1 2 5/26/02 27:1-3 The command to Jeremiah to make wooden yokes. Jeremiah 27-29 1) The date of the prophesy is said to be the reign of Jehoiakim. Vs. 1 The prophet Jeremiah is called once again to act a) Most scholars take this as a copyist’s out his message by making and wearing wooden error and see this as a reference to yokes. Zedekiah. 1. He had worn the ruined sage to indicate the * The Syriac version has Zedekiah, worthless condition of the nation. Jer. 13 the LXX omits the entire verse. 2. He Had taken the potters vessel and broke it at b) The internal evidence affirms this. Vs. Tophet to indicate the destruction of the people. 3, 12, 20 Jer. 19 c) The reference is to the beginning of the reign of his reign that word came The three chapters go together revealing the to Jeremiah from the Lord. continuing struggle of Jeremiah against the false d) The phrase “beginning of his reign prophets. Jer. 27-29 does not contradict the first verse of 1. The message of the wooden yokes revealed. Jer. the next chapter, “in the same year of 27 Zedekiah, the fourth year, in the fifth 2. The message of the wooden yokes opposed. Jer. month.” July-August of 594 B. C. 28 e) Another way they referred to a kings * The title “prophet” is used more times with reign was “the beginning” for the fist Jeremiah’s name than any other chapter! half and “the end” the last half. 3. The message to the captives to settle down for 2) Jeremiah is commanded by Yahweh to seventy years. Jer. 29 once again proclaim his message by a sign. Vs. 2-3 27:1-22 The prophetic message of wooden a) Jeremiah was to make for himself yokes. bonds and yokes, and put them on his neck, symbolic of being subject of 27:1-11 The message to the Gentile kings to service, like an ox to plow. Vs. 2 submit to Nebuchadnezzar. * The yoke was of crossbars and fastened by leather thongs and 3 4 apparently Jeremiah wore them for c) The God of Israel, the One who had a time. Jer. 28:10 the right to do as He will, for the b) Then he was to five kings of the people belonged to them. Gentiles; to the king of Edom, Moab, 2) Yahweh was to be recognized as the the Ammonites, Tyre, and the king of sovereign Creator of man and beast and Sidon, Vs. 3a-e could give them to whomever He * Remember that Yahweh had called deemed proper. Vs. 5 Jeremiah as a prophet to the * This was the beginning of the “Time of nations, to root out, pull down and the Gentiles”. Dan. 2 destroy. Jer. 1:10 3) Yahweh had already given all the people c) This was to be done by the hand of the and the lands into the hand of messengers who would be coming to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon. Jerusalem to Zedekiah king. Vs. 3f Vs. 6 * They would be coming to a) Nebuchadnezzar is called “My confederate against Babylon but servant”, for he would be the God had already declared the cup instrument of God, like Assyria the of God’s wrath that they would chasten His people. Jer. 25:9 drink. Jer. 26:15-30 * Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God after his regained his sanity. Dan. 27:4-7 The command to the Gentiles kings 4:35-37 was to submit to Nebuchadnezzar. b) The beasts of the field had also been 1) Jeremiah as to tell these ambassadors to given him. deliver God’s message to their masters or c) The purpose was “to serve him”. kings. Vs. 4 4) Yahweh declares the length of Babylon’s * The five kings were past vassals of world power. Vs. 7 King David. a) All nations would serve him and his a) The Divine authority was marked by son and his son's son, until the time of the phrase “Thus says the LORD, his land comes. Vs. 7a-b Yahweh the covenant God. * Exactly as it happened, b) The LORD of hosts, the Captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, then his son Evil armies of heaven. Marduk, then there was 5 6 Nigeglissar, Nobonidus who were to them, saying, “You shall not serve not of the line of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon.” By the council and finally Belshezzar, when the of demons. Lev. 19:26; Deut. 13:1-5; writing on the wall appeared. Dan. 18:9-13; Jer. 23:25-32 5 b) All are qualified by the word “your”, b) Then many nations and great kings these were the men of supposedly shall make him serve them. Vs. 7c wisdom and divine authority. 1)) The Medo-Persian empire 3) The reason is enumerated for the nations. conquered Babylon, according to Vs. 10 God’s plan. Is. 44:28-45:1 a) For they prophesy a lies to them. Vs. 2)) This is recorded as the fulfillment 10a of Jeremiah’s prophesy. 2Chron. b) They would in fact cause them to be 36:22-23; Ezra 1:2-4 remove far from their land. Vs. 10b 3) This was also due to the fact that c) Then Yahweh would drive them out, they had not obeyed the Sabbatic and they would perish. Vs. 10c-d year for the land, 490 years, so 4) The obedient nations would not be taken God would give the land rest for to captivity. Vs. 11 70 years. a) Their submission to the yoke of the * Seven divided into 490 is king of Babylon in service to him seventy! Jer. 25:12-14 would remain in their own land. Vs. 11a-b 27:8-11 The consequences and benefit in view b) They would till it and dwell in it. Vs. of the massage. 11c-d 1) The nation who rebelled would be * The authority is, “Says the Lord”. punished by Yahweh with the sword, famine, and pestilence, until Yahweh had 27:12-15 The message to kings Zedekiah to consumed them by his hand. Vs. 8 submit to Nebuchadnezzar 2) The nations were not to listen to their religious and spiritual advisers. Vs. 9 27:12-13 Zedekiah is called to obey the a) Be they prophets, diviners, dreamers, message. soothsayers, or sorcerers, who spoke 7 8 1) Jeremiah also spoke to Zedekiah king the 27:16-22 The message to the priest to not same message knowing he was a weak believe the false prophets. and vacillating king who would listen to the confederacy. Vs. 12 27:16-18 Jeremiah warns the priests and the a) To bring his necks under the yoke of people to not believe the false prophets. the king of Babylon. Vs. 12a-c * The warnings are the same as before. b) To serve him and his people and live. 1) The priest and the people were not to Vs. 12d-e believe the lies and false hope, that the 2) The prophet plead with Zedekiah in good vessels of the temple would soon be common sense. Vs. 13 returned. Vs. 16 a) Why will you die, you and your * These were the men who were to be the people, by the sword, by the famine, mediators for the people, they had and by the pestilence. Vs. 13a-d become false! * The best of the flesh and human 2) The were not listen to them; serve the efforts is stupidity and futile king of Babylon, and live, reasoning with against the hand of God! them, that why should this city be laid b) The message had been spoken by the waste? Vs. 17 LORD against the nation that would 3) Jeremiah puts the false prophets to a test. not serve the king of Babylon? Vs. Vs. 18 13e a) If they were prophets and if the word of the LORD is with them, they were 27:14-15 Zedekiah is warned about listening to to make intercession to the LORD of the false prophets. hosts, which would imply that they 1) He was not to listen to the false prophets had access to Yahweh. Vs. 18a-c and their false hope and lies, that they b) And that the vessels which were left in would not be taken captive. Vs. 14 the house of the LORD, the house of 2) He was to know that Yahweh had not the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, sent them, that their lies in the name of would not go to Babylon. Vs. 18d-f Yahweh were to destroy him, the people 1) Then Jeremiah prophesied specifically and the prophets. Vs. 15 what would happen to the remaining vessels. Vs. 19-20 9 10 * The furnishings are mentioned. 1Kings * The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel 7:15-22; 2Chron. 3:15-17; 1Kings. was revealing it. 7:23-37; 2Chron. 4:4-6 2) The vessels would be there till the end of a) The vessels mentioned were the their captivity when they would be pillars, concerning the Sea, restored by Cyrus through Ezra in 536 B. concerning the carts, and concerning C. Vs. 22; 2Chron. 36:22-23; Ezra 1:2-11 the remainder of the vessels that * Yahweh would be the One responsible remain in this city, Vs. 19 to do this, remember that the prophet * The pillars and seas were broken up Isaiah told this to Hezekiah for to transport them. 2Kings 25:13- showing all that was in his house 17; Jer.