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Lamentations over the Loss

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Lamentations 1:1 – 2:22

Though not named, both Jewish and Christian traditions say that Jeremiah penned Lamentations. Because of the obvious tone of still painful mourning, it was probably written shortly after Jerusalem's fall, which is its topic.

Though not obvious in English, the entire book is quite complicated poetry. Your study Bible may list the poetic points in more detail, but here are the primary ones: Each of the five parts has 22 verses or multiples of 22 which is the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The 22 verses in each of the first 4 chapters, or laments, begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in progressive order. The Zondervan Study Bible says it well: "Use of the alphabet as a formal structure indicates that, however passionate these laments, they were composed with studied care." It might be added that the style also demonstrates that writer/prophets of 2600 years ago were not ignorant, primitive men; they were very much like us and perhaps more literate than many Americans today.

All of Judah suffered in the fall of Jerusalem, though God protected His remnant by warning them to surrender to Babylon before the city fell. Justice demanded that the nation be held responsible for its rebellion, even though they were lied to by their leaders and the false prophets who declared victory and God's protection in defiance of the truth spoken by men like Isaiah and Jeremiah. The people had failed to choose God instead of self-satisfying lies.

How could they have known what way to choose? How could they have avoided being in rebellion against God? They had the written word (the laws and history of God and His people), as well as the witness of God's prophets. Their lives were in contrast to the will of God, but they did not want to give up what they considered their right to determine their own way. They did not realize that God did not set up His laws in order to limit their freedom, but to enhance their freedom to enjoy His grace and escape the slavery of sin.

Next time: The Poet Speaks for the People

    

Delivering the Message to Babylon

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Jeremiah 51:59 – 52:34

The scathing condemnation and prophecy of utter destruction against Babylon would travel to Babylon with Seraiah who traveled to Babylon with King Zedekiah. He was to read the scroll to the people and then throw it into the Euphrates as a symbol of the sinking of Babylon.

The last chapter of Jeremiah is devoted to a synopsis of Jerusalem's fall. The cruelty of Babylon toward Zedekiah was especially so because it assured that the last and most vivid memory of his sighted days would be the no doubt violent execution of his friends and his own sons. Chapter 39:1-10 also describes the fall of the city and the fate of the king.

Chapter 52 completes Jeremiah's story of Judah's fall to Babylon. Verses 28-30 describe three different times that Babylon exiled residents of Jerusalem and Judah, 597 (when Jehoiachin was taken), 586 (the largest which also marked the fall of the city and the capture of Zedekiah), and 581 B.C. when another rebellion from Judah was put down. There was an even earlier exile around the year of 605 B.C. when Daniel was deported along with the most promising leaders of Judah.

These multiple incursions into Judah by Babylon demonstrate the stubborn refusal of God's people to consider the truth that their sin had brought their downfall. Even though God warned them and pleaded with them to accept their time of exile and look forward to their deliverance by God, they turned to their own devices and attempted their own salvation from a hopelessly more powerful foe.

Of course, their most powerful foe was sin itself, but they could not recognize it, nor could they provide their own deliverance from it. This most important of truths they still would not admit when Jesus arrived in their midst hundreds of years later.

The following is a link to a series of YouTube videos of the very beautiful and impressive Ishtar Gate of Babylon which is now in a Berlin museum. It is the "wall of Babylon…and her high gates" of 51:58. LINK

Next time: Lamentations over the Loss

Fate of the Nations Continues

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Jeremiah 48:47 – 51:58

Although the nations in these chapters will be destroyed for their sin, some are promised future restoration. In verse 46, for instance, Moab is commended into destruction. However, in verse 47 Moab is promised restoration. The same follows for the Ammonites and the Elamites (49:39). These are lands that were once home to various tribes of Israel but fell into idol worship or were absorbed by enemies. As a nation, the ten tribes of the North were gone, but when the time of full restoration comes to God's people, they will be included.

Chapter 50 tells the fate of Babylon. God's instrument of punishment upon His people, and others, will also suffer God's anger. God used their cruelty to accomplish His justice, but God did not make Babylon a cesspool of false worship, cruelty, and pride. This wicked nation, whose worship included an obligation from each woman to sit at the temple until she had consorted with a stranger, would be destroyed.

Bel was another name for the god Marduk (vs.2). Again God would demonstrate that no idol could stand in His presence. (Isaiah 46:1-2 also cites the impotence of this Babylonian god.)

The destruction described in chapters 50 and 51 is the prophetic proclamation of the future (534 B.C.) when Cyrus the Persian crushed Babylon. Verse 23 of chapter 50 is an outstanding word picture of Babylon's history and fate (NASB).

Perhaps part of the reason for God's insistence that the people flee Babylon and seek out Jerusalem (51:49-51) was to encourage them to heed the coming actions of Cyrus.

Cyrus did not worship God, but he was a conqueror who helped bring "tolerance" to the ancient world. He not only released the Jews, he embraced Marduk, and allowed the common people their own religions. Babylon still would not be a "good place to raise your kids".

God always seems to let man choose his own way. After God exposed the depravity of false worship and the impotence of false gods, and granted him great victory over Babylon, Cyrus still chose his god incorrectly.

Next time: Delivering the Message to Babylon

    

Fate of the Nations

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Jeremiah 46:1 – 48:46

During Jeremiah's time, and in all of history, which nation is the strongest, most astute, or most wealthy, really doesn't matter in the end. Eventually Babylon, and later Rome, came under God's judgment for their actions and character. Whom did they worship? Whom did they acknowledge as God? Whom did they place above themselves? How did they use their power, intelligence, and wealth?

Babylon ended Egypt's long claim to power (vs.13). The Egyptian armies marching north to confront the empire were crushed and never really recovered. Verse 15 of chapter 46 the Hebrew phrase says "Apis [the Egyptian god represented as a bull] has fled". A good reading would be "Why did Apis flee? Why did your bull not stand?" The nation's gods failed to protect it from the Lord of all things.

The destruction of the Philistines (47:1) on the western coastlands came even before the fall of Jerusalem. Again Babylon was God's instrument. This was around 604 B.C.

God works in every world situation assuring that His will is done. He uses situations to bring His will to pass, but man is also at work (often against God) in various world events. For instance, why was Palestine such a hotbed of war for so many centuries? Part of the answer is that all of the land surrounding Judah and Judah itself lay on the world's most traveled trade routes. This made it often the center of battle and turmoil. Not only did it provide the best land route by which to travel north and south, but the coast provided ports for the great trade merchants of the time. Over 200 years after Babylon destroyed the nations of the area, Alexander the Great felt compelled to plunge down the coast to Egypt in his conquest of the known world.

Again in 48:7 (the prophecy against the old enemy Moab) a false god is derided and exposed as a fake. Chemosh was the primary deity of Moab. II Kings 3:27 says that a Moabite king once sacrificed his son as a burnt offering to Chemosh, begging the idol to come to his rescue in battle. Moab was destroyed by Babylon about four years after Jerusalem.

Next time: Fate of the Nations Continues

The Jews in Egypt

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Jeremiah 44:1 - 45:5

Though it may not be spiritually significant, it is interesting that the people, whom God had rescued out of Egypt almost a thousand years before, now fled back there for protection and restoration. Again they rebelled against God, even after all of the prophets' messages and God's reassurances; even after they had witnessed every word from God come to pass. These people certainly fit the descriptive phrase sometimes used in the Old Testament, "stiff-necked". They had their own interpretation of everything. King Josiah had ended the false worship of Egyptian gods endorsed by King Manasseh.

However, the people only remembered that when the nation was worshipping the Egyptian deities times were good and when they had stopped, things got bad. It was as though they were caught up in the old joke, "My mind's made up; don't confuse me with the facts." But this was no joke and their errant choice only brought further disaster into their lives.

Chapter 44 appears to be chronologically the last of Jeremiah's prophecies. Tradition says that he was stoned in Egypt, perhaps for continuing his unpopular messages from God. Baruch traveled with the prophet for many years, including the time in Egypt. God spoke to him through Jeremiah in chapter 45. We can be pretty sure that this also was recorded by the scribe.

As we come near the end of Jeremiah's book what have we learned about God's demand for justice? What have we learned about His undying love? Perhaps that both are completely perfect at the same time in our God and Creator. That is almost as far beyond our grasp as the truth that His Son could be 100% True Man and 100% True God. Our God who demands obedience and justice is the same God who sent His only Son to die in our place so that our inability to meet His demands could not keep us from Him.

Next time: Fate of the Nations

The Aftermath

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Jeremiah 40:1 - 43:13

It has been estimated that up to ninety percent of the writings of history are lost. Who was Nebuzaradan? He was highly regarded by King Nebuchadnezzar and left in charge of conquered Jerusalem. He understood exactly why Jerusalem had been bested by Babylon, and treats Jeremiah with respect—giving him the choice of traveling to Babylon under the officer's protection, or going his own way. That much we know, but how much is tantalizingly unknown? What if archaeologists one day discovered a record called "The Diary of the King's Loyal General, Nebuzaradan"? Oh, well.

Gedaliah had been appointed governor of the remnant of Judah, and Jeremiah chose to go to him, acknowledging his obedience to Babylon, and stay in the area.

The return to normalcy described in 40:10-12 is not the return from Babylon prophesied by Jeremiah—that was seventy years away. This passage describes the gathering of the people left in Judah and the surrounding area and their return to a somewhat normal life. Those deported to Babylon had been the wealthy and influential (potential rebellion leaders).

Most trusted Gedaliah's word that he would fairly represent them to Babylon.

Sadly, political intrigue and the denial of God's judgment were not over. Warned of death threats, the newly appointed leader, naïve Gedaliah, refused to believe it and that disbelief cost him his life (41:2). The Jews and Babylonians with him were also killed by rebels who refused to accept God's command to peacefully accept their domination and exportation by Babylon. More murder through deceit continued until some of the survivors fled to Jeremiah for advice (42:5). Through the prophet, God encouraged them to stay in Judah under His protection.

After promising to accept whatever God would say to them through the prophet, they shouted him down as a liar (43:2). He had not told them what they wanted to hear.

The fearful people and their leaders fled to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them.

The rest of chapter 43 is dedicated to God's prophecy that Babylon would come to Egypt and place it also under domination.

Next time: The Jews in Egypt

In and Out of the Cistern

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Jeremiah 38:1 – 39:18

These chapters surely are eyewitness accounts preserved by Jeremiah and his scribe, Baruch—firsthand, detailed descriptions of Jerusalem's fall over 2,500 years ago.

Jeremiah's enemies determined to shut the prophet up, even if it meant murder (vs.4). Ever the manipulators, they lowered Jeremiah into a cistern (used for gathering water in the rainy season) so that they would be technically innocent of his blood.

Zedekiah's weakness in the face of these men (vs.5) may have been due to the king's hatred of the prophet, but his later rescue of Jeremiah seems to imply that the king actually felt helpless in the face of the city's religious leaders (vs.10). The people had never accepted Zedekiah as king since he had been appointed by Babylon after the first exile of Jerusalem's leaders almost a decade before.

After begging Jeremiah to talk to him privately and honestly the king heard God's words from the prophet's mouth (vs.17). Even after the interview, Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guardhouse until the fall of the city.

Jeremiah's repeated rescues during these last days, even through members of the king's household, tell us that many in Jerusalem believed God's words but were too fearful of the leadership to act on them.

Even as the final destruction of Jerusalem approached, God tried to lessen the blow to His nation. Jeremiah warned the people that their exile from the Promised Land would be less painful if they would face the facts, repent of their sin, and surrender to the Babylonians. If they would do that, God would protect them in their defeat. Unfortunately Zedekiah did not surrender as God advised. The siege of the city lasted over two and a half years before the walls were breached in mid-July of 586 B.C.

In the typical cruelty of war in those days, Zedekiah was blinded before being led to Babylon—after witnessing the execution of his sons (39:5-7). Some of the poor were left in the city and allowed to take control of the fields and vineyards.

Jeremiah was protected by the invasion commander, and not dragged off to Babylon (vs.13-14).

Next time: The Aftermath

Baruch’s Story

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Jeremiah 36:16 - 37:21

Baruch records that the first officials to hear the scroll of God's words were fearful, perhaps not of the scroll's prophecy as much as what the king might do to Jeremiah and Baruch. But, perhaps the scroll could help them convince the king that he was wrong. After ascertaining from Baruch that the words of the scroll were indeed Jeremiah's (vs.18) they sent him and the prophet into hiding (vs.19) while they approached the king.

One can imagine Jehudi running down the steps to get the scroll (vs.21), grabbing it, and running back to the king. It was winter and the king and his officials were gathered around a fire pot in the palace. The king listened as the scroll was read and then burned it piece by piece, perhaps to clearly demonstrate his rejection of every word (vs.23). Fulfilling the fears of the officials who believed God's warning, the king ordered Jeremiah and his scribe arrested (vs.26). God responded by dictating a second scroll—but lengthier, and it also was sent out with Baruch (vs.32).

Chapter 37 resumes the story of Judah's last king, Zedekiah, some years after the incident of the scrolls (vs.1). Nothing positive had been done over the years. It appears that the Shaphan family was overridden by those loyal to the king, or perhaps none of the officials, including those loyal to God, dared act in the face of a king who could execute them.

Egypt did come to Judah with military rescue from the Babylonian siege. A temporarily weakened Babylonian army withdrew (vs.5), and relief flooded the city. The joy was short lived. Egypt could not overcome Babylon for long, and the conqueror would soon return (vs.8) according to Jeremiah, and God.

In verse 13 Jeremiah is falsely accused of fleeing to the Babylonians and imprisoned. Zedekiah let the prophet sit in prison for "a long time". He apparently believed that Jeremiah was God's prophet, but also believed he could change the message into one more positive. Even after pointing out that the false prophets of prosperity were gone, Jeremiah still continued in imprisonment, though in better quarters.

Next time: In and Out of the Cistern

Who and What

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Jeremiah 34:7 – 36:15

About this time the slaves were willingly freed in Jerusalem (vs.8) but then retaken (vs.11). This action may have been taken because there was a last minute hope that Egypt would come to Judah's rescue and drive away the Babylonians. (It certainly demonstrates that they had not obeyed God willingly.)

One of Hoshaiah's notes to Yaoush mentions that a Judean general was sent to Egypt to beg aid about this time. Whatever the reasons, Jerusalem's decision angered God, for they had not only gone back on their word, they had broken God's law concerning how long a Jewish slave might be held (vs.14). The calf in verse 18 refers to the covenant custom, such as that between God and Abraham in Genesis 15.

Although Babylon has once been to Jerusalem and then left, it shall return because of the evil of God's people and will totally sack the city (vs.22).

Chapter 35 backtracks one or two decades in the story to the reign of Jehoiakim, possibly Zedekiah's brother. The story about the nomadic Recabites is inserted here because Jeremiah wants to use it as another lesson for Jerusalem on faithfulness (vs.13, 14, 16, 18 & 19).

As chapter 36 begins, Jeremiah (following God's direction) dictated all of Lord's messages to his secretary, Baruch. He then told the scribe to read the scroll in the temple during one of its busiest times. Jeremiah was banned from the place, probably for his "crime" of disrupting the peace with prophecies of destruction (vs.5, 6). Again, God's purpose is to bring the people to their senses and save them from the coming judgment (vs.7). This was about 604 B.C., so Jeremiah is still writing of events close to twenty years before Jerusalem's final destruction.

The family of Shaphan heard Baruch speaking. After hearing the scroll in the temple they took Baruch to the stone basement under the palace where he read the scroll to some of the king's officials (vs.15). Baruch probably recorded this story himself and gives us a vividly detailed account of his experience, including the invitation to sit with the group while reading to them.

Next time: Baruch's Story

A little rain must fall

This week's postings will be hit and miss, I'm afraid. We woke up to about an inch and a half of water in the home office due to frozen ground, frozen roof drain, heavy rain, etc., sooo all of my office is now piled in my kitchen. Will get the posts out as I can for a few days.