Jeremiah 20
OGCREVIEW OF CHAPTER ELEVEN
I. Facts to Master
The place to which Jeremiah is directed to go (Jeremiah 18:2).
That which Israel was in the hand of God (Jeremiah 18:6).
The response of Israel to the prophet’s call for repentance (Jeremiah 18:12).
The figure by which the prophet illustrates the unnaturalness of Israel’s apostasy (Jeremiah 18:14).
The nature of another plot against Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:18).
That which Jeremiah is now commanded to purchase (Jeremiah 19:1).
The place where the action parable was to take place (Jeremiah 19:2).
That which Jeremiah was to do with the bottle after he preached his sermon (Jeremiah 19:10).
Two acts of worship to the astral deities (Jeremiah 19:13).
The place of defilement and death which Jerusalem will shortly resemble (Jeremiah 19:12).
Name of the chief officer of the temple who smote Jeremiah and put him in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:2).
Location of the stocks and length of time Jeremiah spent there (Jeremiah 20:2-3).
New name given to Pashur and significance of that name (Jeremiah 20:3).
Fate of Pashur (Jeremiah 20:6).
That of which Jeremiah accuses God (Jeremiah 20:7 RSV).
- That which Jeremiah felt within himself whenever he tried to resign from his prophetic ministry (Jeremiah 20:9).
II. Questions to Ponder
What is the basic lesson that Jeremiah learned in the house of the potter? Where does the analogy of the potter and clay break down?
What bypaths have this modern generation chosen above the ancient paths of fidelity to God? In what sense is the road that leads to destruction a broad and smooth way and in what sense is it an ill-defined and unprepared way?
What is meant by the expression I will show them the back and not the face.? Jeremiah 18:17.
How were the people of Judah rendering to Jeremiah evil for good? See Jeremiah 18:20.
Is Jeremiah 18:21 a petition or a recognition of the inevitable? Can you cite other examples of this type of verse in the Old Testament? Are Jeremiah 18:21-23 the cry of a vengeful spirit?
How are the words eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters to be interpreted? Jeremiah 19:9.
What was the significance of the smashed bottle? Jeremiah 19:11.
Was Pashur a priest or a prophet? See Jeremiah 20:1; Jeremiah 20:6.
In what respect did Jeremiah feel that God had deceived him? Jeremiah 20:7-8.
Jeremiah experienced discouragement and even despair during his ministry, yet he did not quit! Why do so many leave the Gospel ministry today?
Why did Jeremiah become so discouraged? Jeremiah 20:10.
How does Jeremiah’s confidence shine through the gloom of despair? Jeremiah 20:11-13.
In Jeremiah 20:14-18 does Jeremiah lapse back into despair or could these verses be assigned to another occasion?
Why did Jeremiah curse the day of his birth? Jeremiah 20:15-18.
Jeremiah 20:1-6
C. The Arrest of the Prophet Jeremiah 19:14 to Jeremiah 20:6
TRANSLATION
(14) And Jeremiah went from Topheth where the LORD had sent him to prophesy and he stood in the court of the house of the LORD and spoke unto all the people. (15) Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am about to bring against this city and against her cities all the evil which I have spoken concerning it for they have stiffened their neck that they might not hear My words. (1) Now Pashur the son of Immer, the priest who was chief overseer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesy these things. (2) Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks which were in the upper Benjamin Gate which was in the house of the Lord. (3) And it came to pass the next morning that Pashur released Jeremiah from the stocks. And Jeremiah said unto him, The LORD has not called your name Pashur but Magormissabib. (4) For thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies and your eyes shall see it. And all Judah I will give into the hand of the king of Babylon and he shall take them captive into Babylon or he shall smite them with the sword. (5) And I will give away all the wealth of this city and all the fruit of her labor and all her precious things: and all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give into the hand of their enemies. They shall plunder them and take them and bring them to Babylon. (6) And you, Pashur, and all the inhabitants of your house shall go into captivity; and you shall go to Babylon and there you shall die and there you shall be buried both yourself and all your friends to whom you prophesied falsely.
COMMENTS
The prophet had pronounced his message of doom so courageously and boldly that no one dared to interrupt him or raise a hand against him. So he leaves the valley of Hinnom and returns to the Temple area to preach to the throngs there (Jeremiah 19:14). It is impossible to determine whether Jeremiah 19:15 is merely a summary of what Jeremiah said in the court of the Temple or whether on the other hand he had only begun to preach when he was interrupted. The former alternative seems more likely. In either case the message preached in the Temple court was one of judgment. Pashur the priest who was chief overseer in the house of the Lord heard that sermon (Jeremiah 20:1). Pashur was second in authority to the high priest (Jeremiah 29:26). His duty was to see that no unauthorized person entered the Temple area and that no disturbance was committed within the courts. Pashur smote Jeremiah which probably means that the prophet was scourged with forty stripes (Deuteronomy 25:3). He then ordered that Jeremiah be put in the stocks. The exact nature of this instrument of torture is not clear but the Hebrew word suggests a device which distorts or twists the body, or forces it into a cramped posture. The stocks are mentioned again in Jeremiah 29:26. The Book of Chronicles refers to a house of stocks (2 Chronicles 16:10), so apparently the punishment was not uncommon. But in the case of Jeremiah the stocks were in public, in the upper Benjamin gate which was in the house of the Lord (Jeremiah 19:2). The tribe of Benjamin lay north of Jerusalem. Thus this gate was probably on the north side of the Temple. The phrase which was in the house of the Lord serves to distinguish this gate from the city gate of the same name (Jeremiah 37:13; Jeremiah 38:7). This is probably the same gate called by Ezekiel the higher gate (Jeremiah 9:2) which was built by king Jotham (2 Kings 15:35). It probably was one of the main gates leading from the Temple area to the city proper.
When Jeremiah was released from the stocks the next morning he had a special message for Pashur. The Lord has not called your name Pashur but Magor-missabib (Jeremiah 19:3). Pashur’s new name means terror round about. This symbolic name signifies one who is surrounded by horror on all sides and who becomes an object of horror and fear to himself and to others. Pashur would live to see his friends slain by the sword and the rest of the men of Judah either slain or taken captive to Babylon (Jeremiah 19:4). All the wealth of the nation will be given by the Lord to the enemies of Judah and the national treasures will be taken to Babylon along with the captives (Jeremiah 19:5). Pashur himself and the members of his household would be taken to Babylon where they would all die and be buried. For a misguided patriot like Pashur the worst fate imaginable would be to die and be buried in a foreign land. It is not the personal mistreatment of Jeremiah that brought about this extreme prophecy of personal doom to Pashur. Rather it is the fact that he had prophesied lies (Jeremiah 19:6). What the nature of these lies were cannot be ascertained from the account.
Some have conjectured that Pashur was the leader of the pro-Egyptian party in Judah. Perhaps this would account for his fierce opposition to Jeremiah. His pro-Egyptian policy led to national and personal disaster and caused the terror which was about to come upon the land. In Jeremiah 29:26 Pashur’s office is filled by a fellow named Zephaniah. This would suggest that Jeremiah’s prophecy had already been fulfilled. No doubt Pashur was taken captive either in the deportation of 605 B.C. or in the deportation of 597 B.C. The latter is more likely.
Jeremiah 20:7-10
IV. THE HUMAN VESSEL Jeremiah 20:7-18
In his public confrontation with Pashur Jeremiah had remained as firm as a rock. Now in his private moments with God he breaks down completely. He looks upon his ministry not as a high privilege but as an intolerable burden. He is discouraged with his task; he is disgruntled with his God. This is the fourth personal crisis in the ministry of Jeremiah. His confession moves through three stages: (1) complaint (Jeremiah 20:7-10); (2) conviction (Jeremiah 20:11-13); and (3) curse (Jeremiah 20:14-18).
A. Complaint Jeremiah 20:7-10
TRANSLATION
(7) You have enticed me, O LORD, and I was enticed; You have completely overpowered me. I have become an object of ridicule all the day, everyone mocks me. (8) For as often as I speak, I cry out, Violence! and destruction I must proclaim! Surely the word of the LORD has become to me shame and derision all the day! (9) But when I say, I will not remember Him nor will I speak again in His name, then there is in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones. I weary myself trying to contain it but I cannot. (10) For I have heard the whispering of many: Terror round about! Denounce him! Let us denounce him! All of my intimate friends are watching my step. Perhaps he will be enticed and we shall prevail over him and take our revenge on him.
COMMENTS
In this bitter moment Jeremiah accuses God of deceiving him. The same Hebrew verb is used of seducing a maiden (Exodus 22:16) or enticing a husband (Judges 14:15; Judges 16:5).In 1 Kings 22:21 a spirit from God enticed Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead in order that he might meet his death. Of course this accusation against God is absolutely false, God had not deceived His prophet in the least about his mission. He had pointedly warned His prospective prophet that his mission was fraught with danger and disappointment (cf. Jeremiah 1:18). The accusation continues: you completely overpowered me, literally, you took hold of me and you prevailed. Jeremiah seems to be complaining that he was compelled against his own will to preach the word of God. Now because of the nature of his ministry Jeremiah has become the object of ridicule and mockery (Jeremiah 20:7). Jeremiah could face physical torture without flinching but he seems to cringe before the barbs of ridicule. He blames his plight upon the nature of his message. He must be a prophet of doom. He must constantly cry Violence! Destruction! This message had brought him nothing but reproach and derision (Jeremiah 20:8).
A tremendous battle rages in the heart and mind of this sensitive man of God. On the one hand he wanted to resign his ministry and retreat to the peaceful and quiet life at Anathoth. He could not bear to face the prospect of continued ridicule and opposition. He wanted to forget all about his recent unpleasant experiences and never preach another sermon again. On the other hand his heart was burdened with a sense of prophetic obligation and divine mission. The fire of God’s wrath against sin burns fiercely within him. He tries to hold it back but cannot. He becomes utterly exhausted from trying to fight his compulsion to preach. In spite of himself he must follow the divine call, he must resume his ministry (Jeremiah 20:9).
Jeremiah knows the dangers attendant upon his resumption of the prophetic ministry. He knows his enemies are plotting against him. He even seems to hear them urging one another to lay false charges against him. Even his friends (literally, all the men of my peace)those who greeted him with familiar greetings of friendshipare watching his every move. They hope that he will take one false step so that they may take advantage of it. Perhaps, they think, the prophet can be enticed or seduced into making some mistakes or saying something on which a charge of treason can be based. These enemies will stop at nothing. They are out for revenge against the meddlesome prophet who had dared contradict their pro-Egypt policy and pronounce the doom of their nation (Jeremiah 20:10).
Jeremiah 20:11-13
B. Conviction Jeremiah 20:11-13
TRANSLATION
(11) But the LORD is with me like a fearsome warrior. Therefore my persecutors shall stumble and they shall not prevail. They shall be utterly put to shame because they shall not succeed, eternal shame which shall not be forgotten. (12) But O LORD of hosts who tests the righteous, who sees the reins and the heart, I shall see Your vengeance on them, for unto You I have revealed my case. (13) Sing unto the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
COMMENTS
The light seems to suddenly shine through Jeremiah’s personal gloom and the prophet bursts forth in expressions of joyous trust in God. He suddenly seems to realize that God is on his side after all. Perhaps he recalls the words of promise given to him at the time of his call: They shall not overcome! For I am with you to deliver you! The Lord, a fearsome warrior, will fight the battles of His prophet. Those enemies who are plotting, whispering, and watching would not succeed. On the contrary they will stumble and fall and experience eternal and unforgettable shame (Jeremiah 20:11). Jeremiah simply resolves to lay his case at the feet of the Judge of all the earth knowing that He will do right. He alone is qualified to test and judge the righteous, for He alone can observe the inward thoughts and motives. Jeremiah is confident that he will be vindicated at the judgment bar of God and that his enemies will experience the vengeance[215] of the living God who is a consuming fire (Jeremiah 20:12). So confident is Jeremiah of deliverance from his foes that he bursts forth in a song of praise to his divine deliverer (Jeremiah 20:13). Faith has been victorious over doubt!
[215] The latter part of Jer 20:12 can be translated as a simple declarative: I shall see your vengeance on them or as a cohortative: Let me see your vengeance on them.
Jeremiah 20:14-18
C. Curse Jeremiah 20:14-18
TRANSLATION
(14) Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day on which my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! (15) Cursed is the man who brought the good news to my father, saying, A son is born to you! and made him exceedingly glad. (16) And may that man be as the cities which God overthrew and did not relent; may he hear a cry in the morning and a battle cry at noontime; (17) because he did not slay me from the womb so that my mother might be my grave and her womb have everlasting pregnancy. (18) Why did I come forth from the womb to see trouble and sorrow that my days end in shame?
COMMENTS
From the mountain top of victorious faith Jeremiah plunges suddenly, unexpectedly, unexplainably into the abyss of despair and self-pity. His sights have suddenly dropped from the Righteous Judge who reigns above to the wicked men who plot against him here below. His song of praise has turned to bitter lament. Like Job (Jeremiah 3:3-12) before him he curses the day of his birth (Jeremiah 20:14). When news came that a son had been born, Jeremiah’s father rejoiced exceedingly. How ironic. The father rejoices over the birth of one who would live a life of tragedy. Cursed be the man who brought that good news to my father, cries the prophet (Jeremiah 20:15). He wishes that this messenger would experience the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. He hopes that this messenger will hear the cry of the terrified inhabitants of the city when the enemy comes smashing through the walls in the morning hours of the day. He hopes that at noontime this man will hear the bloodthirsty battle cry of the invaders as they plunder the city (Jeremiah 20:16). Why such a curse on this anonymous messenger? Because he should have slain me when I was born or else simply left me in my mother’s womb (Jeremiah 20:17). Jeremiah simply could not understand why God would allow him to be born only to suffer such heartache, pain, distress and disgrace (Jeremiah 20:18).
Was it right for Jeremiah to curse the day of his birth? It is easy for one who has not experienced the persecutions of Jeremiah to condemn him. Those who have undergone similar trials can empathize with him. The experience of Jeremiah here might be compared to that of the prophet Elijah. After descending from the triumph of Mt. Carmel, Elijah sat under his juniper tree of depression (1 Kings 19:4). Both prophets had moments of being strong in the Lord; both had moments of being weak in the flesh. Both men were merely clay vessels which God was able to use for His glory.
How is it possible that such a curse could follow immediately after the joyous confidence of Jer 20:13? Some would argue that Jeremiah 20:14-18 have been dislocated and do not belong here. This is hardly necessary. Nor is it necessary to postulate an interval of time between Jeremiah 20:13 and Jeremiah 20:14. Any saint who takes his eye off the Lord for even a moment may be engulfed by self-pity and despair. This passage is the brutally frank and honest revelation of a tortured soul. Such passages indicate that, of all the Old Testament prophets, Jeremiah is probably the most human and also the most heroic,[216] Men of God shall ever be indebted to Jeremiah for recording these autobiographical lines for they set in bold relief the grace of God. Sinful, weak and frail as Jeremiah proved to be, God could forgive him and still use him. The Lord does not reject His servant because of this momentary outburst.
[216] C. R. Erdman, The Book of Jeremiah and Lamentations (Westwood, N. J.: Revell, 1955), pp. 46, 47.