"; but they had refused to receive correction.
It was hard for the prophet who loved his nation to believe that all the people were alike turned away from God. "Surely these," he thought, concerning those who first refused his testimony, "are the Wretched ones; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, the judgment of their God" (verse 4). So to the great men he went, expecting to find encouragement there, but his report is that they have with one consent, "broken the yoke, have burst the bonds"; they too, would not submit themselves to God (verse 5).
Judgment, then, will overtake all, a lion, a wolf and a leopard being used to express the great strength of the Babylonian power that was soon to come against Judah; the wasting or emptying of the land that would follow, the people being transported to Babylon; and the swiftness with which the blow would fall on Judah and Jerusalem.
"Shall I not visit for these things?", Jehovah inquires (verse 9); He knows, as we are reminded in 2 Peter 2:9,9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9) "how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day o judgment to be punished"—-and that for eternity.
The judgment day of which Jeremiah prophesied was not the last one, when the wicked shall stand before the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-1511And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15)), but the captivity under Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, which shortly took place during Jeremiah's own time (chapter 39), Then mercy would be shown; a "full end" (verses 10, 18) was not to be made of Judah, and as we know, they were afterward allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild it, reestablish their homes in the land God had given their fathers.
When the foretold judgments took. place, Jeremiah was to tell his fellows that it was God's just retribution upon them because of their forsaking Him and serving strange gods in their land that they were to serve strangers in a land not theirs (verse 19).
Far more guilty than Judah (verses 20-28) is the world of our own day, particularly that part of it that has come under the sound of the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2).
The last two verses of the chapter solemnly sum up the state of things at that time, closing with a question for the unbelieving to answer.