“So Judah Went Into Captivity, Away from Her Land”
Uprooted - The Words of Jeremiah
Lanse Evangelical Free Church
March 26, 2023 :: Jeremiah 52:1-34
The Book of Jeremiah does not have a happy ending.
It doesn’t get all sweetly tied up nicely with a bow on top and everybody living “happily ever after.” Feel-good boppy music playing in the background as the credits roll.
No. The Book of Jeremiah does not have a happy ending. But it does have a holy ending.
It shouldn’t be surprising to us by now. This has not been a happy book. For forty years, the Weeping Prophet Jeremiah has been a broken record about a broken covenant and the broken nation and the burnt city that would come of it. And we should not be surprised that the very last chapter is about that sad prophecy coming to pass.
The previous chapters (50 and 51) looked further ahead, down the road, when the wicked city of Babylon must fall. But first the wicked city of Jerusalem must fall. And fall, it did.
But we know that whenever the scripture repeats itself, what it’s saying a second time or a third time must be very important so we ought to pause and pay close attention.
What may be surprising about Jeremiah 52 is that it wasn’t written by Jeremiah. In fact, Jeremiah is never even mentioned. I said earlier that these were “The Words of Jeremiah Son of Hilkiah,” but that isn’t quite right. The Lord has included these words in Jeremiah’s book, but these are not his words. The last verse of the previous chapter said that the words of Jeremiah had ended there (51:64).
So the LORD has raised up another author to put this appendix(?), epilogue(?), post-script(?) historical addendum(?) onto the end of Jeremiah’s book to make sure that we get the point–Jeremiah’s prophecies have and will all come true.
Perhaps it was Baruch. Or maybe Baruch’s son because it really extends several years into the future. We don’t know who wrote it, but we do know that He was inspired by the LORD to include it with the Words of Jeremiah to be for us the Word of God.
Let’s look at it together. And as we do, I want to point out three things about the LORD that we can confidently say because we’ve read all of Jeremiah, but especially this chapter. And then apply those three things to our lives today.
Jeremiah chapter 52, verse 1. The story backs up to 597 BC and the beginning of the reign of the last king of Judah. Verse 1.
“Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence” (vv.1-3).
We’ve learned a lot about Zedekiah in the last few months. He was a thumbs-down king, just like every king was ever since his father Josiah died. His brother Jehoiakim had been a terrible thumb-down king. He was the one who burned the scroll of Jeremiah.
And Zedekiah wasn’t like that, but he never was holy. He would ask for advice. He would seek counsel from the prophet, but he would never do what the prophet said God wanted him to do. And eventually it caught up with him. And the whole nation went down. And they went into exile. The LORD “thrust them from his presence” (v.3). What scary words are those?!
#1. THE LORD’S ANGER IS HOLY.
We see in verse 3 that the LORD was angry, and that is scary, because the LORD is God! He is omnipotent and sovereign, so when He gets angry, terrible things may happen. But His anger is not capricious or moody or impulsive. He never gets up on the wrong side of the bed. When He is angry, it’s about something worth being angry about. The LORD’S anger is holy. Look at verse 2 again.
“[Zedekiah] did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as Jehoiakim had done. It was because of the LORD's anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence” (vv.2-3).
Everything terrible thing we’re going to read about that God does here is perfectly just and right and righteous and holy. The kings and the people broke the covenant. They worshiped other gods. They did evil in the eyes of the LORD, the holy eyes of the LORD. No wonder the judgment fell.
We live in a day when holiness seems silly and unimportant. Holiness seems trite and trivial and foreign to our ears. Nobody cares about being holy. Everybody cares about being happy, but few care about being holy. God cares about being holy. He is holy, holy, holy. And He wants us to be holy, too.
We live in a time when people think, “I’m not so bad, and God’s not so mad.” But the fact is that we are bad, and God is mad, and God’s anger is holy.
That’s why the Cross, right? The Cross is about God’s love for us, yes, but it’s also about God’s holiness, right? We have been unholy, and so we needed Jesus to do what He did on the Cross to make us holy once more. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIVO). That’s what was going on at the Cross. What we are heading into celebrating the next few weeks.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness (holiness); by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray (unholy), but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (holy once more)” (1 Pet. 2:24-25 NIVO).
His anger is holy, and that’s why Jesus died like He did. And that allows us now to live a holy life ourselves.
I hope that studying the prophecy of Jeremiah has helped us to cultivate a hatred of our sin and love for God’s holiness. When we see how seriously God feels about idolatry and pride and wickedness, and the lengths He went to save us from those things, I hope that we have been led into repentance from our hearts. We can learn from the errors of Judah. What sins are you repenting of, what idols are you smashing, what areas of holiness are you growing in?
The LORD says, “Be holy as I am holy.” And we see here just how holy He is. He was so holy that He demolished His favorite city on Earth. V.3 once more.
“Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. [About 18 months.] By the ninth day of the fourth month [Janaury 15, 588BC] the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat.
Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled. They left the city at night through the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, but the Babylonian army pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, and he was captured. He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him.
There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he also killed all the officials of Judah. Then he put out Zedekiah's eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon, where he put him in prison till the day of his death” (vv.3-11).
Like I said, the Book of Jeremiah does not have a happy ending, but it does have a holy ending. And it also has an honest ending. This is what truly happened, and what Jeremiah had said would happen, came true.
#2. THE LORD’S WORD IS TRUE.
Listen to Jeremiah 32, verse 4. “Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hands of the Babylonians but will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes” (Jer. 32:4).
And that’s exactly what happened. Nebuchadnezzar was, in fact, the last thing Zedekiah saw. Nebuchadnezzar killing his sons. The end of the line, both figuratively and literally.
In Jeremiah 34:3-4, the LORD says to Jeremiah, “Go to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon” (Jer. 34:2-3).
Everything Jeremiah said would happen is exactly what happened. The LORD’s word was true. All of those other prophets were false. They were full of lies. But Jeremiah’s mouth was full of truth.
The lies sounded so good. We want to believe the lies, but we must believe the truth. And the truth was that the city was going to fall. Verse 12.
“On the tenth day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, who served the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem” (vv.12-14).
If you want to know how this felt, read the next book of the Bible, the Book of Lamentations. It felt to them like the end of the world. And was the fulfillment of the word of the LORD.
The LORD said to Jeremiah, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and...TEAR DOWN [same words in Hebrew as v.14], to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10).
The Babylonians systematically tore down the walls around Jerusalem until the walls were completely dismantled and the city demolished. And, just as promised, the people were taken into exile. V.15
“Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile some of the poorest people and those who remained in the city, along with the rest of the craftsmen and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. [Apparently they needed some workers.] But Nebuzaradan left behind the rest of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields” (vv.15-16).
And then they went after the temple of the LORD. Verse 17.
“The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. [Let the looting begin!] They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.
The commander of the imperial guard took away the basins, censers, sprinkling bowls, pots, lampstands, dishes and bowls used for drink offerings–all that were made of pure gold or silver. The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the twelve bronze bulls under it, and the movable stands, which King Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed[!]. Each of the pillars was eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference; each was four fingers thick, and hollow. The bronze capital on top of the one pillar was five cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its pomegranates, was similar. There were ninety-six pomegranates on the sides; the total number of pomegranates above the surrounding network was a hundred” (vv.17-23).
Do you remember the beauty of the temple of the LORD?
Solomon’s glorious temple with all of its gold, and silver, and bronze?
All of these things were described as they were put up in 1 Kings 6, 7, and 8, and now they are inventoried as they are stolen away in Jeremiah 52. And the entire time that the exiles are in Babylon, they are stored away in the treasury of the Babylonians.
Just like Jeremiah (and Micah before him) had said. “Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets” (Jeremiah 26:18).
But, keep this in mind, these items were inventoried and kept. The ones that weren’t smashed up were stored away, and there will actually be a future for them! There’s a glimmer here of hope. Even as, in His holiness, the LORD is bringing judgment on His temple. But how depressing it must have been to see those precious items stolen away and the temple of the LORD, the temple of LORD, the temple of the LORD torn down.
And the leaders of Judah killed. Verse 24. “The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and seven royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of his men who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath [modern day Syria], the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land” (vv.24-28).
That’s our sermon title for today. And it reminds us that this is all going according to plan. These terrible things are all God’s holy threats come true. Including the exile. This is not a mistake. This does not take God by surprise. It is, in fact, the judgment of God. For forty years, Jeremiah has been saying that Judah will go into captivity.
Judah will go into captivity.
Judah will go into captivity.
“So [v.28] Judah went into captivity, away from her land.”
The LORD is faithful to keep His promises, including His threats. And He’s been threatening this for more forty years. He’s been saying that this would come since the book of Deuteronomy. If they did not repent, they would be thrust out of the land.
Verses 28 through 30 give some stats on that. “This is the number of the people Nebuchadnezzar carried into exile: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews; in Nebuchadnezzar's eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem; in his twenty-third year, 745 Jews taken into exile by Nebuzaradan the commander of the imperial guard. There were 4,600 people in all” (vv.28-30). In those three particular deportations. There was one before it and probably others. And those numbers are probably just the men or even just the leaders. The full count was probably much higher and doesn’t include all of those died in the process.
Babylon has won. Judah has lost. Just as the LORD has said.
You know what this chapter is kind of like? It’s like the post-credit scenes in a modern movie. These days if you go to a movie in the theatre, you don’t get up until after the credits are all over. I’ve made the mistake of leaving before they’re all done. Because a lot of movies, especially the super-hero ones I like, have these extra scenes that take place in the middle of or after the credits that kind of tell the rest of the story or set things up for the next movie.
“Jeremiah the movie” is over, but here’s these scenes that show us that everything that Jeremiah predicted came true. Jeremiah is vindicated as a true prophet. In these scenes, we watch Jerusalem be besieged. We see the walls be breached. We see Zedekiah have to watch his sons die. We see his eyes come out. We watch the walls of Jerusalem be torn down. We watch the temple things be stolen before our very eyes. We see the city burn. We watch the leaders be executed at Riblah. We watch the waves of thousands of Jewish people go into captivity in Babylon. Just like Jeremiah said. Do you see it?
The Word of the LORD is true. Every single word. Do you trust what you read in here? Do you know what it says? Do you believe it? The LORD will keep every one of His promises, including His threats.
I hope that studying the Book of Jeremiah this last year has put some steel in backbones to stand with the word of God no matter what.
On Friday, Joel Michaels and I went up near Rochester for an ordination council of a new pastor in our district. Pastor Jake Buss. And it was so encouraging to hear Jake explain the Word of God and what he believes about it and how he stakes his life on it.
This book doesn’t always say what I want it to say! But it says what I need it to say. And it says what is true. And for those who belong to Jesus, it also always says a word of hope.
The book of Jeremiah does not have a happy ending, but it does have a hopeful ending.
There’s a hint of hope, at least. For one, we know that Babylon does not win forever. They may be the winners at end of chapter 52, but we just read chapters 50 and 51 last week, and we know that Babylon must fall. And when it does, God’s people will rejoice.
And we know that those golden things from the temple are going to show up again, and the temple is going to return. This afternoon, you might want to read the book of Ezra, chapter 1. All those things from verses 17 through 23 make the trip back from Babylon to Jerusalem! And get used again!
But the hope is bigger than that. It’s not just in a temple that will be destroyed yet again in the first century AD. The hope that we really look forward to is that a son of David will be king forever. And there is a little hint of that in the last four verses of the chapter 52. Look at verse 31.
“In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar’s son, 561BC], he released Jehoiachin king of Judah and freed him from prison on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month.
He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. Day by day the king of Babylon gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived, till the day of his death” (vv.31-34).
Now, that’s not a happy ending.
Jehoiachin was only king in Judah for 3 short months. And then he spent 37 years[!] in prison in exile. He never made it back to Judah. And none of his seven sons became king either. He lived to see thousands of his kinsmen captive with him and having to live year after year in Babylon. He probably saw his eyeless uncle Zedekiah hauled into the prison with him to live out his days.
This was not a happy ending.
But it was a hopeful one. This last post-credit scene has the new king of Babylon come in and invite Jehoiachin to sit at his table as a fellow king. To change his clothes and act like a king again, till the day of his death. We don’t know when that was.
There are no words in this last post-credit scene. There’s no quotation marks. We just see the old man change clothes, put on royal robes and eat royal food.
And we think, “Oh, oh, I know what’s going to happen in the next movie!”
Not only will Babylon fall because God said it would.
Not only will the temple return because God makes a way for it.
But God has promised that a son of David will arise.
Wicked Zedekiah was NOT the end of the line!
God said it in this book. Jeremiah chapter 23, “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness’” (Jer. 23:5-6 NIVO).
And we know another name for Him.
We find it in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 1 where it says, “After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah [which was another name for Jehoiachin] was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matt. 1:12-16 NIVO).
This scene is setting us up for that story still to come!
#3. THE LORD’S GRACE IS AMAZING!
After all of this righteous judgment and just condemnation, after all of this holy anger poured out, God still has a plan to bless His people with His grace! God will send His Son from the line of this king in exile[!] to make every good promise He has ever made come true.
Baruch’s brother Seraiah tied these two chapters of Jeremiah to a rock and tossed them into the Euphrates river.
Do you know this story? To understand these two chapters, it helps to start at the end.
It turns out that Jeremiah sent a copy of the main contents of these two chapters, Jeremiah 50 and 51, all the way to Babylon with Seraiah son of Neriah, who was probably his assistant Baruch’s brother. And Jeremiah sent a copy of these two chapters all the way to Babylon with Seraiah when King Zedekiah had to go there in 593 BC. And Jeremiah told Seraiah to read the words of the prophecies out loud. And then pray that God would fulfill them and then tie the scroll to a stone and throw the whole thing into the river with a big splash!
I love it that Jeremiah is at it again with his dramatic symbolic acts! He’s got yet even one more of these prophetic props up his sleeve at the very end of his book. This one by remote! Jeremiah isn’t even there, but he’s telling Seraiah what to do. Seraiah is supposed to tie these words to a rock and let it sink into the Euphrates. And then what?
Now, this drowning of the scroll is the opposite of when Jehoiakim burnt the scroll. That was somehow trying to keep the prophecy from coming true and showing disdain and contempt for the Word of God. And trying to destroy the Word of God. This was actually part of the Word of God. This was the Word of God being fulfilled. Enacting the Word of God.
Because what these words said were that “Babylon Must Fall.” That’s our sermon title for today taken from verse 49 of chapter 51. “Babylon Must Fall.” Like this scroll hitting the bottom of the Euphrates, the kingdom of Babylon must sink down to rise no more.
Last week, we read about God’s judgment coming on nine different nations. The LORD’s prophecies “concerning the nations” that surrounded Judah. Sometimes their allies, but more often than not, their enemies. Starting with Egypt in the South and West, the prophecies curled around Judah heading East and North.
What do you think we’re going see when we read them? The people of Judah would have been very interested to hear what the LORD had to say was going to happen to Babylon. They didn’t like to hear what Jeremiah had to say about what was going to happen to them. They tried to ignore him for 40 years about that! But they would have cocked an ear and listened with interest to find out what Yahweh prophesied to Babylon. What kind of things do you think He’s going to say?
A lot of it is just like what we saw last week. There is a lot of justice. There is a lot of judgment and vengeance and punishment. Remember “the sword” from last week? “The sword of the LORD.” That sword is going to come out swinging through these two chapters as “Babylon Must Fall.”
We’re also going to see the LORD shaming the false gods. Yahweh alone is God, and He will brook no rivals. The gods of Babylon will be shamed and defeated and disgraced.
We’re also, once again, going to see the LORD humbling the arrogant. No kingdom had ever been as prideful as Babylon! Therefore no kingdom would ever be as humbled.
And along the way, we’ll also see the LORD rescuing His people and giving them rest from their enemies. These chapters are heavy if you are the people of Babylon, but they are delightful if you are people of Judah! The people of Judah would have just rejoiced to hear these things. They would have cried tears of joy.
And maybe of disbelief. It might have been very hard for them to believe these prophecies. They sounded too good to be true! Nothing in these prophesies seemed very likely at the time. Babylon was at the heights of power in the whole entire world! But the LORD said that Babylon must fall.
Let’s just read our way through it and see what’s there, and then when we get to the end, I’ll have 3 points of application for our lives today.
Jeremiah chapter 50, verse 1.
“This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians:”
[By the way, your Bible may say “Chaldea” and the “Chaldeans.” That’s how the Hebrew actually reads. The Chaldeans were the ethnic group that had risen to rule Babylon at this moment starting with Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar. They were the Chaldeans who were ruling Babylon, and so to keep things simple, many English Bibles uses “Babylon” and “Babylonia” in those verses to keep things straight. Back to verse 1.]
“This is the word the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Babylonians: ‘Announce and proclaim among the nations, lift up a banner and proclaim it; keep nothing back, but say, 'Babylon will be captured; Bel will be put to shame, Marduk filled with terror. Her images will be put to shame and her idols filled with terror.'
A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away” (vv.1-3).
This is something that Judah has longed to hear for a very long time. Babylon is going to be captured. All they’ve heard year after year is that Judah is going to be captured. But the LORD says that after that Babylon is going to get it, too. And it’s going to be an enemy from the north that does it!
And you see what’s going to happen to their gods? That’s who Bel is (it’s like Baal) and Marduk also known as “Merodach.” That’s the chief god of Babylon. He’s going to be shamed and scared! I love that picture. Babylon’s gods are going to be terrified and helpless to stop the LORD from judging them. At long last!
And, at long last, there will finally be real repentance among the people of Judah. Look at verse 4.
“‘In those days, at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the LORD their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten” (vv.4-5).
This is just like the promises of chapters 30 through 33. Promises of restoration and the new permanent covenant written on their hearts! At long last. V.6
“My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. [Bad kings.] Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, 'We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'”
The people who had conquered Judah were right that Judah deserved their punishment. But that did not mean that they were right to conquer them. They were oppressors, and when the LORD was done using them to judge His people, He was going to judge them! Babylon must fall.
So Judah must flee. V.8
“‘Flee out of Babylon; leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock. For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. They will take up their positions against her, and from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. So Babylonia will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,’ declares the LORD.” (Vv.8-11).
Now, this command to “flee” is interesting. It’s not something that Judah is supposed to do right away. In chapter 29, in the letter to the exiles, written perhaps at the very same time[!], the LORD told them to settle down and build houses and pray for the peace and prosperity of Babylon for the time being.
But only for the time being. When the seventy years of their sentence is up, they are supposed to get out of Dodge. Settle in but don’t get too comfortable. Because Babylon must fall.
Why must they fall? Why must this “alliance of nations” rise up from the north to plunder them? Because of how they have treated God’s people! V.11 The LORD says:
“‘Because you rejoice and are glad, you who pillage my inheritance, because you frolic like a heifer threshing grain and neigh like stallions, your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who gave you birth will be disgraced. She will be the least of the nations–a wilderness, a dry land, a desert. Because of the LORD's anger she will not be inhabited but will be completely desolate. All who pass Babylon will be horrified and scoff because of all her wounds” (vv.11-13).
Do you see how this is justice? Babylon has done wrong against God’s people, and they will not get away with it. There will be blood. V.14
“‘Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD. Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others.”
That’s justice. And at the same time, it’s salvation–for God’s people. V.16
“Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor [Babylon] let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own land.
‘Israel is a scattered flock that lions have chased away. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria [in the northern kingdom]; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon’ [in the south]. Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria.
But I will bring Israel back to his own pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his appetite will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead” (vv.16-19).
The Savior will “like a Shepherd lead us, [so] much we need [His] tender care. In [His] pleasant pastures feed us, For our use [His] folds prepare[d].” - Dorothy Thrupp
This justice on God’s enemies means salvation for God’s people.
Total salvation. Including total forgiveness! Look at verse 20.
“In those days, at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for Israel's guilt [and there was so much of it! We have seen so much of it], but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah [and there was so much of it!], but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare” (v.20).
You and I know how that is even possible! It’s because of what Jesus Christ did at Calvary.
“You laid down Your life
That I would be set free”
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You've done for me
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Phil Wickham)
They will search for our guilt and our sins, but none will be found! That’s why we have a hope and future
But Babylon does not have a hope or a future. V.21
“‘Attack the land of Merathaim and those who live in Pekod. Pursue, kill and completely destroy them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Do everything I have commanded you. The noise of battle is in the land, the noise of great destruction! How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth! How desolate is Babylon among the nations!
I set a trap for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the LORD. The LORD has opened his arsenal and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Sovereign LORD Almighty has work to do in the land of the Babylonians.
Come against her from afar. Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps of grain. Completely destroy her and leave her no remnant. Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.
Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the LORD our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple” (vv.21-28).
He doesn’t stop, does He? Babylon thinks of themselves as “the hammer of the whole earth.” They can pound wherever they want. They can pound whoever they want. But now the those who have been doing the pounding are going to get the pounding.
And, make no mistake, it is the LORD who is now doing the pounding! V.29
“‘Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’ declares the LORD.
‘See, I am against you, O arrogant one,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty, ‘for your day has come, the time for you to be punished. The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her’” (vv.29-32).
There’s that theme of humbling the prideful, isn’t there? Don’t raise yourself up. Humble yourself and let the LORD do it. Babylon was so arrogant, and so Babylon must fall. V.33
“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go.
Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon.
[Salvation by “the sword.” V.35]
‘A sword against the Babylonians!’ declares the LORD– ‘against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools. A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become women. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. A drought on her waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.
‘So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,’ declares the LORD, ‘so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it.
‘Look! An army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are being stirred up from the ends of the earth. They are armed with bows and spears; they are cruel and without mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride on their horses; they come like men in battle formation to attack you, O Daughter of Babylon” (vv.33-44).
A sword, a sword, a sword, a sword. If you don’t have room in your concept of God for the sword of the LORD, you need to learn to make room for the justice of God. Babylon must fall. And so it will. V.43
“The king of Babylon has heard reports about them [the attacking armies], and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. [This actually happened to king Belshazzer in Daniel chapter 5!] Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Babylon from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?’ Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Babylon, what he has purposed against the land of the Babylonians: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. At the sound of Babylon's capture the earth will tremble; its cry will resound among the nations.”
Babylon will fall.
Imagine being an Israelite in exile and hearing this prophecy from the pen of Jeremiah. You’ve been told that Jerusalem is going to fall. And here you are living your life in Babylon, among your captors and oppressors.
And then you hear that justice is coming. They are going to get what is coming to them. And then you hear more about it in chapter 51:
“This is what the LORD says: ‘See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai. [That’s a play on words. A cryptogram for Chaldea that also means “The Heart of My Attackers.” The LORD is attacking them. V.2] I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land; they will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster.
Let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her young men; completely destroy her army. They will fall down slain in Babylon, fatally wounded in her streets. [Why?] For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the Holy One of Israel. [He’s going to save them in spite of their sins!]
‘Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD's vengeance; he will pay her what she deserves” (vv.1-6).
There’s that call to flee again. When the seventy years are up, they are supposed to pick up their stuff and run out of Babylon like their lives depended on it. Because they did! Because Babylon must fall.
Verse 7. “Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. Wail over her! Get balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed. 'We would have healed Babylon, but she cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to his own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the clouds.'
'The LORD has vindicated us; come, let us tell in Zion what the LORD our God has done.'”
There’s that salvation theme again. This judgment of God’s enemies means the salvation of God’s people. V.11
“‘Sharpen the arrows, take up the shields! The LORD has stirred up the kings of the Medes, because his purpose is to destroy Babylon. The LORD will take vengeance, vengeance for his temple. Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon! Reinforce the guard, station the watchmen, prepare an ambush! The LORD will carry out his purpose, his decree against the people of Babylon.
You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come, the time for you to be cut off. The LORD Almighty has sworn by himself: I will surely fill you with men, as with a swarm of locusts, and they will shout in triumph over you.
‘He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. ‘Every man is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the Maker of all things, including the tribe of his inheritance–the LORD Almighty is his name” (vv.11-20).
In this section, the LORD finally names the next major world power that is going to take down Babylon. It will be the Medes. We’ll learn later that it will be the Medes and the Persians together. It will take a massive alliance of nations to conquer Babylon, but it will happen.
They are coming from the north like a swarm of locusts. However, they aren’t the real power that will make Babylon fall. That will be the LORD Himself, the only real and true God.
These words in verses 15-19 were used before in chapter 10. The LORD cut and pasted them from chapter 10 when He was going to judge Judah. The very same real God (unlike the shameful fake gods, the very same real God) will now judge Babylon.
Babylon has been used by God but not excused by God. Verse 20.
“‘You are my war club, my weapon for battle–with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms, with you I shatter horse and rider, with you I shatter chariot and driver, with you I shatter man and woman, with you I shatter old man and youth, with you I shatter young man and maiden, with you I shatter shepherd and flock, with you I shatter farmer and oxen, with you I shatter governors and officials” (vv-20-23).
How’s that for repetition? I’m not sure who the war club is here. Half of me thinks it’s Cyrus, the king of the Persians who is going to make Babylon fall. But the other half of me thinks it’s talking about Babylon itself and how God used Babylon but didn’t excuse Babylon. God used them to bring His righteous justice through their unrighteous oppression. Either way, now He’s going to bring them down. V.24
“‘Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,’ declares the LORD. ‘I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever,’ declares the LORD.
‘Lift up a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her; summon against her these kingdoms: Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz. [Territories of the Medes.] Appoint a commander against her; send up horses like a swarm of locusts. Prepare the nations for battle against her–the kings of the Medes, their governors and all their officials, and all the countries they rule.
The land trembles and writhes, for the LORD's purposes against Babylon stand–to lay waste the land of Babylon so that no one will live there.
Babylon's warriors have stopped fighting; they remain in their strongholds. Their strength is exhausted; they have become like women. Her dwellings are set on fire; the bars of her gates are broken. One courier follows another and messenger follows messenger to announce to the king of Babylon that his entire city is captured, the river crossings seized, the marshes set on fire, and the soldiers terrified’” (vv.24-32).
He doesn’t stop, does He? He has one big message, and He wants us to get it. V.33
“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘The Daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time it is trampled; the time to harvest her will soon come.’ ‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us, he has thrown us into confusion, he has made us an empty jar. Like a serpent he has swallowed us and filled his stomach with our delicacies, and then has spewed us out.
May the violence done to our flesh be upon Babylon,’ say the inhabitants of Zion. ‘May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,’ says Jerusalem” (vv.33-35).
We see here, at last, not just real repentance and real rest and real redemption for Judah, but we see, at last, real retribution for Babylon. V.36
“Therefore, this is what the LORD says: ‘See, I will defend your cause and avenge you [Judah]; I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry. Babylon will be a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, an object of horror and scorn, a place where no one lives. Her people all roar like young lions, they growl like lion cubs. But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter–then sleep forever and not awake,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams and goats. ‘How Sheshach will be captured, the boast of the whole earth seized! What a horror Babylon will be among the nations! The sea will rise over Babylon; its roaring waves will cover her. Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels.
I will punish Bel in Babylon and make him spew out what he has swallowed. The nations will no longer stream to him. And the wall of Babylon will fall.”
“‘Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD. Do not lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land; one rumor comes this year, another the next, rumors of violence in the land and of ruler against ruler. For the time will surely come when I will punish the idols of Babylon; her whole land will be disgraced and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her,’ declares the LORD.
‘Babylon must fall because of Israel's slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the LORD in a distant land, and think on Jerusalem.’
‘We are disgraced, for we have been insulted and shame covers our faces, because foreigners have entered the holy places of the LORD's house.’
‘But days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will punish her idols, and throughout her land the wounded will groan. Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,’ declares the LORD.
‘The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, the sound of great destruction from the land of the Babylonians. The LORD will destroy Babylon; he will silence her noisy din. Waves of enemies will rage like great waters; the roar of their voices will resound. A destroyer will come against Babylon; her warriors will be captured, and their bows will be broken. For the LORD is a God of retribution; he will repay in full.
I will make her officials and wise men drunk, her governors, officers and warriors as well; they will sleep forever and not awake,’ declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty. This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Babylon's thick wall will be leveled and her high gates set on fire; the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing, the nations' labor is only fuel for the flames’” (vv.36-58).
“The days are coming.” How many times have we read those words and rejoiced in the last few months? Because God’s salvation is on the way.
And also because God’s justice is on the way. The days are coming when God will bring complete justice against this great and terrible city. Babylon must fall. Justice demands it.
Do you see the main themes running through there?
The idols of Babylon punished, shamed, and disgraced.
The people of Judah being told to run out of there so they aren’t caught up in Babylon’s downfall, as well. They are supposed to (v.50) remember the LORD and think on Jerusalem.
And that constant drumbeat of justice. Nothing will stop it.
Verse 53 reminds us that Babylon is where the tower of Babel was. “Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,’ declares the LORD.” Nothing will stop God’s justice. Because that is Who He is! V.56 reminds us, “God is a God of retribution; he will repay in full.” We forget that to our detriment.
Let’s pause right here, and let me give you the three very brief points of application.
#1. REPENT OF THE SINS OF BABYLON.
Just like last week, we are told of this justice to come to warn us to not be like the unrepentant nations, from Egypt to Elam, the nations who do not turn from their sins against the LORD. The nations that embrace the false gods of the idols. Last week: Amon, Chemosh, Molech. This week, Bel and Marduk.
Idols will not save, but they will condemn.
Justice is coming. Perfect justice is on the way. The sword will be unsheathed on the unrepentant. Babylon is so proud. They will not repent. Not in large scale. There is no “and yet” in chapters 50 and 51 like there were in several places in chapters 46 through 49. Babylon will not be saved, so do not be like them.
“… Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light
… You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down” (Johnny Cash)
Repent of the sins of Babylon.
The good news is that God is gracious towards the repentant. Amazingly gracious, as we’ve been singing. In fact, He gave His own beloved Son so that we need not perish at His sword but instead gain eternal life! To all believe! To all who repent and trust in His Son.
Do not be like Babylon in chapter 50 and 51, but be like Israel and Judah in chapter 50 and 51. Truly repent. Go in tears to seek the LORD your God. Ask the way to Zion and turn your faces toward it. Trust in the Mediator of the new everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.
And you will gain a hope and a future. And you will find rest for your soul. A Shepherd with “grace to cleanse, and power to free...Blessed Jesus, early let us turn to Thee.”
Repent of the sins of Babylon and find that your sins cannot be found again.
Application point number two. It’s like the first one, but just a little bit different.
#2. RETREAT FROM THE SINS OF BABYLON.
What I mean is–don’t go there. Don’t follow them into their sin. All of the verses throughout chapter 50 and 51 that tell Judah to run, to flee, to get out of Babylon while they can.
Like the billy-goats running ahead of flock, bursting to get out of there (50:8).
All the places where the LORD says, “Come out of her, my people!” (51:45).
I’ve got a Bible study for you to do this afternoon. Where do you think these two chapters show up the most in the New Testament? There is a chapter in your Bible that is devoted to building on the theology of Jeremiah 50 and 51. Does anybody know what it is?
It's Revelation chapter 18.
You might want to read it this afternoon and note all of the ways that it builds right off Jeremiah 50 and 51. Because Babylon is more than just a historical city and kingdom from the sixth century before Christ. Babylon stands for much more than that now. Babylon stands for the whole world system of worldiness. Babylon is all of humanity united in sin and wickedness. It is the city of sin personified.
And in Revelation chapter 18, verse 4, John the Revelator says, “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins...” (Rev. 18:4 NIVO).
God’s beloved people are told not just to repent of the times when we have fallen into Babylon’s ways, but to run from that temptation now.
Don’t flirt with sin.
Don’t flirt with idols.
Don’t flirt with pride.
Don’t flirt with mistreating God’s people.
Don’t flirt with wickedness.
“Come out of her!” Run, flee, take flight! “Leave and do not linger” (51:50).
Because Babylon must fall. And it will. And when it does...when it finally at last falls for good...God’s people will rejoice.
#3. REJOICE THAT THE SINS OF BABYLON WILL BE JUDGED.
I think that’s hard for us at times to do. We love a good salvation story and rejoice when anyone repents and is saved. And rightly so! God gets the glory. He loves to save!
But God also gets the glory from His perfect justice. And when people refuse to repent, we should rejoice when God brings His justice down. Look at verse 48 of chapter 51.
“‘Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her,’ declares the LORD.”
Heaven and earth and all that is them, rejoicing over the downfall of Babylon.
And that’s not just an Old Testament thing. Listen to what Revelation 18 says about this for the final Babylon, the bigger Babylon. When the ultimate Babylon falls, Revelation 18:20 says, “Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you” (Rev. 18:20 NIVO).
“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” (Rev. 18:2 NIVO).
Rejoice! Shout for joy! Because God is just. Anyone who has experience injustice will feel this more than others. And the greater the injustice you have experiences, the greater you will long for and rejoice when true justice comes. Rejoice that God is a God of retribution (51:56). Justice will be done and will be seen to be done. Inarguably. Everything wrong will be made right–either at the Cross or in the eternal judgment. Babylon must fall.
We will be so happy. When we are perfected, we will be so happy that God has judged the nations, especially the nation of nations, the final Babylon. It must fall and never rise again.
That was the point that Jeremiah wanted to make to the exiles in Babylon. That’s why he sent Seraiah with this mission. Look at verse 59.
“This is the message Jeremiah gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign.
Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon– all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. [Everything we have just read.] He said to Seraiah, ‘When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. [Like I just did.] Then say, 'O LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither man nor animal will live in it; it will be desolate forever.' When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, 'So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall.' The words of Jeremiah end here” (vv.59-64).
Next week, Lord-willing, we’ll see what God included as an appendix to Jeremiah’s scroll, but these are all the words that he wrote for us. And it’s a fitting last word to come from the one who said that they would fall into the hands of Babylon.
He says that Babylon must fall and sink down into the waters and drown and never come back again.
I imagine those exiles standing in the land of Babylon watching the water, looking to see if those words float back up to the surface. But they don’t. God’s word will stand. And Babylon will fall, at long last.
And not just that Babylon then, but the ultimate Babylon one day. In Revelation chapter 18, John has a vision of angel recreating this prophetic sign from Jeremiah 51 on an scale we can’t imagine.
He says, “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again’” (Rev. 18:21 NIVO).
Way back in chapter 1, the LORD told Jeremiah that before he was even born, he had a calling on his life, and it was a calling to speak for God, not just to the nation of Judah but beyond that nation to the nations. To the foreign nations surrounding Judah.
Jeremiah wrote in chapter 1, verse 5, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations’” (Jer. 1:4-5 NIVO).
We’re coming down to the homestretch on the book of Jeremiah, and we haven’t yet seen that many direct prophecies to the nations. We’ve read some of them. They have been sprinkled in there all along. But here at the end, Baruch and Jeremiah (Barry and Jerry) have collected and compiled about 10 of them and placed them here together in this one section. Six whole chapters worth of prophetic messages to the nations.
They were written at different times and addressed to ten different kingdoms. Today, I’d like to work our way through the first nine. Don’t worry. It will move quickly. Each of these prophecies are fairly similar. They have their own flavor, but the message God has for each one is basically the same.
Interestingly, the Greek translation of Jeremiah, called the “Septuagint” places these prophecies in the middle of the book of Jeremiah. Right after chapter 25, verse 13. And if you check it out, you can see how they might fit there.
But the Hebrew version has them all here together basically at the end like in our English Bibles. And they build and build into a cascading crescendo. The first one is Egypt (south and west of Israel) and the last one (east and north of Israel) is Babylon. Lord-willing, we’ll get to that one next week.
Most of the time, I struggle to read these. You know, when you’re doing your Bible reading, this is one of those places where I get tempted to just skim. Just scroll.
I’m not good at poetry, and I’m not good at geography. And that’s what’s going on here! Poetry and geography. But there is also really good theology. So it pays for us to slow down and to think about what the message is here for us today.
These chapters are really foreign to us–because they are about foreign nations. As foreign as Judah is, we’re used to reading about them. Israel was the people of God at the narratival center of the story of the Old Testament. But these nations are really exotic and strange. We don’t know that much about them.
But Israel did. They were Israel’s neighbors. Sometimes their allies but even more often their enemies. Israel would have listened in to these prophecies with great interest. Judah needed to hear what Yahweh had to say to these nations because it would seriously affect them.
These prophecies are important because the LORD is not just the God of Israel. He is not just a local tribal deity. The LORD is the God of the whole earth. All people everywhere are accountable to Him. He made all of the nations (Acts 17:31), and He will judge all of the nations.
Do you remember what the LORD told Jeremiah His job was going to be full of as he prophesied to the nations? Back in chapter 1, verse 10, He said this. It should sound familiar by now:
“See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:10 NIVO).
Six things. And we’ll see them all here in these chapters: Uproot, Tear Down, Destroy, Overthrow, Build, and Plant. Nations and Kingdoms. Look with me at chapter 46, verse 1.
“This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:”
There’s our title for today, “Concerning the Nations.”
Verse 1 is like the heading for the next several chapters. Each time we meet a new nation, it will say, “Concerning [this one]” and then later “Concerning [that one.]”
And the first one in chapter 46 is Egypt. Look at verse 2.
“Concerning Egypt: This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:”
Did you get all of that? If you are Snack and Yack kid, you won’t have any trouble coming up with an answer for the handout question, “What is a word or a name you heard for the first time today?” You could probably fill up 50 handouts with them!
Jeremiah is sent to give a message against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt who reigned from 610-595 BC. He’s the guy whose army was defeated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC. That’s the same year as last week’s story about what Jeremiah the Prophet told Baruch his scribe. That was a very important year in ancient near eastern history and the history of Judah.
Pharaoh Neco was a very powerful king. His army killed Judah’s King Josiah in 609BC, and he installed the next two kings of Judah after him, including King Jehoiakim! But as powerful as he once was, he was going to be defeated. Thus saith the LORD. V.3
“‘Prepare your shields, both large and small, and march out for battle! Harness the horses, mount the steeds! Take your positions with helmets on! Polish your spears, put on your armor!
What do I see? They are terrified, they are retreating, their warriors are defeated. They flee in haste without looking back, and there is terror on every side,’ declares the LORD. [Remember that phrase? That’s one of Jeremiah’s favorites. It was almost his nickname. “Terror on every side.”] ‘The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape. In the north by the River Euphrates they stumble and fall” (vv.4-6).
They like to think of themselves as a world-dominating power, but they are going down. V.7
‘Who is this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters? Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters. She says, 'I will rise and cover the earth; I will destroy cities and their people.' Charge, O horses! Drive furiously, O charioteers! March on, O warriors– men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow. [Egypt’s African allies.]
But that day belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty–a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates” (vv.7-10.
Today, I have five points of theology that I think that Jeremiah is trying to get across to the nations and to Israel as they listen in. And I think that all five of them have applications for our lives today, as well. Here’s number one. It’s probably obvious by now:
#1. THE LORD WILL SURELY JUDGE THE NATIONS.
You can hear the words of vengeance and wrath. “Terror on every side.” Disaster. Destruction. Punishment. Justice.
One key word here that gets repeated again and again and again is “the sword.” Like there in verse 10, “The sword will devour till it is satisfied.”
And that sounds scary. But it is just. These nations have sinned against the LORD, breaking His moral law again and again and often harming God’s own people. And the LORD promises justice to break out upon them. Egypt will not get away with anything. They will be judged. And nothing they do will stop it. V.11
“‘Go up to Gilead and get balm, O Virgin Daughter of Egypt. [Remember the medicine in Gilead. You’re going to need it!] But you multiply remedies in vain; there is no healing for you. The nations will hear of your shame; your cries will fill the earth. One warrior will stumble over another; both will fall down together’” (vv.11-12).
And that’s just the first defeat up north at Carchemish. In the second half of the chapter, we see a second defeat. This time down south actually in Egypt. V.13
“This is the message the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt: ‘Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol; proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes: 'Take your positions and get ready, for the sword devours those around you.' [The sword.] Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the LORD will push them down. They will stumble repeatedly; they will fall over each other. They will say, 'Get up, let us go back to our own people and our native lands, away from the sword of the oppressor.' There they will exclaim, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.'
‘As surely as I live,’ declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty, ‘one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like Carmel by the sea. [Nebuchadnezzar, doing the LORD’s will for Him.] Pack your belongings for exile, you who live in Egypt, for Memphis will be laid waste and lie in ruins without inhabitant.
‘Egypt is a beautiful heifer, but a gadfly is coming against her from the north. The mercenaries in her ranks are like fattened calves. They too will turn and flee together, they will not stand their ground, for the day of disaster is coming upon them, the time for them to be punished.
Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpent as the enemy advances in force; they will come against her with axes, like men who cut down trees. They will chop down her forest,’ declares the LORD, ‘dense though it be. They are more numerous than locusts, they cannot be counted. [Sound familiar? The serpent is the symbol of Egyptian royalty. Think about the Pharaoh’s snake crown. But what defeats the snakes? The plague of locusts. This time it will be a locust-like plague of Babylonians. V.24]
The Daughter of Egypt will be put to shame, handed over to the people of the north.’ The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh. I will hand them over to those who seek their lives, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,’ declares the LORD” (vv.13-26).
Now, there are things at the end of that section that I want you to notice because they are themes that are going to keep popping up throughout this section.
First, notice the god of Egypt that is being punished by Yahweh. His name is Amon, god of Thebes. The LORD is whipping on him. The LORD will brook no rivals.
And second, notice that word, “however” in verse 26. “Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past.” That’s something, isn’t it? Jeremiah says that there will be a time when Egypt is restored. Hold on to that idea while we think about the main idea here, which is:
The LORD will surely judge the nations.
Egypt seemed so powerful. Remember a couple of weeks ago when we studied chapters 41-44 when the surviving people of Judah were so tempted to go down to Egypt? It seemed so safe compared to everywhere else.
But Egypt was not safe. They were especially not safe from the judgment of the LORD. He was going to send Nebuchadnezzar down with “the sword.” The LORD will surely judge the nations.
What is the application of that to our lives today? Well, it should cause us to repent, I think, if we have not yet. God’s justice is perfect and unstoppable. And that means that if we do not turn from our sin, then the perfect justice of God is coming for us.
That was obviously true for Judah. How many times we have pointed that out in the last 11 months? But it was also true for Gentiles who were not the covenant people of God. Judgment was coming for them, too.
And it’s coming for all one day. That’s what Hell is. The unstoppable justice of God on the nations. These kind of chapters should sober us as we consider the perfect justice of God.
Of course, it also should make us think about the Cross, right? Because that was the unstoppable justice of God meted out on the righteous Son of God. He took the punishment that you and I deserved. Which lead us right into point number two:
#2. THE LORD WILL MERCIFULLY RESCUE HIS PEOPLE FROM THE NATIONS.
Look where Jeremiah goes at the very end of the prophecy concerning Egypt. He talks directly to the people of Judah. Egypt is going to be defeated and so...Verse 27.
“‘Do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, for I am with you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’”
Doesn’t that sound good?! It was good! And it should sound familiar, too. Because Jeremiah has already given us these exact words back in chapter 30. These words come from what we called “The Book of Hope” or “The Book of Promise,” “The Book of Comfort” (chapters 29-33). The LORD has promised to not utterly destroy His people but to send them into exile and one day bring them out of exile!
That’s what 29:11 is all about right? He’s got good plans for them. Plans to “shalom” them and not to harm them. plans to give them a hope and a future. To save them out of a distant place–whether that be Babylon or Egypt or the land of slavery to sin. The LORD is going to show mercy and rescue His people.
And that makes all of the difference. Hear these words of comfort:
“Do not fear...do not be dismayed...[You] will again have shalom and security, and no one will make [you] afraid...I am with you, declares the LORD.” I don’t know about you, but I need to hear those words each and every day. I need rescued from my enemies, and they are worse enemies then Egypt or Babylon. They are the world, the flesh, and the devil. But my Savior is greater than my enemies. And He has not only died on the Cross. He has come back from the dead! Amen?! It’s so easy to live scared because we have great enemies. But the LORD will mercifully rescue His people from the nations.
Okay. That’s “Concerning Egypt.” The second one is much shorter. It’s chapter 47. “Concerning the Philistines.” Verse 1.
“This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza: This is what the LORD says: ‘See how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail at the sound of the hoofs of galloping steeds, at the noise of enemy chariots and the rumble of their wheels. Fathers will not turn to help their children; their hands will hang limp.
For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to cut off all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. Gaza will shave her head in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant on the plain, how long will you cut yourselves?
‘'Ah, sword of the LORD,' you cry, 'how long till you rest? Return to your scabbard; cease and be still.'
But how can it rest when the LORD has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?’” (vv.1-7).
Do you feel how heavy these are? The people of Israel were probably cheering when they heard this one, though! Think about all of the times when the Philistines hurt them through the years. And now the Philistines were finally going to be judged.
Do you see “the sword” there in verse 6? They talk directly to the sword. “Ah, sword of the LORD...how long till you rest?” The Philistines cry out for the sword to be put away, but it will not be until the LORD’s perfect justice is satisfied.
Chapter 48. The next prophecy is very very long. But the idea is basically the same.
This time, it’s Israel’s distant relatives who are also ancient enemies. Verse 1.
“Concerning Moab: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Woe to Nebo [leading city of Moab], for it will be ruined. Kiriathaim will be disgraced and captured; the stronghold will be disgraced and shattered. Moab will be praised no more; in Heshbon men will plot her downfall: 'Come, let us put an end to that nation.' You too, O Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you. [There’s “the sword” again.]
Listen to the cries from Horonaim, cries of great havoc and destruction. Moab will be broken; her little ones will cry out. They go up the way to Luhith, weeping bitterly as they go; on the road down to Horonaim anguished cries over the destruction are heard.
Flee! Run for your lives; become like a bush in the desert. Since you trust in your deeds and riches, you too will be taken captive, and Chemosh will go into exile, together with his priests and officials” (vv.1-7).
Who are all of these people and where are they? Moab was east of Israel, east of the Dead Sea. And they came from Abraham’s cousin Lot’s incestuous relationship with one of his daughters. They had grown to be Israel’s enemies and fought them many times.
Many of these places are not on any map. And, I think, that’s proof that God’s prophecies here were fulfilled. God is promising to wipe them off of the map. And so He did.
But this one name “Chemosh,” in verse 7, I want you to really notice. Who is that? He’s the chief god of Moab. Chemosh is the one that Moab worships instead of Yahweh.
And see what the LORD says about him? Chemosh is going to go into exile!
I love that. Chemosh doesn’t just get defeated by the LORD. The LORD sends him off into exile with the punished people of Moab.
Let’s make that point number three.
#3. THE LORD WILL TRULY SHAME THE FALSE GODS OF THE NATIONS.
When the LORD surely brings His sure judgment, the false gods will be seen to be gods that are false. And the LORD will shine out as true.
There is a battle of deities here. And it might look like the LORD is losing when He allows His people to suffer judgment at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar and be drug off into exile in Babylon. But, in the end, it will be clear that that was the LORD’s doing. It wasn’t like Babylon’s gods were stronger than Yahweh. No, Nebuchadnezzar was doing God’s work. And every false god will be seen to be false when the LORD is done with them.
That was definitely true of Moab’s gods. Verse 8.
“The destroyer will come against every town, and not a town will escape. The valley will be ruined and the plateau destroyed, because the LORD has spoken. Put salt on Moab [completely destroy the land!], for she will be laid waste; her towns will become desolate, with no one to live in them. ‘A curse on him who is lax in doing the LORD's work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed!
‘Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another–she has not gone into exile. [The LORD has been patient.] So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged. [Like a fine wine.]
But days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will send men who pour from jars, and they will pour her out; they will empty her jars and smash her jugs.
Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel” (vv.8-13).
The days are coming! How many times have we heard that? Such good news for the people of God. But terrible news for the people who are not the people of God. And even more terrible for their false gods. “Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh!” They will be so sorry they ever trusted in that idol! It will be so obvious that it was a false god.
What is the application for us? We need to topple our idols, too! Judah kept on worshipping false gods. That’s how they got into this mess. Chemosh seemed like a good bet like Money, Sex, Power, and Popularity seem to us today.
But the LORD will truly shame the false gods of the nations.
Is it the One true triune God or a false god worshiped by the nations?
They are going down and going down hard. Verse 14.
“‘How can you say, 'We are warriors, men valiant in battle'? Moab will be destroyed and her towns invaded; her finest young men will go down in the slaughter,’ declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty.
‘The fall of Moab is at hand; her calamity will come quickly. Mourn for her, all who live around her, all who know her fame; say, 'How broken is the mighty scepter, how broken the glorious staff!' ‘Come down from your glory and sit on the parched ground, O inhabitants of the Daughter of Dibon, for he who destroys Moab will come up against you and ruin your fortified cities.
Stand by the road and watch, you who live in Aroer. Ask the man fleeing and the woman escaping, ask them, 'What has happened?' Moab is disgraced, for she is shattered. Wail and cry out! Announce by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed. Judgment has come to the plateau–to Holon, Jahzah and Mephaath, to Dibon, Nebo and Beth Diblathaim, to Kiriathaim, Beth Gamul and Beth Meon, to Kerioth and Bozrah–to all the towns of Moab, far and near.
Moab's horn is cut off; her arm is broken,’ declares the LORD. ‘Make her drunk, for she has defied the LORD. Let Moab wallow in her vomit; let her be an object of ridicule. Was not Israel the object of your ridicule? Was she caught among thieves, that you shake your head in scorn whenever you speak of her? Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave.
‘We have heard of Moab's pride–her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and arrogance and the haughtiness of her heart” (vv.14-29).
Let’s make that point number four of five.
#4. THE LORD WILL UNERRINGLY HUMBLE THE NATIONS.
He knows what He’s about. He’s about shaming the idols and humbling the proud. Did you hear all of words that refer to pride in verse 29? I think there’s 5 in 1 verse! ‘We have heard of Moab's pride–her overweening pride and conceit, her pride and arrogance and the haughtiness of her heart” (vv.14-29).
Moab was big on herself. She thought she was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And it led to all kind of sin. But the LORD is the greatest thing ever, and He will see to it that in the end the prideful are humbled and the humble are lifted up.
Verse 30. “I know her insolence but it is futile,’ declares the LORD, ‘and her boasts accomplish nothing. Therefore I wail over Moab, for all Moab I cry out, I moan for the men of Kir Hareseth. I weep for you, as Jazer weeps, O vines of Sibmah. Your branches spread as far as the sea; they reached as far as the sea of Jazer. The destroyer has fallen on your ripened fruit and grapes. Joy and gladness are gone from the orchards and fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy. Although there are shouts, they are not shouts of joy” (vv.30-34).
Isn’t that interesting? I would have thought that the LORD will be crowing as He humbles them. But even as He brings His perfect justice and takes them down every notch, he still weeps over them as He does. Even though they aren’t His covenant people, He still weeps! I think we need to keep that in mind when we think about God’s heart. It is so full of compassion. And He does not take delight in the death of the wicked, even when He rightly brings the wicked to death.
Moab will meet with death. V.34
“‘The sound of their cry rises from Heshbon to Elealeh and Jahaz, from Zoar as far as Horonaim and Eglath Shelishiyah, for even the waters of Nimrim are dried up. In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods,’ declares the LORD. [Shaming their gods.]
‘So my heart laments for Moab like a flute; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone. Every head is shaved and every beard cut off; every hand is slashed and every waist is covered with sackcloth. On all the roofs in Moab and in the public squares there is nothing but mourning, for I have broken Moab like a jar that no one wants,’ declares the LORD. ‘How shattered she is! How they wail! How Moab turns her back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule, an object of horror to all those around her.’
This is what the LORD says: ‘Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab. Kerioth will be captured and the strongholds taken. In that day the hearts of Moab's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor. Moab will be destroyed as a nation because she defied the LORD.
Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of Moab,’ declares the LORD. ‘Whoever flees from the terror will fall into a pit, whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare; for I will bring upon Moab the year of her punishment,’ declares the LORD. ‘In the shadow of Heshbon the fugitives stand helpless, for a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a blaze from the midst of Sihon; it burns the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of the noisy boasters.”
“The noisy boasters!”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be known to the LORD as a noisy boaster. I have been a noisy boaster. But I want to humble myself before Him. And let Him lift me up (James 4:10). Because you see what happens to the noisy boasters? V.46
“Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed; your sons are taken into exile and your daughters into captivity. ‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come,’ declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab.”
There’s another one of those different endings. There’s that little note of hope in the last verse. “Yet I will restore...” Most of the chapter is doom and gloom and rightly so. But the LORD can’t help but sneak in some mercy and grace, because that’s just Who He is. But we know He shows it to those who are repentant and humble.
That’s one of the things I worry the most about the United States of America. We are not, by and large, a humble nation. We think we are wonderful. We think we’re the best. We have grown proud.
“USA. USA. USA!”
I love this country, but it is a nation that thinks highly of itself, and it could very well go the way of Moab. And one day, of course, it will. Because judgment is coming on the nations. It has happened before: “He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword...” (Julia Ward Howe). It can and will happen again.
One more chapter today. And now the nations come fast and hot. We’ve looked so far at 3 in 3 chapters. Now here are 6 more in one chapter. Chapter 49. Verse 1.
“Concerning the Ammonites: This is what the LORD says: ‘Has Israel no sons? Has she no heirs? Why then has Molech taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns?”
And their chief god was named “Molech” (also rendered “Milcom”). And Molech and his people had stolen land from the Israelite tribe of Gad. So Yahweh says their days were numbered. Verse 2.
“But the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites [capital city]; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,’ says the LORD. ‘Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, O inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molech will go into exile, together with his priests and officials.
[False gods shamed. The prideful humbled. V.4]
Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? O unfaithful daughter, you trust in your riches and say, 'Who will attack me?' I will bring terror on you from all those around you,’ declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. ‘Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. ‘Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,’ declares the LORD” (vv.2-6).
There it is again. Another one of those “yets.” Keep storing those up. “Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites.”
Next is Edom. The children of Esau, to the south of the Dead Sea. Also related to Israel. Esau was Jacob’s brother. Also often their enemies. V.7
“Concerning Edom: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him.
If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His children, relatives and neighbors will perish, and he will be no more.
Leave your orphans; I will protect their lives. Your widows too can trust in me.’ This is what the LORD says: ‘If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it.
I swear by myself,’ declares the LORD, ‘that Bozrah will become a ruin and an object of horror, of reproach and of cursing; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.’ I have heard a message from the LORD: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, ‘Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!’
‘Now I will make you small among the nations, despised among men. The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle's, from there I will bring you down,’ declares the LORD. ‘Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. As [nearby] Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,’ says the LORD, ‘so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it. ‘Like a lion coming up from Jordan's thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me?’ Therefore, hear what the LORD has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; he will completely destroy their pasture because of them. At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea. Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom's warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor” (vv.7-23).
You can see how the same ideas keep cycling through. Here the emphasis still on pride. Esau’s descendants thought they could stay up high on their rocky mountainous terrain and repel all attackers.
The pride of their hearts had deceived them. And verse 15 says that the LORD was going to make them small. The principle is this, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5 NIVO). Either we will make ourselves small or God will do it for us.
Nation number six. Verse 23.
“Concerning Damascus [capital of Syria]: ‘Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad’” (vv.23-28).
Judgment is coming. Not just about Judah but upon her neighbors to the north. Notice, again, the LORD’s heart for these people–even though they weren’t His covenant people! But see also His perfect justice.
Nations seven and eight. Verse 28.
“Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the LORD says: ‘Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. Men will shout to them, 'Terror on every side!' [There it is again.]
‘Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,’ declares the LORD. ‘Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. ‘Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence,’ declares the LORD, ‘a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live alone. Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be booty. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side,’ declares the LORD. ‘Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no man will dwell in it.’” (vv.23-33).
Kedar was a kingdom of Arab clans further out from these other nations. And Hazor was probably a nomadic kingdom out that way as well. They thought, in their pride, that because they were more remote and mobile and didn’t have walls, that they were safe. But they weren’t safe from Nebuchadnezzar, and they certainly safe from the LORD.
Which takes us to nation number nine. Last one for today. And the furthest away from Israel which tells us that God will judge every nation on earth, not just the ones nearby. Verse 34.
“This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go. I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives; I will bring disaster upon them, even my fierce anger,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials,’ declares the LORD.
‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,’ declares the LORD.”
Elam was east of Babylon, far away in the lower Tigris Valley. It was founded by one of Shem’s sons, grandson of Noah from Genesis 10. Assyria had conquered Elam decades before this, and now Babylon would conquer them, too. They were famous for their archery, but their bows would not save them now.
The sword of the LORD will reach them no matter where they are. And that should give us pause out here in this kingdom so many miles away from Israel. And tell us that there is no kingdom on earth where God’s justice will not be found. And also tell us that there is no nation on earth where God’s grace will not be found.
Here’s point number five and last:
#5. THE LORD WILL FINALLY SAVE THE NATIONS.
Grace always has the last word. We have seen now at least four times that in these chapters filled with God perfect judgment that God gives a glimmer of grace still yet to come.
Egypt. 46:26
Moab. 48:47
Ammon. 49:6
And now even Elam. 49:39
“Yet...yet...yet...yet”
And He uses the same phrase “restore the fortunes” for these pagan nations that He used for Israel in chapter 29 and 30. It’s a play on the word “shuv,” to turn. The LORD is going to “turn the turnings.” He’s going to change everything. Not just for Israel, but also for these nations! And, guess what? He did it!
Think about these things:
Egypt. (46:26.) You and I know someone who is Egyptian and does not stand under the judgment of God but under His grace. He lives near here, and he tries every day to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the nations at Penn State University.
Moab. (48:47.) Do you know who was a lady from Moab? A woman named Ruth who was the grandmother of a King named David which puts her in the bloodline of our Savior, King Jesus.
Ammon. (49:6.) Do you know what country is in modern day Ammon? It’s the country Jordan. One of my pastor friends was a missionary there for many years. And someone you and I know is Jordanian who does not stand now under the judgment of God but under God’s grace because of Jesus. She also lives near here. And she tries to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the nations at PSU.
Jeremiah was born to be a prophet to the nations for their salvation! The LORD told Jeremiah, “See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:10 NIVO). And we have a part in that. We have a great commission to take this gospel (don’t keep this good news about Jesus to yourself, but take this gospel) to the world (Matthew 28:19-20).
