Jeremiah 49: 1 – 39
He will wipe that smirk off your face
1 Against the Ammonites. Thus, says the LORD: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad, and his people dwell in its cities? 2 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war in Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, and her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD. 3 “Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is plundered! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth! Lament and run to and fro by the walls; For Milcom shall go into captivity with his priests and his princes together. 4 Why do you boast in the valleys, your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me?’ 5 Behold, I will bring fear upon you,” says the Lord GOD of hosts, “From all those who are around you; You shall be driven out, everyone headlong, and no one will gather those who wander off. 6 But afterward I will bring back the captives of the people of Ammon,” says the LORD. 7 Against Edom. Thus, says the LORD of hosts: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? 8 Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will punish him. 9 If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, would they not destroy until they have enough? 10 But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself. His descendants are plundered, his brethren and his neighbors, and he is no more. 11 Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.” 12 For thus says the LORD: “Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it. 13 For I have sworn by Myself,” says the LORD, “that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.” 14 I have heard a message from the LORD, and an ambassador has been sent to the nations: “Gather together, come against her, and rise up to battle! 15 “For indeed, I will make you small among nations, despised among men. 16 Your fierceness has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,” says the LORD. 17 “Edom also shall be an astonishment; Everyone who goes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues. 18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says the LORD, “No one shall remain there, nor shall a son of man dwell in it. 19 “Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd who will withstand Me?” 20 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Edom, and His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; Surely He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them. 21 The earth shakes at the noise of their fall; At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea. 22 Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, and spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be like the heart of a woman in birth pangs. 23 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, for they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet. 24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, and fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. 25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? 26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the LORD of hosts. 27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.” 28 Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike. Thus says the LORD: “Arise, go up to Kedar, and devastate the men of the East! 29 Their tents and their flocks they shall take away. They shall take for themselves their curtains, all their vessels and their camels; And they shall cry out to them, ‘Fear is on every side!’ 30 “Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor!” says the LORD. “For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you and has conceived a plan against you. 31 “Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the LORD, “Which has neither gates nor bars, dwelling alone. 32 Their camels shall be for booty, and the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, and I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the LORD. 33 “Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, nor son of man dwell in it.” 34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might. 36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven and scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go. 37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD; ‘And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them. 38 I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the LORD. 39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.”
Show me someone who smirks in public and I’ll show you someone who rages in private.
Next time you watch the news watch when some people are on the spot and someone is questioning their credibility, they often smirk.
Why do they do that? When these evil people are affronted or insulted, they feel assaulted and wounded. Just as a wounded animal turns its fear into rage to thwart another attack that might prove fatal, a person carrying grudges similarly rages against the offender. In private that rage can be verbally vicious and even cross over into physical outbursts.
However, when these people are exposed to the spotlight of public scrutiny, they know better than to vent that rage overtly. Instead they attempt to smile, doing their best to distract from how much they are seething underneath. For us observers their phony smile comes out as a smirk. To anyone watching, that smile is anything but happy.
It is often seen as smug, arrogant and condescending. It may have some of those qualities, but more often it is an effort to sugar coat and distract the viewer away from the rage that is bubbling just below.
As such instead of a smirk being “passive aggressive” (i.e. indirectly hostile) it is in actuality more accurately being “suppressive aggressive” (i.e. trying to keep a lid on hostility).
If you (or someone you know) smirks, when you are feeling affronted or assaulted, something that can help you "wipe that smirk off your face" and replace it with a softer, kinder and even loving smile is to stop and just listen to where the other person is truly coming from. If you do that, you will often discover that they are not trying to condemn you but are merely trying to deal with their own confusion and fear about something they are looking to you to help them understand or solve. And when they're not, they're usually dealing with someone beating up on them to beat up on you.
The nations around Israel even though somewhat related to the Jews hate them. They want to drive them off the face of the earth. When our Holy Father God had to deal with His ‘elect’ children these neighbors instead of extending love and concern just smirked at their neighbors tragedy. Well, today we are going to find out that our Holy Master and Ruler is not going to put up with that type of attitude. He Is Personally goanna wipe their smirks off their faces.
It should be noted that these prophecies were not spoken directly to the nations but were spoken to Judah/Israel. The words were an indication to them that YHWH was in control of world events, and a warning to them against trusting in any of these failing nations. They were to recognize that they were no more secure than Judah was. And the words were also an assurance to them that God had not overlooked what Judah had suffered at the hands of these nations, and would deal with them accordingly, although that is not the prominent idea. They are difficult to date but may well have mainly been spoken in the time of Josiah and Jehoiakim.
The prophecies appear partly to have geographical indications in mind, commencing with Egypt in the South West, and Philistia (and Tyre and Sidon - 47.4) in the West and North West, and moving on to the neighboring nations in the east, Moab, Ammon and Edom. They then deal with Damascus in the north, the Arab nations in the remote east, and Elam in the far north beyond Babylon, before finishing up with the prophecy against Babylon in the north. This fact that the prophets of Israel and Judah gave oracles about other nations strongly reflects Yahweh's sovereignty over the whole earth and demonstrates YHWH’s government and oversight over the whole world.
We may ask ourselves, why should such prophecies be included in the word of God. What message do they have for us today? The answer is clear. They are a reminder that all nations and all men will be called on to give account of themselves to God, and that God does it on a just basis. They are a reminder that God is the sovereign Lord over all nations, and they are an indication that no nation, however powerful, will last forever unless specially preserved by God. They indicate further that He is the Lord of history, calling all to account. As we read through these chapters therefore, they should bring home to us the fact that God takes sin seriously, something which includes our own sins if they are not fully repented of. They indicate that if we treat God and His word lightly we should not be surprised if it inevitably results in unpleasant repercussions.
We may summaries some of the lessons learned from this section as follows:
1). God is sovereign over all nations. This idea is a commonplace to us precisely because of prophecies such as this. But it was not so obvious in Jeremiah’s day.
2). God will call all nations and people into account. None can assume that they will be overlooked.
3). God will judge all peoples in accordance with the moral principles revealed in His covenant. Such moral principles are universal (compare Romans 2.13-16).
4). These prophecies are an indication of how God works in history, using one nation to punish another, and then punishing that nation for its own sins at the hands of others, and so on. They indicate the tide of history, and that God is the Lord of history.
5). They reveal the powerful effectiveness of God’s ‘powerful word’ in reaching out to the nations (even though they did not at the time know it) and bringing about His purposes.
6). They bring out that even in the worst moments and in the worst of circumstances there is hope ahead for those who look to Him.
Having learned that judgment was coming on Egypt, Philistia and Moab, we now go on to learn that it will also visit Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Arabia, Elam and then Babylon itself. None are immune from God’s judgment.
Ammon were a fierce, half-civilised nation beyond the eastern borders of Israel and Moab, with their further borders connecting with the deserts of Arabia with their ferocious, wandering tribes and oasis ‘cities’. They were the chief worshippers of Molech and were very much a tribal society. They regularly joined with their more sophisticated neighbors Moab in joint-alliance, enjoying descent from a similar source through Lot (Genesis 19.37-38).
In Ammon’s case a charge is brought against them of having wrongly infringed against Judah/Israel in that they had taken advantage of Israel’s misfortunes by seizing land in Gad (southern Gilead), east of the Jordan, possibly after Gad was partially depopulated by the transfer of many of its inhabitants elsewhere by Tiglath Pileser III and the Assyrians (2 Kings 15.29). They also later joined with Nebuchadnezzar in helping to put down Judah’s rebellion in 600-597 BC (2 Kings 24.2), although they probably then had little choice. They were a subject nation. So they were a constant thorn in the side of Israel/Judah. But their main fault was in exalting Molech at the expense of YHWH.
1 Against the Ammonites. Thus, says the LORD: “Has Israel no sons? Has he no heir? Why then does Milcom inherit Gad, and his people dwell in its cities?
Ammon could not deny its hatred against Judah/Israel for it was firmly encamped on their territory. It was on land that would not have been totally despoiled of its inhabitants by the exile of its leading citizens, and it had not therefore been totally uninhabited. Thus, Ammon’s act was an act of seizure. But worse was the fact that they were treating it as though it was Molech’s land, the possession of their evil god, and no doubt boasting that it was theirs because Molech was more powerful than YHWH. Thus YHWH enquires as to what right they have to be settled there, acting as though it was their possession, dwelling in its cities, and denying YHWH’s right to decide ownership, when there were currently Israelites available to possess it. By force of arms they had replaced YHWH by Molech, and then given the credit to Molech. It was now therefore necessary for Molech’s inadequacy to be exposed.
2 Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will cause to be heard an alarm of war in Rabbah of the Ammonites; It shall be a desolate mound, and her villages shall be burned with fire. Then Israel shall take possession of his inheritance,” says the LORD.
As a result of this the future was not bright for Ammon. The day was coming, as revealed in the prophetic word of YHWH, when the alarm would be sounded against the capital city of Ammon. And, as the destructive invaders advanced, this would result in its becoming a desolate heap, along with its daughter towns, which would be burned with fire. And after this Israel would possess those who had once possessed them, in accordance with YHWH’s prophetic word. What they had done to Israel, Israel would do to them. Gad would once more be Israel’s. Rabbah was situated on the Jabbok, fourteen miles north-east of Heshbon, and was the capital city of Ammon.
We have in this a reminder that God is so gracious that He watches over even His erring people. He may chasten them for a time, even severely, but it is in order that they might be restored and brought back within the promises. On the other hand those who misuse God’s people will themselves be misused.
3 “Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is plundered! Cry, you daughters of Rabbah, gird yourselves with sackcloth! Lament and run to and fro by the walls; For Milcom shall go into captivity with his priests and his princes together.
Heshbon was a fortress city which had been the capital of Sihon’s empire and had been taken over by Israel. It had become a Moabite city, taken from the Israelites. But at this point it was apparently in Ammonite hands. It would appear, therefore, that it was not only on Israel that Ammon was preying. Ammon had become strong and was taking advantage of its neighbors.
The idea here may be that of the standpoint of the people in Heshbon as they will run around in panic within their strong walls at what they learn concerning what is happening around them, especially to the city of Ai. Neighboring Ai (which means ‘a ruin’ and is not the Ai of Joshua 7) has been laid waste. But the word for ‘fences’ is not usually used of city walls. It rather indicates the fences and walls around sheepfolds and vineyards. There may therefore be in this a hint both of their prosperity (many sheepfolds and vineyards) and of their vulnerability (what protection was offered by sheep fences and vineyard walls against the great invader from the North?). It is a reminder that our wealth cannot help us in the day of calamity.
The ‘daughters of Rabbah’ (Rabbah being the capital city of Ammon) are its surrounding towns and villages looked on as offspring. Either way the Ammonites are called on to wail at what is coming on them, and especially on their god Molech (Malcam). The mighty Molech would be humbled by being dragged off into captivity along with his priests and princes. His helplessness, and the helplessness of those who had trusted in him, would be apparent to all.
4 Why do you boast in the valleys, your flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? Who trusted in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me?’
Like Moab Ammon had also declared her own invulnerability. Such had been her self-confidence, and her certainty of her own strength (a strength partly based on her remoteness), that she had declared, ‘Who shall come to me?’, confident that no one could or would touch her. But now she is warned not to trust in her prosperity and wealth, her fruitful valleys and her treasures (much of it gained by raiding her neighbors), for on the horizon a dark shadow is looming.
We are reminded of the words of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning the need to seek treasure in Heaven rather than to trust in earthly treasures (Matthew 6.19).
The word for ‘valley’ should be translated ‘strength’. But the idea is the same whichever we accept, for her prosperity was her strength.
5 Behold, I will bring fear upon you,” says the Lord GOD of hosts, “From all those who are around you; You shall be driven out, everyone headlong, and no one will gather those who wander off. 6 But afterward I will bring back the captives of the people of Ammon,” says the LORD
For in accordance with the prophetic word of YHWH (repeated twice, once with a special emphasis on His sovereignty) they who had been so arrogant would be in fear of all their neighbors, and would be driven out, every one of them, straight before them. The haste with which they would leave, and the completeness of the desertion, is made apparent in the fact that none of them will be available to help other fugitives in the face of the invaders. In the face of the invaders from the north none would be able to stand firm. It is a reminder of the devastation of such warfare. The cruel enemy raped and slew all whom they came across. There was no alternative but to flee, some to the mountains, others to neighboring countries which would provide refuge.
But as with Egypt and Moab, once their punishment is over they will be restored. God will not make a full end of them. His mercy is made apparent. Afterwards the exiles would return, and in Nehemiah 2.10, 19; 4.7 we learn of their existence under Persian rule under their local governor Tobiah.
Edom lay to the south east of Judah stretching from the borders of Judah down to the Gulf of Aqabah, 100 miles. Its importance generally lay in the fact that it gave access to the lucrative Red Sea trade through its port at Ezion Geber. The King’s Highway, the trade route from the north, passed through its territory, on the way to Ezion Geber, and those who travelled it were often prey to robbers descending from the Edomite mountains round about. These people were descended from Esau (although being a mixture of peoples) Edom was seen as a brother tribe to Israel, but rather than this making them friendlier towards Israel, it appears to have had the opposite effect. Their attitude towards Israel appears to have been one of constant hostility, and they appear to have taken great delight in Judah/Israel’s misfortunes, and to have taken advantage of them for their own ends.
So, as in Isaiah and Obadiah, of all the nations the judgment on Edom is seen to be judgment at its most As a consequence they occupied parts of southern Judah. Thus, their treachery was extreme. Therefore, Edom was to be wiped off the face of the map, becoming a desolation forever.
Edom’s hatred towards Israel had come out from the beginning. In the days of Moses, they had refused to allow Israel safe passage through their territory, at a time when the Israelites had endured forty tortuous years in the wilderness (Numbers 20.14-30). And this attitude had continued throughout the centuries, no doubt exacerbated by the fact that when Israel was strong, in for example the days of Saul, David and Solomon, Israel in its turn had not hesitated to subdue Edom. But there was no doubt of Edom’s constant animosity towards Judah/Israel throughout the centuries, and their constant attempts at various times to take advantage of Judah’s weakness, and this despite their relationship to Israel.
7 Against Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?
Teman was proverbial for its wise men, and it is always closely associated with Edom. (Teman was a grandson of Esau). In Habakkuk 3.3 it appears to be used to describe Edom, the part representing the whole. One of Job’s ‘comforters’ was Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2.11; 4.1). They were linked with ‘the children of the east’ who were renowned for their wisdom (1 Kings 4.30). Now, however, YHWH declares that they have lost their wisdom, something which is demonstrated by their behavior. They have proved themselves foolish.
8 Flee, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan! For I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will punish him.
Those who are associated with Edom are therefore advised to flee and leave them to their fate. Dedan was an Arabian city, not part of Edom, although closely linked with Teman and Edom in Ezekiel 25.13. They are advised to separate themselves from Edom and hide in remote places in view of what is coming on Edom. For it is Edom’s time to be visited by YHWH and to suffer calamity.
We have here a reminder to all that we should beware of connecting ourselves up with those whose way of life is unsatisfactory. If we do so we must not be surprised if we get caught up when they suffer the consequences of their behavior.
9 If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, would they not destroy until they have enough? 10 But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself. His descendants are plundered, his brethren and his neighbors, and he is no more. 11 Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.”
YHWH now makes clear the completeness of the judgment that is coming on Edom. Whereas grape-gatherers will always leave a few grapes for the gleaners, in accordance with the Mosaic law (Leviticus 19.10; Deuteronomy 24.21), and even thieves will always leave something behind once they are satisfied with what they have found, YHWH will leave Edom with nothing. It will be stripped bare. Even their most secret hiding places will be uncovered so that they cannot hide from the destroyers. Edom’s seed will be destroyed, apart, that is, from His showing of mercy to the fatherless and to widows. This exception is interesting in that it draws attention to the fact that the people are not suffering haphazardly. It is because of their sins and their attitudes. The innocent will be spared with a view to them trusting in YHWH. Throughout God’s judgment there is also a purpose of mercy.
12 For thus says the LORD: “Behold, those whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And are you the one who will altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it.
YHWH points out to Edom that even ‘innocent’ nations will have to drink of the cup of suffering, even though they did not deserve it, how much more then will Edom be made to drink of it, they who do deserve it. One thing therefore is sure, that they too will drink of it. They will not go unpunished for their sins.
The point is not that the other nations are not to be seen as sinful. It is rather that they have not shown enmity towards God’s people, this in contrast with Edom.
13 For I have sworn by Myself,” says the LORD, “that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse. And all its cities shall be perpetual wastes.”
Bozrah was once the chief city of Edom (to be distinguished from the Bozrah in Moab - 48.24). It was situated 25 miles south east of the Dead Sea.
For YHWH to swear by Himself was a most solemn oath. It was the very declared intention of YHWH. And He swore that the proud city of Bozrah in its lofty security, a city at which men marveled, would become a thing of astonishment as men beheld its ruin. It would be a perpetual sign of reproach in that it would demonstrate that they had behaved in such a way as to bring this in themselves. It would become a waste, a city under a curse. And all its surrounding towns and villages would become perpetual wastes. There was to be no future hope here for Edom.
14 I have heard a message from the LORD, and an ambassador has been sent to the nations: “Gather together, come against her, and rise up to battle!
Jeremiah emphasizes that what is prophesied is already taking shape. He himself has received tidings from YHWH, while an ambassador has already been sent by Him amongst the nations calling on them to gather themselves to battle against Edom. The ambassador may indicate an angelic messenger acting invisibly, or it may have in mind those whom Nebuchadnezzar sent out to call tributaries to respond to the call to arms.
Humanly speaking this was not, of course, just YHWH’s doing. It was the result of man’s greed as he sought to establish empires and obtain much booty. Going forth to war was seen as an essential part of life. And none partook in this more than the great kings. But YHWH was utilizing man’s behavior in order to bring about His own purposes.
15 “For indeed, I will make you small among nations, despised among men. 16 Your fierceness has deceived you, the pride of your heart, O you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill! Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, I will bring you down from there,” says the LORD. 17 “Edom also shall be an astonishment; Everyone who goes by it will be astonished and will hiss at all its plagues.
It is always a nations tendency to see itself as great, and to take pride in its defensive capability. And Edom was no exception. It saw itself as invulnerable and its armies as invincible. But they had never really been tested against such an army as Babylon’s. If we do not know the capacity of the enemy, it is easy to deceive ourselves. It was to learn that it was but ‘small among the nations’, and that it would become a thing despised among men. Pride would come before a fall.
One of Edom’s strongpoints was its mountainous nature. Its cities were built in high places, making attack difficult. They ‘dwelt in the clefts of the rock’ and on ‘the height of the hill’. But they are warned that even though they make their nest as high as the eagle’s, they will be brought down from there. Eagles make their nests in inaccessible places. But however inaccessible, they can always be reached by a determined enemy. So, it would be for Edom. And the result would be that instead of being envied and exalted they would become an object of astonishment and amazement because of what was to happen to them. Men would draw their breaths and gasp when they saw the disasters that were coming on them.
The statement ‘As for your terribleness’ is an unusual one and may indicate the terrible aspect that they sought to present, proud of their own ferocity. indicates that like ‘abomination’ it was used to depict idolatry. They were proud of their fierce god. Thus, we have linked the ideas of pride and idolatry, both hateful to God. It may be that just as YHWH could be called ‘the Fear of Isaac’, so Edom’s god, possibly Qaus which appears in many Edomite names, could be called ‘the Terrible One of Edom’.
For us the lesson is clear. If we trust in ourselves in our spiritual warfare and see ourselves as upon the mountain tops and therefore secure, we must beware lest we need to humbled. We must ever remember the injunctions of Ephesians 6.10-18, “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighbors,” says the LORD, “No one shall remain there, nor shall a son of man dwell in it.
The devastation was to be likened to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. The cataclysmic disaster that had occurred to Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19) had been so devastating that it had echoed down the centuries It had become a byword for complete and utter disaster. Sodom and Gomorrah, with their neighboring towns, had been wiped off the map, leaving an uninhabited land. In the same way Edom was to become so desolated that no man dwelt there, and no one lived in it.
19 “Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the floodplain of the Jordan against the dwelling place of the strong; But I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? Who will arraign Me? And who is that shepherd who will withstand Me?”
The ‘pride of Jordan’ was the description used of the area of thick jungle thickets on the banks of the Jordan in which many wild beasts found refuge. It was notorious for the lions that came from there seeking prey when they were hungry through shortage of prey in the thickets, when they could be a danger to men as they desperately sought for food, even entering towns and villages in their search. As soon as lone men saw them they ran away. They knew just how dangerous they could be under those circumstances.
‘And whoever is chosen, him will I appoint over it.’ This may indicate YHWH’s chosen candidate, or it may be a challenge to Edom to choose for themselves a champion so that YHWH may set him over them, indicating while any such appointment would be useless.
‘And who is the shepherd who will stand before me?” refers that no shepherd of Edom could hope to outface or resist Him, any more than they could hope to outface a hungry lion who had seized one of their sheep.
20 Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Edom, and His purposes that He has proposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; Surely, He shall make their dwelling places desolate with them. 21 The earth shakes at the noise of their fall; At the cry its noise is heard at the Red Sea.
It is now emphasized that what is to happen to Edom is YHWH’s purpose. It is in accordance with His counsel. The invaders will be like hungry lions seizing the defenseless lambs and dragging them away to be eaten. Their homes will be desolated. And such will be the awfulness of the situation that the whole earth will tremble at the noise of their fall, and their cries will be heard even at the Red Sea, which was on their southernmost border). This latter may indicate that many will attempt to flee by boat, or alternatively may simply be indicating that their cries of distress will be such that they will go beyond their borders.
22 Behold, He shall come up and fly like the eagle, and spread His wings over Bozrah; The heart of the mighty men of Edom in that day shall be like the heart of a woman in birth pangs.
The prophecies close with an indication of the might of their conqueror. He will come up like a mighty eagle searching for prey, spreading out his great wings against their capital city, which was built on the heights. Such will be his might that the hearts of Edom’s finest warriors will tremble, as a woman cowers when approaching childbirth.
Damascus was the capital city of Aram, an Aramean state which was north of Israel and part of what we now call Syria. It was situated on the main trade routes and was a prosperous trading center. The Aramean confederacy of which it was a part also included the great cities and regions of Hamath and Arpad. In the times of independence, prior to their subjugation by first Assyria and then Babylon, and following the days of David, and Solomon at his peak, Damascus had regularly been an adversary of Israel, seeking in its greed to obtain regular tribute from them, although sometimes, especially when danger loomed from the north, e.g. in the form of Assyria, they would be in an alliance. This situation naturally arose from the nature of the area, composed as it was of small kingdoms, which each at times sought to take advantage of the others and exact tribute from them.
But one consequence of this constant bickering and fighting was that they weakened each other, so that while in the days when David and Solomon ruled supreme over most of the area, and in the days of the powerful kings Jehoshaphat of Judah and Ahab of Israel, and later Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel, they were able to form alliances to thwart the Assyrian threat, at other times they were unable to do so. Had they all lived at peace and in harmony, each kingdom establishing its own prosperity, they would have been powerful enough when united to resist any outside invasion. But their greed resulted in the very opposite situation. They constantly fought each other with the result that whilst Israel had been able to supply 2000 chariots to the coalition formed to combat Assyria in the time of Ahab (853 BC), by the time of his sons Israel, as a result of the warlike activities of Damascus, was reduced to possessing only ten chariots, and was thus in no position to assist Damascus when the Assyrians under Shalmaneser III again invaded in 841 BC. Hazael of Damascus had to withstand them alone, losing large numbers of chariots and men in the process, and having to withdraw to Damascus and endure a seige. This allowed the Assyrians to lay waste the countryside, although failing to take Damascus. Thus, the ability of the area to defend itself was constantly being reduced as a result of its own greed.
But like most of the small nations at that time it would take ever opportunity to free itself from the yoke if there was a whiff of freedom. Tribute was heavy, and freedom from it something to be diligently sought. While it might appear to us as madness to seek to resist Babylon, they had no overall view which enabled them to know the real might of those against whom they rebelled, who could sometimes appear not to be so strong because they were occupied elsewhere. Thus by the time of Jeremiah Damascus was a very much weakened city, being part of the Assyrian province of Hamath, now under the control of Babylon.
23 Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, for they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet.
Hamath was a large city which was on the northernmost border of what was described as the land given by YHWH to Israel (Numbers 34.8) and was at one stage under Solomon’s control (2 Chronicles 8.4). It was an integral part of wider Aram. It lay in a strong position in the valley of the Orontes.
24 Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee, and fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. 25 Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy? 26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day,” says the LORD of hosts. 27 “I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad.”
Damascus was a powerfully fortified city and had previously resisted Assyrian sieges before finally succumbing. It was probably seen as the most powerful city in the Aramean confederacy. But she too would be terrified of the approaching Babylonians. She too will shudder and cry out like a woman in birth pains, because of the anguish and sorrow coming on her, and will seek to escape by fleeing. But it will be too late. The prophecy expresses this in its surprise that the delightful city, renowned for its trade, has not been forsaken. Why are the people still there? Why have they not fled? There can be only one answer. They have left it too late. As a result her young men will fall in her streets as they resist the enemy, and her men of war will be silenced for ever. Then the city will be put to the torch, and all its fine palaces destroyed.
‘City of praise --- city of my delight’ are phrases intended to bring out that she is so delightful that even YHWH praises her and is delighted in her. It is not indicating that she was the chosen of YHWH, unless we see it as chosen for destruction.
It is therefore noteworthy that Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as operating under God’s instructions in smiting Kedar and Hazor. Kedar were eponymously descended from Ishmael (Genesis 25.13), but the large majority of the tribes would not be direct descendants but descended from peoples who had united themselves with Ishmael’s descendants. Descendants of Kedar, Ishmael’s son, would have joined up with other nomadic peoples to form one ‘nation’, divided up into various tribes roaming the Syro-Arabian desert.
The term Kedar probably meaning ‘black’ and describes nomadic tribes folk of the Syro-Arabian desert, covering an area stretching from southern Arabia to Mesopotamia. They lived in simple encampments made up of black tents (Isaiah 42.11), and kept large flocks (Isaiah 60.17), growing very wealthy. We know from external sources that they clashed with Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians in 7th century BC, and were later attacked by Nebuchadrezzar and the Babylonians in 599 BC, as described here, partly due to their activities and partly due to their wealth. They discovered that their desert wastes did not give them the immunity they hoped for. They preferred descending on peoples from the desert to obtain spoils, rather than peoples descending on them.
28 Against Kedar and against the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall strike. Thus says the LORD: “Arise, go up to Kedar, and devastate the men of the East! 29 Their tents and their flocks they shall take away. They shall take for themselves their curtains, all their vessels and their camels; And they shall cry out to them, ‘Fear is on every side!’
YHWH’s call comes to Nebuchadnezzar to arise against ‘the children of the east’. Nebuchadnezzar would have seen his actions as arising out of a desire to deal with people who were a constant menace to settled people and had much wealth. It was thus a combination of self-defense and greed. But Jeremiah is revealing that it was YHWH Who was controlling events, just as God is controlling events today, despite the mess being made by men. He is not responsible for man’s inhumanity to man, that is a consequence of man having freewill. But He is responsible for the destiny of nations.
The picture is a vivid one of the descent of the Babylonian forces (which would include contingents from vassal nations) on the tribes folk in order to destroy them, possibly as the only way to prevent their future plundering, and certainly in order to obtain spoils. Note the emphasis on the carrying away by the Babylonian forces of ‘their tents and their flocks’, ‘their vessels and their camels’. It was rich booty.
30 “Flee, get far away! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor!” says the LORD. “For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you and has conceived a plan against you.
The call comes from YHWH for the people of Hazor to flee. This may indicate that the tribes of Hazor were to the south of the area, thus having time to flee. There may well have been a tent town of that name at a prominent oasis in the south. They were to flee, moving afar off, and dwelling in ‘the deeps’. This may indicate deep caves known to them which could provide refuge, or simply fleeing to the very depths of the desert where they alone could survive. It is the prophetic counsel of YHWH in view of Nebuchadnezzar’s intentions. For Nebuchadnezzar has gathered his war councils and they have taken a decision against them, conceiving the purpose of dealing with them once for all. Note how YHWH’s purpose has now become Nebuchadnezzar’s purpose, while YHWH is also seeking to advise those against whom He has set a purpose in motion so that they will not be totally destroyed, presumably because, as usual, Nebuchadnezzar was going beyond God’s purposes of chastening as the Assyrians had before him (Isaiah 10.5-15).
31 “Arise, go up to the wealthy nation that dwells securely,” says the LORD, “Which has neither gates nor bars, dwelling alone. 32 Their camels shall be for booty, and the multitude of their cattle for plunder. I will scatter to all winds those in the farthest corners, and I will bring their calamity from all its sides,” says the LORD. 33 “Hazor shall be a dwelling for jackals, a desolation forever; No one shall reside there, nor son of man dwell in it.”
We have here a picture of the desert semi-nomads of ‘Kedar’, split up into different sub-tribes, living in tents in the desert where no one troubled them, and where no gates or bars were required to protect them, because the desert itself was their wall. At this time, they were rich in cattle and camels, but felt at ease because of their situation, forgetting that their very wealth would prove to be a magnet to such as the Babylonians.
But now Nebuchadnezzar was called on to disturb their ease, take possession of their camels and large numbers of cattle, and scatter them into the desert. And we are given a reason for this. It was because of their idolatry. They, whose supposed descent from Ishmael should have ensured that they worshipped Abraham’s God, had themselves become idol worshippers, as was proved by their ritual act of cutting off the ‘corners’ of their hairs (having cropped hair temples).
The peoples of Kedar were to be hemmed in by the huge Babylonian armies, with no way of escape (‘I will bring their calamity from every side’), and even those in southern Arabia would be affected as Hazor became a dwelling place for wild beasts, never again inhabited.
Elam was one of the nations in the area around Mesopotamia, situated in the plain of Khazistan and watered by the River Kerkh, which fed into the Tigris just north of the Persian Gulf. It bordered on Babylon, which lay to its west, and on Persia which lay to its east, and it controlled the trade routes to the Iranean plateau and to the south east. In ancient times it had been a powerful nation, bringing about the demise of Ur of the Chaldees around the time of Abraham, and later subjugating and ruling over Babylon (1300-1120 BC). It had had an early form of writing in a pictographic script and was famous for its archers.
34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might. 36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven and scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
Elam’s chief weapon, the bow, will be broken, and the underlining of the fact of the scattering of their people into exile. What they had done to Israel would be done to them. As we have seen, Elam were famed for their prowess with the bow, and had themselves had their part in the taking of Israelites into exile (Isaiah 11.11). Now the very source of their might would be broken
The idea of the four winds from the four quarters of Heaven suggests that they will be subject to attack from all sides at the instigation of YHWH.
37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD; ‘And I will send the sword after them until I have consumed them.
Here YHWH is revealed as ‘angry’ with Elam. In the Scriptures God’s anger refers to His necessary reaction to and aversion to sin as He punishes it as necessary. It is a unique holy and necessary anger, totally under control. In this case Elam had sinned and must therefore receive the consequences of their sin. As we have said their sin may well have been in the assistance that they gave, first to the Assyrians, and then to the Babylonians, against Israel and Judah. As Israel/Judah had been dismayed before the Elamites, so would the Elamites be dismayed before their enemies who sought their lives. Disaster (‘evil’) awaited them, disaster brought about as retribution for sin. And this in accordance with the word of YHWH. It is an example of Paul’s words, ‘whatever a man sows that will he also reap’ (Galatians 6.7). If we put ourselves on the side of the flesh we thereby reject the Spirit, thus coming under God’s anger.
38 I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the LORD.
In the form of the invaders YHWH would send the sword after them until they were consumed, and then He would set His throne in Elam and destroy its kings and princes. None could resist YHWH. It was customary for an invading king, once he had taken part of a land, to set up his throne there as evidence that the land was under his authority. Thus, YHWH is here taking possession of Elam.
39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.”
But as with Egypt, Moab and Ammon, mercy was to be finally show to Elam. The exiles of Elam were to return to their own land. This probably occurred under Persian rule in the same was as it did to the Judeans (Ezra 1).
