Jeremiah 1: 1 – 19
Soul Searching
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. 4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. 9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” 11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.” 13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north. 14 Then the LORD said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD; “They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah. 16 I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”
Today we are going to start our study in the book of Jeremiah. I think it is a perfect time for us to study this amazing book. The area of Interest in which we will look at closely not only covers the nation of Israel over 3000 years ago but speaks volumes about what is happening in current Israel. In addition, although the United States was not picked out as our Holy Father God’s elect people we all know that our country was established by His Grace for many of our ancestors had come here to flee religious persecution.
So, as we go through these chapters I am going to point out how the same vile sins that the Jews had committed against our Holy and Loving Father God, all the countries around the world are presently doing the same today.
In addition, our Lord is going to address the Israelites who were at one time His people. Thus, we as Christians should also pay attention to what the Lord’s charges are against them.
A recent survey study was conducted around the US which asked people what religion did they claim? The answer at first startled me in that the survey came up with the result that 87% claimed that they were Christian. To follow up with this group the survey pursued some more questions such as;
. Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?
. Do you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin?
. Is Jesus Christ God?
. Is there a Trinity – 3 Holy Ones in 1 God?
. Is there a hell?
. Is there a heaven?
These are just some of the questions asked. To these closer sought answers, the amount who profess to be a Christian in the US population came down to less than 8 percent.
With these facts on my mind I will go through theses chapters listing;
1. What the text refers to in ancient Israel
2. What the text also is speaking about modern Israel, the United States, and other countries of this world
3. What these scripture verses warn believing Christians and deceived people who some how think they are believers.
Jeremiah began his ministry prior to the discovery of the Law Book in the Temple in the reign of the godly king Josiah, and he continued his ministry throughout the remainder of Josiah’s life, until that life was sadly cut short when Josiah sought to prevent the Egyptian forces under Pharaoh Necho from going to the aid of a dying Assyria in 609 BC. During that period Judah had enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity with their enemies being too preoccupied elsewhere to trouble them, and with fervent religious reform taking place at the center in Jerusalem, a reform which, however, as Jeremiah knew, had not reached the hearts of the people, for they still hankered after the old Canaanite syncretism of YHWH with Baal. Conformity was thus outward, not inward, and the old hill top sanctuaries did not remain unused, even though that use had to be in secret.
Assyria indeed, which had for a hundred years and more been the dominating force in the area, was by this time fighting a rearguard action for its very life against the combined forces of Babylonia and the Medes (Nineveh had fallen in 612 BC), and was on its last legs. Indeed Josiah’s intervention may well have been the final nail in their coffin, delaying the Egyptian forces long enough to prevent them aiding Assyria in time, thus ensuring Assyria’s final defeat. (Egypt had seen the threat that would follow that defeat). But, in spite of Josiah’s reforms, religiously speaking things had not been going well in the heartland of Judah, for idolatry and disobedience to the covenant had become too well engrained among the people to be easily removed and was still flourishing, so that Jeremiah had constantly to be engaged in seeking to bring the people back to a response to the Law and to the true worship of YHWH (chapters 1-20), warning them of invaders who would be coming from the north (either the Scythians or the Babylonians, or both) if they did not. He respected Josiah greatly and mourned his death (2 Chronicles 35.25).
The fall of Assyria left a power vacuum in which a resurgent Egypt sought to establish its control over Palestine, Syria and beyond, establishing a base at Carchemish, and becoming initially determinant of who would rule Judah, removing Jehoahaz and replacing him with his brother Jehoiakim. After the freedom enjoyed under Josiah this was a bitter blow for Judah, and, along with the fact of Josiah’s untimely death, appeared to many to indicate that what Josiah had sought to achieve had failed.
But Egypt was not to be triumphant for long. They had not reckoned with the power of Babylon and its allies, and four years after the death of Josiah they were decisively beaten by the Babylonian army at Carchemish, and then at Hamath. As a result the Pharaoh retired behind his own borders licking his wounds. Meanwhile Babylon took over the jurisdiction of Judah, and Jehoiakim had to submit to Nebuchadnezzar. The first part of Jeremiah’s work covers this whole period, initially of Josiah’s successful reign, tainted by the stubbornness of the people, and then of the reign of Jehoiakim who took Judah back to the old evil ways of syncretism and Baal worship.
Jeremiah continued to prophesy during the reign of Zedekiah, and even afterwards, and he thus ministered during the period described in 2 Kings 21 - 25 and 2 Chronicles 33 - 36. Contemporary with him were the prophets Zephaniah and Habakkuk before the Exile, and Ezekiel and Daniel came later.
As a result of Josiah’s intervention and death the Egyptians on their return journey took control of Judah, and Jehoahaz, who had reigned for a mere three months, was carried off to Egypt, being replaced by the weak Jehoiakim, who in spite of the heavy tribute required by Egypt, squandered money needlessly on a new palace complex, built by forced labor, for which he was castigated by Jeremiah (22.13-19). He was no doubt trying to prove how grand he was, as weak men will. At the same time the religious reforms, such as they were, were falling by the wayside, and even the Temple itself was being affected. Judah had become disillusioned with YHWH, partly because of the death of Josiah, with the result that the prophets who did speak up against the decline were harassed, or even put to death (26.23).
For a while it appeared that Judah would continue to be tributaries of a resurgent Egypt. But in a decisive battle in 605 BC at Carchemish, followed by another at Hamath, the Egyptians were badly defeated heavily by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, with the result that Babylon took control of Judah and Jerusalem, and on the surrender of the latter without resistance, deported the first load of exiles to Babylon, including Daniel and his three friends. Judah was now firmly in Babylonian hands.
It is understandable that the leaders of Judah were not too happy about paying tribute to Babylon. They had after all hoped that the defeat of Assyria would cause their problems from the north to cease, and they had no real awareness of the might of the Babylonians. Furthermore, in spite of Judean backsliding with regard to the covenant (chapter 26), the belief had grown that the Temple of YHWH was inviolate, and that YHWH would never allow it to be destroyed, a belief fostered by its earlier deliverance under Hezekiah (a belief flatly rejected by Jeremiah - 7.9; 26.6). Had it not after all survived when the other great religious centers in Israel and Syria had collapsed and been destroyed? They felt that in worshipping YHWH alongside Baal, they had got the balance right. Thus, in spite of the sacking of Ashkelon (which shook Judah deeply - 47.5-7), and with the encouragement of false prophets, and the political influence of an Egypt which had by then stopped the advance of the Babylonians before they reached the borders of Egypt, inflicting heavy losses on them in a ‘drawn’ battle, and causing Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw to Babylon, Jehoiakim finally withheld tribute, very much against the advice of Jeremiah (chapter 25.9-11; 27.8, 11). Jeremiah was consequently looked on as a traitor. Humanly speaking we can understand Jehoiakim’s decision. It must have appeared to everyone as though Egypt had demonstrated their equality with, if not their superiority over, Babylon. Babylon would surely be more careful in future.
It was during this period that a rejected Jeremiah, with the assistance of Baruch he ‘first gathered his prophecies into a book-roll (36.2-4), but on these being read to the people by Baruch (36.5-10) they were seized and cut up by Jehoiakim (36.23), who thereby showed his contempt for them. As a result, Jeremiah and Baruch had to go into hiding (36.26). Nothing daunted Jeremiah then wrote down a longer version (36.28), and meanwhile his efforts to turn the nation to YHWH in the face of persecution were unceasing.
Inevitably the powerful Babylonians, having recuperated, once again arrived at the gates of Jerusalem, determined to take revenge on Jehoiakim, and Jehoiakim apparently gave himself up, along with some of the Temple treasure, probably thereby hoping to preserve his son’s life. Nebuchadnezzar’s intention was to carry him off in fetters to Babylon, but although this intention is stated it is never actually said to have been fulfilled (2 Chronicles 36.6 ff.; Daniel 1.1-2). Jeremiah may in fact be seen as suggesting otherwise (22.19). Meanwhile his eighteen year old son Jehoiachin had become king in a city under siege and only reigned for three months, during which time frantic negotiations would have been taking place with the Babylonians. When he did surrender to them he was carried off to Babylon, along with the influential queen mother and further exiles, and even more Temple treasure. He was replaced, at the instigation of Nebuchadnezzar, by Zedekiah, his uncle. (This had no doubt all been part of the agreement reached).
The reign of Zedekiah was one of continual intrigue, and in the face of it Jeremiah made himself unpopular by constantly warning of the folly of rebelling against the Babylonians (27.12-22), only to be seen once again as a traitor and to be harshly dealt with. No one would listen to him as negotiations continued with Egypt, and inevitably, when Zedekiah withheld tribute the Babylonians once again surrounded Jerusalem. After a failed attempt by Egypt to intervene Jerusalem was taken and Zedekiah, his sons having been slain before his eyes, was blinded and carried off to Babylon, along with what was left of the paraphernalia of the Temple. Jerusalem itself was sacked. All that Jeremiah had prophesied had come true.
Nebuchadnezzar then appointed Gedaliah as governor of what remained of Judah, giving Jeremiah (whom he saw as loyal) the option of remaining in Judah or going with him to Babylon. Jeremiah chose to remain in Judah. (chapters 40-42). But within a short period, Gedaliah had been assassinated by ruthless opponents (41.1-2), and the remnants of the people, fearful of repercussions from Nebuchadnezzar, and against the advice of Jeremiah (chapter 41-42), fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them (43.8-13, 44), rejecting YHWH’s offer of the restoration of the covenant. There Jeremiah prophesied the conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar (43.8). He probably died in Egypt.
At first sight it might appear that much of Jeremiah’s prophecy has little to do with us. It appears to be directed at a rebellious Judah which was about to suffer awful consequences because of their sins, and we may even begin to find the emphasis as almost tedious and unnecessary. Why preserve writings which were so repetitive and emphasized a judgment long past?
The first reason is because they proved true. Jeremiah’s writings were preserved because in the end they provided an explanation of what had happened to Judah. He had proved to be right after all. Thus, his promises of hope also became a basis for the future.
We have all heard the statement that history repeats itself. The bible points out the sins of the Israelites for our learning. God Is not dead. The sins that were committed in the past are continued to be done today. The action taken by our Holy God El Shaddai against the Jews will happen against all of us in the United States and to those around the world. He allows the rain to fall upon the good and the evil. What we need to do is to follow the scripture of 2 Chronicles chapter 7 which teaches believers to step up to the plate, “13 When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
The second reason is because they reveal to us the nature of God. They bring out His holiness and the awe in which He should be held. It is true that God Is merciful. But only to those who put their trust in Him and walk with Him. For all others He will one day be their judge.
There is also a third reason why we should recognize the book as important and that is because we are in a similar position today. We may not have hanging over us the threat of Babylonian supremacy, but we do certainly have hanging over us the threat of God’s judgment in one way or another. How this will it is a certainty for the future. And we therefore also need to listen to the warnings of Jeremiah to be ready for what is coming on us. It is the same attitude of mind which brought judgment on Judah that is widespread in society today. Our idols may take a different form, but they have equally replaced God as the objects of our worship, and the immorality and unacceptability of many of our lives is clearly reflected in his prophecies. Every chapter should therefore come home to us as a warning to be ready for what is coming, for come it surely will.
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
The prophecy starts by drawing attention to the fact that Jeremiah was the son of a priest named Hilkiah. Jeremiah commenced prophesying in Anathoth, a local town north of Jerusalem, in the thirteenth year of Josiah, that is in c. 626 BC. The fact that his prophesying in the reign of Josiah is what is initially described.
This followed shortly on the death of Ashur-bani-pal, the strong Assyrian king who had taken Assyria to its greatest heights, and whose death introduced a rapid downward slide in times of great agitation which would result in the destruction of Nineveh and Assyria within twenty years. Meanwhile Judah would be left largely to itself, but only until the rising power of Babylon and a resurgent Egypt, began to make their presence felt.
Being in a small town in which there were many priests of the unfavored line Jeremiah would have been brought up to be familiar with what was really true of the hearts of the people outside Jerusalem, and was thus aware that in spite of all Josiah’s efforts, the hearts of the majority of the people were not with him, favoring rather the secret worship of YHWH/Baal in the mountain shrines.
This does serve to bring out that despite all Josiah’s genuine attempts to win the people back to YHWH, their hearts remained firmly attached to Baalism, with its excessive sexual overtones, no doubt practiced discreetly in the mountain shrines, so that it only required a Jehoiakim for Baalism to become rampant once more. State worship had certainly been purified by Josiah, but it was another matter with the hearts of the people of ‘treacherous Judah’ as God makes clear to Jeremiah (3.6). Compared with the attractions of Baal worship, the stern demands of YHWH appeared to be too strict.
Christians are the ones who look at God’s words and think about them. They ponder what the scripture is saying and how it might apply to then. The rest of the world slowly in their ignorance think everything is rosy.
If the world and especially America does not repent of their evil ways, the things which are spelled out here in the book of Jeremiah will happen to our country. As we go through right them down and see if we are committing the same vile sins. If so, do you think our Holy God Is going to ignore what we also are doing? I do not think so.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Jeremiah then continued to prophesy throughout the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, when Baalism was allowed full expression, and right up to the sacking of Jerusalem (and beyond) in 587 BC. Thus he prophesied for over forty years, commencing in the thirteenth year of Josiah (626 BC) and continuing on until the flight into Egypt which followed sometime after the sacking of Jerusalem in 587 BC.
Like Moses before him (Exodus 4.10) Jeremiah pleaded that he was not eloquent (1.6), but YHWH firmly pushed his fears aside assuring him that He would be with him in what he was being asked to do (1.7-8), and while He did not give him an Aaron, He gave him instead a special anointing on his lips (1.9-10) together with faithful helper in Barak, who was probably his literary assistant as well as his friend. But YHWH did not hide from Jeremiah the importance of the task lying ahead of him, pointing out that he was to have a decisive impact on peoples and nations (1.10), something which brought out that while the great nations might appear to be in control, it was really YHWH Who directed affairs. To Jeremiah, a man of great sensitivity and comparatively young, it was a great weight to have to bear.
Because of this YHWH gave him two symbolic visions. The first vision was using word play, indicating by means of the branch of an almond bush that YHWH ‘would watch over His word and perform it’ (1.11-12). Every time that he saw an almond bush (and they were everywhere and developed early) it would be a reminder to him that all that he was saying in prophecy was guaranteed of fulfilment by YHWH. The second was by means of a boiling cauldron pointing towards the north which vividly indicated that it was from the north that judgment would come on Judah for its sins (1.13-16). And this was because Judah had forsaken Him, rejecting the covenant, and had gone after idols (1.16).
Then He basically told him to ‘get his sleeves rolled up’ and prepare himself (‘gird up your loins’), and to get right into his job (1.17), assuring him that He Himself would make him like a strong fortress in the face of all opposition (1.18-19). For his purpose in what was happening was to be to call Israel/Judah back to their first love that they had initially enjoyed in the wilderness on their deliverance from Egypt (2.1-3).
As will be seen it is significant that God’s main purpose in what follows, at least initially, was, through His warnings, to bring His people back within the sphere of His covenant love and to restore them to their covenant love. It was only when it was clear that they were obdurate that judgment became a certainty and a necessity, and even then, Jeremiah always knew that one day, once they had learned their lesson, YHWH would restore the remnant to the covenant
YHWH’s initial call assures Jeremiah that he had been chosen even before he was born, that he need not be afraid that he was still young and immature (around twenty), that He would be with him to deliver him, and that his mouth was ‘anointed’ for his task of preaching to nations and kingdoms over which he has been set.
When the ‘word of YHWH’ first came to Jeremiah God informed him that he had been chosen even before he was born in order that he might be appointed as a ‘prophet to the nations’. From the very beginning he was called on to recognize that he was not only a local seer but was called on to affect the destiny of nations, re-emphasizing the fact that YHWH was Lord over the whole world.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
When God first spoke to him Jeremiah knew that it was ‘the word of YHWH’, and it made clear to him his privileged status. He was to be God’s direct spokesman.
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
He learned at that point that YHWH Father God had already ‘entered into a relationship with’ him even before He had formed him in his mother’s belly and had set him apart to Himself as His holy ‘separated one’, that is, even before he had come forth from the womb. His purpose in doing so was so that he might be Adoni YHWH’s appointed representative to the nations. This choosing was a reminder that Yahweh’s purposes were not subject to man’s interference or behavior. He shared such a privilege of being chosen from birth both with Moses (something which can be assumed from what happened to him right from birth) who was called to be a prophet to Israel, with Samson (Judges 13.3-5), and with the Apostle Paul (Galatians 1.15), who was called to be a prophet to the Gentile world. But he also shared it with all of those of Israel/Judah who were God’s chosen ones (Isaiah 44.2), something which would result in their reception of the Spirit of God and the transformation of their lives (Isaiah 44.3-5). Thus, it must have been to the chosen within Israel, the ‘true believers’ that also refers to us folks).
Jeremiah diffidently sought to excuse himself from the task to which God was calling him, seeing himself as not mature enough for it, but YHWH pushed his fears to one side claiming because He, God, was with him he had nothing to fear.
6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
Jeremiah’s reply was respectful, referring to YHWH as ‘Sovereign Lord’. But he nevertheless humbly pointed to his immaturity and inexperience. He did not feel that he was suited or equipped for the task that YHWH wanted to call him to do. By ‘a child’ he probably meant under twenty-five, the age at which a man could become a Levite.
7 But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. 1.7-
YHWH’s response to that was simply that with Him at his elbow he had nothing to fear. He was not to look at his immaturity and inexperience but was resolutely to obey God and go to whoever He sent him to. Furthermore, he was not to be afraid of them because YHWH would be with him to deliver him, and He confirmed that this would be so in accordance with His infallible and invincible word. Note the confidence that Jeremiah could have that his words were not just his own words, but the word of YHWH.
9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”
Then YHWH ‘put forth His hand and touched’ Jeremiah’s mouth (and said, ‘Behold I have put my words in your mouth’, thus making him a ‘prophet like unto Moses’, (Deuteronomy 18.18), and went on to explain what he was to do. By his words he was to bring judgment on the sinful nations, including his own, while at the same time he was to build up and plant the faithful remnant. For God’s word as building up the latter. But we will later learn that as events would turn out even the faithful remnant were to be removed out of the land (45.4-5).
Jeremiah’s calling was thus a momentous one and was enough to quail the stoutest heart. As YHWH’s appointed spokesman he was that day ‘set over nations and kingdoms. His words against nations and kingdoms, which because they were YHWH’s would be fully effective. They are a vivid reminder of the prophetic idea that the whole world was under God’s Rule then and now. And his appointed task was by his words of power from YHWH to pluck them up and break them down and destroy them and overthrow them.
Here then there is the idea of the removal of the sinful majority, and the establishing of a righteous remnant. But it was an attempt that would initially appear to fail, for at one stage he would be called on to produce just one righteous man from the streets of Jerusalem and could not. He was thus called to be mainly the shepherd of a faithless Israel.
YHWH now gave Jeremiah two signs of what He intended to do. The first sign was a simple branch from an almond tree which indicated the ‘watching’ of YHWH. He would ‘watch over’ His word to bring it about. The second was a boiling cauldron with its open part pointing from the north so that its scalding contents could be poured over Judah, indicating the terrible things that were shortly coming on Judah from YHWH. The contrast is vivid. The beauty of the almond tree expressing YHWH’s control over events, and the boiling cauldron emphasizing His judgment. At the same time, He warned Jeremiah that he was not going to have an easy time in his ministry.
The first sign was that of the branch of an almond tree, which was an indication and assurance that YHWH would be watching over His word, as spoken through Jeremiah, to perform it. The almond tree budded early and was thus a reminder of new life in contrast with the dearth of life preceding it which was the result of the hot summer. It was a constantly renewed reminder that all was well with the world, and that YHWH could make all things new. Its Hebrew name also had the same consonants as the word for ‘watching’.
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
Every time that that he saw a fruitful branch of an almond tree he was to remember YHWH’s fruitful ‘watch’ over His word. In view of the abundance of almond trees it was intended to be a huge encouragement. It was a guarantee that YHWH would continually remind him that He would not fail in His purpose.
YHWH’s promise to watch over His word would be comprehensive, for His effective word (Isaiah 58.10-13) would produce many effects. It would include His judgment on, and final re-planting once their chastisement was over, of His people, and His judgment on, and final calling of, the nations. It included all His purposes revealed to Jeremiah.
The second sign was that of a cauldron full of boiling liquid ready to be poured out on Judah from the north, a vivid picture of threatening judgment.
13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.
The second sign was a boiling cauldron ‘blown on’, thus heated by a fierce fire, with its ‘face’ (its opening) opening out from the north, full of scalding liquid to be poured out on Judah, a clear picture of coming judgment.
14 Then the LORD said to me: “Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.
For out of the north YHWH planned that ‘evil’ would break forth on the inhabitants of the land.
If you look at Israel today where are its enemies? – North (Russia, and the other Islamic nations). You need to read the book of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 for soon this little nation will be attacked by these Islamic nations.
15 For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD; “They shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah.
But what is certain is that what was promised was that an alliance of nations from the north (all the families of the kingdoms of the north) would come up against Judah. And each king of those nations would set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and over against its walls all-round the city, and against all the cities of Judah. In other words, they would be there for siege and conquest, and to take jurisdiction over those cities, and would remain until they had succeeded. And every city of Judah would be their target.
16 I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.
This was because YHWH’s own words of judgment would come against the people of Judah about all their wickedness, and it would be because they had forsaken Him, burning incense to other gods, and worshipping idols which were of their own workmanship, made with their own hands. Note the emphasis on MY judgments. They would proceed from His active word. The worship of Baal and Asherah (Baal’s wife), with its depraved ritual, was taking place in the many high places in the land, and it was offensive to YHWH. It was taking place even in the days of the godly Josiah, although no doubt discreetly in the mountain sanctuaries. We will also learn later of the worship of the Queen of Heaven, the favorite goddess under different names of the nations (Ishtar = Ashteroth). The burning of incense on incense altars was a regular method of offering worship to false gods.
Please take note the threefold indictment:
1). ‘They have forsaken Me.’ They no longer gave Him full loyalty as their Redeemer despite all their formal ritual (Exodus 20.2).
2). ‘They have burned incense to other gods. Even in YHWH’s very land, therefore, they were worshipping other gods.
3). ‘They have worshipped the work of their own hands.’ They worship what they themselves have made. This is ever the tendency of humanity for thereby they keep it under their control.
17 “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.
Now, however, YHWH intended to do something about it, and He was calling on Jeremiah to tuck in his robes so that he would have the free movement to go out and speak to the people all that YHWH commanded him. He was effectively telling him to roll his sleeves up. He furthermore warned him that he was not to shy away from them in case YHWH then shied away from him with his being therefore made to look a fool and filled with shame and dismay. The verb is strong signifying ‘shattering, breaking in pieces. He was not to ‘go to pieces’ in front of them. It was simply an indication to Jeremiah of the urgency of the situation, and of his need to be steadfast. It is a reminder to us that once we are sure of what God wants us to do, we must not hesitate (although it is of course important that our certainty is really from God).
18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
And the reason why he could be so bold was because YHWH had made him that very day, by calling him and touching his lips, into a fortress, and an iron pillar, and walls of bronze as he set himself against the whole land of Judah, including its princes, its priests and the whole people. In other words, He was making him impregnable as he faced up to them all (and he was going to need it).
The descriptions are in terms of the strongest materials available at the time. For the iron pillar compare the bronze pillars of Solomon (1 Kings 7.15). Iron would be even stronger. The purpose of cladding stone walls with bronze was to indicate strength. It also made them less vulnerable.
YHWH put Jeremiah in no doubt about what he was to face. It would be those in highest authority, those with most religious authority, and those with the greatest influence, few would be on his side.
19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”
However, having been warned that he would not have an easy time with the princes, priests and influential people all fighting against him, nevertheless he was to be assured that they would not prevail against him. And this would be because YHWH would be with him to deliver him.
