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Jeremiah 8:1-2 – Natural Consequences and Parenting
There is a parenting technique called “natural consequences.” Basically you allow your child to suffer what naturally follows bad decisions, instead of bailing them out, or giving an unrelated punishment. This is seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15).
I thought of that when reading Jeremiah 8. Here God applies a posthumous punishment consisting of shame and irony:
“At that time” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of her officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the residents of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves. They will be exposed to the sun, the moon, and the whole heavenly host, which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped (vv.1-2).
Here God leveled a shame-based consequence related to their sin. Their bones would be dried up by the same sun they wrongfully worshiped and become like manure (v.2).
Parenting is difficult if done right. Using a variety of punishments to fit the need and the child is a mental challenge. Another is the emotional pain from the natural consequence to the parents. Allowing our children to suffer really does hurt us more than them.
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