Jeremiah - Lesson 44

• 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.

• Chapters 24-29 Review:

  • Good figs are used to represent the Jews who go into exile and will ultimately be those who become the Jews brought back into the land at a future time. The bad figs represent those who rebel against the judgment the LORD has brought on them through Nebuchadnezzar to last for seventy years.

  • Hypocrisy and false teaching and prophecy plague the LORD’s people justifying the LORD’s judgment on them.

    • Jeremiah continues to experience persecution for bringing the LORD’s truth to His people (like planning to stay for a long time in Babylon) and calling out false prophets. Some of the false prophets are dealt with immediately.

• Chapters 30-33 Review:

  • These chapters are often referred to as the Book of Consolation as they are filled with promises for the LORD’s people.

  • Promises of the LORD’s people being regathered and brought back to a specific land as a nation to live in safety with hearts of flesh and not stone, served by priests, ruled by a king and living in prosperity. All of this is possible because Jesus their Messiah has redeemed them and will be their King.

• Chapters 34-38 Review:

  • The Jewish leaders renege on a covenant to release Hebrew servants.

  • The obedience of the Rechabites is contrasted to the disobedience of the LORD’s people. Jeremiah’s scroll is burned by King Jehoiakim.

  • Jeremiah is rescued from death in a cistern by a servant of the king.

    • Zedekiah seeks a new word from the LORD.

• Chapters 39 & 40 Review:

  • Jerusalem falls, Zedekiah taken into exile, and Jeremiah is protected and chooses to go to Gedaliah the governor over Judah. The plot against Gedaliah is revealed.

• Chapter 41 Review:

  • Ishmael the son of Nethaniah kills Gedaliah, the Jews with him and all the Chaldeans at Mizpah and seventy pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. The remnant from Mizpah are taken to Ammon and are rescued by Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders with him.

• Chapters 42 & 43 Review:

  • The leaders and people who are the remnant of Judah ask Jeremiah to inquire of the LORD about what to do after the rescue from Ishmael. They say ahead of the response they will obey but when the LORD says they are to stay in Judah not fear Nebuchadnezzar and not go to Egypt; they rebel. All the people go or are taken to Egypt, Jeremiah reveals another prophecy concerning Nebuchadnezzar's future dominion over Egypt and judgement on the remnant from Judah.

Jer. 44:1 The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying,
Jer. 44:2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them,
Jer. 44:3 because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices and to serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers.
Jer. 44:4 ‘Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.”
Jer. 44:5 ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods.
Jer. 44:6 ‘Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day.

• Verse 1 Jeremiah brings a word to all the Jews scattered throughout the land of Egypt.

  • Verse 2 The LORD is revealed as the LORD of hosts; this is always a demonstration of the LORD’s power over the spiritual realm. The LORD is also revealed to be the God of Israel, He is to be their only God.

    • The LORD’s people are witnesses to the calamity brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; they are still in ruins in this day.

  • Verse 3 The reason for the calamity was because they provoked the LORD by burning sacrifices to and serving other gods.

    • These were gods whom they had not known, nor their forefathers.

  • Verse 4 The LORD sent many prophets to tell the people to stop doing this evil which He hates.

  • Verse 5 The people did not listen or stop burning sacrifices to other gods.

  • Verse 6 This is why the LORD’s wrath and anger was poured out on the cities of Judah and Jerusalem, which are still in ruin.

Jer. 44:7 ‘Now then thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant,
Jer. 44:8 provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Jer. 44:9 “Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jer. 44:10 “But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.”’

• Verse 7 The LORD repeats the description of Himself as the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel.

  • The LORD asks why the people are doing great harm to themselves.

  • The LORD describes the harm as being the cutting off of every man, woman, child and infant from the remnant of Judah, in Egypt.

• Verse 8 They are all provoking the LORD to anger with the works of their hands.

  • They are burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt.

  • The LORD is going to cut them off because of this work of their hands.

  • When you are cut off, you will be a reproach among all the nations of the earth.

• Verse 9 The LORD asks them if they have forgotten the wickedness of their fathers, kings, their wives and even these men and their wives participation in wickedness.

  • This wickedness was committed in the open streets of Jerusalem as well as in the land of Judah.

  • This was the reason the LORD forbade Jeremiah to pray for His people.

Jer. 7:16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.
Jer. 7:17 “Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Jer. 7:18 “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me.
Jer. 7:19 “Do they spite Me?” declares the LORD. “Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame?”
Jer. 7:20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and on beast and on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and not be quenched.”

• Verse 17 The evil was taking place in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem.

  • Verse 18 The evil included the children gathering in the wood for the fire of the sacrifices.

    • The men were kindling the fire for the sacrifices.

    • The women were making the cakes for the queen of heaven.

    • The women were also pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

  • The LORD saw this was all done to spite Him.

• Verse 20 It would seem the very things the sacrifices were being made to bring to the people will be the things the LORD promises to take away.

  • The LORD’s anger and wrath will be seen as poured out like the drink offerings the people are pouring out to the false gods.

  • The LORD will pour out on the men, beasts, trees and produce of the ground.

  • The LORD will take it all away because He is the one who gives it, not the false gods.

• Jer. 44:10 There is no one from the remnant, currently living in Egypt, who have demonstrated a contrite heart for this wickedness done in Judah.

  • They also have no fear of not keeping the LORD’s Law or statues, given to their forefathers.

  • The people do not fear the LORD.

Jer. 44:11 “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah.
Jer. 44:12 ‘And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach.
Jer. 44:13 ‘And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence.
Jer. 44:14 ‘So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing to return and live; for none will return except a few refugees.’”

• Verse 11 The LORD repeats the description of Himself as the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel.

  • The LORD says He is going to set His face against them for woe, to cut off all Judah.

• Verse 12 The remnant of Judah that set their minds on entering Egypt to live there will now die here.

  • They will die by sword and famine, both small and great; this description covers those of less importance and those who are leaders, the children and the adults, the smaller communities and the larger communities.

  • This remnant of people will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach.

  • This is how the surrounding peoples will see the remnant because of their death by sword and famine.

• Verse 13 The remnant living in Egypt will die as those punished in Jerusalem with the sword, famine and pestilence.

  • Verse 14 There will be no one who escapes or survives from the remnant of Judah who came to Egypt who will return to live in the land of Judah as they desired.

Jer. 44:15 Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying,
Jer. 44:16 “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you!
Jer. 44:17 “But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune.
Jer. 44:18 “But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine.”
Jer. 44:19 “And,” said the women, “when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?”

• Verse 15 There are two groups who respond to Jeremiah.

  • The first group is described as men who knew their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods.

  • The second group are all the women who were standing by.

    • These two groups are included in what is described as a large assembly.

    • Part of the large assembly is made up of all the people who were living in Pathos, in the land of Egypt.

  • As a group they respond to Jeremiah.

  • The importance of the men knowing their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, is covered in the Law.

Num. 30:1 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the LORD has commanded.
Num. 30:2 “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Num. 30:3 “Also if a woman makes a vow to the LORD, and binds herself by an obligation in her father’s house in her youth,
Num. 30:4 and her father hears her vow and her obligation by which she has bound herself, and her father says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she has bound herself shall stand.
Num. 30:5 “But if her father should forbid her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the LORD will forgive her because her father had forbidden her.

• Verse 1 Moses reveals the word as commanded by the LORD.

  • Verse 2 When a man makes a vow to the LORD it is to be binding; also when a man makes a promise with his words he is obligated to fulfill his promises.

  • Verse 3 The same could be true for a woman.

  • Verse 4 A young woman under the care of her father can only make a binding vow if her father hears the vow and says nothing.

  • Verse 5 If the father hears the vow, and on the same day as he hears it, he forbids the vow, then the woman can be forgiven the breaking of the vow.

    • Something similar is said about a vow of a wife under the covering of a husband.

Num. 30:6 “However, if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself,
Num. 30:7 and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand.
Num. 30:8 “But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself; and the LORD will forgive her.

• Verse 6 Here a married woman who has taken a vow before marriage is identified.

  • Verse 7 After a woman is married if her husband hears about her vow and says nothing then the vow she has taken should be kept.

  • Verse 8 After the woman is married if her husband hears about her vows taken before marriage he can forbid her to keep the vow by annulling the vow or obligations previously taken.

    • Under these circumstances the woman will be forgiven by the LORD for breaking her vow.

  • The marriage changes the situation because the woman is now one flesh with her husband and she can’t participate in her flesh, when the husband now has a shared part in it without his consent.

Gen. 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

• The husband and wife are one flesh, and the husband would need to agree with the vow and obligation, since it would now include him. This is why he can annul the vow declining to be a party to it, and this covers his wife’s obligation as well.

  • A woman on her own can be bound by her vow.

Num. 30:9 “But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, everything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.

• The vow of a woman after marriage is covered in Num. 30:10-16.

Num. 30:10 “However, if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an obligation with an oath,
Num. 30:11 and her husband heard it, but said nothing to her and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she bound herself shall stand.
Num. 30:12 “But if her husband indeed annuls them on the day he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the obligation of herself shall not stand; her husband has annulled them, and the LORD will forgive her.
Num. 30:13 “Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it.
Num. 30:14 “But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations which are on her; he has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them.
Num. 30:15 “But if he indeed annuls them after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”
Num. 30:16 These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, as between a man and his wife, and as between a father and his daughter, while she is in her youth in her father’s house.

• Verse 10-11 If a married woman takes a vow and the husband hears it and says nothing and does not forbid her then she is bound by the vow.

  • Verse 12 If the husband annuls the vow on the day he hears of the vow then the LORD will forgive her for breaking the vow, as it is annulled.

  • Verse 13 When a husband hears a vow of his wife he can confirm or annul the vow.

  • Verse 14 The confirmation of the wife’s vows stands each day the husband says nothing.

  • Verse 15 If a husband annuls a wife’s vows at a later time, he shall bear her guilt of breaking her vow.

• Jer. 44:15 After understanding what the Law has to say about the silence of a husband, knowing what his wife is vowing to do, is giving agreement to this vow, it can now be understood the men, being aware their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods and saying nothing, meant they were in agreement with the worship of the other gods.

  • Verse 16 The crowd basically says we are not going to listen to the message you spoke in the name of the LORD.

  • Verse 17 Instead, we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths.

    • We will burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven as we have vowed to do, and pour out drink offerings to her.

    • This is what we have done in the past, this is what our forefathers did, this is what the kings and princes of our people did.

    • We all did this in the cities of Judah including in the streets of Jerusalem.

    • When we sacrificed to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune.

  • The queen of heaven for this people was known as Asherah; the worship of this pagan goddess was associated with fertility.

  • The objects that represented this goddess were planted like trees beside altars and was were forbidden in the Law.

Deut. 16:21 “You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make for yourself.

• The Asherah had been planted in Israel and Judah at times and had been removed according to the dictates of the LORD.

  • Gideon removed one in his day, recorded in Judges chapter six; there are other references in the history of Israel and Judah found in the books of first and second Kings where the Asherah are cut down and destroyed. The plural of Asherah is Asherim and is recorded as being everywhere in the land.

1Kings 14:22 Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with the sins which they committed.
1Kings 14:23 For they also built for themselves high places and sacred pillars and Asherim on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree.
1Kings 14:24 There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

• Verse 23 These were built on every high hill and beneath every luxuriant tree.

  • Verse 24 Judah was participating in all the abominations that were in the land before they were brought there.

• Jer. 44:18 The women say it has been since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out the drink offered to her that our troubles began.

  • That is when we lacked everything and started to die by sword and famine.

  • The women had associated their troubles beginning for them when they ceased to worship the queen of heaven; instead of the truth, which was the troubles were discipline being brought by the LORD because of the worship of the false gods.

    • The converse of this is also the belief that the blessings that were poured out on the people were because of their sacrifices to the queen of heaven; instead of giving proper worship to the LORD who was the only one who brought blessing to His people.

• Verse 19 The women say they were the ones burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her.

  • The husbands were included by helping make the sacrificial cakes in her image and pouring out drink offerings to her, and by being silent and not speaking out, thus giving their approval.

  • The women say we did not do this in secret, we had the approval of our husbands.

Jer. 44:20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women — even to all the people who were giving him such an answer — saying,
Jer. 44:21 “As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them and did not all this come into His mind?
Jer. 44:22 “So the LORD was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day.
Jer. 44:23 “Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.”

• Verse 20 Jeremiah responds to all the people who had just answered him.

  • Verse 21 All these smoking sacrifices that you all burned in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem don’t you know; the LORD knew about them all.

    • Did they think the smoke arose only to the gods they imagined or did it not come to mind for them that the LORD was over His people in His Land and He would be a witness against them.

  • Verse 22 The LORD knew and He was no longer able to endure the evil of your deeds.

    • Your deeds were evil because of the abominations which you have committed; remember this included child sacrifice in the worship of these false gods.

    • It is because of this very evil your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse.

    • Your land is without any inhabitants right now.

  • Verse 23 It is because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD and because you have not walked in HIs Law and statues or His testimonies; for all of these reasons this calamity has come upon you.

    • Jeremiah correctly connects the calamity to the years of abominations being committed against the LORD, not the stopping of these abominations that brought the calamity.

    • The timing of this stopping and starting of worship to the false gods may be a reference to the time under King Josiah when the false worship was stopped by him; it began again under his son King Manasseh.   

Jer. 44:24 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt,
Jer. 44:25 thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’
Jer. 44:26 “Nevertheless hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.”
Jer. 44:27 ‘Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone.
Jer. 44:28 ‘Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs.
Jer. 44:29 ‘This will be the sign to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.’
Jer. 44:30 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’”

• Verse 24 Jeremiah speaks to all the people; but it is specifically pointed out that he addressed the women.

  • Jeremiah says the word of the LORD is for all those from Judah that are in the land of Egypt.

• Verse 25 Jeremiah refers to the LORD of hosts, and the God of Israel as the one speaking.

  • Keep in mind ‘the LORD of hosts’ reference has a specific attachment to the control of the LORD over the spiritual realm.

  • The LORD says to the men and to their wives they have spoken with their mouths and then fulfilled with their hands.

    • They have promised to perform their vows.

    • Their vows were to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her.

  • The LORD says by all means you should confirm your vows and perform your vows.

    • This might be a form of sarcasm from the LORD.

• Verse 26 The LORD continues to address this issue by saying; when you confirm these vows there will be a consequence to all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt.

  • This will turn out to be the ultimate test; the people said while they were worshiping the queen of heaven things were great.

  • They will be worshipping the queen of heaven when the LORD brings discipline again and no worship of the false gods is going to stop what the LORD intends to bring on this people.

    • The LORD communicates His strong admonition by saying, ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.”

    • The LORD begins by His statement of the consequences to follow by stating, ‘He has sworn by His great name.’

  • There is nothing one can swear to that is greater than the LORD’s name.

  • What the LORD is swearing to, is that His name will never be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt.

    • The men were giving credence to their words by finishing their statements with, “As the Lord God lives”.

    • An example might be a person saying I will do this thing I have promised, “As the Lord God lives”. This would mean just as sure as the Lord God does live the thing I promised to do is just as sure to happen.

• Verse 27 The LORD says to guarantee no man can invoke His name in this way He is going to be sure only harm will come on the men of Judah, in the land of Egypt, so they will die by the sword and famine until they are all destroyed.

  • Verse 28 The few who escape the sword in Egypt and go back to Judah as a remnant will be able to testify what word was true, God’s words or the contrary words brought by the men who died.

  • Verse 29 The LORD then promises to give the people a sure sign that His words of standing against them for harm is going to take place.

    • This punishment will occur in spite of the ongoing worship of the false gods.

  • Verse 30 The sign the LORD is going to give is that Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, will be given into the hands of his enemies; these enemies are the ones seeking his life.

    • This will happen just like the LORD gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar.

    • The “just like” is that the LORD prophesied He would do it, and then He fulfilled His words.

    • It appears Hophra is the same Pharaoh who tried to help Zedekiah when Nebuchadnezzar was besieging Jerusalem; pulling the Chaldean army away for a short time before they finished destroying the city of Jerusalem and hauled Zedekiah off into exile.

• History records there were those within Egypt who overthrew Hophra and eventually handed him over to be strangled by his subjects. Those who were his enemies did ultimately take his life, just as Jeremiah prophesied from the LORD.

  • These are the last words from Jeremiah in the book of Jeremiah.

  • There is no scripturally based description of what ultimately happened to Jeremiah after this point in time.

    • The LORD’s people gave credit for their blessings to their own worship of the false gods.

    • The women said as long as they worshipped the gods they had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune.

  • When they stopped worshipping the queen of heaven, they lacked everything and experienced the sword and famine.

  • It did not matter to the people that they had taken an oath to the LORD to not worship other gods while they were in the wilderness or when they entered the land.

    • The people did not believe the word of the LORD when He told them if they worshipped other gods He would send the sword, famine and pestilence. This included their forefathers.

    • They did not believe the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah in Jer. 16:11.

Jer. 16:11 “Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law.

• The people refused to believe the word of the LORD.

  • The people believed in their hearts they were responsible for the good things that came to them because of their worship of the false gods and they did not give glory to the LORD for the provisions and blessing He poured out in their lives.

  • The second error of this people was their confusion of the importance of the earthly or temporal blessing of the LORD over the eternal promises of the LORD.

    • For man truth can be subjective for the LORD truth is only found in His word.

  • False religions and false worship have these similar traits.

  • There are lists of the things to do to bring the LORD’s blessing.

  • They teach if one says the right prayer then you can be saved.

  • They teach if one gives money to the LORD then they can receive more earthly blessing in return.

  • There is a path that leads to trusting in oneself leading to legalism.

    • Jesus warned of this in Luke 18:9-14.

Luke 18:9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
Luke 18:10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
Luke 18:11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Luke 18:12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
Luke 18:14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

• Jesus warns His disciples against exalting themselves; this does not bring justification, but humility will ultimately be rewarded.

  • Jesus also warned His disciples of the temptation of following the way of the world versus following His way.

John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

• Jesus prepared His disciples to know they will be hated by the world and they will endure persecution from the world, because they are not of the world.

  • It is difficult often to know what that persecution will look like in each believer’s life, but it does come. (family life strains, business losses, silenced, financial ruin, physical abuse, even death)

  • Paul continued with this warning and encouragement for the early church in 2Tim 3:12-17.

2Tim. 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
2Tim. 3:13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2Tim. 3:14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
2Tim. 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Tim. 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
2Tim. 3:17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

• Verse 12 Paul says all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

  • Verse 13 Evil men will deceive others because they are deceived.

    • The men will desire to avoid persecution, that is the deception.

  • Verse 14 The believers can avoid this deception because they have the scriptures (sacred writings).

  • Verse 15 The scriptures reveal the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

  • Verse 16 The scriptures are able to do this because they are inspired by God.

    • When you live out the Christian life, not just the words but living it out, there will be persecution.

    • Paul holds the scriptures out as the single way to stay focused on truth.

• The LORD’s truth is not subject to man’s belief in the LORD’s word. It simply is the truth!