Psalm 150 (continued, part 17)
Jewish history is punctuated with a number of "covenant renewals" that brought temporary blessing but didn't change the hearts of the people. The book of Deuteronomy records a renewal of the covenant under Moses, before the people entered the Promised Land. In addition, before he died, Joshua led the people in reaffirming the covenant (Josh. 23—24). Samuel called the nation to renew their vows to God (1 Sam. 12), and both Hezekiah (2 Chron. 29—31) and Josiah (2 Chron. 34—35) inspired great days of "revival" as they led the people back to God's law.
Matthew later referred to verses 15–17 (Matt. 2:16–18). Rachel was the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, and Joseph was the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two leading tribes in the northern kingdom (Gen. 30:22–24). Jeremiah heard Rachel weeping at Ramah, where the Jewish prisoners were assembled for their long journey to Babylon (Jer. 40:1). Her descendants through Joseph had been captured by the Assyrians, and now her descendants through Benjamin (the southern kingdom) were going to Babylon. Her labor as a mother had been in vain! (Remember, Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin.) But God assured her that both Ephraim and Judah will be restored (31:16–17), and therefore her sacrifices will not have been in vain.7
The fact that the blessings didn't last is no argument against times of revival and refreshing. When somebody told Billy Sunday that revivals weren't necessary because they didn't last, the evangelist replied, "A bath doesn't last, but it's good to have one occasionally." A nation that is built on spiritual and moral principles must have frequent times of renewal or the foundations will crumble.
A restored Judah (vv. 21–26). As the Jews started for Babylon, God instructed them to remember the roads and set up markers along the route, for the people would use those same roads when they return to their land. Jeremiah pictured Judah as a silly girl, flitting from lover to lover, and now summoned to come home. (He used this image before. See 2:1–2, 20; 3:1–11.) According to the law, a daughter who prostituted herself should have been killed (Lev. 21:9; Deut. 22:21), but God would do a new thing: He would welcome her home and forgive her!
But the new covenant isn't just another renewal of the Old covenant that God gave at Sinai; it's a covenant that's new in every way. The new covenant is inward so that God's law is written on the heart and not on stone tablets (2 Cor. 3; Ezek. 11:19–20; 18:31; 36:26–27). The emphasis is personal rather than national, with each person putting faith in the Lord and receiving a "new heart" and with it a new disposition toward godliness.
The phrase "a woman shall compass a man" (Jer. 31:22; "surround" in niv) has been given so many interpretations that to examine them all is to invite confusion. The word translated "compass" also means "to surround with care, to shield"; it's used of God's care for Israel in the wilderness (Deut. 32:10). The word for "man" means "a strong man, a champion," so
The Old covenant tried to control conduct, but the new covenant changes character so that people can love the Lord and one another and want to obey God's will. "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20), but under the new covenant God promised "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jer. 31:34). It is this covenant that the Jews will
Jeremiah 31—32
may happen. It's well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence but obeying in spite of consequence, and Jeremiah's actions illustrate that maxim. When word got out that Jeremiah was investing in worthless real estate, many people must have laughed, others shook their heads in disbelief, and some probably thought he was crazy.
experience in the last days when they see their Messiah and repent (Zech. 12:10—13:1).
The basis for the new covenant is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (Matt. 26:27–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20). Because the church today partakes in Israel's spiritual riches (Rom. 11:12–32; Eph. 3:1–6), anyone who puts faith in Jesus Christ shares in this new covenant (Heb. 8:6–13; 10:14–18). It's an experience of regeneration, being born again into the family of God (John 3:1–21).
The transaction was probably carried out in the court of the prison with all things done legally. Jeremiah signed the deeds, paid the money, and gave the legal documents to his secretary, Baruch, who is mentioned here for the first time.9 The witnesses attested to the signature and the deeds and probably went away wondering whether Jeremiah had lost his mind. The transaction was the talk of the city, you can be sure, with Hanamel the hero. Hanamel may have thought he engineered a shrewd deal, but he only gave evidence of his unbelief.
The Lord also affirmed the permanence of the nation and the faithfulness of His relationship to His people (Jer. 31:35–37). It would be easier for the sun to stop shining and the moon and stars to go out than for God to break His promises to His people Israel. Just as Jerusalem was rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity, so it will be restored after the time of Jacob's trouble and be holy to the Lord. Because of its ancient associations with Israel, Islam, Jesus, and the church, Jerusalem is called "the Holy City," but it will not truly be holy until the Lord restores it and reigns in glory at the end of the age.
The reaction (32:16–25). As was often the case with Jeremiah, a testing experience of doubt followed a triumphant experience of faith. Having obeyed God's command by faith, Jeremiah was now wondering how God would ever give him his property; he did the right thing by praying about it. The best way to handle doubt is to talk to God, be honest about your feelings, and then wait for Him to give you His message from His Word.
Restoration: A New Land and Kingdom (32:1—33:26) It wasn't enough for the prophet merely to preach God's promises; he also had to practice them and prove to his hearers that he believed them himself. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). Therefore, God directed Jeremiah to give another "action sermon" and purchase a piece of property at a time when the fortunes of Judah couldn't have been lower. In so doing, Jeremiah got the attention of the people and was able to affirm God's great promises to them. He had to put his money where his mouth was, and God blessed him for it.
True prayer begins with worship (vv. 17–19) and focuses on the greatness of God. No matter what our problems are, God is greater; and the more we see His greatness, the less threatening our problems will become. True prayer also involves rehearsing what God has done for us in the past and remembering how He kept His promises and met the needs of His people (vv. 20–23). Jeremiah's prayer concluded with the prophet sharing his difficult situation with God and turning it over to Him (vv. 24–25). Outside the city was the besieging Babylonian army; within the city were famine, disease, and disobedience; and in Jeremiah's heart was a nagging doubt that he'd made a fool of himself.
An "illogical thing" (32:1–45). The tenth year of Zedekiah's rule was 587 BC, one year before Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians, when Jeremiah was confined in the court of the prison (37:21). King Zedekiah didn't like Jeremiah's messages concerning himself and the city (32:3–5), but perhaps his imprisoning the prophet was God's way of protecting Jeremiah from his enemies and providing food for him during the terrible siege. People can imprison God's workers, but God's Word is not bound (2 Tim. 2:9). God's word came to Jeremiah telling him to do a most illogical thing: Buy a piece of the battlefield!
The confirmation (32:26–44). God met the needs of His servant and confirmed that his decisions were right. The basic theme of Jeremiah's prayer was "Nothing is too hard for you" (v. 17 niv), and God reaffirmed that very truth to His servant (v. 27).10 Good theology always leads to a confident heart if we put our trust in the Word, for "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17 nkjv).
The transaction (32:6–15). God told Jeremiah that his cousin Hanamel was coming with an offer to sell property in their hometown of Anathoth. If Hanamel had suddenly shown up, Jeremiah probably would have refused the offer. After all, the field was in the hands of the Babylonians, Jeremiah was in prison, and the future of the nation was bleak indeed. Of what use would a field be to Jeremiah who couldn't possibly live for another seventy years?
The Lord's reply to Jeremiah affirmed what He had told him in the past: The city was heading for certain destruction because of the repeated sins of the people (Jer. 32:28–35). Their sin of idolatry had provoked the Lord, and the only solution was to put them in the land of Babylon and give them their fill of idols. Because the people had resisted the prophets and refused to obey the law, they would have to take the consequences.
That, however, is what faith is all about: obeying God in spite of what we see, how we feel, and what
The Lord then affirmed to Jeremiah that the situation
Jeremiah 32—33
His people (Jer. 33:19–26; see 31:35–37). But He adds something else: He will multiply the people as the stars of the heaven, which was one of the promises He had made to Abraham (Gen. 15:1–5).11
wasn't lost, for He would gather His people and bring them back to their land (vv. 36–44). This promise seems to apply to the end times when Israel will be gathered out of all "countries" (v. 37) and the new covenant will be in force, for the people will have a changed heart toward the Lord. Next, Jeremiah heard the word that gave him joy: "And fields shall be bought in this land" (v. 43). The day would come when Jeremiah's purchase would be validated and his "action sermon" vindicated!
"For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them" (Jer. 33:26 niv). The nation of Israel has a bright and blessed future, and Jeremiah invested in that future.
As God's people, are we putting our money where our mouth is?
The application of this Scripture for today's believer is obvious: The world laughs at us for our faith and our investments in the future, but one day God will keep His promises and vindicate us before people and angels. Instead of living for the sinful pleasures of this present world, we seek the joys of the world to come. We refuse to sacrifice the eternal for the temporal. The unbelieving world may ridicule us, but ultimately God will vindicate His people.
1 Charles E. Jefferson, Cardinal Ideas of Jeremiah (New York: Macmillan, 1928), 125. 2 Isaiah used the phrase "in that day" at least forty-four times but Jeremiah only seven (4:9; 30:8; 39:16–17; 49:22, 26; 50:30). In chapters 12 to 14 of Zechariah, "in that day" is used nineteen times with reference to end-time events relating to the restoration of Israel and the return of the Lord. 3 Jesus designated the first part of the tribulation as "the beginning of sorrows" (Matt. 24:8) which means "the beginning of birthpangs." The tribulation will bring pain to Israel and the nations of the world, but out of that pain will come the birth of the kingdom. 4 Visitors to the Holy Land visit Tel Aviv and various other "tells" and learn that the Hebrew word tel means "a mound of ruins." Cities devastated by war or natural calamities rarely relocated; the survivors simply rebuilt the city on the ruins of the old one, thus giving future archeologists something to do. 5 The ancient breach between Jews and Samaritans was healed when Philip the evangelist took the gospel to Samaria and the believing Samaritans received the same gift of the Spirit as the Jews (Acts 8:5ff.; 2:1–4). Later, the Gentiles would receive the gift (Acts 10:44–48). Thus, believing Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles made up the body of Christ (Gal. 3:26–29). 6 We sometimes hear about the "ten lost tribes of Israel," and various groups claim the identification, but only God knows where all twelve tribes are in the world (Acts 26:7; James 1:1; Rev. 7). 7 How does this relate to Matthew's quotation? As Rachel died she named her son Ben-oni, which means "son of my sorrow," but Jacob named him Benjamin, "son of my right hand" (Gen. 35:16–20). In His humiliation and suffering, Jesus Christ is the Man of Sorrows, but in His exaltation and glory, He is the Son at God's right hand (Acts 2:22–36). Jacob made Bethlehem a burial place, but Jesus made it a birthplace! The Bethlehem mothers, bereft of their sons, wept in despair, but just as God's promises comforted Rachel, so their sacrifice would not be in vain. No matter how many enemies try to destroy Israel, the nation will not perish, for their Messiah reigns and will come one day and deliver His people. 8 To defend this verse as a prediction of the virgin birth of Christ is an exercise in futility. The word for "woman" means "female" without reference to virginity. The nation is the only virgin mentioned in the context (Jer. 31:4, 21). There is no definite article in the text; it simply says "a female" and not "the woman." The Hebrew word translated "surround" (compass) has nothing to do with the conception of a child. It's possible that the statement is a Jewish proverb for an amazing and unthinkable thing.
"Unsearchable things" (33:1–26). "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (v. 3 niv). The word translated "unsearchable" pictures an impregnable city protected by high walls—an apt image during the siege of Jerusalem. The idea is that God's people don't learn the hidden things of the Lord by "storming the gates" through their own strength but by seeking Him through believing prayer. Because Jeremiah asked the Lord to teach him, God showed him "hidden things" that related to the future of his people. The prophet knew that the city was destined for judgment (vv. 4–5), but the Lord gave him further words of assurance and encouragement—promises that relate to the end times.
The defiled nation would be healed and cleansed (vv. 6–8) and the disgraceful city would bring joy and renown to the Lord and be a testimony to all the nations of the world of the marvelous goodness and grace of God (v. 9). The deserted city would one day be filled with people praising the Lord and expressing their joy to one another (vv. 10–11). The pasture lands, ruined by devastating judgment, would one day be full of flocks and herds, and the little towns would once more enjoy happiness (vv. 12–13). Since these blessings didn't come during the post-exilic period, we have to believe they'll be realized when the Lord returns and restores His people and their land.
The greatest blessing of all will be their promised King reigning in righteousness (vv. 14–16; see 23:5)! Jeremiah already told us that His name is "The Lord our Righteousness" (v. 6), but now God revealed that Jerusalem will bear the same name! That certainly didn't happen when the exiles returned to rebuild their temple and their city. Therefore, this promise is for the latter days. Then when people call Jerusalem "the Holy City," the name will be appropriate.
Once again, the Lord used the faithfulness of His creation covenant (Gen. 8:22) to undergird the dependability of His promises and the perpetuity of
Jeremiah 34
deny that Judah's leaders made some stupid decisions. But behind their "unwise politics" was a more insidious reason: The leaders really didn't believe the word of God. During the dramatic rise and fall of empires in that stormy era, Judah looked around for allies instead of looking up for divine assistance. Instead of repenting and turning to God, they hardened their hearts against the Word and trusted their own wisdom.
9. Baruch may have had royal blood in his veins since his brother Seraiah was a staff officer in the king's service (Jer. 51:59 niv), and such officials were usually princes. The fact that Seraiah went to Babylon with the king shows how important a man he was in the eyes of the Babylonians. The family of Neriah may have thought that Baruch gave up a bright future in order to serve with Jeremiah, but they were wrong. Many of the royal officers perished, but God protected Jeremiah and Baruch and provided for them (see Jer. 45). No doubt Baruch was an encouragement to the prophet, who was usually friendless and forsaken. 10. The statement goes back to Abraham (Gen. 18:14), and was also used by Moses (Num. 11:23) and Job (Job 42:2). Gabriel echoed it when he said to Mary, "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37), and Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). Paul's testimony was "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 nkjv). Jeremiah discovered that God's character is faithful and His promises are true no matter how we feel or what our circumstances may be. 11. Good and godly Bible students disagree as to whether these "kingdom promises" are to be taken literally or interpreted in a "spiritual sense." If these promises are to be applied to the church today, it's difficult to understand what they mean and how they apply. I have therefore taken the approach that these promises will have their real fulfillment in the future kingdom. For further study, see There Really Is a Difference by Renald E. Showers (Friends of Israel); Millennialism: The Two Major Views by Charles L. Feinberg (Moody Press); The Millennial Kingdom by John F. Walvoord (Dunham); and Continuity and Discontinuity, edited by John S. Feinberg (Crossway Books).
Jeremiah recorded a number of events in Judah's final days that prove we can't treat God's word any way we please and get away with it.
God's Word Dishonored (34:1—35:19) The year was 588 BC and Nebuchadnezzar's army was successfully conquering the kingdom of Judah. The last two fortified cities were about to fall: Lachish, twentythree miles from Jerusalem, and Azekah, eighteen miles from Jerusalem (34:7). Not only did Nebuchadnezzar bring his own invincible Babylonian troops, but also he demanded that the vassal countries he'd conquered send their share of recruits. In a sense, the entire Near East was attacking God's chosen people (see Ps. 74).
The destiny of the king (34:1–7). God gave weak King Zedekiah another opportunity to repent and save the city and the temple from ruin, but he refused to listen. Jeremiah warned him that the royal family and the court officials would not escape judgment and that he would be taken captive to Babylon, where he would die in peace. One act of faith and courage would have saved the city from ruin and the people from slaughter, but Zedekiah was afraid of his counselors (38:1–6) and was only a pawn in their hands.
III. Jeremiah's ministry and the fall of Jerusalem (34—39) A.Ministry during the siege—34—38 1. To King Zedekiah—34,
The treachery of the people (34:8–22). At one point during the siege, Zedekiah and the people made a covenant with the Lord in the temple (v. 15) to free all the Jewish slaves. A calf was slain and then cut in half, and the priests, officers, and people walked between the halves as a sign that they would obey the terms of the covenant (vv. 18–19; Gen. 15:17). In so doing, they were agreeing to free their Jewish slaves or be willing to suffer what the calf had suffered.
CHAPTER TEN Jeremiah 34—39; 52 CONTEMPORARY EVENTS AND ETERNAL TRUTHS
A nation that cannot preserve itself ought to die, and it will die—die in the grasp of
According to the law of Moses, a Jewish master had to free his Jewish slaves at the end of seven years of service (Ex. 21:1–11; Deut. 15:12–18). The Jews hadn't done this for years, and now they decided it was a good thing to do. Why? Perhaps they felt that God would honor their obedience and defeat the enemy in some miraculous way, as He had done for Hezekiah (Isa. 36—37). Instead of believing God's Word and submitting to Babylon, the Jews tried to bargain with the Lord and "bribe" Him into helping their cause.
the evils it is too feeble to overthrow.
Senator Morris Shepherd1 I
n spite of the longsuffering of God and the faithful ministry of God's prophets, the kingdom of Judah was about to die. It was a nation with a glorious heritage—laws given from heaven by Moses, a land conquered by Joshua, a kingdom established by David and made magnificent by Solomon, a people in whose midst Jehovah dwelt in a splendid temple—and yet that glorious heritage couldn't prevent Judah's shameful ruin at the hands of the idolatrous Babylonians. The end had come.
Of course, there were probably some practical considerations behind this covenant. If the slaves were free, they'd have to care for themselves; their masters wouldn't have to feed them or care for them. Also freemen were more likely to want to fight the enemy and maintain their newfound freedom. Whatever the reason, the effects of the covenant didn't last very long, for when there was a lull in the
What caused Judah's slow decay and final collapse? The historian would point to their unwise politics, particularly depending on Egypt for help, and we can't
Jeremiah 34—36
repeated over and over again? If a family tradition was preserved with such dedication, why was the very law of God treated with such disrespect? Obeying Jonadab's words had only a limited and temporal significance, but disobeying God's Word had eternal consequences!
siege and Nebuchadnezzar went off to confront the Egyptian army (Jer. 34:21–22; 37:5–11), the masters all forced their slaves back into servitude. The solemn covenant made in the temple meant nothing.
Before we condemn these dishonest masters too much, let's admit that God's people often make promises to the Lord when they're in tough times, only to repudiate them when things get better. In my pastoral ministry, I've heard more than one suffering saint on a hospital bed promise to be the best Christian in the church if only God would give healing, and when He granted the request, he or she immediately forgot Him.
How often God's people are put to shame by the devotion and discipline of people who don't even know the Lord but who are intensely loyal to their family, their religion, or their personal pursuits. Even people who want nothing to do with the Word of God can be loyal to traditions and man-made codes. If Christians were putting into their spiritual walk the kind of discipline that athletes put into their chosen sport, the church would be pulsating with revival life.
Jeremiah took advantage of this event to preach a sermon about Judah's treachery against the Lord (34:12–22). God had set the Israelites free from Egyptian bondage and had made a covenant with them to be their God, but they broke the covenant and returned to idolatry. Now they broke the law by enslaving their own people unjustly. By what they did in the temple and the way they treated their fellow Jews, they profaned the name of the Lord. They hadn't really proclaimed freedom to their slaves, but God would proclaim "freedom" to the nation— freedom "to fall by the sword, plague, and famine" (v. 17 niv). The prophet predicted a terrible death for all the treacherous people who had participated in the covenant, and his predictions came true (vv. 19–20).
God's Word Protected (36:1–32) The fourth year of Jehoiakim was 605 BC, the year of the fateful Battle of Carchemish when Pharaoh Necho defeated King Josiah and made Judah a vassal to Egypt (Jer. 46:2; 2 Chron. 35:20–27). Jehoiakim had gotten his throne only because Egypt had deposed his brother Jehoahaz. Jeremiah had been ministering for twentythree years, and now God commanded him to write his messages in a scroll so they would be permanent and could be read by others. Note that his messages dealt with Israel, Judah, and all the nations, and when he wrote the second scroll, he added other material (Jer. 36:32). The first forty-five chapters of the book of Jeremiah focus primarily on Israel and Judah, while chapters 45 to 51 deal with the other nations in the Near East.
The integrity of the Rechabites (35:1–19). This event occurred eighteen years earlier, during the reign of Jehoiakim (609–597 BC). Jeremiah probably put the account at this point in the book for the sake of contrast: The people of Judah dishonored the Lord by disobeying His law, while the Rechabites honored their father by obeying his command.
God gives His Word (vv. 1–4, 17–18). This is what theologians call inspiration—that miraculous working of the Holy Spirit through a human writer so that what was written was the divine Word that God wanted recorded (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21).2 Inspiration is not some kind of "heavenly dictation," as though God completely bypassed the writer, for the authors of the various books of the Bible have their own distinctive styles and vocabularies. Without making him a robot, God guided Jeremiah in his choice of words; Jeremiah spoke these words to his secretary, Baruch; and Baruch wrote them down in the scroll.
The Rechabites were a clan of nomadic people loyal to their ancestor Jonadab (2 Kings 10:15–23), who commanded them not to live in houses, not to have farms or vineyards, and not to drink wine. They were related to Moses' father-in-law (Judg. 1:16; 4:11) and for over 250 years had composed a small "separatist" clan in the nation. Because of the Babylonian invasion, they had forsaken their tents and moved into Jerusalem.
2. To King Jehoiakim—35—36
God didn't ask Jeremiah to serve the Rechabites wine in order to tempt them, because God doesn't tempt us (James 1:13–15). This was another action sermon to give Jeremiah an opportunity to tell the leaders of Judah how unfaithful they had been to God's covenant. It wasn't wrong for the Jewish people to drink wine so long as they didn't get drunk, but it was wrong for the Rechabites to drink wine because they had made a commitment not to drink it. God didn't commend these men for their personal standards but for their faithfulness to their father's command.
God declares His Word (vv. 5–26). Once again, God used human instruments to proclaim His Word to the people. "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:14). Since Jeremiah wasn't allowed to go to the temple, he sent Baruch in his place. Baruch waited for a day when there would be a good crowd in the temple; when a fast was proclaimed several months later, probably because of the Babylonian menace, he took advantage of it.
It's interesting to see how different people responded to the Word of God. There were three public readings of the book, and the first one was to the people in the temple (Jer. 36:10). There's no record that the crowd responded in any special way. One man, Micaiah, however, became concerned because of what he had heard (v. 11). He was the grandson of Shaphan,
The message to the nation was clear. If the command of a mere man, Jonadab, was respected and obeyed by his family for over two centuries, why didn't the people of Israel and Judah obey the command of Almighty God—a command that the prophets had
Jeremiah 36—38
Scripture reveals such indecision and vacillation as does King Zedekiah. These two chapters record four occasions when Zedekiah made contact with Jeremiah but rejected the word that the prophet gave him. Listen to his feeble words.
the man who read the newly found book of the law to King Josiah (2 Kings 22), so it's no wonder he had an interest in God's Word.
Micaiah told the princes about the book, and they asked to hear it, so Baruch read it to them (Jer. 36:12–19). Along with Micaiah, the officials trembled when they heard the Word (v. 16), for they knew that the nation was in great danger. They hid the scroll, told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, and then went to report to the king that he needed to hear what Jeremiah had written.
"Pray for us!" (37:1–10). Afraid to come personally lest he lose the support of his officials, the king sent Jehucal (Jucal) and Zephaniah to solicit the prayers of Jeremiah for the king and the nation. Jehucal was not Jeremiah's friend, and he eventually urged the king to have the prophet killed (Jer. 38:1, 4). God had told Jeremiah not to pray for the people, but when the Babylonian army departed to deal with the Egyptians, it seemed like prayer wasn't needed (37:5–10). No doubt the false prophets announced that this event was a miracle, like the slaying of the Assyrian army in Hezekiah's day (Isa. 36—37). Once again, they were living on false hopes even though Jeremiah told them that Nebuchadnezzar would return and finish the work God had given him to do.
37—38
The third reading of the scroll was before the king (vv. 21–26) and was done by Jehudi, who may have been one of the scribes. The king treated God's Word like fuel for the fire! In spite of the remonstrances of three of his officials, the king continued cutting and burning the scroll until it was completely destroyed. The royal attendants who also heard the reading of the scroll showed no fear and thereby encouraged Jehoiakim in his evil deed.
Over the centuries, God's enemies have tried to destroy the Word of God but have always failed. They forget what Jesus said about the Word: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matt. 24:35). "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isa. 40:8 niv; quoted in 1 Peter 1:24–25). Translators and preachers of the Word have been persecuted and martyred, but the truth of God still stands.
"Is there any word from the Lord?" (37:11–21). Until now, Jeremiah was a free man (v. 4), but his enemies found reason to imprison him. During the lull in the siege, Jeremiah tried to go home to Anathoth to take care of some family business, but the guard at the gate arrested him for defecting to the enemy. Of course, Jeremiah had preached surrender to Babylon (21:9) and would preach it again (38:2, 19; 39:9), but he certainly wasn't a traitor. He loved his nation and gave his life to try to save it, but his first loyalty was to the Lord.
God preserves His Word (vv. 27–32). Any king who thinks he can silence God with a knife and a fire has a very high opinion of himself and a very low opinion of God. The Lord simply told Jeremiah to write another scroll, to which He added more material, including a special judgment on King Jehohkim (Jer. 36:27–32). The same God who gives the Word has the power to protect and preserve the Word. The king had tried to destroy the Word, but the Word destroyed him!
Jeremiah was beaten and put into prison. When Zedekiah heard about it, he recognized it as an opportunity to talk safely to Jeremiah, for the officers would think the king was looking into Jeremiah's case. After bringing him to the palace, the king asked, "Is there any word from the Lord?" The prophet gave him an immediate answer, "Yes … you will be handed over to the king of Babylon" (37:17 niv). Why say more? Jeremiah had already declared God's message many times, only to see the message rejected.
King Jehoiakim and his officials would be punished for the disrespect they showed to the divine Word of God. The king would have no dynasty, nor would he have the burial of a king. His son Jehoiachin succeeded him and ruled for only three months, and then Jehoiakim's brother Zedekiah was made king. If the king and his flattering, servile officers had only feared the Word and obeyed it, they would have saved their nation suffering and ruin, but they preferred to go their own way and ignore God's voice.
Jeremiah took the opportunity to expose the deceptive, optimistic messages of the false prophets. If they had been speaking the truth, the king should have asked them for a message from the Lord! Meanwhile, Jeremiah asked to be delivered from prison, a request that Zedekiah granted. The prophet was placed in the court of the prison and granted a daily ration of bread as long as the supply lasted. While we appreciate Zedekiah's concern to save Jeremiah, we wonder why the king didn't have a concern to save his people. He was afraid to change his policies because he was afraid of his advisers and officers.
God's Word Rejected (37:1—38:28) "There's no problem so big or complicated that it can't be run away from." So read a piece of graffito found on a London wall in 1979, probably adapted from the "Peanuts" comic strip drawn by Charles Schulz. Whatever the source, the statement certainly represents King Zedekiah's approach to the terrible problems in Judah when the enemy was at the gates.
"He is in your hands" (38:1–13). Angry because Jeremiah's words were hurting the war effort, four of Zedekiah's officials banded together to urge the king to kill the prophet. We know nothing about Shephatiah. If Gedaliah was the son of the Pashur who had put Jeremiah in the stocks (20:1–6), he was certainly no
Next to Pontius Pilate (John 18—19), no ruler in
Jeremiah 38—39
a request (37:17–21). He was under no obligation to report everything to the officers, and he didn't have to lie in order to keep the conversation confidential.
friend to Jeremiah or to the truth. Jucal we met before (37:3); he may have been related to the guard who arrested Jeremiah (v. 13).3 This Pashur must not be confused with the Pashur mentioned in Jeremiah 20. They accused Jeremiah of not seeking the welfare of the people, and yet the welfare of the people was the thing to which he had dedicated his life!
Sometimes God judges a sinful nation by sending them weak leaders who are hesitant and vacillating and whose leadership (or lack of it) plunges the nation only deeper into trouble. "I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them" (Isa. 3:4 nkjv). The late John F. Kennedy put it this way: "We, the people, are the boss, and we get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve."4 But Judah wasn't a democracy; the people didn't vote on their king. It was God who gave them what they deserved.
Too weak to oppose his own princes, the king gave in to their request. Instead of simply having Jeremiah slain, which would have been shedding innocent blood, the men had him imprisoned in an old cistern, where he sank in the mire at the bottom. The officers hoped that the prophet would eventually be forgotten there and would die. God, however, raised up a deliverer in the person of Ebed-Melech—a man from Ethiopia, who became an Old Testament "Good Samaritan."
God's Word Fulfilled (39; 52) These two chapters, along with 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36, describe the tragic fall of Jerusalem, its plunder, and its destruction, as well as the captivity and deportation of thousands of Jewish people. None of these things would have happened if only one of the kings had sincerely repented, trusted the Lord, and surrendered to the Babylonians.
The vacillating, spineless king usually agreed with the last person who spoke to him, and Ebed-Melech took advantage of that fault. Thus, the king gave Ebed-Melech permission to rescue Jeremiah. It wouldn't have taken thirty men to lift the prophet out of the cistern, but the king probably wanted to protect both his officer and the prophet from any attacks by Jeremiah's enemies. (Some commentators suggest that the text should read "three men." Thirty men would certainly call attention to themselves and what they were doing.)
B.Jerusalem falls—39
God's judgment on Zedekiah (39:1–7; 52:1–11). The siege had begun on January 15, 588 (Jer. 52:4); and two and a half years later, on July 18, 586, the Babylonian army penetrated the city walls. The princes of Babylon set up their thrones in the Middle Gate and began to take over the reins of government. The "times of the Gentiles" had begun on God's prophetic calendar (Luke 21:24). When that period ends, the Messiah will return to rescue His people and fulfill the promises made by the prophets.
Later, Jeremiah sent a special message of encouragement to Ebed-Melech (39:15–18)—that he would be delivered when the city was taken and that God would spare his life.
IV. After the fall of the city (40—45, 52)
"Hide nothing from me" (vv. 14–28). As far as the record is concerned, this was the fourth and last contact King Zedekiah had with Jeremiah before the city fell to the Babylonians. His request presented Jeremiah with a dilemma: If Jeremiah told him the truth, the king might kill him, and he wouldn't obey the word of God anyway! God gave the king one last chance to repent, but he only made excuses. If he surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar, he might be accused and abused by the Jews who had gone over to the enemy, and what would happen to his family left in the city? Perhaps the men who wanted to kill Jeremiah would kill them.
Zedekiah, his family, and his staff tried to escape (see Jer. 34:3; Ezek. 12:1–12), but the Babylonians caught up with them and delivered them to Nebuchadnezzar at his headquarters at Riblah, some two hundred miles north of Jerusalem. There he passed judgment on all of them, and the Babylonians were not known for their tenderness. He slaughtered Zedekiah's sons and then put out Zedekiah's eyes. Thus, the king's last visual memories would haunt him. Ezekiel had prophesied that Zedekiah would not see the land of Babylon (Ezek. 12:13), and his prophecy proved true. The king was bound and taken captive to Babylon, where he died.
Jeremiah assured the king that if he obeyed the word of the Lord, God would protect him and the city. But if he disobeyed, even the women in the palace would taunt him before the Babylonians (38:21–23). We can appreciate the king's concern for his wives and children, but the best way to protect them was to obey the will of God.
God's judgment on the city (39:8–10; 52:12–34). "For this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My fury from the day that they built it, even to this day; so I will remove it from before My face" (Jer. 32:31 nkjv). Throughout his ministry, Jeremiah had warned the people that Jerusalem would be captured and destroyed (6:6; 19:8–9, 11–12, 15; 21:10; 26:6, 11; 27:17). At the same time, the Babylonians pillaged the city and took the precious things out of the temple and carried them to Babylon. The soldiers rounded up the best of the people and took them to Babylon. There had been a previous deportation in 597 BC (52:28), and
Still afraid of his own officers, the king told Jeremiah to keep their conversation confidential. There's no suggestion that Jeremiah lied to the officers who questioned him. To begin with, we may not have a transcript of the complete conversation between Jeremiah and Zedekiah, and Jeremiah may have asked not to be returned to the house of Jonathan. Certainly in their second conversation, Jeremiah had made such
Jeremiah 39—40
city: They wouldn't listen to the Word; they turned to Egypt for help; and they worshipped idols.
there would be a third deportation in 582 (52:30). The poorer, unskilled people were left to till the land. After all, somebody had to feed the soldiers who were left behind.
The sinful behavior of the people must have broken Jeremiah's heart, but he stayed with them and tried to get them to obey the Word of the Lord. God had punished the nation, but even this severe punishment didn't change their hearts. They were still bent on doing evil.
God's care for His servant (39:11–14). Since the Lord had promised that Jeremiah would survive all the opposition and persecution against him (1:17–19; 15:20–21), He moved upon Nebuchadnezzar to release the prophet and treat him kindly.5 He was committed to Gedaliah, who later was named governor of the land (40:7). (This Gedaliah was not the one who wanted to kill Jeremiah, 38:1.)
The drama was a tragic one with a cast of characters that is seen in every age. The script of history may change a bit from time to time, but the characters are still the same.
I close with a solemn word from G. Campbell Morgan: "We in our security need to be reminded that for us also there may come the eleventh year, and the fourth month, and the tenth day of the month, when God will hurl us from our place of privilege, as He surely will, unless we are true to Him."6
Jeremiah: The Faithful Shepherd (40:1–6) Jeremiah was given his freedom after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem (39:11–14), but somehow he got mixed in with the captives who were being readied at Ramah for their long march to Babylon. He was released and given the choice of going to Babylon and being cared for by the king or remaining in the land to care for the people. Being a man with a shepherd's heart, Jeremiah chose to dwell among the people (v. 14; 40:5–6). The Babylonian captain of the guard preached a sermon that sounded a great deal like what Jeremiah had been saying for forty years! It must have been embarrassing for the Jews to hear a pagan Babylonian tell them they were sinners, but he was right in what he said. As God's people, we have to bow in shame when the world publicly announces the sins of the saints (Gen. 12:10–20; 20:1ff.; 2 Sam. 12:14).
1 Senator Shepherd said this during remarks made in the U.S. Senate on Dec. 18, 1914, as recorded in the Congressional Record, vol. 52, 338. 2 What was recorded is revelation; the way it was recorded is inspiration. Never confuse divine inspiration with the "human inspiration" of great writers like Shakespeare and Milton. 3 For example, eight men named Shelemiah are found in the Old Testament, so it was a popular name. Because of this, we can never be sure of family relationships. 4 John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage (New York: Harper & Row, 1955), 245. 5 The contradiction between Jeremiah 39:11–14 and 40:1–6 is only on the surface. When the Babylonians entered the city, they released Jeremiah and took him under their protective custody. He was free to move about and minister to the people. Apparently through some blunder, he was taken captive with the prisoners going to Ramah, but when the mistake was discovered, he was released and allowed to do as he pleased. 6 G. Campbell Morgan, Studies in the Prophecy of Jeremiah (Westwood, NJ: Revell, 1961), 251.
Jeremiah chose to join Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed governor of the land. Had the people followed the prophet and the governor, the Jewish remnant could have led safe and fairly comfortable lives even in the midst of ruin, but they chose not to obey. Even a severe chastening like the one Babylon brought to Judah didn't change their hearts, for the human heart can be changed only by the grace of God.
Was Jeremiah violating his own message when he remained with the people in the land (24:4–10)? Why stay with the "bad figs" when the future lay with the "good figs" who had been taken off to Babylon? Certainly Jeremiah knew how to discern the will of God, and the Lord knew how much the prophet loved the land and its people. Ezekiel was taken to Babylon in 597 and would start his ministry five years later (Ezek. 1:1–2), and Daniel had been taken there in 605. There were prophets to minister to the exiles, and Jeremiah was right to remain with the people in the land.
CHAPTER ELEVEN Jeremiah 40—45 TRAGEDY FOLLOWS TRAGEDY
Life only demands from you the strength
you possess. Only one feat is possible—
not to have run away.
Dag Hammarskjold1 I
Jeremiah made difficult choices at the beginning and the end of his ministry. It would have been much easier to serve as a priest, but he obeyed God's call to be a prophet, and it would have been much more comfortable in Babylon, but he opted to remain in the land of his fathers. Jeremiah was a true shepherd and not a hireling (see John 10:12–13).
t's been said by more than one scholar that the one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history. This was certainly true of the destitute Jewish remnant in Judah after the fall of Jerusalem. Instead of seeking the Lord and making a new beginning, the remnant repeated the very sins that had led to the collapse of the nation and the destruction of the
Jeremiah 40—42
Ishmael: A Deceitful Traitor (40:7—41:18) When the good news got out that Gedaliah was in charge of affairs in Judah, the people who had fled and hidden because of the siege began to come back to the land (Jer. 40:7, 11–12). Gedaliah was a good man from a good family, although events proved that he was very naive about practical politics.
East, when people eat together, they're pledging their friendship and loyalty to one another. Ishmael, however, used the meal as a trap to catch Gedaliah and his men so he could kill them. We don't know how many men were with the governor, but ten of Ishmael's men were able to dispatch them quickly.
To his terrible breach of hospitality he added hypocrisy, weeping before the eighty Jewish pilgrims who had come to worship, and then killing seventy of them. His greed was revealed when he spared the other ten in order to find out where their supply of food was hidden. He was a cunning and ruthless man who would stop at nothing to get his own way.
The faithful governor (40:7–12). Gedaliah told the people exactly what Jeremiah had been telling them for many years: Serve the Babylonians and you will live safely in the land. The people couldn't reap any harvest of grain because the fields hadn't been sown during the siege, but they could gather the produce that had not been destroyed in the war. The remnant in Judah had to follow the same instructions that Jeremiah gave to the exiles in Babylon: Live normal lives, turn to the Lord with all your hearts, and wait for the Lord to deliver you (29:4–14). God had promised a future for the nation because the nation had important work to do.
Ishmael climaxed his crimes by kidnapping the helpless Jewish remnant and starting for the land of the Ammonites. At this point, however, Johanan came to the rescue and delivered the remnant from Ishmael's power, but Ishmael escaped. It was a series of tragedies that probably could have been averted had Gedaliah listened to his friends and acted with more caution.
The concerned captain (40:13–16). Johanan started out as a courageous leader, but later he led the people astray. We don't know how he and his associates heard about Ishmael's plot to assassinate Gedaliah, but their information was certainly accurate. Had Gedaliah listened to them, the governor's life would have been spared.
Johanan showed courage in rescuing the Jews, but when he was finally in charge, he revealed his own lack of faith by wanting to take the remnant to Egypt! He didn't remember the counsel of Gedaliah (Jer. 40:9) or the messages of Jeremiah, both of whom warned the Jews to stay in the land and not go to Egypt. How easy it is for a good man to go astray simply by turning away from the Word of God!
Why did Ishmael want to kill Gedaliah? The fact that the king of the Ammonites had hired him (40:14) suggests that he was making money, but much more was involved. The Ammonites had been a part of the "summit conference" in Jerusalem, where the nations allied with Judah had planned to break the Babylonian yoke (27:1–3). As a friend of Zedekiah and the king of Ammon, Ishmael didn't want to see the Jewish people submit to Nebuchadnezzar even after the war had ended. He was a patriot who used his patriotism to promote his own selfish purposes.
Johanan: A Hypocritical Leader (42:1—43:13) Johanan was once brave enough to want to kill Ishmael, but now he didn't have the courage to stand for what he knew was right. He was afraid to trust the Lord and stay in the land of Judah, perhaps because he feared what the Babylonians might do when they found out that Gedaliah was dead and Ishmael had filled a pit with dead bodies.
The insincere request (42:1–6). Their request to Jeremiah sounded sincere and spiritual, but there was deception in the hearts of the leaders, including Johanan (see 42:19–22). They had their minds already made up to go to Egypt, and they were hoping Jeremiah would agree with them. Sometimes God's people take this false approach in discerning the will of God. Instead of honestly seeking God's will, they go from counselor to counselor, asking for advice and hoping they'll find somebody who will agree with their hidden agenda.
Perhaps the key factor had to do with pride and selfish ambition. Ishmael was a descendant of David through Elishama (41:1; 2 Sam. 5:16), and he no doubt felt that he should have been named ruler of the nation because of his royal blood. Who was Gedaliah that he should take the place of a king? The way the Babylonians had treated Ishmael's relative, King Zedekiah, was no encouragement to submit to their authority.
Johanan wanted to kill Ishmael, but Gedaliah refused the offer. In this, the governor was right, but he was wrong in not assembling a group of loyal men who could guard him day and night. Not only would that have told Ishmael that the governor knew what was going on, but also it would have protected Gedaliah's life from those who wanted to destroy him. The governor should have listened to Johanan and not been so naive about Ishmael. "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure" (Prov. 11:14 niv).
The divine answer (42:7–22). The Lord kept the people waiting for ten days, possibly to give them time to search their hearts and confess their sins. During those ten days, they could see that the Lord was caring for them and that they had nothing to fear. That should have convinced them that the plan to flee to Egypt was a foolish one.
There were three parts to the answer Jeremiah gave them. First, he gave them a promise (vv. 7–12). He told them if they stayed in the land, God would build them
The deceitful murderer (41:1–18). In the Near
Jeremiah 43—44
all he had done for his people, Jeremiah was now accused of being like the false prophets whose lies had led the nation into ruin. Johanan even accused Baruch of influencing Jeremiah, although it's difficult to understand what kind of special power Baruch could possibly have had over this courageous prophet. But they had to blame somebody.
and plant them (see 1:10). The prophet encouraged them not to be afraid of the Babylonians because the Lord was with the remnant and would care for them. It was God who was in charge, not the king of Babylon. Indeed, the day would come when this small remnant would be able to reclaim their lost lands and start to enjoy normal lives again.
"So they came into the land of Egypt" (43:7). Once again God's people walked by sight and not by faith.
The second part of Jeremiah's message was a warning (42:13–18). Ever since Abraham's lapse of faith in going to Egypt (Gen. 12:10–20), the Jews had a tendency to follow his example. Several times during the wilderness years, whenever they had a trial or testing, the Israelites talked of going back to Egypt. In fact, this was their cry at Kadesh-Barnea when they refused to enter the Promised Land (Num. 13—14). During the final years of the kingdom of Judah, there was a strong pro-Egyptian party in the government, because Egypt seemed to be the closest and strongest ally.
The timely warning (43:8–13). This is Jeremiah's final "action sermon." While the Jews were watching, he gathered some large stones and set them in the clay (or mortar) before Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes. Then he announced that Nebuchadnezzar's throne would one day sit on those stones while the king of Babylon passed judgment on the people. As he did to the temple in Jerusalem, so Nebuchadnezzar would do to the gods and temples in Egypt. His victory would be so easy that it would be like a shepherd wrapping his garment around himself! And yet these are the very gods that the Jews would worship in Egypt, gods destined to be destroyed!
The prophet warned them against going to Egypt, where they thought they would enjoy peace, plenty, and security. The terrors they were trying to avoid in Judah would only follow them to Egypt, and the very judgments that God had sent against Judah during the siege would come upon them in the land of Pharaoh. God knew that Nebuchadnezzar would enter Egypt and punish the land, which he did in 568–567 BC (see Jer. 46:13–19).
The Jewish Remnant: Doomed Idolaters (44:1–30) This is Jeremiah's last recorded message to his people, given in Egypt probably in the year 580. If he was called by God in 626, the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign (1:2), then he had been ministering forty-six years. You can't help admiring Jeremiah for his faithfulness in spite of all the discouragements that had come to his life.
Jeremiah ended his address with an exposure of their hearts (vv. 19–22). He announced publicly that they had tried to deceive him when they promised to obey the Lord's commands (42:5–6). They really didn't want either his prayers or God's plans, they wanted the Lord to approve what they had already decided to do. But this was a fatal decision on their part, for if they carried out their plans, they would die in Egypt.
A scathing indictment (vv. 1–14). No sooner did the Jewish remnant arrive in Egypt than they began to worship the local gods and goddesses, of which there were many. Jeremiah reminded them of what they had seen in the Lord's judgment on Judah (44:2–3). It was because of their idolatry that He had destroyed their land, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple. Then he reminded them of what they had heard—the messages of the prophets God had sent to rebuke them time after time (vv. 4–6).
This event is a warning to us not to be insincere as we seek the will of God. In my itinerant ministry, I've frequently met people who wanted my counsel, and when I asked them if they had talked with their own pastor, the answer was often "Well, no, but he really doesn't know me or understand me."
But they hadn't learned their lesson, and now they were jeopardizing their future and inviting the wrath of God by repeating in Egypt the sins they'd committed in Judah. Had they forgotten the past? Were they unconcerned about their future? Didn't they realize that God could judge them in Egypt as easily as He had judged them in their own land? No wonder God called the Jews in the land "bad figs that nobody could eat." The future would rest with the exiles in Babylon who would one day return to their land and carry on the work God had given them to do.
"But I'm a total stranger to you!" I'd reply. "Yes, but you seem to understand things better." Flattery!
My conviction is that these people have gone from one speaker to another, looking for somebody who will agree with what they already want to do. When they find him, they'll let their pastor know that a "man of God" gave them wise counsel. It's the Johanan syndrome all over again.
The arrogant rebellion (43:1–7). Convinced that God was wrong and they were right, Johanan and his friends so much as told Jeremiah he was a liar and a false prophet, and that God had neither sent him nor spoken to him. What a heartache it must have been for Jeremiah to hear such false accusations from his own people for whom he had suffered so much. In spite of
A senseless argument (vv. 15–19). The men and women listening to Jeremiah tried to defend their sins by appealing to experience. They used the pragmatic argument: "If it works, it must be right." When they lived in Judah and secretly worshipped the Queen of Heaven (Astarte or Ishtar, goddess of
Jeremiah 44—45
to identify with Jeremiah and do the will of God. We thank God for all that Jeremiah did, but we should also thank God for the assistance Baruch gave Jeremiah so the prophet could do his work. Moses had his seventy elders; David had his mighty men; Jesus had His disciples; Paul had his helpers, such as Timothy, Titus, and Silas; and Jeremiah had his faithful secretary.
fertility), everything went well with them. They had plenty of food and enjoyed comfortable circumstances. But when King Josiah made the people give up their idols, things began to get worse for them. Conclusion: They were better off when they disobeyed God and worshipped idols!
It seems that the women led the way in practicing idolatry, and their husbands cooperated with them. The women made vows to worship Astarte, and their husbands approved of what they did (vv. 24–26). According to Jewish law, if the husband approved his wife's vow, it was valid (Num. 30). Consequently, the wives blamed their husbands, and the husbands told Jeremiah that they didn't care what he said! They were going to worship Astarte just as they had done in Judah and in that way be sure things would go right for them.
Not everybody is called to be a prophet or apostle, but all of us can do the will of God by helping others do their work. Baruch was what we'd today call a "layman." Yet he helped a prophet write the Word of God. In my own ministry, I've appreciated the labors of faithful secretaries and assistants who have helped me in myriads of ways. I may have been on the platform, but without their assistance behind the scenes, I could never have gotten my work done. Baruch was willing to stay in the background and serve God by serving Jeremiah.
A terrible pronouncement (vv. 20–30). How tragic that twice in a few short years the Lord had to pronounce judgment on His people for the same sins! Jeremiah told them, "Go ahead then, do what you promised! Keep your vows! But hear the Word of the Lord" (Jer. 44:25–26 niv). The Jews in Egypt would perish, and only a remnant of the remnant would ever return to their own land.
A third lesson emerges: Even the most devoted servants occasionally get discouraged. Baruch came to a point in his life where he was so depressed that he wanted to quit. "Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest" (45:3 nkjv). Perhaps the persecution of Jeremiah recorded in chapter 26 was the cause of this anguish. Maybe Baruch was considering leaving Jeremiah and asking his brother for an easier job in the palace.
Jeremiah gave them a sign: Pharaoh Hopbra, whom they were trusting to care for them, would be handed over to his enemies just as King Zedekiah was handed over to Nebuchadnezzar. Keep in mind that it was Pharaoh Hopbra who agreed to help Zedekiah against the Babylonians, and his help proved worthless. Historians tell us that a part of the Egyptian army revolted against Hopbra, and the general who stopped the rebellion was proclaimed king. He reigned along with Hopbra, but three years later Hopbra was executed. Nebuchadnezzar then appeared on the scene, and Jeremiah's other prophecy was fulfilled.
The Lord, however, had a word of encouragement for His servant. First, He cautioned him not to build his hopes on the future of Judah, because everything would be destroyed in the Babylonian siege. A "soft job" in the government would lead only to death or exile in Babylon. Then God gave him a word of assurance: his life would be spared, so he didn't have to fear the enemy. God was proving to Baruch the reality of a promise that would be written centuries later: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33 nkjv).
It's likely that Jeremiah was dead when all this happened, but did the Jews in Egypt remember his words and take them to heart? Did they realize that he had faithfully declared God's Word and that what he had said was true? Did they repent and seek to obey?
When we're serving the Lord and His people, we never want to seek great things for ourselves. The only important thing is that God's work is accomplished and God's great name is glorified. John the Baptist put it succinctly: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).
Baruch: A Faithful Servant (45:1–5) Chronologically, this chapter belongs with Jeremiah 36, but it was placed here to perform several functions. To begin with, this chapter introduces the prophecies in chapters 46—51, prophecies Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation in 605 BC. Note in Jeremiah 25 the emphasis on Jeremiah's prophecies about the nations, and that this chapter was written at the same time as chapter 45, the fourth year of Jehoiakim. Most of the nations dealt with in chapters 46—51 are named in Jeremiah 25:15–26. Second, Jeremiah 45 gives us insight into the man Baruch. As we noted earlier, he had a brother on the king's official staff who probably could have secured a good job for him in the palace. Instead, Baruch chose
A crisis doesn't "make a person"; a crisis reveals what a person is made of. The crisis that followed the destruction of Jerusalem was like a goldsmith's furnace that revealed the dross as well as the pure gold. It's too bad there wasn't more gold.
How will you and I respond when "the fiery trial" comes (1 Peter 4:12–19)? I hope that, like Job, we'll come forth pure gold (Job 23:10).
Note
1 Dag Hammarskjold, Markings (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965), 8.
Jeremiah 46—47
Historians tell us that this occurred in 568–567 BC and fulfilled not only this prophecy but also the "action sermon" Jeremiah had described earlier (43:8–13). Once again, the Egyptian army stood fast as the Babylonians swept down on them. Before long, however, the men not only fell over but also fell upon one another in their haste to escape (46:13–15). Their mercenaries cried, "Arise, and let us go again to our own people, and to the land of our nativity" (v. 16), and they deserted their posts.
CHAPTER TWELVE Jeremiah 46—49 GOD SPEAKS TO THE NATIONS
I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs
I see of this truth—that God governs in
the affairs of men.
Benjamin Franklin1 J
The Babylonian soldiers called Pharaoh Necho a "big noise." We today would probably call him a "loudmouth" or "big mouth," because he was nothing but talk and hot air.3 While Necho may have been only hot air, Nebuchadnezzar filled the horizon like a huge mountain when he appeared on the scene (v. 18).
eremiah had spoken to his people for over forty years, but they wouldn't listen; now he spoke to the nations related in some way to the Jewish people. As God's spokesman, Jeremiah was "handing the cup" to these nations (25:15ff.) and declaring what God had planned for them. He was called to be "a prophet unto the nations" (1:5), and he was fulfilling his ministry.
Look at the graphic images Jeremiah used. Egypt was like a heifer (v. 20). The mercenaries in Pharaoh's army were like fatted calves that stampeded (v. 21), and the Egyptian soldiers fled like hissing serpents (v. 22) and fell before the Babylonians like trees before woodcutters (v. 23). The invading army was like a swarm of locusts that couldn't be avoided (v. 23). Alas, Egypt was like a young woman being violated and unable to escape (v. 24).
V. Jeremiah's messages to the nations (46—51) A.To Egypt—46 B.To Philistia—47
While these names, places, and events are ancient history to most of us, the lessons behind these events reveal to us the hand of God in the rise and fall of rulers and nations. One of the repeated phrases in these chapters is God's "I will," for "history is His story," as A. T. Pierson used to say. You will also note that God judged the gods of these nations, just as He had judged the gods of Egypt before Israel's Exodus (Ex. 12:12).
The defeat of Egypt was the defeat of Egypt's gods (v. 25). This didn't mean that the gods of Babylon were stronger than the gods of Egypt, for all of their gods were nothing. It meant that Jehovah had proved Himself stronger than the many gods of Egypt and Babylon by being in control of the entire battle. Nebuchadnezzar won and Pharaoh Necho lost because God decreed it. But God also decreed that Egypt would be restored (v. 26), a promise He also gave to Moab (48:47), Ammon (49:6), and Elam (v. 39).
Judgment on Egypt (46:1–28) Pharaoh Necho had defeated Judah and killed King Josiah at Megiddo in 609 (2 Chron. 35:20–27), but then Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho at the famous Battle of Carchemish in 605, the fourth year of Jehoiakim. That defeat broke the power of Egypt and made Babylon supreme in the Near East. Jeremiah described the battle from Egypt's viewpoint (Jer. 46:3–12); then he described Babylon's invasion of Egypt (vv. 13–26), concluding with an application to the people of Israel (vv. 27–28).
Israel's assured future (vv. 27–28). They shouldn't have been there, but a band of Jews was in Egypt, and this invasion would affect them terribly. The remnant in Judah and the exiles in Babylon would hear of this victory and wonder whether anything on earth could stop Nebuchadnezzar. God had promised that the exiles would be released from Babylon in seventy years, but Babylon looked stronger than ever.
Egypt's shameful defeat (vv. 3–12). Jeremiah wrote a graphic description of the famous Battle of Carchemish. He described the officers confidently preparing their troops (vv. 3–4) and then watching the soldiers flee in terror before the Babylonian army (vv. 5–6). Jeremiah doesn't even describe the battle! The phrase "fear was round about" is the familiar "terror on every side" that we've met before (6:25; 20:3) and will meet again (49:29).
God's Word will stand no matter what the newspapers report! "I will save you," God promised. "I will wipe out the nations, but I won't wipe you out."4 Twice the Lord said, "Don't be afraid." No matter how dark the day, God always gives His people the bright light of His promises (2 Peter 1:19–21).
When the Egyptian army approached the battlefield, they looked like the Nile in flood season (46:8a). The military leaders were sure of victory (v. 8b), and their mercenaries were eager to fight (v. 9), but the Lord had determined that Egypt would lose the battle. "That day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty" (v. 10 niv).2 It was a "holy war" in that God offered Egypt as a sacrifice (v. 10). Egypt's wounds were incurable and her shame was inevitable (vv. 11–12).
Judgment on Philistia (47:1–7) The Philistine people probably came from Crete (Caphtor, v. 4). They built a wealthy nation by developing a merchant marine that sailed the Mediterranean and acquired goods from many lands. But their destiny was destruction. Tyre and Sidon had been confederate with Judah in an attempt to stop Nebuchadnezzar (27:3).
Babylon's triumphant invasion (vv. 13–26).
This time Jeremiah used the image of the rising
Jeremiah 47—49
of the pit, and you'll be caught in a trap. Escape from the trap, and you'll be engulfed by a fire. Escape from the fire, and you'll be captured and taken away to Babylon. Sinners need to face the fact that there is no place to hide when God begins to judge (Rev. 20:11–15). For lost sinners today, their only hope is faith in Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the world. They need to flee for refuge to Christ (Heb. 6:18)—the only refuge for their souls.
river to describe the Babylonian army as it flooded over the land (47:2). So terrible was the invasion that parents would flee for their lives and leave their children behind (v. 3; see 49:11). The people would act like mourners at a funeral (47:5) and ask the Lord when He would put up the terrible sword of His judgment (v. 6). But this sword would continue to devour the land until God's work of judgment was finished.
Judgment on Moab (Jer. 48:1–47) The Moabites were descendants of Lot (Gen. 19:20–38) and, along with the Ammonites, the enemies of the Jews. During the Babylonian crisis, however, both Moab and Ammon allied themselves with Judah in an ill-fated attempt to defeat Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 27:3). Over twenty different places are named in this chapter, some of which we can't identify with certainty, but the list shows how detailed God can be when He wants to predict future events.5
After writing a long chapter on judgment, Jeremiah ended with a promise: "Yet will I bring again the captivity [restore the fortunes] of Moab in the latter days" (Jer. 48:47). This statement refers to the future Kingdom Age when Jesus Christ will reign.
Judgment on Ammon (49:1–6) Like the Moabites, the Ammonites were the product of Lot's incestuous union with one of his daughters (Gen. 19:20–38) and the enemies of the Jews. Jeremiah's first accusation is that the Ammonites moved into Israel's territory when Assyria took the northern kingdom captive in 722 BC. The Ammonites took Gad and other cities, as though the Jews would never return. The phrase "their king" in Jeremiah 49:1 and 3 can be translated Molech, which is the name of the chief god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:5, 7, 33). They boasted that their god was stronger than the God of Israel, but one day Israel will "drive" the Ammonites out of the land (Jer. 49:2 niv).