<< Jer 3 | |
This is the New King James text of the passages. |
Jeremiah 4-6 Listen
The Babylonian attack upon Jerusalem (Jeremiah 4)
1 “If you will return, O Israel,” says the LORD,
“Return to Me;
And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight,
Then you shall not be moved.
2 And you shall swear, “The LORD lives,’
In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness;
The nations shall bless themselves in Him,
And in Him they shall glory.”
3 ¶ For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:
“Break up your fallow ground,
And do not sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
And take away the foreskins of your hearts,
You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Lest My fury come forth like fire,
And burn so that no one can quench it,
Because of the evil of your doings.”
5 ¶ Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say:
“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry, “Gather together,’
And say, ‘Assemble yourselves,
And let us go into the fortified cities.’
6 Set up the standard toward Zion.
Take refuge! Do not delay!
For I will bring disaster from the north,
And great destruction.”
7 The lion has come up from his thicket,
And the destroyer of nations is on his way.
He has gone forth from his place
To make your land desolate.
Your cities will be laid waste,
Without inhabitant.
8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth,
Lament and wail.
For the fierce anger of the LORD
Has not turned back from us.
9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the LORD,
“That the heart of the king shall perish,
And the heart of the princes;
The priests shall be astonished,
And the prophets shall wonder.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD!
Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem,
Saying, ‘You shall have peace,’
Whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
11 At that time it will be said
To this people and to Jerusalem,
“A dry wind of the desolate heights blows in the wilderness
Toward the daughter of My people—
Not to fan or to cleanse—
12 A wind too strong for these will come for Me;
Now I will also speak judgment against them.”
13 “Behold, he shall come up like clouds,
And his chariots like a whirlwind.
His horses are swifter than eagles.
Woe to us, for we are plundered!”
14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness,
That you may be saved.
How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?
15 For a voice declares from Dan
And proclaims affliction from Mount Ephraim:
16 “Make mention to the nations,
Yes, proclaim against Jerusalem,
That watchers come from a far country
And raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 Like keepers of a field they are against her all around,
Because she has been rebellious against Me,” says the LORD.
18 “Your ways and your doings
Have procured these things for you.
This is your wickedness,
Because it is bitter,
Because it reaches to your heart.”
19 O my soul, my soul!
I am pained in my very heart!
My heart makes a noise in me;
I cannot hold my peace,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried,
For the whole land is plundered.
Suddenly my tents are plundered,
And my curtains in a moment.
21 How long will I see the standard,
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “For My people are foolish,
They have not known Me.
They are silly children,
And they have no understanding.
They are wise to do evil,
But to do good they have no knowledge.”
23 I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void;
And the heavens, they had no light.
24 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled,
And all the hills moved back and forth.
25 I beheld, and indeed there was no man,
And all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness,
And all its cities were broken down
At the presence of the LORD,
By His fierce anger.
27 ¶ For thus says the LORD:
“The whole land shall be desolate;
Yet I will not make a full end.
28 For this shall the earth mourn,
And the heavens above be black,
Because I have spoken.
I have purposed and will not relent,
Nor will I turn back from it.
29 The whole city shall flee from the noise of the horsemen and bowmen.
They shall go into thickets and climb up on the rocks.
Every city shall be forsaken,
And not a man shall dwell in it.
30 “And when you are plundered,
What will you do?
Though you clothe yourself with crimson,
Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold,
Though you enlarge your eyes with paint,
In vain you will make yourself fair;
Your lovers will despise you;
They will seek your life.
31 “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor,
The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child,
The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself;
She spreads her hands, saying,
‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary
Because of murderers!’
Lots of imagery in this chapter. However, don't be confused; this imagery is talking about the coming invasion by the Babylonians upon Jerusalem, which was to happen in 586 B.C. In verses 1-4 the men of Judah and Jerusalem are encouraged to clean up their hearts for God. Then, through verse 18, we have a description of the attack from the Babylonian army who approach from the north (verse 6). I know it sounds a lot like II Kings 24, see notes).
There is a clear invitation in these verses for Jerusalem/Judah to repent and avoid God's wrath at the hand of the Babylonians. Isaiah, 100 years or so earlier, had prophesied that Jerusalem/Judah would fall away from God and be defeated by the Babylonians, but here they are encouraged to repent. Here's the bottom line: God did encourage them to repent and avoid defeat, but he knew they would not. Jerusalem's total destruction is seen in verses 19-22.
Then we see some familiar imagery in verses 23-26 that looks strikingly like they might be at home in the account of creation in II Timothy 2:15 (see notes) and recite it until they promise to "rightly divide the word of truth." Anyway, "earth" and "land" come from the exact same Hebrew word, "eretz." It can correctly be translated either way, based upon the context of the passage. The destruction of the land when the Babylonians roll in (around the mountain range approaching from the north) will remind the inhabitants of a desolate earth, but verse 27 promises that the land will not be completely destroyed. In verses 28-31, the people of Jerusalem will flee. This further invalidates the silly notion that these verses are talking about a previous total destruction and new creation between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
Jeremiah! You have a challenge (Jeremiah 5:1-13)
1 “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
If you can find a man,
If there is anyone who executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth,
And I will pardon her.
2 Though they say, “As the LORD lives,’
Surely they swear falsely.”
3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth?
You have stricken them,
But they have not grieved;
You have consumed them,
But they have refused to receive correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
They have refused to return.
4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor.
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God.
5 I will go to the great men and speak to them,
For they have known the way of the LORD,
The judgment of their God.”
But these have altogether broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6 Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them,
A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them;
A leopard will watch over their cities.
Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many;
Their backslidings have increased.
7 “How shall I pardon you for this?
Your children have forsaken Me
And sworn by those that are not gods.
When I had fed them to the full,
Then they committed adultery
And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
8 They were like well-fed lusty stallions;
Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” says the LORD.
“And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not make a complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the LORD’S.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah
Have dealt very treacherously with Me,” says the LORD.
12 They have lied about the LORD,
And said, “It is not He.
Neither will evil come upon us,
Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 And the prophets become wind,
For the word is not in them.
Thus shall it be done to them.”
God challenges Jeremiah to seek through Judah/Jerusalem for a righteous man. As you will recall, after the death of Josiah in 609 B.C. (II Kings 23:29-30, see notes), king of Judah, there were no more righteous kings - none that even made an attempt at serving Jehovah. Jeremiah fails to find that righteous man, although there are those who claim so (verse 2), but falsely. Verse 6 contains three predatory animals who shall cause harm to the inhabitants. What do these predators represent? Some Bible students claim that these are literal beasts while other maintain that they represent nations who have, from time to time, attacked Israel; still others maintain that these predators are simply a representation of the viciousness of the soon-to-attack Babylonians themselves. From the context, it is impossible to absolutely identify them for certain.
Verse 7 is talking about adultery. Jeremiah (and other prophets) frequently refers to idolatry in a nation as national harlotry. For that reason, they cannot expect God's protection from the enemy. Moreover, they have dismissed the words of the prophets (verse 13).
The proclamation of judgment on Judah/Jerusalem (Jeremiah 5:14-31)
14 ¶ Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts:
“Because you speak this word,
Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire,
And this people wood,
And it shall devour them.
15 Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar,
O house of Israel,” says the LORD.
“It is a mighty nation,
It is an ancient nation,
A nation whose language you do not know,
Nor can you understand what they say.
16 Their quiver is like an open tomb;
They are all mighty men.
17 And they shall eat up your harvest and your bread,
Which your sons and daughters should eat.
They shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
They shall destroy your fortified cities,
In which you trust, with the sword.
18 ¶ “Nevertheless in those days,” says the LORD, “I will not make a complete end of you.
19 And it will be when you say, “Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?’ then you shall answer them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours.’
20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob
And proclaim it in Judah, saying,
21 “Hear this now, O foolish people,
Without understanding,
Who have eyes and see not,
And who have ears and hear not:
22 Do you not fear Me?’ says the LORD.
“Will you not tremble at My presence,
Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea,
By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it?
And though its waves toss to and fro,
Yet they cannot prevail;
Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
23 But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart;
They have revolted and departed.
24 They do not say in their heart,
“Let us now fear the LORD our God,
Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season.
He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.”
25 Your iniquities have turned these things away,
And your sins have withheld good from you.
26 “For among My people are found wicked men;
They lie in wait as one who sets snares;
They set a trap;
They catch men.
27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the LORD.
“Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’
30 “An astonishing and horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end?
Verse 15 says, in effect, "Babylon is coming!" And when they arrive, they will be hostile (verses 16-17). Judah's rebellion against God was just too great. Verse 18 guarantees the remainder of a remnant left in Judah. Then through verse 31 Jeremiah stresses how they have turned their backs on God. Notice verse 29, "'Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the LORD. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?'" In other words, they should expect God's judgment. Perhaps the most sobering verse in this section is verse 31, "The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?" In essence, it says the prophets are false, the priests aren't connected to God...and the people like it that way.
The imminent destruction of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6)
1 “O you children of Benjamin,
Gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem!
Blow the trumpet in Tekoa,
And set up a signal-fire in Beth Haccerem;
For disaster appears out of the north,
And great destruction.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion
To a lovely and delicate woman.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her.
They shall pitch their tents against her all around.
Each one shall pasture in his own place.”
4 “Prepare war against her;
Arise, and let us go up at noon.
Woe to us, for the day goes away,
For the shadows of the evening are lengthening.
5 Arise, and let us go by night,
And let us destroy her palaces.”
6 ¶ For thus has the LORD of hosts said:
“Cut down trees,
And build a mound against Jerusalem.
This is the city to be punished.
She is full of oppression in her midst.
7 As a fountain wells up with water,
So she wells up with her wickedness.
Violence and plundering are heard in her.
Before Me continually are grief and wounds.
8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem,
Lest My soul depart from you;
Lest I make you desolate,
A land not inhabited.”
9 ¶ Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel;
As a grape-gatherer, put your hand back into the branches.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning,
That they may hear?
Indeed their ear is uncircumcised,
And they cannot give heed.
Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them;
They have no delight in it.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD.
I am weary of holding it in.
“I will pour it out on the children outside,
And on the assembly of young men together;
For even the husband shall be taken with the wife,
The aged with him who is full of days.
12 And their houses shall be turned over to others,
Fields and wives together;
For I will stretch out My hand
Against the inhabitants of the land,” says the LORD.
13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, “Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.
16 ¶ Thus says the LORD:
“Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 Also, I set watchmen over you, saying,
“Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 Therefore hear, you nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 Hear, O earth!
Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people—
The fruit of their thoughts,
Because they have not heeded My words
Nor My law, but rejected it.
20 For what purpose to Me
Comes frankincense from Sheba,
And sweet cane from a far country?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable,
Nor your sacrifices sweet to Me.”
21 ¶ Therefore thus says the LORD:
“Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people,
And the fathers and the sons together shall fall on them.
The neighbor and his friend shall perish.”
22 ¶ Thus says the LORD:
“Behold, a people comes from the north country,
And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They will lay hold on bow and spear;
They are cruel and have no mercy;
Their voice roars like the sea;
And they ride on horses,
As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report of it;
Our hands grow feeble.
Anguish has taken hold of us,
Pain as of a woman in labor.
25 Do not go out into the field,
Nor walk by the way.
Because of the sword of the enemy,
Fear is on every side.
26 O daughter of my people,
Dress in sackcloth
And roll about in ashes!
Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation;
For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us.
27 “I have set you as an assayer and a fortress among My people,
That you may know and test their way.
28 They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers.
They are bronze and iron,
They are all corrupters;
29 The bellows blow fiercely,
The lead is consumed by the fire;
The smelter refines in vain,
For the wicked are not drawn off.
30 People will call them rejected silver,
Because the LORD has rejected them.”
Well, they'll never be able to say that Jeremiah didn't warn them. As a matter of fact, he warns his own tribe (Benjamin) in verse 1. He spends this whole chapter talking about the wickedness of those in Judah/Jerusalem being the reason they would be overwhelmed by the Babylonian armies to come. Make no mistake about it, the Babylonians did the conquering, but God was the judge who made it possible because of the wickedness of his people.
In verse 3 Jeremiah refers to the Babylonian leaders and their accompanying soldiers as shepherds with their flocks encamped around Jerusalem. Verse 6 addresses the means of attack by the Babylonians. They chop down trees and build ramps by which they are able to scale the walls with their troops.
We find additional condemnation against Judah in verses 10-21 for refusing to heed the warnings of God's prophets regarding their departure from God. Israel's rejection of God was a flat, unreserved rejection as seen in verse 17, "Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'" Notice verse 19, "Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people— The fruit of their thoughts, Because they have not heeded My words Nor My law, but rejected it." Babylon may have been the conquering nation, but Israel's rejection of God was the cause of their fall to these Babylonians. Make no mistake about it, God gave them over to the Babylonians.
In verse 22 we see that the enemy will be approaching from the north. Even though Babylon was east, there was a mountain range due east of Jerusalem which caused the enemies (earlier the Assyrians and now the Babylonians) to go around the mountains and come down from the north. Verses 22-26 portray these Babylonian conquerors as cruel. Verses 27-30 compare Judah's hardship at the hand of the Babylonians to metals being tested for purity...and failing.