Trouble with this....

I have to admit... I have some trouble with the passage that I read today. And I know that it was hard for Jeremiah in his day as well.

The passage starts off well.

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2"Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD. 3Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'

God is once again, calling his people back to them. Telling them to trust in him, not in empty words, but in HIM.

The people, once again, aren't listening too well.

But then we come to this part

16"As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. 17Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 19Is it I whom they provoke? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? 20Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched."

Jeremiah is told NOT to pray for them. They are wilful in their disobedience and God will not hear Jeremiah's prayer for them.

I find that a hard section. To be told NOT to pray for someone. How do we know who to, and who not to pray for? Do we not pray for our family, friends who are lost in their sin? Or is it just the specifics here.... God's people KNEW what they were to do, and they wilfully turned aside from God. Is that the specifics of who we are not to pray for? I'm not sure I get it.

Later on in this passage we find that Jeremiah's job as a prophet was a challenge in other ways.

27"So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. 28And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.

Like Moses did with Pharaoh, we find the Jeremiah would be speaking God's word to a people who he already knew would not be receptive to it.

I just find it hard. Not only can he not pray for these people, he knows that the words he speaks will not be heard. And yet, that was his job for God.

I don't know. I just find this difficult to understand.... Does anyone have any insight they want to share???