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Table of Contents

Overview of ...... 6 The Message of Jeremiah ...... 9 Chapter One ...... 10 The ’s Background ...... 10 Begin Jeremiah Chapter One...... 12 The Prophet’s Call...... 13 The Prophet’s Confirming Visions ...... 16 The Prophet’s Challenge...... 18 Jeremiah in the New Testament...... 20 Chapter Two...... 21 Prophecies concerning ...... 21 Chapter Three ...... 36 A Call to Repentance ...... 37 Chapter Four ...... 44 An Imminent Invasion ...... 45 Sorrow for the Doomed Nation ...... 48 Chapter Five ...... 51 The Justice of Godʹs Judgment...... 51 God’s Fruitless Vineyard will be Pillaged...... 54 Chapter Six ...... 59 Impending Destruction from the North ...... 59 Chapter Seven...... 65 False religion and its punishment (Chapters. 7-10) ...... 65 Chapter Eight ...... 75 A Mini Review of the Ministry of Jeremiah ...... 75 The Peril of False Teaching...... 77 The Prophet Mourns for the People ...... 82 Chapter Nine...... 84 A Mini Review of the Message in the Temple Gate...... 84 The Coming Desolation of the Land of Judah Vividly Described ...... 87 The People Mourn in Judgment...... 88 Chapter Ten...... 92 The Coming Captivity of Judah...... 94 Chapter Eleven ...... 97 The Message on the Broken Covenant...... 97 Copy of the Book of the Law Found ...... 98 The Violation of the Covenant (11:1-17) ...... 98 The Consequences of Violating the Covenant ...... 101 Chapter Twelve ...... 104 Jeremiah’s Question to Jehovah...... 104 The LORD Answers Jeremiah...... 105

1 Chapter Thirteen ...... 110 Symbol of the Linen Sash...... 110 The Parable of the Wine Skins (Bottles-Jars)...... 113 Pride Precedes Captivity...... 114 Chapter Fourteen...... 117 The Drought and Prayer in Chapters 14 and 15...... 117 The People Plead for Mercy ...... 121 Chapter Fifteen...... 123 The LORD Will Not Relent...... 123 The Prayer of to Save ...... 124 Jeremiahʹs Dejection ...... 126 The LORD Reassures Jeremiah...... 129 Chapter Sixteen ...... 131 Jeremiah’s Restrictions ...... 131 The Sin of The People of Judah...... 133 God Will Restore ...... 134 Chapter Seventeen...... 137 Judahʹs Sin and Punishment...... 137 Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance...... 140 Chapter Eighteen...... 145 The Potter and the Clay ...... 145 Godʹs Warning Rejected...... 148 Jeremiah Persecuted ...... 150 God is Calling You...... 152 Chapter Nineteen...... 153 The Message of the Broken Jar...... 153 Chapter Twenty...... 158 The Word of God to ...... 158 The Complaint of Jeremiah to God ...... 159 Chapter Twenty One ...... 165 Jerusalemʹs Doom Is Sealed...... 165 Message to the House of ...... 168 Chapter Twenty Two...... 169 Message To ...... 169 The Message to Shallum Son of ...... 171 The Message to ...... 171 The Message to Jehoiachin ...... 173 Jeremiah’s Second prophecy of Their Deportation...... 174 Chapter Twenty Three ...... 176 The Message Concerning the Righteous Branch ...... 176 The Character of the False ...... 179 Chapter Twenty Four ...... 185 The Vision (Sign) of Two Baskets of Figs ...... 185 The Explanation of the Good Figs...... 186 THe Explanation of the Poor Figs...... 187

2 Chapter Twenty Five ...... 189 Seventy Years of Desolation...... 189 Judgment Described ...... 191 My Servant - Cyrus...... 192 Judgment on the Nations...... 193 Universal Judgment Affirmed ...... 196 Chapter Twenty Six ...... 199 Conflict With the People...... 199 Jeremiah’s Arrest and Trial...... 200 Jeremiah’s Deliverance...... 202 The Line of ...... 204 Chapter Twenty Seven...... 205 Symbol of the Bonds and Yokes ...... 205 The Message to the Ambassadors ...... 205 The Message to Zedekiah ...... 207 The Message to the Priests and People ...... 208 Chapter Twenty Eight ...... 210 Jeremiah’s Conflict with Hananiah ...... 210 Jeremiah’s Message to Hananiah...... 212 Chapter Twenty Nine...... 214 Jeremiahʹs Letter to the Captives in ...... 214 Conflict with the False Prophets in Exile...... 215 The Warning Against False Prophets...... 217 Jeremiah’s Second Letter to the Exiles ...... 218 The Condemnation of Shemaiah ...... 219 Chapter Thirty ...... 220 The Restoration of Israel and Judah Declared ...... 221 The Lord’s Deliverance ...... 223 The Nation’s Spiritual Healing ...... 224 Chapter Thirty One...... 227 The National Restoration of Israel...... 227 Future Prosperity of Judah ...... 233 A ...... 234 Chapter Thirty Two ...... 238 The Restoration of Israel and Judah Illustrated...... 238 Jeremiah Buys a Field...... 239 Jeremiah Prays for Understanding...... 241 Chapter Thirty Three...... 247 The Restoration of Israel and Judah Reaffirmed ...... 247 The Covenants with David and the Levitical Priests...... 251 The Confirmation...... 252 Chapter Thirty Four...... 255 Zedekiah Warned by God ...... 255 The Warning to the People ...... 256 Chapter Thirty Five...... 261 Promise Keepers Versus Promise Breakers...... 261 3 The Example of the Recabites...... 262 The Reward of the Recabites ...... 264 Chapter Thirty Six...... 265 The Reading of the Scroll...... 266 The Burning of the Scroll ...... 268 The Rewriting of the Scroll...... 270 Chapter Thirty Seven ...... 272 Jeremiah Imprisoned ...... 273 Jeremiah’s First Meeting with Zedekiah and Transfer to the Courtyard of the Guard ...... 275 Chapter Thirty Eight...... 277 Jeremiah’s Confinement in a Cistern ...... 277 Jeremiah’s Rescue from the Cistern...... 278 Jeremiah’s Second Meeting with Zedekiah...... 280 Chapter Thirty Nine ...... 283 The Fall of Jerusalem...... 283 Jeremiah Goes Free ...... 285 Chapter Forty ...... 288 Jeremiah’s Ministry to the Remnant in Palestine ...... 288 The Assassination of ...... 292 Chapter Forty One...... 294 The Leadership of Johanan...... 297 Chapter Forty Two ...... 298 The Flight to Forbidden...... 298 Chapter Forty Three...... 303 The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s Invasion ...... 306 Chapter Forty Four...... 308 The Warning of God’s judgment ...... 308 Chapter Forty Five...... 315 Assurance to Baruch...... 315 Chapter Forty Six...... 317 Judgment on Egypt...... 317 Egypt to Be Invaded and Exiled ...... 320 Israel to Be Regathered...... 322 Chapter Forty Seven ...... 325 Judgment on Philistia...... 325 Chapter Forty Eight...... 328 Judgment on ...... 328 Moab’s Pride to Cease ...... 334 Chapter Forty Nine ...... 337 Judgment on Ammon...... 337 Judgment on ...... 338 Judgment on Damascus - Syria...... 341 Judgment on Kedar and Hazor...... 342 Judgment on - Iran...... 343

4 Chapter Fifty ...... 345 Judgment on Babylon and Babylonia-Iraq...... 345 The Fall of Babylon - Iraq...... 347 The Restoration of Israel ...... 348 Chapter Fifty One ...... 353 God’s Vengeance Against Babylon ...... 353 Jeremiahʹs Command to Seraiah...... 361 Chapter Fifty Two...... 363 The Fate of Jerusalem ...... 363 The Fate of Certain People...... 366 The Fate of Jehoiachin ...... 368

5

CALVARY CHAPEL COLLEGE

Overview of Jeremiah

Jeremiah which translates into “May lift up” Born about 648 B.C. A comtemporary of King Josiah His ancestral home was , a city located about three miles northeast of Jerusalem. Anathoth possibly means in Hebrew, “answer”

INTERESTING BASIC FACTS ABOUT JEREMIAH

Reluctant to assume the divine role of God’s prophet Jer 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

Lamented over his divine role Jer 15:10 Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

Commanded by God to remain unmarried. Jer 16:2 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

Rebuked false prophets Jer 28:15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Rebuked all of Judah Jer 1:17-19 17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. 18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. 19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Well known verses in Jeremiah

6 :9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jer 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Jer 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Jer 11:19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

Jer 18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Jer 21:8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of 's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jer 29:11-14 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Jer 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:

7 Jer 12:6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

His life was like the statement Jesus said in

Matthew 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. Is it any wonder Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet?

A more accurate statement about the ministry of Jeremiah would be that he was faithful to all that God asked him to do. Wrote Lamentations Tradition says Jeremiah sat and wrote lamentations while weeping outside North wall under the knoll called Golgotha. In the same place about 600 years later where our Lord was to die for us on a cross.

Jer 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive.

Jer 9:1 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

You might say what stubborn people , do not they see destruction coming?

The is the second longest book of the Bible in volume next to Psalms

The book of Jeremiah can be divided in the following main sections: A. Chapt. 1 The call and the Visions

B Chpt. 2 to chpt. 25:14 Prophecies and Visions

C Chpt. 26 to 45:5 Stories about Jeremiah

D Chpt. 25:14-38 , Chpt. 46 to 51 Oracles against foreign nations

E Chpt 52 Historical epilogue

F Chpt. 30 and 31 Oracles on the restoration of Israel

8

The Message of Jeremiah

Theologically the Book of Jeremiah stimulates the search for the Will of God in moments when all the governing institutions and religious representatives normally in charge fail to urge the people to do His Will and are discredited by their lack of leadership in serving Jehovah and the people.

Neither the Kings, the priests or the temple institutions could help the people to prevent the impending calamities to come upon Judah and Jerusalem. They had the example of the Northern Kingdom , Israel , and its destruction by . The people of Judah would not heed the Word of God , nor repent.

JEREMIAH (DESTINATION SOUTHERN KINGDOM)

I. The Rulers Under Whom Jeremiah Ministered. A. Josiah. Jeremiah was called by God during the reign of Josiah, Judah’s last good king. B. Jehoiakim. This wicked king burned Jeremiah’s original written prophecy scroll. C. Jehoiachin. This ninety-day wonder is soundly condemned by Jeremiah. D. Zedekiah. The prophet suffered much under the reign of Zedekiah, Judah’s final king. E. Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah is treated with respect by the great Babylonian conqueror. F. Gedaliah. He was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to govern the fallen city of Jerusalem. G. Johanan. He took over after the tragic assassination of Gedaliah and later forced Jeremiah to accompany a Jewish remnant to Egypt.

9 Chapter One

Preview of Verses 1-3

The dominant theme of Jeremiah is that of national sinfulness and looming judgment. Jeremiahs 40 year ministry spanned the final years of Judahs (Southern Kingdom) existence as an independent nation. He constantly warned his nation to submit to Babylon, a nation which God had appointed to discipline His people. As a result he was hated as a traitor to his people, and his life was often threatened.

The Prophet’s Background

Jeremiah 1:1-3 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of : To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

Jer e mi’ ah means Jehovah will cast forth or Yahweh will lift up

Hil ki’ ah means the portion of Jehovah a priest of Anathoth, not the Hilkiah of the reign of Josiah. The priests of Anathoth were from the line of Ith’a mar, means palm coast (1 Ki 2:26) while the high priest Hilkiah belonged to that of e a’zar.God is helper

(Home town of Jeremiah) An’ a thoth means affliction and answers, located 3 mi. North east of Jerusalem

Ben’ ja min means son of the right hand

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

LORD - Je ho’ vah means he is, he was (two tenses in Hebrew, past and future (future also represents the present in Hebrew)

Ju’ dah means he shall be praised Je ru’ sa lem means dual peace will be taught

(Jeremiah began his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign.)

10 Josiah was following the brightest memories of the past good kings like David, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah and Hezekiah.

Hez e ki’ ah means strengthened of Jehovah began 25yr reign 29 (good)

Ma nas’ seh means causing to forget began reign at 12yr reigned 55 yr. (evil)

A’ mon means to nourish, to be faithful began at 22yr served 2 years (evil) Became the father of Josiah at age 16 (2 ki 21:19)

Jo si’ ah means he will be sustained by Jehovah began at 8yr. For 31 years(good)

Since Josiah was only 8 yrs old he was served well with tutoring from the following 4 Godly men: Hil ki’ ah (portion of Jehovah), Shaph’ an (coney-rock badger), A hi’ kam (brother of rising), Ach’ bor ( a mouse).

Life Application: Think back on your Christian walk. Who taught you and raised you up in the Word?

Je ho’ a haz means Jehovah is taker-hold began 23yr old reign 3 months (Evil)

Pharaoh Neco 2nd took him to Egypt and installed his brother Jehoiakim as a vassal king. 2 kings 23:34-35

Je hoi’ a kim means Jehovah will set up began 25yr old served 11 years (evil)

Je hoi’ a chin means Jehovah will establish began 18 yr. Old reigned 3 months (evil)

Deported to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 BC along with 10,000 others. Probably Ezekiel taken at this time also. He began his prophetic ministry 5 years later in Babylon. Zedekiah an uncle was installed as Judah’s vassal king.

Zed e ki’ ah means righteousness of Jehovah began 21yr old served 11 years(evil)

Remember it is important to know the threefold ministry of Jeremiah. He warned the majority still in Judah about the coming Babylonian Captivity. He comforted the minority already captive in Babylon. He pronounced judgment upon nine Gentile nations.

Jeremiah did not organize his book chronologically. Chapters 2 thru 45 focus on God’s judgment on Judah.

Chapters 46 thru 51 focus on God’s judgment on the Gentile Nations.

11 Chapter 52 is nearly identical to 2 Kings 24:18 thru all of Chapter 25 (This repetition was probably to verify the Ministry of Jeremiah after the facts.)

Jeremiah exercised his ministry in comparative peace during the last 18 of the 31 years of Josiah’s reign as King of Judah.

Chapters 2 to 6 contain the notes of his prophesies delivered during the first 5 years of his ministry, before the finding of the book of the law.

Chapters 7 to 9 contain messages delivered in connection with the cleansing of the temple, and the discovery of the book of the law.

Begin Jeremiah Chapter One

VERSE BY VERSE

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

The phrase "the words of Jeremiah" refers to both the words and the events (deeds) (5:28) in the personal history of the prophet Jeremiah. His hometown of Anathoth is identified in the O.T. as a priestly city (Josh. 21:13, 18) located in the land of Benjamin Anathoth is about, about three mi (4.8 km) N of Jerusalem. Now called Anata .

Hilkiah, a priest of the line of Abiathar, was the father of the prophet Jeremiah. Abiathar was removed from the priesthood and exiled to Anathoth by Solomon (1 Kin. 2:26).

Jeremiah 5:28 They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

Josh. 21:13, 18 13 Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Libnah with her suburbs, 14 And Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs, 15 And Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs, 16 And Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Beth-she'mesh with her suburbs; nine cities out of those two tribes. 17 And out of the , Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs, 18 Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs; four cities.

1 Kings 2:26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. .

12 2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

The prophetic ministry of Jeremiah is clearly dated as beginning during the reign of Josiah, the son of Amon, who began his reign in 640 B.C. Jeremiah's call came in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, who reigned from 640 to 609 B.C. (v. 2). This would place the beginning of Jeremiah's ministry about 626 B.C.

Three important events occurred in that year: (1) , the last great king of Assyria, died; (2) The Scythians invaded Palestine; and (3) Jeremiah received a call from God for prophetic service.

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

The phrase "son of Josiah" as associated with Zedekiah means "a descendant of Josiah." The ministry of the prophet Jeremiah began during the reign of Josiah and extended beyond the reign of Zedekiah. the exile of Jerusalem. In 586 B.C. However, Jeremiah continued his ministry a little longer.

The Prophet’s Call

Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: Here Jeremiah functions as a prophet when he received the Word of the LORD. A prophet was one through whom God spoke directly to His people. Now God speaks through His Son to us as revealed in Holy Scripture.

Hebrews 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

notice 4 - I’s ( formed, knew, sanctified (set apart) , ordained.) sanctity of life proven exposing abortionists as takers of life.(in the womb)

13 Knew - Yada means more than intellectual knowledge (intimate) a close personal relationship , also found in Gen. 4:1, 3:2, Ps 1:6

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

God calls those to proclaim His Word who know Him and search Him out through His Word. The Word of God comes to those who are listening for Him. We must always be ready to hear the still small voice of our Maker when He calls us to service.

Jeremiah's prophetic call came as a result of a dialogue with God . Jeremiah would encounter many false prophets, and it was important that he have the assurance that his call came directly from God. God's call is based upon His knowledge (yada`, Heb.) and encompasses His sovereignty and personal selection . Furthermore He "sanctified," (qadash, Heb., "set apart") and "ordained" (natan, Heb., "appointed") Jeremiah to the prophetic office. This passage also serves as a strong biblical example against the practice of abortion. God's special purpose for Jeremiah was already in progress even before his birth. Jeremiah was set apart by God for his prophetic ministry before he was born. Paul was similarly chosen.

Galatians 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."

The Hebrew term rendered "youth" (na`ar) in the Hebrew. The word is used of infants (Ex. 2:6) and youths (Gen. 14:24). Likely Jeremiah was in his late teens or early twenties at this time.

indicates three things about Jeremiah:

(1) he was a very young man when he became conscious of God's call; (2) he felt that he lacked the strength and wisdom necessary for the task to which he was called; (3) he was inexperienced in prophetic service.

However, God looks beyond human weaknesses and inadequacies and the man whom God calls He will faithfully equip. Exodus 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

Jer. 1:7 But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.

The call of Jeremiah is dependent upon the power of God, not upon human frailties such as age. The breadth of his ministry is wherever God chooses to send him. Jeremiah's obligation is to be

14 obedient and not to be afraid. The presence of God will be with the prophet as he goes before the people.

Jeremiah's objection was overruled on the grounds that the authority for his message resided in the One who chose him .

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Jer. 1:8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.

Do not be afraid. Similar words were also spoken to (Gen. 15:1), (Num. 21:34; Deut. 3:2), Daniel (. 10:12, 19), Mary (Luke 1:30), Peter (Luke 5:10), and Paul (Acts 27:24).

Joshua was told also to be not afraid. Jehovah is with you. Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

The Hebrew word rendered "deliver" (v. 8) is nasal and means to "snatch away"

Jer. 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Yet God's care is not only defensive but offensive (v. 9). As He touched the mouth of the prophet, He identified Himself personally with the prophet's ministry. The touch may be understood as cleansing (Isa. 6:7), but also empowering for service.

Isaiah 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Luke 12:11-12 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

I Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

John 1:17-18 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

15 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Jer. 1:10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."

Notice this important observation about this verse. Here God is telling Judah about destruction to come with 4 verbs. ( root out, pull down, destroy, throw down) Then God talks about construction with 2 verbs. (To build and to plant ) Build - new Temple, Plant - vineyards

The twofold ministry of the prophet is expressed as one of judgment and of salvation. The main verb of the verse expresses the idea that God has set the prophet over the nations and kingdoms. The phrase "set you over" is paqad (Heb.) and could be translated "make an overseer." In military language this was Jeremiah’s marching orders.

From this position the prophet is to exercise judgment by: (1) "rooting out," (2) "pulling down," (3) "destroying," and (4) "throwing down."

Jeremiah would prophesy both destruction and blessing.

The Prophet’s Confirming Visions

God is going to give Jeremiah two visions regarding the destiny of Judah.

Jer. 1:11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, "Jeremiah, what do you see?" And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree."

See in Hebrew Ra’ah , to have a vision almond branch in Hebrew is (shaqed) the earliest tree to bloom in Israel also known as the awake or watch tree. Its blooms precede its leaves, as the tree bursts into blossom in late January.

Because it flowers earlier than other trees, the almond (Heb, ) signifies the near fulfillment of God's purposed judgment (v. 10).

Here there is a play on two words which are very similar in appearance and pronunciation. "Almond tree" or "the watcher" (v. 11) is a rendering of the Hebrew word shaqed.

One spelling has an A the other spelling has an O.

The Hebrew term translated "I am ready" (Jer. 1:12) is shoqed. The ancients often arranged words cleverly by changing the sense of a word through altering a letter, or by playing upon words similar in sound or sense. As Jeremiah observed the almond tree, he was reminded of God's message that divine surveillance accompanies divine pronouncement.

16 The almond (Heb., shaqed) tree was to reassure Jeremiah that God was not asleep but that He was watching (Heb., shoqed).

2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Jer. 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word."

This vision was given to Jeremiah to remind him that God was awake and watching over His Word to make sure it came to pass soon. We can compare this branch to our alarm clocks which they did not have at that time. Jeremiah was to wake the people up who did not want to wake up to the fact of their spiritual decline as a nation and the impending judgment coming from Jehovah. This judgment was coming out of the north in the power of Babylon.

We will see this in the next chapter where we read a verse in :13

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

The two evils were forsaking the true God, the source of living waters, and substituting idols that were like Broken cisterns (large plastered pits, which, if broken, would not hold the brackish water in them).

Jer. 1:13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north."

God fanning the judgment to come. (Causing it to boil)

away from the North, means tilting toward the South and Judah.

This second confirming vision was given by God to confirm judgment was coming to Judah from the North (Babylon)

The pot (sir in Hebrew.) was a large waterpot used as a cooking utensil for boiling. As the prophet watches its contents spill from the north, God warns him that from that direction evil will come upon his people. While the Babylonians were the evil in mind, Jeremiah points out that the people have actually made God their foe (vv. 15, 16).

The pot (a large vessel used for cooking or washing) about to spill its boiling contents from the north illustrates the coming invasion of Babylon. The boiling caldron symbolizes a raging conflict which was to descend upon the land from the north, i.e. the Babylonian invasion.

17 Jer. 1:14 Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer. 1:15 For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the LORD; "They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Judah.

Fulfilled in :2-3 when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem.

Jer. 1:16 I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

Them identifies Judah as the one to be judged by God

The Prophet’s Challenge

Jer. 1:17 "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.

Rise up - used many times to indicate breaking camp early at dawn and be on the road. As soon as there is light be on your way.

Furthermore, the phrase (arise) may be suggestive of the "readiness of mind" which is demanded of the one who is entering the prophetic ministry, or for that matter any Christian service (1 Pet. 1:13). From God's perspective there are no other options for the one whom He has called to do His work.

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

Life Application: When we receive the Lord we should be about His business early every morning. (Devotions, prayer , the Word)

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Several crucial truths about service to God emerge from Jeremiah's commission: (1) Jeremiah's message was only to consist of what God had commanded; (2) of that which God had commanded, all was to be told; (3) in his mission, Jeremiah was not to be dismayed by the responses of the people, whether of condescension or threat; nor was he to be discouraged over the pain of being reduced to confusion before those to whom he was sent (v. 17);

18 (4) Jeremiah's confidence was based upon God's promise to make the prophet invincible (v. 18); and (5) the prophet was promised opposition, but he was also promised victory by the hand of God (v. 19).

The phrase "prepare yourself" could be rendered "gird up your loins." This suggests the gathering up of the long flowing robes worn by the men of the East as they tied the cumbersome robe around the waist in preparation for hand-to-hand combat. Here the phrase is used metaphorically to suggest needful preparation for the fierce and intense conflict to come.

Jer. 1:18 For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land-- against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

A promise to Pastors and everyone who is a friend of Jesus and a servant of God that He is with you , so arise and be about the Fathers business. Jeremiah is commanded to be strong as a fortified city, which he was for more than 40 years and without losing his gentle spirit.

Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Jer.1:19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you."

Matt 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Judah was the last remnant of the Hebrew national life. The lesson learned is this: For a people to boast in the glory of the past, and to deny the very glory of God that made the past , is to perish. Compare our own USA. The word of Jehovah persistently heard and disobeyed, ceases to appeal. The people have all gone after their own devices and are living for self pleasure and do not revere their maker, God.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Life Application: Is there an area of your life that God is gently asking you to change? Are you still living off the experience of your parents in their Christian walk or are you longing to draw closer to God each day in a personal relationship?

19 Jeremiah in the New Testament

All Bible students are familiar with the way in which the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are interwoven. Jeremiah is mentioned twice by Matthew in 2:17 and 16:14 . It is believed by scholars that the reference in Matthew 27:9 is an early copyist error and should read Zechariah. We can discover in addition 41 quotations from the prophecies of Jeremiah in the New Testament.

Some examples are:

Matthew 21:13 :11 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Acts 15:16 :15 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Hebrews 8:8-10 :31-33 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Romans 9:20 :6 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

1 Cor. 1:31 :23 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Revelation 18:2 :39 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

20 Chapter Two

Jeremiah was the premier prophet of Judah during the dark days leading to her destruction. Though the light of other prophets, such as Habakkuk and Zephaniah, flickered in Judah at that time Jeremiah was the blazing torch who, along with Ezekiel in Babylon, exposed the darkness of Judah’s sin with the piercing brightness of God’s Word. He was a weeping prophet to a wayward people. Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Life Application: Consider this youthful Prophet (Jeremiah) and equally young King (Josiah). Put yourself in their place. Could you measure up to the challenge facing them?

Prophecies concerning Judah

Jeremiah began his ministry about a century after He began his work during the reign of King Josiah, and he continued right on through the Babylonian captivity. He is the one who predicted the seventy years’ captivity in Babylon.( Jer. 25:11 ) He also saw beyond the darkness of the captivity to the light. No other prophet spoke so glowingly of the future. We will have occasion to see this as we continue our study in Jeremiah. We last saw how Jeremiah began his commission as a prophet by the declaration of God in verse 1:5. Jeremiah was to go where sent, and speak for God as commanded according to Verse 1:7.

FIRST MESSAGE TO JUDAH IS REVEALED IN CHAPT. 2:1 TO 3:5

This section begins with Jeremiah recording 13 oracles of divine judgment against the nation of Judah (chaps. 2-25). He then indicated the personal conflicts that ensued as the people rejected his messages (chaps. 26-29). The judgment of Judah was now sealed; but before he chronicled the execution of that judgment, Jeremiah inserted God’s message of future comfort for Israel and Judah (chaps. 30-33). Though Judah would go into captivity, God would not abandon His people. After this message of future hope, Jeremiah recorded the fall of Judah to Babylon (chaps. 34-45). Then the word of judgment he had pronounced was fulfilled.

Jer.2:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Hebrew for word is Dabar. Same as used in verse Jer.1:4 The general character of the first message to Judah is threefold: The LORD Reminds Israel of the days of blessing and deliverance, verses 2:1 - 7; Reproaches them with forsaking Him verse 2:13; and Accuses them of choosing other, and impotent, gods verses 2:10 - 12, 26 - 28.

21 Jeremiah’s first message confronted Jerusalem with her waywardness. To emphasize this Jeremiah contrasted Judah’s former devotion (vv. 1-3) with her present departure from God (v. 4-3:5). At the time of the Exodus Israel loved God and followed Him through the desert. Israel had her lapses of faith when she murmured against God in the wilderness wanderings, but God in His grace and “forbearance” (Rom. 3:25) passed over her. Yet for the most part she had remained faithful as a nation.

ROMANS 3:25

WHOM GOD HATH SET FORTH TO BE A PROPITIATION THROUGH FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, TO DECLARE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, THROUGH THE FORBEARANCE OF GOD; Israel had been set apart as holy to the LORD (Ex. 19:6; 22:31). Just as the firstfruits of the harvest belonged to God (Lev. 23:9-14), so Israel had been chosen as the first nation to worship the Lord. Those who devoured her were as guilty as those who ate of the first fruits dedicated to God, and God would bring disaster on them (Gen. 12:3).

EXODUS 19:6

AND YE SHALL BE UNTO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, AND AN HOLY NATION. THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH THOU SHALT SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

GENESIS 12:3

AND I WILL BLESS THEM THAT BLESS THEE, AND CURSE HIM THAT CURSETH THEE: AND IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED.

These messages and living parables delivered by Jeremiah (vv. 5-30) are descriptive of the conditions in the land during the time of Josiah's early reign. They picture the moral corruption of the nation and the inevitable punishment which the people should expect.

Jer. 2:2 "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.

The Hebrew word translated "kindness" is hesed; it usually refers to God's lovingkindness expressed in His covenant relationship with Israel. God's hesed denotes persistent and unconditional tenderness, kindness, and mercy, a relationship in which God seeks after man with love and mercy. Man's hesed is pictured in the loving bride who clings to her beloved bridegroom This state of betrothal between God and Israel is the period from Israel's deliverance out of Egypt to the establishment of the covenant at Sinai. Here it refers to Israel's love for Yahweh, which the nation had expressed in days gone by.

Jer. 2:3 Israel was holiness to the LORD, the firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; disaster will come upon them," says the LORD.' "

22 Chapters 2 through 6 were given during the first five years of Jeremiah’s ministry. And since he began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, these messsages were given in those five years before the finding of the Book of the Law in the temple.

The messages in chapters 7 through 9 have to do with the cleansing of the temple and the discovery of the Book of the Law. This took place in the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. Now in chapters 10 through 12 we find the messages which came in the period of reform and revival after the finding of the Book of the Law. Unfortunately we will find that the revival was a surface sort only because there was not proper emphasis placed upon the Word of God.

Life Application: One cannot help but note that there is an analogy between Judah and our own nation. God is left out today in the USA. Our nation was founded by men and women who believed that the Book was the Word of God, and everything they did was based on that Book. Today our nation is controlled by men who do not know its spiritual heritage. We have turned away from God. Our idol is the almighty dollar.

Remember the story in Acts 19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. The silversmiths wanted to keep the money rolling in with the sale of their idols.

The cry of America today is “Great is the almighty dollar”. God is forgotten. The cry of the Christian is remember, repent and return. But for the most part the message falls on deaf ears.

Judah did not learn her lesson. She will soon follow the way of the Northern Kingdom of Israel into bondage. Is it too late for America to learn her lesson and turn from her pagan ways?

Jer. 2:4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel. Jacob (a synonym for Israel,) Israel’s faithfulness to God, however, did not last. Jer. 2:5 Thus says the LORD: "What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? followed worthless idols

In the we read of just such a fallacy Isa 44:13-20 13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

23 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? 20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?

False religion produces emptiness. The word translated "idols" (hevel, Heb.), also means "emptiness." This word can refer to the breath seen on a frosty morning. It is present for an instant and then it is gone. This verse shows a progression. As the people followed after vain false religions they themselves became false and vain.

Jer. 2:6 Neither did they say, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt?'

forgetting that the LORD had led them through the desert into a fertile land.

Jer. 2:7 I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land and made My heritage an abomination.

the words "a bountiful country" (karmel, Heb.) literally mean "a garden land."(Eden) The picture is one of protection and security made possible by God's presence and goodness.

And the people defiled the land with their idolatry

Now in verse 8 Jeremiah singled out the three groups charged with leading the nation and exposed their lack of obedience. The priests who were to instruct the people in the ways of God did not know God, that is, they themselves did not have an intimate relationship with the One about whom they were teaching .

The leaders (ro$(|=m, lit., “shepherds”) were the political and civil leaders appointed by God to guide and protect the nation. In the early history of Israel this function was fulfilled by judges, but later the duty was assigned to kings. Ironically the ones who were to lead Judah were themselves in need of correction. They rebelled against the One who had appointed them to their task.

24 The prophets were the third group charged with leading the nation. But instead of declaring God’s words of rebuke and correction, they prophesied by and urged the people to follow worthless idols . Baal was a Canaanite god of fertility whose worship was a constant thorn in Israel’s side. The Scribes Jer. 2:8 The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know Me; the rulers also transgressed against Me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

priests . scribes. . rulers . . . prophets. These leaders led the way to apostasy.

Jer. 2:9 "Therefore I will yet bring charges against you," says the LORD, "And against your children's children I will bring charges.

The Hebrew term translated "bring charges" is a legal term denoting "contending." The people of Israel have put themselves in the position of defendant. God is both plaintiff and judge, setting forth His accusations. No defendant can escape condemnation (1:16) as long as he continues in rebellion (Ezek. 33:11; 2 Pet. 3:9).

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Having clearly shown the faithlessness of the people, Jeremiah used the image of a court case to focus on the seriousness of Israel’s sin. God would bring charges (r|

Jer. 2:10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see, send to Kedar and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing.

Describing west (Cyprus) and east Kedar. A geographic mental picture of size

The "coasts of Cyprus" identifies the homeland of the descendants of Javan, probably Kition on Cyprus west of Palestine (Gen. 10:4). Kedar was the second son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13), and the name is used to designate the part of the world which is east of Palestine.

25 Jer. 2:11 Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit.

From west to east there is no people who has turned against its pagan gods; but Judah has turned against the living God. In other words the heathen still practice their gods and do not change but the children of Israel stopped worshiping their true God and changed toward pagan gods.

Jer. 2:12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be very desolate," says the LORD.

KEY VERSE Jer. 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns-- broken cisterns that can hold no water.The two evils were forsaking the true God, the source of living waters, and substituting idols that were like Broken cisterns (large plastered pits, which, if broken, would not hold the brackish water in them).

Ancient landowners would dig cisterns to collect the rainwater. To insure that the cistern would hold water, the landowner plastered it inside with lime. Often un-repairable cracks would develop and the water would leak out.

In like manner Israel had abandoned Yahweh, the "fountain of life" or "fountain of living waters" for man-made powerless gods. They had committed two "evils": they had forsaken Yahweh, and they had tried to improve upon Him. Without living water a man’s life is dry and empty. Without Jesus there is dryness and no hope.

Psalm 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

John 4:10-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

26 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Israel had committed two sins. The first was one of omission: she had forsaken her God.

Her second sin was one of commission: she had replaced her true God with false idols. Man’s heart, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Using imagery that those residing in Judah would understand, Jeremiah compared the nation’s actions to someone abandoning a spring of living (running) water for broken cisterns. The most reliable and refreshing sources of water in Israel were her natural springs. This water was dependable; and its clear, cool consistency was satisfying. In contrast, the most unreliable source of water was cisterns. Cisterns were large pits dug into the rock and covered with plaster. These pits were used to gather rainwater. This water was brackish; and if the rains were below normal, it could run out. Worse yet, if a cistern developed a crack it would not hold the water. To turn from a dependable, pure stream of running water to a broken, brackish cistern was idiotic. Yet that is what Judah did when she turned from God to idols.

Compare the story of the cracked cistern on the Mount of Olives. From holding living water to a grave site for the .(dead)

Jer. 2:14 "Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered?

Homeborn slave - A slave born in the house of his master in contrast to one purchased

Jer. 2:15 The young lions roared at him, and growled; they made his land waste; his cities are burned, without inhabitant.

Judah’s apostasy brought severe repercussions. Her land was laid waste by foreign invaders (compared to lions) and her towns were burned and deserted.

A reference to the capture of the Northern Kingdom in 722BC by Assyria.

Jer. 2:16 Also the people of Noph and have broken the crown of your head.

Egyptian armies had begun to plague Judah.

27 "Noph" is usually identified as Memphis in Egypt. The ancient capital of Lower Egypt is located near Cairo. Tahpanhes. In NE Egypt, commanding the road to Palestine

The "crown of your head" is evidently a reference to the premature death of Judah's noble King Josiah by the hand of the Egyptian

Kin. 23:29 In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river : and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

King Josiah was killed in this battle at Megiddo. () Carchemish [KAR-kuh-mish] An ancient capital of the Hittites, located on the W bank of the Euphrates in N Syria. The Hittite Empire fell in 717 B.C. with its capture by Sargon II of Assyria. In 605 B.C., Carchemish was the site of a decisive battle between Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh Neco, whose army occupied the city. The defeat of Neco at the hands of the Babylonians decided the fate of all of W Asia.

Josiah went to war in spite of the pleading by Pharaoh Neco for peace.

Chronicles 35:21 But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.

Life Application: Do we court potential problems in our lives by meddling? Have you meddled in something and regretted it? What would you do different?

Jer. 2:17 Have you not brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the LORD your God when He led you in the way? In addition to forsaking the LORD (v. 13) for false gods, Judah had also forsaken the LORD for false alliances. The nation vainly went from Egypt to Assyria trying to forge treaties that would guarantee her safety.

Jer. 2:18 And now why take the road to Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or why take the road to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

No alliance could protect Judah from her sin. Only after she received her judgment would she realize how evil and bitter it was to forsake the LORD.

Shihor is a branch of the river. A rebuke to Judah for seeking help from Egypt and Assyria by the Kings of Judah at various times in their history.

2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

28

Life Application : Making place for the enemy (compromise) Has there been an occasion in your life when you compromised the Word of God?

Jer. 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and the fear of Me is not in you," says the Lord GOD of hosts.

Backslidings - Hebrew word for it is, meshuwbah or meshubah

a turning away, a turning back, an apostasy, a backsliding

Now hear what God has written about His thoughts on backsliding

Hosea 4:16 For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

Stiff legged, stubborn, resistent to the truth. A different picture of backslidding than that we normally conjure up. Not down a slide , backwards, but rather stubbornly resisting that which is good for them. They turned their back on Jehovah. An act of rebellion

This noun occurs 12 times, and it refers to "backsliding" in : "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him." It stands for a nation caught in the grips of spiritual, civil and moral decay.

Jeremiah 2:27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. Other scriptures which contain backsliding.

Jer 3:6-8 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Jer 3:11-14 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

29 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to : (KJV)

Jer 5:6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

Jer 8:5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. . Life Application:. Have you been inconsistent in your walk with Jesus? Do you consider it a trivial matter or serious impediment to your daily walk? Is your walk like a revolving door lately? What are you doing about it?

Deut 31:27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?

Ps 75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

Jer 17:23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

Hosea 11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

Hosea 14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Zech 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Life Application: The name mentioned most in Jeremiah is Babylon, 164 times.

30 Babylon became the enemy. The instrument God used to judge Judah. There are consequences to the actions we make daily. Are you accountable?

Jer 20:4 For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

The writer uses seven illustrations in the following verses to show the breakdown of loyalty of Jeremiah's people.

an ox that has burst out of its yoke (v. 20); an unfaithful wife who has been enticed by other lovers (v. 20b); a "noble vine" (v. 21) which God planted (in Hebrew it is emphatic, "I, I Myself planted") that turned into a "degenerate plant" (from sur, Heb., "to turn aside, apostatize"); a man who washes with "lye" (v. 22) and "soap," yet is unable to cleanse himself from his "iniquity"; a "dromedary" female camel , out on its own, wandering about with no clear direction (v. 23); a "wild donkey" during her heat period, out of control, running about sniffing the wind (v. 24); and a thief who is overcome with shame when he is caught (v. 26).

Jere. 2:20 "For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds; and you said, 'I will not transgress,' when on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down, playing the harlot.

Judah’s spiritual apostasy was matched by her spiritual adultery. By describing Judah as a spiritual nymphomaniac Jeremiah pictured her insatiable lust for false gods. Jeremiah painted four verbal pictures (vv. 20-28) of Judah to describe her wayward state. The first picture was an animal that had broken its yoke. Judah broke off her yoke that had bound her to the Lord and followed after the gods of her heathen neighbors (cf. 5:5). She set up worship centers on every high hill (frequently called “high places”) to serve these gods). Spiritually Judah was acting like a prostitute, though Jeremiah’s words could also refer to the sexual perversions that accompanied the worship of Baal.

You lay down translates in Hebrew to sprawled out. A deliberate wantonness.

Jer. 2:21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?

The vineyard illustration in Isa. 5:1-7

Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:

31 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Jeremiah’s second picture of Judah is one of a choice vine from reliable stock that God had planted and nurtured.

Judah is often pictured as God’s vine in the (cf. Isa. 5:1-7; Ezek. 15) and in the Gospels (cf. Matt. 21:33-46). God did all He could for the nation, but in spite of His care she became a corrupt, wild vine, incapable of producing any good fruit.

Jer. 2:22 For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before Me," says the Lord GOD.

The third picture of Judah was of someone with a stain that could not be washed off. Her sin was so ingrained that even soda (lye, a strong mineral alkali) and soap (a strong vegetable alkali) could not remove the stain.

"Lye" is identified as "mineral alkali" deposited on the shores and beds of certain Egyptian lakes, gathered to make lye for use in washing. The term "soap" refers to a vegetable alkali, i.e., potash, made by pouring water through the ashes of burned wood.

The picture is of filthy, sin stained clothes which cannot be cleansed by mineral or vegetable lye. (Stone idols or treewood idols)

Man's efforts to clean or vindicate himself are in vain.

Ps. 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

32 Jer. 2:23 "How can you say, 'I am not polluted, I have not gone after the '? See your way in the valley; know what you have done: you are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways,

Israel's sexual promiscuity, connected with her idolatrous worship, is likened to the actions of a swift young camel ,( dromedary )(lit., a she-camel) in heat, running every direction looking for a mate. Lust of life.

Jeremiah’s fourth picture of Judah is of a wild animal in heat. Like a swift female camel Judah vigorously pursued her false gods , Baals in the plural., like a wild donkey she could not be restrained in her lust for those foreign gods.

Jer. 2:24 A wild donkey used to the wilderness, that sniffs at the wind in her desire; in her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they will find her.

A symbol of willful disobedience.

Jer. 2:25 Withhold your foot from being unshod, and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.'

Jer. 2:26 "As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets,

The leadership of Judah was corrupt in all areas. The rulers, the Kings appointees, the orthodox priests and even included false prophets whose predictions for the nation always failed to come true. Jeremiah remained faithful to his calling from God throughout all of this.

Jer. 2:27 Saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' tree. A wooden pole that stood in a Canaanite high place of worship. stone. A pillar or image used in connection with the worship of Baal.

In their intense rebellion Judah has even given credit to the pagan gods for their existence. They have turned their "back" toward God and not their "face." When they cry for help Yahweh instructs them to let the gods they served save them.

Jer. 2:28 But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah.

Judah’s pursuit of false gods caused her to be disgraced. Though she was ascribing her very existence to idols of wood and stone, yet when trouble came she had the audacity to ask God 33 to come and save her. Her false gods were impotent, yet Judah had as many gods as she had towns showing the multiplication of her idolatry.

Jer. 2:29 "Why will you plead with Me? You all have transgressed against Me," says the LORD.

Here we see Judah having the audacity to bring charges against Jehovah. Compare with verse 9 where God is bringing charges against Judah.

Jer. 2:30 "In vain I have chastened your children; they received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.

Judah had become spiritually irresponsible. In spite of her sin she felt she could bring charges against God. This is an ironic reversal of verse 9 where God brought charges against Judah. Judah was charging God with harassment, but God’s judgment was deserved because the people had all rebelled against Him. God had punished the people, but His chastisement was intended to bring correction. Yet the people refused to respond, and even murdered God’s messengers, the prophets.

Jer. 2:31 "O generation, see the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, 'We are lords; we will come no more to You'?

Judah’s irresponsibility showed up most clearly in her forgetfulness of God’s past dealings. The people thought they were free, independent of God. This is the typically response to new agers or other cults which deny the diety of Christ and the need for a savior to intercede for them to Jehovah for forgiveness of their sins.

Jer. 2:32 Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.

A bride would never forget her wedding ornaments that identified her as a married woman, but Judah had forgotten her God who had adorned her and set her apart from the other nations of the world. And she had done this days without number. This could be symbolic of being married to Jesus (Bride of Christ) and observing communion.

Jer. 2:33 "Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore you have also taught the wicked women your ways.

Worse than the pagans. Jeremiah sarcastically concluded that Judah had become so skilled in the art of pursuing illicit love that even the worst of women could learn new secrets of seduction by observing her perverse ways.

Jer. 2:34 Also on your skirts is found the blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, but plainly on all these things. Plainly, like the nose on a persons face

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Jer. 2:35 Yet you say, 'Because I am innocent, surely His anger shall turn from me.' Behold, I will plead My case against you, because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

Another indication of her irresponsibility was her involvement in the shedding of innocent blood. Her clothes were covered with the lifeblood of the innocent poor. Had these people been caught breaking in, that is, caught in burglary and were killed, then the one responsible for the death was considered guiltless (Ex. 22:2). But those Judah killed were not killed for crimes they had committed; they were “innocent.” Yet Judah continued to claim, I am innocent.… I have not sinned. She would therefore experience God’s judgment. This verse causes some to say, How can a loving God send people to hell?

Jer. 2:36 Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria.

A reference to the compromising treaties that Judah made at time with heathen nations like Egypt and Assyria. In defiance of Gods word which declared not to do such a thing.

Jer. 2:37 Indeed you will go forth from him with your hands on your head; for the LORD has rejected your trusted allies, and you will not prosper by them.

Another indication of Judah’s irresponsibility was her fickle foreign policy. She was constantly changing her ways in her dealings with other nations. Yet she would find that any new alliance with Egypt would be just as disappointing as her past alliance with Assyria ). The LORD had rejected these nations so Judah could not be helped by them. The conclusion of this message in chapter two is given in :1-5.

35 Chapter Three

(Jeremiah 3:1) "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers-- would you now return to me?" declares the LORD.

Yet you turn to Me. (better translated), would you return to Me?

The Lord directs Judah's attention to Deut. 24:1-4

Deut. 24:1-4 forbade a man divorced from his wife to remarry her if she had been married in the meantime even if her second husband had died or divorced her. Israel's spiritual defilement made divine reconciliation difficult. Jeremiah ended his first message by exposing the spiritual harlotry of Judah.

The same law is applied to Judah, the espoused wife of Yahweh. Judah deserted her husband and took other lovers. The very thought of her returning is inconceivable, and yet the Lord continues to plead with His people. The symbol of marital infidelity as representative of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness is found also in the prophecies of Hosea (Hos. 2:2-23).( Around 785BC)

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Yet Judah had separated from her Husband, Yahweh, and had lived as a prostitute (cf. Jer. 2:20) with many lovers. Such actions were defiling. There was the possibility that God would not take His people back. Obviously this would be a temporary rejection because Jeremiah later recorded God’s promise of Israel’s national restoration under a New Covenant

(Jeremiah 3:2) "Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. violated. (Lain with). The meaning is this: Israel by her idolatrous worship in the bare heights (high places) was like an Arab waiting to plunder a passing caravan or like a harlot soliciting clients.

Israel’s spiritual harlotry was obvious. It was hard to find a place where she had not been ravished in her spiritual union with false gods Her eager wait by the roadside… for lovers was

36 the type of activity commonly employed by cult prostitutes . Judah’s desire for idolatrous lovers was as keen as a marauding nomad in the desert who waited for passing caravans to plunder.

(Jeremiah 3:3) Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame.

Because of the rebellion and sin of Judah God withheld the rain, but Judah would not acknowledge God's hand in the days of drought.

The "latter rain," falling in March and April, was essential to the maturing of crops for harvesting.

Just as a "harlot" (zanah, Heb., a fornicator) covers her wicked ways with self-righteousness, Judah refused to be "ashamed" (kalam, Hebrew., also meaning "humiliated") of her idolatries, even in the midst of God's judgment. Sin not only hardens the heart so that sinning becomes easier, but it produces a contemptuous spirit within that disdains God and His right to judge.

God judged Judah by withholding showers and spring rains Yet Judah refused to blush with shame..

(Jeremiah 3:4) Have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth,

Though she called out to God, My Father, my Friend from my youth, and asked Him to stop being angry, her words were hollow cries designed merely to manipulate God. Her talk was of friendship, but her actions never changed. She continued to do all the evil she could. (Jeremiah 3:5) (you say,) will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."

Jeremiah ended his first message by exposing the spiritual harlotry of Judah. If a couple divorced and the wife married another man, she was prohibited by Law from ever being reunited with her first husband (Deut. 24:1-4). Yet Judah had separated from her Husband, Yahweh, and had lived as a prostitute with many lovers. Such actions were defiling .There was the possibility that God would not take His people back. Obviously this would be a temporary rejection because Jeremiah later recorded God’s promise of Israel’s national restoration under a New Covenant.

End of Jeremiahs first message to Israel

Beginning the second message (Jeremiah 3:6 to 6:30) to backslidden Israel

A Call to Repentance

Jeremiah’s second message is a distinct prophecy that was probably given at a different time from the first message. Yet the content of this prophecy is logically related to 2:1-3:5 and forms a fitting conclusion to the first message. In light of Judah’s sin God summoned the nation to

37 repent. The prophecy is dated generally “during the reign of King Josiah.” Perhaps it can be placed sometime between the beginning of Jeremiah’s ministry in 627 B.C. and the discovery of the Law in 621 B.C. .

(Jeremiah 3:6) During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there.

The punishment of Israel (here meaning the Northern Kingdom) should have been a warning to Judah (the Southern Kingdom).

Israel and are the names by which the northern kingdom (the ten tribes) is usually called in the prophets. When the name Israel refers to the whole nation, the context makes it clear. In this case of verse 6 the reference is to Israel , the Northern Kingdom.

The northern kingdom of Israel becomes a personification of "backsliding," (meshuvah, Hebrew., "apostasy"). They have given themselves over to the practice of the fertility cult and will not return to Yahweh. Her "treacherous" (bagad, Hebrew., "faithless,” deceitful ways continue.

(Jeremiah 3:7) I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.

sister Judah is watching, yet does not learn from Israel's sin and God's judgment, for she also "played the harlot" (v. 8).

Unfortunately Judah did not learn from Israel’s fall. Instead she also… committed adultery. Indeed Judah added hypocrisy to the sin of Israel because Judah committed the same sins while making a pretense of returning to the LORD. Thus Israel in spite of her sin was still more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

(Jeremiah 3:8) I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.

God revealed to Jeremiah the story of two sisters—Israel and Judah (cf. Ezek. 23). The Northern Kingdom of Israel committed adultery on all the high places of the land, a reference to her extensive idol worship. God in His patience waited for her to return to Him, but Israel refused and continued in her idolatry. Moreover, her unfaithful sister Judah was watching Israel sin. God’s response was to give Israel a certificate of divorce and to send her away (cf. comments on Hosea 2:2). Jeremiah was referring to the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria in 722 B.C.

(Jeremiah 3:9) Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.

38 This verse contains the solemn warning not to treat sin lightly. The people of Judah treated adultery casually (qol, Hebrew., "light, frivolous") and joined their sister in the practice of the fertility cult. There is also bitter irony here. Forsaking the "fountain of living waters" (2:13), Judah has turned to gods of "stones" and "trees" (see. 2:27). These were instruments of the fertility cult. Compare the present day morality of the USA with the events taking place at this period in the history of The Holy Land.

(Jeremiah 3:10) In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the LORD.

The temple had fallen into disrepair. The celebration of the feasts had been neglected. The people had gone after idols of wood and stone.

(Jeremiah 3:11) The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

The meaning here is that Israel had no example. But Judah had the example of Israel failing and being judged. However, this did not cause them to repent and return to the LORD. They continued to wallow in their sins.

(Jeremiah 3:12) Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever.

Jeremiah paused in his condemnation of sin to offer a message of repentance and hope to the Northern Kingdom. If Israel would return to her God (see. 7:3; 26:13), He would frown on her no longer and extend His mercy. But the people needed to acknowledge their guilt of rebellion and idolatry.

God extends His mercy toward guilty Jerusalem. Judgment has been deferred to provide adequate opportunity to return (i.e., repent). Israel rejected the pleas of God to return and she has been judged. Judah's only hope rests in the God whom her sister Israel rejected.

(Jeremiah 3:13) Only acknowledge your guilt-- you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD.

Life application: As believers we cling to 1 John 1:9 in times of our failure to live a Godly life. We humbly pray for God to forgive our sins and seek restoration through the finished work of our Lord Jesus on the cross.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

39 (Jeremiah 3:14) "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring you to Zion.

God promised to gather a remnant (one… from every town and two from every clan) and bring them up to Jerusalem .

(Jeremiah 3:15) Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.

Jeremiah expresses compassion with the promise of new shepherds (ra`ah, Hebrew.). These new shepherds will exhibit the heart of God and will feed the people of Judah with wisdom and understanding. This remnant would have shepherds who would provide the leadership intended by God, and their numbers would increase greatly—a sign of God’s blessing (Deut. 30:5,) Deuteronomy 30:5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

(Jeremiah 3:16) In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. In those days is a reference to the millennial Kingdom.

The Ark of the Covenant, which was lost after Babylon destroyed Judah in 586 B.C., would not be missed, and another ark would not be made. In place of the ark will be The Throne of the LORD, a title by which the city of Jerusalem will be known. It is significant that Ezekiel (cf. Ezek. 43:7) also pictured the millennial temple as a place where God’s throne will be. Evidently Christ will rule from the temple during the millennial period. God’s rule from Jerusalem will extend over all nations who will go to Jerusalem to worship Him (cf. Zech. 14:16-19).

(Jeremiah 3:17) At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.

When Christ returns, the ark of the covenant will not be missed or replaced, for Christ enthroned will be worshiped in Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 3:18) In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance.

In addition to spiritual renewal Judah and Israel will also experience physical restoration. The house of Judah and the house of Israel will reunite as a nation (see Jer. 31:31-33; Ezek. 37:15-28). They will return from their captivity to the land God had promised to their forefathers as an inheritance. Israel and Judah divided as a nation in 931 B.C., and have never reunited as a nation under God. The fulfillment of this promise awaits the return of Christ.

40 (Jeremiah 3:19) "I myself said, "'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me.

No individual Israelite ever called God his Father.

He was a Father to the nation of Israel and He said Israel is my son.

Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: He never called David His son, He said David my servant.

Psalm 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, He never called Moses His son. He called him Moses my servant.

Joshua 1:2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

It is only in this age of Grace that we are called the sons of God.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Matt 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

(Jeremiah 3:20) But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.

God’s desire was to bless His people. He wanted to treat them like sons and to restore their inheritance, but the nation was like a woman who was unfaithful to her husband. The roadblock to restoration was Israel, not God.

(Jeremiah 3:21) A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.

It is possible that in these verses Jeremiah was painting an idealistic picture for the people of Israel. The people mourn for their condition

Judah is pictured on the sanctuaries of the hilltops weeping and pleading for favor. They have discovered that their gods are phony and they have "perverted" (`avah, Heb., "to bend" or "twist") and forgotten the ways of God. The actual sanctuaries may have been destroyed by Josiah's reform. Still they come, drawn by their confusion and forgetfulness of God.

41 (Jeremiah 3:22) "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.

God offers repentance and the people feel heartfelt remorse for their sin. But the Book of Jeremiah leads one to believe that the people did not follow this example. No Godly Sorrow 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. In Jeremiah’s ideal picture of repentance the nation finally realized the depth of the pit into which she had fallen. God responded to the nation’s cry by offering to help her if she would return. It still awaits the future repentance of the nation when Christ returns as King.

Zech 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Zech 13:1-2 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

(Jeremiah 3:23) Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception; surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

The section opens with the people weeping and pleading. Their cry was prompted because of their transgressions (they had perverted their ways) and because they had forgotten… their God.

(Jeremiah 3:24) From our youth shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our fathers' labor-- their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.

shameful thing. A reference to Baal worship.

(Jeremiah 3:25) Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the LORD our God."

An example of intercessory prayer Notice: Judah did not confess her sins. Jeremiah confessed their sins for them and for himself also. ( humbleness of the servant) Notice the use of us and our and we.

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Israel’s response is a model of true repentance. She consciously determined to come to… God because of who He is. Admitting that her idolatrous commotion which had been rampant in the land was a deception, the nation acknowledged that only in God is there salvation for Israel. The shame and disgrace of her past actions forced her to admit that she had sinned against the LORD. However history records that the repentance was not a true national repentance.

43 Chapter Four

(:1) If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

Apparently Josiah's reforms (3:6) had only superficial effects on many. This was a reformation not a revival since the Book of the Law had not been discovered in the temple yet.

(Jeremiah 4:2) And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

The promise God made to Abraham is clearly reflected in Jeremiah's fervent plea

Gen. 12:1-3 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

(Jeremiah 4:3) For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

These verses show the necessity and difficulty of repentance. The "fallow ground" (v. 3) refers to the unplowed ground which is sunbaked and possibly covered with weeds (Hos. 10:12). God says, "Break [plow] it up."

(Jeremiah 4:4) Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Circumcise yourselves. Here the meaning is figurative and has the idea of purifying, separating from the sins of the flesh.

The prophet also calls for a radical alteration in the hearts of the men of Judah. Circumcision was an outward sign of the Abrahamic covenant. Jeremiah calls for a circumcision of the heart, the total inner man. The idea being Holy and Pure and separating ourselves from the sins of the flesh.

Matt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

44 Deut. 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

An Imminent Invasion

A vivid description (in the prophetic present tense, which sees the judgment as already in progress, so certain is its fulfillment) of the invasion by Babylon. Jeremiah compares this event to a lion seeking prey (v. 7), a scorching wind (the sirocco, v. 11) from the desert, and threatening clouds (v. 13).

(Jeremiah 4:5) Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.

(Jeremiah 4:6) Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

(Jeremiah 4:7) The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

The "lion," a symbol of irresistible might and royalty, is not named. Possible suggestions as to his identity have been the Scythians, the Assyrians, or the Babylonians as led by Nebuchadnezzar. The fierceness of this unnamed enemy is also seen in the use of the word "destroyer."

(Jeremiah 4:8) For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

(Jeremiah 4:9) And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

(Jeremiah 4:10) Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

The modern mind finds it difficult to accept the prophet speaking to God in the way this verse presents. Supported by ancient manuscripts, some scholars have suggested that the words "then I said" should read "then they said." In such a reading, the antecedent for the personal pronoun "they" would be the false prophets and false priests (v. 9). Others suggest that this is a sigh

45 uttered by Jeremiah himself under the influence of the deep emotional pressure of the moment (20:7). On the other hand, this verse may indicate Jeremiah's recognition of the sovereignty of God and that He alone permitted the events which deceived the people.

(Jeremiah 4:11) At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

(Jeremiah 4:12) Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

God never deceives His people. Jeremiah thought that God had deceived him because he had failed to understand the full import of divine revelation concerning impending judgment. Actually God had plainly warned the people of Israel.

2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

(Jeremiah 4:13) Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

Using a different illustration, God compared the advance of Babylon’s army to an approaching storm. The soldiers were sweeping into Judah like the clouds, and their chariots swirled along like a whirlwind. In light of Judah’s certain destruction God again graciously called the people to repentance.

(Jeremiah 4:14) O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? If they were to wash the evil from their heart they would be saved (delivered) from their impending doom.

There is a thread woven into the material that is common to all. It is in three parts.

The people refusing God; treaties with Egypt and Assyria;not relying on God. God refusing the people; Judah refused the law, God refused Judah, judgment

The world refusing the people who are refused by God. Held in contempt

King Josiah established a popular emotional revival, but only on the surface. There was a deadly hardness of the heart in the midst of the people. They approved what was going on but only as a casual onlooker. Deep down in their heart there was a contempt for God. There was no shame for their sin. The nation had cast off God. His name was still upon her lips, (in God we trust-our money- Over our federal house) but morally and spiritually God was cast off. There was not a turning back to the first love, a lost love, a lost faith and a lost obedience.

46 God’s chastisement( Israel northern kingdom judged) had produced no repentance in Judah, the Southern Kingdom, no change of mind, no change of heart, not turning back to the first love of the early days. So it is with our beloved nation, the United States today. We see the answer in scripture.

2 Thessalonians 2:4-8 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

It is the believing church that secures the world at present, the saints are the preserving salt and the light in the darkness

Matthew 5:13-14 13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

And what is that light we represent to a lost world It is Jesus. His reflection in us to the world. John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

(Jeremiah 4:15) For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

The approach of Babylon’s soldiers would be signaled by messengers from Dan in the extreme north of Israel and from the hills of Ephraim 30-40 miles north of Jerusalem. The word brought by these heralds was that a besieging army was coming… against the cities of Judah.

(Jeremiah 4:16) Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

God sent this force to punish Judah because the nation had rebelled against Him. Judah herself was responsible for the calamity. It was her own conduct and actions that brought this… punishment from God.

(Jeremiah 4:17) As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.

47 (Jeremiah 4:18) Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

Sorrow for the Doomed Nation

(Jeremiah 4:19) My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Jeremiah responded to the news of the coming invasion by crying out in anguish.(verse 19) His heart pounded and he could not keep silent as he thought of the approaching battle and the disaster it would bring Judah

Jeremiah is appalled by the extent of the coming judgment. So devastating will it be that it is compared with the original state of the world (formless and void, v. 23; cf. Gen. 1:2). Even in the final hour of destruction some will try to placate their enemies by alluring them as a harlot does (vv. 29-31).

(Jeremiah 4:20) Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

(Jeremiah 4:21) How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet

(Jeremiah 4:22) For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Jeremiah concluded by admitting that the people of Judah were fools ()e6w|

(Jeremiah 4:23) I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

Jeremiah pictured God’s coming judgment as a cosmic catastrophe—an undoing of Creation. Using imagery from the Creation account (Gen. 1) Jeremiah indicated that no aspect of life would remain untouched. God would make Judah formless and empty (t{o4hu= wa4b{o4hu=), a phrase used to describe the chaos that preceded God’s works in Creation (Gen. 1:2).

God’s imagery was so awesome that some might have thought He would totally destroy the land of Israel. To guard against this misunderstanding, God qualified His statement (Jer. 4:27). Though the whole land would be ruined as He judged the people, He still promised that He would not destroy it completely (5:18). Nevertheless the earth would mourn; judgment would come (4:28).

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(Jeremiah 4:24) I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

(Jeremiah 4:25) I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

(Jeremiah 4:26) I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

(Jeremiah 4:27) For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

There is a persistent note of hope in O.T. prophecy, which provides assurance of God's omnipotence and grace (Lev. 26:44). Judah is not yet fully and finally rejected.

Leviticus 26:44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God.

(Jeremiah 4:28) For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. The light that had pierced into the darkness during Creation (Gen. 1:3-5) was now gone. The mountains and hills, which had been separated from the waters were now quaking and swaying at the judgment of God. The people along with every bird.… and the fruitful land were again removed. The land became as barren as it had been before the creation of life.

(Jeremiah 4:29) The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

As the armies approached Judah people in every town fled to avoid being killed. The people hid in the thickets and among the rocks, hoping not to be apprehended by the soldiers.

(Jeremiah 4:30) And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

Jerusalem is personified as a woman who prepares herself for her admirers. She is seen dressing herself in fine scarlet and "enlarging" (qara`, Heb., "tear," "rend," "make larger") her eyes (painting the edges of the eyes with black mineral powder to make them seem large and glamorous). This is the way of the harlot as she attempts to lure a lover. Yet in this case the lovers want her life. The term "lovers" refers to the foreign powers with whom the Jews maintained diplomatic relations, in particular the Babylonians, who woo Judah and Jerusalem only to destroy them.

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(Jeremiah 4:31) For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.

As the Babylonians pressed their attack, Jeremiah pictured the Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) crying out in agony like a woman in labor. She stretched out her hands for assistance which never materialized as her life ebbed out before her murderers.

50 Chapter Five

The Justice of Godʹs Judgment

The first message of Jeremiah in the streets is in chapters 2 and 3. The second message of Jeremiah in the streets is in chapters 3 to 6 The In the Gate message is in chapters 7 to 10

(:1) "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.

One Person: This took place probably before the law of the Covenant was discovered.

Yahweh sends the prophet scurrying through the city seeking a man that will be pleasing to Him. "Judgment" (mishpat, Heb.) might be better rendered here "justice." This is God's way of life for His people. "Truth" (^emunah, Heb.) here refers to steadfastness of conduct.

Diogenes of Sinope (412-323 bc), Greek philosopher, generally considered the founder of the Cynics, an ancient school of philosophy. Born quite a few years after Jeremiah. According to a popular story, Diogenes walked through Athens in broad daylight carrying a lighted lamp, saying that he was looking for an honest man.

Born in Sinope (modern Sinop, Turkey), he studied in Athens, where he was a disciple of the philosopher Antisthenes, who taught that social conventions should be disregarded and pleasure shunned. Diogenes plunged into a life of austerity and self-mortification. He wore coarse clothing, ate plain food, and slept on the bare ground, in the open streets, or under porticoes. His eccentric life did not, however, lose him the respect of the Athenians, who admired his contempt of comfort.

Judah was to be judged because of her corruption. God sent Jeremiah on a divine scavenger hunt in Jerusalem. He had to find only one person who dealt honestly with his fellow Israelites or who was actively seeking the truth. If he could find just one, God would forgive this city. Unfortunately Jeremiah’s search was less fruitful than the one made at Sodom. The people refused correction and their faces were harder than stone, indicating their stubborn refusal to repent.

Genesis 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. (Jeremiah 5:2) Although they say, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' still they are swearing falsely."

Jeremiah finds those who use the name of God, but use it falsely. They are corrupt in conduct, which negates their testimony.

51 (Jeremiah 5:3) O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Punishment had not brought them back to God. The people of Judah have disregarded their "correction" (musar, Heb., "discipline," "correction"). They have made their hearts even harder and refuse to repent.

(Jeremiah 5:4) I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.

Jeremiah assumed that those he encountered were only the poor—the uneducated masses who were uninstructed in the requirements of the righteous God.

(Jeremiah 5:5) So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.

Surely, he thought, if he went to the leaders… they would know the way of the LORD. But Jeremiah’s visit brought only disappointment. The leaders had joined the people and had broken off the yoke of service to God.

The national civic and spiritual leaders of the day were corrupt. More interested in their own good than the good of the nation.

(Jeremiah 5:6) Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many.

So God would judge leaders and followers alike for their sin. Jeremiah referred to three wild animals to picture the coming punishment. By breaking away from her Master’s yoke, Judah had opened herself up to attack from marauding beasts. The lion, the wolf, and the leopard symbolized the ravages of Babylon’s attack on Judah. Willfull disobedience to the urging and wooing of a loving forgiving God.

(Jeremiah 5:7) "Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. God asked Judah two rhetorical questions.

First, He asked why He should… forgive Judah (v. 7).

Second, He asked why He should… not punish Judah for her sin (v. 9).

During the reign of Manasseh, cult prostitution was practiced. With the reform of Josiah the sexual activities of the sanctuaries may have moved to the brothels. While God "fed them"

52 (sava`, Heb., "satisfied") they did not recognize this; they forsook Him and committed immorality. We see this today in governmental control of evil practices which are condoned but not eliminated. Is there not one elected leader to stand up for righteousness in our land.

(Jeremiah 5:8) They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man's wife.

Between the two questions given in verses 7 & 9 God described Judah’s character in a way that made the answers obvious. He could not forgive Judah because she had forsaken Him and sworn by false gods. Though God had provided for them, the people, acting like lusty stallions, went after each others’ wives. God would punish Judah for her idolatry and adultery.

This is a graphic description of the adulterous attitude of Judah. Adultery was a particularly grievous sin because it violated the covenant basis of the family and society.

Even certain church factions condone same sex marriage and encourage a false hope that those who do such thing will inherit the Kingdom. But scripture very clearly declares to us otherwise.

Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

God repeats his warning in

Colossians 3:5-10 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

God protects His own and gives us scripture with this promise--

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

53 (Jeremiah 5:9) Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

(Jeremiah 5:10) "Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the LORD.

God’s Fruitless Vineyard will be Pillaged

Jeremiah 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

Judah, God’s choice vine, had become a wild vine, so God called His invaders to go through Judah’s vineyards and prune off the dead branches. Though the nation would not be destroyed completely, those individuals who did not belong to the LORD would be removed in judgment.

God again emphasized that He would not destroy Judah completely . He would preserve a remnant. When these captives asked why they had been defeated, God told Jeremiah to say that they had forsaken God to serve foreign gods in their own land. Therefore God would have them serve foreigners (the Babylonians) in a foreign land. His punishment fit their sin.

John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

(Jeremiah 5:11) The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the LORD.

(Jeremiah 5:12) They have lied about the LORD; they said, "He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.

The people refused to believe that God would ever destroy Jerusalem. Instead they announced that He would do nothing.

(Jeremiah 5:13) The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them."

The prophets—Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others who were predicting doom—were, the people said, just full of wind. Modern saying today is: “you are full of hot air.”

54 (Jeremiah 5:14) Therefore this is what the LORD God Almighty says: "Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.

God therefore told Jeremiah that His words would be fire that would consume the people..

The power of the preached word is beyond human description. It is to "people" as a "fire" applied to "wood." The power of Yahweh Himself, in the words which He sends forth through His prophet, is felt by the hearers.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

(Jeremiah 5:15) O house of Israel," declares the LORD, "I am bringing a distant nation against you-- an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.

God would bring a distant nation (Babylon) against Judah—a nation whose language the Judeans did not know. Quoted from Deuteronomy 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

(Jeremiah 5:16) Their quivers are like an open grave; all of them are mighty warriors. (Jeremiah 5:17) They will devour your harvests and food, devour your sons and daughters; they will devour your flocks and herds, devour your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.

These warriors would devour the crops, herds, and children of the Judeans; and they would destroy the mighty fortified cities which Judah trusted for protection

(Jeremiah 5:18) "Yet even in those days," declares the LORD, "I will not destroy you completely.

Another promise that Israel will not be eradicated

Jeremiah 4:27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

(Jeremiah 5:19) And when the people ask, 'Why has the LORD our God done all this to us?' you will tell them, 'As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your own land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own.'

(Jeremiah 5:20) "Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

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Judah had become willfully ignorant of God. Though she had eyes and ears, she did not see or hear (comprehend) the true character of God . She refused to fear, or reverence, God . Though even the sea remains within its everlasting barrier , the people of Judah refused to stay within God’s covenant limits. Instead they turned aside and went away. They refused to see God’s gracious hand at work, providing them the fall and spring rains which assured the… harvest.

Jeremiah then specified some of the people’s sins. Wicked people, who were rich and powerful, were waiting to snare the poor. They refused to help the downtrodden (the fatherless and the poor).

Reasons for the coming catastrophe include stubbornness (vv. 20-22, rebellion (vv. 23-25), illegal exploitation (vv. 26-28), and faithless prophets and priests (v. 31).

(Jeremiah 5:21) Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Why don’t the people hear words of wisdom given them through His prophets.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said - “The years teach much which the days never know”

(Jeremiah 5:22) Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

(Jeremiah 5:23) But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.

(Jeremiah 5:24) They do not say to themselves, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.'

(Jeremiah 5:25) Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.

The Lord not only bestows good gifts but He also withholds His blessings when His people do not fulfill their covenant responsibilities

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

(Jeremiah 5:26) "Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men.

56 (Jeremiah 5:27) Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful

(Jeremiah 5:28) and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor.

(Jeremiah 5:29) Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

(Jeremiah 5:30) "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:

Even the priests and the prophets have become corrupt and self-serving. "Astonishing" (shammah, Heb.) refers to something appalling. It is appalling and horrifying that the priests and prophets would pervert the message of God and that the people would "love to have it so."

(Jeremiah 5:31) The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?

The prophets, who were to proclaim God’s word of truth, were prophesying lies; and the priests, who were to instruct the people in the ways of God, were instead ruling by their own authority .Yet these aberrations of righteousness were condoned by the people who loved it that way. All the elements of society preferred wickedness to righteousness.

Even Jeremiah's chilling words, "What will you do in the end?" referring to the coming judgment, could not shake the people from their false complacency.

Life Application: We have to be wary in our Christian Walk with Jesus so that the things of this world do not obscure the righteous path and hinder us from being all He wants us to be. How has your walk been today?

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

The problem could be that you are blinded by the things of this world and fail to see your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

This is a quaint folk story recorded in Jewish folklore.

One day a certain old, rich man of miserable disposition visited a rabbi, who took the rich man by the shoulder and led him to a window and said “look out there” The rich man looked into the street. “What do you see?” asked the rabbi. “I see men, women, and children,” answered the rich man. Again the rabbi took him by the shoulder and this time led him to a mirror. “Now what do you see?” he said to the rich man.

57 “Now I see myself,” the rich man replied. Then the rabbi said, “Behold, in the window there is glass, and in the mirror there is glass. But the glass of the mirror is covered with a thin layer of silver, and no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others, but only yourself.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

58 Chapter Six

Impending Destruction from the North

(:1) "Flee for safety, people of Benjamin! Flee from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa! Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem! For disaster looms out of the north, even terrible destruction.

Jeremiah again used the symbol of an alarm being sounded to announce an impending invasion, to signal Babylon’s coming attack. The people of Benjamin, just north of Jerusalem, were to flee for safety. But instead of stopping at the capital city, they were to flee from Jerusalem and continue heading south. The trumpet would be sounded at Tekoa, about 11 miles southeast of Jerusalem which was the ancestral home of the prophet Amos.

And the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem, a vantage point midway between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, would be lit to warn the inhabitants of the land to flee.

(Jeremiah 6:2) I will destroy the Daughter of Zion, so beautiful and delicate.

God threatened to destroy Jerusalem so completely that shepherds would pitch their tents and graze their herds on its site.

(Jeremiah 6:3) Shepherds with their flocks will come against her; they will pitch their tents around her, each tending his own portion."

Shepherds and their flocks. A reference to the Babylonian leaders and their flocks of soldiers, eager to feed on Judah.

Jeremiah 12:10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

(Jeremiah 6:4) "Prepare for battle against her! Arise, let us attack at noon! But, alas, the daylight is fading, and the shadows of evening grow long.

As the enemy massed against Jerusalem they were eager to attack. They hoped to attack at noon; but before the preparations were completed the shadows of evening had begun to stretch through the valleys around the city. "Prepare" is the translation of qadash (Heb.), which could be rendered "sanctify" or "consecrate." The Hebrew verb stem gives the idea of "making yourselves holy" in preparation for battle. Usually the battle was interrupted by the scorching noonday heat, but not so in this divinely appointed conflict.

(Jeremiah 6:5) So arise, let us attack at night and destroy her fortresses!"

59 Most armies would wait till the next day to begin, but the Babylonians decided to begin their attack that night.

(Jeremiah 6:6) This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Cut down the trees and build siege ramps against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; it is filled with oppression.

God directed the soldiers of Babylon as they built siege ramps to breach the city’s defenses Jerusalem had to be punished because of her oppression.

The invaders would bring their battering rams and scale Jerusalem's walls with a siege ramp.

(Jeremiah 6:7) As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness. Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are ever before me.

Her wickedness was so profuse it poured forth like water from a well. Unless she would take warning and repent, she would become desolate.

(Jeremiah 6:8) Take warning, O Jerusalem, or I will turn away from you and make your land desolate so no one can live in it."

(Jeremiah 6:9) This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes."

God would have Babylon glean Jerusalem as thoroughly as one gleans a vine when gathering grapes.

Judah would be thoroughly devastated, as a grapevine a gatherer picks clean.

(Jeremiah 6:10) To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

Jeremiah responded in amazement to Judah’s unbelief. But no one would listen to him as he tried to warn them of the coming calamity. This is the first of more than three dozen times in Jeremiah where the people did not listen to God’s Word. Indeed their ears were closed (lit., “uncircumcised”), and they found God’s Word to be offensive. But Jeremiah had to speak God’s word of judgment; he could not hold it in. Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

(Jeremiah 6:11) But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. "Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years.

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God’s wrath was to be poured out on all elements of society—from the children to the old (and everyone in between)

(Jeremiah 6:12) Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land," declares the LORD.

The people would lose their houses along with their fields and their wives to the coming invaders. Such action would occur because all sections of society were corrupt

(Jeremiah 6:13) "From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

Both the prophets and the priests practiced deceit, and the nation was injured. Key Verse (Jeremiah 6:14) They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace.

The wound refers to the people’s spiritual malady and its spiritual and physical effects . The prophets and priests were proclaiming peace though God had not given them that message.

The false message of the prophets has brought a slight (qalal, Heb.,"trifle," "scant") healing to the people. Yet this is temporary and superficial. False religion and theological liberalism are always ready to accuse those who are faithful to God's word of pessimism. But far worse is the crime against humanity perpetrated by those perpetual optimists who, in their ignorance of the mind and nature of God, announce peace and hope, bringing false hope of a temporary and unreal nature to the people when, in fact, there is no peace.

(Jeremiah 6:15) Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them," says the LORD. These charlatans had no shame about lying to the people. In fact they were so hardened in their ways that they did not even know how to blush when their sin was exposed. God promised that these false leaders would fall when the city was destroyed

(Jeremiah 6:16) This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'

Jeremiah admonishes the people to remember the old traditions of faith and obedience. By returning to those ancient paths and walking in them they could find rest. They defiantly refuse!

Judah was in danger of destruction because she had strayed from the ancient paths of God’s righteousness. Yet though God urged her to walk in the good way where she would find rest, Judah refused.

61 (Jeremiah 6:17) I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.'

Ezek 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

Ezek 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

Ezek 33:7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

(Jeremiah 6:18) Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them.

(Jeremiah 6:19) Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.

(Jeremiah 6:20) What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me."

Costly offerings are not accepted by God as substitutes for obedience. "Frankincense" was imported from Sheba, a country in southwest Arabia. The "sweet cane" may have come from India. The "burnt offerings" were the sacrifices of the whole animal while the "sacrifices" were the best portions that were offered. The rest would be consumed by the worshipers.

(Jeremiah 6:21) Therefore this is what the LORD says: "I will put obstacles before this people. Fathers and sons alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish."

(Jeremiah 6:22) This is what the LORD says: "Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.

Jeremiah concluded his second message by again pointing to the foe from… the North.

(Jeremiah 6:23) They are armed with bow and spear; they are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Zion."

The coming army was cruel and would show no mercy to those it captured, an apt description of the Babylonians. As they came in battle formation their goal was to attack Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 6:24) We have heard reports about them, and our hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped us, pain like that of a woman in labor.

62 limp with fear.

The report of Babylon’s advance would bring anguish to those in Judah, like a woman’s labor pains .

(Jeremiah 6:25) Do not go out to the fields or walk on the roads, for the enemy has a sword, and there is terror on every side.

(Jeremiah 6:26) O my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn with bitter wailing as for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

The people would be afraid of leaving their cities because of a sword which would strike them down. Instead they would put on sackcloth, a dark, rough cloth worn at times of mourning and penitence. The sadness experienced by Jerusalem would be similar to that experienced by one who had lost an only son.

(Jeremiah 6:27) "I have made you a tester of metals and my people the ore, that you may observe and test their ways.

Jeremiah tests the people as an assayer tests metal, but all are dross.

God appointed Jeremiah as a tester of metals, or an assayer, and the people of Judah were the ore.

(Jeremiah 6:28) They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.

As Jeremiah observed the nation, he concluded they were all hardened rebels.

(Jeremiah 6:29) The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out.

God tried to refine them through judgment, but the refining efforts were useless. The wicked had not been purged out in the refining process.

(Jeremiah 6:30) They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them."

The nation was like rejected silver. God’s attempts to reform the nation had failed, so judgment was inevitable.

"Rejected" is the Hebrew word ma^as and can be rendered "worthless." This same word is used to show Yahweh's rejection of the people. The prophetic fire had failed to bring forth purity. Judgment will surely follow.

63 Money will buy

a bed, but not sleep books, but not brains Food, but not an appetite A house, but not a home Followers but not friends Medicine, but not health Amusement, but not happiness Finery, but not beauty A crucifix , but not a savior

NOT WHAT I HAVE, BUT WHAT I GIVE NOT WHAT I KNOW, BUT HOW I LIVE NOT WHAT I WISH SOME DAY TO BE BUT HOW I STAND AT CALVARY

So ends the second message of Jeremiah the Prophet to the children of Judah.

64 Chapter Seven

False religion and its punishment (Chapters. 7-10)

These chapters, often known as Jeremiah’s temple address, focus on God’s punishment of the people because of their false religion. The people believed that God’s punishment would never extend to Jerusalem or to them because of the presence of God’s temple and because of their outward display of religion. Jeremiah’s temple address destroyed this false hope and exposed the festering sore of idolatry that was producing spiritual gangrene in the people. The events described in chapter 26 probably indicate the people’s response to this message.

This first verse with 7:1 through chapter 10 begins the section containing sermons delivered by the prophet during the early reign of Jehoiakim (608-598 B.C.).

THE TEMPLE SERMON AND JUDAH’S FALSE WORSHIP

(Jeremiah 7:1) This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

God summoned Jeremiah to stand at the entrance to the temple and announce His message to those coming there to worship. The message was similar to that just recorded in earlier messages: the people had to reform their ways if they wanted to continue living there.

(Jeremiah 7:2) "Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message: "'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD.

This word was delivered before one of the seven gates of the Temple courts shortly after Jehoiakim's accession .

The general character of the message in the Temple gate is, like the first and second messages, one of rebuke, warning, and exhortation, but this message is addressed more to such in Judah as still maintain outwardly the worship of the LORD; it is a message to religious Judah.

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(Jeremiah 7:3) This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.

The theme of this message is stated in the above verse , 7:3

(Jeremiah 7:4) Do not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!"

Jeremiah answered the objection voiced by the people to his message. They believed judgment would not come because in Jerusalem was located the temple of the LORD (repeated three times to emphasize their belief in its protecting power). The people of Judah viewed the temple as a talisman or good luck charm that could ward off any attack.

The threefold repetition of the words "the temple of the Lord" may have held some superstitious or magical significance for the people of Jeremiah's day.

False prophets deceived the people with promises that God would never permit the temple to be destroyed. Yet these words were "lying words." The priests, national leaders, and even ordinary citizens had concluded that since God had promised David and his descendants a kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:12, 13), the temple would stand against any enemy and would not be destroyed.

2 Sam 7:12-13 12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

66 The miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from 's army almost a century before (:13-19:37) made Judah believe that Jerusalem, because it was the site of the temple, was invincible.

2 Kings 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

(Jeremiah 7:5) If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,

But God did not value buildings over obedience. God’s protection would remain only if the people would change their ways .

(Jeremiah 7:6) if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,

Jeremiah listed three examples to illustrate the change God wanted. The first two related to actions toward fellow Israelites, and the third related to actions toward God.

(1) The people were not to oppress the helpless in society—people who could not easily protect themselves if wronged Deuteronomy 14:29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. (2) They were not to shed innocent blood. Deuteronomy 19:10 That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee. (3) And they were not to follow other gods.

(Jeremiah 7:7) then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.

If these evidences of faithfulness to God’s covenant were observed, God would allow the nation to live… in the land.

(Jeremiah 7:8) But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.

But for the people to trust in the temple building rather than in obedience to the covenant for their protection was to put their faith in deceptive words that were worthless.

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(Jeremiah 7:9) "'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,

Judah felt so secure because of the presence of God’s temple that she believed it was safe to do all kinds of detestable things.

(Jeremiah 7:10) and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"--safe to do all these detestable things?

Her vileness had actually turned the temple into a den of robbers What she failed to realize was that God had been watching and was aware of her deeds.

KEY VERSE (Jeremiah 7:11) Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.

Matt. 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

(Jeremiah 7:12) "'Go now to the place in where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.

Shiloh was a small village in the tribal district of Ephraim.

The name Shiloh means: His peace, His prosperity, peace bringer

Jeremiah pointed to Israel’s past to expose the fallacy of believing that the mere presence of God’s temple would avert disaster. He asked the crowd to remember the place in Shiloh where the tabernacle of God had first dwelt (Josh. 18:1; Judges 18:31; 1 Sam. 1:3; 4:3-4). They were to observe what God did to it because of Israel’s wickedness.

The Bible is silent on the fate of Shiloh; but after the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant (1 Sam. 4:10-11) the priests evidently fled to Nob (1 Sam. 22:11) and Shiloh was abandoned as Israel’s central worship center. Archeological studies also indicate that the village of Shiloh was destroyed about 1050 B.C., probably by the Philistines.

This took place about 400 years before this prophesy was spoken by Jeremiah. The ruins of Shiloh can be visited today by pilgrims and the very rock outline of the area that held the Tabernacle (including the Ark of the Covenant) can be observed.

Under the leadership of Joshua the tabernacle was first erected here in the land of Canaan.

68 In the days of the prophet Jeremiah, Shiloh was in ruin , although some people continued to live on the site of this former city . Shiloh became an inhabited town again in the days of the Greeks and Romans several centuries later.

Jeremiah 41:5 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

(Jeremiah 7:13) While you were doing all these things, declares the LORD, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.

(Jeremiah 7:14) Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers.

The point of Jeremiah’s message was that what God did to Shiloh He would also do to the… temple. If Judah did not change her ways God would thrust her from His presence just as He had done with the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim) in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:5-20, . The temple bore God’s name in the sense that it was a symbol of God’s presence (His “name” refers to His revealed attributes).

(Jeremiah 7:15) I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your brothers, the people of Ephraim.'

The word E’ phra im means: I will be doubly fruitful.

Shiloh was a small village in the tribal district of Ephraim.

Just as the presence of the Tabernacle in Shiloh during the time of the judges did not save that city from falling, so the Temple would not save Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 7:16) "So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.

Jeremiah's admonition, "Do not pray for this people," is the result of serious rebellion on their part.

God prohibited Jeremiah from interceding for Judah because He would not listen. The nation’s sin had progressed to the point where Jeremiah’s pleas were futile.

(Jeremiah 7:17) Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? They are seen worshipping false gods and making sacrifices to them. "Cakes" or wafers may have been in the shape of a woman, crescent moon, or a star and were used in the worship process

69 (Jeremiah 7:18) The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.

The flat cakes were probably in the shape of the goddess. the queen of heaven. The Assyro- Babylonian goddess Ishtar.

To illustrate how degraded Judah had become God highlighted one aspect of her idolatrous worship. Throughout Judah, families were uniting to prepare cakes of bread (flat cakes possibly formed into the image of the goddess; ) for the Queen of Heaven (probably Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and fertility).

The term "queen of heaven" reflects an ancient cult tradition extending throughout the Orient which took different forms and various names, but was of the same basic nature. The phrase has been interpreted in three ways: (1) the planet Venus, which was called Ishtar in Babylonian worship; (2) the moon, which was often the object of worship in the ancient world; or (3) Ashtoreth, a pagan deity.

Jeremiah 44:17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. The families were also offering drink offerings (usually wine) to other gods.

What sadness. They saw no evil. It seemed harmless. And so it happens today at Easter - Ashtarte - symbols of fertility which are bunnies and eggs. Present day, chocolate bunnies, eggs etc. Shaped and formed , deco painted etc. Children enticed to look forward to the egg hunt and chocolate treats and egg baskets (nests) Have you thought about this? Can you think of an alternative activity in place of this practice to please our children in a Christian setting? Have we fallen so low as to adopt pagan feasts in our families? If you mention this to a non believer they will down grade it as ridicules and tell you that you are way too serious about such a trivial matter. Little do they know.

(Jeremiah 7:19) But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?

Yet such idolatrous rituals were only harming those who participated in them; their false worship did not damage God. For the people would bear the consequences of their actions when God’s anger and wrath would be poured out on all Judah.

(Jeremiah 7:20) "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.

70 This event took place when Nebuchadezzar totally leveled all of Jerusalem in the third siege campaign against all of Judah.

(Jeremiah 7:21) "'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves!

burnt offerings. Though burned in its entirety on the altar (Lev 1:9), the people might as well eat the offering, because it meant nothing to God in their backslidden condition.

(Jeremiah 7:22) For when I brought your forefathers out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices,

This verse is not to be understood as a denial that God commanded the sacrifices to be made. Rather it is an argument against substituting sacrifice for obedience. Sacrifices were not God's major concern. The people thought they were pleasing God when they offered sacrifices, but they did not obey God in their general way of living. God rejects such sacrifice.

The command concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices was not given to the people until they had broken the Decalogue, the law of obedience.

1 Sam. 15:22 And said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:6-8 6 Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

(Jeremiah 7:23) but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.

The people of Judah offered all the correct sacrifices, but they failed to realize that God had given another command at Sinai. He had called on Israel to obey Him and to walk in all the ways He established for them. Unfortunately Israel refused to listen or pay attention to this command of God. Though God continually sent His prophets to warn the people, they refused to pay attention.

(Jeremiah 7:24) But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

71 Jeremiah was not to expect the response of people in his day to be any different from people’s response in the past. Indeed God told Jeremiah that the nation would not listen to him

(Jeremiah 7:25) From the time your forefathers left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets.

(Jeremiah 7:26) But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their forefathers.'

(Jeremiah 7:27) "When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer.

Ezekiel 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. (Jeremiah 7:28) Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

(Jeremiah 7:29) Cut off your hair and throw it away; take up a lament on the barren heights, for the LORD has rejected and abandoned this generation that is under his wrath.

So Jeremiah was to cut off his hair, a sign of deep mourning and take up a lament (q|

Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

(Jeremiah 7:30) "'The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it.

The basis of God's anger is twofold: (1) they have set "abominations" in the temple and polluted it; and (2) they have committed child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom (v. 31).

God continued to elaborate on the sin of Judah which brought her judgment. The people had set up… idols in the temple itself so that even the house of God was defiled .

(Jeremiah 7:31) They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

72 The name To’ pheth means: a spitting (as in contempt) an Eastern cultural tradition. How appropriate. Pilgrims can visit this valley just to the south of the temple area even today. Another suggestion for the name Topheth could mean "fireplace.

"Outside the city they had built the high places of Topheth which were located in the Valley of Ben Hinnom ; also called simply the Valley of Hinnom). Here they practiced child sacrifice, burning their sons and daughters in the fire. Judah was outdoing the heathen, who rarely made child sacrifices.

2 Kings 23:9-10 9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren. 10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

(Jeremiah 7:32) So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room.

This valley was the site of the worship of Molech, the pagan deity to which children were sacrificed (cf. Lev. 18:21; Ezek. 16:20, 21). It will one day be called the "Valley of Slaughter" because of the destruction of the people by war, famine, and pestilence. This will be God's judgment upon His people for defiling the covenant land with the abominations of idolatry.

Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

(Jeremiah 7:33) Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away.

So massive will the destruction be that bodies will go unburied and become food for the fowls and beasts. This was an unthinkable fate, for even the body of a criminal was to be buried .

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: 23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

(Jeremiah 7:34) I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.

73 The prediction about birds and beasts eating the carcasses affirms the Mosaic Covenant because of the people’s disobedience (Deut. 28:26). Joy will be gone when the city would become desolate.

74 Chapter Eight

A Mini Review of the Ministry of Jeremiah

The bible tells us more about the personal experiences of Jeremiah than of any other prophet. We have often heard the phrase, Jeremiah , the weeping prophet.

Scripture bears this out in the following verses.

Jeremiah 4:19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Jeremiah 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

Jeremiah 9:1-2 Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

Jeremiah 9:10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.

Jeremiah 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive.

Jeremiah 14:17 Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them; Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease: for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

Jeremiah was living in constant friction with the ruling authorities of his people.

Religious- The priests and prophets (false) Political leaders The kings and Princes (court officials)

As if that was not enough to discourage anyone we also read in Jeremiah Chapter 12:6 that his very own family persecuted him.

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Jeremiah 12:6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

Jeremiah was told by God to stay away from the company of merrymakers.

Jeremiah 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.

He was also forbidden to attend houses of feasting.

Jeremiah 16:8 Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

Jeremiah constantly proclaimed God’s judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem and yet he was also a prophet of hope, proclaiming oracles of salvation and wooing the people to repent and return to God with all their heart and to do those good things of the way of Jehovah and to return to the righteous traditional reverence of God.

We continue the message as given to Jeremiah by God to speak to the children Judah in the gate of the temple.

(:1) "'At that time, declares the LORD, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves.

Even the dead would not escape God’s judgment. The bones of all the officials who had worshiped false gods but who had died before the fall of Jerusalem would be removed from their graves and exposed to the elements they had once worshiped. They would remain as refuse… on the ground The desecration of graves was a common practice in warfare, calculated to deliberately insult the conquered people. Sometimes it was done in order to uncover valuables thought to be buried with the bodies. (Remember the Pyramid tombs in Egypt)

(Jeremiah 8:2) They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.

This is a final insult to the dead. In Israel today the orthodox Jews (Hassidim) insist that the excavation of a building site be halted the moment any remains are discovered. The bones are gathered and re-buried with ceremony. This irritates the secular builders because the project completion date falls behind schedule.

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(Jeremiah 8:3) Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the LORD Almighty.'

Those who survived the fall of Jerusalem would be banished, and their lives would be so terrible that they would prefer death to life.

Rev 6:14-17 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The Peril of False Teaching

(Jeremiah 8:4) "Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: "'When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return?

God asked a series of questions to expose Judah’s stubborn refusal to turn back to Him. When people fall down they try to get up again. If someone turns away from the right path he tries to return as quickly as possible.

(Jeremiah 8:5) Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. But though most people learn from their mistakes, Judah refused to return. Failing to acknowledge any wrongdoing, she pursued her own ways with determination like a horse charging into battle. (Jeremiah 8:6) I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.

The incorrigible nature of the people is exemplified here. Although the prophet listened intently, no man repented. "Repented" is naham (Heb.) and can mean "to be sorry." Instead of being sorry, like a horse charging into battle they "rushed" along on their own course of rebellion.

2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Hosea 4:16a For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer:

77 (Jeremiah 8:7) Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Even migratory birds observe the time of their migration, but Judah did not realize that it was time to return to her God. She had even less wisdom than a bird!

Israel, in contrast to the birds, which follow their instincts in order to survive, behaves unnaturally toward her Creator.

(Jeremiah 8:8) "'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?

Judah felt superior in her wisdom to other nations because she had the Law of the LORD. Unfortunately that Law was being handled… falsely by the scribes.

2 Cor 4:1-2 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

The question here poses a greater question: whose message will you believe, the scribes who lie and tell you what you want to hear or Jeremiah's message of repentance? The "scribes" were a group of men who copied, studied, and expounded the Law. They claimed to be the legitimate interpreters of some written portion of the Law. While the scribes are mentioned in 1 Chr. 2:55, this verse may be the first reference to the scribes as a special class. The first mention of scribes as a professional class. The last part of the verse 8 should be translated, "Lo, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie."

(Jeremiah 8:9) The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

Their rejection of God’s Law would bring judgment James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

Life Application: Conditions in the USA today. Compare People now realize that the economy can be all right but we can be all wrong. Any nation, any church , any individual can seem ok on the outside but is really disintegrating on the inside.

The bible tells us what true wisdom is and how to get it.

78 Deut 1:13 Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.

Deut 4:6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

Ps 119:103-105 103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Prov 2:6-11 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

Prov 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Prov 4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Prov 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

(Jeremiah 8:10) Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.

This greedy attitude encompassed all the people from the least to the greatest.

(Jeremiah 8:11) They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace.

The leaders were treating the nation’s sin lightly—they would dress (or bandage) the wound assuming the injury was not serious when in fact it was terminal. . The truth was repeated as in chapter 6 for emphasis. God would punish the nation by taking from them the blessings of the harvest that He had earlier given them.

The false message of the prophets has brought a slight (qalal, Heb.,"trifle," "scant") healing to the people. Yet this is temporary and superficial. False religion and theological liberalism are

79 always ready to accuse those who are faithful to God's word of pessimism. But far worse is the crime against humanity perpetrated by those perpetual optimists who, in their ignorance of the mind and nature of God, announce peace and hope, bringing false hope of a temporary and unreal nature to the people when, in fact, there is no peace.

The false prophets used the promise of peace to deceive the people by satisfying their natural instinctive desire for rest and tranquillity in the land. "Peace" (shalom, Heb., "completeness," "soundness," "welfare") is one of the deepest desires of man. Actually, their promises pushed the nation toward war and destruction and left them in their ignorance, completely unprepared for the coming calamity. Though the wicked prophets promised the people peace for no price, God's prophet continued to proclaim that peace would only come through patient endurance of their punishment and genuine repentance in turning again to the Lord.

(Jeremiah 8:12) Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD.

Rev 6:14-17 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The Christian will not fall but will stand in that day.

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

1Thes 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

80 Rev 6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

(Jeremiah 8:13) "'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.'"

Jeremiah 5:24-25 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

(Jeremiah 8:14) "Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.

Jeremiah pictured the panic that would ensue when God’s judgment began. The people would flee to the fortified cities knowing that God had doomed them to perish there.

The people of Judah feel doomed and look for protection from the coming judgment.

(Jeremiah 8:15) We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.

Their hopes for peace were dashed and the terror of the Babylonians filled the land.

(Jeremiah 8:16) The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there."

From Dan, the northern part of Palestine, the snorting of the war-horses of the approaching enemy can be heard. The foe is so awesome in its advance that their approaching "horses" and "strong ones" seem to make the land tremble. The purpose of the invasion is to devour the land and its inhabitants.

As the sound of the enemy’s horses echoed southward from Dan in the north, the land trembled as it waited in dread for the army to come to devour.

(Jeremiah 8:17) "See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD.

God compared the Babylonians to venomous snakes that would bite the Judeans.

81 Much as in Num. 21:6-9, judgment comes upon the people in the form of "vipers." Here, however, there is no deliverance from their bite.

The Babylonians would be like poisonous serpents to bite Judah.

Numbers 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

The Prophet Mourns for the People

(Jeremiah 8:18) O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

Jeremiah responded to Judah’s plight by making a heartfelt cry to God. He asked God to listen to the cry of the people who had been deported to a land far away.

Jeremiah the prophet talks things over with himself and sometimes with God. Though these passages temporarily break the continuity, they are valuable in revealing Jeremiah's inner feelings.

(Jeremiah 8:19) Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?"

Those captured by the Babylonians wondered how their city could have fallen since God’s temple was there. In anguish they questioned if Judah’s King, Yahweh, was no longer there. God responded by indicating that Jerusalem’s destruction was brought about by their sin, not by His absence. God brought the army of Babylon because Judah had provoked Him to anger with their… idols.

Now here is a very classic verse in Jeremiah.

(Jeremiah 8:20) "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved."

Harvest usually lasted from April until June. This verse was probably a popular proverb repeated in daily life when people confronted hopeless situations where no deliverance seemed possible. Instead of pleading for mercy, the unrepentant and indifferent people continue with desperate and hopeless frustration, bitterly wailing their pessimistic dirge.

God gave Judah every opportunity to repent, but she continued to rebel. Jeremiah 8:20 recorded the mournful cry of those who learned the consequences of sin too late. The harvest, representing God’s opportunities to repent, was past. By not taking advantage of God’s provision for deliverance from judgment when it had been available, the people were now without hope (we are not saved).

(Jeremiah 8:21) Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me.

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Jeremiah’s reaction to Judah’s fate mixed sadness and despair. He so identified with his people that he was crushed by the fact of their destruction.

(Jeremiah 8:22) Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?

Gil’ e ad translates: a heap of witness , rolling forever.

Gilead was famous for its balsam, which had medicinal properties for treating wounds. The "balm" came from the terebinth or turpentine tree and mastic or pistachio tree, a small evergreen of western Asia. Neither healing nor healer is found for this people.

In vain he sought for balm from Gilead to heal the wound of his people. “Balm” was the resin of the storax tree that was used medicinally. Gilead, east of the , was famous for its healing balm .

This resin used medicinally and available in a little more than a day's journey away in Gilead. Though it was near, the people refused God's help. In the wilderness the healing was as near as looking at the serpent on the stake. In the time of Jeremiah the healing was as near as repenting, confessing and returning to the true nner heart worship of Yahweh. Not an outward showing only.

In our time the New Testament declares that there is a Balm in Gilead: He is-

Jesus Christ, the Great Physician.

Luke 5:29-32 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. 30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

83 Chapter Nine

A Mini Review of the Message in the Temple Gate

We read in chapter eight how Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, spoke to the children of Judah in the Temple gate about the coming judgment of God by means of the Babylonian armies. Everything would be laid waste and desolate. However the people would not hear Jeremiah.

We read in verse 8:20 a very mournful lament. A wail to heaven of the condition of the heart of the people of Judah.

Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

At the conclusion of Chapter 8 the Prophet Jeremiah cries out in despair for the lack of repentance in the heart of the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

Life Application: We see this today in the unsaved. Salvation is available for everyone who will confess Jesus as Saviour . Yet they refuse to bow their knee to God and receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord. They will never know eternal life with the Father. Their self appointed destiny lies in eternal darkness with no fellowship with the Father. Is it any wonder that like Jeremiah we weep for the lost and unrepentant. The new testament declares that there is a Balm in Gilead who is Jesus Christ, the Great Physician.

Turn with me now to chapter 9 of Jeremiah for the continuation of the message by Jeremiah in the gate of the temple.

(Jeremiah 9:1) Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.

The grief caused Jeremiah to wish his eyes would become a fountain of tears so he could weep continually (day and night) for those who had been slain Though his message is one of judgment and impending doom, the prophet's motivation is clearly compassion.. This heartfelt empathy with his people’s suffering earned Jeremiah the nickname, “the weeping prophet”.

We recall a similar incident centuries later by our Lord on the Mount of Olives overlooking the temple area. Jesus was mourning for the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD . We read of this in Matthew 23:37-39

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

84 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

(Jeremiah 9:2) Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people.

Yet his empathy for their suffering was balanced by his revulsion at their sin. An isolated lodging place in the desert was preferable to living with the unfaithful people of Judah.

The term translated "a lodging place" refers to a lonely and desolate dwelling, providing only a shelter from the elements. Jeremiah views such a place as preferable to the sight of the nation's deterioration. The spiritual adultery manifested itself in hideous immoralities at the pagan sanctuaries. Even at the "assembly" for divinely appointed festivals, the deceivers were present.

Life Application: You have acted like this at times in your life. Man, I just want to get away from it all. We say things like, don’t bother me now , I am busy. We seek solitude from the crowd. Because the term lodging place in verse 2 refers to a lonely and desolate dwelling, providing only a shelter from the elements. Ie: a cave perhaps. Jeremiah views such a place as preferable to the sight of the nation's deterioration. Have you ever felt like running away from pending tragedy and hiding away from everyone and everything. The horrific coming events that were clear only to Jeremiah were almost too much for him to bear thinking about. Have you experienced the same thing at times in your life?

(Jeremiah 9:3) "They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me," declares the LORD.

A person used his tongue as an archer would use a bow—it became a weapon to shoot lies. Honesty was not being practiced by those living in Judah.

Life Application: Do you see the graphic picture God is painting here of our tongues. The words shoot out like an arrow. We must always be sure to think before speaking and edify by what we say. Did you speak without thinking today?

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Eph 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

85 John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

(Jeremiah 9:4) "Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.

One had to watch his friends, and no one could trust his brothers. As the very fabric of society unraveled, no one would speak the truth. Jeremiah lived in a nation that was full of deception and refused to acknowledge God.

(Jeremiah 9:5) Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.

Isaiah 59:4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Psalm 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

(Jeremiah 9:6) You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the LORD.

Life Application: Have you experienced a similar situation of deception in your dealings with those in the world? Perhaps in a purchase of a product or in a workmans conduct in faithfully completing a contracted job for you? Were you surprised by them?

(Jeremiah 9:7) Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: "See, I will refine and test them, for what else can I do because of the sin of my people?

God responded to Judah’s deception by seeking to refine and test her because of her sin. God would place Judah in the crucible of judgment and deal with her deceit.

(Jeremiah 9:8) Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.

James writes about our tongues in

James 3:5-11 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

86 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

(Jeremiah 9:9) Should I not punish them for this?" declares the LORD. "Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?"

God rhetorically asked Jeremiah if He should not indeed avenge Himself on the nation because of her sin.

(Jeremiah 9:10) I will weep and wail for the mountains and take up a lament concerning the desert pastures. They are desolate and untraveled, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. The birds of the air have fled and the animals are gone.

Jeremiah began to weep and wail over the land of Judah because the Babylonian invasion and deportation made it desolate and untraveled..

The Coming Desolation of the Land of Judah Vividly Described

(Jeremiah 9:11) "I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there."

God responded by indicating He would make Jerusalem a heap of ruins that would be inhabited only by wild jackals .

(Jeremiah 9:12) What man is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the LORD and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?

These verses both pose the questions and give the answers to why judgment has come to Judah. They have "forsaken" the law of God and refused to hear His voice. They follow the "dictates" of their hearts and go "after the Baals."

He asked the wise men of Judah to explain why the land was ruined and laid waste. Before anyone could answer, God stated the obvious in the next verse.

(Jeremiah 9:13) The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.

The destruction came because the people had turned from God’s Law and had followed the Baals. This was why God would scatter them among the nations and why many in Judah would be killed by the sword.

87 (Jeremiah 9:14) Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their fathers taught them."

Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

(Jeremiah 9:15) Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water.

wormwood. A plant having very bitter juice.

(Jeremiah 9:16) I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have destroyed them."

This is a double prophesy. The first reference is to the immediate destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of the people to Babylon. Some fled to Egypt.

The second reference is probably about dispersion of the Jewish people among all peoples (nations) after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70. At that time, according to Josephus, many were consigned to slavery and transported in ships to Egypt. The third reference is in verse 23.

The People Mourn in Judgment

(Jeremiah 9:17) This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Consider now! Call for the wailing women to come; send for the most skillful of them.

Jeremiah listed three separate pronouncements from the LORD each beginning with a similar phrase. In the first section God called for the wailing women, professional mourners, to lament for Jerusalem.

"Mourning women" translates qonen (Heb.) and refers to a professional mourner. The "skillful wailing women" refers to women wise or skillful at mourning. mourning women. Professional mourners wailing women. Those skilled in mourning for the dead.

Matthew 9:23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, (wailing)

(Jeremiah 9:18) Let them come quickly and wail over us till our eyes overflow with tears and water streams from our eyelids.

Jeremiah urges these women to wail until tears come to the eyes of the people of Judah.

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(Jeremiah 9:19) The sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 'How ruined we are! How great is our shame! We must leave our land because our houses are in ruins.'"

Excavation work by modern day archeologists has uncovered the very homes that were devastated by the invaders at this time.

(Jeremiah 9:20) Now, O women, hear the word of the LORD; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament.

These mourners were then to teach their daughters… another… lament.

(Jeremiah 9:21) Death has climbed in through our windows and has entered our fortresses; it has cut off the children from the streets and the young men from the public squares.

This funeral dirge was over the death of the children and the young men who were killed when the Babylonians broke into the city.

(Jeremiah 9:22) Say, "This is what the LORD declares: "'The dead bodies of men will lie like refuse on the open field, like cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather them.'"

In the second section God pictured the severity of the massacre by Babylon. The dead bodies would resemble the cut grain left behind the reaper in a field. But there would be no one left to gather this gruesome “harvest.”

(Jeremiah 9:23) This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,

The third pronouncement summarized the response God expected from the people. The people were not to boast in their human wisdom or strength or riches for these would not last.

All subjects of man's boasting prove untrustworthy. Man glories in wisdom, power, and riches. The wise Solomon, one of the most wealthy and powerful men who ever lived, testifies that all these are vanities (cf. Eccl. 1:2-4). Judah's trust in these brought her destruction. The only way of escape is to seek to know and understand God (Eccl. 12:13).

Eccl. 1:2-4 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Eccl. 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

89 (Jeremiah 9:24) but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

Knowledge of God points to His three most prominent attributes: (1) "lovingkindness" which presupposes His faithfulness to His covenant with Israel; (2) "judgment"; (3) "righteousness."

Instead a person should boast only to the extent that he understands and knows God. Again the word “know” (ya4d{a() pictured an intimate knowledge of God . God wanted the people to be intimately acquainted with His kindness, justice, and righteousness. “Kindness” (h[esed{) refers to God’s loyal love. God would stand by His commitment to His people. “Justice” (mis]pot[) is a broad term that pointed to governing justly. God would vindicate the innocent and punish the guilty. “Righteousness” (s[ed{a4qa=h) conveys the idea of conforming to a standard or norm. God’s standards of conduct were supposed to be Israel’s norm.

lovingkindness. The Hebrew word is hesed, used about 250 times in the OT. It means loyal, steadfast, or faithful love and stresses the idea of a belonging together of those involved in the love relationship. Here it connotes God's faithful love for His unfaithful people. In the OT, communion, deliverance, enabling, enlightenment, guidance, forgiveness, hope, praise, preservation are all based on God's hesed. (lovingkindness)

(Jeremiah 9:25) "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh--

If personal achievement or ability would not please God, neither would outward conformity to religious rituals. God would punish those circumcised only in the flesh whether they were near or far.

When they were told how provoking their sins were to God they vainly pleaded the covenant of their circumcision. They were undoubtedly the people of God; as they had the temple of the Lord in their city.

Jer 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

Even the disciples were proud of their second temple as they said to Jesus in

Matthew 24:1-2 1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

90 (Jeremiah 9:26) Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart."

Judah’s faith in her covenant sign was a misplaced faith because people in some other nations also practiced this ritual—and they were not under God’s covenant. Judah’s actions exposed the fact that the nation was really uncircumcised… in heart

Rom 2:25,29 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

91 Chapter Ten

(:1) Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel.

The first 16 verses of chapter 10 are parenthetical (extra comment). Before continuing his discussion of the coming Exile, Jeremiah focused on the nature of the God who would bring this judgment. God addressed the entire house of Israel, which included the Northern Kingdom already in exile, and explained the foolishness of idols. Israel was not supposed to learn the ways of idolatry practiced by the nations around her.

A scathing denunciation of idolatry, involving a threefold contrast:

(1) Heathen worship attached great importance to the sun, moon, and stars (v. 2), though God made the heavens (v. 12);

(2) man-made idols have to be stabilized (v. 4), but God even controls the nations (v. 10);

(3) idols are stupid (without intellectual capacity) because they are inanimate (v. 8), but the living God designed and created all things (vv. 12-13).

(Jeremiah 10:2) This is what the LORD says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them.

These “signs” were most likely unusual occurrences such as eclipses or comets or conjunction of planets. which were thought to be signs of coming events given by the gods.

(Jeremiah 10:3) For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

Such idolatrous practices were worthless because the “gods” being honored were created by their worshipers . A person would chop down a tree, give the wood to a craftsman who fashioned it to the desired shape.

(Jeremiah 10:4) They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.

The futility of worshipping idols is shown in graphic detail. While decorated with silver and gold (v. 4), an idol is still the product of man. It cannot move or speak and can do neither good nor evil. This “god” was then covered with silver and gold and fastened to a base so that it would not totter.

92 (Jeremiah 10:5) Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good."

Once the god was made by man it had to be carried to its destination. It was as lifeless as a scarecrow in a melon patch. Certainly such a “god” could not speak to impart knowledge to its followers. So God exhorted His people not to fear those false idols. The idols had no power to harm those who disregarded them or power to do any good for those who followed them.

(Jeremiah 10:6) No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.

No idol can compare with Yahweh. Jeremiah responded to God’s description of idols by affirming that the LORD truly is unique. There is no one… like Him.

(Jeremiah 10:7) Who should not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you.

Unlike local pagan gods, the true God was King of the nations, all of them. (Jeremiah 10:8) They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols.

"Dull-hearted" is ba`ar (Heb.) and can mean "stupid" or "unreceptive." The phrase "a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine"(vain teaching) indicates that the teachings propounded by idolaters are no better morally or spiritually than the worthless materials of which the idols are made.

(Jeremiah 10:9) Hammered silver is brought from and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple-- all made by skilled workers.

The worthless wooden idols were decorated with silver… from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. Tarshish was a city probably in southern Spain, or was a technical term for a “mineral-bearing land.” Uphaz is either a location (now unknown), or a textual variant for Ophir, a land in Arabia known for its gold or a technical term for “refined gold.”

Even imported valuables do not make the idol more valuable. It is still only wood overlaid with costly ornaments.

(Jeremiah 10:10) But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath.

Jeremiah described the LORD as the true (genuine) God in contrast with the false idols. He is alive but they were lifeless; and He is eternal whereas they came into existence through the work of craftsmen and were subject to decay.

93 KEY VERSE (Jeremiah 10:11) "Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'"

Jeremiah 10:11 is the only verse in this book written in Aramaic instead of Hebrew. Aramaic was the trade language of the day. Probably this verse is in Aramaic because it was directed to the pagan idolaters surrounding Israel. God spoke in a language they would be sure to understand. His message to these idolaters was that their false gods, who had no part in creating the universe, would themselves ultimately perish from God’s universe.

(Jeremiah 10:12) But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

In contrast with the false idols the Lord was responsible for Creation (vv. 12-13). He made the earth and stretched out the heavens. (Vv. 12-16 are virtually the same as 51:15-19.) Only He has the power and wisdom to have accomplished such a feat. This power of the Lord was mirrored in His continuing revelation in nature.

(Jeremiah 10:13) When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

By focusing on the awesomeness of a thunderstorm with clouds… lightning… rain, and wind, Jeremiah illustrated the continuing power of God.

(Jeremiah 10:14) Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.

(Jeremiah 10:15) They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish.

When God’s grandeur would finally be manifested, those who had made worthless idols would be shamed at the objects of mockery they had once worshiped.

(Jeremiah 10:16) He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance-- the LORD Almighty is his name.

In contrast God would be known as the Portion of Jacob . God is also the Maker of all things in contrast with the lifeless idols who can make nothing! Jeremiah ended this parenthetical portion by identifying this true God who was inseparably bound to His people. His name is the LORD Almighty.

The Coming Captivity of Judah

(Jeremiah 10:17) Gather up your belongings to leave the land, you who live under siege. 94 After discussing the superiority of God to idols (vv. 1-16), Jeremiah continued his temple address by describing the coming destruction and Exile. The people of Jerusalem were to gather up their meager belongings to leave the land.

(Jeremiah 10:18) For this is what the LORD says: "At this time I will hurl out those who live in this land; I will bring distress on them so that they may be captured."

God vowed to hurl out those living in the land so they would be captured and carried into captivity.

(Jeremiah 10:19) Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, "This is my sickness, and I must endure it."

The prophet equates his own suffering with the suffering of the people. The "hurt" (shever, Heb., "fracture") is the cause of their misery.

(Jeremiah 10:20) My tent is destroyed; all its ropes are snapped. My sons are gone from me and are no more; no one is left now to pitch my tent or to set up my shelter.

The people are like nomadic tent dwellers who have been uprooted. No one is there to help set up the tent again.

Jerusalem responded in anguish to the Captivity. The wound she had suffered was incurable . The city was also pictured as a tent that had collapsed.

(Jeremiah 10:21) The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the LORD; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered. Even the "shepherds" have become "dull-hearted" (v. 21). They conduct themselves in ways not pleasing to Yahweh. Thus they shall not prosper and their flocks will be scattered. Her sons were deported, and the shepherds (ro4(|

(Jeremiah 10:22) Listen! The report is coming-- a great commotion from the land of the north! It will make the towns of Judah desolate, a haunt of jackals.

The attack from… the north would decimate Judah so that her towns would be desolate.

(Jeremiah 10:23) I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

Jeremiah admits that punishment is appropriate for the man who attempts to go his own way. However, he does ask the Lord to administer the punishment according to what is just, and not to inflict chastisement in anger (v. 24).Jeremiah concluded his temple address with a prayer to the LORD. The prophet admitted that a person’s life cannot be considered his own as though he is

95 free to direct his own steps. God is in control, and only those who let God direct their ways will be truly blessed.

(Jeremiah 10:24) Correct me, LORD, but only with justice-- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.

Because Judah’s judgment was inevitable, Jeremiah pleaded that it might come only with God’s justice and not with His anger. That is, Jeremiah was asking for God’s patience and leniency in dispersing judgment lest the nation be reduced to nothing. By using the word me Jeremiah was identifying with and representing Judah. Then Jeremiah asked that God’s judgment of Judah be accompanied by His judgment on the nations.

(Jeremiah 10:25) Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.

They refused to call on God’s name, and they had devoured and destroyed God’s covenant people.

Thus marks the end of the message Jeremiah preached in the gate of the temple.

Next we hear the message on the broken covenant given in chapters 11 & 12.

96 Chapter Eleven

The Message on the Broken Covenant

Jeremiah’s fourth message focused on Judah’s broken covenant with her God. Though the message itself is undated, several markers help date the passage to 621 B.C., six years after Jeremiah began his ministry. That year the temple was being repaired as part of King Josiah’s reforms, and a copy of the Law was discovered in the renovation). Several of Jeremiah’s references seem to allude to this discovery of God’s Law and the realization of the broken covenant. Jeremiah called on the people to heed the words of the covenant that Josiah read to them.

Chapter 11 deals with the broken Palestinian covenant in which the sins of the fathers have been repeated by the sons.

Starting with verse 11:18 and going to the end of chapter 12 we read how Jeremiah was afflicted and how he was strengthened by Jehovah for the continuation of his ministry.

This, like the other messages, is made up of rebuke, exhortation, and warning, but in this instance these are based upon the violation of the Palestinian Covenant . The Assyrian and Babylonian captivities of Israel and Judah were the execution of the warning,

The Palestinian Covenant gives the conditions under which Israel entered the land of promise. It is important to see that the nation has never as yet taken the land under the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant, nor has it ever possessed the whole land.

It is one of 8 major covenants..

You can read of the Palestinian Covenant in Deuteronomy from chapter 27 to 30.

The other 7 major covenants are:

Edenic (Gen 2:16); Adamic (Gen 3:15); Noahic (Gen 9:16); Abrahamic (Gen 12:2); Mosaic (Exo 19:5); Davidic (2 Sam 7:16); New Covenant (Heb 8:8).

The prophecies of Jeremiah contained in the, eleventh, and twelfth chapters correspond to that time of the last years of the reign of King Josiah.

(:1) This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:

97 Copy of the Book of the Law Found :8,11,13

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

11 And it came to pass, when the king (Josiah) had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.

13 Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

2 Kings 23:1-2 1 And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

(Jeremiah 11:2) "Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem.

this covenant. The historic agreement between God and Israel made at Mount Sinai. Jeremiah's warning to be faithful to the Sinaitic covenant was delivered during the reformation under Josiah (2 Kings 22-23). He obviously viewed this revival as superficial and inadequate (v. 13 shows that the people continued to worship Baal).

(Jeremiah 11:3) Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant--

The Violation of the Covenant (11:1-17)

God told Jeremiah to listen to the stipulations of His covenant and to relate those terms to the people of Judah and… Jerusalem. The specific portion of the covenant God mentioned were the terms that regarded obedience and disobedience to His Law.

(Jeremiah 11:4) the terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, 'Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.

Deut. 4:20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

98 (Jeremiah 11:5) Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'--the land you possess today." I answered, "Amen, LORD."

Canaan a land flowing with milk and honey.

(Jeremiah 11:6) The LORD said to me, "Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: 'Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them.

As Jeremiah called out to the people to follow the words of the covenant, he also reminded them of the nation’s past failure.

(Jeremiah 11:7) From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, "Obey me." Grace Deut. 4:9 Though God had repeatedly warned the nation to obey Him, they refused to pay attention.

Deut. 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

(Jeremiah 11:8) But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'"

Because of this God brought on them all the curses of the covenant. Israel’s history was one of rebellion and correction.

(Jeremiah 11:9) Then the LORD said to me, "There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem.

Though King Josiah forced an outer conformity to the covenant, his reform did not penetrate the hearts of the people in a lasting way. After Josiah died the people returned to their idolatrous ways. Among the people was a conspiracy to abandon the covenant. Instead of heeding the warning of Jeremiah (vv. 2-8) they returned to the sins of their ancestors to serve false gods. Both the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) followed this wayward path.

(Jeremiah 11:10) They have returned to the sins of their forefathers, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their forefathers.

Judah’s deliberate decision to follow after idols assured her doom. God vowed to send a disaster from which the nation could not escape.

99 (Jeremiah 11:11) Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them.

In that hour of distress the people would cry out to God, and also to their idols, but neither would help them at all. Judah’s abundance of gods and altars (cf. 2:28) would be her downfall, not her deliverance.

(Jeremiah 11:12) The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes.

(Jeremiah 11:13) You have as many gods as you have towns, O Judah; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.' Baal worship: shameful thing.

2 Chronicles 34:33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Though Josiah tried to rid the land of idolatry (2 Chron. 34:33), the number of incense altars devoted to the shameful god Baal were still as numerous as the streets of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 11:14) "Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.

The people’s sin was so pervasive that God again commanded Jeremiah not to pray for them because He would not listen to their prayers for deliverance in their coming time of… distress. (Jeremiah 11:15) "What is my beloved doing in my temple as she works out her evil schemes with many? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment? When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice."

Here the LORD is asking: "To what purpose are your sacrifices? The efficacy (effectiveness) of your sacrifices is cancelled by your sin."

Isaiah 1:13 - 15 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

The sacrificial flesh of the rituals of sacrifice, when offered in hypocrisy, could not avert the coming disaster.

Jeremiah 11:15 has caused much concern for translators. Apparently the thought is this: the beloved were the people of Judah who were in God’s temple (lit., “house”). Evidently some 100 people came to the temple to offer consecrated meat as a sacrifice, believing that this ritual would avert… punishment. Yet they never ceased to engage in their wickedness.

We see this example of two faced worship in modern society where the “church” only serves as a means of convenience. Marrying, burying and Christmas and Easter services. They never took John 3 to heart. They do not fear (reverence) God

Life Application: Compare USA today versus The Southern Kingdom of Jeremiah’s time. Political , civil (judges), “religious”, police and general populance. Take a hard look at your personal life in Christ. Are you following His commandments fully? If not, why not? Now is a good time to purpose in your heart to follow Jesus!

(Jeremiah 11:16) The LORD called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form. But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.

God then pictured their judgment like an olive tree being set… on fire, probably by lightning, in a mighty storm. God had planted… Judah as His people, and He would now uproot them because they had provoked Him to anger by their idolatry.

Romans 11:24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

(Jeremiah 11:17) The LORD Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done evil and provoked me to anger by burning incense to Baal.

Jeremiah's Life Threatened

(Jeremiah 11:18) Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing.

The Consequences of Violating the Covenant

The people responded to Jeremiah’s rebuke by trying to kill him. This is the first episode in their continuing opposition to his ministry . However, God revealed their plot to Jeremiah. God responded by assuring Jeremiah of His swift judgment. The plot against Jeremiah was formulated by the men of Anathoth, Jeremiah’s own hometown , who ordered him not to prophesy or he would die by their hands.

About this time King Josiah (who was a protector of Jeremiah) fought against Pharoah Necho of Egypt and lost his life at Megiddo. Jeremiah did not find favor with any of the rest of the Kings of Judah.

101 2 Kings 23:29-30 In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him. And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.

(Jeremiah 11:19) I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more."

A description of the hostility Jeremiah encountered from the people of his hometown. They wanted to kill him (the tree) and silence his message (its fruit, v. 19).

Life Application: Did you or do you face opposition from your family when your only crime is to tell them with love they need Jesus in their lives.

Matt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

The phrase "devised schemes" refers to the various plots that have been made against Jeremiah. The expression denotes complete destruction. "Docile" is a rendering of ^aluph (Heb.), which may mean "intimate" or "friendly." Just as the family pet lamb would not be aware of its coming slaughter, Jeremiah was caught by surprise by the plots. Since the prophet was unmarried, the "fruit" is a reference either to the possibility of future children or, more likely, to his life's work. The people of Judah were deluded into thinking they could erase even the memory of the prophet.

Even our Lord Jesus was forbidden a testimony in his home town.

John 4:44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

(Jeremiah 11:20) But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.

These enemies planned to cut Jeremiah off from the land of the living, that is, to kill him. His response was to ask God to execute His vengeance on these conspirators.

(Jeremiah 11:21) "Therefore this is what the LORD says about the men of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, 'Do not prophesy in the name of the LORD or you will die by our hands'--

102 Anathoth ( Jeremiah’s home town) would suffer disaster because of her opposition to God’s message and messenger.

(Jeremiah 11:22) therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.

God promised to punish these rebels with the sword and with famine.

God promised to punish the conspirators of Anathoth.

(Jeremiah 11:23) Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the men of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.'"

Remember that Anathoth was the home town of Jeremiah.

God promises vengeance upon the enemies of the prophet. God will bring "catastrophe" (ra`ah, Heb., "evil," "misery") upon the "men of Anathoth."

Remember when Jesus , born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, chose Capernaum in as his adopted town. Now read what Jesus said about it when they would not receive Him as Messiah..

Luke 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Matt 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

103 Chapter Twelve

Jeremiah’s Question to Jehovah

God continued His response to Jeremiah by indicating that even his own family had betrayed him. Evidently they had joined the plot against Jeremiah at Anathoth, his hometown.. So God warned Jeremiah not to trust them in spite of their outward words of praise.

(Jeremiah 12:1) You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?

Jeremiah responded to God’s revelation of the plot against his life by complaining about the prosperity of the wicked. Though admitting that God was righteous whenever he brought a case before Him, still Jeremiah wanted to question God about His justice. Specifically he wanted to know why… the way of the wicked seemed to prosper if God was indeed angry with their sin .

Life Application: Jeremiah asked the age-old question, Why do the godless prosper? This same question has been asked throughout the ages. God's reply is to warn Jeremiah of even greater opposition from the people in Jerusalem (coming up in 12:5-7)

This same question concerning the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous plagued Job (Job 21; 24), David (Ps. 37), and Asaph (Ps. 73). God is gracious in permitting His children to plead and debate with Him .

Psalm 37:35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

Psalm 73 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

Revelation 20:14-15 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

(Jeremiah 12:2) You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.

104 In fact it seemed to Jeremiah as if God Himself had planted them because they had taken root and were bearing fruit materially.

The Lord answers Jeremiah with a promise of worse to come. The Jews were especially disturbed by this paradox because of their belief concerning earthly rewards and punishments. Faith in the overwhelming providence of God is the only solution to this awesome dilemma. Nevertheless, one must also acknowledge that material wealth is not necessarily genuine prosperity, which is exhibited by inward peace. Nothing serves to test, edify, and proclaim the faith of the righteous as does adversity .God does confirm the ultimate destruction of the wicked.

Romans 10:9-10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(Jeremiah 12:3) Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

Jeremiah asked God to judge the unrighteous. He hoped that God would drag them off like sheep to be butchered (cf. their having treated him like “a gentle lamb led to the slaughter,” 11:19). Just as Jeremiah was “set apart” by God for his task (1:5) so he wished that God would set… apart the wicked for their day of slaughter! Jeremiah begins with his own affirmation of the righteousness of God, but he is puzzled by the apparent inconsistency between God's ways and judgments, and His promises to His people.

(Jeremiah 12:4) How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, "He will not see what happens to us."

God had judged the nation because of the sins of the wicked, but the righteous also suffered in this judgment. In 12:4 Jeremiah was not contradicting what he had just said about the prosperity of the wicked (v. 1). The thought is probably that even in times of difficulty the wicked seemed to come through better than the righteous. God had sent a drought to judge the nation so that the land was parched and the grass was withered. Yet the people refused to acknowledge God’s hand of judgment. They believed that God was indifferent to their sin as they claimed that He would not see what happens to them.

The LORD Answers Jeremiah

(Jeremiah 12:5) "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?

105

God’s answer to Jeremiah’s question was something of a surprise. God indicated that if Jeremiah found his present circumstances difficult, his future situation would be even worse (Jer. 12:5). God used two metaphors to make this point—a race and a cross-country walk. If Jeremiah had raced with men on foot and was complaining about being worn… out, how could he compete later with horses? Or if Jeremiah would stumble (ba4t[ah[, should be trans. “trust”) in safe country, how could he manage if he were thrust into the thickets by the Jordan? “Thickets” were the dense growth along the Jordan River.

The idea of this second question could possibly be paraphrased: If Jeremiah could trust in God only in a time of peace, how would he manage when the going got tough?

Instead of promising Jeremiah better days ahead, God describes the prophet's present unbearable conditions as only a foretaste of worse experiences to come. A metaphor of athletic strength is used to show the prophet that his struggle has just begun. "Wearied" is la^ah (Heb.) and could be rendered "exhausted." The "footmen" may refer to the other prophets that Jeremiah had encountered, while the "horses" may allude to the military might of Babylon.

In conclusion God tells Jeremiah that his future circumstances would be more difficult than his present ones.

(Jeremiah 12:6) Your brothers, your own family-- even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.

(Jeremiah 12:7) "I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.

Jeremiah describes the coming devastation as if it had already occurred.

God continued His pronouncement of judgment that was interrupted in 11:18 by the explanation of the plot against Jeremiah’s life. God would forsake and abandon Judah and turn her over to her enemies. By describing the nation as His house, His inheritance and the one He loved, God was indicating that the judgment was not coming from the hardened heart of a capricious king..

(Jeremiah 12:8) My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her.

Though He wanted to do just the opposite, God was forced to judge because of the people’s sin. The nation had become like a lion who had raised her voice (roars) in opposition to Him

(Jeremiah 12:9) Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.

106 The nation had changed so much that she had become… like a speckled bird of prey. A “speckled” (colored) bird was one whose markings were different from the other birds of prey. Consequently those other birds would surround and attack this strange bird. Judah had become so different that the other nations of the world would attack her.

(Jeremiah 12:10) Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.

The devastation coming on Jerusalem was compared to shepherds and their flocks entering a vineyard and ruining it by trampling it down. God’s once-productive nation would become a wasteland as the sword of the LORD (i.e., the Babylonians’ swords wielded as God’s instruments) killed its inhabitants.

(Jeremiah 12:11) It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.

The "rulers" (Lit. shepherds or pastors) are from foreign countries and have ravaged the land. "Desolate" appears in v. 11 also and shows the complete waste of the land. The Hebrew word carries an idea of horror.

(Jeremiah 12:12) Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the LORD will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.

sword of the LORD. The Babylonian armies, which would be used in God's hands to punish His people.

(Jeremiah 12:13) They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. So bear the shame of your harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger."

Those who had sown wheat would reap only thorns (because of the devastation of war) and would be forced to bear the shame of their harvest of judgment.

(Jeremiah 12:14) This is what the LORD says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them.

My wicked neighbors. Aram, Moab, and Ammon, who, with Judah, would be punished by Babylon.

Jeremiah closed his fourth message by giving God’s promise/threat to the nations. Those wicked neighbors who had seized Israel’s inheritance would themselves be uprooted from their lands.

(Jeremiah 12:15) But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country.

107 Though God will judge these Gentile nations, He will later have compassion on them and restore them to their own lands.

Compassion: racham-to love, to love deeply, to have mercy, to be compassionate, to have tender affection, to have compassion

The word compassion appears 98 times in our . Compassion in English translations represents at least five Hebrew and eight Greek terms. We just say the one word compassion for it all in English.

Matthew 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Mark 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

108 (Jeremiah 12:16) And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives'--even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal-- then they will be established among my people.

This will happen when Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom on earth. Those nations that learn well the ways of God’s people and swear by His name will be blessed and established. However, any nation that rebels will be destroyed .

(Jeremiah 12:17) But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD.

109 Chapter Thirteen

Symbol of the Linen Sash

The people were not responding to Jeremiah’s message, so God had him perform a symbolic act to get their attention (vv. 1-11). Jeremiah also began using parables to gain their interest (vv. 12-14). These unusual means of communication were designed to arouse the curiosity and interest of his unresponsive audience. This passage has one theme in common: the prospect of defeat and exile.

(:1) This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water."

God commanded Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and wear it around his waist. He was not to let it touch water. Some scholars have felt that verses 1-7 describe a vision Jeremiah had. But nothing in the text indicates that the event did not actually occur. In fact verse 2 says that Jeremiah actually carried out the assignment. A belt ()e4zo=r) was a sash or cloth tied around one’s waist . The fact that the belt was made of “linen,” the material used for the priestly raiment would have held some significance for those observing Jeremiah’s actions. Leviticus 16:4 He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

Jeremiah was not to ever wash the linen sash. He was not to borrow it. It had to be his own. Bought and paid for.

(Jeremiah 13:2) So I bought a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it around my waist.

In that day a girdle was something worn to bind up the flowing garments to ready oneself for service. (Remember our Lord girding up to wash the disciples feet) The girdle is a sign of service. A sign or readiness. A sign of humility. Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Jesus (ever the Servant) was cleansing their feet so they could have fellowship with Him.

John 13:4-5 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

110 Life Application: If you are not in fellowship with Jesus you can not serve in His name. Service is fellowship with Christ. It is being cleansed and used for what He wants to do. It is serving in His will and His time for you pesonally. God does not use dirty vessels. We serve Him out of love. Our good works (service) in His name are the result of our being in fellowship with Him. Just another saintly reason why we must be in the word daily with devotions and prayer and gathering in fellowship with other Christians.

(Jeremiah 13:3) Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:

Has there been a time in your walk with Jesus that you have felt the urging (still small voice) through the Holy Spirit that God wanted you to do a certain service for Him. Was it confirmed? Did you act? Or did the oportunity for service pass you by while you procrastinated over taking the first step? This service could have been a number of things. Like a word of exhortation to a brother or sister in the Lord. Perhaps using the gift of helps to bring comfort to another believer in time of need. Maybe to come alongside another worshiper in a prayer of intercession or supplication. Perhaps to stand alongside a brother or sister in their hour of need. Remember Aaron and Hur helping Moses?

Exod 17:9-12 9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

(Jeremiah 13:4) "Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks."

After wearing the belt for a time, God told him to take it to Perath and hide it… in a crevice in the rocks. (Jeremiah 13:5) So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD told me.

Some have questioned the possibility of Jeremiah's having actually buried his belt at Perath (or by the Euphrates), in view of the distance and the war conditions. However, there were periods in Jeremiah's ministry when that whole area was at peace. It is not impossible that Jeremiah may have actually made a visit to Babylon, and if so, this event could easily have taken place at that time, as he might have buried the belt on his way there and might have dug it up on his way back. It is also possible to interpret the Hebrew word as meaning, not Perath but the Wadi Farah, a few miles north of Jerusalem. In this case he could have buried the belt at any time prior to the final 111 Babylonian attack. Thus there is reason to assume that this passage describes an actual event - not a mere vision or imaginary story. Jeremiah's marred belt served as a symbol indicating Israel's unsatisfactory life and service. Remember that linen was for Priestly attire. By using a location so close to home the people were able to observe Jeremiah’s symbolic actions, and the similarity of name would remind the nation of the army from the Euphrates that was coming to destroy them.

(Jeremiah 13:6) Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there."

Many days later God told Jeremiah to retrieve the belt he had buried. (Another round-trip walk of 700 miles would have been necessary if Perath is the Euphrates! This adds further support to the view that the place where Jeremiah was sent was the nearby village of Parah.) Actions speak louder than words, so Jeremiah is told to take a waistband (a thigh-length undergarment that clung to the body, symbolizing the closeness of Israel to God's heart, v. 11), hide it in a rock, then retrieve it only to discover that, like the nation, it was ruined and useless. Euphrates (v. 6) could mean the river (at least 350 mi, or 563 km, away) or the town of Parah about three mi (4.8 km) from Anathoth (in the expression "to the Euphrates," both names take on an identical form in Hebrew).

(Jeremiah 13:7) So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.

As he dug up the sash he found that its exposure to the elements had made it completely useless. The garment had rotted. Remember that linen was for Priestly attire. The national spiritual fibre of the nation was as ruined as the useless linen cloth.

(Jeremiah 13:8) Then the word of the LORD came to me:

Life Application: You too can hear from the LORD each day by reading His Word early in the morning and before you withdraw for the evening.

(Jeremiah 13:9) "This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

The hiding and finding of the "sash" was a symbolic lesson to Judah. As the "sash" was ruined and became unprofitable, so would the "pride of Judah" and the "great pride of Jerusalem" also become unprofitable. Judah had spoiled her relationship with God by contamination with Assyria.

(Jeremiah 13:10) These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt--completely useless!

112 (Jeremiah 13:11) For as a belt is bound around a man's waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.'

This visual acting out of a parable directed by God was all done to make an impact upon the citizens of Judah in a around Jerusalem. Surely this act of symbolism caught the eye and attention of all who came into its display.

Life Application: One purpose of a belt is to tie things together. What things might come apart in your life if you were no longer bound to the Lord?

The Parable of the Wine Skins (Bottles-Jars)

(Jeremiah 13:12) "Say to them: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.' And if they say to you, 'Don't we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?'

Jeremiah announced what seemed to be a self-evident parable to the people. He declared, Every wineskin should be filled with wine. “Wineskin” (ne4b{el) can refer to an animal-skin bottle (1 Sam. 10:3; cf. Luke 5:37) or to an earthen jar or pitcher (Jer. 48:12; Lam. 4:2). Because the containers were to be smashed together (Jer. 13:14), they were probably jars.

The prophet uses an obvious statement, "Every bottle shall be filled with wine" (v. 12), to attract the attention of his hearers.

Though the people complacently looked for prosperity (illustrated by the jug . . . filled with wine), in reality they would behave in the coming crisis as though inebriated, unable to distinguish friend from foe.

(Jeremiah 13:13) then tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David's throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem.

When they reply that they understand the purpose of wine bottles is to be filled with wine, he informs them that they will be like the bottles, full of wine and drunkenness. "Drunkenness" is shikarin (Heb.) and can convey the idea of bewilderment and helplessness in calamity. Full of wine and drunken, they will be unable to defend themselves.

(Jeremiah 13:14) I will smash them one against the other, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.'"

The people scoffed at Jeremiah’s self-evident proverb. Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine.

113 Then Jeremiah drove home the point of the parable. The empty jars represented all who lived in the land including the leaders and the people. God would fill them with drunkenness—a symbol of judgment . He would then smash the people like jars, one against the other. Nothing would prohibit God from destroying them.

Isaiah 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Pride Precedes Captivity The third warning was against pride and arrogance.

(Jeremiah 13:15) Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.

Life Application: This was to be a warning to the leaders. In what ways can pride and arrogance in your life be a hindrance to your walk with Jesus?

(Jeremiah 13:16) Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings the darkness, before your feet stumble on the darkening hills. You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom.

Because of the approaching darkness of judgment Jeremiah warned the arrogant people of Judah to acknowledge their sin and to give glory to… God. “Darkness” and dark clouds often picture impending doom.

(Jeremiah 13:17) But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord's flock will be taken captive.

If they refused to listen… because of their pride Jeremiah would weep bitterly (Jer. 14:17) to himself because they would surely be taken captive. Have you found yourself at times weeping at the sad plight of your unsaved family , relatives and friends? Continue to pray for them always.

(Jeremiah 13:18) Say to the king and to the queen mother, "Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads."

The "king" may be a reference to Jehoiachin, who reigned for three months (598-597 B.C.) and who was taken captive to Babylon with his mother and 10,000 of the most prominent people in the land of Judah.

Jeremiah turned from the multitudes to address the king and… the queen mother. They are not identified here, but probably the king was Jehoiachin (also known as ) and the queen mother was Ne hush’ta—the widow of Jehoiakim (her name means bronzed which calls to mind that bronze stands for judgment) . Jeremiah exhorted them to humble themselves in

114 light of the coming Exile. Since they went into captivity in 597 B.C. after his reign of just three months (2 Kings 24:8) this prophecy must have been penned during that three-month period. 2 Kings 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. Southern Judah (Jeremiah 13:19) The cities in the Negev will be shut up, and there will be no one to open them. All Judah will be carried into exile, carried completely away.

Jeremiah called on the king and queen mother to come down from their thrones in humility because their crowns would soon fall off when Nebuchadnezzar removed them from office. Their deportation to Babylon was a foretaste of Judah’s judgment because the whole nation would be carried into exile.

(Jeremiah 13:20) Lift up your eyes and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock that was entrusted to you, the sheep of which you boasted?

Jeremiah urged the leaders to look at the armies coming from the north who would remove the flock that had been entrusted to them.

A final warning that punishment (the Babylonian captivity) would be the inevitable consequence of Judah's continuance in sin.

(Jeremiah 13:21) What will you say when the LORD sets over you those you cultivated as your special allies? Will not pain grip you like that of a woman in labor?

Those with whom Judah had once tried to be aligned as her allies would become her cruel taskmasters . As a result, Judah would be in pain like a woman in labor.

(Jeremiah 13:22) And if you ask yourself, "Why has this happened to me?"-- it is because of your many sins that your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated.

If, when the judgment came, the people asked why, God let them know in advance that it was because of their many sins.

Judah would be disgraced like a common harlot (skirts removed).

Life Application: Many non believers will be asking themselves this question when the climatic events begin unfolding in the last days. That is why we present the gospel now to those without hope in their present state of un belief. Do not grow weary.

(Jeremiah 13:23) Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.

115 Judah was as incapable of reforming herself as a dark-skinned Ethiopian was of changing his skin pigmentation or as a leopard was of removing its spots. Her sin was so ingrained that she was accustomed to doing only evil.

Verse 23 shows how impossible it was for Judah to change her ways.

(Jeremiah 13:24) "I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.

God would scatter the people in exile like chaff that was blown in every direction by the desert wind. . (Jeremiah 13:25) This is your lot, the portion I have decreed for you," declares the LORD, "because you have forgotten me and trusted in false gods.

This judgment was not accidental. It was the portion… decreed for Judah by God because of her trust in false gods.

Life Application: We often discuss the condition of our United States today. What would be a list of conditions you would like to see

(Jeremiah 13:26) I will pull up your skirts over your face that your shame may be seen

Using language to match Judah’s lewd conduct God declared that He would pull up her skirts to expose her to the nations.

(Jeremiah 13:27) your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution! I have seen your detestable acts on the hills and in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you be unclean?"

The nations would see her adulteries and her lustful neighings (like wild animals) that characterized her shameless prostitution. Her detestable acts of idolatry had been seen by God, and she would suffer the consequences.

Life Application: Is there a certain non glory bearing habit of your life at the moment that you would like to change? If so , what steps by faith will you take right now? Have you asked for intercessory prayer from your friends of confidence? If not, why not? Has pride hindered your intentions? Are you waiting for tomorrow to begin? Get out of bondage to that sin now. Start with prayer.

116 Chapter Fourteen

Sword, Famine, and Pestilence

(:1) This is the word of the LORD to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

The Drought and Prayer in Chapters 14 and 15

One of the covenant curses God threatened to send on the disobedient nation was drought which Jeremiah had already mentioned. God’s use of drought (Jer. 3:3; 12:4), though it is uncertain whether he was pointing to one major drought or to a series of droughts that came during Judah’s final years. Leviticus 26:18-19

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: The significance of a drought at this time was very great. It was one of the signs predicted in the Palestinian Covenant

Notice in Leviticus above and Deuteronomy below that the words brass and iron are reversed. Heaven - earth.

Deu 28:23 - 24 23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 24 The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

This is a drought that affects city dwellers (vv. 2-3), farmers (v. 4), and even the animals (vv. 5-6), intended as a warning from God, goes unheeded.

The Drought - batstsoreth (bats-tso'-reth); over a period of time. Plural. A national time of a lack of rain. Abundant or lack of rain was life or death to the lifestyle of the children of Judah. A modern way of looking at this for today is if the city water to your home was turned off. No drinking, cooking, watering flowers, flushing, bathing, etc.

(Jeremiah 14:2) "Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. These verses describe a great drought upon the land. The country and cities mourn. There is no water to fill their cisterns. The "lads" (v. 3) and "plowmen" (v. 4) covered their heads from shame.

117 The "wild donkeys" (v. 6) sniff the air for moisture. Their "eyes" have "failed" from weakness because there is no grass.

The severity of the drought produced a cry of distress from Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 14:3) The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads.

The rainfall had ceased and the stored water was running out.

Though nobles sent their servants to the cisterns for water, they returned with their jars unfilled. Those who had rejected the Living Water of life for false cisterns (2:13) now found their physical water supply matching the spiritual water supply to which they had turned.

(Jeremiah 14:4) The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads.

Parched ground - symbolic of the dismal spiritual national life of the people of God.

The ground began to crack from a lack of rain, and the farmers became dismayed as they watched their crops wither away. Jeremiah recorded that both the people in the city and the farmers in the country would cover their heads, a sign of grief or shame.

Life Application: This is one of the thirteen famines mentioned in Scripture. They were all judgments of God upon the land. Just as the land was barren and unfruitful so also were the lives of the people because they had rejected the water of life. What was happening to the earth in the drought was also happening in a spiritual sense to their hearts. When we are out of fellowship with our Lord we also experience a personal empty dryness in our daily lives.

(Jeremiah 14:5) Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass.

The rainfall had ceased and the stored water was running out. The "deer" gave birth and then left their young because there was no grass. (Jeremiah 14:6) Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals; their eyesight fails for lack of pasture." Wild donkeys were also on the barren heights panting for water (cf. Ps. 42:1) like jackals. Their usually good eyesight now failed them as they looked in vain for any pasture in which to graze. Verses 7 to 9 tells of Jeremiah interceding in prayer (Jeremiah 14:7) Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you.

The severity of the drought forced the people to cry to God for deliverance. While admitting their sins and their backsliding, they asked God to intervene and supply rain.

118 Jeremiah interceded for the people, confessing sin and pleading the covenant relationship (vv. 7- 9), but God told him to stop praying (vv. 11-12), because judgment on the false prophets and those who listened to them is certain (vv. 15-16). Still, Jeremiah, in the tradition of Abraham continued to intercede (vv. 17-22).

Take careful note of the fact in verse seven that Jeremiah says our and we. He included himself in the plea to God. He is just the opposite of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

(Jeremiah 14:8) O Hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night?

By calling God the Hope of Israel and the Savior, the people acknowledged God’s unique position as the only One who could deliver their nation from its current crisis.

Though God had the power to help, He did not answer the people’s pleas for rain. He was acting like a stranger or traveler who had no real concern for the country through which He was traveling.

(Jeremiah 14:9) Why are you like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? You are among us, O LORD, and we bear your name; do not forsake us!

We are like that when we deny the telling of the Gospel when the opportunity beackons. John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

God’s failure to act reminded them of a man taken by surprise (one who had been ambushed and overcome before he could offer any resistance) or a warrior who was powerless. Because of God’s lack of action the people pleaded with Him not to forsake them. (Jeremiah 14:10) This is what the LORD says about this people: "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."

At first God’s reply seems rather startling. Instead of accepting the people’s confession, He upbraided them for their waywardness. God knew that their confession was only superficial. They claimed God as their Lord, but they refused to restrain their feet from following evil. Because of their continuing bent toward sin, God said He would not accept their superficial confession. Instead He would punish them for their sins.

Life Application: Even among so called church goers we can see the signs of external belief only. They deny the resurrection and do not deny self. (Luke 9:23)

119 Romans 10:9-10 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(Jeremiah 14:11) Then the LORD said to me, "Do not pray for the well-being of this people.

God again told Jeremiah not to pray for the… people. Their feeble efforts to manipulate God took several forms as we look at the next verse.

(Jeremiah 14:12) Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague."

They would fast and offer burnt offerings, hoping to appease the LORD and avert His wrath. But God cannot be bought off. He vowed to destroy the rebels with the sword, famine, and plague—the three hammer blows of divine judgment. The fourth judgment will be the captivity. A modern contrast would be going to church on Sunday and living in sin Monday to Saturday.

(Jeremiah 14:13) But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" Jeremiah interrupted God by reminding Him that the false prophets were contradicting His message. Instead of the sword or famine, they were announcing that God would give lasting peace to Jerusalem Notice the word the false prophets speak in verse 13. God answers in verse 14 and identifies them as counterfeiters. (False prophets)

(Jeremiah 14:14) Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.

Luke 21:8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

God answered Jeremiah by explaining that the messages of these false prophets were lies because they had not been appointed by Him. Their messages were delusions of their own minds.

(Jeremiah 14:15) Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine.

120 Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

(Jeremiah 14:16) And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them or their wives, their sons or their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.

God would judge them for their lies by destroying both the false prophets and those who listened to them. They would all perish by sword and famine. A warning to us of the Holiness of God’s true Word. Beware of falling for the lies of the Cults.

(Jeremiah 14:17) "Speak this word to them: "'Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing; for my virgin daughter--my people-- has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow.

Jeremiah’s sorrow burst forth at the thought of Jerusalem’s judgment. His eyes welled up with tears as he cried continually (night and day) over Jerusalem’s fall. For some reason he pictured the city as a virgin daughter, who had suffered a mortal wound and Jeremiah was grieving over her loss. virgin daughter. Jerusalem :22 This is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

(Jeremiah 14:18) If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I go into the city, I see the ravages of famine. Both prophet and priest have gone to a land they know not.'"

In the country (the countryside surrounding Jerusalem) lay the corpses of those slain by the sword. Those who escaped to the city were slowly falling to the ravages of famine. Prophets and priests, who should have set the people aright, were deported to Babylon.

The People Plead for Mercy

They are so wrapped up in sin they can not reason why calamity has fallen on them.

(Jeremiah 14:19) Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror.

The people again addressed God and pleaded for His intervention. They were puzzled as to why God would despise them and why He afflicted them (cf. “why” in vv. 8-9). Though they hoped for peace, they had experienced only terror.

121 (Jeremiah 14:20) O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you.

This concern prompted them again to acknowledge their wickedness (cf. v. 7) and guilt and to ask God to help them.

(Jeremiah 14:21) For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.

Their appeal for God’s help was based on His personal character (for the sake of Your name; cf. v. 7), His temple (His glorious throne; cf. 3:17; 17:12), and His covenant (cf. 11:2-5). The people were quick to remind God of His obligations to the nation, but failed to remember their own obligations to Him

(Jeremiah 14:22) Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.

They finally admitted that the worthless idols they had worshipped could not bring rain to quench the drought. God was the only One who could do all this.

Remember , this is a prayer of Jeremiah speaking as if for the people. However, the children of Judah were still in sin. They refused to change their hearts and confess and turn to righteousness.

Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Like Jeremiah , we weep for the lost.

122 Chapter Fifteen

The LORD Will Not Relent

Verses 1 through 4 of this chapter should be understood to be at the end of chapt.14

(:1) Then the LORD said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!

The first 4 verses of chapter 15 are God’s answer to the apparent “confession” in 14:19-22. The chapter break (verses 1-4 in chapter 15) between chapters 14 and 15 should be disregarded.

The nation’s sin was so ingrained that judgment was inevitable. Even the intercessory prayer of Moses or Samuel could not stop God’s judgment. Mention of these two men was significant because Moses had interceded for the nation to turn away God’s wrath (Ex. 32:9-14; Num. 14:11-20; Deut. 9:18-20, 25-29), and Samuel had interceded to defeat the nation’s enemies and turn away God’s wrath (1 Sam. 7:5-11; 12:19-25).

These verses illustrate a people who have gone too far. Even if two of Judah's greatest intercessors (Moses and Samuel) plead the people's case, as they successfully did in their own day God will not change His mind. Destruction will come to Judah.

(Jeremiah 15:2) And if they ask you, 'Where shall we go?' tell them, 'This is what the LORD says: "'Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.'

The fate of the people was sealed. Four options had been selected by God. Some were destined to death—probably meaning death by plague (cf. Jer. 14:12). Others would be cut down with the sword, while others would die from starvation. However, those not appointed to God’s triad of terror would escape death but would be taken into captivity.

(Jeremiah 15:3) "I will send four kinds of destroyers against them," declares the LORD, "the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

The scene of carnage continued as Jeremiah pictured dogs… birds, and wild beasts devouring and destroying those who had been slain. Describes what would happen to the corpses of those killed by the sword. (Jeremiah 15:4) I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.

There is a great spiritual lesson to be learned from the story of King Manasseh. King Hezekiah (father of Manasseh) was ill almost to the point of death and he asked Jehovah for a prolonged life.

123 2 Kings 20:1-6 1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live. 2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, 3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. 6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

The Prayer of Hezekiah to Save Jerusalem

2 Kings 19:19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.

The answer from Jehovah to the Children of Judah ruled over by Hezekiah.

2 Kings 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.

The result of the righteous prayer of Hezekiah.

2 Kings 19:35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. The problem of the added 15 years of life to Hezekiah.

2 Kings 20:6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

Look and see which evil King was born during those 15 extended years. 2 Chronicles 33:1-2 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: 124 But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

The result of sin in a person, the camp, the nation , the world.

Judah had passed “the point of no return” in her dealings with God. That line was crossed through the actions of Manasseh son of Hezekiah. Manasseh so polluted Jerusalem with idolatry that her destruction was inevitable.Even Josiah’s reforms could only postpone her certain destruction. (Jeremiah’s ministry began under King Josiah.)

2 Chronicles 33:9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

The grace of Jehovah to those who will repent and return

2 Chronicles 33:11-13

11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

(Jeremiah 15:5) "Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?

God asked Jerusalem.… who would pity her or mourn for her when she was judged. In the New Testament we find one who will mourn for Jerusalem. It is Jesus.

Matt 23:37-38 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

(Jeremiah 15:6) You have rejected me," declares the LORD. "You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion.

The only One who had ever cared for her was God, but she had rejected Him. Therefore God vowed to destroy her without compassion.

125 "Relenting" (naham, Heb.) could be rendered "have pity" or "feel compassion." It is sometimes translated "repentance." God has tired of showing pity to the people of Judah. He will now stretch forth His hand in judgment. This is anthropomorphic speech, ( or humanlike) i.e., it speaks of God as if He were a man.

(Jeremiah 15:7) I will winnow them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people, for they have not changed their ways.

He would winnow her as a farmer winnowed his grain to remove the unbelievers who were like chaff.

(Jeremiah 15:8) I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. At midday I will bring a destroyer against the mothers of their young men; suddenly I will bring down on them anguish and terror.

The awesome effects of judgment touched all the people. Widows would become more numerous than… sand as the men were slaughtered by the Babylonians. Even the mothers would not escape. Secure - strong (Jeremiah 15:9) The mother of seven will grow faint and breathe her last. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. I will put the survivors to the sword before their enemies," declares the LORD.

To be a mother of seven young men symbolized a zenith of happiness and security. But even seven able-bodied defenders would not be able to deflect the blow of God’s judgment. That mother would breathe her last breath as the invading soldiers entered the city to kill the survivors of the siege. Though this “mother” could mean a physical mother, it is possible that Jeremiah was also picturing Jerusalem as a mother who felt secure. In either case, Babylon would shatter her security by destroying the city and those who lived in it.

Jeremiahʹs Dejection

(Jeremiah 15:10) Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends! I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.

Jeremiah lamented his own condition in life as he pictured the whole land against him. Though he had not lent or borrowed, actions which could cause tensions and conflicts, Jeremiah was still being cursed by the people. His own family would have him put to death. His home town was out to have him killed. Is it any wonder that Jeremiah has this emotional outburst.

Life Application: Have you ever felt this way in your Christian walk? Did you despair when your non believing friends or relatives refused to accept your message of the Gospel?

126 Did you feel despondent when no one understood your love of God and His word in the bible? We see the honesty and human emotion that Jeremiah displays throughout his testimony. It will be revealed again in a classic verse yet to come in Jeremiah 20:9.

(Jeremiah 15:11) The LORD said, "Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will make your enemies plead with you in times of disaster and times of distress.

God answered by assuring Jeremiah of vindication. Those who had been his enemies would plead with him when the times of distress finally arrived. This promise was fulfilled specifically in the requests of King Zedekiah to Jeremiah .

(Jeremiah 15:12) "Can a man break iron-- iron from the north--or bronze?

God asked a rhetorical question to emphasize the inevitability of judgment. Just as a man cannot break iron or bronze with his bare hands, so the people of Judah would be unable to break the power of the Babylonian attack on their nation. Judah (iron) would not be able to withstand Babylon (Iron from the north).

(Jeremiah 15:13) Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without charge, because of all your sins throughout your country.

Indeed all their wealth would be plundered by these invaders. The Babylonians would enslave the Judeans and deport them to a land they did not know.

(Jeremiah 15:14) I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for my anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you."

This judgment was the result of God’s anger which burned like a fire… against the people of Judah

(Jeremiah 15:15) You understand, O LORD; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering--do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.

The remnant, of whom Jeremiah is the representative, is carefully distinguished from the unbelieving mass of the people. They must share with the nation the coming captivity, for they too have sinned

God had promised ultimately to deliver and vindicate Jeremiah but in light of the coming calamity Jeremiah asked for a speedy settling of accounts. He wanted God to avenge him on his persecutors. Though God was long-suffering, Jeremiah hoped for swift justice; he wanted to be vindicated before God would take him away in death.

(Jeremiah 15:16) When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

127 Jeremiah wanted God to vindicate him since he assimilated (ate) God's words (v. 16), avoided bad company (v. 17), and was filled with indignation over Judah's sin (v. 17).

Jeremiah could make this request because of his relationship with God. In contrast with the people of Judah who despised God’s Word (8:9), Jeremiah accepted (ate) it and claimed it as his joy and delight (cf. Ps. 1:2).

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

We should take in the word so it becomes a part of us.

Psalm 34:8

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

(Jeremiah 15:17) I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation.

Two things characterize the believing remnant always - loyalty to the Word of God, and separation from those who mock that Word

Jeremiah refused to associate with the company of revelers (cf. Ps. 1:1), choosing instead to sit alone and be guided by God’s hand. He shared God’s indignation over the people’s sin.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

(Jeremiah 15:18) Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?

Jeremiah ended this address by painfully lamenting his pitiful condition. He wanted to know why his pain seemed unending and his wound… incurable. He felt as though God was protracting his suffering. Worse yet, he wondered if the God who claimed to be a spring of Living Water (2:13) had become like a deceptive brook or a spring that fails. The disappointment of a dry wadi bed that only held water after a heavy rain was a depressing sight to those searching for life giving water. Jeremiah hoped that God would not disappoint him.

In his heart, the prophet believed God had forsaken not only Israel but possibly also His servant, who had delivered God's message faithfully and accurately, only to receive hatred and persecution in return. He is overwhelmed with grief, sinking to the depth of despair and agony.

128 He even alludes to God as "an unreliable stream," as waters that cannot be trusted, expressing clearly his deep despondency.

Like a deceptive stream. Just as a thirsty traveler is disappointed when he finds a brook dried up, Jeremiah felt God had failed him.

Life Application: Has there been a time in your walk that you felt somewhat deserted by God. When your fervent prayers were delayed (in your opinion) with no answer from God to you. How did you overcome this depressing feeling? What advice would you give to someone experiencing this in their life? How would you come alongside them in comfort and compassion?

The LORD Reassures Jeremiah

(Jeremiah 15:19) Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

God rebuked Jeremiah for his doubt and self-pity. Jeremiah needed to repent if he hoped to serve God. To be God’s spokesman he had to utter worthy, not worthless, words. He was to remain steadfast before God so the people would turn to him; in no case was he to turn to them. If someone was to move, it was to be the people, not Jeremiah! The Hebrew term translated "return" can be rendered "to repent." Therefore, the challenge implies more than a mere return to a former position; it indicates instead a new moral and spiritual direction of life. Jeremiah is faced with the options of either repentance for his doubting God's love and wisdom, or dismissal from his prophetic office. The Lord teaches Jeremiah two important lessons about repentance: (1) it is necessary and volitional; and (2) God must work this repentance ("I will bring you back"). Only then will Jeremiah be restored to his prophetic task.

You must not turn to them. Don't sink to the level of the people.

Life Application: To be a blessing and not a stumbling block we must always reflect the love of Jesus to those who do not understand our faith or our walk.

1 Pet 3:14-17 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 129

(Jeremiah 15:20) I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD.

God ended His rebuke by restating the promises He made when He commissioned Jeremiah as a prophet (1:18-19). He would strengthen Jeremiah as a wall of bronze so that those opposing him could never overcome him.

(Jeremiah 15:21) "I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel."

Though opposition would come, God promised to rescue Jeremiah from those who sought to kill him. We have the precious promise of our Lord Jesus to each one of His.

Matthew 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matt 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Phil 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Thus ends the message on the drought in chapters 14 and 15..

130 Chapter Sixteen

Jeremiah's Life-Style and Message

(:1) The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,

Jeremiah’s Restrictions

The message of God to His people came also through the events of the life of the prophet. He was forbidden to marry or have children. The Hebrew sentence emphasizes that Jeremiah was never to take a wife. A catastrophe was coming upon the families so that parents and children would die horrible deaths.

(Jeremiah 16:2) Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.

God placed several restrictions on Jeremiah’s personal life that were intended as object lessons for the people.

The first restriction was the command not to marry and raise a family. Jeremiah was denied this normal relationship that was cherished by all Israelites.

The sign of the unmarried prophet is interpreted by the context. The whole social life of Judah was about to be disrupted and cease from the land.

(Jeremiah 16:3) For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land;

God’s purpose was to show that the coming catastrophe would disrupt all normal relationships.

(Jeremiah 16:4) They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

Many spouses and children would die of deadly diseases. Those who remained would perish by sword and famine. The carnage would be so awesome that those killed would not even be mourned or buried. Instead they would remain like refuse… on the ground their lifeless bodies serving as food for wild animals.

(Jeremiah 16:5) For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.

131 The second restriction placed on Jeremiah was not to enter a house where… a funeral meal was being eaten, or mourn or show sympathy . He was not to display the normal emotion of grief or to offer comfort when someone died. There were two purposes in this action. First, it was to show that God had withdrawn His blessing… love, and pity. Second, it served as a reminder that those who would die during the fall of Jerusalem would not be buried or mourned and that the survivors would find no one to console them in their grief.

We all need fellowship. Jeremiah was forbidden to join in gatherings of joy and sorrow

(Jeremiah 16:6) Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

The devastation would simply be too widespread. To cut oneself and to shave one’s head were signs of grief though cutting oneself was forbidden by the Law because of its pagan associations. On shaving one’s head we see the command in Deuteronomy 14:1

Deut. 14:1 Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

Leviticus 19:28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

I find this last statement in verse 28 by Jehovah interesting. Does it comment against tatoos? ? ?

"Cut themselves" describes the rite of self-mutilation in which mourners would gash themselves. This was forbidden , no doubt because it was both irrational and associated with pagan practice.

(Jeremiah 16:7) Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

(Jeremiah 16:8) Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink.

The third restriction placed on Jeremiah was not to enter a house where there was feasting. The purpose of this prohibition was to indicate that times of feasting and happiness would soon cease.

(Jeremiah 16:9) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.

132 God vowed to bring an end to Judah’s joy and her present times of happiness

(Jeremiah 16:10) And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

As Jeremiah explained his behavior to the people, they asked why God had decreed such a great disaster against them. Naively they asked what sin they had committed to deserve such judgment.

Life Application: Have you experienced this reply from those to whom you are witnessing the Grace of God. They say things like, how can a loving God send people to hell? What about those who never hear the Gospel? I am a good person , what is my sin? Surely God , who is loving , will not send me to hell. I do not believe in God , therefore I will not be affected by the judgment of your God.

The Sin of The People of Judah

(Jeremiah 16:11) Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

God’s answer to these questions underscored the root problem throughout Israel’s history.

Ezek 18:2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

(Jeremiah 16:12) And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

Though the previous generations (fathers) had abandoned the true God to follow other gods, the present generation behaved even more wickedly. Instead of profiting from their ancestors’ errors, the current generation was going further astray. Each person was following the stubbornness within his evil heart rather than obeying God.

Life Application: Have you noticed people tolerate other gods and seems to pride themselves on being embarrassed at the exclusive claims of . They say, all roads lead to god. I can not find this thought recorded in the Word of God in our Bible.

133 John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(Jeremiah 16:13) Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not show you favour.

Because of the continued rebellion of the people, God vowed to throw them out of the land. “Throw” (t[u=l) means to cast or hurl an object. The people would be violently thrust into a country they had not known before where they would serve other gods. Because they rejected God He would show them no favor

God Will Restore Israel

KEY VERSE

Since 16:14-15 is nearly identical to 23:7-8, some scholars think that 16:14-15 was placed here later by mistake, but such a view is unnecessary. Jeremiah used the same or similar wording in several places throughout his book (cf. 1:18-19 with 15:20; 6:13-15 with 8:10b-12; 7:31-32 with 19:5-6; 15:13-14 with 17:3-4).

(Jeremiah 16:14) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

Once again God paused in His judgment to clarify His message. Lest the people interpret His previous words to mean that Israel would no longer have any place in His covenant program, God clearly indicated that this judgment was not permanent. KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 16:15) But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

The future deliverance will surpass the former deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage in unparalleled splendor and glory.

Ultimately Israel as a nation will be restored to her land and will enjoy God’s blessing. This will happen during the millennial reign of Christ when the nation will experience the benefits of the New Covenant.

God promised that after Judah’s coming Captivity there would be a new “Exodus.” No longer would the people look back to the first Exodus when God brought the Israelites… out of bondage in Egypt. Instead they would point back to the time when God brought them from the land of the north where they had earlier been banished. Thus God reaffirmed His promise ultimately to restore Israel to the land.

134 (Jeremiah 16:16) Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

After assuring the nation of her final restoration, God continued describing her impending judgment. Restoration could be expected in the future, but now the people were facing deportation. God first pictured the Babylonian invaders as fishermen who would catch the Judeans in their nets. Then he pictured the Babylonians as hunters who would hunt… down those who had managed to escape and were in hiding and will be dragged from their hiding places.

(Jeremiah 16:17) For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

No one could escape because God’s eyes were on all their ways. Neither the refugees nor their sin were ever concealed from God.

(Jeremiah 16:18) And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

He would hunt the people down and repay them for the way they had defiled the land (ironically called His land, not theirs) with their detestable idols. The term "carcasses" identifies the idols which have defiled the land of Israel. This descriptive word not only affirms the lifelessness of the idols, but is also a reference to their unclean and defiling nature.

(Jeremiah 16:19) O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

Jeremiah affirmed his trust in God as his Strength… Fortress, and Refuge, three words that emphasized the protection God had provided for him. After affirming his trust in God, Jeremiah looked forward to the day when all the world would know God. Though Judah had turned to the false gods of the Gentiles, a time will come when the nations will come to the true God of Israel.

(Jeremiah 16:20) Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

They will admit that their former objects of worship were nothing but false gods, worthless idols

(Jeremiah 16:21) Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.

At that time God will teach them of His power and might so they will understand His true character. They will know then that His name is The LORD .

135 Revelation 19:15-16

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

136 Chapter Seventeen

Judahʹs Sin and Punishment

(:1) The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

The sin of Judah was so indelibly engraved even on the horns of their altars that atonement was now impossible.

The sin of idolatry is not mere ritual to the backslidden people, but is being carried on with passionate determination. Just as ancient inscriptions endure throughout the aeons of time, even so the sin of Judah is written indelibly "on the tablet of their heart" and "on the horns" of their altars, where sacrifices had been offered by a self-righteous people. "Altars" may include the high places of pagan deities as well as the brazen altar and the altar of incense in the temple.

The Gentiles will one day forsake their idols and turn to God. However, in Jeremiah’s day the people of Judah were permeated with idolatry. They were so entrenched in their ways that it was as if their sin were engraved or etched on their hearts with an iron tool or a flint point. Both iron and flint, being extremely hard, were used to chisel words into stone tablets. The sin of Judah, however, extended beyond their hearts and showed up on the horns of their idolatrous altars. The “horns” were stone projections at the top of each altar on the four corners.

(Jeremiah 17:2) Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.

Idolatry was so pervasive that even… children participated in worship at the altars and Asherah poles. Asherah was the Canaanite goddess of fertility.

Deut. 16:21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

(Jeremiah 17:3) O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.

O mountain. A poetic reference to Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

A carved image of Asherah had been placed in God’s temple by Manasseh (2 Kings 21:7; cf. Deut. 16:21) though he later removed it (2 Chron. 33:13, 15). Evidently the image was put back in the temple after he died because Josiah took it out during his reforms and burned it in the

137 Kidron Valley outside the city (2 Kings 23:6). After Josiah’s death the people resumed their idolatry, and the Asherah poles were again set up. Possibly the “idol of jealousy” (Ezek. 8:5) was a carved image of Asherah. These idols were being worshiped by spreading trees and on the high hills, traditional places of worship for false gods.

(Jeremiah 17:4) And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.

Because of the people’s sin God would give the city of Jerusalem (His mountain in the land) and the wealth of its inhabitants as plunder to the invaders. The people of Judah would lose the land (their inheritance) as God enslaved them to their enemies and deported them to a land they did not know.

(Jeremiah 17:5) Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

Jeremiah included a short poem contrasting the way of the wicked (vv. 5-6) with the way of the righteous (vv. 7-8). Judah had been turning to false gods and foreign alliances for protection, but God indicated that a person who trusts in man for protection is cursed because his heart has turned away from God. Instead of prospering, he will wither away like a desert bush. God would make him as unfruitful as the barren salt land around the Dead Sea, unable to support life. The message is clearly applicable to all men as a warning to trust in the Creator and not in His creation

Ps. 146:3-5 3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

(Jeremiah 17:6) For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. The term "shrub" , tamarisk , heath , has been identified as a juniper tree, that has a stark appearance.

The background of these verses was Judah's periodic attempts to seek the help of Egypt against Babylon.

(Jeremiah 17:7) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Happiness is found in trusting Yahweh, because it is here that one may find hope. "Hope" is mivtah (Heb.) and could be rendered "confidence" or "trust."

138 (Jeremiah 17:8) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

A righteous person is blessed because his confidence (trust) is in God. Unlike the person in verses 5-6 (cursed), a righteous person will flourish like a tree planted by the water (cf. Ps. 1:3). When difficulties (represented figuratively by heat and drought) come, he will not fear. Instead he will continue to prosper like a tree that bears fruit and whose leaves remain green. KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

If the ways of blessing and cursing are so clear (vv. 5-8), why would anyone choose the path of sin? The cause for such action is in the heart. It is so deceitful that Jeremiah wondered who could even understand it.

The heart, the center of life for the Hebrew, is exceedingly deceitful and treacherous, especially in propagating the idea that man's heart is naturally good. This lie, planned and dispersed by Satan himself, has been responsible for efforts at self-reform on both individual and social levels. The word rendered "desperately wicked" could be translated "incurably sick." The heart of every man is incurably sick or wicked and can be redeemed to righteousness only by God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Key Verse (Jeremiah 17:10) I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. God answered by informing Jeremiah that He can search the heart and examine the mind. God knows those innermost thoughts and motives that an individual might hide from all others. Therefore God could justly render to each person what his deeds deserve.

Reins - kidney (as an essential organ); figuratively, the mind

(Jeremiah 17:11) As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

The principle of judgment was applied to those who had amassed riches by using unjust means. The picture here is of a partridge which gathers to herself a brood of young birds that she did not hatch. When they realize that they are not of her, they will forsake her and she will appear foolish. So also will the wealthy appear who acquired their riches unjustly. It will leave them and in the end they will look like a "fool" (naval, Heb., "senseless," "disgraced").

139 Key Verse (Jeremiah 17:12) A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

Jeremiah’s solution to sin was to focus on the majesty of God. God was enthroned in His sanctuary. Psalm 103:19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

The throne creates the Sanctuary , not in reverse. The Holy of Holies had integrity and exactness. 1. Purity, 2. Privacy (Majestic Stilness), 3. Protection as seen in

Psalm 61:3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

(Jeremiah 17:13) O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.

The hope of Israel - Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

The fundamental Old Testament idea of forgiveness being not the remission of the penalty but the separation of the sinner from his sin.

Written in the Earth - Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Psalm 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Those who chose to forsake God (the Hope of Israel;) would be written in the dust—a possible reference to their lack of permanence (as opposed to being written in the book of life,). They deserved such a fate because they had abandoned God, the Spring of Living Water.

Psalm 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance

(Jeremiah 17:14) Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

Jeremiah made an eloquent plea for vindication.

140 (Jeremiah 17:15) Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

The people had no fear of God, nor His Prophet nor His Word The world in general today says the same thing, Where is He?

Since Jeremiah was accused of being a false prophet, this must have occurred before the first Babylonian invasion in 605 B.C.

(Jeremiah 17:16) As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

Yet, in spite of this opposition, Jeremiah had not run away from faithfully serving as God’s shepherd

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

(Jeremiah 17:17) Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Jeremiah concluded his message by calling on God to vindicate him. The message is in the form of an individual lament. Jeremiah contrasted his faithful devotion to God with the unbelief of those persecuting him. They scoffed at his predictions and demanded that those prophecies now be fulfilled if they were true..

(Jeremiah 17:18) Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Therefore he asked God to put his persecutors… to shame by bringing on them the day of disaster Jeremiah had been predicting. Because they refused to accept his message, he asked God to bring the full measure of judgment against them.(double destruction)

1 Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. Hallow the Sabbath Day Jeremiah’s previous messages dealt with the general sin and rebellion of the people. In these verses, ( 19 to 27) however, he focused on one specific command in the Mosaic Law to show the nation how far they had departed from God . (note this in verse 21) Again there is an explicit offer of repentance. Blessing will follow obedience, but judgment will follow disobedience.

Exodus 20:8-11 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

141 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

(Jeremiah 17:19) Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

God told Jeremiah to stand at the gate of the people. Which gate this was is unknown, though it is identified as the gate through which the kings… go in and out. The spot was selected because of the large number of people who passed by. Possibly this was the Eastern Gate (called the Beautiful Gate today and it is sealed up today waiting for Messiah to enter) that led from the temple mount to the Kidron Valley. Ezekiel pictured this gate as a place where Judah’s leaders gathered (Ezek. 11:1). Or this may be the Benjamin Gate at the northern end of the city (cf. Jer. 37:13). It too was a place where a king would set up his throne (38:7). Whatever the gate’s location, Jeremiah did not stay there. He was to take his message to all the other gates so that the whole city would hear it.

Ezek 43:1-4 1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

(Jeremiah 17:20) And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: His message to those who passed through these gates was to keep the Sabbath Day holy. In contrast with their forefathers who disobeyed, they were to honor the day God had set aside by not doing any work on it. This was one visible test of their faithfulness to God’s covenant.

(Jeremiah 17:21) Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

A call to hallow the Sabbath as a sign of repentance on the part of the people who were using the Sabbath to bring their crops and wares into the city in violation of the law.

(Jeremiah 17:22) Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

142 Mark 11:15-18 15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Life Application: A good indication of the spiritual position of the people is how they react to setting a day aside to worship , learn about and fellowship with Our LORD. We see in Amos that to some people it is only an interruption to them of losing out on a day of commerce, or pleasure or pursuing a hobby.

Amos 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Some years ago the USA had a respect for Sundays and most stores were closed on Sundays. They were called the Blue Laws. Now done away with. In the United States, laws limiting business activity and amusements on Sundays have become known as blue laws.

(Jeremiah 17:23) But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.

Acts 13 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

(Jeremiah 17:24) And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;

Exod 31:15 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

143 (Jeremiah 17:25) Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.

Faithfulness to the Law would bring blessing. If the people obeyed God’s commandments, Jerusalem would be inhabited forever.

(Jeremiah 17:26) And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.

Notice this verse deals with the land around Jerusalem and the Southern .

People would flock to the city from the north (the territory of Benjamin), from the low, rolling hills of the Shephelah on the west (western foothills), from the rugged mountainous area between Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea on the east (hill country), and from the semi-arid wilderness in the south (Negev). These people would bring their offerings and sacrifices to the temple.

(Jeremiah 17:27) But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

However, if they would not obey God’s injunction on the Sabbath, He would kindle a fire of judgment that would consume her fortresses and leave her defenseless. Notice this is the opposite of verse 24.(Hearken or not hearken)

144 Chapter Eighteen

Jeremiah’s ninth message was a series of parables and events that climaxed the first section of the book. The Parable of the Potter (chap. 18) demonstrated God’s sovereign dealings with Judah. This was followed by the symbolic breaking of a potter’s jar to show God’s impending judgment (chap. 19). Chapter 20 serves as a pivot in the book. It is connected chronologically with chapter 19, but it also prepares the reader for the open opposition and specific prophecies of judgment that follow. Certainly Jeremiah had an heroic prophetic ministry that according to the natural man’s viewpoint was destined for failure.

THE MESSAGE AT THE POTTER’S HOUSE

(Jeremiah 18:1) The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Here begins a classic symbolic message for the ages

The Potter and the Clay

(Jeremiah 18:2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

God directed Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house and watch him molding clay into pots on his wheel. God wants Jeremiah to see a living sermon. The simplicity of this scenario accounts for the great impact this message has even today for believers.

Two signs are now given to Jeremiah

# 1. The sign of the Potter’s House was intended for Jeremiah so that he could understand the operation of the Throne as given in Jeremiah 17:12 “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.”

# 2. In chapter 19 the earthen bottle was a sign to the people of Judah.

(Jeremiah 18:3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

As Jeremiah watched, the potter discovered a flaw in the pot he was shaping… in his hands.

Notice three things here. #1.The Potter, #2.The Wheel , #3. The Clay.

First we consider the Potter who is working on the clay. When we bow our knee and submit to Jesus as our Savior and Lord He can begin His work on us.(the clay) Just when is the Potter working on your clay. Certainly not on Worship Sunday. That is when you on your best behavior. Rather He is busy re - shaping and molding us during our busy work week days. We need Him most then.

145 Second we consider the Wheel. It allows the Potter to perfect us as His feet move the wheel and His hands perfect the clay (us) into the honored vessel fit to serve Him. Those same wounded feet and hands that accepted the spikes driven into them as they nailed Jesus to the wooden cross. The lamb who knew no sin became sin for us that we may choose to accept salvation through the finished work on the cross and receive the gift of eternal life by grace through faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Third we observe the clay as it is being molded by the hands of the Master Potter as His feet turn the wheel. We consider the sovereignty as He shapes each clay vessel individually. He will make each clay vessel as He decides best. He is Lord of all. Judah has backslidden too far. Now God will not mold or remake but rather mar the vessel and finally dash it to pieces. (Judah had gone to far from God and mercy and the blessings have been removed from the children of Judah)

(Jeremiah 18:4) And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

They were like clay in His hand. God has the right to tear down or build up a nation as He pleases The potter pressed the clay into a lump and formed it into another pot.

Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Take a moment and see how the Potter’s hands delicately and lovingly work artistically with the clay. Notice the Potter’s feet working the pedals turning the wheel. Really look intently at our Potter as he labors lovingly with the clay. Do you see the nail prints in His hands as he molds and shapes the clay? Do you see the spike wounds in His feet as they work the wheel? Those are the marks of unconditional love which is extended to all who will allow the Potter to shape them as they come to Him to be turned into a vessel of honor.

2 Tim 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Life Application: Remember how the master potter (Jesus) remade your pot. (Life) ? Just like He did for Simon Peter, Saul of Tarsus, Ruth the Moabite, Matthew the tax collector. Are you willing to let Him form your life (pot) daily (sanctification) ?

146 Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

(Jeremiah 18:5) Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

God announced that the potter and the clay illustrated His relationship to His people. Key Verse (Jeremiah 18:6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

All nations are subject to the Lord, who directs their histories according to His will, just as He fashions the individual and his course of life according to His own divine pleasure

Life Application: God is the one who shapes us. How has God spoken to you in this passage about the way he is shaping you? Is it your desire to know the will of God for your Christian walk in life? Notice how we all want to know God’s will for our life. We ask in supplication prayer. Seldom are we concerned or curious about the will of God for another persons life. That would be intercessory prayer. When we truly love God and one another then the will of God for our own life comes into view and a living reality in direction takes place in our lives.

Ecc 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Jeremiah 18:7) At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;

He had promised the nation blessing; but since she continued to do evil, He would reconsider the good He had intended and bring about judgment.

(Jeremiah 18:8) If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

However, if Judah would turn from her evil ways God would also revoke the disaster He promised to send. (Jeremiah 18:9) And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;

Hosea 8:8 Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

Psalm 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 147

(Jeremiah 18:10) If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

Life Application: We all make choices. God is compassionate and loving and patient. If people will disdain the salvation offered by the finished work of His Son on the cross then it is their choice. This self choice then will preclude the good that our loving Father wants to work in their life. Our constant prayer is that the lost will turn from their rebellion and return to the loving Father who stands just watching and waiting for the lost to return home. But there is an eternal price to pay for those who turn away.

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Jer 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive.

(Jeremiah 18:11) Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.

This verse contains a word of warning and invitation. Disaster and judgment are coming, but God offers a chance to repent.

Godʹs Warning Rejected

(Jeremiah 18:12) And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

Job 11:18 And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Ps 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

The people of Judah would respond by saying that they were helpless to change (it’s no use). They would stubbornly continue to follow the plans of their sinful hearts. The nation refused to turn from her idolatry to follow the LORD. They decide that it would be an act of desperation to repent, and so they choose to follow the "dictates" (sherirut, Heb., "stubbornness") of their evil hearts. 148

Life Application: Perhaps you have presented the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus to someone and they would not respond to it. Instead they desired to continue their life of sin in direct opposition to the offered Grace of God. What were your feelings when this happened? Were you ready to give up on witnessing to them? Jeremiah felt the same one time in his service to The LORD.

Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

(Jeremiah 18:13) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

Life Application: Judah stood alone among the nations in her stubborn refusal to follow her God Other nations are loyal to their man made religious traditions. Have you never noticed how stubbornly the children of the cults cling to their beliefs which are far from any biblical basis. Yet they blindly follow the false and argue with you when you compassionately try to point them to the truth as found in the resurrection of Jesus, the man God.

(Jeremiah 18:14) Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

Even the snow on the slopes of Lebanon and the cool waters that flow from these majestic mountains were more dependable than fickle Judah.

(Jeremiah 18:15) Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; She had turned from God to worship worthless idols which only caused her to stumble. By abandoning the ancient paths of obedience to God , Judah found herself on bypaths, wandering aimlessly over rough roads. Remember what Jesus said in-

Matt 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

(Jeremiah 18:16) To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

God would judge the nation for her sin by having her land… laid waste. She would become an object of… scorn to those who were appalled at her stupidity in abandoning her God.

149

(Jeremiah 18:17) I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

East wind - Psalm 48:7 “Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.”

This wind was a wind of judgment against the children of Judah. The LORD vowed to scatter the nation like the wind from the east . They should expect God’s judgment (His back), not His favor (His face).

Jeremiah Persecuted

(Jeremiah 18:18) Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

Notice the rebellious people argue from three positions of rebuke to Jeremiah. They say the priest, the wise (sage) man and the Prophet with a word from the LORD will all still be proclaiming long after Jeremiah is gone. We do not need Jeremiah the Prophet they said, God will speak to us through others.

Again the people responded by making plans against Jeremiah. They refused to accept his declaration of doom because it conflicted with their belief in the permanence of the then-present order. Their solution was to attack him with their tongues in an effort to slander and malign his message and also to pay no attention to his words, hoping to silence him by ignoring him. Another plot is devised against the prophet. This plot attacks his character and the content of his prophetic message. The people argue that the means of receiving God's revelation will always be with them even though Jeremiah has predicted it will cease. (Jeremiah 18:19) Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. Jeremiah cries out to God in anguish.

(Jeremiah 18:20) Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.

Evidently their plans were more sinister because Jeremiah told the LORD that they were plotting to take his life (they have dug a pit)

Jeremiah reacted to their threats by calling on God to listen to their accusations, to remember his (Jeremiah’s) faithfulness, and to judge the plotters for their sin. Jeremiah had earlier asked God to turn His wrath away , but now he called on God to deal with them in His time of… anger.

150 (Jeremiah 18:21) Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.

They had rejected both God and His messenger; Jeremiah could do no more for them. They would experience famine and the sword. However , notice how quickly Jeremiah swings between praying and crying out on behalf of the people to now asking God to exact judgment on them. The same tongue that prayed and asked for intercession for the children of Judah now that same tongue was asking for vengence on the people.

Ps 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Ps 39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Ps 52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

Prov 15:4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

1 Pet 3:10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

(Jeremiah 18:22) Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

This cry of vengence by Jeremiah was born from the years of opposition to the message that The LORD had given him to proclaim to the people of Judah. This plea by Jeremiah is in the flesh and is counter to what our Lord Jesus accomplished on the cross. Forgiveness has no limits such as Jeremiah was feeling.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

(Jeremiah 18:23) Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.

151 Jeremiah infers here that God should punish the Children of Judah according to Old Testament terms in this world rather than the next.

Notice the contrast with the Grace of God for us through Jesus

1 Peter 2:22-24 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Remember how God called Saul (Paul) to serve HIM.

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

God is Calling You

First we are called to discipleship ( built up in His Word). (Follow me) Luke 9:23 And he said to them all,If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Second after we equip ourselves in The Word we are called to service. God has a perfect plan (The Will of God for your life) for all who would follow him. Seek that perfect plan for you in prayer.

152 Chapter Nineteen

The Sign of the Broken Flask

(:1) Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;

The Message of the Broken Jar

Probably chapter 19 was placed next to chapter 18 because both contained messages based on a potter and his wares. Jeremiah bought a narrow-necked pottery flask or vessel for carrying water. The Hebrew word for a clay jar is baqbu4q, an onomatopoetic word suggesting the sound the water made as it was poured out. (Other such words are,ding dong, buzz, hum, sizzle, tsk tsk.) After gathering a group of elders and priests, he walked to the Valley of Ben Hinnom just outside the Potsherd Gate. earthenware jar. Once hardened, it could not be remade but had to be broken if unacceptable. Judah had arrived at that stage.

Ancients of the people - the elders of the city Ancients of the Priests - The chief of Judah

(Jeremiah 19:2) And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

The Hinnom Valley ran along the south and west of the city and served as Jerusalem’s “community dump.” The gate at the south of the city which opened into the valley was called the “Potsherd Gate”(known as the dung gate today) because people carried their potsherds (broken pieces of pottery) and other refuse through this gate to throw it in the Hinnom Valley. The Targum identifies the Potsherd Gate with the Dung Gate (cf. Neh. 2:13; 3:13-14). The modern Dung Gate in Jerusalem is also located on the south of the city, but the present walls are several hundred yards north of the walls in Jeremiah’s day.

(Jeremiah 19:3) And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

This verse 3 gives a verbal warning to the people. Verse 10 will be visual to them. With the Hinnom Valley as a backdrop, Jeremiah delivered his message. God vowed to bring a disaster on Jerusalem because of her idolatry. (Jeremiah 19:4) Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;

153 The valley itself was a witness against the people because it contained the high places of Baal where people slaughtered their babies to offer them as sacrifices in the fire.

blood of the innocent. Infant sacrifice

(Jeremiah 19:5) They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:

Evidently Topheth was the name of certain high places built in the valley of the son of Hinnom, just south of Jerusalem, on which human sacrifices were offered. King Josiah cleansed the place (2 Ki 23:10) of these idols and sacrifices and Jeremiah predicted that the valley would become known as "the Valley of Slaughter" (v. 32). From the horror of the fires of its idolatrous rites, the valley became a symbol of great burning in connection with sin. The Greek term (formed from the Heb for "Valley of Hinnom") means and is used twelve times in the N.T. as a designation for the place of eternal punishment the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mat 25:41).

Human sacrifice was forbidden, but had been practiced in the time of Ahaz (2 Kin. 16:3) and Manasseh (2 Kin. 21:6). The high places had been destroyed during the reform of Josiah (2 Kin. 23:10), but may have been rebuilt under Jehoiakim, to whom Jeremiah now addresses himself.

Life Application: Neither came it into my mind. We do such injustice to our fellow man that Our LORD implies that such atrocities were inconceivable. How far from the desire of God has mankind fallen into despair. Surely everyone is in need of our Savior. If only all who are in need will only bow their will and heart to the wooing of the promise from the Holy Spirit. Then goodness and mercy and grace will follow them all the days of their life. Is there someone in your family you need to talk to about Jesus today? Bring them a ray of hope in the person of Jesus right now.

(Jeremiah 19:6) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called , nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.

Because of these wicked deeds God again (cf. Jer. 7:32-33) vowed to rename the place the Valley of Slaughter as He destroyed the people there. This valley was the site of the worship of Molech, the pagan deity to which children were sacrificed (cf. Lev. 18:21; Ezek. 16:20, 21). It will one day be called the "Valley of Slaughter" because of the destruction of the people by war, famine, and pestilence. This will be God's judgment upon His people for defiling the covenant land with the abominations of idolatry.

So massive will the destruction be that bodies will go unburied and become food for the fowls and beasts. This was an unthinkable fate, for even the body of a criminal was to be buried .

(Jeremiah 19:7) And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

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Jeremiah elaborated on the coming catastrophe. The people would fall by the sword before Babylon, and their carcasses would serve as food for the birds and beasts

(Jeremiah 19:8) And I will make this city desolate, and an hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof.

The city itself would become an object of scorn (cf. Jer. 18:16) to those who observed her destruction. Those who sought refuge in the city would resort to cannibalism (eat the flesh of their sons and daughters) as Babylon’s siege choked off the supply of food to the inhabitants.

Jerusalem will suffer a severe judgment of God. "Desolate" (shamah, Heb.) means "waste" or "horror." The horrifying destruction will make people "hiss" (sharaq, Heb., "whistle") as they pass by. (Wow look at that)

(Jeremiah 19:9) And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.

Those who tried to stay in Jerusalem would resort to cannibalism since the invaders would cut off their food supply. All the curses promised by God would overtake the people because of their sin

Lamentations 4:10 was written by Jeremiah after these events had happened. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

(Jeremiah 19:10) Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee.

To dramatize the message to his audience God commanded Jeremiah to break the jar he had carried out to the valley. How ironic that God told Jeremiah to smash the hardened clay pot as something that was now past remaking. Judgment was coming. And notice where this took place in Potters field. Where discarded useless pots were thrown out.

Zech 11:12-13 12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

Matt 27:3-10 3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

155 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. 7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. 8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. 9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; 10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

The "flask" (baqbuq, Heb.) was a narrow-necked water bottle that may have received its name from the gurgling sound it produced when being filled or emptied. The breaking of the bottle was analogous to the way in which God would break His people (v. 11). The technical word for this is Onomatopoetic (klub klub klub) the sound of water coming out of the neck of the bottle.).

(Jeremiah 19:11) And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury.

God said He would smash both the nation of Judah and the city of Jerusalem just as Jeremiah smashed the potter’s jar.

(Jeremiah 19:12) Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet:

The city itself would become like Topheth , its once-beautiful dwellings would be reduced to rubble and the entire area would be defiled with decaying bodies of the slain. As Tophet - refering to the garbage pit of the Hinnom Valley

(Jeremiah 19:13) And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.

The cause for the destruction was the sin of the people in burning incense… to all the starry hosts and in offering libations to other gods. The destruction of The Solomonic Temple came about 605 BC and the Herodian Temple in 70 AD The flat roofs of the houses were used for worshiping astral deities.

(Jeremiah 19:14) Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S house; and said to all the people,

Returning from Topheth to the city Jeremiah went directly to the temple court. The message given to the leaders was now repeated to all the people.

156 It took great courage on the part of Jeremiah to be obedient to The LORD and give this negative message to all within hearing.

The result of his boldness in speaking will result in physical trials for Jeremiah from the people who dislike the message and try to oppress or kill the messenger.

About 600 years later we will see a similar situation plotted against our Lord Jesus by the religious and civic leaders of Jerusalem.

John 11:49-51 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

(Jeremiah 19:15) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

God’s judgment would come against Jerusalem and the villages around it… because the people refused to listen to His words. Notice Hardened necks , broken bottle

Jeremiah had warned, pleaded, and entreated, but their hearts were unrelenting. The clay had resisted the hand of the Potter too long. Very soon the enemy would come and shatter the nation in pieces.

Hosea 4:16a For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer:

Life Application: Was there a time in your life when you acted rebellious to Jesus? Do you offer up prayers of thanksgiving for His Grace and forgiveness? Are you aware of the necessity of a pure and daily walk with Jesus?

Phil 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

157 Chapter Twenty

The Word of God to Pashhur

(Jeremiah 20:1) Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

Pashur: chief officer. The officer responsible for law and order in the Temple (cf. Luke 22:52; Acts 4:1; 5:24). Pashur’s name means - increasing linen. Immer means - He has said. Jeremiah means - God will cast forth.

Jeremiah’s message of judgment was rejected by one of the priests, Pashhur son of Immer. This Pashhur was not the Pashhur in 21:1. The Pashhur in 20:1 was the chief officer in the temple and was probably assigned to maintain order within the temple area (cf. 29:26). Notice the group Pashur was in as related in 1 Chronicles 24:14 The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, He served in the Sanctuary.

Luke 22:52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

Acts 5:24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

(Jeremiah 20:2) Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

To be placed in the stocks was a painful experience, during which the victim's head, hands, and feet were held securely in holes cut in a single piece of timber. beaten. I.e., with forty lashes across the feet . The stocks secured the feet, hands, and neck, bending the body almost double. This exposed Jeremiah to public ridicule.

These stocks were located at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, the northern gate of the city. This was the first of several instances of open opposition against Jeremiah’s ministry.

Deut. 25:2-3 2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. 3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

Pashhur, a high official of the temple, arrested Jeremiah for disturbing the peace and had him imprisoned. The "high gate of Benjamin" is probably the "upper gate"built by Jotham, leading

158 from the court of the temple up to the city. Here the prophet was exposed to the ridicule and abuse of the people.

The Apostle Paul tells of his flogging in the New Testament

2 Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

(Jeremiah 20:3) And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib.

When Jeremiah was released from his chains the next day he refused to change his message. Instead he changed Pashhur’s name. God’s new name for Pashhur was Magor-Missabib (“terror on every side”). Pashhur change of name became a symbol of what would happen when the Babylonians came (vv. 4-6).

Notice the next verses from 4 to 6 are God’s Words and not by Jeremiah.

(Jeremiah 20:4) For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword.

Because Pashhur refused to heed God’s message, he would see the outpouring of God’s judgment. He would watch in terror as his own friends fell by the sword, and he would see Babylon carry away all the wealth of Jerusalem as plunder. Pashhur and his family would be exiled in Babylon where they would all die.

(Jeremiah 20:5) Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labours thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. (Jeremiah 20:6) And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

The reason for this judgment was not only that he had Jeremiah beaten. Pashhur also prophesied lies, probably by denying the truth of Jeremiah’s message. The exact fulfillment of the prophecy was not given, but it is possible that Pashhur was taken to Babylon during the second deportation in 597 B.C. along with the priest, Ezekiel.

The Complaint of Jeremiah to God

(Jeremiah 20:7) O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

159 The word "induced" does not have an evil connotation, but rather is Jeremiah's way of suggesting that God led him into the prophetic office without telling him of the subsequent sorrow and misery which would accompany him in this difficult endeavor. God allowed Jeremiah to be exposed to vicious attacks. Jeremiah is now disillusioned with his prophetic office and dissatisfied with God, who called him to prophesy. Actually his charge is inaccurate, because God did warn him that trials would come (1:18), and also assured him that He would provide divine strength.

Jeremiah 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

Jeremiah is not accusing the LORD of misrepresentation but is giving vent to his great sorrow at the terrible situation in which he finds himself. God has called him to stand alone amid constant opposition, and has gradually led him into the position where He wants him to be - one that involves great misery for Jeremiah. In vv. 14 - 18 Jeremiah expresses his anguish in extreme language. Such passages in the prophetic books are not to be taken as merely the expression of sinful or erroneous human thoughts. The terrible sorrow of Jeremiah echoes the sorrow of God Himself as He sees His own people going on in sin and unbelief, ignoring His goodness toward them, and making it necessary for Him to chasten them.

Ps 7:1 O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

Ps 119:84 How many are the days of thy servant? when wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me? Matt 5:11-12 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

John 15:20-21 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

Rom 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

160

(Jeremiah 20:8) For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

Jeremiah opened his heart to God and expressed the depth of his inner emotions. He felt that God had deceived him by letting him be ridiculed by the people for his message. He had faithfully warned them of the coming violence and destruction; but his reward was only their insults. KEY VERSE (Jeremiah 20:9) Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

Discouraged, Jeremiah considered withholding God’s Word to avoid persecution. But when he did, the Word became like a burning fire within him so that he was unable to contain it. To feel something in one’s bones meant to feel it intensely. :29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

The discouraged prophet tries to suspend his prophetic activity, but to no avail. His sense of duty to obey God overcomes his discouragement. God's word was so burned within his breast that he found it impossible to remain silent. Anyone with a compassion for people, coupled with a realization of the two eternal options, will face this identical inner necessity to speak. Jesus gave his followers the command in

Matthew 28:19-20 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

1 Pet 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

161 Life Application: Are there times when you find yourself hesitant to pour out the Gospel with meekness and reverence of God to those who are lost? What holds you back? Fear of man or what he will think of you or do to you? Jesus tells us in the scriptures

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

(Jeremiah 20:10) For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

Jeremiah wanted to quit his ministry because the people plotted against him. The message of terror on every side that he was constantly was now being hurled back at him. Even his friends were watching for him to slip up, perhaps by uttering a wrong prediction, so they could take their revenge on him as a false prophet.

Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

Psalm 31:13 (David said this over 400 years earlier) For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

(Jeremiah 20:11) But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

Jeremiah continued his prayer by expressing his trust in God ( today trust is replaced by faith) and by calling on God to avenge him . Though he had felt deceived (20:7), he still realized that God was with him like a mighty warrior. Since the LORD was fighting on Jeremiah’s side, he was confident that those who were persecuting and mocking him would stumble and would ultimately be disgraced.

(Jeremiah 20:12) But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.

Jeremiah asked to see the vengeance of the all-knowing God poured out on his opponents because he had committed his cause to God.

(Jeremiah 20:13) Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

Sing unto the LORD refers to Jeremiah being released from the stocks.

162 Soul of the Poor, notice it is singular.

The prophet remembers at last the gracious promises of God on the day of his call, when God announced to him that though enemies would attack on every front, they would not ultimately overcome him. Once again he commits himself to the Lord (v. 12) and voices his trust in the God of the covenant (v. 13). This assurance of vindication allowed Jeremiah to sing and praise God for His mighty acts. God could be praised because He would rescue Jeremiah from… the wicked.

(Jeremiah 20:14) Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.

In a sudden change of emotion Jeremiah again plunged from a height of confidence to the depths of despair. Perhaps he realized that the vindication for which he sought could come only through the destruction of the city and nation which he dearly loved.

(Jeremiah 20:15) Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.

His agony made him wish that the day he was born would have been cursed. By cursing the day of his birth, Jeremiah was wishing that he had never been born

(Jeremiah 20:16) And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

(Jeremiah 20:17) Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

Had he died in the womb, he would not have come out of the womb in birth and been subject to the trouble and sorrow he was experiencing.

(Jeremiah 20:18) Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Jeremiah’s self-pity could not erase the fact that he had been selected “in the womb” for the task he was performing.

Jeremiah wished he had died in his mother's womb. Strikingly, however, that's where God had called him.

Jer 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (KJV)

163 Do you recall when God called you out of this world to be His disciple through the wooing of the Holy Spirit? Do you feel drawn to thank God daily for His Grace and mercy extended to you? Have you felt the complete overpowering of His joy as you serve Him daily? Do you start each day on your knees (figuratively) and ask for His guidance? Do you daily experience the excitement of knowing you are His chosen child? Do you look forward to giving out the gospel to the unsaved in your daily walk? Have you been discouraged in your walk at times just like Jeremiah? How did you climb out of the mental pit you felt you were in? Was the remedy in prayer, song, verse reading, fellowship? Now you can see even some one like Jeremiah is the same as you at times in their trust, faith and obedience. If you can not answer yes to all the above then pray to the Father to reveal to you the complete blessings which are offered to all who come to the throne.

164 Chapter Twenty One

Jerusalemʹs Doom Is Sealed

From denouncing Judah's sins to the people in general, Jeremiah now directs his prophecies to individuals and groups, the first being the kings. Many of the following chapters move freely back and forth within the final years of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry for the LORD. This is particularly true of the next six chapters.

(:1) The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when king Zedekiah sent unto him Pashur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

These officials asked Jeremiah to inquire… of the LORD regarding Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem. Though Jeremiah was to ask God what the outcome would be, they hoped that God would perform wonders as He had done in times past so that Nebuchadnezzar would withdraw. Probably Zedekiah and his advisers were thinking of King Hezekiah’s day when the Assyrians had threatened Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17-19:37; Isa. 36-37). Hezekiah responded to the crisis by sending his chief political and religious advisers to the Prophet Isaiah to ask for his intervention (Isa. 37:2-4). No doubt Zedekiah hoped that God’s answer would be similar to that given by Isaiah (Isa. 37:5-7).

This message to Zedekiah (21:1-22:9), delivered during the latter part of his reign (597-586 B.C.), urged him to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, in opposition to the nobles who advised a pro- Egyptian policy. Zephaniah (not the author of the OT book) was second in rank to the high priest, Seraiah. These two envoys from the King were later responsible for tossing Jeremiah into the miry dungeon (38:1) and putting him into the stocks (29:25).

(Jeremiah 21:2) Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.

Take notice that when Zedekiah, the King of Judah, got into real trouble he went to the man he knew was giving the Word of God. He went right past Pashur and his temple crowd. He did not seek help from organized religion. He sought advice from Jeremiah, a man who was a trusted servant of God. How sad that Zedekiah lacked the courage to act on the word of Jeremiah.

(Jeremiah 21:3) Then said Jeremiah unto them, Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah:

Jeremiah does not give King Zedekiah any comfort from the Word of God. He tells the king that Nebuchadnezzar is coming and he will destroy the city unless there is a turning to God. He does not compromise his message to gain favor.

165 (Jeremiah 21:4) Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

Unfortunately for Zedekiah, Jeremiah’s message was one he did not wish to hear. Instead of rescuing Jerusalem, God would turn against her the very weapons of war she had in her hands. The armies outside the wall who were besieging the city would be gathered by God inside the city. Their siege would be successful. Rather than being Jerusalem’s Deliverer, God would fight against her with His own outstretched hand. Those who were huddled for protection in the city would die of a terrible plague—one of the worst fears of a city under siege. Those who managed to survive the siege would not rejoice because God would hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar. They could expect no mercy or pity or compassion for he would kill them. This was fulfilled in 586 B.C. after the city fell. King Zedekiah was blinded and taken in chains to Babylon (39:5-7). The other leaders of the city were captured and sent to where they were executed (52:24-27).

(Jeremiah 21:5) And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath.

The Lord is now leading the Babylonian army in conquering Judah. After Judah's military defeat, an engulfing pestilence follows (v. 6). On this occasion God's "outstretched hand" and "strong arm," which had so often fought for Israel (cf. Deut. 26:8), now was fighting against His chosen people because they had rejected Him.

Deut. 26:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

(Jeremiah 21:6) And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence.

Remember this prophesy was not fulfilled for about 7 years from its utterance by Jeremiah.

(Jeremiah 21:7) And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

Jeremiah's prediction was fulfilled in 586 B.C. when Zedekiah was blinded and taken to Babylon and other leaders were executed.

(Jeremiah 21:8) And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

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This is exactly what God says to people today about His salvation provided in the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God says, “This is My way that I offer to you. You can take it or leave it. I set before you life and death.”

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

(Jeremiah 21:9) He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

The people had two clear choices: the way of life and the way of death. The “way of death” was selected by those who chose to remain in the city. They would die. The “way of life” was selected by those who deserted (surrendered) to the enemy besieging Jerusalem. This was the only hope for those still in the city because God had determined to harm Jerusalem by letting it fall to Babylon.

Little wonder Jeremiah was considered a traitor by his countrymen. The way of life that he counselled them to accept was to surrender to the Babylonians; otherwise, their lives would be a booty for the captors. Life Application: Lest we overlook it we would do well to remember that the message of Jeremiah to surrender was considered and act of rebellion against Judah. A surrender, whatever its motives, would actually be an act of submission. Jeremiah himself did not take this course, even though he was accused of attempting it (see chapter 38) Jeremiah stayed behind to faithfully give out the Word of God. To have eternal life everyone has to submit to Jesus as Savior and Lord. The scriptures in the Bible tell the Gospel story to all who would hear and obey. A rebellious society would rather rely on their own abilities and will not bow to anyone. Thus a modern unbelieving society has much in common with the Kingdom of Judah.

(Jeremiah 21:10) For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

167 Message to the House of David

(Jeremiah 21:11) And touching the house of the king of Judah, say, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

Jeremiah again singled out the royal house of Judah and focused on their sin. The king was supposed to administer justice and to uphold the rights of those who were oppressed. Since he refused to heed God’s warning, God’s wrath would burn like an unquenchable fire.

(Jeremiah 21:12) O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

God once again reveals to Judah the reason judgment is coming upon them and the land is because of their following after false gods and forsaking the true and living God.

(Jeremiah 21:13) Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the LORD; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations?

Evidently the king saw no need to obey God’s injunction. He felt so secure in his well-protected city that he boasted, Who can enter our refuge? Because of this proud self-reliance, coupled with sinful disobedience, God would punish the king and his people. God’s fire (cf. 21:12) of judgment would consume everything around them.

Jerusalem thought herself impregnable.

(Jeremiah 21:14) But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.

King Zedekiah of Judah heard the prophesy of Jeremiah from the Word of God but he did not heed it. Instead he foolishly thought Jerusalem would escape again as it had in the past. What the King did not take into account was the fact that God was bringing judgment to Judah and Jerusalem for her many sins of stone and wood idol god worship and the neglect of worshiping the true and living God.

We read of another judgment to come on the whole world according to

Revelation 14:7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters”.

168 Chapter Twenty Two

The main role of the prophet was to bear God's word for the purpose of teaching, reproving, correcting, and training in righteousness <2 Tim. 3:16>. Whether warning of impending danger or disclosing God's will to the people, they were similar in function to the modern pastor in the church. Prophets were referred to as messengers of the Lord, servants of God, , shepherds and watchmen. Except for God's call, prophets had no special qualifications. They appeared from all walks of life and classes of society.

Remember the price a false prophet was to pay if found out to not be a true prophet of Jehovah.

Deut 18:20-22 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

ALL OF THE FOLLOWING PROPHESIES BY JEREMIAH CAME TO PAST

Message To Zedekiah Zedekiah (:1) Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

the king of Judah. Zed e ki’ah means righteousness of Jehovah.

God instructed Jeremiah to go down from the temple to the king’s palace.

(Jeremiah 22:2) And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

His message to the king and to the officials and people who were there was for them to do what is just and right. Notice in this chapter we have contemporary comments from God on each successsor to King Josiah . They make the point of the necessity and the miracle of the perfect King to come (our Jesus).

(Jeremiah 22:3) Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

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The content of this message was similar to 21:12, but certain consequences were attached to the actions.

(Jeremiah 22:4) For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

If the king would be careful to observe God’s commands he could expect continued blessing.

(Jeremiah 22:5) But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

But if he disobeyed those commands, God vowed that the royal palace would become a ruin.

(Jeremiah 22:6) For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

Gilead . . . Lebanon. Fertile, beautiful regions.

In these verses Jeremiah was referring to the royal palace. Both Gilead and Lebanon were known for their forests and the royal palace in Jerusalem was known as the “Palace of the Forest of Lebanon” because of the beauty of the wood in it.

(Jeremiah 22:7) And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

But after God’s judgment the palace would be as desolate as a desert. The Babylonians would cut up the palace’s fine cedar beams and cast them into the fire.

(Jeremiah 22:8) And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?

As people from other nations saw the destruction of this magnificent structure, they would ask… why God had done such a thing.

(Jeremiah 22:9) Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

The answer was simple. God had judged the city because the people had forsaken the covenant and had worshiped… other gods. God had judged the people with His promised curses because of their disobedience.

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The Message to Shallum Son of Josiah

(Jeremiah 22:10) Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

Shal’ lum means restitution Je ho’ a haz means Jehovah is taker - hold

(Jeremiah 22:11) For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:

Shallum was another name for Jehoahaz. He was a son of Josiah, and succeeded Josiah to the throne in 609 B.C. after Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Neco II (2 Kings 23:29-33). After a reign of only three months, Shallum was deposed by Pharaoh Neco. Jeremiah penned this prophecy in 609 after Shallum had gone from Jerusalem into captivity in Egypt (2 Kings 23:34). Jeremiah predicted that Shallum would never return to Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 22:12) But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more. Instead, he would die in the place where he had been deported as a captive.

(Jeremiah 22:13) Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

The Message to Jehoiakim

After being appointed as king by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim acted the part of a typical oriental despot. Judah needed a firm hand to guide the “ship of state,” but instead she got a corrupt, petty king who cared only for personal gain. Jehoiakim sought to build a palace for himself, and did so at the expense of his subjects. Je hoi’ a kim means Jehovah will set up. Jehoiakim’s original name was E li’ a kim which means God will establish. (Jeremiah 22:14) That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

They were forced to work for nothing as Jehoiakim lavished his money on panels of cedar wood. This was not a king who lived by the motto “ Live so as to be missed”. Instead this King Jehoiakim was more like, “ Live so as to be feared”.

He lived 36 years and ruled for 11 years. Babylon took Jerusalem and killed King Jehoiakim without any burial. Nebuchadrezzar appointed Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim, as King. However, the King of Babylon, had second thoughts about keeping the son, Jehoiachin, in power since he had killed his father, Jehoiakim.

171 So after only 3 months and ten days he desposed Jehoiachin and put his uncle Zedekiah in as King. So it goes even in our modern day that we see political intrigue being decided by a few over the many who are being ruled.

(Jeremiah 22:15) Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?

Jeremiah contrasted Jehoiakim with his father, King Josiah. Josiah had done what was right and just and had defended the… poor and needy.

(Jeremiah 22:16) He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

These were actions God expected of the king. As God’s shepherd he was expected to nurture the flock, not decimate it.

(Jeremiah 22:17) But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

However, Jehoiakim inherited none of his father’s godly traits. He cared only for dishonest gain, bloodshed, oppression, and extortion.

(Jeremiah 22:18) Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

Because of Jehoiakim’s heavy-handed oppression, the people would not mourn for him at his death. Instead of the lavish funeral normally given a monarch, Jehoiakim, Jeremiah predicted, would have the burial of a donkey. When an animal died in the city it was simply dragged away from the spot where it died and thrown outside the gates.

(Jeremiah 22:19) He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Jehoiakim’s body would be treated with the same contempt. Jehoiakim died in late 598 B.C. as Nebuchadnezzar was advancing on Jerusalem to punish the city for rebellion. Perhaps, as some suppose, Jehoiakim was assassinated in an attempt to appease Nebuchadnezzar and spare the city. The new king, Jehoiachin, surrendered and was taken to Babylon; but the city was spared.

(Jeremiah 22:20) Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.

Because of Jehoiakim’s foolishness Jeremiah called on the city of Jerusalem to lament her fate. This passage should probably be dated in late 598 or early 597 B.C. since it focused on the

172 coming invasion of Babylon in retaliation for Jehoiakim’s rebellion. Jerusalem’s cry would be heard throughout the land. From Lebanon in the north to Bashan in the northeast to Abarim (the mountains in Moab; in the southeast the lament would sound as Judah’s allies would be crushed by Babylon

The "lovers" are the political allies of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed these after the Egyptian forces fell at Carchemish in 605 B.C. The picture here is of Jerusalem being left alone.

(Jeremiah 22:21) I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

God had warned Jerusalem of the consequences of disobedience when she felt secure, but she refused to listen.

(Jeremiah 22:22) The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

Now she could only watch in sorrow as her shepherds (kings) were taken away and her allies (possibly the Egyptians) also faced exile.

(Jeremiah 22:23) O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

In an ironic twist Jeremiah referred to the inhabitants of Jerusalem as those who live in “Lebanon.” So much cedar had been imported to Jerusalem from Lebanon (cf. Jer. 22:6-7, 13- 15) that living in Jerusalem was like dwelling among Lebanon’s cedars. Yet those living in these majestic cedar buildings would groan when the pangs of God’s judgment came on them.

The Message to Jehoiachin

(Jeremiah 22:24) As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

Coniah is a shortened form of the king's full name, Jehoiachin (52:31). He is also called Jeconiah in 24:1.

Jehoiachin followed his father Jehoiakim to the throne. After a three-month reign Jehoiachin surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and was deported to Babylon where he lived the rest of his life (cf. 52:31-34). God indicated that even if Jehoiachin were as valuable to Him as a signet ring, He would still pull him off because of his sins. A signet ring was most valuable because it was used to impress its owner’s signature or seal on various documents. Even if… Jehoiachin were this important to God (and the clear implication is that he was not), God would rather remove him than allow him to continue sinning.

173 (Jeremiah 22:25) And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

God vowed to hand Jehoiachin over to the Babylonians.

(Jeremiah 22:26) And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

He and his mother would be cast into another country (Babylon) where they both would die. Jehoiachin’s mother was Nehushta, the widow of King Jehoiakim.

2 Kings 24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 22:27) But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

Jeremiah’s Second prophecy of Their Deportation.

(Jeremiah 22:28) Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

By a series of questions, Jeremiah indicated that God was responsible for Jehoiachin’s judgment. The first question should be answered no. The people did not despise Jehoiachin as a broken, unwanted pot. In fact some hoped he would be restored as king (28:1-4), and some considered him to be the king even after Zedekiah was placed on the throne. But if Jehoiachin was so popular, why would he and his children be removed from office and cast into a foreign nation?

(Jeremiah 22:29) O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

The answer is that God was in control, and He was responsible for Jehoiachin’s fall. God called on the land (repeated three times for emphasis;) to hear His word of judgment. Although this word , earth, earth, earth could just as well say land oh land. It is an object lesson to Israel but even more so to a world at large. Would that our world today would hear the Word of God and repent and hold revival and return to worship our Creator.

(Jeremiah 22:30) Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

This prophecy is against Coniah (Jeconiah or Jehoiachin). "Coniah" was probably the original form of his name, which would account for its use in the genealogy. All forms of his name have

174 the same meaning, i.e., "Yahweh will firmly establish"-a name dishonored by its bearer, who was ruled by his own desires. The prophecy concerning his childlessness is not to be understood in the sense that he would have no offspring (cf. 1 Chr. 3:16, 17), but that none of his heirs would sit on the throne of David. Coniah had five sons, but none reigned. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, was descended from Jeconiah and was therefore in the kingly line (cf. Matt. 1:11- 16), but he could not reign because of the curse. The children of Joseph would also carry this curse. But Jesus was not affected by this divine prophecy, because His physical descent came from David only through His mother Mary, who conceived Him by an overshadowing of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18; Luke 3:21-38). Thus, both Mary and Joseph were numbered among the royal descendants to the throne of David. Jesus sat upon the throne of David by dynastic or legal right through Joseph, by physical descent through Mary, and by divine appointment of the living God. Since Jesus had no children, the line to the throne climaxes and ends in Him. This passage demonstrates again the precision with which God makes and fulfills His prophecies.

175 Chapter Twenty Three

The Branch of Righteousness

Key Verse (Jeremiah 23:1) Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

(Pastors) shepherds. The unrighteous rulers and priests of Judah.

JOHN 10:11-14

11 I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.

12 BUT HE THAT IS AN HIRELING, AND NOT THE SHEPHERD, WHOSE OWN THE SHEEP ARE NOT, SEETH THE WOLF COMING, AND LEAVETH THE SHEEP, AND FLEETH: AND THE WOLF CATCHETH THEM, AND SCATTERETH THE SHEEP.

13 THE HIRELING FLEETH, BECAUSE HE IS AN HIRELING, AND CARETH NOT FOR THE SHEEP.

14 I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD, AND KNOW MY SHEEP, AND AM KNOWN OF MINE. The Message Concerning the Righteous Branch

Jeremiah summarized the unrighteous kings as being like shepherds who were destroying and scattering God’s sheep. The shepherds deserved punishment because of the evil they had done. But if God removed them, whom would He appoint to regather His sheep? Jeremiah gave a twofold answer. First, God Himself would gather the remnant of the people who were dispersed and would bring them back. He would assume responsibility for Israel’s regathering. Second, God would raise up new shepherds over them who would tend and care for the people the way God intended.

(Jeremiah 23:2) Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

Pastors - Priests, leaders, Kings Some of the people from Judah had already been dispersed throughout the conquering nations as deportees. These were people that were trusting in their own abilities instead of the living God.

God condemns the shepherds for their neglect of the people. The term "attended" (feed) is the translation of paqad (Hebrew.) which can be rendered "pay attention to," "look after," "provide," "see to someone's well-being," or "call into account." This latter meaning seems to be the idea in the second usage of paqad in v. 2 (visited). God is aware of the shepherds' lack of attention to His people, but He is giving attention to them and their evil doings.

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James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 23:3) And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

The return from Babylonian captivity is promised, as well as a yet future regathering from all the countries

Matt. 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This final restoration will be accomplished after a period of unexampled tribulation (Jer 30:3 - 10), and in connection with the manifestation of David's righteous Branch (v. 5), (v. 6). This restoration is not to be confused with the return of a remnant of Judah under Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel at the end of the seventy years' captivity (Jer 29:10). At His first advent Christ, David's righteous Branch (Luke 1:31 - 33), did not establish an kingdom, but was crowned with thorns and crucified. Neither was Israel the nation restored, nor did the Jewish people say, "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." The prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. The true Church (Jeremiah 23:4) And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

Since the wicked shepherds, i.e., the leaders of the people, had deceived the nation (cf. v. 15; Deut. 28:15), at a coming day the Chief Shepherd Himself will gather the remnant (cf. Isa. 10:20-22; 11:11) and bring them back to the covenant relationship (v. 3). He will provide worthy shepherds to lead them (v. 4) and will raise up Jesus Christ, the Righteous Branch, the Messiah King (v. 5). Then Israel will be "saved" and will "dwell safely," showing the complete picture of their salvation, i.e., deliverance from destruction and protection from fear and danger (v. 6). This is not a reference to the return from captivity under Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel (Jer. 29:10), nor is it a reference to the Messiah during His incarnation when He came to die. Rather these verses point toward unfulfilled prophecy -- His return in glory to execute justice and judgment and His reign over all.

Luke 1:31-33 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. `

177 Key Verse (Jeremiah 23:5) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Branch. Lit., shoot, a messianic title signifying the new life that Messiah will bring. He will secure righteousness for His people.

The branch of David through Jehoiachin had been “cut off.” However, God promised to raise up to David another King who would be a righteous Branch, that is, another member of the Davidic line. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this prediction. As King, He will reign wisely and will do what is just and right (in contrast with God’s condemnation of Jehoiachin, 22:25). Though Christ offered Himself as Israel’s Messiah at His First Advent, the final fulfillment of this prophecy awaits His Second Advent immediately before His millennial reign. At that time the Southern Kingdom (Judah) and the Northern Kingdom (Israel) will again be delivered (cf. Rom. 11:26) from oppression and reunited as a single nation and will live in safety (cf. Ezek. 37:15-28). Key Verse (Jeremiah 23:6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The name of this coming King will be the LORD Our Righteousness (Yahweh s[idqe4nu=). Unlike Zedekiah (s[id{q|

(Jeremiah 23:7) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

Having already mentioned the future restoration of Judah and Israel (v. 6), Jeremiah now said the restoration will be so dramatic that the people will no longer look back to the time when God brought them up out of Egypt.

(Jeremiah 23:8) But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

The first Exodus will pale in comparison with this new Exodus when God will bring the descendants of Israel… out of all the countries where they have been and will restore them to their own land.

(Jeremiah 23:9) Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.

178 The Character of the False Prophets

Jeremiah’s heart was broken and his body became weak when he thought of God’s holy words. A prophet was God’s spokesman, and his life and message reflected on the One who sent him. Thus the false prophets were impugning God’s name because they claimed that their message came from Him and that He had authorized them to speak (cf. 28:2, 15-16). God had shown His displeasure on the physical and spiritual adulteries being done in Judah by bringing His curse of drought (cf. Deut. 28:23-24) so that the land was parched and withered.

(Jeremiah 23:10) For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

Yet, instead of calling Judah back to her covenant with God, the prophets continued to lead the people on an evil course, implying that God was not using the drought to judge people for their sin. A description of the immoral conduct of the false prophets.

(Jeremiah 23:11) For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.

The basic flaw of all Judah’s spiritual leaders (both prophet and priest) was that they were godless (h[a4nap{). This Hebrew word does not mean that these leaders did not believe in God. On the contrary, they were quite “religious.” Rather, it means “to be polluted or profaned.” Jeremiah had used the word earlier to describe the “defilement” of the land (cf. 3:1-2, 9). These leaders had such a low view of God’s holy character that they would even pollute His temple with their wickedness.

(Jeremiah 23:12) Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.

Because of their sin God vowed to bring disaster on them.

(Jeremiah 23:13) And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.

Jeremiah compared the prophets of Samaria (v. 13) to the prophets of Jerusalem (v. 14). The prophets of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (“Samaria”) had prophesied by Baal and led the nation astray. Because of their wickedness, God destroyed the Northern Kingdom.

(Jeremiah 23:14) I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

179 The prophets of Judah followed in the same paths of sin. They continued to commit adultery and support evildoers. Their conduct was so repulsive that both they and the people of Jerusalem had become like Sodom and Gomorrah before God.

(Jeremiah 23:15) Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

The only alternative available to God was to judge them for their sin. God would make the false prophets eat bitter food (la(a6na=h, “wormwood”; cf. Jer. 9:15; Lam. 3:15, 19) and drink poisoned water.

(Jeremiah 23:16) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

The false prophets spoke a word that was pleasing to the people. They did not speak to correct the sins of the people but only to compromise the Word of God.

These prophets were preaching a false message of peace.

The warning is in reference to the deceptive prophets who have spoken their own self-seeking messages in the name of the Lord, promising false hopes of prosperity and peace when destruction was imminent, and seducing the people into a false confidence.

(Jeremiah 23:17) They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

The message delivered by the false prophets was one of their own making. Their visions came from their own minds (cf. v. 26) instead of from God’s mouth. They proclaimed peace and no harm, but they did not hear this word from God.

(Jeremiah 23:18) For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?

The life (v. 18) and message (v. 28) of the true prophet are contrasted with those of the false prophet (v. 32).

(Jeremiah 23:19) Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

God’s message was that a whirlwind would destroy those in its path. God said His anger would not turn back until He had finished His judgment.

180 (Jeremiah 23:20) The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

The "anger" of the Lord is the result of His righteous judgment, demanded by His perfect holiness and immutable justice. The "latter days" could be rendered as the "future days."

(Jeremiah 23:21) I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

Only then would the people understand… clearly that God had not sent these prophets. Had they been from God they would have proclaimed His words to turn Judah from her evil deeds.

(Jeremiah 23:22) But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. (Jeremiah 23:23) Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?

These verses underscore the transcendence and the imminence of God. Yahweh is not a God "at hand" or near, a local man-made deity whose domain and wisdom are limited.

The false prophets misunderstood the character of God. He was not some localized God from whom a prophet could hide so God could not see him. Indeed, God in His omniscience fills heaven and earth so that no place is outside His realm.

(Jeremiah 23:24) Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

He is not unaware of the actions of His creatures and they are not able to hide from Him. He is not confined to a shrine or temple as are the pagan deities. He is omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere), and omniscient (all-knowing). Yahweh has the power to see even that which is hidden (v. 24).

(Jeremiah 23:25) I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

These false prophets were not operating unknown to God. He had heard what the prophets said when they spoke lies in His name. The prophets claimed that God had given them revelation in a dream, but their visions were only delusions of their own minds (cf. v. 16). These dreams were designed to make Judah forget God’s name much as earlier prophets did through Baal worship (cf. v. 13). Their “dreams” were as worthless for meeting spiritual needs as was straw for meeting physical hunger.

God used dreams to reveal His will (Gen. 20:3; 31:24; Matt. 1:20; 2:12, 13, 19, 22), and yet not every dream is God's revelation, nor is everyone who dreams a prophet.

(Jeremiah 23:26) How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;

181

False doctrine, the deceit of one's heart, draws people away from God and His truth just as idolatry does (v. 26).

(Jeremiah 23:27) Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.

The people should have discerned the fallacy of these prophets for whom authenticating evidence of prophetic authority was missing, and who permitted and encouraged that which God had forbidden (Deut. 13:1-3). (Jeremiah 23:28) The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

God's Word is like grain to nourish, 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

God calls for honesty and faithfulness from every prophet. How needed is this admonition for preachers! God knows the heart of every man, and He does not say a man cannot share his dream. However, God does call for a man to have enough integrity to distinguish between divine revelation and the dreams of man. God is repulsed by the man who mixes the chaff of his own dreams with the pure wheat of His word. Woe to the preacher who equates his own views and opinions to God's word! Man's dreams are not equal to God's word, which burns "like a fire" and crushes "like a hammer" (v. 29).

KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 23:29) Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? fire to purify,

1 Cor. 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. and a hammer to pound home its message,

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Their words had no force, while God’s Word is as penetrating as fire (cf. 20:9) and as effective as a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. Nothing can prevent God’s Word from being fulfilled.

182 (Jeremiah 23:30) Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.

Because God had not spoken to these false prophets they were forced to steal from one another as they pronounced plagiarized prophecies that were supposedly from Him. These "prophets" have not relied entirely upon their "dreams." They have listened to godly prophets like Jeremiah in order to steal and twist his message, and thereby to enhance their own deceptive discourses. They dared to steal from God's own words in order to lead the people to destruction.

(Jeremiah 23:31) Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.

(Jeremiah 23:32) Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.

God set Himself against those prophets because they were leading the people astray with… reckless lies, falsely claiming God’s authority.

(Jeremiah 23:33) And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.

Oracle - burden A customary word for a weighty, prophetic message (cf. Nah. 1:1; Hab. 1:1). Some of the people were mocking Jeremiah for his sobering words by asking him, "What's the heavy word (burden) from the Lord today?"

The people of Jerusalem were asking one another, What is the oracle (burden) of the LORD? The word “oracle” (mas8s8a4), from the verb na4s8a4)) means “to lift, carry, take” (see comments on Zech. 9:1). The noun referred to the load or burden that someone had to lift or carry (Ex. 23:5; Neh. 13:19). The “burden” the prophet had to carry was the message or oracle “laid on his heart” by God (Isa. 13:1; 14:28; Nahum 1:1; Hab. 1:1). Often the message was one of judgment.

The word "oracle" (massa^, Heb.) comes from a root meaning "to lift up," and denotes a load or burden. Jeremiah uses a play on this word and its varied meanings to deliver the message of the coming judgment. The false prophets were making light of Jeremiah's message when they inquired sarcastically about his "oracle" (massa^) for the day. The prophet's reply is that they are the "burden" (massa^) and that God will forsake them.

(Jeremiah 23:34) And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.

183 When the people sought for an oracle from God, Jeremiah was to announce that there was none. It had already been given; and the word from God was that He would forsake them. God said He would punish those who claimed any other oracle.

(Jeremiah 23:35) Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 23:36) And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

The people were misusing the term so much in claiming divine authority for their own words that God told them not to mention the word again. Its misuse had caused the people to distort the true words of the living God.

(Jeremiah 23:37) Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?

KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 23:38) But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;

Because of the abuse of this word massa^, God has forbidden its use by prophet, priest, or individual (vv. 34, 35). The evil men are charged with perverting and twisting God's word in blasphemy. The continued unholy use of this word, despite divine prohibition, will become in itself a "burden," bringing judgment and punishment upon all who choose to disobey the divine directive

(Jeremiah 23:39) Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:

Those who continued to claim divine oracles would be judged. God vowed to cast them out of His presence along with the rest of Jerusalem. These false prophets faced the threat of unending disgrace and shame for their wicked words.

(Jeremiah 23:40) And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.

184 Chapter Twenty Four

The Vision (Sign) of Two Baskets of Figs

Normally one would think that those left in the land would represent the good figs not the bad. But, as ever, God’s thoughts and plans wre not at all what men imagined. This chapter was probably placed here to emphasize this very fact. Notice the fig tree was symbolic of Israel in our bibles. Jeremiah had told the people to surrender and be saved.

(:1) The LORD showed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

The date of this occasion is approximately 597 B.C. The "craftsmen" and the "smiths" were the skilled people already carried off to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The "princes" may have been nobles as well as influential people from the king's inner council.

The vision of the two baskets of figs was given Jeremiah after Jehoiachin and the other leaders of Jerusalem were carried into exile by the Babylonians (2 Kings 24:8-16). Thus this prophecy can be dated sometime in 597 B.C. at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah. In the vision Jeremiah saw two baskets of figs that had been placed in front of the temple.

This vision occurred after Jeconiah and others were taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. The good figs represented those who had been deported and promised their return to Palestine. The bad figs depicted those who remained in the land of Palestine or who went to Egypt and were not promised restoration. Excavations show the remarkable architectural accomplishments of Nebuchadnezzar, who used the skilled artisans referred to in verse 1.

(Jeremiah 24:2) One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

The vision called to mind the offering of the firstfruits in a basket before the LORD (cf. Deut. 26:11). In one of the baskets the figs were very good and resembled those that ripen early (cf. Isa. 28:4; Hosea 9:10; Micah 7:1)—those firstfruits that were to be offered to God (Deut. 14:22). The second basket contained very poor figs that had deteriorated to the point where they could not be eaten.

Deut. 14:22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year.

(Jeremiah 24:3) Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Such offerings were unacceptable to the LORD

185

(Jeremiah 24:4) Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

The Explanation of the Good Figs. The "good figs" represent the people who have already been sent to Babylon. The future of Judah is with them. Verse 6 contains God's personal promise of restoration.

Though a remnant did return from Babylon, the blessings promised here await the return of Christ.

(Jeremiah 24:5) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

God said the good figs represented the exiles from Judah who had been carried away to Babylon for their good. This was a surprising answer because the people of Jerusalem believed that those in captivity had been taken away from the LORD.

(Jeremiah 24:6) For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

Yet God promised to watch over the remnant in captivity and bring them and their decendants back to the land.

KEY VERSE

(Jeremiah 24:7) And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

This prophecy is largely unfulfilled. When Israel returns to God He will give them a new heart. "Whole heart" refers to their entire lives being dedicated to God with an absolute commitment to the divine covenant. They will experience spiritual regeneration and not merely national restoration. Only God can create this source of new life within the nation Israel and within every individual who turns in faith and trust to the God of the covenant.

He also promised to give them a new heart so they will know Him (cf. Jer. 4:22). At that time they will be His people and will return to Him with all their heart. Though God did restore a minority of the people to the land after the Babylonian Captivity as the prophet Jeremiah foretold in :11, they never experienced the full blessings of fellowship promised by God. This awaits a still-future fulfillment when God again will regather Israel at the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign on earth (Matt. 24:29-31).

Jeremiah 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

186

(Jeremiah 24:8) And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:

THe Explanation of the Poor Figs.

The poor figs represented Zedekiah and the other survivors (cf. 29:17-19), including those in Israel and those who fled to Egypt (cf. 43:4-7).

Those who remained in the land or who went to Egypt (43:4-7) were actually worse off than those who were taken to Babylon.

The "bad figs" are those people who are left in Judah or have fled to Egypt. They will become a driven and homeless people until they are consumed.

(Jeremiah 24:9) And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.

God vowed to make them abhorrent… to all the kingdoms of the earth. They would be ridiculed and cursed wherever they went. Several times in the Book of Jer. the prophet predicted that the people would be cursed, ridiculed, and/or reproached and that others would be horrified at their desolate condition;

(Jeremiah 24:10) And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

God would send His instruments of judgment sword, famine, and plague until they were all destroyed. These survivors had felt blessed of God, but in reality they were cursed.

Deut 28:37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all

1 Kings 9:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:

2 Chr 7:20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

Jer 15:4 And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. 187

Joseph made a similar comparison to his brothers in Egypt.

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

After observing the work of God from the above scriptures, what can you say are some benefits that you received from trying times in your life?

Have you considered that the ultimate act of judgment that turns everything upside down is the resurrection? Through death comes life.

In light of this revelation (the cross) can you comment on the sovereignty of God as revealed in chapter 18 on the potter and the clay when you face good and bad times in your Christian walk?

188 Chapter Twenty Five

Seventy Years of Desolation

Jeremiah’s 13 messages of judgment (chaps. 2-25) were arranged topically, not chronologically. Chapter 25 was placed last because it served as the capstone for all Jeremiah’s previous messages.

(Jeremiah 25:1) The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;

The fourth year of Jehoiakim = 605 B.C. In Palestine the accession year was counted as the first year of the reign, whereas in Babylon it was reckoned separately, so that the next year was considered the first year of the reign. Daniel, therefore, dates this event from the Babylonian viewpoint, as the third year of Jehoiakim's reign (Dan. 1:1).

Dan 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.

WARNINGS IGNORED 25:1-3. Jeremiah’s final message concerned all the people of Judah. Because of the significance of the message, the time when it was given was recorded. It was delivered in the fourth year of Jehoiakim… which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar. This has caused some confusion because the “first year” of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (after his accession year) would have begun on April 2, 604 B.C., while Jehoiakim’s fourth year (using the Nisan [March-April]-to-Nisan dating system that Jeremiah usually employed) would have extended from April 12 (Nisan 1), 605 B.C. to April 2 (Nisan 1), 604 B.C. (not April 11, 604 B.C. because of the lunar calendar). So the two dates (Nebuchadnezzar’s first year and Jehoiakim’s fourth year) do not seem to occur in the same calendar year.

Two possible solutions have been suggested.

First, it is possible that the word “first” (ri)s]o4n|<) should be translated “beginning.” This word is not the normal word used to describe the first year of a king’s reign (cf. Jack Finegan, Handbook of Bible Chronology. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1964, p. 202). Thus the “beginning” year of Nebuchadnezzar could be equated with his accession year. This would place Jeremiah’s prophecy sometime between September 7, 605 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar ascended the throne and April 2, 604 B.C. when the first full year of his reign officially began.

Second, possibly Jeremiah was here using a Tishri (September-October)-to-Tishri dating system for Jehoiakim. Thus Jehoiakim’s fourth year extended from October 7 (Tishri 1), 605 B.C. to September 26 (Tishri 1), 604 B.C. (not October 6, 604 B.C. because of the lunar calendar). In this

189 case Jeremiah’s prophecy would have been given sometime between April 2, 604 B.C. (the start of Nebuchadnezzar’s first full year) and September 25, 604 B.C. (the end of Jehoiakim’s fourth year). Either solution allows the text to stand as it is written.

(Jeremiah 25:2) The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,

Jeremiah had been prophesying for 23 years. A ministry that had spanned the reigns of three kings at the time of this prophecy.

(Jeremiah 25:3) From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

God has been consistent in His reaching out to Judah, sending prophet after prophet to speak to the people. Habakkuk 626 bc to 605 bc; Zephaniah 640 bc to 628 bc. Nahum 644 bc to 612 bc. Daniel 605 bc to 586 bc.

(Jeremiah 25:4) And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

God had also sent other prophets who warned the people to turn from their evil ways and practices. Had the people heeded the prophets’ warnings, God would have graciously let them stay in the land and He would not have harmed them. Unfortunately the people did not listen to God. They continued in their idolatry and brought harm to themselves.

(Jeremiah 25:5) They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

Their message to Judah is "repent". This is the rendering of the Hebrew word shuv. This word has as its basic meaning the concept of "turning" or "returning." Yet the people would not obey.

(Jeremiah 25:6) And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

People often relate to the God of the New Testament as a God of love. In contrast many do not want to believe in the God of the Old Testament. He is thought of as a God of wrath who punishes people. Through the Prophet Jeremiah God proclaims a war caused by the “cup of God’s wrath” that will bring death and destruction among the nations. It is painful and upsetting to us. Remember that the cup of wrath sent by God in the Old Testament continues right over in the New Testament. In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus takes the cup and drinks it for us.

190 Matthew 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

(Jeremiah 25:7) Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

But though Jeremiah had spoken to the people again and again urging the people to turn from evil, they had not listened to his warnings to repent. God had given ample time for them to respond, but they refused.

(Jeremiah 25:8) Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words,

Judgment Described

Because the people had repeatedly rejected God’s warnings, God would summon the Babylonians (the peoples of the north;). Their leader, Nebuchadnezzar, was called God’s servant in the sense that he would do God’s bidding in coming to destroy Jerusalem. God would use the Babylonians to completely destroy both Judah and her allies. The sounds of joy and gladness would cease in the nation because the whole country would become a desolate wasteland when Babylon was finished. God would deport Judah and the other rebellious people to Babylon to serve the Babylonians 70 years.

Why did God predict that the Babylonian Exile would last 70 years? (605-536 B.C.) The answer seems to be that this was the number of years that the people had failed to observe God’s Law of a “Sabbath rest” for the land. God had decreed that every seventh year the land was to lie fallow (Lev. 25:3-5). The people were not to sow their fields or prune their vineyards. If the people would fail to follow this command, God would remove them from the land to enforce this “Sabbath rest” (Lev. 26:33-35). The writer of 2 Chronicles indicated that the 70-year Babylonian Captivity promised by Jeremiah allowed the land to enjoy its “Sabbath rest” (2 Chron. 36:20-21). Therefore the Captivity lasted 70 years probably because this was the number of Sabbath rests that had not been observed for the land.

Leviticus 26:33-35 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. 34 Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. Key Verse (Jeremiah 25:9) Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

191 (Jeremiah 25:10) Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

Millstones - representative of wheat, basic survival items for the people of the land Candle - representative of olive oil

2 Chr 36:21 To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. Key Verse (Jeremiah 25:11) And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

The seventy years are considered by some to be a round number. Others find the number to be exact, counting from about 604 B.C. (the first deportation being in Jehoiakim's reign, whereas the second was in 597 B.C. in Jehoiachin's reign, and the last in Zedekiah's reign in 586 B.C.) to about 535 B.C. when the exiles returned to the land after the decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1 - 3).

The Babylonian captivity lasted 70 years (605-536 B.C.) because this was the number of seventh-year rests for the land the Jews failed to observe. (I.e., over a period of 490 years they failed to keep the law and let the land lie fallow every seventh year.

(Jeremiah 25:12) And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

After the 70 years were fulfilled God would also punish… the Babylonians because of the guilt they had incurred.

My Servant - Cyrus

Isaiah 44-45 28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: 3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. 4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

192 This was a written prophesy before the events happened.

(Jeremiah 25:13) And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

He would fulfill all the things… written in Jeremiah’s book against Babylon. The material to which God alluded is in chapters 50-51. Evidently at least part of chapters 50-51 was written about the same time as chapter 25.

(Jeremiah 25:14) For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

God would repay Babylon according to her deeds. The and Persians captured Babylon in 539 B.C. Ezra 1:1-3 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

Judgment on the Nations

(Jeremiah 25:15) For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

WRATH PROMISED Jeremiah had a vision of the LORD holding in His hand a cup. The cup was filled with God’s wrath. Jeremiah’s task was to make all the nations to whom he was sent drink it.

(Jeremiah 25:16) And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

(Jeremiah 25:17) Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:

(Jeremiah 25:18) To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;

193 The first ones to drink of this bitter brew, God’s “grapes of wrath,” were Jerusalem and the towns of Judah.

(Jeremiah 25:19) Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

Other nations would follow Judah in judgment. These included Egypt, whose feeble assistance prompted Judah to rebel against Babylon.

(Jeremiah 25:20) And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and , and Azzah, and , and the remnant of ,

The location of Uz is somewhat uncertain, but it was probably east of Edom in northern Arabia. The Philistines occupied the coastal region on the shore of the Mediterranean just west of Judah, (Jeremiah 25:21) Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,

Edom, Moab, and Ammon (listed from south to north) were the three nations just east of Judah on the other side of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

EDOM (ee' duhm) The area southeast and southwest of the Dead Sea, on opposite sides of the Arabah, was known as Edom in biblical times and was the home of the Edomites. The name "Edom" derives from a Semitic root which means "red" or "ruddy" and characterizes the red sandstone terrain of much of the area in question.

The Moabites were a people descended from Lot and his elder daughter (cf. Gen. 19:31-37). Their land was east of the Dead Sea between the city of Jaazer in the north and the Wadi Zered in the south.

The Israelites recognized the Ammonites as relatives, although somewhat more distant than the Edomites. This relationship was expressed genealogically. Specifically, the Ammonites were said to have descended from an ancestor named Ben-Ammi, one of two sons which Lot bore to his two daughters.

(Jeremiah 25:22) And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,

Both Tyre and were north of Judah on the Mediterranean coast.

Tyre, one of the most famous cities of the ancient world, was known for its mariners. It may symbolize the international trade and commerce whose leaders do not seek to serve God or humanity, but seek only the selfish accumulation of wealth.

ZIDON, alternate forms of Sidon and Sidonians.

(Jeremiah 25:23) Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,

194 The Dedanites were an Arab tribe.

TEMA (Tee' muh) Personal and place name meaning, "south country." a strategic oasis located on the Arabian penisula 250 miles southeast of Aqaba and 200 miles north-northeast of Medina.

BUZ (Buhz) Place and personal name meaning, "scorn.". A land in eastern Arabia (Jer. 25:23) which Jeremiah condemned.

(Jeremiah 25:24) And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,

(Jeremiah 25:25) And all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes,

The identification of Zimri is uncertain, but it is associated with Elam and Media which were two countries east of the Tigris River. All these nations were conquered by Babylon.

(Jeremiah 25:26) And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

The name "Sheshach" means Babylon. This was a name ( YZYB) derived by replacing the letters at the front of the with their corresponding letters counting from the back.

All these nations would be judged at the hand of Babylon; but after all of them, God would make the king of Sheshach… drink it too. Who or what is Sheshach? Most scholars believe that the word is a or atbash for Babylon. An atbash was a code in which the letters of a name counted from the end of the alphabet are substituted for the letters counted from the beginning. For example, in English the letter “z” would replace the letter “a,” the letter “y” would replace the letter “b,” etc. The word “Abby” as an atbash would become “zyyb.” If “Sheshach” (s]s]k) is a Hebrew atbash the consonants become bbl, which is the spelling for Babylon (cf. Jer. 25:1). God would judge Babylon after judging the other nations. Because he had mentioned Babylon’s judgment already, it is unclear why Jeremiah would put such a message in code. Still this seems to be the best explanation of Sheshach.

(Jeremiah 25:27) Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

The nations who drink from the cup of God’s wrath will fall. Like a man who has become drunk, they will vomit and fall. Yet this collapse will be caused by the sword rather than strong drink.

(Jeremiah 25:28) And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.

195 Some nations might try to refuse judgment, but God would make them partake of it.

This could be a type of the individual who will not acknowledge God, who says there is no God. I do not believe in a God. These rebellious people will suffer the Judgment of God. (Jeremiah 25:29) For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

If God would bring disaster on His own city because of its sin, how could these heathen nations hope to go unpunished?

(Jeremiah 25:30) Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

Universal Judgment Affirmed

Switching from prose to poetry, Jeremiah continued the theme of God’s judgment on the nations. Like a lion that would roar mightily before pouncing on his prey, so God would shout from His holy dwelling, heaven, against all who live on the earth. God intended to bring charges against these nations.

(Jeremiah 25:31) A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

His judgment would extend beyond Judah to all mankind.

(Jeremiah 25:32) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

This judgment was pictured as a mighty storm that would envelop all nations. In its wake the slain would be scattered everywhere.

(Jeremiah 25:33) And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Their corpses would be like refuse lying on the ground in the same way that Judah’s dead had remained unburied.

(Jeremiah 25:34) Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

196

The leaders of these many nations (pictured as shepherds) would weep and wail and roll in the dust . They were mourning for their own lives because the time had come for them to be slaughtered. By briefly shifting his imagery from shepherds to pottery Jeremiah pictured the total destruction of these leaders. They would be shattered in pieces like a piece of fine pottery dropped on the floor. Jeremiah then returned to the pastoral image to complete his picture.

(Jeremiah 25:35) And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.

(Jeremiah 25:36) A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the LORD hath spoiled their pasture.

(Jeremiah 25:37) And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

(Jeremiah 25:38) He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.

The leaders (shepherds) would try to flee, but would have no place to escape. God would destroy their land (pasture) and would prowl around like a lion among the sheep. The land of all these nations would become desolate.

Thanks be to the Grace of God that the Christian need have no fear of coming events. We have the promise of God.

1 Thes 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

We read in Romans

Rom 5:8-15 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

197 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Col 3:1-17 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

198 Chapter Twenty Six

Personal conflict with Judah

Though Jeremiah did record some opposition to his message, that was not his main point in chapters 1-25. The focus in those chapters was on God’s coming judgment if the people refused to repent. But in chapters 26-29 Jeremiah will zero in on the people’s response to his message. Both he and his message were rejected by the leaders and the people. Jeremiah Saved from Death

(:1) In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,

Conflict With the People Jeremiah’s message Jeremiah indicated that this message was delivered early in the reign of King Jehoiakim. Since Jehoiakim ascended the throne in 609 B.C., a date of 609-608 B.C. for this event seems probable. Remember the events leading up to this message. A little more than three months had seen King Josiah killed in battle, his successor ( Jehoahaz who reigned only 3 months ) was deported to Egypt, and this Jehoiakim, the third king, a man of no scruples, imposed on the country for eleven years.

(Jeremiah 26:2) Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

The message itself should probably be associated with the “temple address” of chapters 7-10. In those chapters Jeremiah focused on the content of the message, while in this chapter he focused on the response to the message.

(Jeremiah 26:3) If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.

The purpose of the message was to get the people to listen to God’s threatened judgment so they would each… turn from his evil way. If the people would repent, God promised that He would not bring on them the disaster He was planning (Jeremiah 26:4) And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,

The content of the message was one of judgment for disobedience.

(Jeremiah 26:5) To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;

199 If the people refused to follow God’s Law and to listen to God’s servants the prophets

(Jeremiah 26:6) Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

God would make the temple (this house) as desolate as the tabernacle that once stood at Shiloh (cf. 7:14). Also people would curse the city of Jerusalem

The judgment that will fall upon Jerusalem will be like that which fell upon the sanctuary at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1-4). Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines about 1050 B.C. To "curse" someone or something was to belittle or treat lightly. Jeremiah's curse was toward the city and the temple and was looked upon as blasphemy (v. 11). For this the priests and prophets accused Jeremiah of a capital crime.

(Jeremiah 26:7) So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

Jeremiah’s Arrest and Trial

In chapters 7-10 Jeremiah did not record the response of the crowds to his message. When the priests, the prophets, and all the people who were in the temple courts heard Jeremiah’s words, they seized him just as he finished his message and demanded that he must die for his words. The charge brought against Jeremiah was that he was a false prophet because he had claimed in the LORD’s name that the temple and the city would become desolate and deserted. Obviously they believed that such a prophecy could never come from God. The reference is to false prophets.

(Jeremiah 26:8) Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.

Jeremiah is accused of prophesying without divine authority, a crime punishable by death under the Mosaic code (Deut. 18:20). The phrase, "You will surely die!" is particularly emphatic in the Hebrew and could be rendered "dying you will die." Without divine intervention, Jeremiah most certainly would have been martyred. His work was not complete, however, and the Lord restored him from these sufferings and persecutions.

Deut. 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

(Jeremiah 26:9) Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

like Shiloh. Desolate.

200

(Jeremiah 26:10) When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house.

The charges against Jeremiah had to be “tried in court,” so Judah’s officials heard the case at the entrance of the New Gate. The city gate was where the leaders sat to administer justice and to conduct official business .

(Jeremiah 26:11) Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.

The mob charged that Jeremiah should be sentenced to death. His crime was that he had prophesied against the city of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 26:12) Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

Jeremiah gave a threefold defense on his own behalf. First, he announced that the LORD had sent him to deliver the message they had heard.

(Jeremiah 26:13) Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.

Second, he announced that his message was conditional. If the people would reform their ways God promised not to bring about the disaster. Thus Jeremiah’s message did offer some hope for the city.

(Jeremiah 26:14) As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

He was not a false prophet. Jeremiah's defense was this: God sent him; they could still repent; and they would kill an innocent man if they killed him

(Jeremiah 26:15) But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

Third, Jeremiah warned that if they put him to death they would bring the guilt of innocent blood on themselves. They would be guilty in God’s sight of murdering an innocent man.

201 (Jeremiah 26:16) Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah’s Deliverance

After hearing the case the officials along with all the people sided with Jeremiah against the religious establishment (the priests and false prophets). They declared that Jeremiah should not be sentenced to death. The laymen worshipers were well taught in the Word of God. They spoke up for Jeremiah in the face of the religious leaders. It is good when the present day body of Christ (church) know the Word of God and can discern against any (shepherds) who may mis represent God and His Word for selfish gain.

(Jeremiah 26:17) Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying,

This verdict was supported by some elders who quoted from the Prophet Micah. (Jeremiah 26:18) Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest. By quoting from Micah 3:12 they indicated that Micah had made similar statements against the city and the temple nearly 70 years earlier. Yet instead of seeking to put Micah to death, King Hezekiah listened to Micah’s words and sought the favor of the LORD.

(Jeremiah 26:19) Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.

In response to Hezekiah’s request God did not bring the disaster predicted by Micah. Failure to follow Hezekiah’s example was to bring a terrible disaster on Judah. Hezekiah, heeding the prophet Micah's words 70 years earlier (Mic. 3:12), asked forgiveness and Jerusalem was spared.

Isaiah 37:20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

(Jeremiah 26:20) And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:

202 Though Jeremiah was spared, other prophets were not so fortunate. Another prophet during this time was Uriah ( means the same as Urijah) son of Shemaiah. Nothing is known about this man apart from his hometown (Kiriath Jearim). He prophesied the same things… as Jeremiah;

Jehoiakim vented his anger on another prophet, Uriah, who, though he fled to Egypt, was returned under extradition and put to death.

(Jeremiah 26:21) And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death: but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;

When the king heard about it, he decided to put Uriah to death. Uriah was informed of the plot and fled… to Egypt.

(Jeremiah 26:22) And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him into Egypt.

The king sent a delegation to Egypt to extradite him back to Judah. The delegation was led by Elnathan son of Acbor. Elnathan was one of the officials who heard the reading of Jeremiah’s scroll, and his father, Acbor, may have been an earlier official of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:12- 14).

(Jeremiah 26:23) And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

Uriah was convicted of treason and killed by a sword. He was given an ignoble burial, his body being thrown into the burial place of the common people.

(Jeremiah 26:24) Nevertheless the hand of the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

Jeremiah had the support of Ahikam son of Shaphan who prevented the people from having Jeremiah put to death. The family of Shaphan played an important part in the final years of Judah (see the chart “The Line of Shaphan”). Shaphan was King Josiah’s secretary who reported the finding of the Law to Josiah (2 Kings 22:3-13). Shaphan had at least four sons—three of whom were mentioned in a positive way by Jeremiah (Ahikam, Gemariah, and Elasah). The fourth son, Jaazaniah, was the “black sheep” of the family; his presence among the idol-worshipers in the temple caught Ezekiel by surprise (Ezek. 8:11). Ahikam’s son, Gedaliah, was appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan, who served as a scribe or secretary of state during the reign of Josiah (2 Kin. 22:8). He was also one of the high officials of Josiah (2 Kin. 22:14) and was evidently a courageous, spiritually sensitive God-fearer whose influence was great enough to

203 protect Jeremiah from the king and the wicked prophets who sought to take his life. Ahikam was associated with Josiah in his reform (2 Kings 22:12) and the father of Gedaliah, the ill-fated governor of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem (:22).

The Line of Shaphan

Shaphan Found “the book of the Law” in Josiah’s time (2 Kings 22:3-13)

A hi’ kam Gem a ri’ ah El’a sah Ja az a ni’ ah

Sent by Josiah to Urged Jehoiakim Took Jeremiah’s Participated in Huldah the not to destroy letter to the exiles idol-worship in prophetess to Jeremiah’s scroll in Babylon the temple verify the scroll (Jer. 36:12, 25). (Jer. 29:1-3). (Ezek. 8:11-12) (2 Kings 22:12-20). Protected Jeremiah from being condemned to death (Jer. 26:24).

Gedaliah Micaiah Was appointed Told the court governor of officials that Judah by Jeremiah’s scroll Nebuchadnezzar was read by Baruch (Jer. 39:14; 40:5) (Jer. 36:11-25).

204 Chapter Twenty Seven

Symbol of the Bonds and Yokes

(:1) In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Ambassadors of the nations mentioned in verse 3 had gathered in Jerusalem to conspire with Judah against Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah warned them that such conspiracy would result in slavery (symbolized by the yokes, v. 2). Only by submitting to Nebuchadnezzar could they hope to survive.

Here is possibly a scribal error. Heb reads but context (see vv. 3,12,20; 28:1) requires

Life Application: How does the Lord speak to us today? By His Word!

The Message to the Ambassadors

The events of chapter 27 took place early in the reign of Zedekiah. There is a textual problem here, and most Hebrew manuscripts name Jehoiakim (cf. KJV; NIV marg.) rather than Zedekiah. However, the internal evidence indicates that the chapter was written during the time of Zedekiah instead of Jehoiakim. Zedekiah is named as the king of Judah in verses 3 and 12, and 28:1 indicates that the prophecy of chapter 27 was given while he was king. Why then did most Hebrew manuscripts name Jehoiakim in this verse? No doubt it resulted from a later scribe’s error in copying the manuscript. It is possible that a scribe mistakenly recopied 26:1 at the beginning of chapter 27. If so, the (which omits 27:1) is preserving the text of the original manuscript. Or possibly a later scribe intentionally changed the king’s name in 27:1 to make it conform to 26:1.

(Jeremiah 27:2) Thus saith the LORD to me; Make thee bonds and yokes, and put them upon thy neck,

God commanded Jeremiah to make a yoke like those used to hitch together teams of oxen and to put it on his neck. This was meant to be an attention getter of the people.

(Jeremiah 27:3) And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyrus, and to the king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah; Then he sent word to the… envoys , ambassadors, who were in Jerusalem to meet with Zedekiah. These delegates were from Edom, Moab, and Ammon to the east of Judah and from Tyre and Sidon, Phoenician cities to the north. What were these delegates doing in Jerusalem? Most likely they were there to discuss the possibility of uniting together in a revolt against Babylon. This meeting occurred sometime between May and August 593 B.C. (cf. 28:1). The

205 Babylonian Chronicle recorded that just over a year earlier a rebellion had occurred in Babylon. Evidently Nebuchadnezzar had to defend himself against an attempted coup. Certainly such unrest within Babylon would cause the various vassal states to evaluate their chances of success for throwing off Babylon’s yoke of domination. Instead of putting off the yoke they would have it put upon them.

(Jeremiah 27:4) And command them to say unto their masters, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say unto your masters;

The pronoun "them" refers to the messengers (v. 3) who have come to Jeremiah from the kings of the various regions of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. They are to go back to their respective Kings and give them the message of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah’s public pronouncement dashed any hope the delegates might have had of keeping their meeting secret.

(Jeremiah 27:5) I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.

God’s message was that He had made the earth and all life on it so He could give it to anyone He pleased.

(Jeremiah 27:6) And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

The one selected by God to subdue all nations was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Notice that nebuchadnezzar is a gentile. Yet God is using him for His purpose. Remember how God used Cyrus to overcome Babylon and set the children of Israel free and allow them to return to Jerusalem with all the temple vessels.

Isaiah 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

(Jeremiah 27:7) And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. God announced that all nations would serve Babylon until its time to be judged came. Only then would others be able to subjugate Babylon.

(Jeremiah 27:8) And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

Jeremiah warned these ambassadors not to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar.

206 With the fact of Nebuchadnezzar’s divine appointment clearly established, Jeremiah warned the ambassadors not to rebel. Any nation that refused to bow its neck under Babylon’s yoke would be punished by sword, famine, and plague from God. False Astrology (Jeremiah 27:9) Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon:

For the first of three times in chapter 27 Jeremiah warned his audience not to listen to the false prophets (cf. vv. 14, 16). Because he was addressing the representatives of heathen nations in verses 8-11, he also warned against listening to the methods of divination they might use to receive an answer.

Deut. 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

(Jeremiah 27:10) For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish.

These false religious leaders were speaking lies when they promised a successful rebellion against Babylon because God vowed to remove any nation who rebelled.

(Jeremiah 27:11) But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. Only those nations that would submit to the authority of Babylon would be allowed to remain in their own lands.

(Jeremiah 27:12) I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Jeremiah warned Zedekiah not to rebel and not to believe the false prophets.

The Message to Zedekiah

Jeremiah delivered the same message to the king of Judah. Again the prophet’s word contained two parts. The first part was God’s command to Zedekiah to bow his neck under Babylon’s yoke and to continue to serve Babylon as a vassal king.

(Jeremiah 27:13) Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

If he refused to serve Babylon, the judgment God had threatened would come on Judah.

207 (Jeremiah 27:14) Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

The second part of Jeremiah’s message was a warning not to trust the false prophets.

(Jeremiah 27:15) For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.

Those predicting victory were prophesying lies because God had not sent them.

The Message to the Priests and People

(Jeremiah 27:16) Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. vessels. Taken to Babylon in 597 B.C., there was no hope of their soon return, as the false prophets were predicting. Indeed, what had been left would soon be taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (v. 22). A conqueror customarily took the idols of a conquered people back to the temple of his own god. Because Judaism was an imageless religion, the vessels of the Temple were taken instead. Jeremiah modified his message to the priests and the masses. He cautioned them not to listen to the prophets. These false prophets were predicting that the articles from the LORD’s house that had been taken to Babylon would soon be brought back. 2 Kings 24:13 And he carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said. (Jeremiah 27:17) Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste?

(Jeremiah 27:18) But if they be prophets, and if the word of the LORD be with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, go not to Babylon.

In fact just the opposite would happen. The furnishings still remaining in the house of the LORD (along with those of the king’s palace) which had not been removed during the deportation of Jehoiachin would remain in Babylon until God’s judgment was complete. Only then would He bring them back.

(Jeremiah 27:19) For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

208 (Jeremiah 27:20) Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem;

(Jeremiah 27:21) Yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem;

(Jeremiah 27:22) They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, saith the LORD; then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

No matter how well-meaning the false prophets were in their message about a short exile, the "vessels" (v. 21) would remain in Babylon until Yahweh Himself visited them. "Visit" (paqad, Heb.) may be translated "pay attention to" (cf. 23:2, note). Yahweh Himself would be responsible for everyone who returned from exile.

Life Application: How can Jeremiah’s courage be an example for you in the challenges you face?

209 Chapter Twenty Eight

Jeremiah’s Conflict with Hananiah

Chapter 28 is a continuation of chapter 27. The specific time when Jeremiah gave his message was not given, but the exact month and year that his opponent spoke was recorded. It was the fifth month of the fourth year of King Zedekiah. The date was August-September 593 B.C. Jeremiah was careful in noting the date because of the events that happened later.

(:1) And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

Jeremiah’s message was challenged by Hananiah son of Azzur. Perhaps Hananiah was a brother of “Jaazaniah son of Azzur” who was denounced by Ezekiel . Hananiah was from Gibeon, about six miles northwest of Jerusalem. Gibeon was another town that Joshua had assigned to the priests, so perhaps Hananiah, like Jeremiah, was from a priestly family.

Hananiah was one of the false prophets who confronted Jeremiah. Hananiah's home, Gibeon, was in Benjamin, about 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The Gibeonites deceived Joshua into making a treaty with them . It was at Gibeon that Joab killed Amasa.

Hananiah's Falsehood and Doom

(Jeremiah 28:2) Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

Hananiah’s message directly contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecy. He stated that God promised to break the yoke of Babylonian oppression. So Hananiah was urging Judah and the nations to rebel against Babylon, not to submit to her.

Hananiah, a false prophet, challenged Jeremiah's prediction of 70 years of captivity and prophesied that within two years the vessels and Jeconiah would be returned to Jerusalem. Jeremiah wished that it would be so (v. 6) but prophesied again that it would not (v. 14). Notice that he was still wearing his "visual aid," the yoke around his neck (v. 10). A false prophesy is made in verse 3 by Hananiah because it was not two years but 70 years of captivity for the Children of Israel. Check this with 25:11 for proof.

Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

How ironic it seems when you translate the name of Han a ni’ ah it means the grace of Jehovah. He was certainly an imposter in tongue and name.

210

Life Application: We must always be on guard for wolves among the sheep. I Jn 4:1 says Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. It says in Deut. 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

(Jeremiah 28:3) Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

Hananiah promised that the rebellion would be followed by restoration. Within two years, he said, God promised to bring back to Judah all the articles of the LORD’s house .

(Jeremiah 28:4) And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the LORD: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.

These would be accompanied by Jehoiachin and all the other exiles.

(Jeremiah 28:5) Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

Two prophets had made conflicting claims, each one attributing his message to God.

(Jeremiah 28:6) Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

Though Jeremiah could have wished that the LORD would fulfill the words of Hananiah, nevertheless Hananiah’s prophecy was false.

(Jeremiah 28:7) Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;

(Jeremiah 28:8) The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

(Jeremiah 28:9) The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

The ultimate test for prophets was whether their prophecies were fulfilled. A prophet was known to be sent by God only if his prediction came true. Time would tell whether Jeremiah or Hananiah was the false prophet. 211

Deut. 18:20-22 20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? 22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

(Jeremiah 28:10) Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it.

By breaking off Jeremiah's yoke Hananiah was illustrating his prophecy of liberation from Babylon within two years (v. 11), but in reality there would be no freedom, only unbreakable yokes of iron. (See verse 13)

(Jeremiah 28:11) And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

As if to convince the people that he was right, Hananiah took the yoke off Jeremiah’s neck (cf. Jer. 27:2) and broke it apart. This dramatically visualized his prophecy that God would break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar within two years. Rather than opposing this open insult from Hananiah, Jeremiah went on his way.He was going to let God defend him

(Jeremiah 28:12) Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet, after that Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah’s Message to Hananiah

God’s word came to Jeremiah shortly after… Hananiah broke Jeremiah’s yoke. God’s message used Hananiah’s actions to show the harshness of the coming judgment.

(Jeremiah 28:13) Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

Hananiah had broken a wooden yoke, but God would replace it with a yoke of iron that could not be broken.

(Jeremiah 28:14) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

212 This iron yoke, figuratively speaking, would be fastened to the necks of all these nations who gathered in Jerusalem to force them to serve Nebuchadnezzar.

(Jeremiah 28:15) Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Hananiah became the recipient of God's judgment. He even resorted to violence and destroyed the wooden yoke which Jeremiah was wearing by divine directive (v. 10). He continued his deception of claiming to be God's prophet (v. 11) and drove the people further in their disbelief (v. 15), so that the wooden yoke became an iron yoke because of the increased punishment which would fall upon these unbelieving people (v. 14). Rebellion against God's servant and messenger is also rebellion against God, and is a capital offense .

(Jeremiah 28:16) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

Even greater is the punishment for one who, in addition to rebelling personally, teaches rebellion to others

Life Application: The above prophesy was fulfilled within two months. Hananiah died which was proof that the true prophet of God was Jeremiah. The Word of God never fails. Has this event caused you to re-think your opinion concerning the sacredness of the Word of God? Are you holding the Word in your heart and using the Word to witness to a generation that seeks truth in all the wrong places? If not, why not?

(Jeremiah 28:17) So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

Hananiah made the false prophetic word on the future on the fifth month = Aug.-Sept. 593 B.C. Hananiah died two months later .

Thus it is with all who deny the holiness of God and pretend to speak for Him. Those who will not bend their knee and heart to Jesus to accept the gift of salvation freely shall surely die in their unrepentent sins.

213 Chapter Twenty Nine

THE INTRODUCTION

Jeremiahʹs Letter to the Captives in Babylon

(:1) Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;

This chapter contains letters from Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon. The setting is probably after the fall of Judah in 597 B.C., following the deportation of Jeconiah also known as Jehoiachin.

letter. Sent to the 3,023 Jews who had been taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. to exhort them to live as normal a life as possible, to await God's deliverance after 70 years, and to disregard false prophets such as Ahab and Zedekiah.

(Jeremiah 29:2) (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;)

Jeremiah inserted the text of the letter that he sent to those who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem. He identified the deportation as the one associated with the removal of King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) and the queen mother;. This deportation occurred in 597 B.C., so Jeremiah’s letter must have been written after that date.

(Jeremiah 29:3) By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,

The couriers were from priestly families connected with the reform of Josiah. It is possible that Gemariah was the son of Hilkiah, the famous priest of Josiah's day. Their mission almost certainly included the carrying of tribute or payment to Nebuchadnezzar from Zedekiah, showing the latter's loyalty.

(Jeremiah 29:4) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

The Announcement of a Long Exile

(Jeremiah 29:5) Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;

214 God’s word to the exiles was to prepare for a long stay in Babylon. They were to build houses and settle down. They were also to plant gardens to sustain them during the period. Life was to go on as normal.

(Jeremiah 29:6) Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

The people were exhorted to marry and have sons and daughters.

(Jeremiah 29:7) And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

Instead of hoping for Babylon’s quick demise they were encouraged to seek its peace and prosperity. Jeremiah even told them to pray… for Babylon! Those prophets and diviners (cf. 27:9) who were predicting a soon return to Judah were prophesying lies. They were not sent by God.

The Lord admonishes His people to submit humbly to His will, making Babylon their home, honoring its government, praying God's blessings even upon this foreign land in order that they might share in these blessings .

Conflict with the False Prophets in Exile

(Jeremiah 29:8) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Another warning is given concerning the false prophets who would create false hope in an early return to Judah. These people-pleasers preached only what the people wanted to hear.

(Jeremiah 29:9) For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

Life Application: We must be careful and guard the Word of God. Many today are giving a false testimony of the Word. Taking a word here a thought there and mixing it together so that it may seem to substantiate the false saying or doctrine they are proposing which is outside the Word of God. God will not be mocked. There is a judgment to come before the throne of God.

(Jeremiah 29:10) For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

215 This is the promise of the 70 years' duration of captivity read by Daniel the prophet in Jeremiah 25:11

The restoration of the exiles to Judah would happen only when God’s 70 years of judgment were completed. Then God would fulfill His gracious promise to restore the exiles to their land. The 70-year Exile was a part of God’s plans to give Judah hope and a future. The judgment prompted the exiles to seek God wholeheartedly. Once they had turned back to their God He would gather them from all the nations where they had been banished and return them to their land. The larger purpose of the Exile was to force Israel back to her God .

KEY VERSE (Jeremiah 29:11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Life Application: These verses have been a comfort to many Saints in their time of sorrow just when they need a touch from The LORD. In a time of grief there is solace in being able to pray and seek the compassion and love of Christ. His presence helps us bear the sadness of events that overtake the Christian at different times of their life in Christ. The power of the Word of God is able to ease the sorrowing heart and provide comfort to those in distress. Key Verse (Jeremiah 29:12) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

The power of prayer is made manifest through times of adversity. Key Verse (Jeremiah 29:13) And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

These words renew God's covenant. Finding God is the blessing and joy of restoration. In exile, the people will seek restoration to God, and God will then restore them to the land, renewing the covenant relationship in His eternal faithfulness .

Deut. 4:29-30 29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

(Jeremiah 29:14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

216 Psalm 51:11-12 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

(Jeremiah 29:15) Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;

The Warning Against False Prophets

(Jeremiah 29:16) Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;

The "king" is Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.).

The people disbelieved Jeremiah’s message because it contradicted the message of the false Jewish prophets… in Babylon. Evidently these prophets were proclaiming the safety of Jerusalem and the swift return of those in captivity (cf. 28:2-4).

(Jeremiah 29:17) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

Jeremiah shattered their optimistic forecasts by announcing that those who had not been exiled were destined for the sword, famine, and plague. He shared with the exiles his vision of the two baskets of figs. Those remaining in Jerusalem were like poor figs that had to be thrown out. God would judge them for refusing to obey His words of warning.

(Jeremiah 29:18) And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:

(Jeremiah 29:19) Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.

Unfortunately the exiles had not listened to God’s words of warning either.

(Jeremiah 29:20) Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:

Jeremiah singled out two men who were evidently the ringleaders of the false prophets in Babylon. They were Ahab son of Koliah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah.

217 (Jeremiah 29:21) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

Nothing else is known about these men, but they were prophesying lies (v. 21) to the people

(Jeremiah 29:22) And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; Such brazen lies and sinful actions would not go unpunished. Daniel 3:11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

(Jeremiah 29:23) Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD. They were committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives.

THE REPORT OF SHEMAIAH’S LETTER TO JERUSALEM. Jeremiah’s Second Letter to the Exiles

(Jeremiah 29:24) Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, The sequence of events is somewhat confusing here. Evidently after Jeremiah’s first letter to the exiles (vv. 1-23) another prophet in Babylon, Shemaiah, wrote the leaders in Jerusalem urging them to punish Jeremiah (vv. 25-28).

(Jeremiah 29:25) Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

However, the letter was read to Jeremiah (v. 29) who then wrote a second letter to the exiles. He quoted the text of Shemaiah’s letter (vv. 24-28) and delivered God’s word of judgment against the false prophet (vv. 29-32). Shemaiah sent letters in his own name to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah who had been appointed as the priest who was in charge of the temple. Possibly this Zephaniah was a brother of the false Prophet Zedekiah, who was in Babylon (assuming that Maaseiah, the name of each of their fathers, refers to the same man.

(Jeremiah 29:26) The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.

218 Shemaiah exhorted Zephaniah that as guardian of the temple precincts he was to put any madman who was acting like a prophet (he was referring to Jeremiah) into the stocks and neck- irons.

(Jeremiah 29:27) Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?

Shemaiah was upset that Zephaniah had not reprimanded Jeremiah for posing as a prophet.

(Jeremiah 29:28) For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

He cited the contents of Jeremiah’s first letter to the exiles as proof that Jeremiah should be disciplined.

(Jeremiah 29:29) And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

But instead of attacking Jeremiah, Zephaniah… read the letter from Shemaiah to him.

Evidently Zephaniah at this time accepted Jeremiah’s authority as a prophet. He later consulted Jeremiah twice on behalf of King Zedekiah . Zephaniah was captured and killed by Nebuchadnezzar after the fall of Jerusalem.

The Condemnation of Shemaiah

(Jeremiah 29:30) Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

Under God’s guidance Jeremiah sent a second message to all the exiles .

(Jeremiah 29:31) Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

This letter contained God’s judgment against Shemaiah for claiming to be His prophet.

(Jeremiah 29:32) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.

God would punish both Shemaiah… and his descendants. Neither he nor his family would live to see the good things God promised to do for His people. These “good things” are explained in chapters 30-33. Shemaiah forfeited his right to take part in these blessings because, by urging those in Jerusalem to oppose Jeremiah, he had preached rebellion against God.

219 Chapter Thirty

In chapters 30, 31 and 32 Jeremiah looks beyond the imminent judgment to (1) the return of some from Babylonian captivity, and (2) the restoration of all in the future Day of the Lord when the new covenant will be experienced by all Israel.

These messages from God through his messenger Jeremiah come to Judah during the darkest days she has ever had. Yet in the midst of this dire warning God gives to Israel and to us a wonderful message of encouragement.

The coming conqueror is at the city gates. His army is massive and invasive. This time he will burn the Solomonic temple and destroy the city. Jeremiah has been arrested and literally is in jail. Things have gone from bad to worse. King Zedekiah is near the end of his eleven year reign over Judah. God’s prophet is being held captive by the rebellious spirit of a sinning nation which refuses to hear the Word of the LORD. A time of great despair. Yet morning is coming. We will see His glorious light shine thru the darkness. Future comfort for Israel and Judah

God had threatened Judah with judgment for her disobedience, but the nation refused to mend her ways. The stage was set and the curtain was about to rise on the final act of Judah’s history as a nation. But before this sad scene of suffering started to unfold, Jeremiah inserted “The Book of Consolation,” a collection of prophecies that offered hope in desperate times. These prophecies looked beyond Judah’s imminent collapse and pointed to a new age when Israel and Judah would be returned to their land, reunited as a nation, and restored to their God.

Restoration of Israel and Judah

(:1) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

Since the book is so largely occupied with the message of judgment, these chapters are all the more significant in predicting such glorious features as: (1) the indestructibility of Israel (30:11; 31:35 - 37); (2) the return from exile (30:10; 31:23; 33:7); (3) the coming of the Messianic King (33:15 - 16); (4) the conversion of Israel (33:8,16); and (5) the realization of the New Covenant (31:31ff.; 32:39 - 40). (Jeremiah 30:2) Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.

The recording of God's word to Jeremiah could vindicate the prophet's message at a later time, when his prophecies came true. "Book" may be better rendered "document."

220 (Jeremiah 30:3) For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

The Restoration of Israel and Judah Declared The nation’s physical deliverance God told Jeremiah to write His promises of comfort in a book so they would be available to the exiles after Jerusalem fell. This book would declare a note of hope that the days are coming… when God will… restore His people. Jeremiah’s use of “the days” was significant because it described two different periods of time. The first “day” to which Jeremiah pointed was the day of destruction when God would judge Judah for her sin. This day was fulfilled when Judah fell to Babylon. However, the second “day” to which Jeremiah pointed was a day of restoration when God will bring the nations of Judah and Israel into a new relationship with Him and when He will set straight His accounts with the Gentile nations. This day has an eschatological perspective. It is the day when God will fulfill the blessings of restoration promised in Deuteronomy 30:1-10. However, as in all prophetic material one must keep in mind the principle of “foreshortening.” That is, though Jeremiah saw all these predictions as one continuous series of events, they were fulfilled over a long period, with intervening gaps of time. Thus, for example, prophecies about the suffering Messiah and the ruling Messiah appear together though they describe two different Advents of Christ (e.g., Isa. 9:6-7; 61:1-2). In the same way Jeremiah described the restoration of Judah after the Babylonian Captivity and the still-future restoration of Judah within some of the same passages. Therefore one should be cautious in interpreting the various parts of Jeremiah’s predictions concerning “the coming days.” God’s first promise was to bring the nations of Israel and Judah back from captivity. God promised to restore them to the land He had given them (cf. Deut. 30:3-5). This promised return of both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms served as an introduction to these chapters and provided hope to those who would soon be dispossessed from their land.

(Jeremiah 30:4) And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.

THE NATION’S DISTRESS. The return of Israel and Judah to the land will be preceded by a time of national distress. (Jeremiah 30:5) For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.

Cries of fear and terror will be heard among these captives instead of cries of peace.

(Jeremiah 30:6) Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

Jeremiah compared the anguish of men clutching themselves in fear to a woman in labor.

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Chapter 30 is a lucid description of the "last days." The period covered has its initiation in the "time of Jacob's trouble" (v. 7), while the conclusion is the millennial reign of Christ and the kingdom age of Israel (vv. 18-20). The awesome days of the seven-year period referred to as "the time of Jacob's trouble," or elsewhere as "the great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21, 22; Rev. 6:2, note; 7:14), are presented in terms of a man with a contorted and paling face like that of a woman travailing in labor (v. 6). However, the apparent impasse will be solved through the intervention of Israel's Messiah, and Jacob will be saved out of the distress of those days (v. 7). In fact, these tragic times are just the prelude setting the stage for the climax of Daniel's Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:24-27), the rescue of Israel, and the establishment of the messianic kingdom. This tribulation era is clearly a time of little restraint of evil. It is characterized by natural calamity and great fear.

(Jeremiah 30:7) Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

The coming calamity will be so awful that none will be like it in comparison. Jeremiah characterized it as a time of trouble. Yet all will not be lost because God guaranteed that the nation will be saved out of it. God will rescue His people in the midst of their distress. To what “time of trouble” was Jeremiah referring? Some have felt that he was pointing to the coming fall of Judah to Babylon or to the later fall of Babylon to Medo-Persia. However, in both of these periods the Northern Kingdom of Israel was not affected. It had already gone into captivity (in 722 B.C.). A better solution is to see Jeremiah referring to the still-future Tribulation period when the remnant of Israel and Judah will experience a time of unparalleled persecution (Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Matt. 24:15-22). The period will end when Christ appears to rescue His elect (Rom. 11:26) and establish His kingdom. the time of Jacob's distress. The coming days of tribulation that will come upon all Israel (Jacob). The time of trouble for Jacob is identical to the tribulation.

Although God's people may expect tribulation throughout the present age (John 16:33; Acts 14:22), the word "tribulation," as here, is also used specifically of a future time (Mat 24:21,29; Mark 13:24). Since our Lord links the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel with this time of tribulation (Mat 24:15 - 21; Mark 13:14 - 19), it is evident that the tribulation is to be connected with the seventieth "seven" (week) of Daniel (Dan 9:27). Furthermore, the Biblical references have in common an allusion to unprecedented trouble. While the seventieth week of Daniel is seven years in length , and the terms "tribulation" and "great tribulation," as used in the Scriptures, both have to do with the latter half of the seven years, it is customary to use "tribulation" of the whole period, and "great tribulation" of the second half of the period.

From the Scriptures we may deduce that the tribulation will begin with the signing of the covenant to permit the renewal of Jewish sacrifice (Dan 9:27); it will be a period of unexampled trouble and judgment, and is described in Rev 6 - 19; and it will involve the whole earth (Rev 3:10), but it is distinctively "a time of trouble for Jacob" (Jer 30:7). The elements of the great tribulation (the latter half of the seventieth week) are: (1) the cruel reign of the "beast

222 . . . out of the sea" (Rev 13:1) who, at the beginning of the final three and one-half years, will break his covenant with the Jews (by virtue of which they will have re-established the Temple worship, Dan 9:27), and show himself in the Temple, demanding that he be worshiped as God (Mat 24:15; 2 Th 2:4); (2) the active interposition of Satan "filled with fury" (Rev 12:12), who gives his power to the beast (Rev 13:4 - 5); (3) the unprecedented activity of demons (Rev 9:2,11; cp. v. 20); and (4) the terrible bowl judgments of Rev 16.

The tribulation will, nevertheless, be a period of salvation. An election out of Israel will be redeemed (Rev 7:1 - 4) with an innumerable multitude of Gentiles (v. 9). These are said to have come "out of the great tribulation" (v. 14). They are not of the priesthood, the Church, to which they seem to stand somewhat in the relation of the Levites to the priests under the Mosaic Covenant. The great tribulation will be followed immediately by the return of Christ in glory, and the events associated therewith (Mat 24:29 - 30).

There is a difference of opinion about the location in Revelation at which the great tribulation is first alluded to. Some suggest as early as ch. 6; others, as late as ch. 11. One thing we do know for sure and that is that there is no mention of The Church after chapter 4 in the Book of Revelation.

(Jeremiah 30:8) For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

that day. I.e., the Day of the Lord, which will also see the restoration of Israel under Messiah, the son of David.

The Lord’s Deliverance

When God comes to rescue the nation, He will break the yoke of bondage He had placed on her neck. This deliverance did not come when the false prophets predicted it would but God said it will come eventually (in that day). Instead of serving foreign powers the nation will once again serve the LORD.

(Jeremiah 30:9) But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

The people will also submit to the authority of David their king whom God will raise up for them. Many scholars view this as a reference to Christ who is from the line of David. However, there is no compelling reason not to take Jeremiah’s reference in a literal sense . David is referred to by name elsewhere in passages that look to the future restoration of a united Israel (cf. Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hosea 3:5).

(Jeremiah 30:10) Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

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God’s promise of restoration was designed to give Israel hope. She had no need to fear or be dismayed because God promised to save her out of a distant place. No country would be too far away for God to reach and rescue His people. When He brings them back to the land they will have the peace and security that was absent in Jeremiah’s day .

(Jeremiah 30:11) For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

God will completely destroy the nations where Israel and Judah had been scattered. Though He would discipline Israel and Judah, He assured them that He would never completely destroy them. Any judgment would be mingled with justice so that the punishment for His Chosen People would not be overly severe.

(Jeremiah 30:12) For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.

The Nation’s Spiritual Healing

ISRAEL’S SIN CAUSED HER WOUNDS. Israel’s condition was critical. Her wound appeared incurable , and no one was available to provide a remedy for her sore.

(Jeremiah 30:13) There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.

(Jeremiah 30:14) All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.

The allies in whom the nation had placed such great hope had forgotten her.

(Jeremiah 30:15) Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

Even God had struck her as an enemy and punished her because of her guilt.

(Jeremiah 30:16) Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. Israel’s condition appeared hopeless, but God promised to reverse her misfortunes. Those who were devouring the nation would themselves be devoured by God. He would send her enemies… into exile and plunder those who sought to make spoil of her.

224 GOD WOULD HEAL ISRAEL’S WOUNDS. (Jeremiah 30:17) For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

At the same time God promised to restore Israel to spiritual health. He would intervene for His outcast people.

The hope of the people had reached its lowest ebb (v. 12). Those who would draw Israel away from the Lord, i.e., her "lovers," had cast her aside in her darkest hour (v. 14). Despite the justice of the sufferings and sorrows of Israel (v. 15), and because there is nowhere for the people to turn, the Lord will have pity upon them and heal their wounds (vv. 16, 17).

God's future blessings on Israel will include health (i.e., physical and spiritual healing, v. 17), restoration of the people and Jerusalem (v. 18), reestablishment of the Davidic line in the person of King Messiah (v. 21), and fellowship with God (v. 22). The nation’s material blessing

(Jeremiah 30:18) Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

God’s restoration will involve a physical rebuilding. . The city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt on her ruins, including the king’s palace.

(Jeremiah 30:19) And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

The festive sound of rejoicing that had been silenced by Babylon will once again be heard in the city, and God will increase Judah numerically .

(Jeremiah 30:20) Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

The nation will be secured and established before God, and He will punish anyone who tries to oppress her.

(Jeremiah 30:21) And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.

The leader of Israel will again be one of their own instead of some foreign despot . This ruler will come close to God as the LORD brings him into His service.

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(Jeremiah 30:22) And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Only at that future date when the city, its inhabitants, and their ruler have been restored to God will someone be able to declare that Israel is God’s people and that He is her God. This ideal relationship between Israel and her God was expressed several times in the Old Testament. Israel will finally experience the relationship with God that He had always intended.

(Jeremiah 30:23) Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

The judgment on the wicked Jeremiah repeated, with minor variations, the same words he had written in 23:19-20. Before God’s blessing can be experienced He must judge sin. His wrath will burst out against the wicked. Though these words applied to false prophets in 23:19-20, Jeremiah may have been using them here to refer to God’s judgment on the wicked nations who opposed Israel.

This verse should be linked with the statements in 30:23-24. It explains the results of God’s judgment on the earth and also serves to introduce the section on national restoration which follows. God promised that when He will judge the world for its sins He will also restore all Israel to Himself. All the clans, not just the tribe of Judah, will be known as God’s people .

(Jeremiah 30:24) The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.

God’s fierce anger that had been poured out on Judah would not turn back till it also extended to the other nations of the earth.

226 Chapter Thirty One

Verse 31:1 should be linked with the statements in 30:23-24. It explains the results of God’s judgment on the earth and also serves to introduce the section on national restoration which follows. God promised that when He will judge the world for its sins He will also restore all Israel to Himself. All the clans, not just the tribe of Judah, will be known as God’s people .

Jeremiah 30:22-24 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.

The Remnant of Israel Saved

(Jeremiah 31:1) At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

This chapter continues the theme of restoration for Israel.

Verses 1-22 concern the Northern Kingdom, verses 23-26 the Southern Kingdom, and verses 27-40 both kingdoms.

(Jeremiah 31:2) Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

survived the sword. I.e., those who escaped the cruel treatment by Pharaoh in Egypt.

The National Restoration of Israel

God assured the Northern Kingdom that He will restore her. Those who had survived the sword (probably Assyria’s destruction of Israel) will yet experience God’s favor as He leads them into the desert for their new Exodus. The turmoil of their long years of exile will cease when God intervenes to give rest to the nation Israel.

(Jeremiah 31:3) The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

The motivation for God’s future restoration of the nation is His everlasting love ()aha6b{a=h) which He will freely bestow on His people (cf. Hosea 11:4; 14:4; Zeph. 3:17) and His loving-kindness (h[esed{; cf. Jer. 9:24; 32:18; Lam. 3:32; Dan. 9:4). God had made a covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:7-21) and another covenant with the nation Israel (Ex. 19:3-8; Lev. 26; Deut. 28:1-

227 30:10), and He vowed to stay faithful to His commitments. Israel could look forward to experiencing God’s blessing.

Despite Judah's rejection and apostasy, God loved them. The very foundation for the restoration of Israel is the love of God and His faithfulness in keeping His covenant. The word translated "of old" (merahoq, Heb.) may also be rendered "from afar," i.e., from Zion where God is enthroned. His "lovingkindness" has prevented the destruction of this wicked and backslidden nation. "Lovingkindness" (hesed, Heb.) refers to God condescending in goodness to the needs of His people. The word translated "drawn" (mashak, Heb.) means "to draw," "to drag," or "to continue."

(Jeremiah 31:4) Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

Tabrets or . which are Small hand drums.

Jeremiah drew three word-pictures that will characterize God’s restoration of Israel.

First, it will be a time of renewed joy. Israel will once again take up her tambourines and dance with the joyful. The times of sadness will cease when the Captivity ends.

(Jeremiah 31:5) Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

Second, it will be a time of peace and prosperity as the people plant their vineyards on the hills of Samaria. Free from external threats, they will be able to enjoy their fruit.

(Jeremiah 31:6) For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God. Third, it will be a time of renewed commitment to the Lord. The watchmen stationed on the hills of Ephraim will summon the people to go up to Zion to worship the LORD. watchmen. Those who signaled the first appearance of the crescent moon in connection with Passover or new moon celebrations. One of the Hebrew descriptions of a prophet is "watchman." The prophet watched for God's message and then conveyed that message to the people. (Jeremiah 31:7) For thus saith the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

God’s restoration will be accompanied by songs of joy and the praises of the people for His deliverance.

(Jeremiah 31:8) Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

228 No one will be too far away for the LORD to restore him; God will gather His people from the ends of the earth. Also no one will be too insignificant for the Lord to deliver him; God will restore the blind and the lame along with expectant mothers.

(Jeremiah 31:9) They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Joy and providential care will accompany the pilgrims on their way home. They will weep tears of contrition and rejoicing because of the divine consolation provided for them.

As God leads these people on their new Exodus into Israel He will provide for their every need. He will guide the people beside streams of water (Ps. 23:2) and they will travel on a level path so they will not stumble. God will do all this because of His special relationship to Israel. He is Israel’s father (Deut. 32:6), and Ephraim (emphasizing the Northern tribes of Israel) is his firstborn son (cf. Ex. 4:22). Jeremiah used the image of a father/son relationship to show God’s deep love for His people.

(Jeremiah 31:10) Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

Israel’s regathering (like a flock of sheep; cf. 23:3; Micah 2:12; 5:4; 7:14) will be accompanied by a renewal of God’s material blessings.

(Jeremiah 31:11) For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

(Jeremiah 31:12) Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Those who will be restored to the land will rejoice in the bounty of crops (cf. Jer. 31:5) and flocks. Jeremiah compared Israel’s material wealth to a well-watered garden that was producing in abundance .

(Jeremiah 31:13) Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

(Jeremiah 31:14) And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.

This outpouring of blessing will produce gladness… comfort, and joy .

229 Mercy on Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:15) Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

Ramah. A town 5 miles North of Jerusalem, used as an assembly point for the captives taken to Babylon

Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, continues to live through the descendants of that tribe. In N.T. fulfillment her weeping is prompted by the cruel and barbarous act of Herod, who had all the babies of Bethlehem and the surrounding country killed because of his insane jealousy over the Christ Child. Rachel's tomb, according to tradition, was located near Bethlehem, and her weeping represents the overwhelming sorrow of the families of these slain infants (cf. Matt. 2:18). These babies are not lost forever, though, and will be honored as members of the covenant nation.

To what was Jeremiah referring? Ramah was a town five miles north of Jerusalem, and Rachel was Joseph and Benjamin’s mother. Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, who became the two major tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Thus Jeremiah was picturing the weeping of the women of the Northern Kingdom as they watched their children being carried into exile in 722 B.C.

However, Jeremiah could also have had the 586 B.C. deportation of Judah (Southern Kingdom) in view because Ramah was the staging point for Nebuchadnezzar’s deportation (cf. 40:1). In all likelihood these women were crying because they would never see their children again.

(Jeremiah 31:16) Thus saith the LORD; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the LORD; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

But as the women of Israel and Judah wept for their exiled children, God offered a word of comfort. There was hope for their future because their children would return to their own land. God would bring about a restoration.

(Jeremiah 31:17) And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

In what sense was Herod’s slaughter of the babies (Matt. 2:17-18) a “fulfillment” of Jeremiah 31:15? Jeremiah pointed to an Old Testament deportation of children from a town north of Jerusalem; Matthew used the passage to explain the New Testament slaughter of children in a village south of Jerusalem. The answer to the problem hinges on Matthew’s use of the word “fulfilled” (ple4roo4). Though Matthew did use the word to record an actual fulfillment of an Old Testament prediction (cf., e.g., Matt. 21:4-5 with Zech. 9:9), he also used the word to indicate that the full potential of something in the Old Testament had been realized (cf. Matt. 3:15; 5:17).

230 In these latter instances there is no prophetic significance to the word “fulfill,” which is how Matthew used the word to associate the slaughter in Bethlehem with the sadness in Ramah. Matthew used Jeremiah 31:15 in his book (Matt. 2:17-18) to explain the sadness of the mothers of Bethlehem. The pain of those mothers in Ramah who watched their sons being carried into exile found its full potential in the cries of the mothers of Bethlehem who cradled their sons’ lifeless bodies in their arms.

(Jeremiah 31:18) I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Jeremiah ended this section by recording Israel’s cry of contrition that she will recite when she returns to the land. Though she had strayed (Jer. 31:19) she will repent.

(Jeremiah 31:19) Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

When she returns to her God she will be ashamed and humiliated because of her sin.

(Jeremiah 31:20) Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

God in turn will express His great compassion for the wayward but returning nation .

(Jeremiah 31:21) Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

"Signposts" are stone markers, and "landmarks" are poles or beacons pointing the way back to Zion. Israel, or the "virgin," walked in the way of the Lord before, and is now invited to return to "these your cities," which were part of the covenant gift from the Lord.

Life Application: Every believer should keep a road map home to God, setting for himself spiritual goals to lead him in seeking God's plan for his life and maintaining divinely assigned priorities.

God called on the captives to set up road signs and guideposts as they traveled to Babylon and to remember the road they would take. They would need this information during His promised restoration so they could return to their towns.

Life Application: Have you lost your way in your walk with Jesus? God is so good. He has provided the way for you. Remember, repent, return and revive by Grace.

231

KEY VERSE (Jeremiah 31:22) How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

This time of promised restoration will be so remarkable that it will be as if God will create a new thing on earth. That new event is described proverbially by the clause, a woman will surround a man.

A woman will encompass a man. The meaning is uncertain. Some understand it to indicate the security of Israel in the Millennium when a woman can provide all the protection needed. Others take it as a reference to Israel (A woman) embracing a man (i.e., God). Still others relate it to the Incarnation.

This is probably the most difficult verse to understand in the Book of Jeremiah.

One possible idea is that a woman will seek, or court, a man . In that culture a woman would not normally court a man, so this would indicate something unusual. The woman here is Israel (v. 21). She had been unfaithful, but in the future she will finally seek out her God and ask to be united with Him. Most contemporary Bible teachers understand the passage to mean that Israel, contrary to the practice of women, will woo the LORD, her divine husband.

Older expositors almost unanimously took the verse to predict the virgin birth of the Messiah. Their arguments are: (1) The "new thing on earth" would require an event of unprecedented character. (2) The word "create" implies an act of divine power. (3) The term "woman" demands an individual rather than the entire nation. And (4) the word "man" is properly used of God (Isa 9:6).

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The promise to Israel involves an unusual reversal. Instead of a husband "encompassing" his wife, the wife, even with her weaker physical nature, "encompasses" her husband (cf. 1 Pet. 3:7). "Encompass" is used here in the sense of faithful encompassing love, one which indicates clinging to an object (cf. Gen. 2:24). Israel, the "woman" or "virgin," (v. 21) will "encompass" her divine Bridegroom and cling to Him.

232 Future Prosperity of Judah

(Jeremiah 31:23) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.

When God will restore the nation of Israel, He will also reverse the fortunes of Judah. Those living in the land of Judah will again invoke a blessing on Jerusalem (God’s righteous dwelling) and the temple area (the sacred mountain.

(Jeremiah 31:24) And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.

The land itself will be repopulated, and God will meet every need.

(Jeremiah 31:25) For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.

(Jeremiah 31:26) Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

(Jeremiah 31:27) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.

God vowed to provide a new beginning for His covenant people. In this new age God will plant the nations of Israel and Judah with the offspring of men and animals.

(Jeremiah 31:28) And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.

The second or constructive phase of Jeremiah's ministry begins here.

Jeremiah again used agricultural and architectural metaphors to illustrate God’s work. God had judged Judah for her sin, but He will reverse that judgment.

(Jeremiah 31:29) In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

God’s work for the nation will silence a proverb that was common in Jeremiah’s day (Ezek. 18:2-4). Those facing judgment in Jeremiah’s day felt they were being unfairly punished by God for their ancestors’ sins. Though the fathers had eaten sour grapes, it was the children who experienced the effects of having their teeth… set on edge. This proverb was false because it implied that God was unrighteous.

233 The people excused themselves by saying they were being punished for the sins of their fathers; in reality each person is punished for his own sins (Deut. 24:16)

The Hebrews had accused God of injustice and cruelty in the punishment of children for the sins of their fathers. Actually, the children had surpassed their fathers in their wickedness. Under the New Covenant, there would be no misunderstanding because every individual must bear the responsibility for his own sins .

(Jeremiah 31:30) But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

God’s justice will guarantee that each guilty person will die for his own sin.

A New Covenant

KEY VERSES TO END (Jeremiah 31:31) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Here is the promise of a "new covenant." This is the only mention of a "new covenant" in the O.T.

In addition to a new beginning God promised to make a New Covenant with His people. This New Covenant was expressly for the house of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and the house of Judah (the Southern Kingdom). It would not be like the covenant God had made with Israel’s forefathers at the time of the Exodus because that covenant had been broken by the people.

It will be made in the future with the whole nation of Israel (v. 31); it will be unlike the Mosaic covenant in that it will be unconditional (v. 32); its provisions will include (1) a change of heart, (2) fellowship with God, (3) knowledge of the Lord, and (4) forgiveness of sins. All of this will be fulfilled for Israel when the Lord returns (Rom. 11:26- 27).

(Jeremiah 31:32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

The earlier covenant God referred to was the Mosaic Covenant contained in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Twice God had announced a series of punishments or “curses” that would be invoked on those who violated His Law (Lev. 26; Deut. 28). The final judgment would be a physical deportation from the land of Israel. With the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. this final “curse” was completed. God had set a holy standard of

234 conduct before the people, but because of their sinful hearts they could not keep those standards. A change was needed.

(Jeremiah 31:33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

God’s New Covenant will involve an internalization of His Law. He will put His Law in their minds and on their hearts, not just on stones (Ex. 34:1). There will be no need to exhort people to know the LORD because they will already all know God. God’s New Covenant will give Israel the inner ability to obey His righteous standards and thus to enjoy His blessings. Ezekiel indicated that this change will result from God’s bestowal of the Holy Spirit on these believers (cf. Ezek. 36:24-32). In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit did not universally indwell all believers. Thus one different aspect of the New Covenant is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in all believers (cf. Joel 2:28-32).

There are some marked differences between the old and new covenants (v. 32; cf. Gen. 9:13). (1) The Sinai covenant demanded obedience, while the new covenant offers forgiveness of sin. (2) The old covenant was written on stone tablets, while the new covenant is carved on the hearts of God's people (cf. Ezek. 36:26, 27). (3) The old covenant was between God and the nation Israel, whereas the new covenant is between God and all believers. At the foundation of the new covenant is the fact that God is everything; He will make His people what they ought to be. This new covenant clearly is applicable to two distinct groups.

The author of Hebrews recognizes certain fulfillment in those who are saved in the present dispensation (Heb. 8:7-13). However, the covenant as prophesied by Jeremiah must also see a fulfillment in national Israel during the millennial age. The connection between these double fulfillments is actually that of an extension. The new covenant came into force with the atoning death of Christ. All believers in the present church age are the recipients of its benefits. Eventually those benefits will also be extended to include a repentant and regenerate Israel (Rom. 11:25-29).

(Jeremiah 31:34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

A second aspect of the New Covenant will be God’s provision for sin. The sins of the people resulted in the curses of the Old Covenant. However, as part of the New Covenant God will forgive Israel’s wickedness and remember their sins no more. But how could a holy God overlook sin? The answer is that God did not “overlook” sin—its penalty was paid for by a Substitute (cf. Isa. 53:4-6). In the Upper Room Christ announced that the New Covenant was to be inaugurated through the shedding of His blood (cf. Matt. 26:27-28; Luke 22:20). Forgiveness of sin would be part of the New Covenant only because God provided a Substitute to pay the penalty required of man.

235 (Jeremiah 31:35) Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

To underscore Israel’s permanence because of this New Covenant, God compared her existence to that of the heavens and the earth. As God had appointed the sun to shine by day and the moon and stars to shine by night (cf. Gen. 1:14-19), so He had appointed Israel as His chosen nation. It would take a feat as fabulous as making these natural decrees vanish from nature to make Israel… cease to be a nation. The power God displayed in creating the universe was the power that He exercises in preserving Israel as a nation. Throughout history people have tried in vain to destroy Israel, but none have succeeded—and none ever will.

(Jeremiah 31:36) If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

How is the church related to the New Covenant? Is the New Covenant being fulfilled in the church today? Ultimately the New Covenant will find its complete fulfillment during the Millennium when Israel is restored to her God. The New Covenant was made with Israel (Jer. 31:31, 33) just as the Mosaic Covenant had been (v. 32). One key element of the New Covenant is the preservation of Israel as a nation (vv. 35-37). However, though the ultimate fulfillment of this covenant awaits the millennial reign of Christ, the church today is participating in some of the benefits of that covenant.

(Jeremiah 31:37) Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

The covenant was inaugurated at Christ’s death (Matt. 26:27-28; Luke 22:20), and the church, by her union with Christ, is sharing in many of the spiritual blessings promised to Israel (cf. Rom. 11:11-27; Eph. 2:11-22) including the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:15; 12:22-24). But though the church’s participation in the New Covenant is real, it is not the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise. The fact that believers today enjoy the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant (forgiveness of sins and the indwelling Holy Spirit) does not mean that spiritual and physical blessings will not be realized by Israel. That still awaits the day when Israel will acknowledge her sin and turn to the Messiah for forgiveness (Zech. 12:10-13:1). Some Bible scholars, however, take a slightly different view. They see one covenant (a covenant of grace), which God will apply to Israel in the Millennium and is now applying to the church in this present age. In both views the New Covenant is made possible by the blood of Christ.

(Jeremiah 31:38) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of unto the gate of the corner.

Tower of Ha nan’ e el which means the grace of God located at the NE corner of Jerusalem. Corner Gate.

236 The third aspect of God’s new relationship will be the establishment of a new city for His people. Jerusalem, the city that symbolizes God’s relationship with His people, was destroyed by Babylon. But even before that event took place God promised that the city will be rebuilt. The Tower of Hananel was at the northeast corner of the city (cf. Neh. 3:1; 12:39; Zech. 14:10) and the Corner Gate was probably located on the northwest corner of the city (cf. 2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chron. 26:9; Zech. 14:10). Thus the northern wall will be restored.

(Jeremiah 31:39) And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.

The locations of the hill of Gareb and Goah are unknown; but since Jeremiah 31:38 described the northern boundary and verse 40 describes the southern and eastern boundaries it may be assumed that Gareb and Goah detail the western boundary of the city. Perhaps Gareb referred to the hill west of the Tyropeon Valley that is today called Mount Zion. The southwestern and southern boundary will be the valley in which dead bodies and ashes are thrown. This is the Hinnom Valley (cf. 7:30-34; 19:1-6).

(Jeremiah 31:40) And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

valley of the dead bodies. Hinnom Valley

The eastern boundary is the terraces out to the Kidron Valley. This boundary would extend to the corner of the Horse Gate on the southeast tip of the city, where the Kidron Valley and Hinnom Valley unite.

God described two characteristics of this new city.

First, it will be holy to the LORD (cf. Zech. 14:20-21). The city and its inhabitants will be set apart to God who will dwell in her midst (Ezek. 48:35).

Second, the city will no more be uprooted or demolished. The ravages of war will not be experienced in this new city. These verses were not fulfilled after the Babylonian Captivity ended. Since the postexilic period provides clear evidence that holiness was not a primary characteristic of the people in Jerusalem and Judah (cf. Mal. 1:6-14), so the city was destroyed again in A.D. 70 by the Romans. These promises (Jer. 31:31-40) await their future fulfillment during the Millennium.

237 Chapter Thirty Two

The Restoration of Israel and Judah Illustrated

(:1) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES Jeremiah recorded the time frame in which this prophecy was given because of its significance to the message. The time was the 10th year of Zedekiah which was also the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar. The 10th year of Zedekiah would have ended on October 17, 587 B.C. (using the Judean Tishri-to-Tishri year) while the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar began on April 23, 587 (using the Babylonian Nisan-to-Nisan year). Thus this prophecy occurred sometime between April 23 and October 17, 587 B.C. when the Babylonians were besieging Jerusalem and Jeremiah was in custody by Zedekiah.

(Jeremiah 32:2) For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.

During this time Babylon was besieging Jerusalem—a siege that lasted from January 15, 588 till July 18, 586—and Jeremiah was under arrest and confined in the palace courtyard of the guard.

(Jeremiah 32:3) For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

The reason for Jeremiah’s imprisonment is stated here. He had been imprisoned by Zedekiah for his “treasonous” prophecies.

(Jeremiah 32:4) And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

Jeremiah predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of both Jerusalem and the king of Judah.

(Jeremiah 32:5) And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

Zedekiah would be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon. Any attempt to oppose the Babylonians would not succeed. Such statements were not appreciated by those trying to hold out against Babylon’s assault.

THE PURCHASE OF LAND (Jeremiah 32:6) And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

238 In this grim time God came to tell Jeremiah of an impending visit. For confirmation.

Jeremiah Buys a Field

(Jeremiah 32:7) Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel son of Shallum, would visit Jeremiah in prison and ask him to buy his field at Anathoth. Han’ am e’ el means Whom God graciously gave The right of redemption. According to Lev. 25:25 a near relative could redeem property so as to keep it in the family. This particular property was worthless since it was in Anathoth, Jeremiah’s hometown , which by this time had already been captured by the Babylonians.

(Jeremiah 32:8) So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

Hanamel was following the Mosaic Law which called for a person to redeem (purchase) the property of a relative who was forced to sell so that it would not leave the family (Lev. 25:25-28; Ruth 4:1-6). So Hanamel told Jeremiah it was his right and duty to buy it. Perhaps Hanamel was trying to sell the land to obtain money for food because of the siege. The village of Anathoth was already under Babylonian control so this purchase would appear to be foolish. Who would buy a parcel of land that had already fallen into enemy hands? Because of this apparent foolishness, God told Jeremiah in advance that Hanamel would come so Jeremiah would recognize God’s hand in the request.

(Jeremiah 32:9) And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

When Hanamel came, Jeremiah bought the field for 17 shekels of silver (about 7 ounces; cf. NIV marg.). Ordinarily this would have been a small price for a field . But the size of the field is unknown and it was not really available at that time. Jeremiah's purchase of the field showed his trust in the promise of the Lord that one day his descendants would return to that land. The deed consisted of both a sealed and an open copy.

Here is a sign (1) of Jeremiah's faith in his own predictions of the restoration of Judah (v. 15), for the field was then occupied by the Babylonian army; and (2) to Judah of that coming restoration. Observe that Jeremiah was acting upon the principle of Heb 11:1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

At divine command Jeremiah purchased the property in Anathoth for 17 shekels of silver. The ancient Israelites did not have an elaborate system of coinage. They were accustomed to measuring value by weight. Some authorities suggest that a shekel weighed about 0.4 ounces.

239 The privilege of redemption, i.e., the purchasing or repurchasing of property being offered for sale by the nearest of kin, was based upon Lev. 25:24 and illustrated in Ruth 4:6. The purpose of this ancient practice was to assure that the land did not pass from one family to another. In this particular case, the right of redemption fell to Jeremiah. This act demonstrated the prophet's great faith. Even though the army of the Chaldeans was encamped on the ancestral homesite, Jeremiah believed that God would ultimately deliver the land from the hand of the enemy and establish His kingdom forever.

Biblical numerology defines the number 17 as Victory. The reasoning is that ten signifies Testimony and the number 7 is Completeness. Therefire we have a sum or 17 which is the completed testimony of Christ (it is finished) which gives us Victory

(Jeremiah 32:10) And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

Following the legal customs of the day, Jeremiah signed and sealed the deed and had it witnessed before he paid Hanamel.

(Jeremiah 32:11) So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:

Two copies of the deed of purchase were made. One was sealed by being bound with a piece of string or cord and then having Jeremiah’s official seal stamped into a lump of clay placed over the string.

(Jeremiah 32:12) And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison. Baruch was Jeremiah's faithful secretary and companion (36:4, 8, 26). The other copy remained unsealed so it could later be examined. Jeremiah handed both copies of the deed to Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe and friend .

(Jeremiah 32:13) And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

The Explanation

Jeremiah instructed Baruch to take both documents and put them in a clay jar for preservation.

(Jeremiah 32:14) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

The documents had to last a long time because it would be many years before the people would be able to return from captivity and claim their land. 240 This reminds us of the preservation of the at Qumran.

(Jeremiah 32:15) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

Yet Jeremiah’s purpose in buying the land and preserving the deeds was to show that houses, fields, and vineyards would again be bought by the people of Israel in the land.

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

(Jeremiah 32:16) Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,

HIS PRAISE FOR GOD’S GREATNESS Jeremiah began his prayer by focusing on the incomparable greatness and majesty of God’s character. In verses 17 to 22 we have praise. Verse 23 is a transition verse. Verses 24 and 25 tells us how he will do it.

In view of the advancing armies of Babylon, Jeremiah had second thoughts about the wisdom of buying the property. Yet he acknowledged and trusted the greatness, majesty, and love of God (vv. 16-18). siege mounds (v. 24). Mounds of earth built up over city walls by the invaders.

(Jeremiah 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:

God’s Creation of the heavens and the earth proves that nothing is too hard for Him Is nothing too hard for thee? See verse 27 for God’s answer to this inquiry. God not only hears us, He answers us.

(Jeremiah 32:18) Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,

He is omnipotent, and He is also a God of love and justice. He shows love to many, but He also punishes sin .

(Jeremiah 32:19) Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

In God’s omniscience He sees all the ways of men. Since nothing escapes His notice He can justly reward everyone according to his conduct.

(Jeremiah 32:20) Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;

241 God’s character was displayed in His deeds throughout Israel’s history. From the time of the Exodus God’s signs and wonders had continued on Israel’s behalf.

(Jeremiah 32:21) And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;

God displayed His loyal love when He brought… Israel out of Egypt and gave them the land He had promised them.

(Jeremiah 32:22) And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;

Unfortunately when Israel took possession of the land she refused to obey… or follow God’s Law.

(Jeremiah 32:23) And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:

She violated her covenant with Him. God was forced to display His power and justice as He brought the disaster of His curses (which included invasion and deportation) upon them.

(Jeremiah 32:24) Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it. Mounts means the walls were breached.

HIS PUZZLEMENT OVER GOD’S PROMISE

After reminding God of His mighty character and deeds, Jeremiah expressed his continued perplexity at God’s workings. In light of verses 17-23 it seems harsh to believe that Jeremiah doubted God’s ability to restore His people. Probably Jeremiah was expressing in verses 24-25 his bewilderment over how God would accomplish this restoration rather than doubting if God would accomplish it.

(Jeremiah 32:25) And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Babylon’s siege ramps were already erected against Jerusalem, and the city’s fate was sealed. Jerusalem would be handed over to the Babylonians. (On the sword, famine, and plague; cf. v. 36 and see comments on 14:12.) Everything that God had foretold through His prophets had happened. Yet as the army of Babylon stood poised to reduce Jerusalem to rubble, God had commanded Jeremiah to buy a field that was already under Babylon’s control (32:6-12). Jeremiah did not understand how God’s promised restoration related to Judah’s present calamity.

242

God's Assurance of the People's Return

(Jeremiah 32:26) Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

God reassured His prophet that after the captivity He would cause His people to prosper again in their land.

THE CITY WILL BE DESTROYED

(Jeremiah 32:27) Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

God answered Jeremiah by first reminding him of His character. As Jeremiah had said, nothing is too hard for God in verse 17 . (Jeremiah 32:28) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: Jeremiah could depend on God’s Word even if he did not understand how it would be accomplished. Nebuchadnezzar would indeed destroy Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 32:29) And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.

He would set it on fire and burn it down because of the people’s idolatry .

(Jeremiah 32:30) For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

Evil had characterized both Israel and Judah… from their youth—it was a long-standing problem.

(Jeremiah 32:31) For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face,

All the people provoked God with their wicked conduct. Spiritually they turned their backs on God and refused to listen or respond to discipline.

(Jeremiah 32:32) Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 32:33) And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

243 The temple was polluted with abominable idols, and the Valley of Ben Hinnom had become a slaughterhouse where the people would sacrifice their sons and daughters .

(Jeremiah 32:34) But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.

(Jeremiah 32:35) And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

God would destroy Jerusalem because of her sin. (Jeremiah 32:36) And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;

THE CITY WILL BE RESTORED

Jerusalem was handed over to… Babylon for the sword, famine, and plague but that catastrophic event did not signal the end of God’s covenant people.

(Jeremiah 32:37) Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:

God offered hope in the midst of despair. First, He promised a regathering. God will gather His people from all the lands where they had been in exile and will bring them back to the land of Israel where they will live in safety .

(Jeremiah 32:38) And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

Second, He promised an everlasting covenant. Not only will the people of Israel be restored to their land, but also they will be restored to their God. They will be His people and He will be their God.

(Jeremiah 32:39) And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

With singleness of heart they will follow the Lord as He makes an everlasting covenant with them.

(Jeremiah 32:40) And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

244 This “everlasting covenant” is another term for the “New Covenant”. It was called “everlasting” ((o=la4m) to stress its duration. The new covenant will never end (unlike the Mosaic).

(Jeremiah 32:41) Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

Then God will never stop doing good to His people, and they will never turn away from Him.

(Jeremiah 32:42) For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

Just as God had been faithful to His word in bringing great calamity on Israel because of her sin , so He will also be faithful in providing the prosperity He had promised them.

(Jeremiah 32:43) And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Thus Jeremiah’s purchase of the field was a symbolic act to show that fields will again be bought for silver throughout the land of Israel because God will restore their fortunes .

(Jeremiah 32:44) Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.

Life Principle: Four points are involved in this purchase of the field by Jeremiah.

1. The intelligence of faith

Rom 1:16-17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

2 Cor 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

245 2. The obedience of faith

Though Jeremiah did not understand it he performed the request of God. Obedient faith requires action. God commands and we obey. God has given us in His Word the keys of daily living according to his commanments. We need to obey.

3. The questioning of faith

The enacting of faith requires a venture on our part. We can not hide anything from God but in each of us at times lurks the seed of unbelief. Do you believe in God? Then pray about a matter and follow Him even though you do not see beforetime how a matter will come out.

4. The assurance of faith

God has said in His Word that nothing is too hard for Him. He is just waiting for His children to call unto Him and He will answer us. The secret of Jehovah is with them that revere Him and hold Him in awe.

1 Cor 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

246 Chapter Thirty Three

The Restoration of Israel and Judah Reaffirmed

Chapter 33 concludes “The Book of Consolation.” This chapter is structurally and chronologically related to chapter 32. :1-13 continued God’s promise of blessing as He reaffirmed both the coming destruction and the future restoration of Jerusalem. God then reaffirmed His covenants with David and with the Levitical priests.

Excellence of the Restored Nation

(Jeremiah 33:1) Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

The coming judgment and future restoration

THE JUDGMENT Chapter 33 followed closely the message of chapter 32 as Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard (cf. 32:1-2).

(Jeremiah 33:2) Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;

God again identified Himself to Jeremiah by stressing both His power and His character. He is the God who made the earth (cf. 32:17). By revealing to Jeremiah that the LORD (Yahweh) is His name, God emphasized His covenant-keeping faithfulness on behalf of His people.

(Jeremiah 33:3) Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

You (thee) is singular. God wants your upturned face not your back in prayer. Prayer is vital to the study of scripture or the quest for guidance by the Christian. Mighty Inaccessible, like a fortified city (Num. 13:28). God offers this inaccessible knowledge concerning the future to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah did not understand how God could restore a nation that was destined for doom , so God challenged the prophet to call to Him for understanding. God promised to answer by revealing great and unsearchable things. The word for “unsearchable” (bes[u4ro=t{) means something that is made inaccessible by fortifying it or enclosing it. It is used to describe heavily fortified cities . God’s plans for the future are inaccessible to ordinary people. Only God can unlock the secrets of the future, and He offered this knowledge to Jeremiah. God would share with Jeremiah “things” the prophet did not know or understand about Israel’s future.

247 The word "mighty" could be rendered "fenced in," with the connotation being "cut off" or "inaccessible." God is able to reveal that which has formerly been hidden, and He is committed to deliver and to preserve His people.

1 Peter 1:10-11 10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

(Jeremiah 33:4) For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;

The first revelation focused on Jerusalem’s impending fall. As Babylon’s siege wore away at Jerusalem’s outer defenses, the houses of Jerusalem along with the royal palaces were torn down to provide wood and stone to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps. The object of this frantic effort was to prevent Babylon’s soldiers (the sword) from making a breach in the walls and entering the city.

(Jeremiah 33:5) They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.

God announced that Jerusalem’s feeble attempts to shore up her defenses were futile. The partially dismantled houses would be filled with the dead bodies of those slain by the Babylonians. God would hide His face from the city, refusing to deliver it from this destruction . Jerusalem had to be destroyed because of all its wickedness.

(Jeremiah 33:6) Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

Rom 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

God promised again to restore His people and Jerusalem.

Here we find Yahweh's promise of restoration. In the restoration Yahweh will grant healing, peace, truth, cleansing, and forgiveness. Verse 8 contains three terms that express different aspects of the idea of sin: "iniquity" (`avon, Heb., "to stray from the appointed path"); "sinned" (hata^, Heb., "to miss the mark"); and "transgressed" (pasha`, Heb., "to rebel"). For these offenses God will grant "cleansing" (taher, Heb., "to make ceremonially clean") and

248 "pardon" (salah, Heb., "to forgive"). Central to the character of God is His willingness and desire to forgive. This is based on His grace (Eph. 2:8, 9).

Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

THE RESTORATION The secret to understanding God’s seemingly contradictory prophecies of judgment and blessing is to realize that the judgment was to be only temporary. After the time of judgment God will someday bring health and healing to His city and people.

(Jeremiah 33:7) And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.

God spoke to Jeremiah about three elements of this blessing. First, the blessing will involve a restoration to the land. God will bring both Judah and Israel back from captivity.

(Jeremiah 33:8) And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

Second, the blessing will involve a restoration to the Lord. God will cleanse the people from all their sin and forgive them of their rebellion.

(Jeremiah 33:9) And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

Third, the blessing will involve a restoration to a special place of honor among the nations Jerusalem will bring… renown, joy, praise, and honor to God before all nations. Those nations will be in awe and will tremble as they marvel at the abundant prosperity and peace (cf. 33:6) God will lavish on His people.

(Jeremiah 33:10) Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

God elaborated on the contrast between Israel’s present judgment and her future blessing by drawing two pictures of the changes that would come. Each picture began with a similar phrase (vv. 10, 12) as God emphasized that this is what the LORD (or LORD Almighty) says. In each picture the scene in Jeremiah’s day was similar (cf. vv. 10, 12). Jerusalem was a desolate waste that was without men or animals (cf. 32:43). Though the siege was still in progress, the fall of Jerusalem was so sure that God pictured it as if it had already happened. At this point the two pictures changed. 249

(Jeremiah 33:11) The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.

The streets of Jerusalem that were deserted after its destruction by Babylon (cf. Lam. 1:1-4) will again be filled with the sounds of joy and gladness. This joyful sound will be typified by the voices of a bride and bridegroom in a wedding ceremony (cf. Jer. 7:34; 16:9; 25:10) and the voices of worshipers as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD (cf. Ps. 100:1-2, 4). The song to be sung by the worshipers, recorded by Jeremiah, resembled the refrain of several psalms . Joy will come when God restores Judah’s fortunes. Psalm 100:1-4 1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

(Jeremiah 33:12) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

God illustrated the joy and gladness that will again return to Jerusalem and Judah, and in verses 12-13 He illustrated the peace and prosperity that will again characterize Judah.

The towns of Judah that were destroyed by Babylon will also experience peace and prosperity. God will again provide safe pastures for flocks.

(Jeremiah 33:13) In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.

This peace will extend from Jerusalem to the hill country of Judah in the east, the western foothills of the Shephelah in the west, the Negev in the south, and the territory of Benjamin in the north. Throughout the land flocks will again pass under the hand of the one who counts them as a shepherd counts his sheep to be sure none is absent. Possibly Jeremiah was using shepherd and sheep in a metaphorical sense to refer to the leaders of Israel and the people. He had already compared the leaders to shepherds (cf. comments on 3:15) and the restored nation was compared to a regathered flock . Jeremiah had also used this imagery to introduce his message on the righteous Branch from David (23:1-6), which is the subject of 33:14-26.

250 (Jeremiah 33:14) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

The King-Messiah (v. 15) will emerge from the Davidic dynasty to rule in the millennial kingdom (see 23:5). Jerusalem, about to be captured by Nebuchadnezzar, will be restored and called the LORD is our righteousness because it will be governed by the righteous King (v. 16). The Davidic covenant (v. 17) and the covenant made with Phinehas (v. 18; see note on Num. 25:13) are reaffirmed.

The Covenants with David and the Levitical Priests

THE COVENANTS The second section of this chapter is introduced with the phrase the days are coming (hinne4h ya4m|

(Jeremiah 33:15) In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

The first aspect of this fulfillment will be the restoration of the monarchy . The righteous Branch that will sprout from David’s line will rule as King over the nation. This was a prophecy about Jesus Christ who descended from the line of David and was promised David’s throne.

(Jeremiah 33:16) In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.

The second aspect of this fulfillment will be the restoration of Jerusalem as God’s dwelling place. The city that was about to be destroyed by Babylon (Jer. 33:4-5) will someday live in safety. Though this verse is also found in 23:6, Jeremiah made a significant change in this passage to give it a new meaning. In 23:6 Jeremiah pictured the safety of Israel and Judah through the ministry of the Messiah who was called “The LORD Our Righteousness.” However, by changing “Israel” to “Jerusalem” and by changing the preposition “he” to “it” (la4h0, lit., “to her”) Jeremiah made the title, The LORD Our Righteousness apply to the city of Jerusalem instead of to the Messiah. The city will take on the same characteristics as the Lord who will dwell within her (cf. Ezek. 48:35).

251 It is significant that Jeremiah singled out the royal (Jer. 33:15) and religious (v. 16) aspects of God’s restoration. Both were vital to Israel’s existence as God’s covenant community.

(Jeremiah 33:17) For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

To emphasize the importance of both elements, God reiterated His covenants with the line of David and with the Levitical priests. The first covenant mentioned was God’s covenant with David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:8-16; 1 Chron. 17:4-14). God vowed, David will never fail to have a man to sit on Israel’s throne. Some have felt that this promise was incorrect because the throne did cease in 586 B.C. when Jerusalem fell. However, God did not promise an unbroken monarchy but an unbroken line of descendants from David who would be qualified to sit on that throne when it was reestablished. David’s line would not fail before the righteous Branch came to claim His throne (cf. Luke 1:31-33). The genealogies of Matthew and Luke show that this promise was fulfilled as Christ was able to trace both His legal line through Joseph and His physical line through Mary back to David (Matt. 1:1-16; Luke 3:23-31).

(Jeremiah 33:18) Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

The second covenant mentioned was God’s covenant with the priests, who are Levites. This covenant was God’s promise that the Levites would never fail to have a man to stand before Him to offer burnt offerings… grain offerings, and sacrifices. Again the promise was not that the sacrifices would continue unabated, because they did cease in 586 B.C. and were not resumed till 537 B.C. (cf. Ezra 3:1-6). The promise here was that the Levitical priesthood would not be extinguished. God was referring back to the promise He made to Phinehas (Num. 25:12- 13). In other words neither the monarchy nor the priesthood would be abolished.

Numbers 25:13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.

The Permanence of God's Covenant

(Jeremiah 33:19) And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,

The Confirmation

God gave two assurances that He would keep His covenant promises. Each assurance began with the same introductory phrase (“The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,” vv. 19, 23); and each used God’s “covenant of day and night” to illustrate the permanence of these institutions .

(Jeremiah 33:20) Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

252

Only if man could break God’s covenant with the day and… the night (cf. Gen. 1:14-19) could he break God’s covenant with David and His covenant with the Levites who are priests. That is, God’s covenants with these groups were as fixed as the natural order of the universe. They could not be overthrown by mere mortals.

(Jeremiah 33:21) Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

The word for “covenant” (ber|

Indeed, God promised to bless both lines so the descendants would become as countless as the stars and the sand.

This comparison with the innumerable host of stars and immeasurable grains of sand is a reiteration of the patriarchal promises (Gen. 15:5; 22:17). The promises to David are a renewal of God's covenant with Abraham.

(Jeremiah 33:23) Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

God is ever faithful to His promise.

(Jeremiah 33:24) Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.

God’s second assurance to Jeremiah came because of external doubt and reproach. The group in question (these people) was not specified—they may have been doubting Israelites or Israel’s heathen neighbors. Whoever they were, “these people” were claiming that God had so rejected the two kingdoms (mis]pa4h[o=t{, lit., “families or clans”; cf. 31:1) that He would no longer regard them as a nation. They felt that Israel’s and Judah’s sin had invalidated all God’s covenant promises so that He was no longer obligated to fulfill them.

(Jeremiah 33:25) Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;

God responded to this argument by reaffirming His commitment to His covenant promises. The covenants with Abraham and David were not conditioned on the people’s obedience but on God’s character. They were as sure as His covenant with day and night and as immutable as the

253 fixed laws of heaven and earth. Only if these natural laws could be undone would God reject Jacob’s and David’s descendants.

(Jeremiah 33:26) Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, , and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

The reference to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob called to mind God’s covenant promise to these patriarchs regarding His selection of Israel . God was bound to His promises and He would restore the nation’s fortunesand have compassion on her. The greatest argument for the future restoration of Israel as a nation is the character of God. He made a series of covenants with the patriarchs, David, and the Levites; His character demands that He will ultimately fulfill these promises to their nation

Gen. 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Gen. 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

254 Chapter Thirty Four

Zedekiah Warned by God

When Nebuchadnezzar and his army… were fighting against Jerusalem God gave Jeremiah a message for King Zedekiah.

(:1) The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

The final assault against Jerusalem had begun, provoked by Zedekiah's revolt in 589 B.C. Jeremiah again predicted the downfall of Jerusalem (v. 2) and Zedekiah's captivity in Babylon, where he would die in peace (v. 5). His death would be marked by ceremonial incense burning (cf. the burial of Jehoiakim, 22:18-19). Lachish. 30 mi (48 km) SW of Jerusalem. Azekah. 15 mi (24 km) SW of Jerusalem. The Lachish letters, written at this time, describe the Babylonian conquest.

(Jeremiah 34:2) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:

This message was that Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon would not succeed. God had already determined to hand the city over to the Babylonians, who would burn it down

(Jeremiah 34:3) And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon. Though Zedekiah would try to flee, he would not escape. Instead he would be taken to Nebuchadnezzar and be required to meet with him face to face and be judged for his rebellion. Zedekiah would be taken captive to Babylon as punishment for his rebellion. Everything Jeremiah predicted came to pass. His eyes saw the King but was blinded so he never saw Babylon even though he was taken there. (Jeremiah 34:4) Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword: :13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. In the midst of judgment God did offer a promise of peace. Because of his rebellion Zedekiah could have been executed by Nebuchadnezzar, but God promised that he would not die by the sword. (Jeremiah 34:5) But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.

255 He would die peacefully and would receive a proper funeral befitting a king (in contrast with Jehoiakim; cf. 22:18-19). The people would kindle a funeral fire to honor and lament Zedekiah. This fire does not refer to cremation because Israel and Judah buried dead bodies rather than cremating them. Instead it referred to the custom of lighting a large bonfire as a tribute to a dead king .

(Jeremiah 34:6) Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

Jeremiah delivered his message to King Zedekiah

(Jeremiah 34:7) When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

the army… of Babylon relentlessly continued its attack against Jerusalem and the two other fortified cities that remained in Judah—Lachish and Azekah. All the other Judean cities had already fallen. This grim picture of Judah’s precarious position was illustrated by a tragic letter inscribed on a clay potsherd that was found in the ruins of Lachish. The letter was written to the commander at Lachish from an outpost that was close enough to Lachish and Azekah to see signal fires from both cities. Evidently Azekah had just fallen because the officer wrote, “And let my lord know that we are watching for the signals of Lachish, according to all the indications which my lord hath given, for we cannot see Azekah”

Lachish was located about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Inscriptions written in Hebrew unearthed in excavations at Lachish confirm the critical nature of those last days before the destruction of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 34:8) This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

The Warning to the People

Jeremiah raised the curtain of history on many social evils being practiced in his day. One such practice was the enslavement of Israelites by their own people. This violated God’s Law . Perhaps in a desperate attempt to win God’s favor during Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem, the king proclaimed freedom for the slaves, a kind of “Emancipation Proclamation.” Everyone was to free his Hebrew slaves in accordance with God’s Law. Exodus 21:2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

Zedekiah convinced the people to release their Hebrew slaves (who were supposed to be given their freedom after six years, Ex. 21:2), hoping thereby to impress God and cause Him to relieve the Babylonian siege against Jerusalem. But when news came that an advancing Egyptian

256 army caused the Babylonians temporarily to lift the siege and regroup against the Egyptians (37:5), the slave owners, feeling that the danger was past, forced their slaves back into service. After the six years of servitude the servant could choose to remain a servant called a bond servant. His ear was pierced by the master and he was free.

(Jeremiah 34:9) That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.

After the people had made the covenant and released the slaves, the army of Babylon broke off its siege of Jerusalem to repel an attack by the Egyptians (cf. 37:4-13). The people hoped for an Egyptian victory, which would force Babylon from Judah. But after so much destruction slaves would be needed to rebuild the cities and towns.

(Jeremiah 34:10) Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.

Treacherous Treatment of Slaves

(Jeremiah 34:11) But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

The slaves’ freedom, however, was short-lived. All those who released their slaves changed their minds… and enslaved them again. What caused this reversal? Jeremiah placed at the end of the chapter (Jer. 34:21-22) the key that unlocks the puzzle So the people reneged on their promise to God when it seemed that life would return to normal.

(Jeremiah 34:12) Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

(Jeremiah 34:13) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,

God rebuked the people for their inconsistency by reminding them of the covenant He had made with their forefathers when He freed them from their slavery in Egypt.

(Jeremiah 34:14) At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.

The Law required that every seventh year all Hebrew slaves were to go free. No Israelite was to be forced into permanent bondage again. Unfortunately the people did not listen to God’s Word.

257 (Jeremiah 34:15) And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

But because of Babylon’s attack the people finally repented and did what was right by granting freedom to their countrymen. In making their covenant in the temple (see verse 18 that describes this ) the people had slaughtered a calf… cut it in two, and walked between its pieces to signify their commitment to the bargain.

(Jeremiah 34:16) But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

When they rescinded their promise they profaned God’s name (His reputation) because the covenant had been made before God in the temple. It was according to the law that Hebrew slaves, when they were set at liberty, could accept freedom or remain with their masters forever.

Exo 21:5 - 6 5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. (Jeremiah 34:17) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

God’s punishment matched their sin. By revoking their covenant the people had not proclaimed freedom for those Israelites who were wrongfully enslaved. Therefore ironically God would give them freedom to die by the sword, plague, and famine

Judah's liberty is actually license. In the nation's self-willed rebellion, she freed herself from God's protection and blessing, becoming the slave of war, pestilence, famine, and all forms of ungodliness.

(Jeremiah 34:18) And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof.

By walking through the parts of the animal they were symbolizing the judgment that should befall them if they violated the agreement. They were to be hacked to pieces like the calf. (See verse 20 which descibes this) .

258 when they cut the calf in two. The ancient method of ratifying a covenant, here used in the matter of the slaves.

(Jeremiah 34:19) The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

Significantly when God made His covenant with Abraham, the patriarch did not pass between the parts of the animal. Only God did; apparently the blazing torch symbolized Him (Gen. 15:4- 18, esp. v. 17). The Abrahamic Covenant rested on God’s character, not on man’s obedience. Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

(Jeremiah 34:20) I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

God promised to treat those who broke the covenant like the calf they had slaughtered. All who made the agreement would be handed over to their enemies. Like the parts of the calf, their dead bodies would lie on the ground as food for both birds and beasts. All who broke the covenant to grant freedom to their slaves would themselves die.

(Jeremiah 34:21) And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.

Zedekiah and his officials should have been models of godly leadership, but they were as vacillating as the people. Though the Babylonians had withdrawn from Jerusalem,

(Jeremiah 34:22) Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.

God would give the order to bring them back. The siege would resume until the Babylonians would take Jerusalem and burn it down (cf. v. 2). The other towns would be devastated too so the whole country would be virtually deserted.

Ps 119:106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.

Jer 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Ezek 12:25

259 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.

Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Deut 23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

260 Chapter Thirty Five

The Obedient Rechabites

(:1) The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

This prophecy was given during the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.)—at least 11 years (and possibly 20 years) earlier than the prophecies in chapter 34. Jeremiah placed the chapter here to contrast the faithfulness of the Recabite family with the unfaithfulness of the people of Judah.

A flashback to the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.) to show the sharp contrast between the faithful Rechabites and unfaithful Judah.

THE FIDELITY OF THE RECABITES

Promise Keepers Versus Promise Breakers

(Jeremiah 35:2) Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.

Re’ chab ites means rider. This is very appropriate since the tribe moved around a lot by donkeys and camels. The Recabites were a nomadic clan (35:7-10) descended from “Jonadab [or Jehonadab] son of Recab” (v. 6) who assisted Jehu in exterminating Baal worship from Israel (2 Kings 10:15-27). They were related to the Kenites (1 Chron. 2:54-55) who descended from Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Judges 1:16). Evidently Jonadab rejected a settled way of life for the life of a nomad, and his lifestyle became the norm for his clan (Jer. 35:6-10). They traveled in the wilderness of the Negev (Judges 1:16; 1 Sam. 15:6), but were forced to move to Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar threatened Judah in 598 B.C. (Jer. 35:11). A puritan protest group, advocating a nomadic way of life, that originated with Jehonadab, son of Rechab, in Israel about 842 B.C. (2 Kings 10:15-23). Jeremiah was commanded to give them wine to drink, which they refused.

(Jeremiah 35:3) Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

Jeremiah invited the Recabites, including Jaazaniah, into one of the side rooms in the temple. These rooms surrounded the temple court and were used for meetings, storage, and as priests’ residences. Who were the Rechabites? The "Rechabites," descendants of Rechab, who lived during the reign of Ahab, were staunch resisters to the worship of the fertility gods. Jonadab, the son of Rechab, taught his kinsmen to refrain from drinking wine, building houses, and farming. Rather they were to dwell in tents.

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(Jeremiah 35:4) And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door:

The particular room Jeremiah entered belonged to the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah. Nothing is known about Igdaliah except that he was a man of God—a term usually used to describe a prophet. The room occupied a prominent position, next to the room of the officials and over the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. Maaseiah was one of three “doorkeepers” for the temple. This was evidently a high position because those holding it were singled out by the Babylonians for judgment along with the chief priests.

(Jeremiah 35:5) And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. Into this august company Jeremiah brought the rough, nomadic Recabites. He set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Recabites and asked them to drink some wine. The Example of the Recabites

Why did Jeremiah bring the Recabites into the temple and offer them wine when he knew they would refuse it? This was to provide a lesson to Judah. The Recabites consistently obeyed their forefather’s command. They stood in sharp contrast with the people of Judah who had consistently not obeyed God.

(Jeremiah 35:6) But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever:

The Recabites refused to drink the wine because their forefather Jonadab had prohibited it. The way of life chosen by Jonadab would not allow his descendants… ever to drink wine.

(Jeremiah 35:7) Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. Nor were they allowed to build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards, that is, to settle down to a life of farming. Instead they were to live simple lives in tents as nomads.

(Jeremiah 35:8) Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters;

Jonadab’s descendants had obeyed everything he had commanded.

(Jeremiah 35:9) Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:

262 They had never drunk wine or built houses to live in, nor had they ever cultivated vineyards, fields, or crops.

(Jeremiah 35:10) But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

(Jeremiah 35:11) But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.

In fact it was only because Nebuchadnezzar had invaded the land that they had come to Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 35:12) Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah used the fidelity of the Rechabites as an object lesson to Judah, who, by contrast, had broken God's commands. As their reward the Rechabites would always have descendants to worship and serve God.

(Jeremiah 35:13) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD.

(Jeremiah 35:14) The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

While the Rechabites obeyed and followed the teachings of Jonadab their father, Israel had neither obeyed the Lord nor followed His instructions. The Rechabites were more loyal to their earthly father and his human judgments than the people of Israel were to their Creator God.

(Jeremiah 35:15) I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

(Jeremiah 35:16) Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people hath not hearkened unto me:

(Jeremiah 35:17) Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.

263 The Recabites served as a visual reminder of Judah’s sin. God vowed to bring on Judah… every disaster He had pronounced against them. This “disaster” could refer either to the curses of the covenant (cf. Lev. 26:14-39; Deut. 28:15-68) or, more probably, to the fall of Judah and Jerusalem predicted by Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 4:20; 6:19; 11:11-12; 17:18). Judah would be punished because she did not listen to God’s words and did not answer God’s summons.

(Jeremiah 35:18) And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:

The Reward of the Recabites

In contrast with faithless Judah the Recabites had consistently obeyed the command of their forefather Jonadab. God promised to reward their faithfulness, and assured them that they would never fail to have a man to serve Him. The phrase “serve Me” ((o4me4d{ lep{a4nay) means literally, “to stand before Me.” It was used of those who served the Lord as prophets (1 Kings 17:1; Jer. 15:19), of officials who served Solomon (1 Kings 10:8), and of priests in the temple (Deut. 4:10; 10:8; 2 Chron. 29:11). However, though God might have been offering the Recabites a special place of service to Him in the covenant community, this interpretation is not required.

(Jeremiah 35:19) Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

264 Chapter Thirty Six

The Scroll Read in the Temple

(:1) And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

the fourth year = 605 B.C. The first year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign and the year Daniel and others were taken to Babylon. (See verse 9)

(Jeremiah 36:2) Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

The prophet is instructed to record the words of God to His wayward people. The "book" was made of either papyrus or leather. The Hebrew phrase megillat-sepher ("a scroll of a book") is rare; it occurs only here, in Ps. 40:8 and in Ezek. 2:9. The purpose of the book is to show the people the necessity of repentance

God commanded Jeremiah to write on a scroll all the prophecies God gave him about Israel, Judah, and… other nations from the time God began speaking to him in the reign of Josiah (627 B.C.;) until that day. This was the first formal compilation of Jeremiah’s prophecies, and it was mentioned earlier (25:13).

(Jeremiah 36:3) It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.

One purpose for recording these prophecies was so they could be read aloud to the people. The hope was that the people would hear about every disaster threatened by God and would turn from their wicked way. If the people would repent, God promised to forgive their wickedness.

(Jeremiah 36:4) Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.

Jeremiah summoned Baruch, his scribe, and dictated to him all the words. It is not known whether Jeremiah recited all the prophecies from memory or if he read them from scrolls on which he had recorded them earlier. Both views allow for God’s superintendence. Baruch, serving as the prophet's amanuensis or secretary, recorded the prophecies of Jeremiah. He went into Egypt with the prophet and may have stayed with him until Jeremiah's death (43:6).

(Jeremiah 36:5) And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD:

265 Jeremiah was restricted, or barred, from the temple—possibly because of his earlier unpopular addresses there. Because of this restriction Jeremiah told Baruch to go to the house of the LORD in his place.

(Jeremiah 36:6) Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.

Baruch was to go on a day of fasting. Prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. fast days were not specified but were called in times of emergency. Only after the fall of Jerusalem were regular fast days instituted .

(Jeremiah 36:7) It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.

Jeremiah hoped that as Baruch read to the people from the scroll they would repent of their sins.

(Jeremiah 36:8) And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.

The Reading of the Scroll

Some time passed before a national emergency arose which prompted the leaders to call a fast.

(Jeremiah 36:9) And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

a fast. In December 604 B.C., probably because the Babylonians had conquered Ashkelon at that time.

The scroll was written in Jehoiakim’s fourth year (v. 1), but it was not read until the ninth month of the fifth year. This sounds like a gap of at least nine months, but because of the Hebrew method of dating it could have been a much shorter period of time. Assuming that Jeremiah employed the Tishri (September-October)-to-Tishri year for dating Judah’s kings (see comments on 25:1), Jehoiakim’s fourth year would have extended from October 7 (Tishri 1), 605 B.C. to September 25, 604 B.C. (not October 6 because of the lunar calendar); and his fifth year would have extended from September 26, 604 B.C. to October 14, 603 B.C. (including an intercalary month). However, when a specific month was given it was always reckoned by a Nisan (March-April)-to- Nisan year. Thus the “ninth month” was whatever ninth month from Nisan fell into the “fifth year” that began in Tishri. In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the ninth month extended from November 24, 604 B.C. through December 23, 604 B.C.—a date just three months after the end of Jehoiakim’s fourth year. The date was significant because the Babylonian Chronicle reports that at the same time Nebuchadnezzar was in Palestine collecting “vast tribute” from those nations he

266 had conquered. In the same month the fast was called, Nebuchadnezzar captured the city of Ashkelon and plundered it. It is possible that the fast was called to plead for deliverance from Babylon’s harsh hand.

(Jeremiah 36:10) Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people.

Baruch went to the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan (see the chart “The Line of Shaphan,” near 26:24) which was in the upper courtyard of the temple (cf. 26:10) at the entrance of the New Gate. Gemariah, like his brother Ahikam, supported Jeremiah’s message and allowed Baruch to use his room from which he could read to the people gathered in the temple courtyard.

The scroll was read three times: in the Temple court (v. 10), before the princes (v. 15), and before King Jehoiakim (v. 21).

The Scroll Read in the Palace

(Jeremiah 36:11) When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

Gemariah did not remain in his room while Baruch read the scroll, but his son Micaiah… heard all the words.

(Jeremiah 36:12) Then he went down into the king's house, into the scribe's chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. Micaiah went to the royal palace to report the contents of the scroll to the officials. Those gathered there included Elishama the secretary (cf. v. 21), Delaiah son of Shemaiah (cf. v. 25), and Elnathan son of Acbor (cf. v. 25). Though Acbor played a part in the recovery of the Law during the time of Josiah (2 Kings 22:12-14), his son Elnathan did not possess all his father’s qualities. If he is the same Elnathan mentioned in 2 Kings 24:8, then he was King Jehoiakim’s father-in-law. Though Elnathan did urge Jehoiakim not to burn Jeremiah’s scroll (Jer. 36:25), he had also led an expedition to Egypt to extradite the Prophet Uriah back to Jerusalem to be executed (cf. 26:20-23). Also present in this meeting were Gemariah (36:10, 25), Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and other officials.

(Jeremiah 36:13) Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.

(Jeremiah 36:14) Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them.

267 When Micaiah finished his report, the officials sent Jehudi to Baruch to summon him to appear before them.

(Jeremiah 36:15) And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears.

After Baruch entered the room they asked him to sit down and read the scroll to them.

(Jeremiah 36:16) Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.

His reading caused the officials to look at each other in fear because they realized that they must report all its words to King Jehoiakim.

(Jeremiah 36:17) And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth?

They asked Baruch how the scroll was written,

(Jeremiah 36:18) Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.

He explained that Jeremiah had dictated the words and he wrote them… on the scroll.

(Jeremiah 36:19) Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.

Before the meeting adjourned, those present gave a word of warning to Baruch. Both he and Jeremiah were to go and hide and not let anyone know where they were. Jehoiakim’s prior reaction against Uriah the prophet showed the wisdom of this advice.

The King Destroys Jeremiah's Scroll

(Jeremiah 36:20) And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king. The Burning of the Scroll

Baruch’s scroll was placed in the room of Elishama, and the officials went to the king and reported the incident to him.

(Jeremiah 36:21) So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king.

Jehudi was sent to retrieve the scroll and he read it to the king as the officials watched.

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(Jeremiah 36:22) Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

winter house. Not a separate house, but a warmer part of his residence.

Jeremiah reemphasized that the events took place in the ninth month because that helped explain the story. The story happened between November 24 and December 23, 604 B.C.; the weather can be quite cold in Jerusalem during that time of year. Jehoiakim was in his winter apartment, which probably faced south to catch the winter sun, and he had a fire burning in a firepot, or brazier, to provide warmth.

(Jeremiah 36:23) And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Jehoiakim demonstrates his disdain for Jeremiah and for the word of God by systematically consigning the scroll of Jeremiah to the flames (v. 23). The writing on the scroll was in vertical columns. After Jehudi would read three or four columns, Jehoiakim interrupted him to cut those columns off the scroll with a scribe’s knife. He then threw those pieces into the firepot until he had burned the entire scroll. Life Application: Notice the slow calculated method the king used in destroying the parchment. Was the king afraid of the word or afraid of Jeremiah. Did he really believe that the destruction of the scroll would put an end to the matter? This calls to mind

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

How is the word being attacked today in order to destroy peoples faith in Jesus? Not in such a primitive fashion as we read here in Jeremiah but rather in an indirect way such as, the media, books, TV reporting, public derision of believers, governmental decrees that encourage liberalism and openly calling the Bible a book contrived by man and not the Holy Spirit.

(Jeremiah 36:24) Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words.

Jehoiakim, in contrast with his godly father Josiah (cf. 2 Kings 22:11-13), showed no fear of God’s word of judgment nor did he and his counselors tear their clothes in a visible act of contrition or repentance.

Perhaps the most amazing and astonishing aspect of this event is the self-confidence of the entire royal court. They were not afraid of God's message (v. 24).

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(Jeremiah 36:25) Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

Although three members of the court appealed to save the scroll, the plea was to no avail (v. 25). Jeremiah and Baruch had to be hidden by the Lord (Jer. 36:26).

(Jeremiah 36:26) But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.

Instead Jehoiakim ordered the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah. However, they were hidden by the LORD so the king’s men could not find them. Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll

(Jeremiah 36:27) Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,

The Rewriting of the Scroll

Man can burn a scroll, but he cannot destroy the Word of God.

(Jeremiah 36:28) Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.

Since Jehoiakim destroyed the first scroll, God told Jeremiah to write on another scroll… all the words of the first scroll.

(Jeremiah 36:29) And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?

However, he was to include an additional word for King Jehoiakim. Because he had burned the scroll and refused to believe God’s warning about the king of Babylon, God vowed to judge him.

The rewritten scroll contained an additional prophecy of judgment on Jehoiakim: no heir to rule (his son, Jehoiachin, was deposed by Nebuchadnezzar after three months), no proper burial, and punishment on his descendants.

(Jeremiah 36:30) Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

First, no descendant of his would permanently sit on the throne of David. Though his son, Jehoiachin, did follow him to the throne, he was deposed by Nebuchadnezzar after a reign of only three months. No other descendant of Jehoiakim ascended the throne. Second, Jehoiakim 270 would not receive a proper burial. Instead his body would be thrown out of the city and exposed to the elements.

(Jeremiah 36:31) And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.

Third, Jehoiakim’s children and his attendants would be judged for their wickedness. God would bring on them every disaster that He had pronounced… because they had not listened.

(Jeremiah 36:32) Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

Jeremiah obeyed God’s command and secured another scroll. He dictated while Baruch wrote on the new scroll all the words of the original scroll. Then Jeremiah added many similar words, most likely the contents of chapter 36 including the judgment on Jehoiakim.

This verse explains the arrangement of Jeremiah's prophecy. As the exile came nearer, God commanded Jeremiah to write down the messages that He had already given orally (30:2) and to add to them new divine promises of return from exile and of other blessings in the more distant future (30:3,10 -11). Jehoiakim destroyed Jeremiah's scroll (36:23).

God commanded Jeremiah to dictate a new scroll. Jeremiah did so, reproducing the contents of the previous scroll, which probably had been arranged in the order in which God had originally given them. But he added at the proper places certain other inspired discussions of the same subjects (36:32).

Later on Jeremiah inserted messages received at later times but logically related to messages previously given, putting them at the appropriate places within the scroll already written, as for instance, chs. 21; 24; 27 - 29; 32 - 34. Other messages given after the new scroll was written were added in the order in which they were received, and these were followed by certain special sections (chs. 45 - 52).

Thus the arrangement of the book is partly according to the time the messages were given, and partly according to the nature of the subject matter.

271 Chapter Thirty Seven

Zedekiah's Vain Hope

(:1) And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

Zedekiah, a vassal king, did not heed Jeremiah's warnings even though he asked Jeremiah to pray for the people. he, like his predecessors, refused to listen and obey the word of Yahweh as delivered by Jeremiah.

The events in this section focus on Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, who was placed on the throne as a vassal king by Nebuchadnezzar (cf. 2 Kings 24:15-17).

(Jeremiah 37:2) But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.

In these dark days Judah needed a strong and godly leader. Unfortunately Zedekiah possessed neither quality. From the king to the common people, no one paid any attention to Jeremiah’s words of warning until it was too late.

(Jeremiah 37:3) And Zedekiah the king sent the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.

Notice the beauty of the names in translation into English.

Zed e ki’ ah ( means righewousness of Jehovah ) sent a delegation to Jeremiah asking him to pray to the LORD for Jerusalem. Je hu’ cal means Jehovah will prevail Shel e mi’ ah means the peace-offering of Jehovah Zeph a ni’ ah (means treasured of Jehovah) was part of an earlier delegation sent to Jeremiah. Ma a se’ iah (means work of Jehovah) Jer e mi’ ah (means Jehovah will cast forth) The king calls for Jeremiah to pray for the land.

(Jeremiah 37:4) Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison. Jeremiah's reply was not what the king wanted. The prophet was still free (v. 4) and could move about among the people. While the Babylonians had to withdraw from the siege of Jerusalem to deal with the invading Egyptians (588 B.C.), Jeremiah warned that they would return. They would destroy the city even if they had to fight with wounded men. Jeremiah warned Zedekiah not to be deceived (v. 9). This Hebrew phrase could be rendered "Don't cause to lift up your souls."

272 Jeremiah was… not yet… in prison, and Babylon had just lifted her siege of Jerusalem because Pharaoh’s army had marched from Egypt.

(Jeremiah 37:5) Then Pharaoh's army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

The pharaoh was Hophra (44:30), who reigned from 589-570 B.C. and who marched to support Zedekiah against Babylon (52:3; Ezek. 17:11-21). He retreated before actually engaging in battle and left Jerusalem to fall to the Babylonians in 587.

(Jeremiah 37:6) Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

Jeremiah's response to Zedekiah was not one he wanted to hear--namely, Pharaoh's army would be defeated and Nebuchadnezzar's forces would capture and burn Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 37:7) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

God’s answer was not the one Zedekiah sought. The army of Egypt that had marched out to support Judah would be crushed by Babylon and forced to go back to its own land.

(Jeremiah 37:8) And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.

Then the army of Babylon would return and attack Jerusalem. They would capture it and burn it down .

(Jeremiah 37:9) Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.

Those who hoped for a Babylonian withdrawal were deceiving themselves.

(Jeremiah 37:10) For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire. Even if only wounded men were in Nebuchadnezzar’s army, God said that they still would burn Jerusalem down .

Jeremiah Imprisoned

(Jeremiah 37:11) And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

Five steps in Jeremiah's prison experiences are recorded: (1) He is arrested in the gate and committed to a dungeon on the false charge of treason

273 (2) He is released from the dungeon, but restricted to the courtyard of the prison (3) He is imprisoned in the miry cistern of Malkijah (38:6). (4) He is again released from the cistern and kept in the prison courtyard until the capture of the city And (5) he is carried in chains from the city by Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, being finally released at Ramah .

JEREMIAH’S ARREST AND CONFINEMENT IN A DUNGEON The withdrawal of the Babylonian army to fight the Egyptians produced a period of relative calm in Judah.

(Jeremiah 37:12) Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.

Irijah thought Jeremiah was deserting to the enemy, whereas he was only going to his home to get his share of some family property.

Jeremiah used this lull to leave the city for a short journey into the territory of Benjamin (cf. 1:1). The purpose of his trip was to get his share of some property belonging to his family. The word for “get his share” (h[a4laq) could also be translated “divide, share, apportion.” Jeremiah was traveling to Anathoth to take care of personal business, either to secure some land or to divide up some land for sale to others. This land transaction probably does not relate to his purchase in chapter 32. By the time of the purchase in chapter 32 Jeremiah had already been arrested and confined to the courtyard of the guard (cf. 32:2). When he started toward Anathoth (chap. 37) he had not yet been arrested (cf. 37:4, 21; 38:13, 28). Therefore the events of chapter 37 took place before the events of chapter 32.

(Jeremiah 37:13) And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.

Just as Jeremiah started to leave, the captain of the guard seized him. Irijah… arrested Jeremiah and charged him with deserting to the enemy. (Jeremiah 37:14) Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.

Jeremiah denied the charge, but the captain would not listen. Instead… Jeremiah was taken to the officials who ordered him beaten and imprisoned.

(Jeremiah 37:15) Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

The prison was located in the house of Jonathan the secretary and was a vaulted cell in a dungeon (lit., “in the house of the cistern, in the vaulted rooms”). This was probably a complex

274 of large, underground cisterns that had been converted into a prison. Jeremiah… remained there a long time.

(Jeremiah 37:16) When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days; dungeon . . . vaulted cell. Probably a cistern.

(Jeremiah 37:17) Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.

Jeremiah’s First Meeting with Zedekiah and Transfer to the Courtyard of the Guard

Babylon returned to Jerusalem and renewed her siege of the city. Zedekiah secretly sent for Jeremiah and brought him to the palace. Because of Jeremiah’s unpopularity with the people (cf. 26:10-11; 37:11-15; 38:4) Zedekiah met with him privately to ask if he had any word from the LORD. Jeremiah’s word from the Lord was unaffected by his imprisonment. Jerusalem would fall and Zedekiah would be handed over to the king of Babylon .

(Jeremiah 37:18) Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

Jeremiah used the opportunity of this appearance before Zedekiah to protest his innocence. He demanded to know what crime he had committed.

(Jeremiah 37:19) Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

The other prophets had prophesied lies by declaring that the Babylonians would not attack.

(Jeremiah 37:20) Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

Jeremiah, now in his sixties, was afraid he would die if he returned to the dank cistern-prison.

Jeremiah petitioned Zedekiah not to send him back to the prison where he had been confined. As a man who was probably in his 60s, Jeremiah was concerned for his health in that dank, dark dungeon. If he were taken back to that hole he might die there.

(Jeremiah 37:21) Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

275

Granting Jeremiah’s request, Zedekiah had him transferred from the underground vaulted cistern to the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace (cf. 32:2). Here Zedekiah could better protect Jeremiah from his enemies—though Zedekiah was a weak-willed protector (cf. 38:4-10). Zedekiah also arranged for Jeremiah to be given bread… each day so he would not starve. This continued until the siege depleted the supply of grain so that all the bread in the city was gone.

276 Chapter Thirty Eight

Jeremiah in the Dungeon

(:1) Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

Jeremiah’s Confinement in a Cistern

By being confined to the courtyard of the guard (37:21) Jeremiah had some freedom to meet with people . He used this time as an opportunity to deliver God’s message to any who would listen. His message was overheard by four high-ranking officials: Shephatiah son of Mattan (not mentioned elsewhere), Gedaliah son of Pashhur (possibly a son of the Pashhur who beat Jeremiah, 20:1-3), Jehucal son of Shelemiah (sent by Zedekiah to inquire about the lifting of Babylon’s siege, 37:3), and Pashhur son of Malkijah (sent by Zedekiah to inquire about Babylon’s initial attack on Jerusalem, 21:1-2). These four powerful officials heard Jeremiah speaking to all the people.

(Jeremiah 38:2) Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

The contents of Jeremiah’s message are summarized in 38:2-3. The message was the same one that Jeremiah gave before (21:3-10). Those who remained in Jerusalem would die by the sword, famine, or plague. Only those who deserted to the Babylonians would live. Jerusalem’s only hope was to surrender.

(Jeremiah 38:3) Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

Any thought of withstanding Babylon’s siege was futile since God had said the city would be handed over to Nebuchadnezzar who would capture it.

(Jeremiah 38:4) Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

The officials went to Zedekiah and demanded that Jeremiah be put to death for his words. His “treasonous” remarks were discouraging both the soldiers and all the people. In their twisted nationalistic logic these officials believed that Jeremiah was seeking the ruin of his people when, in fact, Jeremiah wanted just the opposite.

277 Here is the fundamental reason why the prophetic warnings of the O.T. and N.T. are unwelcome to an unreasoning optimism. (Jeremiah 38:5) Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

Zedekiah’s weakness was most evident in his response to these officials. Though earlier he had agreed to protect Jeremiah (37:18-21), Zedekiah now handed him over to those who sought his life. Zedekiah’s lame excuse was that the king could do nothing to oppose them. Zedekiah was a political puppet, incapable of making strong, independent decisions. He was controlled either by Nebuchadnezzar (cf. 2 Kings 24:17) or by the city officials who urged him to rebel against Babylon and then influenced his decisions.

(Jeremiah 38:6) Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

The officials took Jeremiah and put him into Malkijah’s cistern, in the courtyard of the guard. A cistern was a large pit cut into rock and covered with plaster. It was used to gather rainwater in the winter for use during the dry summer (cf. 2:13). This cistern was so deep that they had to lower Jeremiah into it by ropes. Possibly because of the prolonged drought (cf. 14:1-4) the cistern had no water in it. All it contained was the mud that collected in the bottom of the pit from the dirt carried there by the rain.

Jeremiah then sank down into the mud. His life was indeed threatened. Had the water or mud been deeper he would certainly have drowned or suffocated, and death by starvation was a near prospect. Also perhaps individuals threw stones at Jeremiah while he was in the cistern, hoping to kill him outright or to knock him unconscious so he would sink into the muddy water and die . Literally, Jeremiah sank in the mire and was left to die.

One can imagine the sorrow of heart and loneliness of spirit felt by Jeremiah as he languished without food or water in the mire.

(Jeremiah 38:7) Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

Jeremiah’s Rescue from the Cistern Ethiopian. Only a foreigner cared enough for Jeremiah to risk rescuing him. eunuch. I.e., officer or palace official Many of Jeremiah’s countrymen wanted him killed. The only official who cared enough to intercede on his behalf was Ebed-Melech (lit., “servant of the king”) who was a Cushite from the area of upper Egypt (modern-day southern Egypt, Sudan, and northern ). He was serving as an official (sa4r|

278 Ebed-Melech went to the Benjamin Gate where the king was sitting—either official business or supervising the strengthening of Jerusalem’s defenses against the siege.

(Jeremiah 38:9) My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

His urgent message to the king was that the other officials had acted wickedly by throwing Jeremiah… into a cistern where he would starve to death. Evidently Zedekiah had not known the officials’ specific plan to kill Jeremiah or else he had not believed that they would carry it out. But now he knew Jeremiah’s death was imminent.

(Jeremiah 38:10) Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

Zedekiah ordered Ebed-Melech to take 30 men from there—possibly soldiers on duty at the gate—and lift Jeremiah from the cistern before he died. Thirty men would be needed to pull Jeremiah out of the mud and to stand guard against the officials who might oppose the rescue attempt.

King Zedekiah did everything he could to make Jeremiah's imprisonment comfortable. He seems genuinely to have desired to help the prophet and to follow the messages that Jeremiah gave him from the LORD. However, Zedekiah was afraid of the nobles who had been brought into power by his wicked brother, Jehoiakim. Although Zedekiah wished to be a good king, his weakness and fear not only made him ineffective but also caused him to be actually a bad king. Jehoiakim, who preceded Zedekiah, had been hampered in some of his evil ways by the good nobles whom his father, Josiah, had put into power (cp. Jer 26), but by the end of his reign Jehoiakim had succeeded in replacing most of them with the wicked men who now controlled Zedekiah. Life Application: How important it is to elect or appoint honorable people in positions of governmental leadership. When men and women who do not “fear God” hold positions of responsibility the general population suffers. Surely this is reason enough for Christians to exercise their right to vote in all elections under their jurisdictions. To do less is to invite lawlessness to rule the land.

(Jeremiah 38:11) So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

Ebed-Melech led the soldiers to a room under the treasury in the palace where the opening to the cistern was located.

(Jeremiah 38:12) And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

279 Old rags and worn-out clothes were passed down to Jeremiah to place under his arms to pad the ropes. These rags were placed under Jeremiah's emaciated arms so that the ropes would not cut into them.

(Jeremiah 38:13) So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah was then pulled… up with the ropes and freed from the cistern.

He was again put in the courtyard of the guard.

Zedekiah's Fears and Jeremiah's Advice

(Jeremiah 38:14) Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me.

Jeremiah’s Second Meeting with Zedekiah

Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah again and met him in secret at the third entrance to the temple. This entrance, not mentioned elsewhere, may refer to a private entrance that connected the king’s palace with the temple. Zedekiah wanted to ask Jeremiah something, and he told the prophet not to hide anything from him.

Again Zedekiah met Jeremiah secretly, asking the prophet to tell him everything. Jeremiah protested that, if he did, Zedekiah would put him to death and would not heed his message. Zedekiah only promised not to put him to death, whereupon Jeremiah repeated what he had said many times before--surrender to Babylon.

(Jeremiah 38:15) Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?

Jeremiah voiced two objections. First, if he did answer with a message the king did not want to hear he had no guarantee that the king would not kill him. Second, any counsel Jeremiah gave was wasted because the king would not listen to him.

(Jeremiah 38:16) So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

Zedekiah answered the first objection but not the second. He promised that he would neither kill Jeremiah himself nor hand him over to people who were seeking his life. But the king made no promise to heed Jeremiah’s message.

280 (Jeremiah 38:17) Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house:

Jeremiah’s message remained the same as before. If Zedekiah would surrender to the Babylonians his life would be spared, the city would not be burned down, and his family would live.

(Jeremiah 38:18) But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

However, if he would not surrender, the city would be handed over to the armies of Babylon who would burn it down and Zedekiah would not escape from their hands.

(Jeremiah 38:19) And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

Zedekiah refused to heed Jeremiah’s advice because of fear. He was afraid of the Jews who had already gone over to the Babylonians because he thought the Babylonians would hand him over to those Jews who now opposed him. Given the opportunity, they would mistreat him for his past acts of cruelty to them.

(Jeremiah 38:20) But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

Jeremiah tried to assure Zedekiah that this would not happen. If he would obey the LORD by following Jeremiah’s word, his life would be spared.

(Jeremiah 38:21) But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath showed me:

But if he refused to surrender because of fear he would suffer the very ridicule and humiliation he sought to avoid.

(Jeremiah 38:22) And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

The women from his own palace (the royal harem) would scoff at Zedekiah as they were brought out to the officials of… Babylon. The theme of their song would be the gullibility of the king in trusting his advisers who had misled him while posing as his trusted friends. But when Zedekiah’s feet had sunk in the mud of Babylon’s pit (cf. 38:6) he would look around to discover that his friends who had brought him there had deserted him.

281 (Jeremiah 38:23) So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.

If he refused to surrender to Babylon he would see his wives and children being led away. He himself would be captured and the city of Jerusalem would be burned down

(Jeremiah 38:24) Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

Zedekiah refused to follow Jeremiah’s advice. Such a bold step was beyond the ability of this spineless monarch. Instead he warned Jeremiah not to let anyone know about their conversation.

(Jeremiah 38:25) But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:

If word got out, the officials would try to kill Jeremiah. Palace spies were everywhere so Zedekiah gave Jeremiah an alibi in case he was questioned.

(Jeremiah 38:26) Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

If the officials asked Jeremiah what he said to the king and what the king said to him, he was to tell them that he was pleading with Zedekiah not to send him back to the dungeon in Jonathan’s house (cf. 37:15). Jeremiah had indeed made such a request during his first meeting with Zedekiah (37:20).

(Jeremiah 38:27) Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

Zedekiah’s caution was well-founded because the officials did hear about the meeting and went to Jeremiah to question him. Jeremiah repeated the words Zedekiah told him to say; and since no one had heard the conversation, they accepted Jeremiah’s story.

(Jeremiah 38:28) So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard as a political prisoner till Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar.

282 Chapter Thirty Nine

The Fall of Jerusalem

(Jeremiah 39:1) In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

The events of this chapter are also described in chap. 52. The siege lasted about 30 months, from Jan. 15, 588, to July 18, 586 B.C.

THE FATE OF THE JEWS Jeremiah’s declarations of doom were ignored by the people of Jerusalem. His vindication came when God brought to pass Jerusalem’s destruction just as he had predicted it. Jeremiah gave a detailed account of how Jerusalem was taken. The final conflict began in the 9th year of Zedekiah’s reign in the 10th month. This event was so traumatic that it was recorded three other times in the Old Testament, even noting the day of the month (cf. 2 Kings 25:1; Jer. 52:4; Ezek. 24:1-2).

The siege began on January 15, 588 B.C. and lasted until the ninth day of the 4th month of Zedekiah’s 11th year. Using a Western method for reckoning of dates this would seem to give a siege of approximately 19 months (the last 3 months of the 9th year + the 12 months of the 10th year + the first 4 months of the 11th year). However, using the method for reckoning dates employed by the Hebrews, the length of the siege was much longer. For the years of the Hebrew kings were calculated on a Tishri (September-October)-to-Tishri calendar while the months of a year were calculated on a Nisan (March-April)-to-Nisan calendar. Zedekiah’s 11th year extended from October 18, 587 to October 6, 586. The 4th month from Nisan that coincided with his 11th year began on July 10, 586. The ninth day of that month was July 18, 586 B.C. Therefore the entire siege lasted just over 30 months, from January 15, 588 to July 18, 586 B.C.

(Jeremiah 39:2) And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.

After the 30-month siege the Babylonians broke through the city wall. The officials of… Babylon entered the city and took seats in the Middle Gate. The Middle Gate was probably on the north side of the city (where the Babylonians breached the walls) in the Central (or Tyropeon) Valley which separated the two quarters of the city.

(Jeremiah 39:3) And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, , Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

Nergal-sar-ezer. King , son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar; he reigned 560-556 B.C. They “took seats” to establish their control over the city and to judge those taken captive.

283 One of these officials was Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar (also called Neriglissar) who was Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law who ascended Babylon’s throne in 560 B.C. after the death of Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Evil-Merodach The other officials included Nebo-Sarsekim and Nergal- Sharezer, though the exact names and number of individuals listed are unclear.

(Jeremiah 39:4) And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.

Zedekiah and his soldiers saw that the city had fallen. It would be only a matter of time till the Babylonians moved south through the city and captured them. In a desperate bid to escape they fled from the city at night. Their plan was to leave the city by way of the king’s garden, located in the south near the (cf. Neh. 3:15). After passing through the gate between the two walls, the ragtag soldiers were in the steep ravine near where the Hinnom and Kidron Valleys unite. Climbing over the Mount of Olives the army headed toward the Arabah, probably hoping to cross the Jordan River and escape to Rabbah (modern Amman, Jordan), the capital of their allies, the Ammonites.

(Jeremiah 39:5) But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of : and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

After waiting so long for this victory, the Babylonians were not about to let their prey escape. Pursuing Zedekiah and his soldiers, the Babylonians overtook them on the broad plains of Jericho just before the Jordan River. Zedekiah was captured and taken to Nebuchadnezzar, who had established his military headquarters at Riblah in… Hamath . Nebuchadnezzar pronounced sentence on Zedekiah for rebelling against Babylon. Zedekiah was forced to watch as the Babylonians slaughtered his sons… before his eyes and killed all the nobles of Judah. To seal this sight of horror in Zedekiah’s mind forever, Nebuchadnezzar then… put out Zedekiah’s eyes. Finally he bound Zedekiah with bronze shackles to drag him in humiliation to Babylon. Zedekiah suffered the shame that he feared because he had ignored the warnings of the Lord.

And this is the prophesy about Zedekiah that The LORD spoke of in

Ezek 12:13-16 13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there. 14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them. 15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. 16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

284 (Jeremiah 39:6) Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

(Jeremiah 39:7) Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

The last thing Zedekiah saw was the murder of his sons.

(Jeremiah 39:8) And the Chaldeans burned the king's house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem too suffered the ignominious fate predicted by Jeremiah. The Babylonians set fire both to the magnificent royal palace and the houses of the people. The soldiers also broke down the walls of Jerusalem so the city would remain defenseless.

(Jeremiah 39:9) Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.

Nebuzaradan, commander of the imperial guard rab{t[abba4h[|

(Jeremiah 39:10) But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

Only peasants, not likely to cause trouble, were left in Palestine.

To insure loyalty, stability, and productivity, Babylon left behind a remnant of the extremely poor—people who owned nothing. He gave them vineyards and fields. No doubt he believed that those individuals would be grateful to the Babylonians for their newfound prosperity and would be unlikely to rebel. In return Babylon would receive income in the form of taxation on the produce of the land.

Prophesy fulfilled

Ezekiel 12:16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Jeremiah Goes Free

(Jeremiah 39:11) Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,

285 Nebuchadnezzar had evidently heard of Jeremiah—possibly either through the letters the prophet had sent to Babylon or through the testimony of those who had defected to the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar issued orders… through Nebuzaradan to his soldiers to take Jeremiah and look after him.

(Jeremiah 39:12) Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.

God honored His promise to Jeremiah .

They were not to harm him but were to do for him whatever he desired.

(Jeremiah 39:13) So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;

(Jeremiah 39:14) Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.

Jeremiah was released from the courtyard of the guard (cf. 38:28) and turned… over to Judahite Gedaliah, who was the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan.). Gedaliah was appointed as governor of those who remained in the land (40:7). Some have thought that the account of Jeremiah’s kind treatment in 39:11-14 contradicts the account of his being in chains in 40:1. However, the accounts can be easily harmonized. Jeremiah was rounded up with the other survivors of Jerusalem and then taken five miles north to Ramah for processing (cf. 31:15). It was there that the prophet of God was identified and released. (Jeremiah 39:15) Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

While Jeremiah had waited for the city to fall, God gave him a message for Ebed-Melech the Cushite.

(Jeremiah 39:16) Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

God’s words against Jerusalem would be fulfilled before Ebed-Melech’s eyes.

(Jeremiah 39:17) But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

God promised that when Jerusalem fell He would rescue Ebed-Melech so that he would not be executed with all the other officials .

286 (Jeremiah 39:18) For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.

Ebed-melech (v. 16) had proved his trust in the true God when he interceded for Jeremiah (38:7- 13).

He would escape because he had demonstrated his trust in God by helping Jeremiah.

287 Chapter Forty

Jeremiah with Gedaliah as the Governor

In the next three chapters Jeremiah is speaking to those who were left in the land of Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem. The group of people were the poor, the blind, the crippled, the lame and a criminal element. Jeremiah chose to stay in Judah and he had a message from God for those left behind.

(:1) The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

Ramah translates , heights , it was 6 miles North of Jerusalem

Remember that Ramah was the military headquarters of the Babylonian army. In this village decisions were made concerning the disposal of the spoils of victory. This included the captives of various levels of society. The princes, priests, elders and men and women and children who made up the population of Jerusalem and the surrounding villages and farms.

Jeremiah’s Ministry to the Remnant in Palestine

Jeremiah was released in Ramah where he had been taken bound in chains with the other captives.

(Jeremiah 40:2) And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

One would think that the fall of Jerusalem would have taught Judah a lesson she would never forget. However, by recording the events that happened after the fall of the city, Jeremiah demonstrated that the basic character of the people who remained in the land was unchanged. They still refused to trust in God or to submit to Babylon .

As Nebuzaradan let Jeremiah go he acknowledged his familiarity with Jeremiah’s prophecies. No doubt some of those who had defected or who had been captured told the Babylonians about Jeremiah’s messages.

(Jeremiah 40:3) Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

Nebuzaradan told Jeremiah that God brought disaster on Jerusalem as predicted because the people had sinned against Him.

288 (Jeremiah 40:4) And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

The Babylonians recognized in Jeremiah not only a patriot, but also one who had attempted to encourage the king of Judah to submit to Babylon and avoid any treaties with Egypt. As a result, Jeremiah is given a choice of going to Babylon with the exiles or remaining in Judah with a handful of people reduced to servitude and poverty. The prophet is convinced that his place is with the contingent remaining in Judah.

However, Nebuzaradan said he was freeing Jeremiah from his chains because he was innocent in Judah’s revolt against Babylon. Jeremiah was free to go wherever he wanted. If he went to Babylon with the other captives, Nebuzaradan promised to look after him (cf. 39:12). If he wished to stay in Judah, he could settle wherever he pleased.

Life Application: Which choice would you have made now that you know the circumstances? The pampered life of a well provided for lifestyle in Babylon or the bleakness of remaining in the depleted land with the defeated populance. We make choices every day. Our choices are based on the word of God if we truly desire to be obedient to the teachings of our Lord Jesus.

(Jeremiah 40:5) Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

However, if he did stay in Judah Nebuzaradan suggested that he go… to Gedaliah and live with him. No doubt Governor Gedaliah could offer both the protection and the physical provisions that Jeremiah would need if he stayed. As Jeremiah left Ramah to make the three-mile journey to Mizpah—the administrative center for Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem—Nebuzaradan displayed his kindness by providing Jeremiah with provisions and a present. What a pleasant surprize. Jeremiah was presented with provisions and a present to see him through these perilous times.

(Jeremiah 40:6) Then went Jeremiah unto Ged a li’ah (magnified of Jehovah) the son of Ahikam to Miz’pah ( means watch tower) ; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

Life Application: How faithful was Jeremiah to his God. He chose to stay with the very people who would not listen to him as a prophetic messenger of God. Is it not ironic that the Babylonian rulers recognized his prophetic ministry as being from the great God Jehovah. This accounted for their leniency in treating Jeremiah with respect.

289 So his own would not receive him but the enemy did receive and believe in his prophetic ministry. Yet his own countrymen would not receive him. Has this happened to you in your time of witnessing the Gospel to others?

Micah 7:6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.

Mark 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Life Application: Have you experienced your relative or friend listening to your presentation of the loving gospel but not receiving it from you? But then somehow they get caught up in a false belief and get talked into Mormonism or Jehovah witness with a frantic fervor that absolutely floors you and leaves you mourning their great deception. A feeling of ineptness comes over you followed with sadness at the destruction about to prevail in their lives now that they have accepted the false and rejected the truth from your witness to them. It is good to remember this. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict and convert. We are the messengers. Do not be discouraged. Pray for them and continue the work of the watchman on the wall.

Jeremiah 13:17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive.

(Jeremiah 40:7) Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

As in many wars, scattered remnants of the army often still remain deployed in the field after the surrender of the main body of troops. The main forces of Judah, located in Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah, had been crushed; but groups of army officers and their men were still scattered in the open country. When these soldiers heard that Gedaliah was now governor over the land they came to him at Mizpah.

290 (Jeremiah 40:8) Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ish’ma el (God will hear)the son of Neth a ni’ ah (Given of Jehovah), and Jo ha’nan (Jehovah is a gracious giver) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

Two of the leaders listed (v. 8) were worthy of special notice because of subsequent events. The one listed first was Ishmael son of Nethaniah. He was from the royal line of David and had served as one of King Zedekiah’s officers. The second was Johanan who was one of two sons of Kareah. Nothing else is known about Johanan’s background.

(Jeremiah 40:9) And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

The commanders mentioned in verse 8 wanted to know what would happen if they would lay down their arms and surrender. Gedaliah reassured them that no harm would come to them if they surrendered.

(Jeremiah 40:10) As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.

He encouraged them to settle down in the land and serve… Babylon. Gedaliah promised to represent them before the Babylonians while they concentrated on harvesting the wine, summer fruit, and oil. They would be free to live in the towns they had taken over. (Jeremiah 40:11) Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;

In addition to reaching the scattered bands of Judah’s resistance fighters, word of Gedaliah’s appointment as governor also reached the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and elsewhere.

(Jeremiah 40:12) Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

These refugees all came back to the land to resettle, and helped in harvesting the wine and summer fruit (cf. v. 10).

Take care to note that much was harvested. Once again the Grace of God is seen in his forgiveness of the people and the abundant blessing of a bountiful crop.

As believers we can experience the same blessing . If we should sin and display Godly sorrow for that sin then we apply the following verses.

291 1 John 1:7-9 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

(Jeremiah 40:13) Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

The Assassination of Gedaliah

Johanan - The same person as mentioned in verse 8.

Judah’s prospects looked bright. Peace and stability were returning to the land. The warring factions had submitted to Gedaliah’s rule, and some refugees had returned. But just beneath the surface forces of intrigue and rebellion were churning and bubbling. It was only a matter of time before they broke to the surface. The first report of trouble came from Johanan son of Kareah (cf. v. 8).

(Jeremiah 40:14) And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Ba’al is(Lord of the banner) the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not. The reason the Ammonite King Baalis wanted to dispose Gedaliah from the governorship of Judah was for protection. He figured if Gedaliah who was pro- Babylon could be replaced by an anti Babylonian leader then the King of Babylon would be too busy securing the land of Judah to attack his Kingdom of Ammon. Unfortunately Gedaliah… did not believe these officers.

(Jeremiah 40:15) Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?

Johanan met privately with Gedaliah and offered to kill Ishmael. He planned to do it secretly so no one would know who was responsible. Johanan thought Ishmael should be eliminated for the good of Judah. If Ishmael were allowed to take Gedaliah’s life, it could cause all the Jews in the land to be scattered and to perish.

(Jeremiah 40:16) But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

Gedaliah ordered Johanan not to do such a thing because he was certain that the rumors about Ishmael were not true. Gedaliah was an honorable man who made a fatal mistake when he misjudged Ishmael’s character.

292 Life Application: Sometimes the counsel of a friend is not heard even though it is of the truth. When believers witness they face the same circumstances at times. The non believer upon hearing the gospel will not accept it. They even say it is ok for you but not for me as I do not believe in redemption or judgment.

By not taking seriously the wise warning from Johanan a crisis will arise once again in the land of Judah. Read ahead in chapter 41. Our bibles are full of words of warning from our LORD. Warnings that have the purest intent to keep us in the blessings and not in the cursings.

The question is , are we listening?

293 Chapter Forty One

Insurrection Against Gedaliah

(:1) Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

Ishmael came to Gedaliah in the seventh month (September-October). Though the month was given, the year was not, so the exact dating of the assassination is uncertain. It would be difficult for all of these events to have occurred in 586 B.C. because the army of Babylon was still in Jerusalem as late as August 17 of that year (52:12). This would allow less than two months for the Babylonians to deport the people, establish a government, allot the land, and withdraw the main body of their forces. So the assassination must have happened in a later year. But which year would fit best? One suggestion focuses on a little-known deportation in 583-582 B.C. (cf. Jer. 52:30). Why did Nebuchadnezzar make another excursion into the land at that time? A likely answer would be to restore order after the assassination of the governor and the small contingent of Babylonian troops stationed in Judah (cf. 41:2-3). If these events are related, then the “seventh month” when Gedaliah was assassinated began on October 4, 583 B.C. Ishmael… came to Gedaliah with 10 men for a deceitful “peaceful” meeting.

Ishmael was of the royal family and may have been motivated by jealousy to kill Gedaliah, because he felt slighted in being passed over for the office of governor as appointed by Nebuchadnezzer.

(Jeremiah 41:2) Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

As they sat together eating… Ishmael and his cohorts struck down Gedaliah. They also killed all the Jews (probably those attending the banquet) as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were stationed there.

This was open rebellion against the Kings appointed ruler over Judah. Naturally the people under Johanan were fearful that Nebuchadnezzer would seek revenge against all of Judah , including those not in on the plot to kill Gedaliah. (Jeremiah 41:3) Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.

(Jeremiah 41:4) And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

The assassinations probably took place in the evening. The plot had gone so well that early the day after the assassination nobody knew about it.

294 (Jeremiah 41:5) That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

On that day 80 men in mourning (with shaved… beards, torn… clothes, and self-inflicted cuts; cf. comments on 16:6) were journeying to Jerusalem from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria—three cities that had been part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The fact that these men were from the Northern Kingdom implies that at least some of King Josiah’s reforms had a lasting impact. These men were carrying grain offerings and incense that they planned to offer at the temple. Though the temple had been destroyed , people still worshiped at its site. No doubt these pilgrims were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the three feasts held during the seventh month (cf. Lev. 23:23-44).

These three cities had been part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Shaved . . . torn .. . gashed. Signs of mourning by these pilgrims, probably because of the fall of Jerusalem. They were passing through Mizpah on the way to the temple.

(Jeremiah 41:6) And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

Ishmael… went out to meet the pilgrims, weeping as he went. After feigning sympathy he invited them to come to Gedaliah. Certainly an offer to meet with the governor could not be refused so they went into the city.

Ishmael was using a ruse to decoy the rich cavalcade into Mizpah with the intention of taking their possessions. Verse 8 alludes to this since they spared ten who would reveal the place of more treasure. These pilgrims were on the way to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the three feasts held during the seventh month. See Leviticus 23 for details of this.

(Jeremiah 41:7) And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.

Once they were in the city Ishmael and his band of cutthroats slaughtered 70 of the 80 men and threw their bodies into a cistern. Why did Ishmael perform this savage act? Though not specifically stated, Jeremiah 41:8 implies that he intended to plunder his victims and seize their provisions. Certainly a caravan of 80 pilgrims would carry a fair amount of food and money.

(Jeremiah 41:8) But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

295 Ten of the 80 managed to bargain for their lives by announcing that additional supplies of wheat and barley, oil and honey were hidden in a field. If he would spare them, they would show him the location of this cache. Ishmael’s greed got the better of him so he did not kill them.

(Jeremiah 41:9) Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.

In a sidelight Jeremiah explained the historical significance of the site where the slaughter occurred (v. 9). The cistern in which the bodies of the 70 men and Gedaliah had been cast had been constructed nearly 300 years earlier by King Asa. It had served as part of Asa’s defense against Baasha when the king of Judah sought to stem the advances of the king of Israel (cf. 1 Kings 15:16-22). The cistern that had once helped preserve life was now filled… with the dead.

The pit or cistern in which the 70 slain men had been thrown into had been constructed nearly 300 years earlier by King Asa in defence against the attack of the Northern Kingdoms leader, King Baasha.. You can read of this event in 1 Kings chapter 15.

Life Application: How ironic that the pit which was carved out to contain living water and save lives was now filled with the dead.

(Jeremiah 41:10) Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites. Ishmael had killed only a select group of those living in Mizpah (v. 2). He made captives of all the rest who lived there. These included the king’s daughters and all the others who had been assigned to Gedaliah. No doubt Jeremiah was included among the captives (cf. 40:6). The group set out from Mizpah to go to Ammon, Ishmael’s ally.

No doubt Jeremiah was among those captured and made to go with Ismael.

(Jeremiah 41:11) But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

The slaughter could not go undetected indefinitely. Someone either happened on the scene or escaped from the group and reported the matter to the other commanders. When Johanan son of Kareah and the other army officers… heard about all the crimes… they mobilized all their men and set off to fight Ishmael.

(Jeremiah 41:12) Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

296 The band of soldiers caught up with the slower group of captives near the great pool in Gibeon Gibeon is about 13 miles from Bethlehem.

(Jeremiah 41:13) Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.

Those taken captive were glad when they spotted their rescuers,

(Jeremiah 41:14) So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah. in the surprise and confusion they turned away from Ishmael and went over to Johanan.

(Jeremiah 41:15) But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

Ishmael along with 8 of his men escaped during the conflict and fled to the Ammonites. Two of Ishmael’s 10 men must have been captured or killed

(Jeremiah 41:16) Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:

The Leadership of Johanan

Johanan… led away all the survivors they had rescued from Ishmael. This group included soldiers, women, children, and court officials.

(Jeremiah 41:17) And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

But instead of returning to Mizpah they went on. Their first place of rest was at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem, a journey of about 13 miles from Gibeon. Chimham. This was part of a grant of land by David. The people thought about going to Egypt because they feared Babylonian reprisals for Gedaliah's murder. Even though they were not responsible for that murder.

(Jeremiah 41:18) Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

The group was on its way to Egypt to escape the Babylonians because they were afraid Babylon would retaliate for the death of Gedaliah.

297 Chapter Forty Two

The Flight to Egypt Forbidden

(:1) Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

The people inquired of Jeremiah if God would approve their plan to migrate to Egypt.

Before continuing, all the army officers, including both Johanan and Jezaniah (called Azariah in 43:2) son of Hoshaiah, and all the people decided to ask God’s guidance for their journey.

(Jeremiah 42:2) And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

They asked Jeremiah to pray to… God on their behalf.

(Jeremiah 42:3) That the LORD thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

They wanted God to tell them where they should go and what they should do. They had already decided to flee Israel, but their destination remained uncertain (though 42:14 and 43:7 imply that they were already planning to go to Egypt).

Notice they declare the LORD thy God , not their God. They wanted to know where they should go and what they should do. Apparently they had already made up their minds to leave Israel.

(Jeremiah 42:4) Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

Jeremiah agreed to pray for the people, and promised to tell them everything God said.

(Jeremiah 42:5) Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

Summoning the LORD as their Witness the people promised to act in accordance with whatever God commanded, whether it was favorable or unfavorable.

298 (Jeremiah 42:6) Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

After watching God destroy their nation because of disobedience they were careful to agree that they would obey the LORD.

Notice in this vow to obey the prophetic word of God that they say our God.

(Jeremiah 42:7) And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

Jeremiah prayed for the people, and 10 days later God answered his request.

Notice they faithfully wait ten days for the answer to come to them from God. Jeremiah's warning is clear: stay in Palestine and trust God, who will protect you; or go to Egypt and die.

(Jeremiah 42:8) Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

Jeremiah called together the group and gave them God’s answer.

(Jeremiah 42:9) And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

(Jeremiah 42:10) If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

If they would stay in the land, God promised to build them up.

Repentance (O.T.), Summary: In the O.T., "repentance" is one of the English words used to translate the Hebrew or It is used of both God and man. Notwithstanding the literal meaning of it is evident, from a study of all the passages, that the sacred writers use it in the sense of in the N.T., meaning . As in the N.T., such change of mind is often accompanied by contrition and self- judgment. When applied to God, the word is used phenomenally, according to O.T. custom. God seems to change His mind. The phenomena are such as, in the case of a man, would indicate a change of mind.

(Jeremiah 42:11) Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

They were not to be afraid of the Babylonians because God would deliver them from any harm from their hands.

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(Jeremiah 42:12) And I will show mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

Indeed God vowed that Nebuchadnezzar would have compassion (ra4h[am, “show tender concern”), a characteristic not usually associated with the Babylonians. If the people submitted to the Babylonians, God promised that Nebuchadnezzar would restore them to their land.

(Jeremiah 42:13) But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

Much like the blessings and cursings of Deuteronomy 28, Jeremiah followed his list of blessings for obedience with a list of judgments for disobedience. If the people refused to stay in the land and decided to disobey… God by going to live in Egypt,

(Jeremiah 42:14) Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

They would experience God’s judgment for violating their oath (Jer. 42:5-6). It is easy to understand their desire to move to Egypt where, in their understanding, they would no longer see war or hear the trumpet announcing an impending attack (cf. 4:5, 19-21; 6:1). Also, in Egypt they would no longer be hungry for bread as they were during and after the siege of Jerusalem.)

(Jeremiah 42:15) And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

Yet, warned Jeremiah, if they decided to disobey God and settle in Egypt,

(Jeremiah 42:16) Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

they would die by the sword, famine, or plague .

(Jeremiah 42:17) So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

The very dangers they were wanting to avoid would come on them.

(Jeremiah 42:18) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth

300 upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration (Hated) and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

No one would escape the disaster, and all those who left would never see the land of Israel again.

(Jeremiah 42:19) The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

Jeremiah concluded his message by repeating God’s command not to go to Egypt.

(Jeremiah 42:20) For ye dissembled (conceal deceit) in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

God knew the people’s hearts and warned them that they had made a fatal mistake when they asked Jeremiah to pray for them.

(Jeremiah 42:21) And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.

For though they had vowed to do everything God said (cf. v. 6), when His word finally came they refused to obey it.

Life Application: When we go against the commands of God we literally go back to the world.(Egypt) Where in the midst of all the world (Egypt) offers we fail spiritually and are lost amidst plenty. Physically we find famine and plague. Spiritually we perish daily.

(Jeremiah 42:22) Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

Though the people had promised to obey God's Word as seen in Jeremiah (42:5), they disobeyed by going to Egypt.

Thus, Jeremiah warned them, the only thing they could be sure of was that they would die by the sword, famine, and plague (cf. v. 17) if they went to Egypt.

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Another old testament prophet used of God also tried to go against Gods command. Jonah tried using worldly wisdom against the direct will of God. He fled. God was merciful and returned Jonah to the right path and set him on the way to fulfill the word of God which Jonah did.

The whole story of Jonah can be contained in the vital verse in

Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Translation: when we do our own thing in opposition to Gods word to us we forsake the blessings that God wants to bestow on us.

302 Chapter Forty Three

JEREMIAH 43 OVERVIEW

After the city had been destroyed and most of the Jews transported to Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah as governor over the small remnant. He also left a small Babylonian occupation force in Judah. Jeremiah chose to remain behind, still committed to his mission of guiding his people with God’s Word.

But the Jews again rebelled! In yet another uprising Ishmael slew Gedaliah along with the Babylonian garrison in Mizplah. Johanan rescued the people and Ishamel fled to the Ammonites. Terrified at the revenge this act must surely bring, the remaining Jews under Johanan fled toward Egypt. Jeremiah was forced to go along. Though they asked Jeremiah to seek God’s guidance for them, they again rejected God’s Word.

The portrait Jeremiah sketches of that incident is a fitting climax to the decades of Judah’s denial of God. Looking back on it, we see the people “from the least to the greatest” respectfully approach the 67-year-old prophet. “Please hear our petition,” they said, “and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do” (42:1-3).

Jeremiah agreed to pray, and the people promised, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us, if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.” (vv. 5-6).

But the message Jeremiah returned was not what the remnant expected. They were told not to fear the king of Babylon: God would keep them from punishment and restore them to their lands. They were definitely not to flee to Egypt, for if they did, sword and famine would overtake them and they would die there with no survivors.

As soon as Jeremiah finished telling the people these words of the Lord, the leaders “and all the arrogant men” shouted at Jeremiah. “You are lying! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘You must not go to Egypt to settle there.’ But Baruch son of Neriah is inciting you against us to hand us over to the Babylonians, so they may kill us or carry us into exile to Babylon” (43:2-3). Rejecting God’s Word, and the lessons of their history, these people plunged on into Egypt, dragging the prophet with them.

In Egypt, Jeremiah continued to minister, reminding the people of the sins of their fathers that had brought the judgment and warning against the punishment that must come to them in Egypt. Their response demonstrated the justice of God, who acts only when there is no hope of response or change in His people. Judah had gone too far in its commitment to sin.

303 Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! We will certainly do everything we said we would:

We will burn incense to the queen of heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off, and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine.” A saddened and angry Jeremiah then made a final statement.

Did not the Lord remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land? When the Lord could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today.

And now again calamity befell the remnant. Pharaoh Hophra, the Egyptian king who had welcomed Judah, was given over to his enemies. Sword and famine destroyed the Jewish colony that had committed themselves to perform their vows not to the God who loved them but to the pagan idols that had been their downfall!

And Jeremiah? Tradition tells us that he found his way to Babylon and there completed his book, including his eyewitness account of the last days of Judah, recorded for the exiles—and for us.

THE REMNANT’S FLIGHT TO EGYPT Jeremiah Taken to Egypt

Jeremiah’s ministry to the remnant in Egypt

(:1) And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

After Jeremiah finished telling the people God’s answer to their request,

304 (Jeremiah 43:2) Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: both Azariah (called Jezaniah in 42:1) and Johanan, along with all the arrogant men, challenged his truthfulness. They said he was lying when he claimed God had said not to go to Egypt,

Life Application: The people deny Jeremiah’s message is from God because it is not what they want to hear. Have you met people like that? If your views do not match theirs then there is a gulf between you and communication becomes very difficult. Righteous wisdom imparted on the foolish and those who will not hear is wasted. Pray for them.

(Jeremiah 43:3) But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

They accused Baruch of inciting Jeremiah to join a conspiracy to hand these former rebels over to the Babylonians who would then kill them or carry them into exile. It is not known why they singled out Baruch. But since he served as Jeremiah’s confidant and companion, they might have assumed that he was responsible for Jeremiah’s answer.

(Jeremiah 43:4) So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.

Instead of returning to Mizpah the group marched south from Geruth Kimham

(Jeremiah 43:5) But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah; In addition to the army officers and soldiers who had returned to Gedaliah (40:7-10) this band included the remnant who had returned to Judah from all the nations (41:11-12) and the men, women, and children and the king’s daughters who had been entrusted to Gedaliah.

(Jeremiah 43:6) Even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

The leaders also forced Jeremiah and Baruch to go along with them.

(Jeremiah 43:7) So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

As if Jeremiah had not suffered sufficiently at the hands of the people of Judah, Johanan now ignores Jeremiah's message from God to remain in Judah. Against his will, Jeremiah is taken to

305 Tah’pan hes, a garrison city in Egypt located on the eastern branch of the Nile and commanding the road to Palestine.

Tah’ pan hes ( In NE Egypt.) translates into you will fill hands with pity

Though the people had promised to obey God's Word through Jeremiah (42:5), they disobeyed by going to Egypt. Remember their oath in verse 42:5

Jeremiah 42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

(Jeremiah 43:8) Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

Life Application:

How sad. A once proud people of God now return to Egypt , defeated. They were not able to be obedient to Jehovah or even obey the Word of warning given by God through the Prophet Jeremiah. Have you experienced this up and down situation in your walk? Have you made mistakes which you knew were going to be the wrong choice but did it anyway? How did it feel when you came to your senses and repented and asked God to forgive you and returned to Him? Is there any area or your life right now that you know is not pleasing to God and that needs to be improved?

The Prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s Invasion

(Jeremiah 43:9) Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

As the Jews watched, Jeremiah performed another symbolic act to gain their attention. He gathered some large stones and buried them in clay under the brick pavement that covered the large courtyard at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace. Since Pharaoh’s main residence during this time was at Elephantine in Upper (southern) Egypt, the “palace” mentioned by Jeremiah was probably a government building that served as Pharaoh’s residence when he visited the city of Tahpanhes.

Another object lesson: stones buried over the spot where Nebuchadnezzar would rule when he invaded Egypt in 568-567 B.C. Such a paved area has been found in front of the entrance to the royal dwelling.

(Jeremiah 43:10) And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

306 The purpose of the stones was to mark the spot where Nebuchadnezzar would set his throne when God brought him to Egypt. The king of Babylon would spread his royal canopy over the place Jeremiah indicated when he came to attack Egypt. The specters of death… captivity, and the sword which these exiles were fleeing (cf. 42:13-17) would follow them into Egypt.

(Jeremiah 43:11) And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death; and such as are for captivity to captivity; and such as are for the sword to the sword.

When did Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Egypt occur? Because the Babylonian Chronicles that have been discovered go only through 594 B.C., there is a general lack of extrabiblical sources that supply any information. However, one fragmentary text has been found which implies an invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar in 568-567 B.C. This would harmonize well with the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Egypt in Ezekiel 29:19. That prophecy, given on April 26, 571 B.C., indicated that the invasion was still future. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Egypt probably occurred sometime between 571 and 567 B.C.

Nebuchadnezzar did invade Egypt in 568-567 B.C.

(Jeremiah 43:12) And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt; and he shall burn them, and carry them away captives: and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

Nebuchadnezzar would set fire to the temples in Egypt and take her gods captive. He would wrap up Egypt and carry her away captive as easily as a shepherd wraps his garment around him.

In the temple of the sun (be=t{ s]emes], a possible reference to the city of Heliopolis, also called On), Egypt’s worship was centered.

(Jeremiah 43:13) He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh, that is in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.

This city that was full of sacred pillars (obelisks) and temples would be demolished.

Heliopolis. Heb., Beth-shemesh; lit., House ( Temple ) of the Sun. An ancient city near Cairo.

obelisks. One such obelisk from Heliopolis is in Central Park in New York City; another is on the bank of the Thames River in London.

307 Chapter Forty Four

Israelites Will Be Punished in Egypt

The Warning of God’s judgment

God’s word came to Jeremiah a second time while he was in Egypt (cf. 43:8). This time the word concerned all the Jews who had traveled to Egypt. It applied to those in Lower Egypt which included the northern cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis; and it extended south to Upper Egypt. Jeremiah was using a figure of speech known as a merism in which, by listing the two extremes, he also included everything between them. Thus this message was for all Jews throughout the entire land of Egypt.

God reminded the Jews of the disaster He brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s towns. Their ruins stood as mute testimonies to God’s judgment on the evil they had done. The particular sin to which God was referring was their worship of other gods. Though God had repeatedly warned the people through His servants the prophets to turn from their sin, they refused to listen or pay attention. God’s fierce anger then raged against… Judah until only desolate ruins remained.

Jeremiah applied this “history lesson” to the Jews in Egypt. Instead of realizing the folly of idolatry they were burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt. They were in danger of becoming an object of cursing and reproach (cf. comments on 24:9) by daring a holy God to judge them for their sin. It was as though they had forgotten the wickedness that both they and their ancestors had committed which had brought God’s judgment. They had not humbled themselves before God or followed His Law. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten God’s Word!

(:1) The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt, which dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

This last message of Jeremiah (to the Jews in Egypt) was the same he had preached throughout his ministry: God must punish their sins of idolatry. Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis were in Lower (northern) Egypt, whereas Pathros was the general designation for Upper (southern) Egypt.

THE WARNING OF GOD’S JUDGMENT God’s word came to Jeremiah a second time while he was in Egypt (cf. 43:8). This time the word concerned all the Jews who had traveled to Egypt. It applied to those in Lower Egypt which included the northern cities of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis; and it extended south to Upper Egypt. Jeremiah was using a figure of speech known as a merism in which, by listing the two extremes, he also included everything between them. Thus this message was for all Jews throughout the entire land of Egypt.

308 (Jeremiah 44:2) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

God reminded the Jews of the disaster He brought against Jerusalem and all Judah’s towns. Their ruins stood as mute testimonies to God’s judgment on the evil they had done.

(Jeremiah 44:3) Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.

The particular sin to which God was referring was their worship of other gods.

(Jeremiah 44:4) Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

Though God had repeatedly warned the people through His servants the prophets to turn from their sin

(Jeremiah 44:5) But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods. they refused to listen or pay attention.

(Jeremiah 44:6) Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.

God’s fierce anger then raged against… Judah until only desolate ruins remained.

(Jeremiah 44:7) Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

Jeremiah applied this “history lesson” to the Jews in Egypt. Instead of realizing the folly of idolatry they were burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt.

(Jeremiah 44:8) In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

They were in danger of becoming an object of cursing and reproach by daring a holy God to judge them for their sin.

309 (Jeremiah 44:9) Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?

It was as though they had forgotten the wickedness that both they and their ancestors had committed which had brought God’s judgment.

(Jeremiah 44:10) They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.

They had not humbled themselves before God or followed His Law. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten God’s Word!

(Jeremiah 44:11) Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

God would bring disaster on the remnant in Egypt for their sin just as He had the nation of Judah.

(Jeremiah 44:12) And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.

They would perish by both sword and famine .

(Jeremiah 44:13) For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:

This judgment would include nearly everyone. Those living in Egypt would experience the same judgments God used when He punished Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 44:14) So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.

Though these fugitives hoped to return home someday, God vowed that none would return to the land of Judah. All those who had fled to Egypt in violation of God’s command would die there, except for a few fugitives whom God would allow to return.

(Jeremiah 44:15) Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

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Those who listened to Jeremiah’s message refused to repent.

The people do not deny that Jeremiah has spoken the word of the Lord (v. 16), but they openly disavow and adamantly disobey Yahweh in their zealous determination to align themselves with the "queen of heaven" (v. 17). In other words, Israel declares herself independent and self- sufficient apart from the Lord. The wives also make it clear that they not only requested but also received the full consent and cooperation of their husbands (v. 19).

(Jeremiah 44:16) As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

The men, who knew that their wives were practicing idolatry, said they would continue to do everything just as they had in the past.

(Jeremiah 44:17) But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

These idolatrous practices included burning incense to the Queen of Heaven . The widespread nature of that heathen practice is evident because it was done by the people, their ancestors (fathers), their kings, and their officials. In an ironic reversal of truth the people blamed their difficulties on their failure to continue these pagan rituals. As long as they sacrificed to the Queen of Heaven, so they said, they had plenty of food. They said that when they stopped burning incense they had nothing and began perishing by sword and famine

The "Queen of Heaven" is a term used for a vile heathen deity, mentioned only in two passages in the Bible, here and in Jer7:18. The prophets declare God's wrath on all who worship her. She is probably the same as Ashtoreth, a heathen deity referred to in Judges 2:13; and in 2 Ki 23:13 where she is called "the vile goddess of the Sidonians."

(Jeremiah 44:18) But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. . The people’s hindsight was extremely myopic. They failed to remember that just the opposite was true in their history

(Jeremiah 44:19) And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Faithfulness and obedience to God brought blessing, and unfaithfulness and disobedience to God brought cursing (Lev. 26:1-45; Deut. 28). The women affirmed that their husbands knew (and evidently approved) of their idolatrous practices.

311 queen of Heaven cakes. The flat cakes were probably in the shape of the goddess. the queen of heaven. The Assyro- Babylonian goddess Ishtar.

The scornful reply of the people shows that they had not learned a lesson from the destruction of Jerusalem. The husbands knew of their wives' idolatrous practices but did nothing to stop it.

(Jeremiah 44:20) Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,

Jeremiah reminded the people that God knew about the idolatrous sacrifices that had been taking place.

(Jeremiah 44:21) The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?

When He could no longer endure the sin, He judged the people and the land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste.

(Jeremiah 44:22) So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

Far from bringing blessing, Judah’s worship of false gods had assured her doom.

(Jeremiah 44:23) Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.

This failure to acknowledge and follow the Lord had produced the disaster in Judah which the remnant could see only too well.

(Jeremiah 44:24) Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:

(Jeremiah 44:25) Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

The actions of the people revealed the sincerity of their pledge to continue worshiping the Queen of Heaven with incense and drink offerings (cf. v. 17). Since they were so determined to pursue

312 their idolatry, God sarcastically told them to go ahead with the vows they had made to this false goddess.

(Jeremiah 44:26) Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.

But as they worshiped her they were also to hear God’s message of judgment. God took a solemn oath and swore by His great name that no Jew living anywhere in Egypt would ever again invoke His name or swear by Him in an oath.

(Jeremiah 44:27) Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

His judgment would pursue them till all were destroyed. Only a very few would survive to return to Judah.

(Jeremiah 44:28) Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.

They would then… know that only God’s word would stand—a direct rebuke at their claim that idolatry brought prosperity (vv. 17-18). Only a few in number would return to Palestine from Egypt (cf. v. 14). The future for the nation lay with those who went to Babylon and returned.

(Jeremiah 44:29) And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:

God then gave a sign to validate the truth of His prophecy. The fulfillment of this sign would prove that God’s threats of harm (cf. v. 27) against the idolatrous Jews in Egypt would stand.

(Jeremiah 44:30) Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

The sign was that Pharaoh Hophra would be handed over to his enemies… just as… Zedekiah was handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. According to historian Herodotus, Hophra lost his throne in 570 B.C. He sent Amasis, one of his generals, to quell a revolt among his army; but the army united behind Amasis and made him Pharaoh. Amasis defeated Hophra in battle and imprisoned him. Sometime later Amasis handed Hophra over to the Egyptians who were clamoring for Hophra’s death, and they strangled him .

Once again the children of Israel followed after strange gods.

313 Deuteronomy 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

Deut. 6:18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Jehovah was to be their God. Not a man as a king.

Prov 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Deut. 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

314 Chapter Forty Five

Assurance to Baruch

(:1) The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying,

fourth year of Jehoiakim. I.e., 605 B.C.

(Jeremiah 45:2) Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch;

Baruch was a friend of Jeremiah who acted as sort of an assistant to him. He was the one who wrote the words of Jeremiah on the scroll which was sent to King Jehoiakim. The King cut the scroll with a knife and threw it into the fire. Baruch helped Jeremiah purchase the land God told him to buy in Anathoth. Baruch was taken along with Jeremiah and forced to go to Egypt.

(Jeremiah 45:3) Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.

The event in view was recorded in 36:1-8. Evidently Baruch was discouraged because of the content of the message. He felt that God had added sorrow to his pain. Much like Jeremiah earlier . Baruch was worn out with groaning and could find no rest.

(Jeremiah 45:4) Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

God’s message to Baruch was intended to evoke a response of faith in the midst of judgment. God would indeed overthrow what He had built and uproot what He had planted Baruch’s discouragement came because the realities of judgment clashed with his personal aspirations of greatness. He was not to seek great things for himself because God was bringing disaster. Rather than being sad because God did not provide all he wanted, Baruch should have been thankful that God spared him. God did promise to let Baruch escape with his life despite the calamities happening all around. The response God expected of Baruch was the response of his contemporary, Habakkuk (cf. Hab. 3:16-19). The hope of a godly person in the midst of national judgment was to be fixed firmly on God. Probably Jeremiah placed this chapter last in his prophecies to Judah (Jer. 2-45) to emphasize the response that God wanted from godly Jews during the Exile.

315 Habakkuk 3:16-19 16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

(Jeremiah 45:5) And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.

Rather than pity himself (v. 3), Baruch is told to consider how much heartache Judah's sins brought to God (v. 4) and not to seek great things for himself (v. 5). his reward would be that his life would be spared.

Life Application: God promised to have a protective hand upon the physical life of Baruch. All Baruch had to do was believe and receive this gift of God for his physical life. How much more important is the gift of eternal life promised to each believer.

Remember how our Lord Jesus spoke on the shore of the Galilee in

Matthew Chapter 6 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Mark 10 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. 42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

316 Chapter Forty Six

Judgment on Egypt

PROPHECIES CONCERNING THE NATIONS

Jeremiah had been commissioned as a prophet to the nations . He grouped his prophecies concerning the nation of Judah first (chaps. 2-45) because Judah was God’s covenant nation and because she consumed the largest amount of Jeremiah’s prophetic activity. Yet other nations did not escape his prophetic eye. If God would judge His own covenant people for their sin, how could the heathen nations around Judah hope to escape when their sin was even more pronounced?

In chapters 46-51 the spotlight of God’s judgment shifted from Judah to her heathen neighbors.

(:1) The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles;

The concluding prophecies of Jeremiah relate to the neighbors of Israel who were guilty of either barbaric cruelty toward Israel, infiltration of Israel with idolatrous religion, or both. Philistia receives the 2nd message (ch. 47). Chapter 48 is devoted to Moab. Chapter 49 combines denunciations of Ammon (vv. 1-6), Edom (vv. 7-22), Damascus (vv. 23-27), Kedar and Hazor (vv. 28-33), and finally Elam (vv. 34-39). Babylon comes to the attention of the prophet in chs. 50; 51.

The first nation to be selected for judgment was Egypt, Judah’s erstwhile ally. She had encouraged Judah’s revolt against Babylon; but when it came time for Egypt to protect her partner in rebellion she proved incapable of meeting her commitments

(Jeremiah 46:2) Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah.

Jeremiah’s message was directed against the army of Pharaoh Neco. This king of Egypt killed King Josiah of Judah in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29).

2 Kings 23:29 In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

317 Jeremiah penned his prophecy after the army of Egypt was defeated at Carchemish . This was the city on the Euphrates River where Nebuchadnezzar scored a major victory against the Egyptians. The battle took place in 605 B.C., the fourth year of Jehoiakim.

Jeremiah's reference is to the pivotal clash at Carchemish on the Euphrates in 605 B.C., in which Pharaoh Necho was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and in which Egypt's power was utterly broken.

When the battle at Carchemish in 605 B.C. was over , Egypt was defeated, and it tipped the balance of power in favor of Babylon.

(Jeremiah 46:3) Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle.

God sarcastically called the army of Egypt to prepare their shields and march out for battle against the Babylonians

(Jeremiah 46:4) Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines.

The horses were to be harnessed and mounted, and infantry troops were to take their positions ready to fight. Their spears and armor were prepared, and the army of Egypt was poised for battle.

(Jeremiah 46:5) Wherefore have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? and their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace, and look not back: for fear was round about, saith the LORD.

But the battle did not go Egypt’s way. Babylon’s swift attack left the Egyptians terrified as their warriors were defeated. The panic-stricken soldiers fled in haste. In the ensuing confusion the fleeing soldiers hindered their own retreat so that the swift were not able to flee nor were the strong able to escape. Babylon overtook them and destroyed them. The Babylonian Chronicle confirms this picture of hopeless confusion and defeat. The Egyptian army “withdrew” before the Babylonians, but the Babylonians “overtook and defeated them so that not a single man escaped to his own country”

(Jeremiah 46:6) Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble, and fall toward the north by the river Euphrates.

(Jeremiah 46:7) Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

God asked who this nation was that was trying to imitate the Nile River with its surging waters that overflowed their banks and inundated the countryside. The answer was Egypt. She was trying to rise like the Nile and cover the earth with her conquests. The nation was trying to take on the characteristics of her life-giving river. The surge of Egypt’s armies with her horses and charioteers would resemble the rushing of a mighty river.

318

(Jeremiah 46:8) Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

By trying to conquer so much territory, Egypt was imitating the Nile, which periodically overflowed its banks.

(Jeremiah 46:9) Come up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth; the Ethiopians and the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

Egypt’s army contained mercenary soldiers from Cush (present-day southern Egypt, Sudan, and northern Ethiopia) and Put (modern-day Libya) who carried shields as infantrymen, and soldiers from Lydia (the west coast of Asia Minor) who were archers (drew the bow). These soldiers were employed as mercenaries by the Egyptians.

(Jeremiah 46:10) For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. that day is not eschatological (as also in Isa. 13:6, "day of the Lord") but indicates God's intervention in judging Egypt.

(Jeremiah 46:11) Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt: in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

Gilead was famous for its balsam, which had medicinal properties for treating wounds. The "balm" came from the terebinth or turpentine tree and mastic or pistachio tree, a small evergreen of western Asia. Neither healing nor healer is found for this people. Even if the Egyptians went to Gilead to get balm for their wounds ,their remedies would be in vain because God would permit no healing for them. Surrounding nations would hear of Egypt’s shame as her cries of anguish and pain filled the earth.

(Jeremiah 46:12) The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land: for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together.

Though Egypt amassed a mighty army, the day of battle belonged to the LORD. God would bring vengeance on Egypt until she was destroyed. Only then would His sword of judgment be satisfied. God compared this slaughter to the offering of a sacrifice as He destroyed the Egyptians at Carchemish by the River Euphrates. The mighty warriors would stumble over another as they would fall down together in defeat.

(Jeremiah 46:13) The word that the LORD spake to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt.

319 Egypt to Be Invaded and Exiled

Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptians at Carchemish in 605 B.C., but he did not invade the land of Egypt until approximately 571-567 B.C.. In this undated prophecy (46:13-26) God supplied additional details of the coming of Nebuchadnezzar… to attack Egypt.

(Jeremiah 46:14) Declare ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword shall devour round about thee.

The warning of Nebuchadnezzar’s approach was to be sounded in Migdol… Memphis, and Tahpanhes—the same three cities Jeremiah mentioned in 44:1 to describe Lower (northern) Egypt. This was the area where Nebuchadnezzar’s forces were urged to take their positions on the fortifications and get ready.

Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis were in Lower (northern) Egypt, whereas Pathros was the general designation for Upper (southern) Egypt.

This last message of Jeremiah (to the Jews in Egypt) was the same he had preached throughout his ministry: God must punish their sins of idolatry.

(Jeremiah 46:15) Why are thy valiant men swept away? they stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

Jeremiah asked why Egypt’s warriors would be laid low . The defeat of a people was often symbolized by the defeat of their god., “Why are the warriors laid low?”. Jeremiah answered his own question. The warriors could not stand because God had pushed them down.

(Jeremiah 46:16) He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another: and they said, Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

As the mercenary army stumbled over one another in their effort to flee from Egypt they decided to return home to their own people and their native lands. Only by leaving Egypt could they escape the sword of the oppressor.

(Jeremiah 46:17) They did cry there, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath passed the time appointed.

Pharaoh Hophra had made bold claims about his ability to defeat the Babylonians, but these defeated soldiers realized now that his mighty words were only a loud noise. He could not deliver on his promises. He had already missed his opportunity to defeat Babylon. let the appointed time pass by. The king of Egypt missed his opportunity for success against Babylon.

320 (Jeremiah 46:18) As I live, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, Surely as Tabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

God was sending someone to Egypt (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar) who towered above all others as Mount Tabor stood out among the mountains. This one would rise as impressively as Mount Carmel does by the sea. As Tabor and Carmel dominate northern Palestine, so Nebuchadnezzar would dominate Egypt.

(Jeremiah 46:19) O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity: for Noph shall be waste and desolate without an inhabitant.

What Pharaoh Hophra could not accomplish, Nebuchadnezzar could. The Egyptians were to pack their belongings for exile (cf. Ezek. 29:9-16) because Nebuchadnezzar would attack Memphis (Noph) (cf. Jer. 46:14) and leave it in ruins without inhabitant.

(Jeremiah 46:20) Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north. Jeremiah used several similes and metaphors to picture Egypt’s fall to Babylon. First, he compared Egypt to a beautiful heifer. This metaphor is especially striking since Apis, one of Egypt’s gods, was a bull. However, a gadfly… from the north (Babylon) was coming to bite her. (Jeremiah 46:21) Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and are fled away together: they did not stand, because the day of their calamity was come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

Second, he compared the mercenaries (cf. vv. 9, 16) in Egypt’s ranks of soldiers to fattened calves who had been prepared for their slaughter. They would turn and flee when the day of disaster came.

(Jeremiah 46:22) The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

Third, Jeremiah compared Egypt to a fleeing serpent that could do little more than hiss at her enemy as she slithered away to avoid the axes of these mighty woodcutters who had come to chop down her forest

(Jeremiah 46:23) They shall cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

Fourth, he compared the size of Babylon’s army to a swarm of locusts which were too numerous to be counted.

(Jeremiah 46:24) The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

The point of every simile and metaphor was the same: Egypt would be put to shame (cf. v. 12) because God had handed her over to the people of the north. 321 (Jeremiah 46:25) The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith; Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods, and their kings; even Pharaoh, and all them that trust in him:

God would spare neither the gods nor the kings of Egypt. He would bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes. Amon was the chief god of Thebes (or No) in Upper (southern) Egypt. Thus God’s judgment which began in the north (cf. vv. 14, 19) would extend to the south. It would encompass Pharaoh, all Egypt’s gods, and all the people who relied on Pharaoh. They would be handed over… to Nebuchadnezzar (cf. Ezek. 29:17-20).

(Jeremiah 46:26) And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the LORD.

However, Egypt’s destruction would not be permanent. God promised that later… Egypt would be inhabited as in times past. This could refer to the return of Egypt’s exiles from Babylon. However, the association of Egypt’s fortunes with the still-future restoration of Israel (Jer. 46:27-28) and the future focus in some of Jeremiah’s other prophecies to the nations (cf. 48:47; 49:39) suggests that the ultimate fulfillment will come during the millennial reign of Christ when Egypt will again be in her land.

Afterwards. This could refer both to the return of exiles from Babylon (Ezek. 29:10-16) and the restoration (along with Israel, vv. 27-28) at the second coming of Christ (Isa. 19:19-25).

God Will Preserve Israel

(Jeremiah 46:27) But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

Here is one of the many prophecies having a double view - a near and far fulfillment.

Israel to Be Regathered

In contrast with Egypt, who would be taken into exile, Israel was not to fear or be dismayed. She could rejoice because God promised to return her people from… exile. Israel could look forward to a time when she would enjoy peace and security. Though she too went into exile, God vowed that He would not completely destroy her. A remnant would survive to again receive God’s blessings

Isa 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. Jer 23:3 - 4

322 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

(Jeremiah 46:28) Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.

These are words of comfort to Israel, for God will not forget His covenant with its promises of protection, peace, and prosperity (cf. Gen. 9:13). The purpose of God's chastisement is to refine His people. The word "correct" denotes discipline or chastisement. This "chastisement" will be done in a just manner. This prophecy has a double fulfillment -- one in the return from exile and the other still in the future.

Rom. 11:1-5 1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Romans 11:26-32 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Jer 4:27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

Amos 9:8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.

Here is one of the many answers to the question: "Did God reject his people?" 323 Jer 30:11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

324 Chapter Forty Seven

Jeremiah’s second prophetic broadside against the Gentile nations was directed toward the Philistines. Philistia occupied the coastal plain of Judah and had been a thorn in Israel’s side since the time of the Conquest (cf. Judges 3:1-4). Whenever the Philistines were strong, they tried to expand from the coastal plain into the hill country of Judah. These attempts were opposed by Shamgar (Judges 3:31), Samson (Judges 13-16), Samuel (1 Sam. 7:2-17), Saul (1 Sam. 13:1-14:23;,) and David (2 Sam. 5:17-25).

David was finally able to subdue the Philistines (2 Sam. 8:1), and they remained a vassal of Israel through the reign of Solomon. During the time of the divided monarchy the balance of power shifted back and forth. Judah was in control during the reigns of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. 17:10-11) and Uzziah, but Philistia regained dominion during the reigns of Jehoram (2 Chron. 21:16-17) and Ahaz (2 Chron. 28:16-18).

Jeremiah’s message was delivered before Pharaoh attacked Gaza. The exact date for this event is uncertain though the two most likely times are either 609 B.C. when Pharaoh Neco marched north through Palestine to meet the Babylonians (2 Kings 23:29-30) or 601 B.C. when he defeated the armies of Babylon in a battle described only in the Babylonian Chronicle. Because of the reference to Ashkelon’s still-future destruction, the 609 date is preferable. Ashkelon was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in late 604 B.C., 5 YEARS LATER.

Judgment on Philistia

(:1) The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before that Pharaoh smote Gaza.

The concluding prophecies of Jeremiah relate to the neighbors of Israel who were guilty of either barbaric cruelty toward Israel, infiltration of Israel with idolatrous religion, or both. Philistia receives the first message (ch. 47). Chapter 48 is devoted to Moab. Chapter 49 combines denunciations of Ammon (vv. 1-6), Edom (vv. 7-22), Damascus (vv. 23-27), Kedar and Hazor (vv. 28-33), and finally Elam (vv. 34-39). Chapter 50-51 concerns Babylon. before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. Pharaoh Neco's campaign in 609 B.C. (2 Kings 23:29ff.). Other oracles against the Philistines are in Isa. 14:28-31; Ezek. 25:15-17; :6-8; Zeph. 2:4-7.

(Jeremiah 47:2) Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. waters are going to rise from the north. A reference to the Babylonian invasion.

325 The Babylonians were pictured as waters that were rising in the north. They were about to become an overflowing torrent that would sweep away the Philistines. The Philistines would cry out in anguish as the swirl of galloping steeds and enemy chariots rushed through the land. The people would be so overcome by fear that fathers would not even turn back to help their children. Being destroyed, the Philistines would not be able to help their allies, Tyre and Sidon (cf. Ezek. 27-28).

(Jeremiah 47:3) At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots, and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands;

The Philistines were the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor, that is, Crete (cf. Amos 9:7; Zeph. 2:5). They were one of the groups of sea peoples who made their way to the coast of Palestine. Gaza and Ashkelon, two of the five cities that formed the Philistine pentapolis (cf. Josh. 13:3; 1 Sam. 6:4, 18), were singled out for special mention. Gaza was attacked by the Egyptians (cf. Jer. 47:1), and Ashkelon was later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in November-December 604 B.C.

(Jeremiah 47:4) Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

Tyre and Sidon. Though Phoenician cities, they were apparently allies of the Philistines. Caphtor. Crete, the original home of the Philistines (Amos 9:7).

(Jeremiah 47:5) Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley: how long wilt thou cut thyself?

God predicted that the Philistines would be caught in the middle of the struggle between Babylon and Egypt and would be destroyed. As a result, they were to shave their heads and cut themselves—both signs of mourning or grief . Baldness. - cut thy self Either a sign of mourning and grief or a symbol indicating the complete razing of Gaza.

Jeremiah 47:6) O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.

God’s sword of judgment would not rest till it had attacked Ashkelon and the seacoast and destroyed them.

The Philistines had appealed to the God of Israel for mercy, but not because of genuine repentance and trusting faith. They only feared Yahweh as a tribal god more powerful than their own gods. Therefore, Jeremiah, as God's prophet, had to reject their plea for mercy.

(Jeremiah 47:7) How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the sea shore? there hath he appointed it.

326 How long can judgment be put off. Ashkelon and the seacoast would be destroyed.

Ezekiel 25:15-17 15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred; 16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethims, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast. 17 And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

327 Chapter Forty Eight

In chapter 48 we see a prophecy against Moab. A son of Lot by an incestuous union with his older daughter . Moab became an ancestor of the MOABITES. Moab ( from Father) ceases from being a nation.

The present day Kingdom of Jordan on the east bank of the Jordan River occupies the land that the country of Moab once occupied. The Moab land was about 35 miles long and about 25 miles wide. With Edom to the south and Ammon to the north. Ruth, a Moabite woman, became an ancestor of King David and therefore of Jesus himself

Judgment on Moab

(:1) Against Moab thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Woe unto Nebo! for it is spoiled: Kiriathaim is confounded and taken: Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

The country of Moab was east of the Dead Sea. It was separated from Edom on the south by the Zered River and from Ammon on the north by the Arnon River. Jeremiah listed many of the Moabite cities that God would destroy. Much of the imagery used by Jeremiah was borrowed from :6-12.

The background of the chapter was apparently the attacks (in 602 B.C.) against Judah by bands of Moabites under Babylonian orders

2 Kings 24:2 And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets.

Nebo, mentioned here by Jeremiah, was not the mountain of the same name on which Moses viewed the Promised Land and died (cf. Deut. 32:48-50). It was a city inhabited by the tribe of Reuben (cf. Num. 32:37-38) that was later captured by Moab. The city of Kiriathaim was also inhabited by the tribe of Reuben (Josh. 13:19) and later captured by Moab. God was now predicting that it would be captured from Moab by others. The stronghold could be translated “Misgab” and might refer to an as-yet unknown city or fortress that was shattered by these invaders.

(Jeremiah 48:2) There shall be no more praise of Moab: in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; come, and let us cut it off from being a nation. Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

Heshbon was the capital of Sihon, king of the Amorites, during the Exodus (Num. 21:25-30). It was given to the tribe of Reuben that rebuilt it (Num. 32:37; Josh. 13:17), though it was on the border of the tribe of Gad (Josh. 13:26). The Moabite Stone (now in the ,

328 London) implies that Heshbon was later occupied by individuals from the tribe of Gad. It was eventually taken by Moab. In a play on words Jeremiah indicated that in Heshbon (beh[es]bo=n) men will plot (h[a4s]b{u=) Moab’s downfall. Jeremiah then described God’s judgment on the town of Madmen which would be silenced.

(Jeremiah 48:3) A voice of crying shall be from Hor o na’im, spoiling and great destruction.

The cries from Horonaim (cf. 2 Sam. 13:34) would reverberate throughout the hills of Hor o na’ im means a double cave.

(Jeremiah 48:4) Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

Moab as the fugitives who fled up the way to Luhith wept bitterly and those traveling down to Horonaim shouted anguished cries over the destruction that confronted them.

(Jeremiah 48:5) For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

Lu’ hith means tabular, probably a reference to a plateau type land area.

(Jeremiah 48:6) Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.

The people of Moab would flee and run for their lives to escape the coming judgment. They would become like a bush in the desert—deserted and forlorn. It is possible to translate “like a bush” as “like Aroer” (ka(a6ro=(e4r), a city on the edge of the Arnon River gorge. The thought would be the same—the people of Moab would be like a deserted and forlorn city or a bush in the wilderness. A heath means Like a bush in the desert , alone and forlorn.

(Jeremiah 48:7) For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together. Because Moab had trusted in her deeds and riches she too would be judged by being taken captive as was Judah. Her national god, Chemosh (cf. 1 Kings 11:7), would not be able to rescue her. Instead, he also would go into exile along with his priests and officials.

Chemosh. The chief Moabite deity. Would not be able to save them. All the priests and officials would go into exile.

Num. 21:29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

(Jeremiah 48:8) And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

329 God’s destruction would come on every town. The valley could refer to the many valleys in which the people lived, or it could refer to the Jordan Valley on Moab’s western border. The plateau was the Transjordan highland where most of the cities of Moab were located.

(Jeremiah 48:9) Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away: for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

Moab’s enemies would put salt on her land—a sign of destruction intended to show that the land was laid waste (cf. Judges 9:45).

(Jeremiah 48:10) Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

God was so determined to assure Moab’s destruction that He threatened to curse those nations appointed to destroy Moab who were lax in doing his work. These destroyers are not named, but Moab was destroyed by nomadic desert tribesmen from the East (cf. Ezek. 25:10).

The coming destruction of Moab has been directed by the Lord. The Hebrew word (ramah) translated "deceitfully" can be so rendered, but here it probably carries an idea of "slackness" or "idleness" in fulfilling the wishes of another. The divinely appointed destroyers face a divine curse if they fail to do the task assigned. This is applicable to any work assigned by the Lord.

(Jeremiah 48:11) Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

Lees - The dregs are the sediment at the bottom of a container of wine.

Moab’s history was one of relative peace. She had been at rest from her youth. Jeremiah compared her to wine left on its dregs that had not been poured from one jar to another. In making wine, first the grapes were stomped, then the juice was placed into bottles or skins and allowed to ferment. During this time the sediment, or dregs, would settle to the bottom. After 40 days the fermented wine was carefully poured into another container to separate it from the dregs. If the dregs were allowed to remain, the wine became too sweet and thick and was spoiled. This object lesson from nature was ultimately applied to people who had become too complacent (cf. Zeph. 1:12). Moab had never felt the harsh reality of exile so, like the unpoured wine, her aroma was unchanged.

The number 40 in Hebrew stands for trials and testings.

undisturbed on his lees. Like wine that had been left undisturbed (instead of being poured from flask to flask), the Moabites had not yet known exile.

Zeph 1:12

330 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

(Jeremiah 48:12) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles.

God vowed that days were coming, however, when He would arouse Moab from her complacency. He would send men to pour her out as wine that was no longer fit to drink. Moab not only will be poured out, but her vessels will be smashed; her people will be sold into slavery and exiled from the homeland. This will shatter their trust in the pagan deity Chemosh .

(Jeremiah 48:13) And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel their confidence.

At that time Moab would be ashamed of Chemosh just as Israel was ashamed when she had trusted in Bethel. Bethel was where one of the two golden calves was set up in the Northern Kingdom (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-30). Israel found out too late that her trust in the false god at Bethel could not prevent her destruction and deportation. Moab would learn the same lesson regarding her god.

Chemosh was their god. Bethel was one of two places that Israel (Northern Kingdom set up a golden calf to pagan worship.Dan was the other place.

King Jeroboam of Israel set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan around 970bc 1 Kin. 12:26-33. About 350 years previous in Israel’s history. Golden Calf - An idolatrous image of a young bull, probably made of wood and overlaid with gold, which the Israelites worshiped in the wilderness while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments .

(Jeremiah 48:14) How say ye, We are mighty and strong men for the war?

Moab felt confident in her warriors who were valiant in battle.

(Jeremiah 48:15) Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

But these men would not be able to prevent her destruction..

(Jeremiah 48:16) The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.

In fact they would go down in the slaughter which was at hand. Moab’s calamity would come quickly

331 (Jeremiah 48:17) All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!

Jeremiah called for those nations surrounding Moab to come and console her at the time of her destruction. Together they could mourn the fact that her scepter (signifying her rule) had been broken.

The symbol of her rule was broken. A strong staff or scepter.

(Jeremiah 48:18) Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the spoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strong holds.

MOAB’S CITIES TO EXPERIENCE CATASTROPHE The mighty city of Dibon was to humble herself because God vowed to come up against her. Dibon. 13 mi (21 km) E of the Dead Sea and the site of the discovery of the famous Moabite Stone.

(Jeremiah 48:19) O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and espy; ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth, and say, What is done?

As they flee, the people in the remote town of stand in the road way and ask the ones fleeing , “what happened to cause you to take flight?” The next verse gives us the reply of those running for their lives from the enemy.

Those living in the remote city of Aroer were to stand by the road and ask the people fleeing past what had happened.

(Jeremiah 48:20) Moab is confounded; for it is broken down: howl and cry; tell ye it in Arnon, that Moab is spoiled,

They would be told that Moab had been disgraced and shattered. News of her fall would cause mourning even as far south as Aroer, by the Arnon River.

Ar’ non , a river , means I will shout for joy.

What follows now is Jeremiah listing all the cities of the Transjordan plateau that would be destroyed. They are listed from North to South. The purpose by naming these 11 cities was to show that all the towns of Moab both far and near would be destroyed.

(Jeremiah 48:21) And judgment is come upon the plain country; upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

Jeremiah listed the cities of the Transjordan plateau that would be destroyed. Though the location of some is not certain, he seemed to follow a general movement from north to south. His 332 point in naming these 11 cities was to show that all the towns of Moab, both far and near, would be destroyed.

(Jeremiah 48:22) And upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

(Jeremiah 48:23) And upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

(Jeremiah 48:24) And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

(Jeremiah 48:25) The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah used two symbols to show that Moab’s power would be broken. First, he said Moab’s horn would be cut off. An animal horn was a symbol of strength (cf. 1 Sam. 2:1, 10; Pss. 75:4-5; 89:17, 24; Micah 4:13; Zech. 1:19-21). Second, he said that Moab’s arm, also a symbol of strength, would be broken

(Jeremiah 48:26) Make ye him drunken: for he magnified himself against the LORD: Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision. Jeremiah pictured Moab’s impending doom as someone becoming drunk . Because Moab had defied the LORD she would now wallow in her vomit and be ridiculed by others.

Moab would be drunk with terror in the face of God's judgment.

(Jeremiah 48:27) For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for since thou spakest of him, thou skippedst for joy.

She that had once treated Israel with the contempt of one caught among thieves would now experience the same scorn directed at her.

Moab treated Israel with contempt. Now she would experience scorn.

(Jeremiah 48:28) O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

She would be forced to abandon her towns and dwell among the rocks to hide from the invaders who sought her life. Forced out of their cities and made to live in the hillside caves

(Jeremiah 48:29) We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

333

Moab’s Pride to Cease

Moab’s chief problem was her pride (cf. Isa. 16:6). Her physical security and history of relative peace had fed her arrogance. God describes pride for us as a warning. Once-proud Moab would become the object of ridicule

(Jeremiah 48:30) I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

Unfortunately her insolence and boasts could do nothing to prevent her destruction.

(Jeremiah 48:31) Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

God expressed His concern for Moab as He mourned for Kir Hareseth (cf. Isa. 16:7, 11), another of her chief cities (Jeremiah 48:32) O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage. Borrowing from Isaiah 16:9, Jeremiah indicated that God would weep along with the city of Jazer for the vines of Sibmah which had been destroyed.

(Jeremiah 48:33) And joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field, and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to fail from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

The country of Moab was known for its vineyards, and Jeremiah expanded the image to picture all Moab as a vineyard. Her branches had spread as far as the Dead Sea, but now the destroyer had fallen on her ripened fruit and grapes. Moab would be “harvested” much as a vine is plucked of its fruit. Orchards and fields would be devoid of happiness, and the flow of wine from the presses would cease. When destruction came there would be shouts (cf. Jer. 48:3-5) but they would not be shouts of joy like those heard before.

Some of this imagery used by Jeremiah is similar in Isaiah 16:6-12. North South (Jeremiah 48:34) From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz, have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as an heifer of three years old: for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

The cries of Moab’s mourners extended from Heshbon… Elealeh, and Jahaz in the northern part of the country to Zoar… Horonaim… Eglath Shelishiyah, and the waters of Nimrim in the southern part of the country.

334 (Jeremiah 48:35) Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith the LORD, him that offereth in the high places, and him that burneth incense to his gods.

From north to south the land would be devastated. God would put an end to idolatrous practices at Moab’s many high places where offerings were being made to their gods.

(Jeremiah 48:36) Therefore mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres: because the riches that he hath gotten are perished.

God raised a cry of lament for Moab that sounded like the high-pitched sound of a flute. The wealth that Moab had acquired was gone, and the people mourned their loss (cf. comments on 47:5). flutes. Used for funeral dirges. (Jeremiah 48:37) For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.

The once-proud country had become an object of ridicule and horror,

(Jeremiah 48:38) There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab, and in the streets thereof: for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure, saith the LORD.

People mocked Moab and were also horrified at her desolate condition

(Jeremiah 48:39) They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.

(Jeremiah 48:40) For thus saith the LORD; Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

Moab’s enemies were like an eagle that would be swooping down and spreading its wings over her to seize her in its claws.). Jeremiah repeated parts of 48:40-41 in 49:22 where he applied the message to Edom.

(Jeremiah 48:41) Kerioth is taken, and the strong holds are surprised, and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

Lest Moab think her captivity was just accidental,

The Moabites would be captured, and the warriors she depended on for protection (cf. v. 14) would be as fearful as a woman in labor

(Jeremiah 48:42) And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.

335 God reminded her that her destruction would come because she defied Him. In view of her rebellion, none would escape; The land of Moab was inhabited by the Nabataeans in the first century B.C. and later by the Arabs.

You can not find a Moabite today. God’s word is sure and final. But, verse 47 tells us God will restore their fortunes in the future.

(Jeremiah 48:43) Fear, and the pit, and the snare, shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith the LORD. those who would try to flee God’s terror would fall into a pit.

(Jeremiah 48:44) He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. Any who managed to get out of the pit would be caught in a snare (cf. Amos 5:18-20). God would make sure that all in Moab would take part in the year of her punishment.

(Jeremiah 48:45) They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

Jeremiah ended his section on Moab by freely quoting an old song from . The fugitives who had escaped the destruction stood by helpless because God’s fire of judgment had gone out into all Moab to burn those who had been boasters.

(Jeremiah 48:46) Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives.

Now the nation was destroyed, with her sons and daughters in captivity.

(Jeremiah 48:47) Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

Historically the people of Moab lost their national identity when they were overrun by the Arabians from the East (cf. Ezek. 25:10). Yet God still offered hope to Moab. He vowed to restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come. The use of “days to come” would imply that this restoration will occur during the millennial reign of Christ .

Moab will be restored to share in the messianic kingdom.

336 Chapter Forty Nine

Judgment on Ammon

The Ammonites were located east of the Jordan River and north of Moab. The Ammonites were descendants of Lot through Ben-ammi, Lot's son by his younger daughter. They were allied with Judah against Babylon during Judah’s final revolt, but throughout the history of both nations they had been in conflict.

(:1) Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

By asking four questions (though questions one and two are parallel and three and four are parallel) Jeremiah focused on Ammon’s main problem.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been taken captive in 722 B.C.; and Ammon, assuming Israel had no sons or heirs who would return to the land, seized it for herself. Molech (which could be translated “their king”;.) was the national god of Ammon that had found its way into Judah . Ammon had taken possession of the territory belonging to the Israelite tribe of Gad, and Ammonites were living in its towns.

(Jeremiah 49:2) Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs, saith the LORD.

Rabbah. The chief city; modern Amman.

God announced that days were coming when an enemy would attack Ammon’s capital city of Rabbah. Rabbah would become nothing but ruins, and Israel would drive out the Ammonites who had settled in her villages.

(Jeremiah 49:3) Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

Heshbon, on the border between Moab and Ammon, was controlled by different countries at different periods of time. This Ai was not the city by the same name in Israel. (As in Joshua 7:2) It was a city in Ammon whose location is not known today. The people of Rabbah would put on sackcloth, and mourn because their god Molech or their king would go into exile.

(Jeremiah 49:4) Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

337 Like that of Moab, Ammon's sin was pride in her fruitful valleys and riches.

Ammon’s problem, like that of Moab, was pride. Ammon boasted of her valleys that were so fruitful. She trusted in her riches and felt secure enough to question who would have the courage to attack her .

(Jeremiah 49:5) Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts, from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth; and none shall gather up him that wandereth.

But God’s judgment would shatter Ammon’s complacency and pride when He brought His terror on her. Those who had been boasting of their security would be driven away, and no leader would be found to gather the fugitives to return and repossess their land.

(Jeremiah 49:6) And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith the LORD.

Yet in His grace God vowed that afterward He would restore the fortunes of the Ammonites

Judgment on Edom

(Jeremiah 49:7) Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

Teman - a town in Edom, was known for wise men..

The association of wisdom with the men of Teman was as old as the Book of Job which spoke of Eliphaz the Temanite (see in Job 2:11). In fact all of Edom was known for its wise men . Teman was in central Edom about three miles from Sela, later known as Petra.

(Jeremiah 49:8) Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. Dedan, a city in the northern part of the southeast of Edom, was known for its trading . Those Dedanites living in Edom were warned to turn and flee from the disaster God was about to bring on Edom.

(Jeremiah 49:9) If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.

Two images were used to show the thoroughness of God’s judgment. His judgment would be more thorough than grape pickers who at least leave a few grapes on the vine when they are done (cf. Obad. 5c; Deut. 24:21). God’s judgment would also be more thorough than thieves… during the night who steal only as much as they want. Even a thief leaves something behind, but God would strip Esau (Edom) bare. Only the helpless orphans and widows would be

338 spared by God. (Verse 11) Usually grape gatherers and thieves leave something behind, but Edom will be completely destroyed.

(Jeremiah 49:10) But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not.

In the third century B.C. Edom was overrun by the Nabataeans.

Edom had to be judged because of her many crimes. If God made those who do not deserve to drink the cup of His wrath (i.e., those nations “unrelated” to Judah who boasted over her fall) drink it how could a nation with close fraternal ties such as Edom’s hope to go unpunished?

(Jeremiah 49:11) Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

Sin against one’s brother was a heinous crime. If nations unrelated to Judah were to be punished for their mistreatment of her, then nations closely related to Judah deserved greater condemnation .

(Jeremiah 49:12) For thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it. If Judah does not escape judgment, how could Edom expect not to be judged also?

(Jeremiah 49:13) For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

God would make the city of Bozrah in northern Edom a ruin and an object of horror (Jeremiah 49:14) I have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle.

Borrowing language from international diplomacy used earlier by Obadiah , Jeremiah pictured God sending an envoy to His allies among the nations asking them to assemble for an attack on Edom.

(Jeremiah 49:15) For, lo, I will make thee small among the heathen, and despised among men.

Edom would become small among the nations and despised as God reduced her prestige and power.

(Jeremiah 49:16) Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.

339 Edom’s pride in her strong natural defenses made her feel secure, but God would bring her down from her lofty perch .

(Jeremiah 49:17) Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

people would be horrified at her condition

(Jeremiah 49:18) As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

Edom would be destroyed as were Sodom and Gomorrah so that no one would dwell there.

(Jeremiah 49:19) Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

God would be as fierce as a lion when He rose up to chase Edom from its land. No one would be able to challenge God nor could a shepherd… stand against Him. The use of “shepherd” both continued the image of a shepherd trying to protect sheep from a marauding lion and implied God’s judgment on the king who was the “shepherd” of the nation Edom is given no promise of future restoration. Overrun by the Nabataeans, the Edomites migrated to southern Judah, were called Idumeans, and ceased to exist as a distinct nation. Herod the Great was an Edomite.

(Jeremiah 49:20) Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

God vowed to drag away the young of the flock and destroy the pasture of Edom.

(Jeremiah 49:21) The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.

The cry of destruction would carry to the Red (Reed) Sea—the site of God’s first destruction of a nation that threatened His Chosen People.

(Jeremiah 49:22) Behold, he shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread his wings over Bozrah: and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

God’s prophet repeated (with slight modifications) Jeremiah 49:19-21 in 50:44-46 and applied the message to Babylon. Using an image He had earlier applied to Moab (48:40-41) God indicated that like an eagle He would swoop down in judgment over Bozrah in northern Edom.

340 The hearts of the warriors on which Edom depended would be as afraid as the heart of a woman in labor . They would not be able to stop God’s destruction.

Two points of interest may be noted.

First, unlike Egypt, Moab, and Ammon , Edom was given no promise of future restoration.

Second, this prophecy was fulfilled in the intertestamental period when desert tribesmen called the Nabateans drove the Edomites from their land. The people of Edom were forced to migrate into southern Judah where they were called Idumeans. In 125 B.C. John Hyrcanus I, a Maccabean, subjugated the Idumeans and made them accept Judaism . The Edomites thus ceased to be a distinct national group.

Judgment on Damascus - Syria

(Jeremiah 49:23) Concerning Damascus. Hamath is confounded, and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

Damascus. The capital of Aram.

Hamath. A city on the Orontes River, about 110 mi (177 km) N of Damascus.

Arpad. About 20 mi (32 km) NW of Aleppo.

Though Damascus had fallen to Assyria in 732 B.C., the background in these verses must relate to Nebuchadnezzar's subjugation of the territory.

Three of the major cities of Syria—Hamath… Arpad, and Damascus—were dismayed because of the bad news of Babylon’s advance.

(Jeremiah 49:24) Damascus is waxed feeble, and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her: anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

Damascus’ pain was like that of a woman in labor. In Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Damascus the soldiers of Damascus were silenced (i.e., killed) and her fortifications burned.

(Jeremiah 49:25) How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy!

(Jeremiah 49:26) Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts.

God vowed to consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.

341 (Jeremiah 49:27) And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad.

“Ben-Hadad” (lit., “son of [the god] Hadad”) was the name of the dynasty that ruled in Damascus in the ninth and eighth centuries B.C.

Damascus’ pain was like that of a woman in labor. In Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Damascus the soldiers of Damascus were silenced (i.e., killed) and her fortifications burned. God vowed to consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad

Judgment on Kedar and Hazor

(Jeremiah 49:28) Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east

Kedar was a nomadic tribe of Ishmaelites (cf. Gen. 25:13) in the Arabian desert known for her skills in archery, her flocks of sheep, her extensive trade, and her warlike nature . “The kingdoms of Hazor” do not refer to the city of Hazor in Israel just north of the Sea of Galilee. Rather it was some as-yet unknown place in the Arabian desert. Jeremiah 49:28b-29 seems to picture Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Kedar, and verses 30- 33 view his destruction of Hazor.

(Jeremiah 49:29) Their tents and their flocks shall they take away: they shall take to themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, Fear is on every side.

God summoned Nebuchadnezzar to attack Kedar, destroying their black, goat-hair tents and seizing their flocks along with all their goods and camels. Then these nomads would experience terror on every side.

(Jeremiah 49:30) Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

The people of Hazor were urged to flee and hide in deep caves because Nebuchadnezzar had plotted to go against them in battle. As God had done against Kedar (v. 28), so here He summoned Nebuchadnezzar to arise and attack Hazor.

(Jeremiah 49:31) Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without care, saith the LORD, which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

These Arabian people felt so secure in their remote desert location that they did not even have city gates or bars to protect against attack.

342 (Jeremiah 49:32) And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the LORD.

Nebuchadnezzar would take their camels and their large herds as booty..

(Jeremiah 49:33) And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.

The inhabitants would be scattered to the winds and the city itself would become a haunt of jackals (dragons)… forever—a symbol of desolation for Jeremiah’s other uses of this phrase

Judgment on Elam - Iran

(Jeremiah 49:34) The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

Elam was east of Babylon in what is today the country of Iran.

The Elamites had had a long and eventful history but, by Jeremiah's time, had largely been absorbed by the Persians.

This prophecy was given early in the reign of Zedekiah, about 597 B.C.

(Jeremiah 49:35) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

God promised to break the bow of Elam which He called the mainstay of their might. This is significant because the Elamites were known for their archery skills .

(Jeremiah 49:36) And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

Her invaders would come from all directions (the four winds and the four quarters of the heavens) and would scatter… Elam’s exiles throughout the earth. Though there is some evidence that Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Elamites about 596 B.C., his subjugation at that time did not fulfill this message.

(Jeremiah 49:37) For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:

343 Elam became a central part of the Persian Empire that later conquered Babylon Jeremiah’s statement about Elam’s destruction seems to take on eschatological dimensions

(Jeremiah 49:38) And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD. as God said He would set His throne in Elam to supervise her destruction.

(Jeremiah 49:39) But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD. Yet Elam’s destruction will not be total because God will restore her fortunes… in days to come .

344 Chapter Fifty

Judgment on Babylon and Babylonia-Iraq

(Jeremiah 50:1) The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.

Jeremiah was commanded to announce to the nations the public humiliation of Babylon.

(Jeremiah 50:2) Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

Bel. Means "lord" and was a title applied at this time to Marduk, the chief god of Babylon and supposed creator of the world.

She would be captured and her protecting god Bel the storm god Enlil, also known as Marduk, the chief deity of Babylon, would, figuratively speaking, be put to shame and filled with terror because of his inability to protect her.

(Jeremiah 50:3) For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast. out of the north. In Jewish thought, the origin of anything sinister, since most of their invasions came from this direction. But now the conquering Persians came from the N and the E to conquer Babylon in 539 B.C. and allowed the Jews to return to Palestine (v. 5). Since inhabitants were left in the city in 539, this prophecy may also have a fulfillment just before the second coming of Christ (Rev. 17-18).

Jeremiah’s prophecy looked beyond the destruction of Babylon in 539 to an eschatological destruction that will reverse the fortunes of Israel and Judah. Possibly this prophecy represents a blending of the near and the far.

(Jeremiah 50:4) In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.

That is, the fall of Babylon and the return of the captives under Zerubbabel merged in the prophetic picture with the still-future destruction of Babylon and the final restoration of Israel and Judah. The destruction of Babylon will be the climax of God’s judgment on the Gentile powers that have oppressed His people and will open the way for the fulfilling of God’s promises to Israel.

345 (Jeremiah 50:5) They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

Other portions of Scripture also point to this still-future rebuilding of Israel and destruction of Babylon (cf. Zech. 5:5-11; Rev. 17-18). The city of Babylon will be rebuilt only to be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period before Christ returns to establish His millennial reign.

(Jeremiah 50:6) My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

Israel and Judah will need to be restored because they have been lost sheep wandering over mountain and hill .

(Jeremiah 50:7) All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.

They have been devoured by their enemies because they have sinned against God.

Verses 6-7 are an editorial comment on the restoration of Israel and Judah, announced in verses 4-5.

(Jeremiah 50:8) Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. male goats, who leave the enclosure first. So Judah ought to be the first of the captive peoples to leave Babylon.

(Jeremiah 50:9) For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain.

(Jeremiah 50:10) And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD.

God summoned His sheep to flee out of Babylon because of the alliance of great nations coming from the… North against her to plunder her.

(Jeremiah 50:11) Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;

The triumph of Babylon will be short-lived, followed by its destruction and the restoration of Israel.

346 The Fall of Babylon - Iraq

Babylon sinned in proudly destroying Judah. God will judge any nation that can rejoice and be glad as it pillages His inheritance, frolicking like a heifer and neighing like stallions.

(Jeremiah 50:12) Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

He vowed to disgrace Babylon by making it a desert uninhabited, and completely desolate.

(Jeremiah 50:13) Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. desolate. The Persians captured Babylon in 539 B.C. (Dan. 5:30-31). In 514 Darius Hystaspes put down a revolt and partially destroyed the walls. Xerxes demolished the walls and temples of Babylon in 478. Subsequent attempts to restore the city have been unsuccessful, although at the end of the twentieth century Iraq has made another beginning attempt at restoration.

The once-great city will be so thoroughly destroyed that all who pass by will be horrified and Hiss , scoff (mock) at her wounds (i.e., her physical devastation).

(Jeremiah 50:14) Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD.

The battle was graphically portrayed as the enemy taking their positions around the city and shooting their arrows at her defenders.

(Jeremiah 50:15) Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. When the city finally surrenders, her towers and walls will be torn down and God’s vengeance will be poured out on those who remain.

(Jeremiah 50:16) Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

Because of this coming sword God warned the foreigners living in Babylon to flee to their own land. Again, this scene was not fulfilled when Cyrus attacked Babylon in 539 B.C. It awaits a future fulfillment.

(Jeremiah 50:17) Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

347 Both Assyria (which first conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.) and Nebuchadnezzar (who took the southern in 586) will be punished, and Israel (both N and S) will be restored and forgiven (v. 20). In fulfillment, Assyria fell in 609 and Babylon in 539.

(Jeremiah 50:18) Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

The Restoration of Israel

Israel, here representing both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, had become like scattered sheep (cf. vv. 6-7). The Northern Kingdom had been conquered by Assyria in 722 B.C., and the Southern Kingdom was crushed by Babylon in 586 B.C. God vowed to reverse the situation. He will punish the kings of Babylon and Assyria for their destruction of His people.

(Jeremiah 50:19) And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead.

He will bring Israel back to her land. The majestic summit of Carmel and the fertile plains of Bashan east of the Sea of Kinnereth will once again belong to Israel as will the hills of Ephraim and Gilead on the western and eastern banks of the Jordan River. .

(Jeremiah 50:20) In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

For the second time in this chapter (cf. Jer. 50:4) God indicated that in those days and at that time He will also bring about a spiritual renewal within His people. Though some will search for Israel’s guilt and the sins of Judah, they will not find any because God will forgive His remnant.

(Jeremiah 50:21) Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

These verses describe the attack on Babylon.

Merathaim (lit., double rebellion) and Pekod (lit., visitation) are sarcastic wordplays on the southern and eastern districts of Babylon. Using two wordplays, God ordered the attack on the land of Merathaim and on the people in Pekod. “Merathaim” was the region of Mat Marratim in southern Babylon where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers enter the Persian Gulf. However, the word in Hebrew (mera4t{ayim) means “double rebellion.” “Pekod” referred to an Aramean tribe (Pequdu) in southern Babylon on the east bank of the Tigris River; but the word in Hebrew (peqo=d{) means “to punish” or

348 “punishment.” Thus God was saying He would attack the land of double rebellion and inflict His punishment on it.

(Jeremiah 50:22) A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

The noise of battle signaled the destruction of Babylon.

(Jeremiah 50:23) How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!

She who like a hammer had been shattering others would find herself broken and shattered.

(Jeremiah 50:24) I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD.

God spoke of Himself as a hunter to indicate that He had set a trap in which Babylon unknowingly found herself caught.

(Jeremiah 50:25) The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans. He then referred to Himself as a warrior to show that He was bringing out His weapons of… wrath against her.

(Jeremiah 50:26) Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left.

Babylon’s enemies would come… from afar to break her open as one would break open granaries.

The bodies of her slain inhabitants would be piled up like heaps of grain,

(Jeremiah 50:27) Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation.

Her soldiers (the young bulls) would be slaughtered.

(Jeremiah 50:28) The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.

Those fugitives and refugees who had escaped (cf. vv. 8, 16) would travel to Zion and declare there that Babylon’s destruction was God’s vengeance for her destruction of His temple .

(Jeremiah 50:29) Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according

349 to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.

Archers were summoned to encamp… around Babylon to insure that no one would escape. The city had to be destroyed because she had defied the LORD with her haughtiness.

(Jeremiah 50:30) Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD.

Verse 30 is almost identical to 49:26 where Jeremiah applied the same message to Damascus.

(Jeremiah 50:31) Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

God emphasized Babylon’s haughtiness by calling her the arrogant one. She would be punished for her pride. (Jeremiah 50:32) And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.

God vowed to kindle a fire that would consume her.

(Jeremiah 50:33) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

The people of Israel and Judah were being held by captors who refused to let them go. How were they then to return to their own land?

(Jeremiah 50:34) Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

The answer was that their Redeemer, none other than the LORD Almighty, would guarantee their return. He vowed to defend their cause by giving them rest in their own land while giving unrest (i.e., judgment) to those living in Babylon.

(Jeremiah 50:35) A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men.

The threat of “unrest” (v. 34) was explained in verses 35-38 as God’s bringing of a sword against.… Babylon. The word a sword (h[ereb{) is used five times, and is followed by the announcement of a drought (h[o4reb{) in verse 38.

(Jeremiah 50:36) A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed.

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This sword of judgment will be directed against the officials and wise men, the false prophets, and the warriors.

(Jeremiah 50:37) A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.

It will also be used against the horses… chariots, and foreigners serving as mercenaries in Babylon’s ranks. The sword of judgment will even attack her treasures which will be plundered.

(Jeremiah 50:38) A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.

Also her waters… will dry up; Babylon will become poor and unproductive.

(Jeremiah 50:39) Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

The bustling metropolis of Babylon, Jeremiah said, will become a deserted wilderness where desert creatures… hyenas, and owls will live. After this destruction Babylon will never again be inhabited, her desolation will be as complete as that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The decline of Babylon occurred in stages. By 20 B.C. Strabo described it as a "vast desolation." Even the desert wanderer (the Arab) shunned the site because it became an omen of ill fortune.

(Jeremiah 50:40) As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

This prediction has not yet been fulfilled. Babylon has been inhabited throughout her history, and the government of Iraq has begun restoring some portions of the ancient city. The prophecy about Babylon’s complete ruin awaits a future fulfillment during the Tribulation period.

(Jeremiah 50:41) Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

God told Babylon to look at the army which will come from the north .

(Jeremiah 50:42) They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not show mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

351 It will not be the ill-equipped army of some vassal state trying to attack the might of Babylon. This army will come from the ends of the earth.… armed with bows and spears to attack. The character of this invading army will match that of the Babylonians . They will be cruel and without mercy, and the noise of the throng as it gallops to attack will sound like the roaring sea.

(Jeremiah 50:43) The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

The reports about this approaching army will bring anguish to the king of Babylon. He will be as fearful as a woman in labor.

(Jeremiah 50:44) Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

Jeremiah ended this section by applying to Babylon the same judgment that he had earlier applied to Edom .

(Jeremiah 50:45) Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

Like a lion viciously and suddenly (in an instant) attacking lambs, God will attack Babylon . (Jeremiah 50:46) At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

The rest of the world will tremble at His judgment of Babylon.

352 Chapter Fifty One

The Utter Destruction of Babylon

(:1) Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind;

God’s Vengeance Against Babylon

God will stir up… a destroyer and bring him against Babylon Foreigners sent by God to devastate her will completely destroy Babylon’s army.

(Jeremiah 51:2) And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

God will destroy Babylon so that Israel and Judah will be free to return home.

(Jeremiah 51:3) Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

coat of armor.

(Jeremiah 51:4) Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

(Jeremiah 51:5) For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.

(Jeremiah 51:6) Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.

God called to His people to flee from Babylon to avoid being destroyed.

(Jeremiah 51:7) Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. a golden cup. Outwardly Babylon was splendid, but its "cup" was filled with idolatry. The same figure is used of the eschatological Babylon in Rev. 14:8 and 17:1-6. No balm (v. 8) could now heal Babylon.

Babylon had been God’s gold cup of judgment from which He made the whole earth drink

353 (Jeremiah 51:8) Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.

However, Babylon will feel the sting of judgment. As she suddenly falls, her allies will try to find balm for her pain but they will search in vain for ways to heal her

(Jeremiah 51:9) We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.

She will not be healed so her allies will desert her to avoid the effects of her judgment.

(Jeremiah 51:10) The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

God’s people, knowing that He has vindicated them, will raise a declarative song of praise in the temple in Zion to recount what He has done.

(Jeremiah 51:11) Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. the Medes. An Aryan people who lived E of the Tigris River and S of the Caspian Sea. Here and in Isa. 13:17-19 it is predicted that they would play a part, along with the Persians, in the fall of Babylon--a prophecy confirmed in Dan. 5:30-31.

In an almost repetitive manner Jeremiah described the preparations of the armies poised to attack Babylon. This time he identified the attackers as the kings of the Medes (cf. v. 28). This could allude to the fall of Babylon in 539 B.C. to the Medo-Persians (cf. Dan. 5:31) or, more probably, it could indicate that one of the future kings who will invade Babylon will come from the area controlled by the Medes (i.e., what is today northern Iran).

(Jeremiah 51:12) Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.

God will summon this army to take vengeance on Babylon for her having destroyed His temple.

(Jeremiah 51:13) O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

God will carry out His purpose to destroy the Babylonians (who live by many waters; i.e., near the Euphrates River)

(Jeremiah 51:14) The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee.

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He has taken an oath (sworn by Himself) that these invaders will completely cover Babylon like a swarm of locusts. God will personally assure Babylon’s fall.

(Jeremiah 51:15) He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

The acts of creation demonstrate the omnipotence of God, and His wisdom in governing the world points to His omniscience. The verb root kun (Heb.), rendered here "established," affirms the direct causation of God in the creating process of the "world."

Using language that is virtually synonymous with 10:12-16 , Jeremiah stressed the sovereignty and power of the God who was guaranteeing Babylon’s fall. God’s power and wisdom were demonstrated in His Creation of the universe.

(Jeremiah 51:16) When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Though the Bible is not a book of science, it is reassuring to see how God's Word upholds genuine laws of science. For example, note the explanation of the process of evaporation.

Another visible demonstration of God’s power is His control over a thunderstorm. In beautiful poetic language Jeremiah pictured the clouds with the lightning… rain, and wind as visible reminders of God’s authority.

(Jeremiah 51:17) Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

The idols of Babylon would perish along with the people.

In sorry contrast were the man-made idols that had no breath in them..

(Jeremiah 51:18) They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Man made idols

(Jeremiah 51:19) The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name.

The Portion of Jacob (i.e., God, who in a sense is allotted to Israel;) is the Maker of all things, including His Chosen People, His inheritance .

(Jeremiah 51:20) Thou art my battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

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These verses refer to Cyrus. See Isaiah chapters 44-45. Babylon had been God’s war club used to shatter other nations. Jeremiah used the word I shatter nine times in verses 20-23 to indicate the extent to which God had used Babylon for judgment. (The form of the verb na4p{as[ means “to shatter to pieces.”)

(Jeremiah 51:21) And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider;

Now, however, He said He will repay Babylon for the wrong they had done in Zion.

(Jeremiah 51:22) With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid;

(Jeremiah 51:23) I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

(Jeremiah 51:24) And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.

(Jeremiah 51:25) Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

God, being against the mountain (a symbol for a kingdom; cf. Dan. 2:35, 44-45) of Babylon, will make it a burned-out mountain. The judgment will be so complete that people will not even loot the ruins to find a cornerstone or a stone for a foundation to rebuild elsewhere. The ruins will lie desolate forever. (Jeremiah 51:26) And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.

God, being against the mountain (a symbol for a kingdom; cf. Dan. 2:35, 44-45) of Babylon, will make it a burned-out mountain. The judgment will be so complete that people will not even loot the ruins to find a cornerstone or a stone for a foundation to rebuild elsewhere. The ruins will lie desolate forever.

(Jeremiah 51:27) Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillars.

The kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz, N of Babylon, were conquered by the Medes in the sixth century and here summoned to help fight against Babylon. bristly locusts. A particularly destructive stage in the life of the locust.

356 For the third time God summoned the nations to lift up their banner and rally their troops against Babylon . In addition to the Medes, mentioned both here (v. 28) and earlier (cf. v. 11), this invasion force will include the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz . Ararat was located in present-day Armenia near Lake Van. Minni was located south of Lake Urmia in what is today western Iran, and Ashkenaz was located near Lake Urmia and Ararat. The people in all three areas were warlike.

(Jeremiah 51:28) Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

God will send these invaders to accomplish His purposes against Babylon, namely, to lay waste the land and to remove its people.

(Jeremiah 51:29) And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.

Instead of offering resistance, the warriors of Babylon will stop fighting and withdraw to their strongholds (fortresses) for protection.

(Jeremiah 51:30) The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

The invaders will press their attack by setting Babylon’s dwellings… on fire. Finally the bars of her gates holding out the attackers will be broken.

(Jeremiah 51:31) One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,

Messengers will rush from the various quarters of the city to announce to the leader that the entire city is captured. The famous courier system of the Babylonians would announce the destruction.

(Jeremiah 51:32) And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

(Jeremiah 51:33) For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

God then compared Babylon to a threshing floor. When an area for threshing was trampled down to prepare it for threshing and winnowing, then the people knew that the time to harvest would soon come. Likewise when the city of Babylon will be trampled down by these invaders, then the people will know that God’s harvest of judgment has arrived

357 (Jeremiah 51:34) Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.

Jeremiah presented the complaint of the Jews against Babylon. Babylon had devoured them and set them aside like an empty jar. Or Nebuchadnezzar… like a serpent, had swallowed Judah whole. When Babylon was finished, she would vomit out the remains of the captives (i.e., release the exiles from captivity).

(Jeremiah 51:35) The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say.

The Jews called for God to act and to avenge the violence done to them. They wanted the blood (i.e., the guiltiness for their shed blood) to be required of those who live in Babylonia.

(Jeremiah 51:36) Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

God answered Jerusalem’s request and vowed to avenge Judah. He will make Babylon… a heap of ruins and a place where no one lives . And she will be scorned .

(Jeremiah 51:37) And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

(Jeremiah 51:38) They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions' whelps.

The Babylonians were fierce like young lions.

(Jeremiah 51:39) In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD.

But God will prepare a feast for them to make them drunk. As they drink from His cup of judgment they will fall asleep and never wake up .

(Jeremiah 51:40) I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats.

Using another figure, God compared the Babylonians to lambs being led to the slaughter.

(Jeremiah 51:41) How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!

Sheshach was another name for Babylon . Babylon will be captured and destroyed. She will disappear as if the sea had risen over her to cover her.

358 (Jeremiah 51:42) The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

(Jeremiah 51:43) Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

Or, to change images, her towns will become desolate like a desert.

(Jeremiah 51:44) And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

Swallowed by the sea or scorched by the sun, Jeremiah’s point was that Babylon will be destroyed. God will punish Bel, a god of Babylon, by making him spew out the wealth he had swallowed—a direct answer to the complaint of the captives .

(Jeremiah 51:45) My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

God ordered His people to run for their lives from Babylon to escape His fierce anger.

(Jeremiah 51:46) And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

They were not to be afraid of the many rumors of victory or violence floating through the land.

(Jeremiah 51:47) Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

Instead they were to remain confident that God will surely judge Babylon.

(Jeremiah 51:48) Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.

At that time heaven and earth… will shout for joy over God’s victory.

(Jeremiah 51:49) As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

God had ordained that Babylon must fall because she was responsible for killing many Israelites. God’s promise to Abraham that those who cursed him would themselves be cursed (Gen. 12:2-3) was now applied to Babylon.

359 (Jeremiah 51:50) Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

When the Israelites escape from the future destruction of Babylon they should not linger. Instead they should remember the LORD and think on Jerusalem. Babylon’s destruction will be the catalyst God uses to bring the Jews home.

(Jeremiah 51:51) We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

As the remnant still in exile thought of Jerusalem, they were disgraced… insulted, and full of shame because they remembered that foreigners had entered the holy places of the temple and desecrated it.

(Jeremiah 51:52) Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan. God comforted these exiles by assuring them that days are coming when He will destroy Babylon’s idols.

(Jeremiah 51:53) Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

No matter how exalted Babylon’s position became or how much energy she devoted to fortifying her defenses, God still vowed to send destroyers against her who would wipe her out.

(Jeremiah 51:54) A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans:

A sound of great destruction will be heard from the land of Babylon.

(Jeremiah 51:55) Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered:

The sound will come from waves of enemy soldiers attacking the city, the roar of their voices sounding forth over the other sounds of battle.

(Jeremiah 51:56) Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompenses shall surely requite.

These invaders will capture Babylon’s warriors and destroy her military power (her bows will be broken).

360 (Jeremiah 51:57) And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

Every class of officials in Babylon will be forced to drink God’s wine of judgment (cf. 25:15-29; 51:7-8 which will cause them to sleep forever and not awake.

(Jeremiah 51:58) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.

Again such wholesale destruction of Babylon’s leaders and warriors did not occur when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia (cf. Dan. 5:29-6:2). It still awaits God’s future fulfillment. Jeremiah ended this message about Babylon’s future fall by quoting a proverb (Jer. 51:58; also in Hab. 2:13) to show the futility of Babylon’s attempts to resist God’s judgment. Since God had already announced that Babylon’s… wall will be leveled and her… gates set on fire (cf. Jer. 50:15; 51:30), any labor expended to prevent His judgment and shore up the defenses will only provide more fuel to feed the flames when they will finally come.

Jeremiahʹs Command to Seraiah

(Jeremiah 51:59) The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

The capstone of Jeremiah’s oracle against Babylon was a message he gave to… Seraiah who was a staff officer to the king. By noting that Seraiah was a son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah Jeremiah indicated that Seraiah was the brother of Baruch, his scribe (cf. 32:12). Seraiah went to Babylon with Zedekiah… in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign. Why did Zedekiah make a trip to Babylon in 594-593 B.C.? William Shea offers strong evidence to suggest that Nebuchadnezzar summoned all his vassal kings to Babylon in 594 B.C. to insure their loyalty after an attempted revolt in Babylon a little less than a year earlier. Shea believes that this gathering was recorded in Daniel 3. Whatever the exact cause, Zedekiah was forced to make an official trip to Babylon, and brought Baruch’s brother, Seraiah.

(Jeremiah 51:60) So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

Jeremiah compiled on a scroll… all the prophecies he had recorded concerning Babylon.

(Jeremiah 51:61) And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words;

Ser ai’ ah - means soldier of Jehovah

361 Very likely this scroll was a copy of chapters 50-51 of the present book. He gave the scroll to Seraiah and told him to read the words aloud when he got to Babylon.

(Jeremiah 51:62) Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.

After affirming God’s intention to destroy that place,

(Jeremiah 51:63) And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: Seraiah was to tie a stone to the scroll and throw it into the Euphrates. As the scroll and stone sank beneath the water, Seraiah was to announce that Babylon, like the scroll, would sink to rise no more .

(Jeremiah 51:64) And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

The final note, the words of Jeremiah end here, helps in understanding the process by which the Book of Jeremiah was compiled. This note was probably made by the person who later added chapter 52 to the already-compiled work of Jeremiah. Because chapter 52 was written approximately 25 years after the rest of the book , the later editor included this note to distinguish between the portion of the book that had been compiled by Jeremiah and the portion that was added later.

Who was this man? No one knows for sure except to say that whoever wrote chapter 52 was also responsible for completing the Book of 2 Kings. (Tradition states that Jeremiah wrote 1 and 2 Kings except for the final chapter, 2 Kings 25.)

Likely candidates for include Baruch or some other disciple of Jeremiah who lived long enough to see the events of chapter 52 take place. Whoever the individual, obviously the Holy Spirit guided him to include the chapter as a fitting ending to the book.

362 Chapter Fifty Two

The Fate of Jerusalem

(Jeremiah 52:1) Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

Chapter 52 is nearly identical to 2 Kings 24:18-25:30 and was written sometime after 561 B.C. when King Jehoiachin was released from prison in Babylon (Jer. 52:31). Much of the material is parallel to information recorded by Jeremiah in chapter 39. Why, then, was this chapter added to Jeremiah’s prophecies? Most likely it was to show that Jeremiah’s words of judgment against Jerusalem had been fulfilled and that his words about Judah’s release from the Exile were about to be fulfilled. This final chapter served to vindicate the prophet and encourage the remnant still in captivity.

(Jeremiah 52:2) And he did evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done.

The history of Judah’s final king is again summarized (cf. 39:1-7). Zedekiah… became king when he was 21 years old, and he reigned for 11 years.

(Jeremiah 52:3) For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

He rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, and in the 9th year of his reign, on the 10th day of the 10th month (Jan. 15, 588 B.C)

(Jeremiah 52:4) Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it, and built a siege wall all around it.

The siege of Jerusalem began in January 588 B.C. and continued until July 586. Nebuchadnezzar began the final siege of Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 52:5) So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

(Jeremiah 52:6) On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.

In the 11th year of… Zedekiah on the 9th day of the 4th month (July 18, 586 B.C.) the famine… had become so severe that the food ran out.

(Jeremiah 52:7) Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.

363

All resistance was gone, and on that day the Babylonians made a breach in the city wall.

(Jeremiah 52:8) But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him.

Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to flee, but they were captured as Jeremiah had predicted

(Jeremiah 52:9) Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him.

Riblah. Situated 36 mi (58 km) NE of Baalbek, it was the site of the field headquarters for the Babylonians.

(Jeremiah 52:10) And the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

Zedekiah was taken to Nebuchadnezzar, forced to watch the execution of his sons, blinded, bound… with shackles, and taken to Babylon where he remained imprisoned until he died.

(Jeremiah 52:11) Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.

A MOST AMAZING PROPHESY Jeremiah had warned Zedekiah that he would see Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 32:4; 34:3), but Ezekiel predicted that he would not see Babylon (Ezek. 12:13). How accurately both these prophecies were fulfilled!

Ezek. 12:13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

(Jeremiah 52:12) Now on the tenth day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. tenth day. 2 Kings 25:8 says Nebuzaradan came on the seventh day. Perhaps he entered Jerusalem on the seventh and began to burn it on the tenth. the nineteenth year includes the accession year of Nebuchadnezzar, whereas the reference in verse 29 does not.

The city of Jerusalem fared no better than her king. By the 10th day of the fifth month which was in Nebuchadnezzar’s 19th year (August 17, 586 B.C.) the city had been cleared of rebels and sacked and was put to the torch. There is a problem here because 2 Kings 25:8 indicates that Nebuzaradan came on “the 7th day of the fifth month.” Two possible answers have been suggested. 364

Some think that one of the two dates is the result of a later scribal error in copying the text. However, there is no textual or manuscript evidence to support this position.

Others believe that “the 7th” indicates the day Nebuzaradan arrived in Jerusalem and “the 10th” indicates the day he began burning the city.

(Jeremiah 52:13) And he burned the house of the LORD, the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every large house he burned with fire.

Nebuzaradan.… set fire to the temple… the royal palace, and… the houses as Jeremiah had predicted (cf. Jer. 22:7). Every important building was burned down.

(Jeremiah 52:14) So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.

(Jeremiah 52:15) Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the artisans. Those who survived the siege and remained in the city were carried into exile.

(Jeremiah 52:16) But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

Only the poorest people were left behind.

(Jeremiah 52:17) Now the bronze pillars which belonged to the house of the LORD and the stands and the bronze sea, which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon. To understand this passage one must remember Jeremiah’s conflict with the false prophet, Hananiah (cf. 27:16-28:17). Jeremiah had predicted that the furnishings still remaining in the temple would be taken to Babylon (27:19-22). Hananiah contradicted Jeremiah by promising that the furniture already taken to Babylon would be returned (28:3). Which prophet was correct? This additional chapter proves the truth of Jeremiah’s prophecy. The bronze pillars, the movable stands, and the other furnishings named by Jeremiah were indeed carried… to Babylon. This was such an extensive undertaking that the author paused to explain the size of the bronze pillars which were removed (52:21).

(Jeremiah 52:18) And they also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the pans, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service.

(Jeremiah 52:19) The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the libation bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.

365 (Jeremiah 52:20) The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD-- the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.

(Jeremiah 52:21) As for the pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, and it was twelve cubits in circumference and four fingers in thickness, and hollow.

(Jeremiah 52:22) Now a capital of bronze was on it; and the height of each capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, including pomegranates.

(Jeremiah 52:23) And there were ninety-six exposed pomegranates; all the pomegranates numbered a hundred on the network all around.

The Fate of Certain People

(Jeremiah 52:24) Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple.

All the city’s leaders were rounded up by the Babylonians. These included Seraiah the chief priest, who was a grandson of Hilkiah, the high priest in King Josiah’s time (1 Chron. 6:13-15), Zephaniah the priest next in rank (cf. Jer. 29:25-29; 37:3), and the three doorkeepers who were responsible for keeping order in the temple.

(Jeremiah 52:25) He also took from the city one official who was overseer of the men of war, and seven of the king's advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.

Also captured were the officer in charge of the fighting men (secretary of defense), seven royal advisers, and the chief officer who was in charge of conscripting the people along with 60 of his men—either lower officials or 60 conscripted soldiers.

(Jeremiah 52:26) And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

These were taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had his headquarters (52:9), and executed.

(Jeremiah 52:27) Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

(Jeremiah 52:28) These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews;

366 The 3,023 mentioned in this verse probably was the number of adult males (cf. 2 Kings 24:12- 16).

This section is not included in 2 Kings 25. The author added it here to show that other groups of exiles were taken to Babylon. The dates given for the first two deportations (Jer. 52:28-29) do not correspond with the dates of the two deportations given in 2 Kings 24:12-14; 25:8-12.

Two possible solutions to this difficulty have been advanced.

First, some have suggested that the deportations in 2 Kings and Jeremiah refer to the same events and should be harmonized. This is usually done by assuming that the writer of 2 Kings used a nonaccession-year method of dating the kings of Babylon while Jeremiah employed an accession-year method in Jeremiah 52:28-30

Second, others have suggested that the first two deportations listed in 52:28-30 were not the same as those in 2 Kings but were minor ones preceding the major deportations associated with Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of the city in 597 and 586 B.C.

Two arguments are said to support this second view.

First, the years given (the 7th and 18th years of Nebuchadnezzar) are each one year earlier than the years given in 2 Kings for the two major assaults on Jerusalem by Babylon (the “8th,” 2 Kings 24:12-14, and “19th,” 2 Kings 25:8-12, years of Nebuchadnezzar).

Second, the numbers of captives who were exiled in these deportations do not correspond with the numbers taken during the 597 and 586 deportations. In 597 about 10,000 people were taken (2 Kings 24:14), but Jeremiah 52:28 mentions only 3,023. In 586 Nebuchadnezzar deported “the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king” (2 Kings 25:11).

(Jeremiah 52:29) in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem;

The figure in Jeremiah 52:29 of 832 seems far too low to correspond to this final deportation. So according to this second view it seems reasonable to assume that these two deportations in verses 28-29 are secondary deportations. The author included them (along with a third minor deportation, v. 30) to show the full extent of Babylon’s destruction of Judah.

(Jeremiah 52:30) in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all.

The third deportation mentioned by Jeremiah possibly corresponds with Nebuchadnezzar’s return to the land after Gedaliah’s assassination (cf. chap. 41). Certainly such a threat to Babylon’s control over Palestine did not go unnoticed. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar sent a force to restore order and to remove anyone suspected of promoting rebellion. The small number of 745 Jews would support the limited size of this action.

367 The dates of these three deportations (based on a Tishri calendar) mentioned in 52:28-30 were then (a) Nebuchadnezzar’s 7th year (598 B.C.), (b) his 18th year (587 B.C.), and (c) his 23rd year (582 B.C.). The Fate of Jehoiachin

(Jeremiah 52:31) Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison.

Evil-merodach. Son of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned from 562 to 560 B.C. Tablets recovered from the ruined Ishtar Gate in Babylon confirm this account of the kindness shown to Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin became the “firstfruits” of those in captivity in Babylon. In the 37th year of Jehoiachin’s exile (561-560 B.C.) Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon. As part of the festivities at the end of his accession year he released Jehoiachin… from prison on the 25th day of the 12th month (March 21, 560 B.C.). Jehoiachin was allowed to eat regularly at the king’s table. Just as Jeremiah’s prophecies of destruction had come true, so now his prophecies of future blessing were beginning. Jehoiachin’s favor gave hope to the exiles that God’s promised blessing and restoration would come.

(Jeremiah 52:32) Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.

(Jeremiah 52:33) So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life.

(Jeremiah 52:34) And for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death.

368