Jeremiah - Lesson 25

• Chapters 1-23 Review:

  • The LORD called Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations during the last five kings of Judah.

  • The LORD’s warning to His people is to stop worshipping false gods or He will judge them by destruction and exile using a nation from the North, Babylon.

  • The judgment will include the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem.

  • The people are to repent from their evil ways, the leaders are specifically called out for their rejection of the LORD’s covenant and the shedding of innocent blood, the false prophets are called out for misleading the people to believe the LORD would not bring judgment on them.

    • Jeremiah is reviled by the leaders and the people of Judah but the LORD will protect him.

  • The LORD promises there will not be a complete destruction of His people as He will provide a Messiah and will bring His people back into the Promised land in a future time never to be removed.

  • The words of the LORD are always fulfilled as He is sovereign over His creation.

• Chapter 24 The good figs, the Jews, go into exile and in the future they represent Jews, their descendants, who will be brought back to the land and come to know the Messiah. The bad figs, the Jews who refused to leave, rebel and die in Judah and everywhere they try to hide.

Jer. 25:1 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 first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),
Jer. 25:2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
Jer. 25:3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
Jer. 25:4 “And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear,
Jer. 25:5 saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever;
Jer. 25:6 and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’
Jer. 25:7 “Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the LORD, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

• Verse 1 The word of the LORD comes to Jeremiah concerning Judah.

  • This happens in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah.

  • This is also aligned with this being the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

• Verse 2 The word from Jeremiah was brought to the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

• Verse 3 The LORD has been sending word to His people from the thirteenth year of Josiah king of Judah and for twenty-three years the people have not listened.

  • Jeremiah had been revealing the LORD’s words that He was going to bring His judgment from the North long before the nation of Babylon rose to power and before Nebuchadnezzar was their king.

  • The fact that Jeremiah had been giving specific warnings to the people and now elements of what he prophesied were going to unfold should have caused the people to turn to Jeremiah’s words with open ears.

• Verse 4 The LORD has sent many prophets to His people, and they have refused to listen to Him.

  • Jeremiah was not alone in the effort to bring the word of the LORD to the people, and it was to no avail in terms of bringing a heart of repentance to the LORD’s people.

• Verse 5 The message was for the people to turn from their evil ways and their evil deeds.

  • They were to dwell in the land the LORD had given to them and their forefathers forever.

• Verse 6 The people were not to go after other gods and serve them.

  • They were not to worship them.

  • The people were not to do work with their hands to anger the LORD.

  • If the people did not do these things He would do no harm to them.

• Verse 7 Because the people did not listen to the LORD they had provoked the LORD to anger.

  • The LORD was provoked by the work of their hands.

Jer. 25:8  “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,
Jer. 25:9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
Jer. 25:10 ‘Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp.
Jer. 25:11 ‘This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

• Verse 8 The LORD again says the people did not obey His words.

• Verse 9 The consequence of these actions is the LORD will bring Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon against this land and its inhabitants.

  • The LORD says, “Nebuchadnezzar is My servant.”

  • The people would not listen to His words brought by the prophets; now they would hear Him through His servant Nebuchadnezzar.

  • They will stop worshipping other gods in the Promised Land one way or the other.

    • The LORD uses all men to carry out His will throughout history.

    • Nebuchadnezzar was the man the LORD used to bring Gentile rule over His nation of Israel.

    • This is the beginning of a time known as the ‘times of the Gentiles’.

    • This time is displayed in the dream Nebuchadnezzar reveals in chapter two of Daniel.

  • The LORD also says He will include the nations round about in the consequences He is bringing on Judah and Jerusalem.

  • The LORD is going to utterly destroy these nations.

• Verse 10 The LORD is going to take the voice of the joy and gladness from them.

  • The voice of the bridegroom and bride will be removed.

    • He will remove the millstones and the light of the lamp.

    • This represent the daily activities of grinding wheat for bread and light for seeing at night; the production of food and oil considered the basic necessities.

• Verse 11 The whole land will be a desolation and horror.

  • The people will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

  • The details regarding the specific number of years for exile begin with what the LORD declared to Moses for His people in Lev. 25:1-4

Lev. 25:1 The LORD then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying,
Lev. 25:2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD.
Lev. 25:3 ‘Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop,
Lev. 25:4 but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.

• The LORD prophesied the nation would not honor His covenant.

Lev. 26:33 ‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.
Lev. 26:34 ‘Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
Lev. 26:35 ‘All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it.

• The LORD’s prophesy is fulfilled 2 Chr. 36:20-21

2Chr. 36:20 Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia,
2Chr. 36:21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept sabbath until seventy years were complete.

Jer. 25:12 ‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation.
Jer. 25:13 ‘I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
Jer. 25:14 ‘(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’”
Jer. 25:15 For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.
Jer. 25:16 “They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

• Verse 12 When the seventy years are done the LORD is going to punish the king of Babylon and that nation for their inequity.

  • This will include the land of the Chaldeans; this is larger than the city or territory of Babylon.

    • The LORD will make it an everlasting desolation.

    • The LORD directs all His creation for His purposes.

    • The LORD used the sinful Chaldeans to bring judgment on His people.

    • The LORD will deal with the sinful Chaldeans for the work of their hands as well.

    • This is not an either-or proposition but a both/and declaration.

    • The LORD will us them to carry our His judgment and He will hold them accountable for their inequity.

    • The LORD is perfect in justice and carrying out judgment on all sin.

• Verse 13 All the words the LORD gave to Jeremiah to speak against that nation shall come to pass.

• Verse 14 The LORD is going to bring many nations and kings against the Chaldeans.

  • These nations and kings will make slaves of the Chaldeans.

  • This will happen because the LORD is going to repay them according to their deeds and the works of their hands.

• Verse 15 The LORD, the God of Israel, speaks to Jeremiah and using a symbol says, “Take this cup of wrath from My hand and cause the nations to whom I send you to drink it.”

  • This moves the conversation away from Babylon and the Chaldeans back to all the nations the LORD is going to contend with.

  • The wrath will be poured out from the LORD onto the nations Jeremiah will call out.

  • These nations will be the ones the LORD directs Jeremiah to, just as the LORD promised Jeremiah from the beginning of his calling as a prophet to the nations.

Jer. 1:7  But the LORD said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.

Jer. 1:10 “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To pluck up and to break down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.”

• Jer. 25:16 The nations will drink the wrath causing them to stagger and go mad.

  • This staggering and going mad will be because of the sword the LORD will bring upon them.

Jer. 25:17 Then I took the cup from the LORD’S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it:
Jer. 25:18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day;
Jer. 25:19 Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people;
Jer. 25:20 and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod);
Jer. 25:21 Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon;
Jer. 25:22 and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea;
Jer. 25:23 and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut the corners of their hair;
Jer. 25:24 and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert;
Jer. 25:25 and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media;
Jer. 25:26 and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
Jer. 25:27 “You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.”’
Jer. 25:28 “And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall surely drink!
Jer. 25:29 “For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares the LORD of hosts.’

• Verse 17 Jeremiah says he took the cup from the LORD’s hand.

  • What was in the cup is what Jeremiah made all the nations, whom the LORD sent it, to drink.

    • Is. 51:16-17 describes what is in the cup from the LORD.

Is. 51:16 “I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
Is. 51:17  Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who have drunk from the LORD’S hand the cup of His anger;
The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.

• Verse 16 The LORD’s words are in the cup.

• Verse 17 The cup was filled with the LORD’s anger.

  • Jer 25:18 The first group called out to drink the cup is Jerusalem and the cities of Judah.

    • This will include the kings and the princes.

    • The result of drinking the cup is to make them a ruin, horror, a hissing and curse.

• Verse 19-26 All the nations are listed by the LORD who shall receive the cup and be forced to drink it. These nations will be dealt with more in-depth in chapters 46-51 of Jeremiah.

• Verse 27 Jeremiah is to say to all of these, “The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says drink.”

  • They are to drink until they have had too much—to the point of vomiting.

  • They continue to indulge beyond comprehension.

  • They will fall and rise no more.

  • The fall will be because of the sword which the LORD will send among them.

  • The peoples will engage with the sword beyond what is logical and it will be what destroys them.

• V 28 The LORD says to Jeremiah if those who he takes the message to refuse to believe and take the cup or hear his words, then he will say, “This is from the LORD of hosts and you shall surely drink.”

  • There is no refusing the words of the LORD.

  • The LORD said something similar in Ezekiel 2:7

Ezek. 2:7 “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

• This is comparable to a person saying they do not believe in God and so are not subject to the claims of the word of God.

  • The reality is God exists despite what one claims to believe about Him.

  • Truth supersedes personal experiences or independent claims.

• Jer. 25:29 The LORD declares He will begin this work of calamity in Jerusalem, the city called by His name.

  • The people will declare they should be free from punishment, but the LORD says they will not be free from punishment, and it will happen because “I have summoned a sword.”

  • This sword will eventually be against all the inhabitants of the earth.

    • The LORD refers to Himself as the LORD of hosts.

    • This is another indication the LORD is showing His supremacy above the false gods and the worship of the hosts of the heavens.

  • There is a shift in this verse saying the sword will be against all the inhabitants of the earth.

  • This will be seen in the next four verses of this chapter.

Jer. 25:30 “Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,
‘The LORD will roar from on high
And utter His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His fold.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Jer. 25:31 ‘A clamor has come to the end of the earth,
Because the LORD has a controversy with the nations.
He is entering into judgment with all flesh;
As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the LORD.”
Jer. 25:32 Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From nation to nation,
And a great storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth.
Jer. 25:33 “Those slain by the LORD on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other.
They will not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground.
Jer. 25:34 “Wail, you shepherds, and cry;
And wallow in ashes, you masters of the flock;
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions have come,
And you will fall like a choice vessel.
Jer. 25:35 “Flight will perish from the shepherds,
And escape from the masters of the flock.
Jer. 25:36 “Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,
And the wailing of the masters of the flock!
For the LORD is destroying their pasture,
Jer. 25:37 “And the peaceful folds are made silent
Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
Jer. 25:38 “He has left His hiding place like the lion;
For their land has become a horror
Because of the fierceness of the oppressing sword
And because of His fierce anger.”

• Verse 30 Jeremiah is to prophesy against ‘them.'

  • This would refer back to verse twenty-nine where the LORD identified all the inhabitants of the earth.

    • The LORD will speak, and it will sound like a roar.

    • He will speak from on high, a place described as His holy habitation.

    • The LORD will speak from heaven.

    • He will roar mightily against His fold; this would be first against His people the Jews.

  • The LORD’s shout will be like those who tread the grapes.

  • The timing of the treading of the grapes is at the end of the harvest season.

  • This was often a time of loud and boisterous celebration.

• Next the LORD declares He will be against all the inhabitants of the earth.

  • What the LORD is revealing to Jeremiah has not yet happened but will be fulfilled in the future.

  • The LORD has not set Himself against all the inhabitants of the earth as yet.

  • A time the LORD is going to deal with His people first and then all the inhabitants of the earth parallels the end of the age we are currently in called the Tribulation.

    • The Tribulation is specifically designed for the LORD to deal with His people Israel.

    • At the end of this time the LORD will then contend with all the inhabitants of the earth.

    • This is a reference to the second coming of the LORD Jesus to the earth.

• Verse 31 The LORD describes a clamor coming to the end of the earth.

  • This clamor is because the LORD has a big problem with the nations of the earth.

    • This problem will arise because the nations of the earth will all try to destroy His people.

    • It is because of this ‘controversy’ the LORD will enter into judgment with all flesh.

    • The LORD will deal with all the wicked and take them out with the sword.

• Verse 32 The LORD says there will be evil that will go forth from nation to nation, described as a storm being stirred up from even the remotest parts of the earth.

  • There will not be a place on the earth not caught up in this event.

  • This is a supernatural event with some details given in Rev. 16:13-14

Rev. 16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;
Rev. 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.

• Jer. 25:33 The result of this event will leave a slaughter of man from one end of the earth to the other.

  • There will be no one to lament, gather or bury, which means their bodies will be like feces left on  top of the ground.

  • The distinguishing phrase, ‘on that day,’ sets this description apart from what preceded in this chapter.

Is. 11:11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover the second time with His hand
The remnant of His people, who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea.

Luke 17:30 “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.
Luke 17:31 “On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back.

• Later in Jer. 30:4-8 the timing is displayed.

Jer. 30:4 Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:
Jer. 30:5 “For thus says the LORD,
‘I have heard a sound of terror,
Of dread, and there is no peace.
Jer. 30:6 ‘Ask now, and see
If a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man
With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale?
Jer. 30:7 ‘Alas! for that day is great,
There is none like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s distress,
But he will be saved from it.
Jer. 30:8 ‘It shall come about on that day,’ declares the LORD of hosts, ‘that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves.

• The time of Jacob’s distress is the Tribulation and the LORD will save His people from this time on that day.

  • When the LORD returns, He will break off their bonds; and the strangers, meaning the Gentiles, will no longer make His people their slaves.

    • ‘On that day’, is a phrase used to distinguish the second coming of the LORD.

    • This event will bring an end to the ‘times of the Gentiles’.

    • The Gentiles will no longer rule over Jerusalem.

    • This time of the Gentiles began with the conquest by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon over Jerusalem, and will end with the second coming of the LORD.

Luke 21:24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

• Jer. 25:34 The tone of this verse moves the focus back to those in the time of Jeremiah.

  • All the shepherds will wail and cry; this will be the kings or rulers of the LORD’s people.

    • They will wallow in ashes, which is a sign of mourning, for the masters of the flock (the leaders over the LORD’s people.)

  • The reason for this distress is because the days have come for the rulers’ slaughter and then dispersion for those who live.

  • The discussion of the people going into dispersion is one of the reasons to know the discussion has come back to Jeremiah’s day.

    • They will all fall like a special vessel that still can go down.

    • The picture of a special vessel is that of a precious piece of pottery that has value to someone but is subject to destruction in a fall.

    • The LORD’s people are this special vessel but that does not stop him from breaking them.

• Verse 35 The leaders will not be able to flee and escape.

  • This was discussed last week as demonstrated with King Zedekiah and the leaders trying to escape but being hunted down by the Chaldeans.

• Verse 36 The leaders will live long enough to witness the destruction of the people and their land, described as their pasture.

  • This was also pictures by the events of chapter twenty-four, as many of the leaders saw the deptruciont before they were carried off in exile to Babylon.

• Verse 37 Even those who do not put up resistance, or described as peaceful folds, are made silent.

  • All the cities of Judah will come under judgment.

  • The destruction is because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

• Verse 38 The LORD left His hiding place like a lion leaves his den no longer protecting it.

  • The LORD took His presence from the temple.

  • The LORD would not leave His presence in a land that has become a horror.

Ezek. 5:11 ‘So as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare.

• Jer. 25:38 The land had become a horror because of the oppressing sword.

  • The conquest of the people was overwhelming.

  • The LORD was the one that brought this upon HIs people because of His fierce anger.

    • Ezekiel Chapters 8-11 describe the presence of the LORD leaving the temple.

    • VBVMI teaching on Ezekiel walks through these verses in detail.

  • The LORD has communicated to the other nations of the world to let His actions with His people in their land be a testimony to the world.

  • If the LORD is willing to deal with His people in this fashion, then it is also His prerogative to deal with all nations in bringing judgment on them.

    • Let this be a warning to those of us who are believers in the LORD Jesus.

    • Calamity can fall on His children for His purposes.

1Pet. 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;
1Pet. 4:13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
1Pet. 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
1Pet. 4:15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
1Pet. 4:16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
1Pet. 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
1Pet. 4:18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
1Pet. 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

• Verse 12 For the believer what appears as calamity could be for our testing.

  • We are not to see it as unusual.

• Verse 13 For those things that align us with the sufferings of Christ we are to keep rejoicing.

  • Our focus is to be on the time of the revelation of His glory, the resurrection of the saints.

• Verse 14 The specific detail mentioned is the believer would be reviled for the name of Christ.

• Verse 15 Don’t do things that would justify reviling from men.

• Verse 16 If the suffering is specifically linked to being a Christian than a believer is not to be ashamed but to glorify God.

• Verse 17 Peter says when judgement begins with the household of God how much worse will it be on those who do not obey the gospel of God, or are not believers in the gospel.

• Verse 18 The righteous suffer, but how much greater will suffering be for the unbeliever.

  • A believer’s suffering ends at death; it is only the beginning of suffering for the unbeliever.

• Verse 19 The believer is to know when they suffer it is in alignment with the will of God.

  • When we know that everything is in accordance with the will of God, we can know our soul is safe with the faithful Creator.

  • This peace will lead the believer to do what is right.

    • The gospel is the most important thing to understand in this life.

    • To know you are a sinner in need of a Savior and accept that Jesus paid the price of that sin with His blood to atone for your sin is the greatest gift in history.

  • The desire to share this with those who do not know this saving grace is the opportunity of a lifetime to share the greatest gift with a lost and dying world.

• As a believer in Jesus, Peter says there is nothing that happens outside the will of God and knowing this as we endure suffering, we can feel peace that the unbelieving world can never know.