Charles Spurgeon Commentary Jeremiah 31:20

"Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah." — Jeremiah 31:20 (ASV)

Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child?

Or we may render it, "Is this Ephraim my dear son? Is this my pleasant child?" He is all that now that he begins to hate his sin.

Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child?

You might expect the answer to be, "No, he has lost the rights of childhood; he has been unpleasant and provoking to God," yet God does not give such an answer as that to his own questions, but he says:-

For since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still;

Although the Lord threatened him and sent prophets to foretell evil to him because of his sin, yet he says, I do earnestly remember him still;

For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still:

Think of this, you who forget your God, you backsliders, wanderers from your Father's house.

I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

Oh, what blessedness there is in this gracious promise!

Therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

What a wonderful speech for God to make! Even the infinitely-blessed God represents himself as in trouble concerning penitent sinners, remembering them in pity, and longing to have mercy upon them.

Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still:

"Not only do I remember him, but I do earnestly remember him still."

Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, says the Lord.

Here we seem to look into the very heart of God; and He is represented to us as though He had contending passions within Him.

He speaks angrily one day, but He earnestly remembers mercy the next day. God does not change, yet His dealings with men must change, because their state varies so much.

He sometimes speaks in great wrath while they hold to their sin, but love lies even at the bottom of that wrath. Then He changes His tone, speaks comfortably, and puts away the sinner's sin when He sees that His anger has produced the due result, and the sinner forsakes his sin to come to His God.

Some of you understand this treatment, for you have experienced it; but you cannot comprehend the fullness of mercy and love that is in the heart of God towards the repenting sinner.

Therefore my bowels are troubled for him;

"I cannot bear to see his misery."