Jeremiah 25

Jeremiah 25:1-7

This prophecy bears date some time before these prophecies in the foregoing chapters, for they are not placed in the court order of time in which they were delivered. Here is, 1. A review of the prophecies that had been delivered to Judah and Jerusalem for many years last past, with the little success of them, ver. 1—7. 2. The depreciation of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon, threatened for their contempt of God and their continuance in sin, ver. 8—11. To which it annexed, a promise of their deliverance out of captivity, after seventy years, ver. 12, 13, 14. 3. A prediction of the deterioration of divers other nations by Nebuchadnezzar, represented by a cup of fury put into their hands, ver. 15—28. By a fourth sent among them, ver. 29—33. And a defolation made among the Shepherds, and their funds and pofheres, ver. 34—38.

1. THE word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the fifth year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. 2. The which Jeremiah the prophet Spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3. From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day (that is the three and twentieth year) the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, but ye have not hearkened. 4. And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending dem, but ye have not hearkened, not inclined your ear to hear. 5. They said, “Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and” dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers, for ever and ever: 6. And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands, and I will do you no hurt. 7. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, faith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, to your own hurt.

This prophecy bears date in the fifth year of the reign of Nebuchadrezzar, and the fourth of Jehoiakim; and it is directed to the people in general, probably when assembled at Jerusalem on one of the three annual feasts. If the princes will not hear, perhaps the people may, at least it will leave both inexcusable.

1. The prophet reminds them how long and how earnestly God had been exhorting them, by his mindless and odious, to turn from the evil of their ways. Three and twenty years he had preached, from the 13th of Josiah, to the 4th of Jehoiakim, rising early, and speaking diligently, constantly, faithfully, whilst Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk, had just preceded him, and Zephaniah was his contemporary; besides many others whom God in mercy had sent to warn them, unwilling they should perish, and accompanied his admonitions with the most precious promises. They are plainly told of their sins, and exhorted to repent of them; if they would return from their financial delatries, and from all their other evil works, then God’s shrewsings should not light upon them, but they should long and peaceably enjoy their good land. Now, (1.) God will remember against the sinner all the means of grace he hath abuted, as his greatest condemnation in the day of judgment. (2.) They who are sent on God’s messages, need be earnest and diligent in delivering them, that they may at least be free from the blood of all men. (3.) God doth not strike without warning; but if we will not hear, we must perish.

2. The prophet upbraids them with their impenitence and hardness of heart. They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear; they would not so much as pay a moment’s attention to the message, their heart was so averse to it; they resolved to abide in their sins and provocations, let the consequence be never so much to their hurt; and thus, as all impenitent sinners do, destroyed themselves.

3. Therefore thus faith the LORD of hosts, Because ye have not heard my words, 9. Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, faith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon: my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an

astonishment and an hissing, and perpetual defolations. 10. Moreover, I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bride, groom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11. And this whole land shall be a defolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, faith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual defolations. 13. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14. For many nations and a great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 25:8-14

The judgment is pronounced on the rebellious people of Judah, and their destroyers shall not go unpunished. 1. Judah shall be destroyed by the king of Babylon, God’s servant in this behalf to execute vengeance on this devoted nation. Around his standard the families of the north are summoned, his victorious army marches, and defolation marks their way; Judea falls, and all her neighbours, so far from affording her assistance, are involved in the general ruin; and so terrible the ravages, that they shall be an astonishment and an hissing, and perpetual defolations during seventy years their miseries should last, the voice of joy be never heard in the city, no unptial songs, no sound of mirth, no possidion should be left, no candle burn in it, but melancholy silence reign; the land uncultivated, destitute of inhabitants, and forge with the bosom of destruction. Now, (1.) They who will not be ruled by God’s word, must be ruined. (2.) God often uses wicked instruments to chaffle his own people; and they are made to do his work, when meaning only to aggrandize themselves.

2. Babylon, the destroyer of others, shall herfell also, after seventy years, be destroyed for her iniquity, her tyranny, pride, and cruelty to God’s Israel; and the land of the Chaldeans shall be made perpetual defolations, when all the evil pronounced by Jeremiah, chap. xli—ii. shall come upon them; and as she hath served herfell of other nations, fashduring and plundering them, God will recompense her in kind, and raise up many nations and great kings, the Medes, Persians, and their allies, to lay her waft, and enrich themselves with her spoils.

Commentators differ in the date from whence these seventy years commence; some begin with the first of Nebuchadnezzar, others not till the captivity of Jehoiachim, eight years after. Certain however it is, it was accomplished in his season; nor shall one jot or tittle ever pass from God’s word, until the whole be fulfilled.

15. For thus faith the LORD God of Israel unto me, Take the wine-cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be made, because of the sword that I will send among them. 17. Then took the cup at the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: 18. To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a defolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse, (as it is this day) 19. Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people, 20. And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Aczah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod, 21. Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon. 22. And all the kings of Tyros, and all the kings of Zofon, and the kings of the Isles which are beyond the sea. 23. Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners, 24. And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert. 25. And all the kings of Zimu, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of Medes. 26. And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Shehach shall drink after them. 27. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus faith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Drink ye, and be drunken, and spew and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send

Jeremiah 25:12

of Judah and Jerusalem: 21. Yea, thus faith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and of Jerusalem, 22. They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them, faith the LORD: then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.

Jerusalem was now tributary to the king of Babylon, but Zedekiah was meditating rebellion, and his false prophets encouraging him with hopes of success; but the consequences would be the completion of the nation’s ruin.

1. He addresses the king of Judah with earnestness, beseeching him, for his own and his people’s sake, patiently to submit and live, since all revolt against the king of Babylon would certainly prove fatal in the issue, and expose them to all the mixtures of a siege and the massacre of a city taken by them, v. 13, notwithstanding the lies of the false prophets, who flattered him and the people to that ruin, and would themselves fall under the judgment, v. 14, 15. Note, (1) Rebellion against God will be attended with still more fearful consequences: how much better is it to know our necks to the easy wake of Christ, and love? (2) They who embolden sinners in their evil ways shall perish with them, the deceived and the deceiver together.

2. He gives the priests and people the same warning as he had given to their king, v. 17: admonishing them of the folly of beakening to the false prophets; your prophets be calls them, because they choke their lying visions, and loved to have it so. They told them that they should be successful in their revolt, v. 14, and that the king of Babylon would soon be willing to purchase peace from them by the restoration of the sacred vessels which had been carried to Babylon, v. 18, but, alas! they were only pushing them to the precipice of destruction, bringing on the utter ruin of their city, and the demolition of the temple; when, as Nebuchadnezzar had before taken the vessels of gold, a king’s war, 1. 1—15. So far would he be from reshaping them, that all the other vessels, with the pillars, sea, and bales of brash, should follow them into Babylon, v. 19, 20. Better therefore, far better were it, that they should become intercessors with God to prevent the impending judgments, and preserve what was left, than flatter them with the delusive hopes of the restoration of what had been carried away. Note, (1) True prophets will be advocates before God in prayer for those to whom they preach. They who maintain no communion with God can have no commission from him. (2) The general ruin of sinners arises from false hopes, with which their lying and lazy teachers flatter them, who cry peace when there is no peace.

3. The prophecy concludes with a gleam of hope amidst the darkness of this long captivity. Though the vessels of the Lord’s house, and of the houses of the kings and princes of Judah, should be thus carried to Babylon, they should not be left, but safely laid up against the time appointed of God, when, after the seventy years were fulfilled, they should again be restored; which was marvellously fulfilled by Cyrus, Exor. i. 7. Note, (1) In wrath God still remembers mercy. (2) If the time of the church’s distress be long, we may not despair; the vision is far an appointed time, at the end it shall speak: blessed are all they that wait for it.