Commuter Bible

We’re now in the section of Jeremiah that includes prophecies against individual nations. These prophecies have been gathered over the course of Jeremiah’s life and have been collected here at the end of his account. The overarching theme of these chapters is that the Lord sees the injustice and disgrace of the surrounding nations, and they will not escape his wrath and judgment. In some cases, the Lord says that he will restore the nation, but in other cases, the nation will become a perpetual ruin.

In our last episode, the prophecies of Jeremiah came to fruition and the King of Babylon successfully destroyed Jerusalem, slaughtered his opponents, and captured those who surrendered. The Chaldeans held Jeremiah in honor and allowed him to choose to remain with a remnant of people. After an insurrection against Gedaliah, the governor, Johanan rescues those taken captive in an effort to flee to Egypt. The remnant promises to do whatever the Lord says, and ask Jeremiah for a word from God. Jeremiah tells them that if they go to Egypt they will certainly die. Today’s episode picks up the conversation with the people’s response to Jeremiah.

In today’s episode, the prophecies of Jeremiah are coming to pass. The Chaldean army lays siege to Jerusalem and Zedekiah meets Nebuchadnezzar face to face. Those who have surrendered to the Chaldeans have been spared, and those who resisted are put to the sword. Through it all that Lord keeps His promises and protects Jeremiah from harm, and what’s more, the leaders of the Chaldean army treat Jeremiah with greater honor and respect than the leaders of Judah did. As Jeremiah continues serve the Lord through this transition he must navigate new relationships and new authorities.

Have you ever been watching a TV show where the plot jumps ahead in the timeline, and you find yourself asking, “Wait, did I miss something?” only to realize as you keep watching that they’re about to explain it? Our last episode opened with Jeremiah in prison, but didn’t explain how he got there. The accounts in today’s episode pre-date the events in our last episode and lead up to that imprisonment, giving us narrative detail that we haven’t yet encountered. The first two stories date back to the reign of King Jehoiakim, but the final story tells us how Jeremiah found himself under arrest.

This part of the text may be a little confusing, so let me give a little historical context. The Babylonian siege began after King Zedekiah had been in office for nine years. This siege was lifted for a small window of time when the troops caught word that an Egyptian army was approaching. During this break, Zedekiah arrested Jeremiah because he was encouraging the men of Judah to surrender, but God commanded Jeremiah to tell them to do exactly that. During this time, the Lord sends Jeremiah’s cousin to sell Him property, and at the Lord’s direction, Jeremiah buys it. Confused about the transaction, Jeremiah turns to the Lord for clarity.

There are some wonderful, well-known promises dispersed throughout today’s reading as the Lord offers the promise of consolation and hope after the 70 years of exile. The Lord will one day judge those nations whom He released upon Israel and Judah, and they will return to the land of promise. While waiting for the promises of God, His exiled people are commanded to pursue the well-being of the city in which they live, for when their city thrives, they will also thrive. The Lord expresses His everlasting love for His people, promising to rebuild them and make them joyful once more.

In an age before billboards, movies, and cat videos, there were few ways to stand out from the crowd and command the attention of people who simply wanted to ignore you. At the Lord’s command, Jeremiah frequently acts out his prophesies in order to dramatically display the reality of what will soon take place. You wouldn’t soon forget a man wearing chains and a yoke who looks you in the eye and tells you that you will look like him in the near future. Later, in similar fashion, we’ll read from the prophet Isaiah who was commanded to strip off his clothes and prophesy that the powerful nations of Egypt & Cush would be taken away stripped and barefoot.

Not long after beating Jeremiah and humiliating him, Passhur the priest is sent back to Jeremiah at the king’s request. When he asks for the Lord’s favor, he instead gets the Lord’s wrath, for the king and his entourage will all be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar. After pronouncing judgment against Zedekiah, he goes on to condemn Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Coniah. These leaders have led the Lord’s flock away from Him, but God promises to raise up a Righteous Branch for David, a king and a shepherd who will reign wisely and administer justice righteously.

Jeremiah continues his pronouncement against the persistent sin of Judah as our text begins today, saying that those who trust in men are cursed and those who trusts in the Lord will be blessed. Not long after this, Jeremiah must put this teaching to use, for in gathering the priests, prophets, and leaders of Judah to declare the judgment of the Lord, he is beaten, put in the stocks, and humiliated by one of the priests. Both before and after this event, Jeremiah pleads with the Lord to do something about the humiliation he endures, lamenting in sorrow over the day he was born.

Jeremiah was a young man serving as a priest when the Lord called him and set him aside as his chosen instrument to prophesy against the nation of Judah. Even though they had seen the fall of Israel after centuries of wickedness and idolatry, they followed the same. They worshipped false gods on hilltops and under trees, as was the custom in the surrounding nations, and rejected the God who had promised to love them, provide for them, and protect them. Like a man who goes to a broken cistern to collect water, the people of Judah sought after other gods for life, but would find only devastation.